The 8th Monster Mash

Happy Almost-Halloween, America.

My nightstand, all prepped in advance for tomorrow morning.

Tonight we held our 8th Annual Hough Halloween Party, one of our major parties of the year (the other being our annual St. Patrick's Day Party.)  We've been hosting this annual, ghoulish bash of ours every year since 2016, when we were in our initial rental over on Ivy Lane. Back then, our parties were somewhat more timid affairs, but in the years that followed the budget, guest list, and provided amenities have increased in size considerably. Now it takes well over a month to plan, prep, and orchestrate, and even though it's a lot more work on our end, the payout is well worth it.

Kris and I have used to do 'themes' for our family costumes when the kids were younger. You guys probably remember this, I'm sure: in 2016 we dressed up as the Scooby Doo Mystery Gang, in 2017 we were Pirates, and in 2018 we were all Ancient Egyptians. Then, in 2019, Kris and I decided to extend the 'theme' idea to the annual party itself, and we held our famous '80s Halloween Party. The following year was 2020, and, you know, Covid-19 happened; we couldn't host an indoor, costume event, and so we combined our party with the Johnsons' usual Oct. 31st driveway party (which worked out perfectly, as it a.) fell on actual Halloween night, so we didn't want to completely take over there party, and b.) we had to stay outside anyway. Not a lot of folks dressed up, it was definitely an 'off year,' but it all worked out in the end.

Prepping food in the hours leading up to the party's commencement.

2021 was a return to form, however - we held our '90s Halloween Party, but Covid was still in full effect and several of our usual attendees were sick and quarantined, so it was a slightly smaller affair. Last year, 2022, had been our biggest party to date, and we went with a more abstract theme - 'Heroes and Villians.' By this point in time, the kids were no longer participating in 'family costumes,' and started doing their own thing instead ('cause teenagers.)

A scaled-down karaoke set-up - in the basement this year - for the kids.

This year, we went with the theme 'Dream Job,' and Kris was finally able to do something she'd been wanting to do for years - create life-size Barbie doll boxes for people to pose in. This coincided with the summer's blockbuster The Barbie Movie (which is a big hit with moms, I'm told), and so enthusiasm for this year's theme was pretty high. Our neighbor across the street, Kyle, was able to procure three, large refrigerator boxes that Kris used to construct three, different photo op boxes: the standard 'Barbie' box, a taller 'Ken' box, and a third box - the same size as the Barbie one, but decorated like the '80s 'G.I. Joe' action figure packaging. It took her about a month to piece together, but they turned out awesome and were a huge hit with everyone.

We brought back the kids' neighborhood Scavenger Hunt, the adult Costume Contest, Karaoke in the basement, and Drinking Games in the garage for this year's party, on top of the photo ops, huge spread of food, and all the other things that have made our parties the blow-outs they've grown to become. It was a super fun night, and we're already tentatively planning next year's big party.

So here you go, folks - the 8th Annual Hough Halloween Party. 

Behold. . .

Kris went as Ices Capades Barbie - her favorite Barbie doll growing up.

Her best friend, Kim (who showed up along with her daughter, Makayla, to the party this evening) still owned the doll in question, and had given it to Kris a month or two ago so Kris could use it for recreating the costume (as always, Kris hand-made her costume, picking up tu-tu's, ice skates, and leotards from thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, etc. and then hand-designing the mantle.)

Alayna as a Pirate this year (again.)

I let her use my cutlass for the party, while she was at the house, but when it came time to do the Scavenger Hunt later in the evening - and when she went out Trick or Treating with her friends on actual Halloween Night, I obviously prohibited her from carrying it around in public. I'm somewhat of a decent, responsible dad, folks.

Abby as Cookie Monster.

Delia as a Soccer Player. Like in previous years, the DeBoer family drove up an hour or so before the party started to get some one-on-one hangout time in and help us finish setting up before everyone else started arriving around 5-6pm.

Sam as a Referee.

Yours Truly as a Jedi (I had to make the most of my fancy lightsaber, folks.)

Another shot of Abby (she insisted on getting one inside the G.I. Joe box, which - along with the taller 'Ken' box - we had to stick outside in the garage.)

BP as a Red Wings Hockey Player.

Kris insisted that I get another pic inside the 'Ken' box (she thought Obi-Wan KENobi was hilarious, I guess?)

We knocked out some family pictures as well before people started to roll in - the DeBoers had a very fitting costume theme this year.

The Houghs

Trying to get a pic of just the girls is always a challenge - they're not the most helpful duo when it comes to stuff like this.

Definitely Houghs. . .

As we were wrapping up pictures and getting food out, families started to roll in. I have no idea who that little boy is - he came with someone - but that's Mitch's youngest, Audrey, taking a turn on Granny's old piano (she's a big fan of the piano, and has to make a racket on it whenever she comes over.)

Abby and Ella, who went as Elmo this year (her and Abby regularly theme their costumes between the two of them every year.)

The Johnsons. They're of the same mindset as BP and I - knock out family pictures right at the get-go so you don't have to go around hunting down family members later on in the evening once things gets crazy.

Courtney as Secretary Barbie.

As adults were eating and our house was filled with the brim with kids running around - we had over forty kids alone this year - Kris decided to unleash the older kids around the neighborhood on the annual Scavenger Hunt. She brought them all outside to run through directions, give groups their 'mission objectives,' and go over the rules.

This is the kind of thing I do for a living, so this sort of chaos is just another walk in the park for me.

Going over the rules. . . still.

Abby, Delia and Ella.

With the groups primed and ready to roll, Kris released them out of the side gate in our backyard and the various groups took off to get pics of the different stuff on their scavenger hunt lists.

My brother Jeff's soon-to-be- step-daughter, Kinsleigh.

Owen as Harry Potter.

My brother, Chris, showed up without Nicole or the twin boys (who he said were being so bad that they decided to leave them at home this year) so he just rolled in with my niece, Nora. They stayed for about a half an hour and then took off - this sorta thing isn't their scene.

There were, like, five groups of kids in this year's hunt, but I only got pics from two of them - Abby's group (featuring these two and one or two other kids), and Alayna's (consisting of four or five of her friends from school - the oldest kids in our friend group.)

I'm not sure what all Kris put down on this year's scavenger hunt list, so I'm not going to be able to caption these pics at all - I'll leave it up to you to try and figure out what the hell they're doing in these pics. While the groups were running around terrorizing the neighborhood, we started getting pics of the adults and their costumes in the various boxes.

Kris' boss, Paul, as The Guardian of the Galaxy's Star Lord.

Morgan as Paul Bunyan

Jeff as a Lumberjack.

Tom as an Architect.

Omkar as an Astronaut.

Erik as a 'Worker Man' (I guess that's what he always thought they were called as a little kid, and that was his childhood ambition.)

Mitch as a Lounge Singer.

Susan as Teacher Barbie.

Danielle as Gardening Barbie.

Stephanie as Barista Barbie.

Kelli as Golf Barbie.

Carissa as a Butterfly.

Melanie as The Guardians of the Galaxy's Gamora.

Kinsleigh and Makayla (Kim's daughter.)

(Amy didn't dress up as anything, but wore pink because, you know, Barbie.)

The Griffins (minus Alivia, who was off at a friend's house.)

The Andersons as The Guardians of the Galaxy.

With the older kids starting to trickle back in from their hours-long scavenger hunt, Kris began directing the kids to the 'voting booth' where they were to vote on each of the adults' costumes. Like last year, only kids could vote in the contest, thereby eliminating any kind of election scandal (we Houghs are proponents of electoral integrity in this house, folks.) 

Kids would check out a board where Kris had posted a bunch of Polaroids up of each of the adults in a box (usually when I was taking a pic of them with my SLR) so kids could actually see what they were voting on.

There were different costume categories to vote for, like last year - Best Overall Costume, Scariest Costume, Funniest Costume, Best Couple Costume, Best Group Costume, Best Original Costume. Those two green buckets had been overflowing with larger candy items that kids could claim once they voted and/or returned from the scavenger hunt.

The Candidates. I decided to number them this year to make voting easier for kids (you know, 'cause little kids can't spell for shit.)

Jeff and Carissa

Kris attempted getting a pic of just her and Kim, but Scarlett and Makayla decided to photobomb it.

The Anderson kids won this year's scavenger hunt - having gotten all the photo requirements completed and made it back to the house first - so Kris presented them with this honorary Barbie Head as a trophy (you can see this kid holding it in their family picture from before.)

Beer Pong begins in the garage. . .

Morgan and Mitch squared off against Omkar and Erik.

This game was neck-and-neck by the looks of it.

The moms check in on the Costume Contest. . .

DeBoers in the kitchen.

Some random party shots in the kitchen on my way through (for the first couple hours of this party I had, like, one beer total - I couldn't sit or talk to anyone, I was always helping Kris with the kid activities or otherwise taking pics of people.)

Kim, Melanie, Melanie's kid (don't know her name), and Sam.

Aiden (Jackson's friend), Abby and Ella.

Karaoke was a HUGE hit with the 4th - 6th grade crowd, for sure - I had to go down there quite a few times to help them pick songs, switch out CDs, etc. until they figured out how to do it themselves.

The Larsons (and Aiden)

Meanwhile, back in the garage. . .

Later in the evening, Kris' co-worker, Trina, showed up with her husband, Eric, who dressed up as Darth Vader. It was inevitable that the two of us would square off. . .

This lightsaber battle erupted just as Jeff was trying to get his kids over to my mom's house (so they could dump them off with her and then come back and party sans-kids), so this didn't help his efforts to get them into his truck. You can see me yelling at them in this pic.

This would've been a lot cooler sped up (and choreographed), but these lightsabers are expensive and not meant for bashing together.

The Nadgaudas (minus Deanna, who was at work.)

Beer Pong, still going strong in the garage.

Kris and Courtney begin to tally the kids' votes.

Folks begin to congregate in the garage for the results to this year's Costume Contest.

The Awards. . .

The Boses - Mitch and Kelli - got Best Couple. Yours Truly got Scariest Costume - for the second straight year in a row - but it was widely assumed that this was only because Eric (Darth Vader) hadn't shown up yet.

Danielle nabbed two awards this year - Most Original and Funniest Costume.

Kris prepares to announce this year's Best Costume. Like last year, we had a special trophy made up, via Etsy, for this prestigious award (that Kris won last year.)

Omkar holds aloft his well-earned trophy.

This year's winners. The Andersons won Best Group Costume, but Paul was running his other kids home when this was taken.

Lonnie Big Balls as a. . . Basketball Couch (which he is.)

Susan's a pro at this game.

Trina - as the Grammar Police - and Kris.

Eric as Darth Vader.

Alayna and some of her friends (Amelia, Toby, Cristina, Lexi, and Kyle.)

Alayna and her friends hung out in her room most of the evening, and so - like in previous years - I hooked up a TV with a Fire Stick to keep them entertained. At some point I had to go in there and troubleshoot something for them, and Alayna wanted a side profile pic of me (she was making fun of my Jedi ponytail.)

Back out in the garage, things had transitioned from Beer Pong to Slap Cup.

We had been introduced to this game a week earlier while hanging out in Tennessee with Bryan and Chelsey, and this group took to it like ducks to water.

Ryan as a Wedding Photographer (he was out shooting a wedding until late that evening, and drove straight from the venue to our party. . . so the costume made total sense.)

Courtney and Kris

Carissa and Jeff

Erik and Tom, almost twinning this year.

Trina and Kris

BP and I.

Elise, playing on the ol' piano.

Back to Beer Pong

The rest of the evening saw us going back and forth between Beer Pong and Slap Cup, as families slowly began trickling out. We stayed up pretty late, with the Johnsons and us still up and enjoying bourbon in the Study at 1:30am. And so closes another chapter in our ongoing Halloween saga. We'll see ya next time, gang.

- Brian