Trick or Treat...started out: Trick

We were wondering where all the little goblins and gouls were? This is Halloween right? Dusk, no one. Hmm...
And then all of a sudden: MAD rush! We (again) had a wonderful time with Stendera's! The chipettes ran from house to house gathering candy like it was going out of style. Here are my favorite shots of All Hallows Eve. Enjoy!
Happy Halloween, everyone!

Halloween Humor

Honestly. I could NOT ask for a funnier, sweeter friend from high school. This is Manzo, one of my favorite favs. She is one of my best friends from home and comes up with THE best costumes at Halloween. She sent me these and I am dying. Can you get over them? She says she enjoys wearing costumes that allow her to carry around a little white dog...I'm thinking she loves to pretend to be mentally unstable? BINGO.
Two years ago: Michael Jackson. I really think the stuffed tiger adds the perfect ambiance, last year the creepy villain from The Silence of the Lambs (please note the bucket AND lotion she's carrying; also got to love my other BFFs from high school here too: shout out to Pfau who truly does Flavor Flav justice) and then this year's awesomeness: Mugatu from Zoolander! (That's her boyfriend Joe as Zoolander...). I am now positive her outfits will be a regular Halloween post:



Maybe you might not know her, but after seeing these, don't you want to? ugh. Love her.

Halloween Preview

Introducing the Chipettes and Alvin (i.e. the roadie? Frontman? Not sure). More to come...

Carving Party

The girls and I did our pumpkin carving today! We almost always paint them instead of just carve; it's more my comfort zone. Aside from Harper's meltdowns at not being involved (sorry Harp, babies don't get to use a paint brush here) it was fun!

Mahalo

Thankful. That's what I am right now as I type this. We celebrated FIVE years of marriage this week in paradise! Time to relax, reconnect, and take stock. We had a wonderful time in Hawaii and of course like every time we've been; it was too short, but safe to say I am excited for June when we all go back as one big Bell/Birky/DJones family! Highlights of the trip?
The sun
The coconut shrimp at Aloha Mixed Plate
The hike (oh, don't worry it was like 6 miles, yikes!)
Time to simply read a whole book and watch a whole movie AND discuss it.
When the long boarder going full speed was hit by the car door (double yikes!)
When Ty said to me: "Chels, if you want James Bond, the Daniel Craig version; you'll have to get used to me wearing shorter swim trunks." (where upon I promptly reminded him we are not European...)
AND lastly, how we can just be you and me.
Below are my favorite pictures of our time together (sorry, there are many!):

Hawaii 5-0

5 hours. That's how long it took me to realize that I had left my phone at home. No doubt those of you who know me are saying, "Of course. I just thought it would be days before she noticed..." yeah, yeah, yeah. p.s. Can you picture Tyler's face as I frantically search my purse. If I hadn't been disappointed in myself; it would have made my day. So all this to say, "If you need to contact me this week, call Ty."
On a much brighter note: I'm in Hawaii with my toes in the sand reading. An actual book. Ty is at Maui cross fit; all is right in the world. Yesterday I had the most amazing Mahi fish tacos and today we plan to "do nothin'" to famously quote Miss Pea. Tomorrow we are hiking the blow holes and Friday going out for our FIFTH anniversary. Five years has gone fast, but I've loved every single second; the good, bad, and the ugly. I love you Mr. B.
All for now, working on getting Mr. B to pose for pictures to post upon our return.
Xoxo...

Ode to Pea

Can you get over these? ugh, love her.

Smashing Good Time

Maybe only she will get the pun in the title, but I'm OK with that. My dearest came to see and stay with me this weekend and it was such fun. Ash lives in Arizona and despite shivering a large portion of the time, she loved having a taste of fall. Crisp air, coffee, leaves falling; it's our favorite time of year. I like to think it's because fall signifies the beginning of something. Enough waxing philosophical (though I know she enjoyed that little diversion...). While she was in town, we had a dinner party/meet-and-greet Henry Hoff. On his invitation it said, "Don't HASSLE the Hoff, Celebrate him!" And we did. Little Henry is the newest addition to the Hoff family. Kat and Tay have been featured before in previous posts. He is presh. Here are some pictures of her time here & the dinner party. GOOD friends, good food, good time! Girls, God love you. You're dynamite. I think the last picture says all anyone needs to know about our friendship.

Bemusings: On being a woman

I'm a lady. Which I suppose if you have to state the fact defeats the purpose...
So as you can imagine, because I'm a woman I am at this very moment; typing this riveting piece, calming a baby, tending dinner, doing laundry, chasing a toddler, and making at least one man happy all while looking fab (one day a week at least, see "Bemusings: On clothes & accomplishments"). I'm nothing if not a multi-tasker.
On a more serious & positive (trying to make up for my vent sesh) note, here's what I've come to realize as of late:
If you are a woman, you are THE most intricate and complex creature God has made. How do I know this? Take a look at Genesis. He started simple: light. On, off, on, off. Then gradually more and more detail and grandeur until finally woman. The last of creation. After man, just saying. While I am in no way saying we are better, this way or that, I'm simply saying there's a reason men do not understand women. And while we may not understand men at times, I believe it's because we are created to be different reflections of God.
Let me crawl out of that intellectual hole and come back to the surface for a second (no pun intended, see connecting topic below).
One of my life goals is to age gracefully. I'm not sure what this process looks like yet. I assume it will entail authenticity, emotional maturity, and hair dye. That said, it's important to me not to chase something eternally out of reach. Certainly I do not think competing with a younger set is the goal; fairly sure youth always "wins" in this world. I'd like to be about far more without discounting beauty. There's freedom in removing yourself from competition and just being the best you.
More on this topic later...yours in heels,

OSO Special

Tyler and Pea saw this craft on an episode of OSO and decided to replicate it together. Just another reason Tyler is OSO special...

Half Birthday, Whole Cuteness

My Miss Babe H is 6 months today! Here are her stats:
15 lbs. 7 oz.
25 1/2 inches head circumference (narrowly avoiding Helmet, may have to get band).
Started sitting on her own this week!
We LOVE you little lady; Momi can't believe her last baby is growing so fast...

Bemusings: On Venting.

Definition: release: activity that frees or expresses creative energy or emotion.
Rather than bottle up my feelings and end up in the psych ward with Morgan Lang taking care of me next month, why not go down the laundry list of things that rub me the wrong way. First on my list is ACTUALLY laundry. Does it never end?
Just so we're clear, I am aware that there are intense global issues; diseases, spiritual warfare, and FAR worse complaints with purpose to be dealt with in the world other than my menial venting. Normally I'm not a complainer. I like to think I can go with the flow, but the flow is starting to ebb. And chafe. And I don't care enough about my reputation to stop typing this...
Why can't you DVR more than two shows at a time? Does Comcast know I'm addicted to Mad Men? Are they doing this to spite me or simply to cause me to hit rock bottom and check into rehab? Jury's still out, but all it's REALLY accomplished is to make me sit alone in the dark with the TV off waiting for the shows to record so that I may watch them at my leisure.
Babe H, your head is so flat. Don't you understand? They are going to make you wear a HELMET. Holy crap. People say you can make said helmet cute, but I am not drinking the cool aid. It will BLOW...please think of tummy time as your friend.
Definition (part 2): give expression or utterance to.
Dude, Tiffani Amber Thessian. What's with stealing my baby name and then changing only one letter of it and getting all this publicity for being so original. June is not April. Whatever. (Picture me with fingers crossed in a "W" sign then lifting one half of the "W" to my forehead to create the universal symbol for loser...)
Definition (part 3): a hole for the escape of gas or air.
#$%& you, Safeway. Next time I buy a gallon of milk, I will be making darn sure there isn't a crack in the plastic so that nearly the entire gallon doesn't LEAK all over the carpet in my car. It literally smells like a dead body in there.
Yours with crossed arms and clenched teeth,

Weekend Update

With Chelsea Bell and Tina Fey...sorry no Tina Fey. This weekend was a whirlwind! We had TWO baby showers both for boys!
Highlights? I love buying boy's stuff. It's so different and fun. Also I tend to lean toward the band t-shirts, skull & crossbones paraphernalia, & Nirvana-esq beanies which it's safe to say is what I'd pick out for Tyler (the aforementioned is almost exactly what I got Chelsd. for babe Dylan). Inappropriate? Maybe, but a boy has to catch the ladies somehow. But I digress... The chocolate turnover at Jen Love Crowell's baby bash. Simply a work of art. I don't really have any other words for this delicious mocha colored spot of heaven on earth other than, "Time stood still while eating it." And lastly how beautiful both Mama's to be are and how much in love with their little men they'll be.

Bells of the Ball

It's another girl for the Bell Clan! Congrats Andrea and Casey! For now here are my Bell gals and we can't wait to meet the latest (my guess is she'll be a blondy...)