Praying Mantis, Grasshopper, Oh My!

Recently we've run into some buggers at home (outside, not inside) that are as beautiful as they are scary. True, we're much much bigger than bugs and can easily squash them with our feet. BUT, that's beside the point. Perhaps the monsoon season brings out many creatures. It's cooler at night and slightly more humid during the day. In the past week, we've come across a praying mantis on our front step and an enormous grasshopper in the backyard. Can anyone identify the species (because we can't)???