Our First Oregon Halloween

This is our first Halloween as Oregonians!!  We were invited to a fun party this last weekend and couldn't wait to get all dressed up!  Jake went as....um.....a very creepy dude.  So, not that far off from normal....just kidding!!!  And I went as Rainbow Brite!!!  Hmmm...maybe I should consider making the switch back to being a blonde........

 

The next day we decided to carve pumpkins!  How do you like our results??

Mine is on the left, and Jake's is on the right!

Earlier tonight we went to three different haunted houses here in Coos Bay/North Bend.  Don't get excited--they do NOT compare to what we have in southeast Idaho (shout-out to the Haunted Mansions of Albion and to Dr. Slaughters House of Terror in Idaho Falls)! Nontheless, it was still fun!!  Our favorite was the Little Theater on the Bay's haunted house.  They did the best with decorating, use of space, and making it freaky.  Second place went to the haunted house behind O'Reilly's.  They didn't have much space to work with, or many actors, but they had a lot of cool animatronic stuff and had put a lot of work into the setup.  Third place goes to the DARE/North Bend Police Department's haunted house.  It wasn't bad for a haunted house, but it didn't quite compare to the other two in town.  We had a good time at each, and the money we spent at each went to good causes, so we couldn't be disappointed.  Happy Halloween everyone!!

Hoarders

Have you ever seen the show on A&E called "Hoarders"?.  I seriously had trouble watching it tonight.  I always see something absolutely horrific on that show, but tonight's episode was over the top.  I had to cover my eyes once, and another time I might have thrown up a little in my mouth.  It was that bad. 

On a good more positive note, our house looks NOTHING like that!!  That show is a great motivational tool to remind me there is a reason I clean every week! And when I feel like I should be doing a better job because I have three pairs of shoes in the living room halfway through the week, I remember that at least I can still see the living room floor and I don't have to crawl over boxes and mounds of clothes to get to my bedroom.  :)

We are still adjusting to life here in Oregon.  This month I have realized the part of the season that everyone here has been waiting for and telling me about.  While all my friends in Idaho are complaining of the cold air and distinct change of fall in the air, I am sitting here in Coos Bay still in the 60's with overnight lows in the 40's.  I'm not freezing, and I love it!  I have also fallen in love with seeing the ocean every day.  I have the best view of it from work every day, and I also get to see deer right outside the office almost every day as well.  We are really lucky to live in such a beautiful area.

At the end of August I had the opportunity to go to Idaho for a quick visit, and I loved every part of it.  The smell of the potatoes and hay in the fields, the smell of grease and candy from the Eastern Idaho State Fair, the warmth of the sun on my skin (I could wear shorts and flip flops!), the sight of a blue sky with white fluffy clouds, and the sight of smiles on all my friends and parts of my family.  I had a fantastic time, and my trip was much too short.  It was very hard to leave.  I can't wait until I go again, hopefully for the holidays, but I can't let my heart get set on that.  Driving to Idaho from here is a dangerous trip once the snow falls in central Oregon, and it does cost quite a bit in gas every time we go.  Plus, we have our two dogs to consider!!  I therefore think you all should come to Oregon for Christmas.....Just saying......