Thursday, October 30, 2008

What A Smile...

Isn't that a precious smile?!?! Keziah is thrilled because she just lost her first TOP tooth!!!

She already lost two on the bottom, but this one is more fun because everyone will notice this one!!! HeeHee

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

New York City...Here We Come

Glen had an early, direct flight into New York City on Friday morning. A driver picked us up at the airport and drove us into Manhatten. We got to go through Queens on our way...Our hotel was the Marriott Marquis in the middle of Times Square. It was amazing with superb service. In the center of the hotel were the 17 elevators. When you want to use the elevator, you simply key in the floor number you wish to visit and the computer will direct you to the elevator that will take you to your destination. We never waited more than a minute for an elevator and each elevator took you to your desired floor without having to stop.

Glen asked me to marry him 17 and a half years ago in a horse and buggy after taking me to a revolving resturaunt for a very romantic dinner...This is how thoughtful and romantic my husband is...He found the ONLY revolving resturaunt in New York City and reserved a table for us right by the window for our anniversary dinner!!! He spoiled me rotten the entire time we were there!!!

This is my handsome hubby sitting at breakfast in one of the resturaunts in our hotel...The hotel hosted 4 resturaunts, 2 Starbucks, 2 gift shops and a host of different services.

This is a picture of our room...When we entered the suite, the walkin closet was on the left and the large bath was on the right. The bed was so comfy and the couch and chairs were an added treat. Glen really enjoyed the big screen TV!!! The window was our view of Times Square...It was so much fun to watch all the activity all hours of the day and night.

Our First Taste of New York

Our first taste of New York came Friday morning at 11:00 am...We checked into our hotel, unpacked, put on some walkin' shoes and headed for the subway...I was not sure I would like the subway, but it was actually a hoot!!! I could not believe how well Glen could navigate around those lines and get us to wherever we wanted to go. It was a blast being "city folks" for 4 days.

Glen did not have reservations for Friday or Friday night activities. He wanted us to have some free time to explore the lower parts of Manhatten. Our first stop was Chinatown!!

Glen likes to "get off the beaten path"...This allows us to see what New York is really like, away from all the tourist attractions.

I cannot believe how much we walked that first day. We rode the subway to Chinatown, but walked all the way through Little Italy, SoHo, and Greenwich Village. From Greenwich Village, we jumped on the subway and headed back to Times Square for dinner...We found the BEST pizza in New York City!!! YUM-O

After a fabulous dinner, Glen and I headed to the room to go to bed, but once we saw all the activity from our room, off we went to join the fun!!

Looking Out Our Hotel Window

When Glen and I met, I mentioned to him that I wanted to live in New York City, but I had never visited there...The City just always fascinated me. Over the 17 years of our marriage, we have toyed with the idea of vacationing there but never did. On our 15th wedding anniversary, Glen wanted to celebrate in New York, but we had just given birth to Azaryah and we neither one wanted to take an infant to New York. Glen has been preparing for this trip since then, but I had no idea. About 6 weeks ago, Glen surprised me with the trip. He gave me just enough information to help me plan the children's school lessons and get my clothes out and packed. Every detail of the trip was a secret and he worked very hard putting it all together...He had lots of help from friends who eagerly gave him ideas and suggestions...He even arranged childcare for the children...What a man!!!


These pictures were taken for my mother!!! She is an M&M fanatic!!! Glen and I were walking down the street on Friday evening and I looked up and saw this 3 level store right in the middle of Times Square...All the merchandise was M&M's...Too Cool

Me and My Baby in Times Square

Our hotel was smack dab in the middle of Times Square...We had a fabulous view of the Square from our window. Glen and I could not believe how many lights there are in all those signs...Of course, Glen the engineer, was busy studying all the signs and trying to guess about how many tiny bulbs made up each billboard ;-) I, on the other hand, was bouncin' around trying to see all the fun people walking around...And let me tell ya, there are ALL kinds in New York City!!! SOOO FUN!!!



This picture was well after mid-night on one of our late night adventures!!! I have not stayed out that late since I was in college!!!

Our Bus Tour

Glen arranged for us to take a bus tour throughout Upper Manhatten and into Harlem. Very cool trip and we got to see a lot of New York we probably would not have gotten to see during this trip. We have always heard that the people of New York are cold and unkind, but we have to say we NEVER experienced that. In fact, the tour bus waited for Glen to get a Starbucks!!

Trump Towers...Very elaborate on the inside.

This is the place that John Lennon was murdered.

Apollo Theatre in Harlem...The place many famous singers began their careers.

These are the Brown Stones Glen and I hoped to live in when we move to New York!! HeeHee

After the tour, Central Park, and the museums, Glen and I once again boarded the subway and made our way to Ground Zero and Wall Street.

Museums and More Museums

Saturday, Glen took us to the MET and to the Museum of Natural History. Both were nice, but our favorite was the MET...We want to take our children and my parents there some day because they are all so interested in Art. There was stunning artwork surrounding us at every turn...WOW!!!


Central Park

Glen wanted to take me through Central Park, so we started on one side and walked all the way through the park. God was gracious on Saturday because the weather called for heavy rains all day. We prayed and asked the Lord to bless us with the opportunity to see whatever we could outside before the rain began. God allowed the weather to hold off until we finished our bus tour and our walk through Central Park. It only drizzled off and on until we were in the show Saturday night. It poured during our time there and finished right before we exited the theatre!! God is so good!!!



We both LOVED Central Park...We could see our children playing there and us riding our bikes together as a family!!! Maybe one day!!!

We Walked for Hours

While we were in New York, we walked for hours each day. That is the best way to see all the things you want to see. We took pictures of us enjoying each place...

Rockerfeller Center

Madison Square Garden



By the end of each day, our feet hurt so bad and we actually had blisters...That did not stop us from going out again!!! What's a little blister anyway when you are in the Big City!?!?!

Two Broadway Shows


I had hoped that Glen would take me to one Broadway show while we were in New York. That has always been a dream of mine. Glen is so generous that he actually planned 2 shows for us!!! He did not tell me what he had planned until it was time to dress for the show. He took me to Phantom of the Opera on Saturday night and to Mama Mia on Sunday afternoon. Both were fabulous!!! Can you tell this man loves his woman?!?!

Shop Till Ya Drop!!!

Glen was so sweet to take me shopping on 5th Avenue, where he bought our anniversary gifts, and he took me through the fashion district where he blessed me with something from Macy's...

We took this picture for Keziah because she LOVES horses. We never felt scared in New York. There were police everywhere. We enjoyed walking all throughout the city both in the day and late at night...In fact, we bought some of the children's presents after mid-night!!!

Glen and I took this picture in our room before our mid-night shopping venture. We had the most wonderful service and accommodations!!

Sunday Morning Boat Ride

Sunday morning, we awoke to the most beautiful sunshine. Glen had planned to take us on a trip around the harbour so we could see New Jersey, Ellis Island, Brooklyn, the Statue of Liberty, where the World Trade Centers once stood, and the Brooklyn Bridge. We walked 10 city blocks to the harbour and boarded the boat. We had a wonderful time taking in all the sights.

The two Love Birds enjoying our time together...By the way, Ladies, the "poof" in my hair NEVER lasted more than a few minutes as we walked from the room to the lobby. Once we exited into the New York wind, there was nothing left!! HeeHee



The Statue of Liberty

Lady Liberty in all her glory...What a wonderful nation we have the privilege to live in...

Eden could not wait until we saw the Statue of Liberty. At the last moment, she asked her daddy if she come to New York with us because she had always wanted to see the Statue...Of course, Daddy told her "not this time" but he promised to take some pictures for her. We even bought her a miniture statue for her room ;-)



In the days ahead, may the Lord God continue to bless America!

More Views from the Boat

God blessed us with such a gorgeous day. Our cruise was full of interesting information from our tour guide and we also met a sweet couple, John and Katie, right before we boarded. They are from North Carolina...It was GREAT hearing our accents in the big city!!!!

These two pictures show where the World Trade Center Buildings once stood so proudly overlooking New York City. Hard to believe such a tragedy occurred on American soil.

These pictures show the Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn...Such a beautiful place.


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