My favorite time of year...



At the pumpkin patch last year

Halloween - a time of tricks and treats, ghouls and goblins, mystery and magic. A time when those who may not be comfortable with who they are have the opportunity to live as someone else for the night. A time when family fun and parties full of friends take up my time - hopefully allowing very little time for wallowing in my sorrows.



Every year my family gets together with some of our dearest friends to enjoy fun and YUM! We eat, play, and trick for treats until our hearts are content. We've made a tradition out of it - and this year will be no different!



Halloween, 2009

Last year my family dressed as the Flintstones - Mikayla was Pebbles, Aidan was Bam-Bam, Danny was Fred, and I was Wilma. (All costumes made by my dear mother and the kids' Nana, Val!). We had a blast. Although it did take about a month of watching the Flintstones to talk my children into dressing up (even though I'd made the decision that we were going to dress as the Flintstones months before).



The Flintstones, 2010

This morning the kids and I spent about an hour at the park. The weather was cool (75 degrees - cool for Vegas anyway) and it felt like fall was on it's way. I watched the leaves rustle in the trees, imagining what it would be like if I could shake my insecurities, doubts, and sadness away like leaves from a tree in the fall. I remember how great it felt to start a new school year every August - time to start over, try again, and do better than I did the year before. I so wish I had that now.

Among other things, I am counting down the days until my period is due again. October 12th - the day we leave to visit all of my in-law's in Boston/NYC. I would love to plan a fun and exciting way to share good news with my husband's family while we are there - but I feel as though planning ahead would be setting myself up for failure.

Instead, I will focus on this year's Halloween extravaganza. I will prepare mummy juice boxes and classroom treat bags and remind myself of the blessings I already have.

All the while, in the back of my mind, I will be plotting...