I know that Halloween is a controversial subject.... which is sad. But when I say we celebrate Halloween, I don't mean that we get all into dead things and celebrate the devil's birthday, I mean we eat candy and dress up and have a great good time.
I don't even know why people think it's the devil's birthday. Like... hallow means holy. Last I checked, Satan wasn't. So Halloween is us celebrating the holy souls, not devil worshiping.
Got that? Okay!
First of all, I have the best brother ever. He's awesome. And he bought like a ton of pumpkins.
(This day actually kind of sucked, but it got better with pumpkins.... why did I tell you that? Because I don't want you guys to think my life is idyllic. It's not. Heh.)
Chloe and Sam
After we gave the pumpkins a lobotomy and removed their brains and innards, we took the party inside and carved them into various versions of Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas. (A movie I only just watched... after we carved the pumpkins. It was.... odd. I liked it. But like... weird!)
The girls.
Cinta
Chloe and Sam were sooooo happy.
Sammi the Friend came over and was awesome as per usual. We had a good time taking pictures. We do that.
Me, Sam, and Sammi
Bella and I took a selfie. Because she's weird. And I'm weird. And we really weird together.
Tiny was proud of her pumpkin.
I don't think pumpkins like being carved.
Amy and Cinta carved a complex and toothy Jack the Pumpkin King and were very proud of his teeth.
And this is a terrible picture, but I like it, so I'm posting it, because I do what I want.
Angela the Cousin came up for the weekend, which was fabulous. It's been ages and I missed her!
Amy and Angela in a nutshell
And then we went over to help the little girls get dressed up. (Because we don't care enough to prepare costumes until like.... the day OF Halloween.)
Chloe and Sam were Toothless and Hiccup. And it was adorable.
Bella was Bucky
And we went Trick or Treating, and whacked a pinata, and watched The Halloween that Almost Wasn't.
Since Angela was still here, we went down to Reno on Saturday, and we brought Sammi the Friend.
This entailed car selfies.
After that there was dinner, and brownies and cappuccinos. And we watched Rise of the Guardians and The Wedding Planner. Both are adorable movies. It was funnnn.
Yet another bad pic that I needed to post.
Because it's also adorable.
It's funny how, when you get tagged, you like a million at once? It's never just one tag.
It's also funny, how when you're a new blogger, tags are exciting!
And when you've established yourself... you get a tag and you're like.....
Hurray.
Anyway, I got tagged three times!! (hurray) Once with the Liebster Award and twice with the Sunflower Blogger Award.
Because both tags require me to ask you eleven questions, and because I'm feeling rebellious, I am only going to think up eleven questions and use them for BOTH tags.
This is going to be a long post, but I promise to break it up with hilarious pictures and witticisms.
Liebster Award Rules: Acknowledge the blog that nominated you (*waves at Rose*).
Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger created.
List 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers that deserve some recognition. (*spews coffee and cries*)
Post 11 questions for them to answer. Notify them that they've been nominate
And Rose's questions are:
1.) An anonymous someone drops a note on your front porch saying that they will fund a trip to either England, an African Safari, Prince Edward Island, or Italy. Which do you choose? Why?
You're making me choose between England and Italy?!!?Well an African Safari is never going to happen. No way. Nope. I think I'd choose England.
2.) You're being forced to re-do your room. What color do you paint it?
Probably light brown with vibrant accents. I dunno, that just sounds cool.
3.) Do you have a particular song that you listen to often, but it never seems to get old? If so, what is it?
At the moment, I've been listening to Because of You and driving my family crazy.
4.) Would you rather be lounging in the sun on the beach reading a good book or adventuring in the waves? Ilike both equally. I tend to adventure and then lounge and it is most delightful.
5.) You suddenly end up with two twin kittens. One is a girl; one is a boy. What do you name them?
Jo and Dean.
6.) You're organizing a get together with friends. Would you choose a picnic or a movie night?
MOVIE NIGHT! With coffee and cookies! And/or Popcorn and lemonade!
7.) What is your pet peeve?
Gurrrl, I have so many, it's not even funny. But right now, the one that comes to mind the most is when I'm driving the speed limit and someone is tailgating. It's like, "DUDE. BACK YOURSELF UP, OR I WILL FULL ON DRIVE TEN MILES UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT."
8.) Is there a new hobby you've been wanting to try out?
Erm. I really want to get good at guns.
9.) If you could pick one instrument that you would (without any effort on your part) instantly master, which would you choose?
Guitar! I want to be like:
10.) Would you like to be snowed inside for a week?
11.) Pick the closest book to you that you've read. What is your favorite character in the book?
I actually just finished The Masterful Monk, and it's sitting right next to me. (It sounds deadly dull but it's not. We swears.) My favorite character in that would have to be Eric, because Eric is a freaking saint and I love him to mieces and pieces.
(Questions will be asked at the end of the post. KAY?)
Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeext up! The Sunflower Blogger Award from Bellaaaaa....
Le Rules:
1.) Share 11 facts about yourself (WHY YOU HATE ME?)
2.) Answer the questions set by your nomination blogger. (I CAN DO THAT.)
3.) Nominate 11 bloggers (THAT IS SO MANY.)
4.) Set questions for the nominated bloggers. (OKAY.)
Eleven Facts about Me:
1.) My brain freezes whenever someone tells me to tell eleven facts about myself.
2.) I think whoever came up with the Eleven Facts rule should be burned.
3.) I'm Jean Valjeaaaaaaaaan!
4.) I love the Cinderella Man
5.) My star sign is Cancer (haha. I'm a cancer. Haha.)
6.) I cannot get through a single conversation without quoting something. I even quote youtube videos, pinterest pins, and my family.
7.) If/When I get a car, I want our mechanic to teach me how to fix it... just in case.
8.) I have strong opinions when it comes to commenting on blogs. (You better answer back, darn it! lol)
9.) I ONLY HAVE TWO FACTS LEFT.
10.) I can wiggle my ears. (I have skillz)
11.) According to my family, I compulsively quote their quotes back at them. Like if someone says, "Oh, I'm a llama again! Wait." I have to go, "YAY! I'm a llaaaama againnn! ....Wait." because apparently my ego thinks that I can quote better than them. (I can, usually. That's another pet peeve. People who quote wrong. SO ANNOYING.)
That's it....
Bella's questions are:
1) Do you like Daylight Savings Time? I think Daylight Savings Time is a malicious plot to deprive me of my extra hour of sleep in the morning. It was probably invented by an Early Bird who thought he knew all the things. 2) What is one really good series which you have just discovered? Series of what? Books? Movies? TV show?
I'm going to go with books and say the Thirteenth Child trilogy was tubular.
3) Are you a subtle fan-girl or more of a loud excited fangirl like me? It really depends on who I'm with. If I'm with people who are subtle fangirls, I fangirl subtly and with maturity. If I'm with Bella, I'm more of a ASDFLKJSFLKJASDFOSDK *dies*
4) Hamburgers or Hot dogs? Hamburgers! (do you have any idea what's IN hot dogs!? Ewww.)
5) Do you like wearing sweaters or do you prefer hoodies? I don't really own hoodies....
6) Do you like going out in the evening? I freaking hate going out in the evening. My evenings are mine! My own! Myyyy precioouuusssss. I will be fun and sociable all day, but around six pm, I'm like, "I want my home, I want my jammies, and I want my internets."
7) Did you ever play Truth or Dare and did you like it?
Truth or Dare is the worse game ever invented. Seriously! You either suffer abject humiliation through a truth, or abject humiliation through a dare! It's retarded.
And Anna's questions:
1) Have you ever gone dancing? Of any kind? (But specifically swing or ballroom)
I've never gone dancing... ever. I don't know how to dance. But when I'm alone, and I know no one can see me and judge...
2) Would you rather be thrown into Middle Earth but you couldn't meet any of the characters from the books, or thrown into the Supernatural world, but you got to spend a lot of your time with the Winchesters?
Oh you did not.
You did not just ask me that.
I hate you.
If I was thrown into a world, I'd want to meet the characters, darn it!
Nope. Not choosing. So there.
3) Favorite flavor of tea?
I like Tetley's black tea, with a little bit of milk and sugar.
4) If you had to choose one, would you rather go deaf, or blind?
WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THESE QUESTIONS, ANNA? Deaf means no more music, no more conversations.... But blindness I wouldn't be able to see my family, or the ocean, or watch the sunset.
I think I'd rather be deaf.....
5) What's your go-to song when you're feeling down?
I tend to go to Josh Groban's You Are Loved.
6) Would you rather eat cookie dough uncooked, or just have cookies?
I'm the queen of eating cookie dough. I love cookies too, but if there's cookie dough, I will go for that like I haven't eaten in days.
7) If you have graduated High School, how did you celebrate it and what
did you get for a gift? And if you have yet to do so, what are your
plans?
I celebrated by doing the dance from question one, and then I did nothing.... it was delicious. And my uncle got me a laptop, because he great and wonderful.
Alright! Now my questions are:
For those of you who got the Sunflower Award,
just pick seven that you like.
1.) Are you musically inclined?
2.) Would you rather go to jury duty or get "sucked out of an airplane window"?
3.) What is you opinion on spiders?
4.) What's taters, Precious, eh? What's taters?
5.) Do you have siblings? If so how many?
6.) What sounds more appealing, skydiving or surfing?
7.) Would you ever have a nerf war with me?
8.) Movies or TV shows?
9.) If you were to give a fake name at a Starbucks, what name would you choose and why?
10.) Can you finish this quote? "Life is pain, highness, anyone who says differently--"
11.) If money and maintenance were not a problem, would you like to own a black, 1967, Chevy Impala?
If you will direct your attention to the right side of this blog, you will see a new page. An 'about me' page. Do check it out, because I think it's fun, and would appreciate your thoughts on the matter.
Things I noticed since I got sick:
1.) It's really nice to sleep as long as you want.
2.) Re-reading the Attolia series makes me happy.
3.) I really don't like people having to bring me in food or drinks or Aspirin, it makes me feel like such a bother.
4.) When I'm better I really need to get something to clean all the cobwebs off the ceiling of my room.
Haha! To be honest, I don't feel so horrible. (it comes in waves.) I woke up this morning and immediately thought of that Alicia Keys song: "MY THROAT IS ON FIIIREEEE! MY THROAT IS ON FIRE!!" which made me giggle, and then wince, because giggling hurts.
Anyway, I thought I'd share a Tradition that we have concerning the Feast of the Epiphany.
A lot of people have no idea what Epiphany is, so I shall tell you. It's the day the Wisemen found the Baby Jesus. It's kind of a big deal, right?
So anyway, back to the Tradition. Every year, we set aside on pressie to leave under the tree until Epiphany. This way Christmas stretches a little longer. (Contrary to popular believe the 12 Days of Christmas are not before Christmas, they're the 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany, which is on January 6th.) And then on the eve of the Epiphany, the Wisemen come and leave one more pressie under the tree, and we have another Little Christmas. (if you want to find out more about it, go to Amy's blog here)
HOW COOL IS THAT???
Who's ready for some pictures?
We got up early and put the Wisemen in the Creche.
Then we had Italian sausage on buns, and donuts, and coffee, and orange juice.
And opened pressies...
And basically had a riotous good time. Like we do. Always. *grin*
Anyway, after that...... I slept a lot, because I was really kind of exhausted. And in between sleeping, I read some of The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. (See the cool bookmark? SEE IT!?)
My exceptionally wonderful friend Sammi found out I was ill and bought me flowers to make me feel better. It was so sweet, and so unexpected that I was quite overcome with feels.
For dinner, we devoured some home-made gnocchi and meatballs.
And then we ate cake and watched Despicable Me 2, and it was really a lovely day, overall.
Incidentally, since we were on the subject of pressies earlier, I am now the proud owner of the Doctor's Journal. (That came with a sonic screwdriver... which means I now own two of those lovelies.)
And since I'm showing off pressies, I might as well show you a couple of the geeky things people got me for Christmas.
Is chocolate good for sore throats? I want chocolate.
