Halloween Parade 2011!

We look forward to our annual Halloween Parade every year! This was our third year to have it and it was fun to see Kendall get so excited about it, having remembered it from last year. This year we had the parade on Sunday night, the 30th, so that we could go to the A&M game on Saturday and then trick-or-treat still on Monday.

We were also excited this year that Gigi and Peeps, Val, Gracie, and Evy were here for the parade! They came in town on Friday, stayed with the girls all day Saturday while Randy and I went to the game, and then stayed for the parade Sunday night. The girls had so much fun together and we were so glad they were here.

I had fun making some of the decorations for the house. I went with a candy corn theme, so everything was yellow, orange, and white.

I loved these little candy corn trees. I saw the idea on Pinterest, but I thought I wouldn't have time to make them. Saturday night after we got home from the game, I was finishing a few things up and decided to try. Randy went and cut some sticks for me, I got out the hot glue gun, and the whole project took less than thirty minutes! Fun!

Like last year, we put tables in the garage and made cupcakes for the kids to decorate and eat after the parade. I just mixed several colors of icing, we put sprinkles in cupcake holders, and that was it! Easy and fun.

Kendall and Cooper's float. It was fun getting to set up and decorate with Anita and Val!

My little alligator and Barbie. Randy decided that he and I were going to be Troy and Liz from Swamp People. (It's a show on the History Channel that we love - so funny. It follows people deep in Cajun country in Louisiana during alligator hunting season. Crazy.) Anyway, we thought it would be great if the girls would be alligators. Kendall didn't think that would be great. She wanted to be Barbie. Our years of theme costumes may be coming to an end. I found this little monster alligator outfit at Target for Coop - she was warm and happy! :)

Troy, Liz, our alligator catch and Barbie the Swamp Princess!

Val's girls were clowns and they were so cute! Gracie kept talking about when the parade was coming. She was having a hard time figuring out that she was going to BE the parade! :)

Amber and Garrett Scarborough: Thing 1 and Thing 2!! Love it!

Sarah and Caleb!

Kendall wanted to invite her friend Emma from school. She was Snow White!

We were super excited that Patrick got to come this year! And check him out: he's the Little Mouse, Lindsey is the Red Ripe Strawberry, and Matt was the Big Hungry Bear! Love that children's book!!

Jackson and Mikey - Brittany and Katie were somewhere! Last year it was just these two at the parade...now there are four!

Leading the parade! Cooper loved holding the candy that our neighbors and friends threw to them. They had so much fun! We went to every house on our street this year and invited all our neighbors to come. We were able to meet some new neighbors! Some with kids came and participated in the parade, and others without young kids sat out and threw candy and cheered. Love that!!

Eli and his fire truck. He won one of the prizes - his float was awesome!!

Kevin was our videographer!

Some of the kids at the end of the parade! Kendall and Cooper are there - they are hidden by the balloons on the back of their float!

This is one of the highlights of my year. I love being with all our friends, letting the girls wear their costumes a second time, and meeting new neighbors. Already excited about Parade 2012! :)