Halloween 2013 with our Little Lady

I've said it before, and I know I'll say it again--but holidays are just so much more fun with kids! 

I set quite the precedent last year with Elyse's 1st Halloween look...so this year I was on the hunt for another adorable, and equally as cute costume! 

Thankfully my mom happened onto an adorable and ridiculously inexpensive costume online!  A lady bug Elyse would be for Halloween 2013!  We actually trick-or-treated a couple days early so we could hit up my parents' house, both sets of great-grandparents & my aunt's house instead of trying to fit everything in on Halloween night. 

So...on Tuesday night after a quick dinner we got all dressed up for trick-or-treating round 1!  She was honestly being a little bit of a turkey, but it all ended up fine in the end.  Welcome to Lady Bug Picture Overload!  

Yeah, the best family photo we could get this night...

Nope, she wasn't showing you her back--she was throwing a fit on the ground!

Momma & Elyse had to have a little pep talk...and then we were good!

Learning this whole "knock, knock" thing!

First stop, Aunt B's house for a new book and some candy--

Of course we couldn't leave without reading the book!

Next up...Gramps & Gran Herndon (my mom's parents)! With some more candy and a bag full of apples!

The best picture I could get--they were already ready for bed!

Next up...Papa Jim & Granny Carrell (my dad's parents)!  Some candy, but more importantly some animal crackers!

Not a bad group photo! 

 And then Papa Jim got his workout in...

1...2...3...!

Up!

We finished off the night with a stop back at Papa & Gigi's house for some bedtime book reading...and then it was home for bed!  

We had Wednesday off from trick-or-treating and then we got all dressed up again for actual Halloween festivities on Thursday!  We headed out about 4:45 so catch up with a couple of our neighbors and then we were off to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and my precious niece and our final destination was trunk-or-treat at our church.  Whew...it was a busy night, but so incredibly fun! 

Heading up to my brother & sil's front door...

Harper & Elyse---our little fox & little lady bug!

Oh these two are going to be a mess next year when Harper is trying to keep up with her big cousin!

The best we could do with all the ladies...Elyse was DONE!

My little bro & his baby girl!

We went out to knock on the doors of a few houses with Baby Harper & Uncle Nick & Aunt Millie beofre heading over to the church...Elyse was a huge ham the whole time!

Elyse was an expert this time!

A much better family photo than the other attempt!

 The we headed to our church's trunk or treat where we spent the next two hours--Elyse played games, hung out with Mamaw & Pappy, saw a lot of her church friends, had at least 1 and maybe 2 sugar highs from M & M's, but most importantly stayed away from the Scary Guy (a guy who came dressed as Freddy Krueger and even freaked momma out!)  We had a great time, and it was a great outreach for our church; we don't have final numbers but they were thinking we probably topped 1200 people, which is a TON for our fairly small congregation!

Elyse & her Mamaw

Playing games with Pappy



Her betrothed husband, Brooks!  I think Elyse was on a sugar high...and Brooks was coming down from his!  ha!

It was a fabulous Halloween--and I'm already starting to think about what Elyse can be next year!  Hope you all had a safe and Happy Halloween with your friends & family!  I know we did!