We Are...

PENN STATE!!! (TEXAS TECH!)

Alex and I made the long drive to watch Penn State beat Kent State at Beaver Stadium this past weekend.  It was really nice getting away for the weekend and the weather was absolutely amazing---even got a little tan supporting the Nittany Lions.  Since Alex went to college at NJIT (which they don't have a football team) and I went to TEXAS TECH; Penn State is the closest...

 Not to worry, I am not going to turn into a Big 10 fan because there is nothing better than the BIG 12!  Living on the east coast has it advantages and disadvantages-the worst is during football season you have to watch all the Big 10 football games televised over the Big 12 so I just have to deal with it...

We tailgated until it was time to watch the game.  Isn't the setting beautiful nestled within the mountains?

We even got to see the legendary Joe Paterno--well the statue of him anyways.  We saw him on the sidelines but we were on the opposite side of the field so we weren't face to face or anything like that...

I enjoyed the game and will go back but it is just not home.  Yes, Beaver Stadium holds double the amount of "The Jones" (Jones AT&T Stadium at Tech) but it was just lacking in so many areas (perhaps I am just being biased).  I missed seeing the beauty of The Jones, the crazy Tech fans, the spanish architecture, the masked rider, the smell (yes! lol), Chimy's and just the LBK in general...

Sadly, we lost against the University of Texas but sure put up a fight! There is always next year and you never know how the Red Raiders will do.  You can NEVER count us out until the last second--we have been known to pull off some great upsets!

Wreck'em TECH!

Images via TTU.edu and skyscrapercity.com

9/11 :: Never Forget

Has it really been nine years?  It is so hard for me to fathom how tall the twin towers were---I never had the opportunity to see them but have now been to ground zero more times than I can count.  Since we live approximately 15 minutes outside NYC; we have a view of the skyline on top of a hill outside our house.  There is a huge void in the skyline where the Twin Towers once stood.  It is so sad because everyone here remembers the day, the smell, the smoke-filled air, the panic and hysteria, the traffic to get home, the loss of a loved one and most importantly strangers joining together to help one another. 

The other night Alex and I were driving home from picking up my birthday present (future post on that soon) and we could see the beams of light shining toward the heavens representing the towers for the ninth anniversary. We both were silent and all I could think about were all the lives lost and how valuable every moment with one another is--you never know what can happen....

Images via Twin Towers Facebook Page

So Ready for This...

FALL!!!

Image via A Brooklyn Limestone

Ever since moving to New Jersey from Texas--I have always looked forward to my favoite season-Fall!!! In Texas we do not necessarily have a change of seasons---it is ALWAYS hot and humid (maybe I am being a bit dramatic!).  I love seeing the leaves change gorgeous colors, long walks, cooler weather and having the windows open to let the breeze blow in...

And lastly :: FOOTBALL, FOOTBALL AND MORE FOOTBALL!!!

Four Years Ago Today....

it was a  Match Made in Mexico...

Our First Picture Together 2006

It was August 2006 and at the urging of some of my friends a four day vacation was in store and the destination was CANCUN! I was hesistant at first because I had already been to Cancun once and there a million places to go so why go somewhere twice? But then again it was spending time with my friends and the destination really didn't matter because we can have fun anywhere. We land in Cancun and there weren't many people on vacation so we pretty much had the entire island to ourselves!!! So we check into the hotel and head to the pool...

Enter day 2 (Augsust 25th) when Alex enters the picture. Mind you we are at a huge resort that had three pools and Alex and his friends were staying on one end of the resort and we were on the other. For some reason the boys aka "Gotti Boys" were on our end of the resort in our pool. So this is how our paths crossed when we were at the bar I asked in my sweet Texas accent "Where are y'all from?" He replied "Jersey!" I was thinking what are they doing in Cancun of all places?
Low and behold all of the clubs we went to the Gotti Boys were sure to follow. (Alex tells a different story that they didn't know where we were and what we were doing.) The remainder of our vacation was spent together at the pool with our friends. I remember my friend Lidia asking "Do you like him?" and my reply was "It's Cancun!". The last day I gave him my phone number and was on the plane back to Texas.

Four years later we are married---who have thought! You hear about these stories happening but you never think it will ever happen to you.  I am very thankful fate intervened and we met that day in Cancun and thankfully I wasn't able to change my friends minds about a different destination. I cannot wait and see what else life has in store for us...

Birthdays of the Christians

It seems we have been busy celebrating birthday after birthday...

This past Friday was Alex's brother, Christian's 24th birthday in which we went to Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse.  As in most hibachi places, it was very good but we all ate entirely too much. 

Singing Happy Birthday to T...

On Saturday we celebrated our friend, Christian Mazzie's (I promise these two guys are the only two by the name of Christian we know) birthday in Hoboken.  I love Hoboken and go at any chance I get! Alex and I went with Chris and his wife, Rachel.  We started off at Teak on the Hudson---fabulous food!!! (Even better if your husband spills your wine on your sirloin--hint hint Chris). 

Stuffed French Cut Chicken and Grilled Salmon

Following dinner and drinks we stopped by Hoboken Cigars so the boys could enjoy cigars.

The night continued into the early morning hours when we met up some friends at Lana Lounge.  (In which we could feel our age the next morning and realized we can't party like we used to.)

Happy Birthday Titi and Mazzie

(which are the names we call them) 

and many many more....

JeRsEy ShOrE...

We finally made our way down the shore this past Saturday.  I have been to several of the other beaches along the shore but have never been to Seaside Heights (where they actually do the filming of "Jersey Shore"--the show you love to hate but somehow become addicted and look forward to every episode).  People ask "Is Jersey really like that? Alex's answer "NO"!  My answer:"YES"!!! (not all of it is but there is a large portion that is...)  It is just like everyone thinks Texans have a ranch, farm and ride horses...

It was actually very enjoyable and it wasn't that crowded when we were there (we tend to try to go very early or very late) in order to miss the crowds.  I am sure the 100+ degree weather didn't help beach-goers either since it was muy caliente if you were not in the water...

Of course, we had to take in a few of the sights and sounds of the boardwalk (which is very different from the beaches in Texas).  Alex had to play a few games--he won me a bear which I failed to take a pic of...

FYI: We didn't get a chance to see Snooki, Jwoww, The Situation, Vinnie or Pauly D but maybe next time! ;) We drove by their shore house though and there was a couple of security guards outside so I am assuming they were resting to prepare for the night...

Pre-Honeymoon Vacay!

Yes, I know you are asking yourself what in the world is a "pre-honeymoon vacay?"  Well, since Alex had some final inspections to do and not exactly knowing the timeline these would occur we postponed our honeymoon until December.  It all worked out because we are planning on going to CHILE and their seasons are opposite so we will be enjoying summer weather instead of watching helping Alex dig out of snow in Jersey!!! We still wanted to go somewhere to remember our wedding and needed to "get away from it all" so we chose to drive throughtout the Northeast (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and upstate New York).  I loved every second of it since I haven't been to any part of the upper northeast---remember I am southern girl so I have been anywhere and everywhere surrounding Texas.  Oh, and if you know me I love antiques and tend to put my own spin on them and there were more antique places to count--of course we didn't stop at all but Alex did stop at a few for me.  I am truly blessed to have someone in my life that loves me/puts up with me as much as he does...

My Favorite Location along the coast of New Hampshire

LOBSTERS! LOBSTERS! AND MORE LOBSTERS!

(click picture to enlarge)

Kayaking for 12 Miles in the Ocean

Omelettes in Woodstock, Vermont...YUMMY!