Welcome To My Grave Yard

**** I'm sorry about the photos. I spent hours trying to correct this post by reloading the pics and checking small but it came out the same as the first time. I'm so disappointed you can't even see my son Ty. If anybody else has had trouble with loading photos please give me you tips. I never can move photos around once I send them here. I either don't know something (which is very possible) or there is an easier way. TIA....Tracy

Hey Ya'll. It's officially fall for me, seeing as how we have actually had 2 days of weather in the sixties. Sadly though it will be back in the 80's in the next few days. But while I'm feelin' the cool and feelin' the mood, I thought I'd share last years Halloween pictures with you.

So I'm warning you now this is a proud Grandma's picture post sooooo it may take awhile.

Just a little background. My son Ty, daughter-in-law Christal, and their two children Zack and Ki'a lived in Nebraska last year (they are now in up state NY). Zack has cystic fibrosis and the make a wish foundation granted his wish to go to Disney World. So the family came last October and had a week of fun. They then headed to our house about 2 1/2 hours North on Nov 1st the day after halloween. I went crazy knowing they would be here and put ALL the decorations out.

Ki'a had just turned 6 a week earlier and Zack was 7 (soon to be 8 on New Years Eve).

I usually pick up the decorations when they go on sale for 75-90% off after Halloween.


Please ignore all my nasty cords. I promise to do better next time. There are actually 3 of these ghost. I made them from black and white flannel with white buttons a few years ago. You hang them on some up side down metal tomato cages with white holiday lights wrapped around the cage. So sew easy. I did have a pattern but it's simple straight stitches (I have a fear of drawing anything without a pattern - trying to gutsy up and get over that).


Here's one of Neil and Zack. He adores his Granddaddy and vice-versa. Zack hasn't lived here since he was about 2.

Zack and Ki'a waiting on Zelda the Gypsy to tell them they stay at Disney World forever.


Here's a picture of the ghost I made lit up. Don't they look fun, who could be scared of those faces?


Dead Harry here, well he's a little more frightening.



Here's Kia saying "I ain't afraid of no ghost" and playing ring around the rosies with our singing ghost group. She fits right in with them except for the tan.



Ki'a's holding Esmeralda the witches hand. What a freaking tiny hand that witch has. She moves her hand and arms back and forth and hers eyes glow green. She looks like she's stirring the pot I added.


I think they're singing a belated Happy Birthday to Ki'a.


This girl is Fearless with a capital F. Of couse it might have been a little cooler if they had seen it before they had gone to Disney - the land of realistic pirates. The cauldron looks a lot cooler at night too. I took a couple of grape vine wreaths and put some white Christmas tree lights around them (orange ones would work great). Then I took an orange disposable table cloth and cut it up and weave it around the wreaths cutting it like little flames. I've got bricks holding the Caldron up above the grape wreaths More bricks in the Calderon hold the LED light changing skull up enough to see it. Then I just took pillow fillers and pulled it all bubbly looking and overflowing to look like a boiling cauldron. You can see Esmeralda's just waiting to drop another head into the pot. The black cat had changing LED colors too. It's very hard to imagine how much different the scene looks after dark.

I found this light up skeleton at the thrift store for a couple of dollars. It really looks neat at night because you don't see the cords. You only notice the head and hands lit up. I told you she was brave.

Can you see Frankenstein peeking around the post?





Here's a great picture of Zack holding my faux pumpkins. He's alot harder to get a picture of since he's got Granddaddy to play with. These pumpkins were the best purchase ever. I found these at Michael's about 10 years ago when they first came out. They were a lot more expensive than now but I used 40% coupons and I knew that I was saving a bundle over the long run because I always bought so many real pumpkins (which I still love). I never liked the orange plastic pumpkins growing up because they were so fake and these are so amazingly life like. Now that I'm oldish I love the kitsch of the old stuff too.


That witch makes the coolest cackling sounds as she moves up and down and is lit up.

Here we all are. As most of you know Neils mother now lives with us. She turned 89 this last August. Sorry for all the squinting and eye rubbing but the sun was directly in our eyes. Ki'a's holding the baby doll I made for her birthday which we celebrated while she was here even though it was late.




Here we are again. I love this picture with Ty and Christal smiling and laughing. Zack's holding our baby Mattie. She'll be 10 next month.

There's my sweet boy Zack flying his airplane with Granddad.


I know Ty is tall. I'm only 5'3" but my mom was 5'9" and his dad was close to 6 ft - he just passed them a little. His best friend from school is like 6 ft 7".

Ki'a is all girl and so dainty.


It's so funny. You call Zack's name and he turns automatically with a smile as if cued for his shot and Ki'a is always so introspective & dreamy looking. I miss them all so much.


Well - whew - that's my long butt post. I warned you. Hope you had fun. Show me yours now.

Have a blessed night....Tracy :)