Halloween O'Brien style! Part 1

I've never been the hugest fan of Halloween (just ask the friends who took me to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios), but something about marriage makes me excited for everything! It's like a new opportunity to start over in life, and have as much fun as possible with someone you can actually build lasting memories with. I love that about being married! Also, something about having a house make me want to decorate and celebrate, too.

Last Tuesday we met our friends Stephen and Janet (how stoked are you that we have friends over here?!?!?!) to carve pumpkins at our house.

It took us a while to pick out the perfect pumpkin among all the truly gnarly ones.

Janet and Stephen

Ben wanted to carve Bert on our pumpkin, so I pulled up a pic on the iPhone and started drawing! 

They decided to go with a traditonal scary jack-o-lantern

We spent Friday night going out to a Haunted Woods nearby, where cameras weren't allowed. But it was decent, for Bethlehem, NC! I was appropriately spooked without being overwhelmingly terrified.

My strategy to survive haunted houses:

1.  Be in the group with children. Actors always go for the kids. 
2. Look the actors in the eye and laugh when you want to scream.  They mostly go for the ones they can see are scared. 
3. Stay on the heels of the person in front of you.  That way you're prepared for what's coming up after you hear them scream.
4. Have someone behind you. Then the actors can't sneak up from behind you (that's the worst.)
5. Go with someone who doesn't mind you squeezing their hand. Just squeeze when you feel scared, and use them as a shield! 

That night we continued the celebration by watching A Haunting in Conneticut. It was scary.  Afterward Ben and I looked at each other and said, "WHY DID WE DO THAT?!?!"