A Plants Vs. Zombies Halloween (The Peashooter, Sunflower, and Mad Zombie Scientist)

11.06.2016

In August, Lewie received Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare for a birthday present.  We didn't know anything about the game, but his little friend, Piper, adored it.  "Do you have Xbox One?" Piper's mom asked me in a text.  "I know the perfect game for him.  He's going to love it."

Well, two days later, Lewie tried the game for the first time and instantly became hooked.  He became partial to the "Plants" team; they had the most interesting characters like the Peashooter, the Sunflower, the Chomper, and the Cactus.  Once he started accumulating points, the game became more interesting because Lewie could start "customizing" his characters.  He could be a "fire" or an "atomic" peashooter with special abilities like the "Chili Bean Bomb." 

Anytime I was asked to play (which is not often because I stink), I would choose the Sunflower character.  She has special "healing abilities," where she uses a "beam" to heal and revive nearby plants that are hurt by the zombies.  Lewie started being a Sunflower fan too.

So, in September, when I asked Lewie what he wanted to be for Halloween, I was not surprised to hear he wanted to be one of the Plants vs. Zombies characters.  In particular, he wanted all three of us (Mommy, Daddy, and him) to be Sunflowers.  Thinking about his friends at school, Daddy and I quickly offered new suggestions.  "Maybe each of us can be a different character," offered Daddy,  "Let Mommy be the Sunflower, you can be a Chomper or Peashooter, and I can be one of the meanie Zombies."  A plan was born...

Lewie trying on his Peashooter costume for the first time...

Our darling Peashooter... Can you see his little face through the snout?

Daddy as the Mad Zombie Scientist.


My Sunflower Costume.  I like being the "healing" plant.

A picture of us at my mom's place of work.

Quite honestly, in hindsight, I don't know how we pulled everything off.  I thought with the game being so popular there would be tons of Plants vs. Zombies costumes.  I was sadly mistaken.

Lew's was the easiest because we bought a concoction of different items on Amazon--a doctor's lab coat, a red and white striped tie, black welding cup goggles, a white wig, and yellow rubber gloves.  My plant costume was only available in England through eBay--yes, I had to pay the shipping expense!  And Little Lewie...well his costume had to come from AliExpress (China's version of Amazon).  It took 24 days for shipping.  If I were creative and had free time, I would have attempted to make our own Peashooter and Sunflower costume, but I lack both...Good thing everything arrived in time for Halloween!

Before heading out for the evening, we made our annual visit to my mom's work place.  This year, it seemed like everyone in her office joined in the costume festivities.  Then, we met up with cousins for treat-or-treating, candy, and even a haunted house visit. (Our volunteer fire department set up a small haunted trailer; they even set up a coffee and hot chocolate station for cold trick-or-treaters.) 



Little Lewie and my mom as Santa's Elf.


Little Lewie and his cousin Sarah.

Lewie's littlest cousin, Lily.

Hubby with his ray gun.

Cousin Brooklyn.

Aunty Missy, the newlywed.



Some of the gang.

This year was definitely fun, but so far, all of our Halloweens have been great.  I hope Little Lewie continues to pick themes where Mommy and Daddy can dress up too.

My Sister-in-Law's Wedding...

10.31.2016

On a warm, sunny, October afternoon (Oct. 16th to be exact), my sister-in-law, Missy, was married to her long-time boyfriend, Moises.  Moises has felt like part of our family for a long time.  Little Lewie has known Moises as Uncle Moises for the past seven years, and Missy and Moises's children, two from previous relationships and two from their own relationship, have been Lewie's closest cousins. (They all live in our same little town.)

I have to say the wedding was perfect.  Not only did the couple have a beautiful fall day (sunny in the upper 60's with not rain in sight), but they were married at one of my favorite places.  In fact, eleven years ago, I was considering this very same place for OUR WEDDING.  I loved the venue because it's in the country near a lake and offers tent weddings.  Unfortunately, I was outvoted.  My mother, father, and husband-to-be all agreed that it was too far away.  (I guess they were right; it would have taken our guests anywhere from one to two hours to get there.)

Still, I made my husband-to-be stay overnight there in 2005, and we enjoyed spending a weekend in the country, where I could spy on a wedding just to see what it was like.  Little did I know that eleven years later, my sister-in-law would be choosing this venue, and I would be able to attend a real Interlaken Inn wedding (without the spying)...

Anyways... here is kind of what our wedding would have looked like ten years ago  (except Little Lewie and all of his little cousins wouldn't have been though of yet ...)

My handsome little boy with his first tie.

Lewie and Grammy waiting for the ceremony to begin...

My brother-in-law, Moises

Lewie's two littlest cousins, Brooklyn and Lily

Lewie's eldest cousin, Sarah

My husband walked Missy down the aisle.  (We lost Papa in Sept. 2015.)










Daddy, Ninny, Lewie, and Little Elijah

Lily






Wedding Owls...





All the cousins...

My favorite picture of Sarah and Little Lewie

Antonio and Little Lewie

Little Lewie took this picture of us...




Little Lewie tore up the dance floor...

My mom taught Lewie how to disco!
This wedding left me with a glow all month long; in fact, it will be long remembered.  My sister-in-law had been waiting a lifetime for this day (having joked that her wedding was scheduled for Nevuary), and now this adorable little family, not just the happy couple, are all united.  It truly was one big love fest at one of my favorite places in the world.  What a happy, happy day for all!