The Sork's Nightmare Before Christmas

I know you all are anxious to see and hear how the Halloween festivities went at our house this year. Just for you I have skipped ahead in the blog to fill you in.  I wouldn't want anyone dying from anticipation:

McKenna as Dorothy, Pippin as Toto
Dress by Mom

Carson as Carson
Costume by Carson, Kylie Rodgers and Andrew Chanthavong
Driver all around town to find the supplies: Mom

This year you get Eric's Halloween night perspective:

Zombies.  This year was going to be zombies...Until my kids said they were no longer interested.  So it was back to the drawing board.  It is rare we repeat our Halloween themes.  Unfortunately that usually results in extra time and more stuff to store when it is all over.  We finally decided on The Nightmare Before Christmas, a favorite movie of mine and the inspiration for the Disney haunted mansion makeover that originally started me down this annual Halloween decorating rabbit hole.

McKenna and I sat and watched the movie pausing often to take notes.  A list of decorating ideas was the result and then the work began.  This year we had the help from extended family.  Grandma G, Cathy and Steve all took assignments and Keri spent several nights (bless her heart) helping out.  McKenna was the art director and her artistic skills were used heavily throughout the production.

Oogie Boogie by Aunt Cathy

Zero by Mom, McKenna and Gma G

Halloween Town Sign (and Halloween Dinner) by Gma G

Trick Or Treater Silhouettes by McKenna & Mom
Captured Santa by Eric

We worked right up until the day of Halloween.  There were many new additions to the decor including a yard full of tombstones, a life-sized Oogie Boogie, Santa in a bag and zero the ghost dog (all characters from the movie).  Technology played a large part this year with animated window projections and lights set to the music.  We even added a classic touch with door and wall wreathes.

Tombstone shapes by Eric

The tombstones were my favorite.  We started with sheets of 4, x 8, Styrofoam sheets that I cut and shaped with my table and scroll saws.  McKenna etched designs into the Styrofoam that I then carved using a soldering iron.  Then it was a layer of grey monster mud, detailing with acrylic paint and a coat of polyurethane.  They turned out great and filled the yard.

Epitaphs and Design by McKenna

Engraving by Eric McKenna and Mom

Painting was a family affair.

The night was fairly soggy, but the trick or treaters still came out.  The decorations all came together as pictured when we planned the event.  Our house was the scene of many selfies with Oogie Boogie and the tombstones. And the kids can take comfort knowing the Sork House was the talk of the town for the night--that is important as everyone at school apparently has come to expect it from the Sorks. 

I thank my family and friends who continue to ignore (if not support) my strange obsession.  Don't worry...I am already planning for next year.

Trick-or-Treat for a Cause

Given my Halloween interests, it is no wonder my work asks me to help put on an annual Halloween event in the office.  

It is traditional to hold cubical decorating and costume contests along with a big chili potluck lunch.  We also invite employee families to the office in the afternoon for trick-or-treating which I am in charge of.  

Several years ago I convinced the company to extend the event to a local women and children’s shelter.  The kids at the shelter generally do not get to go out on Halloween as their neighborhood is not very safe.  It was a fantastic hit and something both the shelter and our employees now look forward to every year.  In the past we sent the families home with huge bags of candy, but this year I wanted to do something more that would last longer.

With a little bit of work, I convinced our executives to allow me to organize a sock and glove drive.  We collected huge amounts of socks, gloves and warm winter hats for adults and children of all ages.  

I was also able to get the company to provide essentials bags that we filled with shampoo, toothbrushes, coloring books, flashlights, hair care products, stuffed animals, etc.  Keri and McKenna went with me to the dollar store and filled up three carts with things for the bags.  A few volunteers at the office then helped me sort the socks by size and age and pass out the bags to the appropriate age and gender of trick-or-treater.  We even had special bags for the moms that came.  All the remaining items were then donated to the shelter.  

It was great to send them home with more than just the candy.  One of the kids said it was better than Christmas.

Family Bonding at Eagle Crest Resort

A Fifty Miler for Austin

The one thing Austin wanted to do before he left on his mission was a fifty mile backpacking trip.  He felt jipped that he hadn't gone on a fifty miler with the scouts during his Young Men's career and wanted to be able to claim that rite of passage.  Eric and Carson made it happen for him.  The following is an account of his fifty mile journey, written by Carson.

Austin Dad and I began our hike Sunday afternoon after being dropped off by the rest of the family. After a brief goodbye (mom made Austin promise he would take care of Dad and I), we started the hike. We had a long 50 miles ahead of us! After making it to our first campsite, we were all nervous. This was the moment we would all learn whether or not we had forgotten to pack something. As we got our tents, food, sleeping bags and other items out for the night, no one had forgotten anything and we were all grateful. This brief moment of content disappeared quickly as we soon realized we weren’t alone. From the second we stopped moving, each of us would have a literal cloud of mosquitoes, searching for every inch of bare skin. When trying to eat, we would have to switch the hands our utensils in because so many mosquitoes would accumulate on the one. We ate as fast as we could and spent the rest of the night closed up in our tents. Needless to say, we got LOTS of bites over the course of our trip, even with the bug spray and layers of clothing!

The next day our hike brought us right back to where we started, completing a 13 mile loop to bring us back to a rendezvous point for the rest of my troop to meet us at. On the way back, we ran into our first large form of wildlife. I was in the back of the pack closely following my dad and brother. I always look right at the back of the feet of whoever’s in front of me and this time it was my dad. About halfway through the hike he nearly missed stepping on a HUGE toad, the biggest I’ve ever seen! I almost tripped on it myself. We stopped and poked at it for a while. Austin even found the courage to pick it up. The rest of the day went smoothly as we made it back to our base camp and set up our tents, waiting for the rest of the troop to arrive the following morning.

The next day we welcomed the rest of my troop to the area and made sure to tell them about the horrible bug problem. With some fear in the troops eyes and sore muscles for my dad and I (Austin was doing just fine), we hiked yet another day. Throughout the entire 50 miles, we came across countless breathtaking views, many of which included Mt. Adams which we could always count on being at our backs.

A Beautiful view of Mt. Adams

To get in extra mileage for a complete 50, my dad Austin and I got the opportunity to do day hikes after the rest of the troop had stopped. One of these was a 5 mile hike through and out of a large valley. Our final destination was Goat Lake, a year-round frozen glacier lake fed by multiple waterfalls. It was a really cool sight and along the way we saw local wildlife (marmots) and one of my favorite views on the whole trip, an amazing shale waterfall along the side of the trail.

Austin Overlooking the Valley

Goat Lake

Shale Waterfall

One day consisted of a hike across a snowy glacier. Yes, snow in July. I think everyone either slid or fell at least once into the snow. We gained a lot of elevation that day and crossed one of the many ridges in the range, letting us see how far we had come. It was amazing to see what we had done in such a small amount of time. 

Climbing the Glacier

Along a side of a glacier was the most unnatural, natural rock formation I have ever seen! This picture was actually taken vertically, looking UP at the rocks, which were protruding from the side of the mountain and covering part of the trail. It was truly an amazing act of nature.

Amazing Act of Nature

With fatigue setting in and living off of dehydrated food for multiple days, me and Austin got a little loopy. Evenings in the tent were always nights to remember as me and Austin had both deep meaningful conversations, as well as going completely crazy. Sometimes I didn’t even know what we were talking about but we would burst into laughter for a straight 10 minutes. Needless to say, we definitely made lots of memories together.

Deep Conversations or Going Crazy, You Decide!

Arguably the most precarious of the hikes on our trip, the Knife's Edge is exactly what it sounds like. Tracing the ridge, at some points the trail consisted of 3 foot wide, loose shale walkways with 100+ foot drops on either side. At the entrance to the Knifes Edge was the peak of Old Snowy. Dad, Austin and I summated and it was officially the highest elevation we reached throughout the entire trip (above 8,000 feet). 

The Knife's Edge

Making our way along the Edge

Along the Knifes Edge, the Goat Rocks lived up to its name. We spotted multiple herds of goats and even elk from our vantage point on the ridge, and that in itself made everyone’s day!

Standing on the Summit of Old Snowy

Our last full day was painful, but worth the work when we arrived at our campsite. We were welcomed by an ATV equipped with barbecues (manned by Brother Zundel and Brother Cannon) who cooked steaks, burgers and hot dogs to feed the troops. It was literally heaven after surviving 6 days of intense physical labor to be fueled only by dehydrated foods. That night we went swimming in the strange blue water nearby and even jumped off a bridge to end the evening with a bang. 

"You Go First - No You Go First"  -Scout Troop

"See Boys, This Is How Its Done!" -Austin

From our campsite you could see the range of The Knifes Edge, where we had been only 2 days previous (mountain in distance). To think that we had gone 3 times that distance in a week blew my mind. This trip really showed me what I am capable of. 

On Top of the World

This 50 mile hike was the hardest thing I have ever done, but the experience I gained and the time I got to spend with my brother and my dad was irreplaceable. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to spend those 7 days with them, through both the good and the bad. I hope someday I will be able to do something similar with my son and have him experience the breathtaking beauty of nature we so often take for granted, and the true importance of hard work and dedication.