DeLappenings

Okay, peeps.

We're here, in our autumnal happy place: Mohonk Mountain House, in upstate New York!

It feels incredible to have made it to this arbitrary Fall Finish Line (or, perhaps, more accurately, this Fall Midpoint Breather) that we've been looking forward to, for months.

As a refresher, the hubby and I first visited this place, just the two of us, back in 2018, and absolutely fell in love. As Texans who don't get to experience much (if any) autumnal glory, it felt like the best of all that we long for: leaves, crips air, acres to hike and explore, and a historic house and setting.

https://delappenings.blogspot.com/2018/10/mohonkday-1.html

Alas, despite all our longing and efforts, it was more than six years before we made it back--last year, with the kiddos in tow! Going into that particular round, we worried we'd built the place up too much in our minds, and that it would fail to live up to our expectations, but...nope. It was such a massive, glorious success--again!

https://delappenings.blogspot.com/2024/10/mohonk-2024day-1.html

In fact, it was such a massive, glorious success that we made an executive decision to MAKE. IT. HAPPEN. again this year--despite the cost and logistics, and a whole bunch of other things that might have kept us from going for it.

Over the past few months, as we've been so insanely busy as a family that "Mohonk, Mohonk, Mohonk," has literally been the rallying cry for the hubby and I, anytime we feel unbelievably underwater with all of our responsibilities.

And, now, we're here! With a Halloween arrival that was such a joy, yesterday.

Okay...lots of pics for the next few days, but, perhaps, not a lot of text for efficiency-in-posting sake!

The first two times we came to Mohonk, it was also in October, but we've never managed to hit Halloween square on the head. This time, kind of by accident, we arrived on property just a few hours before dusk and all of the official fun!

We packed our costumes, there were plenty of decorations on property, plus a hayride, a haunted trail for trick-or-treating, a spooky haunted house zone, and a small dance party. It was especially nice to be out of our official Halloween routine, as it felt like a transitional year. Some of our neighborhood trick-or-treating buddies have moved, others have aged out, and it just felt like this year might have been different, back home. So, what better way to Bo Big than to go somewhere else, entirely?!

So, now, I give you: Poison Ivy, A Feisty Pirate, Peely Bones (from Fortnite), A Piñata, and...the hubby's hysterical Squirrel costume that I take 100% credit for, since I ordered it for him without even asking, and he rocked it (and rocked all the nuts jokes), ha.