2014 Halloween Party

This has become one of the highlights of our year - Spooky Halloween Party.

It’s crazy that when this started a few years ago, I didn’t  want  things to be too scary well, that has changed with the kids getting older.  

There were about 15 kids and we started the evening with some minute to win it games where they played spider toss, create a mask out of post it notes, and marshmallow bite. 

It was then time for the scavenger hunt.  Jason and Adam came up with having the headless horseman deliver the map to the kids.  

Jeremy dressed up as the headless horseman, and we thought the kids would be scared but not so much.  Jason held a lantern and we followed the clues left around Nini and Papa’s yard like

Bones are scattered everywhere


Around a pile of leaves somewhere


One of those bones holds your next clue 


Beware the owner watches you 


Look on the yard, look all around


Or your next clue will not be found


Beware the woman dressed in black


Your clue is hidden in her hat

There's a special place that you must go to.

To discover a cauldron of witch's brew.

Dunk one team member's hand to find

the next clue and make sure to watch behind.

At each location they were to find a piece of Mr. Bones the skeleton.  Towards the end of the hunt they were taken through a pretty dark tunnel of trees where a couple of large fake bats were hanging in the tree.  When we arrived to the location, a dad was hiding behind the tree and lowered the bat onto the top of kids heads.  

It was definitely a lot creepier at night.

They let out some pretty big yells and Brody and Dominic started beating the bat up.  It got pretty creepy in the tunnel. 

We made it back all safe and sound and then it was time for the hayride.  We had the dads in place and we were off.  

A little something sitting at the entrance of the hayride.

Adam made a HUGE spider out of chicken wire and it was hung in the trees and was lowered onto the kids when we went under it.  Dad drove us around using the tractor and we stopped in the field for a little spooky story from Mr. Raymond.  This really got the kids scared especially when we had a few unsuspected creatures come running up to scare us.  

We had one say he was not coming back to Brody and Trevor’s Spooky Halloween party, one holler out for Jesus to help him and was hollering for his daddy, Brody buried his head and didn’t want to see anything.  We headed to the old barn and it was all set for us to watch the part in Sleepy Hollow where the Headless Horseman comes out.  We were all focused on that and then the headless horseman comes walking out.  Well, dad tried to take off and get us out of there but instead the trailer came unhitched to the tractor and we were stuck there.  It was quite funny because that was not planned but it worked out perfectly. 

A little photo booth action

It was a very successful Spooky Halloween Party and the dad’s are already getting ready for next year.  Here’s what I was looking at when I came in from the party that evening – fun times!!

What a weekend!!

The weekend of Brody’s play we also had 8 high school guys coming to stay Friday night with us for a Disciple Now weekend AND we had our annual Halloween party on Saturday.  Yes, call us crazy to do all of that in one weekend but hey we are only young once.

We came home from Brody’s play that Friday night and the boys went to stay with Nini and Papa since we had 8 guys coming over.  They showed up around 11pm and were ready to hang out.  I love how our house is set up for this type of stuff because they all crashed in the playroom except for the adult leaders Austin and Tyler – they found beds but no one found Brody’s full bed.

They played basketball and whatever kind of toys they could find outside until about 2AM and then came in, which is when I went to bed.  They then found the Nerf guns and an all out Nerf war in the dark around my entire house (except for my room).  I was a little nervous to open my bedroom door the next morning – not sure what I would find.  They actually picked up most of the bullets and the only strange thing I found was Brody’s little chair in the laundry room – they were using it as a barrier.  Those guys had a blast and didn’t go to sleep until around 4 or 5AM and had to be back up around 7:30AM and out the door – oh to be young again!!

It was then time for Jason and I to start preparing for the Halloween party that started at 6.  Oh and the guys came back to the house around 3 to get ready and eat dinner.  Fun times at the Singley house.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs debut

A few months ago, Brody was asked to participate in the drama club at his school.  This was pretty big because a group called The Ballie Players out of SC, were going to bring costumes and assist with a few practices before the big performance.  He was a little unsure at first because they would be putting on the play Snow White and he thought it was too girly. Jason and I tried to explain what exactly a play is and he at least agreed to go to the first practice.  Thankfully, he loved it and after tryouts landed the part of Doc the dwarf.  They had practice once a week, which meant he missed Run Walk Club for about 6 weeks, but thankfully he was ok with it.

The big day finally came on October 24 and he was very excited.  All of the kids hung out in the cafeteria all day so they could have a run through to get ready for their first performance for the school and then the final performance that evening for the parents.

Getting his costume on

A little behind the scenes action.

All of the kids waiting for the play to start

Ava and Trevor waiting near the front.

One of the coolest things about this play was the music.  All of the songs were popular songs remade like Bad, "Snow" Don't Know She's Beautiful, and Queen in the Mirror
The Mop Girls

Queen in the Mirror

My dwarf "Doc"

Grady as the Prince

The Snow White cast

The 7 dwarfs

Janan, one of the best directors.  She did such a great job directing these kids.

Our Principal and Assistant Principal as Elsa and Anna

Nana came out that evening to see Brody in the play.

Nini and Brody

A new fire pit - DIY

For quite awhile now I have been wanting a fire pit, but couldn't decide whether to put it in the front or backyard.  Last year we bought a portable one so we could move it wherever we wanted.  After a year I realized we spend most of our time in the front yard so it was the perfect spot for a permanent fire pit.

In Singley style, we go DIY and so one weekend we got to work.

The hardest part was preparing the ground and measuring it all.

The fire pit started

The whole family got involved with filling in the fire pit area with stone.

All finished and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

Our first fire.  I see many of these in our future.