Cheryl's Halloween Extravaganza

Every year my sister Cheryl's neighborhood is inundated with hundreds of trick or treaters. Being as that it is her favorite holiday...that is alright by her. She decorates her house with tons of tombstones with funny sayings on them and kids literally ask her weeks in advance when she is going to put her display up. I'm guessing that a ton of kids in her neighborhood have taken pictures in her graveyard each year for the last 19 years. Bennett got such a kick out of the battery operated bats that fly overhead, and stared at the inflatable mummy for about 3 minutes straight. He had a good time just running around in her display today!

Mickey's Trick or Treat

This year we took Bennett to Mickey's Trick or Treat Party at California Adventure for the first time. He had such a blast! He didn't even care about the candy since there were so many other things to do. He loved meeting the Disney Characters and going to all of the dance stations around the park. We tried to dress him up like a 1950's greaser kid, but he isn't too much into costumes, so this was the best we could do! My mom, Cheryl, Dan and I chased Bennett around the park all night. So much fun! We'll be back next year!

Joey and Laurie Visit California

My nephew Joey and sister-in-law Laurie came to visit and stayed with my mom for a few nights. Joey is 10 years old now! He got to go to Disneyland with his mom and Grandma Pat and also to Mickey's Trick or Treat. It was a short visit, but they packed a bunch of fun in!

Joey and Riley

Joey, Bennett and Grandma (Grammy to Bennett!) picking some oranges. Joey and Aunt Cheryl.

Hanging out on the couch watching some TV.

Day at the Beach

Since the weather is still in the 90's this past week, we decided to make a very impromptu visit to the beach with Bennett and Riley (Cheryl's dog). We just jumped in to the car (which would be why Bennett doesn't have a bathing suit on. :o) and drove to Leo Carrillo Beach. It was so much fun to see Bennett's face light up as he played around in the ocean for really the first time that he remembers. He loved it, and Riley had a great time getting soaking wet!

Calabasas Pumpkin Festival

Last weekend we headed out towards Cheryl's house for the Calabasas Pumpkin Festival (she lives in walking distance which is great for parking for us!). We had so much fun this year. A bunch of guys from the 501st came so Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers were walking around taking pictures with all the kids. The festival was really fun...lots of games for the kids, good food to eat, and fun stuff to look at.

Dan can't resist a picture with Stormtroopers!

Bennett makes a cute scarecrow I think. Me as the scary part of the scarecrow!

Lovin' those swings.

Bennett was ready to ride this train with his hands in the air! Even though the train probably had a top speed of 5 mph...it was a thrill ride to him!

Dan and Bennett in the classic car exhibit.

Our nephew Max hanging out with the pumpkins. Is he getting cuter or what?

Our Nephew Sam's favorite thing of the day. He LOVES Herbie the Love Bug. He didn't want to leave Herbie's side!

Sam giving a high five to a stormtrooper.

Giant Tortoise. Bennett will touch just about anything I think.

Running around in the pumpkin patch.

Nick and Ardis' 50th Wedding Anniversary

Nick and Ardis (Dan's parents) just had their 50th Wedding Anniversary on Sept 27 and we had a party for them on October 11. It was fun to see their friends and close family have a nice evening of cocktails and dancing. Plus it is the only 50th Anniversary party that I know of that had a Monster Truck Bouncy house in the backyard for the kids! Hilarious...the kids had a blast! Congratulations Nick and Ardis....here is to many more years! Also, my camera battery died that night, so when I get more pictures, I'll put a few more up.

Bennett's Sparkly Specs

We were at Grammy's house one day and Bennett decided it would be fun to wear Grammy's reading glasses, rhinestones and all. And they even work well upside down!

Gotta love those specs!

Bennett is doing some "serious" computer work (while watching Mickey Mouse cartoons on YouTube!) Also note that he is wearing the reading glasses on top of his head like Grammy does when she isn't using them, and incidentally usually forgets that they are up there. :o)

It's Pumpkin Time!

Last weekend Dan,myself, Bennett, Amanda, Sam, Max, and Ardis headed out to the Underwood Family Farms for their Fall Festival. It was soooo much fun. The kids had a blast. It is a working farm that puts on a fall festival every year and they had tractor rides, pumpkins galore, animals, games for everyone, fun food, etc. We really had a good time, and yes I managed to squish myself into one of those little cow train cows with Bennett to ride around the farm. Hilarious. We will definitely go back next year! I made another short slide show because I had so many good pictures.

Paramount Ranch

Yee Haw! Mom and I took Bennett out to play around Paramount Ranch last week. It is a Santa Monica Mountains Park that is an old movie set for Paramount. It is where they filmed Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and a ton of other movies. The Western Town is still there and is sort of like an abandoned ghost town now..fun to go play around in. I made a short slideshow of some of the pictures from the Ranch. Bennett had fun kicking up dust, chasing bunnies around, and just running around the old movie set. It felt abandoned since there was no one there but us and some firemen. Neat place.

Las Vegas!

Dan and I got to go to Vegas Baby! It was a really fun trip I have to say. Dan attended and spoke at VMWorld 2008 and we got alot of fun perks this year. Got to stay at the Palazzo (nice hotel if anyone wants to stay there!) , and we got to go to the VM World Party which was held at the Las Vegas Speedway. They actually made us sign legal/medical waivers before they would let us off the bus and into this party! Crazy...gotta love a party that makes you sign a waiver before you go in! We got to do all things car racing -rode around the big oval track, rode in Shelby Mustangs around the inside track, got pictures taken with Danica Patrick - the Formula 1 race car driver, ate way too much free food - Dan imbibed in the free alcohol as I got buzzed on caffeinated Diet Coke(I know...living it up huh? ), and the guys played free racing video games. This party was nothing short of amazing. ..never been to anything like this. They trekked in 10,000 people by bus to this party. Yikes! Live music, go kart racing, slot car racing, racing movies playing in lounges, free food everywhere you turned. Pretty fun.

Dan and I at the VMWorld 2008 Party.

Dan standing in line to ride the Shelby Mustangs. Me standing in line to ride same Shelby Mustang.

Dan donning a racing helmet to take the big lap in the Mustang. He was so excited that they had a helmet that fit him!

Me donning the racing helmet and realizing that, good grief, at the end of the 5 minutes I really do have an issue with claustrophobia. I was ready to take it off, but it was fun while it lasted and I loved the ride! :o)

Dan and I in front of the Las Vegas Speedway bleachers awaiting our turn to ride in the "luxury" cars around the track. Guess we were expecting Formula 1 cars and not Infinitis and Mercedes! That would have been a party! Dan in the exotic car display shopping for his next car. As if! Dan and his friend Chris from USC trying to deflate a beachball from the party that Chris was gonna take home for his daughter Kelsey....awww-good dad of the year award. :o) People were wondering what they were doing though!

Danica Patrick - race car driver. I haven't scanned in our pictures with her yet, so this is what you get!

Dan and I eating at a restaurant in the Venetian hotel - you can see a gondolier and gondola passing in the canal right behind us. Kinda funny though that we were eating Mexican food in an Italian themed hotel and Italian gondoliers were singing behind us the whole time. Great food though! Oh - I got to do some other fun stuff in Vegas too. We went to see a wonderful show called Le Reve at the Wynn and had absolutely great seats...totally neat show. Also, while Dan was at the conference I went and took the tour of the Ethel M Chocolate Factory in Hendersen..that was kinda neat. I also gambled a little bit, but was just too chicken to let go of much money on this trip. Maybe next time!