Dance rehearsal - Isabelle

Isabelle is getting ready for her dance Recital. Today she had a full rehearsal and got to dress up in her costume. This will be her 4th year in dance and she can't wait to her her 4 year trophy.

It's Saturday

Aubree's first ride in a "car cart" she even stayed in the whole time.

Matching Outfits, how cute

Aubree and Isabelle have matching outfits from OshKosh

Eating out at Olive Garden

We haven't been here in quite some time, gotta love the Alfredo dipping sauce with breadsticks.

The new Corporate Headquarters, they better get to work!

I took a quick drive (hour and a half) up to Connecticut this afternoon for a meeting with the General Contractor, Architect, Electrician, Building owner and our Corporate Sr VP of HR to discuss the plans and build out of our new Corporate offices. Since we divested Dymo to Rubbermaid they are getting kicked out of the offices in 30 days. This office space is about 15 min from the old office. Looks like a lot of work, I have a running bet with the CEO that they are not in on July 1st as planned.... The shining moment of the day was when I ran across an Arby's in Queens and had lunch there, I haven't had a beef n' cheddar since we went to S. Utah last year, man was it good!! (I wish we had them on Eastern Long Island)

Primary Activity on a Friday night

For this Friday, they had a CSI-like activity where rooms were setup as if they were a mock crime scene and the children all got little notebooks and had to solve who the scene is about. This was a pretty ingenious activity and you would just have to be there to understand how cool it really was. The room in the picture is all about "Job" from the Bible, razor (cause he shaved his head), ashes, fire from heaven, picture of his family, his three friends who shunned him, his house was blown over, vacuum (cause his servants died) etc. Like I said, you had to be there. They even used crime scene tape! The other two were John the Baptist, and King Benjamin. Job well done (no pun intended haha), and as usual a load of work for everyone (especially poor me, who had to babysit kids for two weeks while Heather prepared, I feel your pain Job).

Happy Birthday Mom!

We took Mom and Dad out for lunch at "On the Boarder" for Mexican food. It was good. We are really going to miss them when they go back home tomorrow.... : (

Eating out for Lunch for Mom's Birthday

Sunday Dinner with the folks. We had Coconut encrusted Talapia fish with mom's homeade scones. It was very good.

Happy Birthday Isabelle - 9th

Happy Birthday Isabelle!

Isabelle turned 9 today, congratulations.

Isabelle with her B-day presents

Break the Fast with the Bishop

In an effort to try and booster social interaction and feeling of family in the Ward, we as a Bishopric decided to have a "Break the Fast with the Bishop" day after church this Sunday and we had a big gathering at his house. The turnout was really good and I think the event went rather well. Here are some pictures of us having fun at the event (but not too much fun, it is Sunday after all).

Isabelle playing (resting) on the swing

Mom and Dad talking with the 1st Councilor (who is leaving in July), Heather and Aubree are sitting with the Primary President and her daughter.

The Bishop has a really nice house with loads of backyard property. His Son is leaving for a mission in two weeks (to Portugul) and this also searves as an "unofficial" farewell.

Saturday Errands

This weekend we did our usual routine. Dad, Mom, and I worked on the yard until noon, Heather made us all breakfast, then Heather left to get her hair highlighted and we took Isabelle to swimming lessons, then we all combined and picked up Isabelle from Swimming and went to "Smokey Bones" for Lunch/Dinner, then the Mall to get Aubree's ears pierced and dad a nose trimmer from Sharper Image, and then Walmart, then "Party City" for Heather's Sunday stuff, then the grocery store then home... Dad and I are exhausted.

Dad is enjoying some Ribs

Mmmm, Smokey Bones with the folks. Heather loves ribs.

Working in the yard this weekend

Mom and Dad are in NY for a few weeks, so we quickly put them to work (so that they won't get bored). We are re-planting our front bushes and giving the house some much needed curb appeal. Heather and Mom are doing all the work, while Dad and I study the back of our eye-lids and supervise. All this work really wears me out.

Big Truck in Texas

Pretty trivial I know, however I have to find something to take pictures of while on my trip. Because I am in Texas I decided to get an upgrade on my car rental, so I got to drive around a huge truck with a V8 engine (everything is bigger in Texas....). I got a kick out of driving around Dallas in my big truck. While in Texas I have been called "sweetie", "Baby", "Sugar" and my favorite "Little Darl'n". I have to admit it is a bit creepy to have a perfect stranger call me their "Baby" when I don't even know their name.... sheesh.

I'm in Dallas this week

A room with a view. My hotel room is on the 20th floor of the Adam's Mark hotel. I am attending a Wal-Mart RFID onboard forum to gather requirements for Esselte as a supplier to comply with Wal-Mart's supply-chain management demands. I now have to go back to Sr. Management with the bad news that we need to spend a significant capital investment to get into compliance by Jan 07, else we can no longer do business with uncle Wally.

Isabelle was awarded from the School District

Nice work Isabelle! She was chosen from the 3rd grade from the teachers in her school to get the student citizenship award. Tonight we went to the ceremony and she got flowers and a certificate, her picture and name will also be put on the wall at the school. Isabelle always stands out at her school and she already has a goal to become a school teacher some day. She loves school.

Reynosa Mexico - this week

So I am in McAllen Texas this week to take a tour of our up and coming new manufacturing facility being built in Reynosa Mexico (140 thousand square feet). I was expecting an actual facility, instead I got to see a huge plot of land that they were hauling dirt into to build up for the foundation... It still amazes me every time I go to Mexico to see the stark difference between the US and Mexico when they are so close apart. Tomorrow I am in meetings with the folks who will be providing telcom and Infrastructure related support then I can go home. At least the weather here is a nice balmy 85 degrees.