The Office

The company Jason works for threw a Halloween Party so this was Isabella's chance to see where dad spends his time making optics.



Although, she wasn't too amused by his cubemate.

Car Trouble

I thought it was quite humorous this weekend when Jason and I were getting ready to take the Jeep into the shop to get a flat tire fixed and then this happened. Notice the car manual....our poor attempt at playing "mechanic."

Red Hot Chili Pepper

We decided Isabella would be cute dressed as a red chili pepper for Halloween and because this is the "Garden State" it's only natural that she be a vegetable of sorts.
Jason and I dressed as farmers and Isabella reluctantly sported her bright red suit at the church Halloween party.

I don't know who was more uncomfortable, Isabella in that chili pepper costume or Jason in suspenders that were entirely too small for him, if you know what I mean. (I'm lucky he's such a good sport) The church party was fun, but Isabella clearly wanted to get out of that costume because her tiny little feet were getting squished into the very bottom of the chili pepper, kinda like a foot in a stiletto shoe.

The Tactile Isabella

Recently, Isabella has learned how to control her appendages; she can now pick up items. Fortunately for us, she talks to them too.

Fall

This is what fall looks like in our neighborhood. What does it look like in yours?

The Phantoms

That's the name of the Philly hockey minor league team. A friend had extra tickets to the game this weekend so we packed up the kids, and enjoyed our Saturday night witnessing the carnage that is minor league hockey. Well, there was only one fight that broke out very close to where we sat, leaving us with a terrific view of the violence. To see two guys rip off their gloves and masks and start to punch their faces into the ice while the crowd erupts in cheer and applause is definitely a sight. After a couple of minutes of good ol' fashioned fisticuffs (is that really a word?) and bright red blood on the white ice, the referee decided the show was over. In perfect comedic timing, the dad in the seat in front of ours says, "And to think that the elementary school sent us here!" Yes, the elementary school was giving away tickets to the game so needless to say the audience was full of eight year old kids. I know the occasional brawl is just a part of the game, but was a bit alarming to witness in person.
Although I've gone on about the fight, it was just a small part of what was a fun night and Isabella's first hockey game. (the pic was taken with j's cell phone)

Isabella, a big city girl

Alright, it looks like I'm starting to warm up to living in South Jersey. Isabella and I hopped on the Greyhound bus on Friday and in a little over and hour, were in the heart of New York City, just a couple of blocks from Times Square. Yes, you read this right, Isabella at 3 months of age took her first trip to the Big Apple! My best friend Meghann (we met in the 6th grade) and her boyfriend Bill flew all the way from sunny Beverly Hills, California to check out the happenings in NYC, so we couldn't pass up this opportunity to meet them there.

Isabella did great on the bus rides, sleeping most of the time, but when we got to the city her little body just couldn't take it all in quickly enough. She is a very curious little baby and has to know what's going on around her at all times and needless to say was excited about the big city and overwhelmed at the same time. I must admit that I was a bit overwhelmed by NYC myself so I can't imagine what Isabella must have thought of it all. Looks like this Texas country girl is no match for the fast moving metropolis.

We attempted to make it to Central Park where Meghann and Bill made lunch reservations, but after two attempts, we gave up. Isabella was angry because the cold wind was in her face and I couldn't keep her stroller covered long enough to walk more than a couple of blocks. After she napped in the hotel room, we eventually all made it to Central Park and really enjoyed our time there. Isabella felt more at home in the park than in the bustling city streets. Before heading back home, we stopped in to grab a bite to eat at a local pizzeria and I have never had better pizza in my life, it was absolutely delicious!

Seeing Meg and Bill was so much fun. Even though, it may not have been the easiest trip, especially for little Isabella, it was a fun adventure and definitely worth it.

A glimpse of things to come

Fall has officially begun.

Frozen dinner anyone?

While Jason was at a business dinner enjoying a three course meal and the company of his colleagues, I was craving a bit of company myself. A friend called me earlier in the day and told me about a get together at another ladies home, so at the last minute I decided Isabella and I would go check things out. We managed to make it to the street but like all things in New Jersey, there was poor lighting and equally poor signage. The house number was 114 but I never saw a number lower than 202. After a few minutes, searching the dark streets of Jersey, Isabella started rebelling. To make a long story short, I ended up at a McDonald's parking lot feeding Isabella and then driving home in disappointment. As luck would have it, there was one last Kashi frozen dinner just calling my name, no not really, but I was desperate. Oh, the plight of a stay-at-home mom. I wonder how Jason's filet mignon was tonight?

Go Horns!

Because we're on the east coast, the major television stations don't show the Big 12 games as often as they would if we lived in say, Texas. Luckily there is a Univ. of Texas Alumni Assoc. in Philly and they watch the games at a bar/restaurant downtown. Yesterday was one of the big games of the season UT v. OU and we had to witness this showdown so we spent part of the afternoon at McFadden's in Philly. While we watched the game, Isabella watched everything else. She was the youngest UT fan there and most definitely the cutest.

The good old days

I know Jason is going to freak as soon as he lays eyes on this post (so if it's been deleted, don't be surprised). I was surfing the internet late at night because I couldn't fall asleep and decided to look through some of our old pics and came across these priceless moments. I don't know the details other than this was a ski trip Jason took in 1994, his freshman year at BYU with some friends. So, if you've ever wondered why I married the guy, these pictures should leave no doubt in your mind. Who else looks that good making snow angels in their swim trunks?