:: Game day ::

Iz loves to pull up on the coffee table and grab for everything on it.. and I couldn't resist taking a pic of that bum!

yaaayyy! {she just claps and gets so happy when you say 'yay'}

While we were at the tailgate, Fox Sports came over and asked us all to be on a commercial for during the game, so of course, we all said yes... little did we know, we would have to say the rock chalk chant like 5 x and cheer and look excited every time.. it was actually pretty funny, but we did make the opening shot of the game!  We are famous!

Iz felt out of place without a plastic cup and kept grabbing ours, so we gave her her own and she loved it.

We took Isabelle in to her first football game and it was a success... it was pretty hot in there and she started getting antsy a little before the first half was over so I went to the car so she could eat and I could change her pants.

Just lounging, havin' my bottle.

We were a little late for Iz's nap and she was pooped, she was out the minute I layed her down... 

Isabelle is such a trooper, she just goes with the flow and is happy 99% of the time, no matter what her crazy parents have her doing.  We are so lucky to have such a wonderful little child with the best personality.  Just when I think I couldn't love her anymore, I do.

Work fun day!

As part of the 'Fun Committee', we had to plan a team activity/offsite and we decided to do something outside before the weather gets bad, so we rented a shelter at Lake Clinton in Lawrence, ate lots of food, played kickball and had a relay... we had a lot of fun... hence the cookie cake ;).

this was my team... we won :).

major action shot...

the ball we played kickball with was huge, made it kind of hard to kick, catch and throw, which made it pretty entertaining!

Virginia and Lindsay... our score keepers/too lazy to play team members ;)

The weather could not have been more perfect, it was so nice to get out of the office early on a Friday and exert some energy with the team... We are so lucky that our forces from above support activities like these!

oh how we love owls...

we just happened to coordinate again so i had to get a pic...

and it's too bad this picture was so dark and looks funny now that i brightened it, but iz just looked so cute and happy, i had to share it...

it's so weird that it's october and iz is in a tank dress... just doesn't seem quite right.

i just love seeing iz and dad together...

:: Day of Caring ::

We {Payless/CBI} participate in United Way and there is a volunteer day {Day of Caring} that our department usually gets a big group together for.  We volunteered at Harvester's on Tuesday, which is a community food bank, last year (actually might have helped put me into labor, I had Iz 3 days later) and had such a good time that we wanted to do it again this year, so here we are...

a couple of other departments joined us, so this is the big group (yes, we are all wearing the same 't', it says 'Live United')... we boxed up loaves of bread and filled bags for kids for their backsnack program, we got a lot accomplished for them so it was a very rewarding feeling!

Whitney, Marissa (for some reason her face is in fast motion) and Miranda.

And of course I had to add one of Isabelle from the morning, it was a little cool so she had her hood up and was happy as ever...



Productive Sunday...

and i was picture happy...

isabelle and i went for our morning run first thing.

i just love this little face...

i went through all of isabelle's clothes that are too small and got them boxed up to pass on to aunt ashley for their little girl that will be arriving in the next month or so... we will have a new cousin!  isabelle wanted to help by taking all the clothes out of the box and throwing them around her room (i started piling them anywhere she couldn't reach)... so helpful.

she would not let go of those pjs..

trying to stand..

she pulls herself up on everything now and i always get so nervous, especially here because i thought the box was going to tip over on her.

in for the steal... i could not keep her hands out of the box!

yep, caught you!

this just made me laugh, i was on the other side of the island and she got really quiet so i went to see what she was doing... just reading a little bobby flay... she is so strong, that book is kind of heavy and she just pulled it off the shelf and was checking it out!  oh and side note for isabelle's wardrobe change.. we had a major blow out, all up the back.. hadn't had one of those in months, brought back great memories of, holy smokes, how am i going to do this without getting it everywhere?!  especially because she doesn't really like to just lay down and get her diaper changed anymore, she loves to roll over and take off without any coverage... it's awesome.

snack time... i love bananas!!

here comes mama...

i'm almost there..

got you!  i just love this huge smiley face.. such a great pic!

no, i did not put lip gloss on my babe ;)

oh, here i am again, trying to pull everything off the shelves... we are totally regretting our choice of open shelving at this level!

then comes the time when i start to get sad because sunday is almost over, i almost don't even look at the clock because i don't want to face the reality of the work week beginning.  i just love being home and spending time with my iz... and my husband of course :).

what a saturday!

isabelle and i ran to the market (our saturday routine) and dad met us there this time, which we loved.  we got some delicious apple cider donuts (from rees fruit farm in topeka, highly recommend... isabelle loved her little taste), pears, okra and our favorite oatmeal cookie whoopie pies, so we made out well!

iz wanted to hold the cotton pads and candy corn at target... i love the season for candy corn!  it's the best snack mixed with peanuts, can't stop eating it!

this was just funny, jacob kept pinning her down and she would look so closely at his face and they were both laughing.. wish i would have recorded it because this pic just makes her look like she wants out, which at that point, i think she did ;).

we got to go to the legends game (alumni that went pro came back to play a game) so isabelle had her first basketball game (dad was so proud).. it gets so loud in there, so we got her some ear plugs and they seemed to do the trick.  thank you papa for isabelle's new favorite thing to hold, the little jayhawk, she gets so excited when you give it to her and jacob is trying so hard to get her to say 'jayhawk'.. i know, the brainwashing has already begun!

 izzy girl and gigi... she carried that granola bar all the way to the game (we walked) and then held it for a while at the game... it was nice and squished when i ate it.

 she was so mesmerized by all the lights and everything going on in there that we had such a hard time getting her to look at the camera...

jacob and aunt betsy's favorite person/slight obsession ;)... paul pierce (with sweat band on head)

family photo after isabelle's first game... hands in the mouth..

try again.. still distracted... nevermind.

we had a wedding at the oread right after the game (thanks mom for staying with iz again on your saturday night) and it was on the 5th floor terrace with a very pretty view of lawrence + the football stadium.

 Joe & Betsy

jacob and sears (scott)

we had such a fun eventful saturday with beautiful weather, you can't beat that!

best tailgate idea!!

with football season and fall starting, we had a tailgate treat day at work and it was the best treat day we have ever had, mainly because we had this... 

so, funny story about this is, i found the most ridiculous picture i could when i googled tailgating to put on our treat day invite (yes, i am part of what we like to call 'the fun committee', so we plan these things) and said, "who is bringing this?", little did i know it would turn into a challenge and really be brought!  a lot of people pitched in and brought an ingredient/component to donate and harrison was the wonderful one to put it together.. took about 2 hrs and includes everything below (just in case you feel ambitious)...

Twinkies (6 boxes in this bad boy)
1 bag Chex Mix
1 bag tortilla chips
1 bag Cheetos
1 bag Doritos
Pretzel Sticks (to hold back the fans)
Nacho Cheese (the tostitos in a jar works well)
Guacamole
Salsa
Sour Cream (for field lines)
Slim Jims (goal posts)
Combos (players)
Cheese cubes (helmets and to support the goal posts)
1 Olive (football)
Disposable aluminum pan (for the field)
Cake board or something like that wrapped for ease of carrying/displaying

Toothpicks (to hold the twinkies together/ and the slim jims)

the man with his masterpiece... thanks harry!

all of the wonderful people i work with.