Halloween

 As per our annual Halloween traditions, the girls make jack-o-lanterns right before the holiday on Wednesday, October 30. 

Ana gags as she guts her pumpkin.

Winnie and Miriam prepare their gourds.

Rebekah using our new tool (a glove with a built-in scraper) to prep her pumpkin.

On the actual day of Halloween, our family went to the temple to do baptisms for a dead (Halloween is a GREAT day to do that because nobody else is there and you get in and out really quickly). Then we took pictures of the girls with their jack-o-lanterns. Winnie went trick-or-treating with her friend, Chloe, while Miriam and Ana watched a movie with a few friends at our house. I made apple cider and spudnuts. We had (only!) four groups of trick-or-treaters come to our house. 

Outside the temple before our appointment.

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The girls with their pumpkins. Winnie did a ghost and a tombstone. Ana did a silly meme pumpkin. Miriam did the Beatles' silhouettes on Abbey Road. Rebekah did a ringwraith from Lord of the Rings.

Silly family picture with pumpkins.

The jack-o-lanterns all aglow.

Even though the girls all wore their costumes to school and Seth wore his to work that day, we didn't get our family costume pictures taken until the next day when we had more time on our hands.

Miriam as Velma.

Winnie as a ghost. Or Winnie as a person dressed up as a ghost. She was going to be Bingo from the kids' TV show Bluey, but her friend that was going to be Bluey didn't go that route after all, so Winnie decided to go with the sheet right before the holiday ... which ended up working perfectly with the costumes the rest of us had chosen.

Ana as Daphne.

Rebekah as Fred.

Seth as Shaggy.

Andrea as Scooby Doo. Gratefully Rachel's family had done the same theme last year, so I was able to borrow their Scooby costume.

Being chased by a ghost.

Darn those meddling kids!

Fall performances

Once the school year gets underway, it's only a matter of time before our evenings fill up with concerts and performances. Here's the rundown of our fall performances. 

Choir concert: Monday, October 14

Ana claps and sings during the Bonnevaires' performance of "" in the Performing Arts Center at Hillcrest. It was Ana's first-ever choir concert.

Singing with the choir.

BYU-Idaho concert: Thursday, October 17

Rebekah playing the second trombone part in a trombone trio at the college. Despite not being a registered student this semester (because of her mission starting in November), she was asked to perform with her trombone professor and a senior classmate during this concert.

Rebekah with Quentin and Brother Meacham. (Rebekah is so much shorter than the others. And so much more animated when she plays.) The piece they played ("Trio Con Brio") was composed by a French music professor who came to Rexburg and conducted the piece.

ISU choir invitational: Saturday, October 19

Ana sings "Never Let Go" with the Bonnevaires at a choir invitational. Each choir sang one of its own songs, then they all got up on the stage to form a mega-choir that sang some gospel songs directed by a professor from Illinois who had spent the day teaching the kids.

Halftime: Friday, October 25

Miriam and other ballroom dancers talking to kids in the stands while waiting for halftime.

Miriam performing "Pictures of Mountains" with the ballroom team during halftime at a football game.

Miriam's first high school ballroom performance.

Band concert: Thursday, November 7

Miriam plays the bass drum as the band performs pep band songs at the beginning of their concert.

Playing the marimba during the percussion ensemble piece titled "Sofapilla."

Band concert: Thursday, November 14

Winnie takes a break between songs in her first band concert as a middle school student. We couldn't see her face whenever she had her baritone up, hence the picture between songs.

Miss Bonneville: Saturday, November 16

Ana participates in the opening number of the Miss Bonneville scholarship pageant. Ana had considered participating her junior year, but decided she actually wanted to do it her final year of high school.

Ana sings the Postmodern Jukebox version of "My Heart Will Go On" during the talent portion of the pageant. 

Ana answers her onstage question during the pageant. She was asked if she could travel to anywhere in the world, where would it be? She answered by saying she would love to go back to Italy because she has taken some classes at Bonneville (Art History I and II) and would love to see the art and architecture again. 

Andrea and Seth posing with Ana after the pageant. Despite all her hard work, Ana didn't receive any awards besides the $150 in scholarship money that every participant received.

Posing with her sisters. Ana put her heart and soul into the practices and performance, and she learned a lot.