Halpin Halloween Highlights!!!

After seeing the darling pictures of Amie's girls over the past few Halloween's I decided to pull out our photos.  I wasn't able to find all of the years, but most of them are here.  I can't believe how fast time flies.  I just love looking at these pictures...it brings back so many great memories.

Here are the two best buddies ... Batman & Robin.  We were living on Locust Lane at the time.  This is by far my FAVORITE picture!!!

This was 1996.  We were living in Sugarhouse.  Chandler was in his first year of pre-school, and Alec was excited to go and watch Chandler's Halloween parade.


1997:  Our first Halloween at our new home in Bountiful.  We were so excited to have a house that was our very own.  Todd was actually flying home from somewhere this Halloween, and the boys got lots of comments from people at the airport. (That was back in the days where you were allowed to wait at the gate for your loved one to come home.)  Who would have ever known how much time Todd would be spending at the Salt Lake Airport back then...

1998: Chandler was in Kindergarten.  He was by far the cutest Court Jester in the class!!


Same year, Alec was in his 2nd year of pre-school.  He was a sweet treat that year!!!
1999:  Our first Halloween with Pirate Jack!!!  Chandler's Dracula looked more like Eddie Munster.  Alec was such a scary Skeleton.

This was either 2001 or 2002.  I haven't been able to find a couple of years worth of pre-digital photos.  Here are my superheros.  I had to get at least one more good year out of the Batman costume.  

2003:  We had moved from Bountiful to SLC, and were living in an apartment at this time while we were finishing our house.  This was the week that Todd's wonderful Aunt Diane passed away.  We were at her viewing this Halloween, so my sister Claudia & her husband Brian took the boys trick-or-treating for us.  The girl in the picture is my niece Hailey.  We miss you Aunt Diane :)

2005:  Jackson was in 1st grade, Alec was in 6th, and Chandler was a big 7th grader.  

same year, I love this picure of Jackson.  I think the eyebrows made the costume!!!

2006:  Chandler and Alec wanted to trick-or-treat, but didn't want to get dressed up.  This was the best I could do with 2 unwilling participants.  Alec actually told people he was a hunter.  I do have to say, I love the Nacho Libre costume on Jackson.


"SOMETIMES I LIKE TO WEAR STRETCHY PANTS!"

There are more pictures from the past 2 Halloweens that I will post later, but we want to wish you all a wonderful Halloween.  Love, The Witch & The Rocker

Crazy 8's

We were selected by one of our favorite people (Rachelle) to list out 8 of our favorite things.  Rachelle, we took the liberty to change a few of the selections, but here it goes...

*note to readers...the answers in each list are in no particular order!!!

FAVORITE TV SHOWS

TODD JANETTE

1. Lost 1. Dancing with the Stars 

2. Survivor 2. Lost

3. House 3. Survivor

4. The Office 4. The Office

5. Beverly Hills 90210         5. The Biggest Loser

(1990's re-runs)

6. Conan O'brien 6. Oprah

7. Eli Stone 7. Super Nanny ("your behavior is unacceptable")

8. Glen Beck 8. Anything on HGTV teaching me how to update      my house

FAVORITE RESTAURANTS

TODD JANETTE

1. Lugano 1. Cheesecake Factory

2. Porcupine Grill 2. Lugano

3. StoneGround 3. Porcupine Grill

4. Park Avenue Cafe, NYC 4. Zuppa's

5. Scomas, San Francisco 5. Market Street Grill

6. Antoine's, Syracuse NY 6. Z Tejas

7. Cafe Prague, San Francisco 7. Loco Lizard

8. Cafe Madrid 8.  Scomas, San Francisco

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY

TODD JANETTE

1. Took a ride with Janette 1. Ward Council Meeting

2. Went to Church 2. Took a ride with Todd

3. did my hometeaching 3. Bishop's Youth Council Meeting

4. Jack tickled my back 4. went to church

5. took a nap 5. made dinner

6. watched Tampa Bay beat 6. ate dinner

Boston

7. ate Parmesan Chicken 7. Did a weeks worth of laundry (I know I shouldn't be doing it on Sunday!)

8. Did some work for Phase II 8. Read some books...I just finished "A tree grows in Brooklyn"

and I am on book 3 of the "Twilight" series

8 FAVORITE VACATIONS

*these were the same for both of us!!!

1. Beach house in California with the Boys

2. Maui, Hawaii

3. Kauai, Hawaii

4. Akumal & Cancun Mexico

5. Cruises

6. Long Weekend in New York City

7. New England in the Fall

8. Orlando, Florida

8 FAVORITE MOVIES

TODD JANETTE

1. Planes, Tranes & Automobiles 1. Drop Dead Gorgeous

2. Nothing to Lose 2. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

3. The Breakfast Club 3. She's Having A Baby

4. Happy Gilmore 4. National Treasure

5. Ferris Buhler's Day Off 5. Notting Hill

6. Father of the Bride 1 & 2 6. Best In Show

7. Christmas Vacation 7. Napolian Dynamite

8. Hot Rod 8. A Christmas Story

We won't TAG any of you specifically because we know a lot of you have already done this, 

but if you feel like listing some of your favorite things we would LOVE to read about them.

Crazy Hair Day!

Ah Yes!  It is that time of the year again!  The time when leaves change? The sound of football or the first snow storm perhaps?  NO....IT'S CRAZY HAIR DAY!  Here is our good boy Jackson on Crazy Hair Day.  We wandered up to Smith's Marketplace the night before and grabbed a can of red and a can of black.  And it looks like it turned out pretty good!  You go Jack!

How 'Bout Them Utes!!!

As a devote Utah Man and fiercly loyal U of U Alum, I must say how awesome it is after the "Urban Era" to see those mighty Utes rolling again! Undefeated and lining up again for another BCS bowl! Yes, I am dreaming of the BCS-Bust again! Remember, after all those years of BCS-Buster discussions and prognostications, it was our Utah Utes who were the first to BUST! And Bust again they will! And what is even more fun is that other than the TCU game coming up, it looks like it could be that BYU vs. UTAH game in November with both teams undefeated, both teams in the Top 10, and going head-to-head for the MWC Championship and hopefully a great BCS Bowl and Opponent! And so I must pay tribute to my Utes, and especially King Louie, and say, "Great Job Kyle and GO UTES!!!"

Copy Cats

Alright...I have a bone to pick!  And I will start it "Jerry Seinfield" style.  What is with people who never compliment you on anything in your life, your house, your work, your weight, your styles, your EVERYTHING, and then end up copying every single thing that you do?  And to add salt into the wound, they ask YOU if you have ever seen or heard of the very thing that they copied you on!!!!!! And then when they are asked by others where they came up with that idea, they respond that it was just some great idea or inspiration that THEY HAD!!!   ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!??  

As such, I had to use this moment to identify what those type of people really are...which is unimaginative, can't think for themselves, selfish, ungrateful, take-take-take COPY CATS!!!  So here's to all you Copy Cats out there making your way through the world off of the ideas and hard work of others!!!  Hey, here's a thought.  Why don't you at least offer one single compliment to the person that you are copying, or perhaps at least say thank you to the person who constantly shares their ideas with you that enriches and adds to your life!  Particularly if you are a Copy Cat that never offers anything back in return.  Heaven forbid that you ever come up with anything yourself, and then offer that to others for all they have given you.

Remember and be Warned...."Tis better to Give, than Receive!" 

Ode' to Max

This is my very good friend Maxwell Smart.  But we just call him Max.  What I love about Max is that every time he sees me, he quickly runs up to me, with his tail just a wagging, and without missing a beat, he sends a good squirt of pee sailing through the air!  Which of course means that he is so excited to see me that he can barely control his bladder!  Nobody else, not even my sweet wife Janette, is ever that excited to see me!  Of course, that would be kind of gross....

Now the second thing upon seeing me that Max requests is that I get him a "TREAT!"  He will talk to me and tell me he wants a treat, he will jump at my legs and face to tell me he wants a treat, and he will run around until I get him his treat!  And what treat is this that drives my good friend Max to go crazy?  Why a delicious Pup-O-Roni stick of course!  Mmm, Mmm.  And Max can do many tricks to get that treat!  He can roll over, play dead (bang!), dance and dance, play patty cake, high five, shake hands and a couple others I am sure to forget.  He is very talented I must say.

Max also loves to go for a ride in the car!  And you have to look at him and say the following: "You...You Want.....You Want.........You Want To Go For...................You Want To Go For A Ride In The Car!!!???"   To which he begins to freak out and run around and bark at you saying, "Yes!  Yes!  I Love to Go for Rides in Cars!  I love to smell those PepperDukes!"  He loves to stick his little head out the window and smell and watch for the other PepperDukes, which is Christensen-ism and dog talk for "other dogs."  "Look Max, there's a Pepper Duke!"  Where?  Where?

Other things that Max likes besides eating treats and going for a ride in the car include some of the following; sleeping by Carolyn, getting his belly scratched, sniffing around the yard, playing with "special friend" (his little stuffed dog that he carries around in his mouth), going to Lake Powell, laying with Todd and watching golf, and of course taking baths (NOT), Jack Stringham (NOT), Fireworks (NOT) and beautiful baby Hannah who is now beginning to crawl and chase Max around!

So this is my Ode' to my good friend Max.  I love Max, and he loves Me!  We are bestest buddies, and outside of his obsessive addiction to his Mother, Carolyn (Where is she?...I must be with her at all times!), Max likes hanging out with his buddy, Todd.  He is my very good boy!  "Hey Max, you want....you want to.... you want to go for a ride!?"

We Love General Conference!

This is one of our 2 favorite weekends of the year!  Especially since it is Fall!  It is so nice to listen to church leaders keep us on course in our lives!  We love to listen to The Prophet, President Monson, and love his counselors too!  Todd also loves going to Priesthood Meeting on Saturday night with Chandler, Alec, his Dad and Brothers!  Of course, it is also the great food they go get afterwords that is fun too.  It is a good reward for Chandler and Alec.  Anyway, we hope you all have a great weekend, and if you get the chance, enjoy General Conference.