Saturday, January 22, 2022

Snow Day!

This opportunity doesn't come along very often in NC, but we got 2-3" of snow, got a day off of school, and had SO much fun playing outside with friends!






We went with the neighbors back to the woods behind our house and had an awesome time exploring.


Everyone tried to find the biggest piece of ice they could from the creek back there!


There was quite a bit of snowball fighting too!




Even some sledding went down!





Snow angels!





The dogs may have had even more fun that we did!



Their feet were FULL of snowballs!








Someone got his square in the face... but kept on going!





We found a natural see-saw in the woods!




After being thoroughly frozen on our walk, the kids went in to shower, and the grown-ups had some snack and margaritas by the campfire! Next time we should do Hot Toddy's though!



Saturday, January 15, 2022

Murder Mystery Party

We had an awesome night last night at our neighbor friend's birthday party! It was a murder mystery dinner party! We have been planning all week, sending texts to other party members with our new identities and shopping for the perfect outfits to represent our characters! I think since Mom is into crime and detective stories, she was most definitely the most excited!

Here's a bit about what our dinner party was about... Can you figure out the mystery?

Mystery Synopsis

Bloodworth Falls is an isolated town plagued with scandals. The townsfolk bicker in the streets, and many believe the local government is corrupt.  Nevertheless, the mayor is hosting a mysterious masquerade ball in the old Bloodwood Castle. The tickets to the event have sold out in record time. The townspeople are curious to find out why the mayor would put effort into doing something positive in this hopeless town of gloom. Anticipation for the event hangs thickly in the air, and many are already hunting for the perfect mask.  You are worried what will happen on this night when toxic people come together.  You are alarmed, as you didn't purchase your ticket - it was placed in your mailbox in an unmarked envelope.  Somebody wants you there, but you don't know why.  This is where your story begins.

Meet our cast:

                                                            
Riley White: Mayor of Bloodworth Falls

Riley White is the scandalous mayor of Bloodworth Falls. The mayor’s no stranger to corruption, bribery, and blackmail and has a hand in many depraved matters. However, Riley is a hard worker and takes care of the primary needs of the people of Bloodworth Falls. Things are doom-and-gloom in the town, but nobody would dare run against Riley for mayor.


Reese Cerulean: Entrepreneur

Reese Cerulean is the wealthiest person in Bloodworth Falls and entrepreneur. Reese is quite powerful, as she owns most of the businesses and properties in town. Rumor has it that Reese’s pile of gold came from frivolous lawsuits many years ago. Reese has a short fuse, and you don’t want to light it – especially if wish to avoid wasting countless hours of your life in a courtroom.


Wolfe Indigo: Butler of Reese Cerulean

Wolfe Indigo is the sarcastic butler of the town tycoon, Reese Cerulean. Rumor has it that Wolfe’s current position is a by-product of a frivolous lawsuit. Many have tried to validate this rumor, but all have failed. One thing is for certain - Wolfe is miserable as Reese’s servant, and that is not disputed. 


Ashton Jade: CBC News Reporter

Ashton Jade is the gregarious news reporter for CBC News. Ashton is currently doing whatever it takes to secure the vacant anchor position at the television station. Therefore, if you have newsworthy secrets, stay clear of Ashton


Peyton Pewter: Computer Technician

Peyton Pewter founded the company Nerd Squadron, which is a traveling tech business. Peyton services most of the business networks in Bloodworth Falls, and has recently started making house calls to private residences. Peyton is wired into the town and seems to know a bit about everyone’s business.


Finn Burgundy: Playhouse Director

Finn Burgundy is the brazen leader of the Moon Shadow Playhouse. Finn prefers to produce dark-themed plays for the theater and is a demanding director. Finn will get what she wants at all costs, so stay out of Finn’s crosshairs if you are into self-preservation.


Drew Golden: Stagehand (and BIRTHDAY GIRL!)

Drew Golden is the boisterous stagehand for the Moon Shadow Playhouse. Drew has been desperately trying to break into stage acting, but Finn Burgundy won’t hear of it, and there’s not another playhouse in town. Drew sometimes takes out his/her frustrations on the cast members of the theater.


Logan Plum: Electrician

Logan Plum is the antisocial electrician in Bloodworth Falls. Not one for good conversation, this blue collar worker despises people in general. However, Logan’s an excellent electrician and happens to be the only one in town. As long as you leave Logan alone, you’ll have peace.


Omari Black: Radio Host

The hit morning radio host, Omari Black, is a great friend to have and a horrible enemy to make. Omari has the attention of the morning commuters and can make-or-break a person in the town of Bloodworth Falls. Omari can be shady at times and is known to accept bribes for radio spots.


Madison Scarlet: Federal Agent

Madison Scarlet is the femme fatale federal agent. She often leaves her hometown of Bloodworth Falls to travel to foreign lands on secret missions. This secret agent’s difficult to be around, as it is impossible to tell if she is working on a mission or enjoying her time away from the agency. Watch what you say around this undercover snoop.



Once we had our costumes and had studied up on our roles (and even contacted other cast members during the week), we were ready to arrive at the Mayor's masquerade party and get our next instructions. We were given a little more information about ourselves and questions to ask others throughout the evening...







Abby loved having a butler for the party, and Ben played the annoyed, sarcastic role well!


These were the types of cards we received to tell about our characters...


There was a lot to learn from each other... especially since we didn't even know who was going to be killed, and who did it!








About an hour into the party, we heard a scream from Finn Burgundy, who had found Ashton Jade stabbed in the bathroom at the Mayor's mansion!



We then had to talk to everyone about where they were during the murder, write down our theories and make our best guess who killed Aston Jade... (Ben's form below clearly showed that he thought Mayor While was the killer!) We also got to hear the forensic report from the scene to help us figure it out.


After turning in our guesses, we each read off our final cards we received, and finally learned who did it and why.... Do you have a guess?????



This should be NO surprise to anyone, but guess who was the ONLY one to figure out the killer?!?!?!? That's right, our super-sleuth mom won!


Winner posing with the killer!


We had an awesome time, and love our tribe even a little more after this fun night together!


Happy New Year!

Happy New Years from some of the neighborhood ladies who rang in the new year together!  I was solo at the party this year because Brian cam...