John and Halloween

John's birthday is the day before Halloween. Some years he's had to go to the school carnival on his big day, but this year he got to have the night off. Well, not really: he helped make his birthday dinner. It was a casserole with spaghetti squash, and it was wonderful! I'll have to post the recipe. It was a simple but happy night.
This is a picture from the preschool Halloween party. My friend did a really good job with it.

These are shots from the ward Halloween carnival/trunk or treat. I wasn't aware that I didn't get any good shots of Eli. He was a vampire, but he wasn't wearing his cape in some pictures. At the family Halloween party, he was a karate guy. He's at a tougher age to find a costume now. (I don't think I took any pictures of the family party. That is not a reflection on the party - I just enjoy being with my parents, siblings, and in-laws so much that I forget to get the camera out.)
In our quest for free fun, we revisited the local Pumpkin Walk. We went a few years ago, but we had to wait in line in the cold for so long, that we hadn't tried it again. This year, we arrived just before it started and were able to walk right in. We really had a great time. The pumpkins were very creative and the kids had fun picking favorites. We took some hot chocolate and drank it by the fire at the end. We were all glad we went.
We still have a membership to the aquarium, so we headed there a few weeks ago. This isn't a great shot, but it's story time by the coral. We were there when they fed the penguins, the octopus and the rays. It was cool to see. So cool, that Jonah flopped on the floor and cried several times. Sweet tired boy.