Snow Days

This entry was going to be Snow Day...as in singular...but adding the "s" is much more appropriate since every day in upstate NY from November 1 - (I'm assuming) around April is a snow day. Here are a few pictures of our house/neighborhood during the first few days of snow. I stopped photograhing after day 3 because, well, the snow still looked the same. We finally had a sunny day today. Frigid...but sunny....so we took Jackson out in his newly acquired winter clothing (thanks, aunt Cady, for the bibs and boots!!). He reminded me EXACTLY of the little kid from "A Christmas Story" because his mobility, when fully dressed, was quite limited. He did enjoy the snow while Matt and I stood by shivering. The cold temps don't seem to affect him like they do us. Soon we'll be making igloos and snowmen.

Mama's boots
Can you see Mojito??

Our neighborhood

Ain't Nothin But A Hounddog

This was Jackson's first Halloween where he was actually able to participate (he was too small for a costume last year). We decided the the only appropriate costume, being as he was born on "Elvis Day" and we're here from Memphis, was Elvis. We opted for the later Elvis because Jackson has the belly to pull it off. He had a costume party at school where the kids got all hopped up on cupcakes, apple cider and sugar cookies. We didn't go trick-or-treating, but Jackson stayed in costume at home to help hand out candy.

Sun, Sand and Surf

We headed to Florida last week for a long-awaited vacation. We spend the first couple days at Cocoa Beach with Matt's parents and grandparents, then Matt and I headed to Key West with a few friends for some baby-free time. Big fun was had by all, but one of the best times was taking Jackson to the ocean for the first time. He hesitated for about half a second before running straight into the waves on Cocoa Beach. He found it hard to walk in the wet sand, and was knocked down by a few waves, but it didn't deter him in the least. He loved watching the parasailers, kites, and people fishing. I think its safe to say he shares dad and mom's love of the ocean.

Fall Fun

Fall has definitely arrived in upstate NY. After Jackson's doctor's appointment yesterday (second round flu shot) we spent the afternoon playing in the leaves. He loved the new textures and sounds...but mostly just running through the piles.

Niagara Falls

In order to make the most of this upstate NY experience, we decided to take a day trip to Niagara falls. Its only about an hour and 20 minutes away so it was easily done. We started with lunch at Hard Rock Cafe - mainly because we were starving and it was right next to our parking lot - and dined on burgers while listening to none other than Elvis over the sound system. There's a little bit of Memphis everywhere we go. Then we walked down to the falls which are situated in beautiful Niagara Park. We walked along the rapids, then headed to the observation tower for some breathtaking views. Afterwards, we rode the elevator down to the "Maid of the Mist" ship, where we donned blue ponchos were able to take a very up-close tour of the falls on both the American and Canadian sides. Matt and I loved it - Jackson fell asleep...possibly the only tourist to fall asleep less than 100 feet from one of the (if not the) largest waterfall in North America. All in all - pretty spectacular.

game day

well, we may be far removed from the tailgates, BBQ's, and house parties that accompany every college football season in the south...but that doesn't mean we forget our home team.

Jackson's Blue Period

Before you even ask, no, I'm not brave enough to turn my 1 year old son loose with blue paint. This masterpiece you see was done at school (very brave teachers). They stripped all the kids down to their skivvies and let loose with the blue paint. Suprisingly the only evidence left behind was some blue paint under his fingernails...and of course these pics :)

Fun Day at School

Jackson has transitioned very well into his new school. He's made lots of friends and I do believe he's a teacher favorite. Case in point, I went to pick him up from school yesterday and Ms. Keiyana and Ms. Ann had practiced their hairstyling skills...and mohawk baby was the result. He looked pretty awesome, I must say. Check out the pics...

A Day at the Beach

On Labor Day, we decided to take a trip on one of the local beaches (yes, there are beaches up here!). We headed out to Lake Ontario beach, where Jackson got his first taste of sand and surf. He wasted no time heading right into the water - even though it was a little chilly. He's almost mastered walking, so he had no trouble going from beach to water and back again. Afterwards, we walked down the pier and looked at all the boats out for the holiday weekend. Then we took Jackson for his first carousel ride. He absolutely loved it and there were a few tears when the ride was over. We ended the day with Strawberry frozen custard cones from Abbott's. All in all...it was a great holiday.

Leaving Memphis

Well...it was a sad, sad day. On August 3, the Dress family officially said goodbye to Southern living and left Memphis, TN and headed to Rochester, NY (the pics are from the 3 day festivities the led up to our moving day - we have great friends!!). The reason...well its not the weather! Matt was offered (and accepted) a fellowship in Hematapathology at Strong Memorial Hospital. Thankfully we'll only have to endure one upstate NY winter, and next June we'll come back down the land of everything fried, southern drawls, crawfish, college football, and sweet tea. In the meantime, Jackson has started daycare and really loves his teachers and classmates. I've also started back to work; in Memphis I worked at the Mid South Tissue Bank, and found what I did very challenging and rewarding, so I joined the team at the Rochester Eye and Tissue Bank. Today was my first day, nothing more than orientation and getting a pager (I didn't miss the pager). The people I've met so far have been great...I look forward to meeting the rest very soon.
Matt is really enjoying his time at Strong. He's meeting brilliant people and receiving great training. I think he's settled in nicely. I'm still feeling pretty homesick, especially since its such a different way of life up here. I think my starting work will help ease the discomfort of missing home by getting to meet new people. I have already planned a trip back to Memphis though (sept 24-28). A few items were left behind in the move and they are currently taking up space in our friends Dennis's upstairs. My "reason" for the trip is to get them shipped to us up here...ok, more of an excuse than a reason :). I can't wait to see everyone, ride a golfcart, and enjoy some college football on the porch. Till then...

Birthday Boy

On August 16, we celebrated Jackson's first birthday. Since we're new to this area, we kept it small (just the 3 of us). We went out to dinner, opened presents, and ate chocolate cake. Jack wasn't too sure what to do with his very own piece of cake, but after that first taste of chocolate, there was no going back. He even practiced his finger painting with the icing. All in all...it was a great family day.