May All Our Confetti Wishes Come True!

 

It's hard to believe that the year has pretty much come to an end. This year has certainly been an emotional one filled with highs and a zillion lows but I know this. We can be optimistic on what the new year brings and remember all the wishes that were made while writing them down on confetti paper. So thankful for this moment knowing that NYC went through so much at the beginning of the pandemic. Here's to better times in the new year and for all our wishes to come true! Thank you Times Square for making it possible for everyone all over the country to make a wish. We may not be present when the ball drops but we know that all our dreams, desires, and wish will be floating in the air in hopes that miracles and dreams will come true! Happy New Year's Eve everyone! 

Enjoying The Festive Season While It Lasts!

Living in an area where there is so much to see and do especially during the holidays is so much fun but time to see it all is not going to be on our side. Time we won't have which is fine because this year was definitely the year to simplify and to not pack so much into our holiday schedule. Luckily we live 40 minutes aways from the shore where there are tons of beaches to go to and we happened to find ourselves at Normandy beach the other day (not the one in France by the way.) There's something about going to the beach in the winter time that is so relaxing. Wearing warm clothes, and hearing the sounds of the waves with no people in sight is a wonderful thing. We came at the right time where we were completely alone and second avenue was secluded. This Christmas tree filled with seashells that people wrote wishes on was a beautiful sight and we managed to hang one up in remembrance of 2020. 

Dyker Heights Lights 2020!

This year the lights at Dyker Lights were minimum. Minimum enough where the streets weren't too crowded and instead of spending close to two hours looking at four streets filled with lights it only took us 45 minutes. The weather was perfect and it was so nice seeing some of the same homes decorated. This year we took our time waling down every street to find the most epic homes lit up and there quite a few. Here are a few favorites from this year that have always been decorated from years past and you can see our past visits at Dyker heights here and here. 

Hudson Yards At Christmas.

So here I go going a bit backwards again on this blog of mine to catch up on some of our adventures since the holiday season began. Maybe it's because of COVID and the fact that I've been getting my days mixed up or the fact that typing is becoming a bit too much for my back and wrists. Or maybe it's because I need to buy a better chair instead of sitting on this five dollar wooden one that I've had for five years. Or perhaps it's the fact that I'm just getting up there in age. As much as I love to journal and type my life on this little space on the net and take pictures my hands and wrists have become sore after a long period of typing which explains less posts a month. Nonetheless I am going to try to document the important milestones in life and the rest you can view on my Instagram page which is where I've been hanging out a lot lately. It's easier and painless because I have less typing to do! So for the time being for those that continue to take a peek in on my blog what you see is what you get!

This post will consist of the second time going to see the lights at Hudson Yards. This place is a must during the holidays and it was so "lit" that we had to go again. You can see our photos from our first visit here. 

Snow Day In Central Park!

It's been about a week and a half since we had our snow day and I can't even begin to tell you how relieving it was for all of us to let out some stress by having a snowball fight and just simply being outside. Although we live on the other side of the river, we don't have a backyard so coming to central park on a snow day sounded like the perfect solution of what has been a long and icky year! We love it here and feel like as if New York is a already a part of us. We frequent here pretty much every weekend and can't get enough of the city. There  were so many families and tons of kids sledding and building a snowman and just having a grand time. We were all social distanced which made it safe. Sure cases of the virus are increasing here, and there and everywhere in the country but at least this city has major guidelines and the majority of New Yorkers pretty much follow regulations. It's the tourists that don't! Anyway, it was nice to get out of our little apartment and come to this wonderful park that is a substitute for the backyard we don't have! Now for a few photos...

Noah's Final Year Of Primary.

I can't believe how quickly the past 11 years have flown. It seems as if he was in nursery yesterday singing and doing the hand motions to the primary songs "popcorn popping on an apricot tree, and "The wise man and the foolish man." As much as I don't want him to tower me it's so exciting to watch him spiritually grow and make decisions on his own and to choose things to do on his own motive. As he got older he didn't like singing too much at church but just informed Chelsea and I that he will join the choir once he begins middle school. He has such a nice voice and has many talents. He is excited to be in Sunday school with the "older kids" next year and to be able to pass sacrament to the congregation. My baby boy is no longer a big kid but a young man. I look forward to what the future brings for him, but for now I am enjoying all the moments I have with him on the daily. One thing for sure is that no matter how old he gets, he will always be my one and only baby boy! 

More NYC Scenes At Christmas!

As promised here are more scenes and holiday decor from my favorite city. I absolutely love this time of year and as much as we are tempted to live here it would be amazing especially since rent costs are constantly getting lower, but it's all up to Jon's job and I don't think they want to lose one of their best drivers in Jersey! Anyway here are a few more photos. There is still so much to see and do around the holidays, and after Christmas. I wrote this blog post last year and listed some of the fun places to go during Christmas. It truly is a magical city this time of year!

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas!

It's hard to get a family photo these days with our two adult children away at school on on a church mission but luckily we were all together earlier this year to take this photo before the pandemic hit. It's the most wonderful time of a crazy year that's for sure. However, I'm so grateful that 2020 ends on a high note by spreading joy, giving, kindness and love. And the highest note of all-The Christ child. We pray for peace, and major optimism that next year all or troubles will be miles away! Merriest Christmas from the Jorgensens! 

Radio City, The Rockefeller Tree, & All Things Christ-masy!

I'm telling you...New York at Christmas does not disappoint. I take way too many photos when I come here, and it has been nice coming to the city without it being so crowded. I am grateful to those who have stayed in their own state and not traveling here which makes the risk of the virus less contagious but unfortunately there will be tourists coming here which makes it unsafe for them if they don't quarantine or wear  a mask (which I've seen quite a few not wearing any already) but nonetheless we are careful when we are out and about and major social distance while taking photos. We only slide our mask down under our chin while snapping a quick pic! And here's our favorite venue Radio City. We will miss seeing the Rockettes this year but hope they will return next year to continue this tradition. 

Fifth Avenue At Christmas!

As promised here are more scenes and holiday decor from my favorite city. I absolutely love this time of year and as much as we are tempted to live here it would be amazing especially since rent costs are constantly getting lower, but it's all up to Jon's job and I don't think they want to lose one of their best drivers in Jersey! Anyway here are a few more photos. There is still so much to see and do around the holidays. I wrote this blog post last year and listed some of the fun places to go during Christmas. It truly is a magical city at Christmas!

These are scenes from fifh avenue. This year fifth avenue put up these huge toy decorations and they light up at night. Even though Noah is 11 he still found them entertaining and didn't mind getting in the pictures. After all...they are New York! 

NYC Scenes At Christmas Time!

I can't believe we are halfway through December and my writing/blogging skills have been completely lacking. The picture taking and posting it on Instagram hasn't. It has been easier for me to post on Instagram on a whim than to blog about our day. The "one line a day journal" I have also makes up for the blogging as well as writing in my regular journal which I honestly haven't written in it in a while.  I have a few more pages to fill before I start one up for 2021. I blame it on 2020. I blame it on Covid fatigue. And I feel I have every right in saying that I have 'covid fatigue' because my husband drives for UPS every day. My worries about him and his job however have somewhat diminished, but there are days when I still worry. Which is why I replace my worry with picture taking. I love taking pictures especially around the holidays. The perks about living near NYC is that I can drive in anytime and go to the best epic spots and capture a photo. It's the best and I LOVE the city around the fall and Christmas season. Since I have a ton of photos I may make a part two but this post will pretty much be all about Christmas decorations. We've been to so many epic spots that are picture worthy and I hope you enjoy looking at them on here or on my Instagram as much as I do! 

Holiday Decorations In New York City!

This past week so many ornaments have been displayed in the city. Some nostalgic that have been set up for years and some new. Our favorite decorations are the huge red ornaments near Radio City! It truly livens up the city at Christmas. And at night...oh you have to see them at night. They are so lit and bright! The huge bow displayed at Cartier, and the huge colored lights are another favorite. This year they added huge candy canes as well! Perfect for a christmas photo. We love everything about this city during the holidays which is why we keep coming back for more. 

Chelsea's Model/Photo Shoot for West 38.

One night while scrolling through Instagram I found a page where they had some of the most amazing photos of models. After carefully reading about them to make sure it was legit I decided to submit a few photos of Chelsea just for the heck of it. I honestly wasn't sure what was going to happen but then I get a phone call and sure enough Midtown models chose her to come in for a free photo shoot! So before making any appointments or decisions that weren't mine I told Chelsea what I had done and with a smile she said, "really?!?" She was excited that she had this opportunity but I reminded her that this was her choice and that if she didn't want any part of it that it would be okay. She obliged and so over Thanksgiving break we drove to the city where she literally was treated like royalty and the makeup artist and photographers were professional and agreeable.  She will be creating her own website along with her photos in hopes that she gets called in for some work! I have faith in her that she will get some work being that she has an amazing and bubbly personality adding beauty to the mix.to her 

I modeled when I was in my early 20's and it helped pay some of my student loans. I didn't get a ton of jobs but it was enough dough for two years! I am thrilled that one of my girls is following in my footsteps. And if she doesn't pursue it for very long I'm happy that she's got a great experience out of this and hopefully make some money in her future!

Shining Bright At Hudson Yards - NYC!

Can't believe December is here. In spite of Covid, and an insane election year and all the negativity it brought this year has gone by way too fast. At least for me. My daughter was telling me the other day that she can't believe this year is almost over. We are all pretty thrilled that it is and because of it being the last month of 2020 we are going to make this Christmas special and simple. Lately we have been going to the city a lot to see all that Christmas brings. There truly is nothing like Christmas in New York. I have soooooo many pictures to post but instead of writing about it on this blog I post it on my Instagram. So if you still read this blog of mine hop on over to my Instagram so y'all can catch up on what we've been up to. I feel that blogs are becoming a thing of the past so I haven't been writing as much but yet I get that writing nudge and just want to share, share, share! So for those of you who continue to read and are patient with my posts thank you! 

I'll begin with visiting the lights at Hudson Yards. Can you believe how beautiful these twinkling lights are? Apparently there are 2 million lights illuminating all of Hudson Yards. This mall has so many shops and restaurants to choose from and it's free to see the lights. This place is definitley going to be on our go to place to come to during the holidays  Such a beautiful sight! Always "shine bright!"

"Give, Love, Believe" Theme At Macy's In NYC.

Thanksgiving was very different this year. Due to the pandemic this was the first time in years that the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade was televised with no spectators. We watched it on the telly and in all honesty wasn't too thrilled with the results but we understand why. There wasn't very many balloons but the new ones that came out like Boss baby and the artist Kusama's octopus balloon was pretty cool. Still...watching it from home was making me miss it big time but we are thankful to have been present at past parades and to have been at home safe watching it on the television. We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner with all the mixings and great company. We are so thankful for the blessings we have received this year so far with being spared from covid and to be safe in the comforts of our home. The #givethanks campaign really put my life into perspective on expressing more gratitude. Really grateful that President Nelson challenged us to give thanks. It truly does wonders when you either write in your journal about all the things your thankful or expressing it online. It was the best healing gift he could offer to everyone in the world especially with all that's happening right now.

Now that Thanksgiving has past and the Christmas season is here we are looking forward to Christmas in the city. We love exploring all things Christmasy in the city and the GIVE, LOVE, BELIEVE theme for this year's Macy's holiday display is so fitting for this year. So let's continue to "Give, Love, and Believe!

The Bow Bridge In Central Park At Golden Hour.

One thing I have never witnessed during golden hour is the Bow Bridge at Central Park. A couple of weeks ago we decided to spend the day in the city and take in all of nature's gold before the rain hit and took all the leaves away. Central Park is definitely beautiful time of year and one bright thing that 2020 has brought this year is a beautiful autumn. Another bonus besides taking in all of nature's glory at the park is meeting Beth Beckman. She is a pretty big deal in New York and because of her IG page I get to find out about all the events that are happening in the city. It was a pleasure to meet her and her son and hope to get together with her soon in the near future! 

Here are a few photos from that day and you can see more on this post of me and Noah when we went on another day. We took quite a few. I'm also glad that Jon took a day off to spend time with us and that he was able to see Central Park in all her beautiful glory!

After The Autumn Rain...

Fall has been so beautiful this year and I'm so glad that it lasted as long it did. We sure did need some color this year and Mother Nature did good in bringing color into our neck of the woods. Next to summer, Fall is my favorite and the fact that I have a November baby is a plus! I love that Noah and I both share autumn with our birthdays and that we make the best of this season. After the rain last week we went to a nearby park where everything was golden. The ground looked like a carpet of leaves. It was glorious and beautiful and I captured a few photos of Noah walking and running all around the park. It was a nice time for him to be able to get out of the house after a long week of zoom school to roam around free. And he really needed to get out!

More photos below...

Carl Grimes & Princess Juanita Sanchez from The Walking Dead!

Going a bit backwards here on the blog and sharing a few pics from our Halloween this year. This Halloween, although extremely different was filled with last minute costumes, and last minute trick or treating. We were going to have a chill evening and dress up, but because the kids have had one hell of a year decided that they should go trick or treating. Chelsea wasn't going to dress up at first but at the last minute decided to be Princess Juanita from the Walking Dead and so we did some last minute shopping and she found all the pieces of her costume at Goodwill. Noah was her motivator since he was dressed as Carl Grimes from the walking dead. We went around our neighborhood first to trick or treat but to no avail. Not many neighbors were giving out candy or had candy out for kids to grab. Luckily our old neighborhood had a ton of houses who had treats already set out for kids to grab. The kids had so much fun and they came home with their bags full of candy. I am so happy that our old neighbors pulled through and made this Halloween fun for the kids. They truly deserved all the candy they got! Hoping that next year will somewhat be filled with more trick or treaters, but then again it was nice being outside with an abundance of caution all while the kids were smiling all throughout the evening while trick or treating!

Noah Turns E L E V E N!

One thing that has been helping us get through quarantine and this pandemic are the celebrations that we have within our family. Our family. Meaning just us. The four of us. Noah turned 11 today and this past weekend we had a little celebration of our own. We ate at one of Noah's favorite burger places and just had simple fun as a family. Since his birthday fell on a school day we ate his cake late and it was the simples birthday ever! It was simple and sweet and that's all he needed. Sure gifts are nice and all but in all honesty he prefers food! He received a few little gifts from family, and even had a singing birthday telegram via telephone from his Tia Maggie. The simple things are what truly matter the most and are what help us appreciate what's important in this life. One doesn't need a big party to know they are loved. One doesn't need many presents to feel secure. All one needs on their special day of birth is lots of love, and munchkins from Dunkin Donuts! Happy birthday chulo!

More photos below>>>

Happy Halloween!

Halloween season this month has definitely been different this year and here's hoping that whatever plans you have that it is filled with fun, and laughter. Whether your keeping your distance and staying home watching scary movies, and answering the door to give trick or treaters a treat I hope it'll be a good memory.

Here's a young "Carl Grimes" going on a scavenger hunt-trick or treating at the shops at Hudson yards. It was a fun adventure and we were able to do this with an abundance of caution. Our kids still want to go out for a bit tonight so we will keep our distance while we're out and about. Although it doesn't feel like Halloween we will make it fun for our children, and I hope y'all do the same too. They deserve all the treats! 

Here's a little scary video to end this post! Happy Halloween everyone! 

King Kong In Brooklyn.

Noah is a huge fan of King Kong and whoever installed this gorilla prop is pure genius. And the fact that they added a mask to it is doubly cool! It truly is the coolest halloween decoration ever! The drive to Brooklyn was worth it. I sure do love how New York goes all out for Halloween. Even in Brooklyn. I love this small island and how big they go out to make it fun for everyone. Especially the kids. This year has definitely been a rough one and to see New Yorkers adding spooky fun, and joy this Halloween warms my heart and I'm sure the kids get a thrill out of it too! So looking forward to Halloween! 

Halloween Week In The City!

 

It's Halloween week and all month we have been venturing out to see all the creepy displays in the city. October is my favorite month and as long as we live on this side of Jersey you better be believe that we will make numerous trips just to see the Halloween decor and there are so many brownstones and blocks that are filled with all things spooky! Last year we went to a few homes and I posted most of them on my Instagram, but the more I see more of these amazing displays online the more I want to venture out and take the kids to see how creative New Yorkers get with Halloween. The fact that we have no backyard or even a small space to majorly decorate (thanks to our landlord being our neighbor) we get our Halloween fix by going to some of the best spots in the city to capture these amazing creepy creatures! This amazing home which I call 'the Addams Family' is located on 10th and photo is located 10th e. 67th st. Most of these decorated homes are located on the Upper west side. 

Here are more halloween decorated photos below with the locations if ever you're in the neighborhood!

The Pumpkin Arch At Pier 17 In NYC.

Happy National pumpkin day! This pumpkin arch is the best thing that has come to Pier 17. We found out about it last year and captured a few photos and when we heard they had it up again had to come back for more. It's a picture perfect moment to make memories and it's even dreamier at sunset with the lights lit. It truly is a beautiful display of pumpkins so if you need a pumpkin fix this is the place to go but you better hurry because it's only up until October 31st. 

More photos below....

Pumpkins Galore In Industry City!

Love the way New York decorates for fall in every part of the city and while we went to explore more of Industry City found ourselves surrounded by this gord-geous pumpkin installation! Since Noah's birthday is in the fall decided to capture some momma and son photos and I think they came out pretty sweet. This boy is growing up too darn fast, and there are days I look back at his baby/toddler photos and think, "how the heck is this kid going to be 11?" I always have a blast with this kid and there is nothing else I'd rather do than to enjoy these simple moments with him and take in all that this city has to give! More photos below...

Mini-Golf In Industry City!

Going a bit backwards here on the blog and writing about some of the things we did in early fall and because we love mini golf had to document this so the kids can look back and say, "hey, I remember that day! That was sooooo fun." The kids developed a love for mini golf over the summer and when we went to the Industry city last month around my birthday we happened to stumble upon a pop-up mini golf course in so after we had Burger Joint we paid the 5 buck deposit and played a couple of rounds and had an absolute fun time! The theme of this pop-up mini golf course was of course "New York" so I captured a few photos of the kids golfing and had to capture a picture of Noah's favorite installation of King Kong atop the Empire State building. 

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

For family night this past Monday we had tickets to go to the Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze and it did not disappoint! This was our first time going and to be honest don't know why I never bothered taking all the kids when they were younger and living at home. Well, once Sierra and Lexie are home for a visit we will definitely take them there. There are over 7,000 carved pumpkins displayed. From The Statue of Liberty, to the headless horseman. A unicorn, carousel, dragon, dinosaurs, sunflowers, and a graveyard to name a few. There are sooooo many pumpkins that are tastefully displayed in this blaze and it is definitely worth the price. It was a perfect beginning to start the witchy season. I love how New York does Halloween! You can see a little snippet of it on my tiktok here. More photos below...

Happy October!!!

I can't believe October has arrived! These photos were taken last year in the upper west side of Manhattan. We love coming here during October to see all the decorations in this neighborhood. I'm hoping that the residents of this location will decorate their stoop again. It's soooo aesthetic and since halloween is not cancelled in new york here's hoping that the UWS will go to town and spook up their stoops! Here's hoping for a fun month of tricks and treats wherever you live and that this pandemic won't ruin Halloween! 

Indian Summer In September.

For a while it felt like summer didn't  want to leave us and then the temps went down to the 60's and then last weekend they went back up to the 80's. Although it's autumn it totally felt like summer again and so we ventured out to Long Beach Island. If we had our bathing suits we would have gone to the beach and played in the water! This was truly an Indian summer and so we took advantage of the weather and walked barefoot on the sand, and the sun shine down on our face. Lighthouses are my thing and this is one of my favorites. It's sooooo tall and the location is perfect. We've come here many times to have picnics or just walk along the visitors trail. It wasn't crowded and the weather was perfect. I had fun taking pictures and hearing the sound of the waves. These kids just informed me today that they are total beach babies. They absolutely love the ocean! No matter the weather we will come here just to take in the sounds of the ocean and to capture this lighthouse in all it's beauty! 

Apple Picking On The First Week Of Fall.

When September rolls around particularly on or around my birthday we go apple picking. It is the best part of the beginning of fall and other holiday traditions. This time we were super lucky to have had a wagon all to ourselves. There was no one else on it and so off to the orchard we went to go pick some apples. I have to admit it was odd having the wagon and orchard all to ourselves. Truly makes you miss people. This pandemic has people changing on all different levels and on our way back from picking we had to stop to pick up 12 people who were picking pumpkins. It was nice seeing other people on the wagon, but they were all distanced from each other which is safe, but it's nice when someone smiles underneath their mask or nods their head. Although it was nice having the wagon and orchard to ourselves the sounds of other children laughing and parents helping their kids pick apples is a sight to see. Something I don't do anymore with my kids since they are too big too carry! It was unusually weird to have the orchard to ourselves but it was nice and we had fun. One good thing is that no one was able to hear me yell at my kid for throwing apples like they are a baseball. Every time Noah would pick a bad apple he'd throw it as if he was Derek Jeter. LOL! Good thing there was no one around for them to hear me yell like a crazy mom! Now for some happy pics!

49 Septembers!

Turned 49 today and it honestly felt a little off. Maybe it's because we are still living in the middle of a pandemic or maybe it's the fact that it's my last year in my 40's! Yikes! Nonetheless, my family made my birthday pretty special and because it fell on a school night celebrated it with pure simplicity. Although Jon worked we managed to have dinner at a decent time in the evening. My two oldest daughters including Lexie who is serving a church mission in Arizona called me today. Those phone calls totally made my day. Chelsea, who in all honesty hasn't written me a handwritten letter since like the 4th grade made, and wrote me the most brutal and loveliest letter! I laughed because she's so much like me, and I even got a bit teary-eyed reading it. I can't even imagine growing up in her era right now which makes me all the more grateful that I am living in a generation today where I can pretty much handle my own and teach my kids to be fearless, yet kind. Noah who is such a sweetheart has been so tired lately with having seven zoom classes a day and although he knew my birthday was today sort of forgot, but then after hinting to him that today is a special day he remembered! Crazy kid! 

A Farewell To The Summer Of 2020.

Although the summer of 2020 was not what we were expecting and just downright bizarre, I'm still a bit sad to see it go. But we made it work. We made it to the woods in Maine, and to the beaches of New England. We made it to the Jersey shore and spent simple moments outdoors as a family. We made it to the drive in theater and made numerous trips in the city that was once the epic center of the virus. Spent time in Dumbo and ate ice cream, shake shack, and Juliana's pizza. And the times we went the lines weren't long! Such meaningful and wonderful moments that will be etched in my mind for always. I do look forward to fall and hope for the best this season, but in some weird way summer of 2020 will always be remembered. Always. 

Here are a few photos from a bit of summer spent in one of my favorite spots in Brooklyn. They had a really cool installation in Brooklyn bridge park which is a reverberation bell which indicates that by pulling it summer is ending. 

A Day On The Upper West Side.

There's something about this city that even in a pandemic gives you the urge to go. Even before the numbers of Covid decreased we'd venture out to the city to sneak a peek at what it was like to be in an empty, quiet city. In spite of everything that this wonderful city has gone through she always manages to pick herself up and thrive. I don't think she'll ever run out of energy. Ever. NYC is a lot like me and I can relate to her. We have both been beaten up and talked about but yet never willing to give up. She's tough and strong and fearless. And this is why I keep coming back. The example I set for my kids is to be strong. No matter our weaknesses and the things that can bring us down I remind them to find ways to survive and thrive. Lift yourself up and never give up. I love this city and the more we come here the more my kids love it. They even wish we lived here. Even though its a lot less to rent an apartment in the city we love the fact that we are her neighbor. Maybe someday. But for now we'll continue to take the ferry into the city or drive and explore our New York. We love her and we will never stop! As long as we live close to her it's either New York or nowhere! 

Here are a few photos from another day in the city....

A Flower Flash In Remembrance of 9/11.

Often times I'll go walking in the city and spot what you call a flower flash. Now mind you I never knew about these because I wasn't aware of the person behind such a brilliant and unique idea of displaying flowers in NYC, but when I finally started following Lewis Miller Design on Instagram is when I get the beets on when and where they were displayed. His recent flower flashed was made on behalf of those who lost their lives on 9/11. His kindness and thoughtfulness in expressing his love and gratitude for those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 is admirable and contagious. I love that he does this no matter what day it is. And sometimes he just displays flower flashes randomly just because. To see flowers on display like this in the city is something I would love to take home! So happy to see these flower flashes on fifth avenue. They truly are inspiring and can truly uplift someone and bring sunshine on their dark days! Particularly our heroes families who died on September 11th.

9/11 Remembered.

 

Such a powerful mural by Kobra street art which is located in New York city. 19 years later and this day will always be remembered. We will never forget the 343 brave firefighters who sacrificed their lives on September 11. This day changed countless families, our nation, and the course of history forever. We must stand with those who have secured our freedoms at home and abroad. To love God and one another. And continually pray for our leaders of this nation. 

This mural is painted in honor of our firefighters and it was a very teachable moment for Noah. Although he knows what happened in 2001years before he was born it's a great reminder for me as well to remember and never forget what happened here. God bless the 343 firefighters and their families. 

Art Omi In Ghent, New York!

The more we hear all about the great things that New York has to offer the more we love it!! We heard about this huge art sculpture park out in the Catskills and we made a day trip of it and spent the entire afternoon here. It was the best. It was unique. And best of all...it was FREE! The visitors center was closed but all the sculptures are outdoors. They are all spread apart so social distancing was on point. We thought that Grounds for Sculpture was huge, but Art Omi covers more ground! It's also one of the biggest art parks I've been to so far so make sure you wear comfortable shoes cause you'll be doing a lot of walking. We covered most of the park and it took us about 3 hours. We walked at least 100 acres of it and boy were our feet tired! This was a perfect place for Noah to roam around freely without bumping into anyone. Poor kid needed to go outside more. Here's hoping for more outdoor trips especially when "homeschooling" begins! 

Now for some really cool art sculptures! I only captured a few in photos of some of my favorites. And you can see some videos of the house sculptures here and here!

Maine In The Summer Of 2020.

Our summer vacations this year were absolutely nothing that we thought. Due to the 14-day quarantine requirements we decided to stay close to home and explore more of New England. Specifically Maine. We spent a few days in Nantucket in July and this month headed to the outskirts of Maine. There is so much to do in this part of the world and as much as I wanted to visit my mom and niece in Texas and sister in Florida those states are swarming with corona and with school starting soon didn't want to have us cooped up in the house for another quarantine. Going to Maine was the perfect getaway for us. The outdoors is something that we love and being that Jon is an eagle scout was excited to have gone to the LL Bean wilderness camp with Noah. It was really a cool camp and wish the boys would have stayed here forever. Chelsea was jealous and wishes that girls camp was held here. Or that we just lived here period! That could possibly be arranged but we drove everywhere from Portland to York to Freeport where the famous LL Bean boot resides. We shopped till we dropped, ate lobster rolls, and lots of ice cream and with an abundance of caution distanced ourselves from others. It was a nice little get away. Because I captured so many moments you can view many images on my Instagram. Here are a few photos from our trip....

Belmar Beach In The Summer Of 2020.

Going to the beach twice last week was a blast but I gotta tell you that Saturdays are not the best time to go. Especially in the middle of a pandemic. Although the beach was pretty crowded we were lucky to have found ourselves a spot within a distance and managed to be in our little bubble. 

Chelsea's long time friend Amiyah has been staying with us for a few days and hadn't gone to the beach all summer! I can tell she was longing to go and so we braved the crowds on the busiest and sunniest day of the week and brought her. We probably broke all kinds of rules when it comes to socializing but luckily for us we stay to ourselves when we've ventured out and Amiyah and her family haven't really gone anywhere in months so I think we're good. But both she and Chelsea needed girl time and it was nice for Noah to have someone to play with other than his sister! We all had so much fun on this day and hope to squeeze in another beach day before school starts but for now here are a few photos from the beach! 

A Day Trip To D.C.

Since school trips were canceled this year due to Covid we decided to do our own "homeschooling" trips so a couple of weeks ago we decided to take a day trip to Washington D.C. to see the sights. We have been bringing the kids here since we moved to the east and yet these pieces of history never get old. We love coming here to refresh our minds of what our forefathers have done for us as well as remembering all the troops from long ago who died fighting for our freedom. It's nice to continue to bring the kids here no matter how old and "bored" they get. We have come here in the past to see the Martin Luther King memorial and many other sights. There is so much to do and see here. It's good to continue to bring the kids here so that they can appreciate this place. The national zoo is another place we love going too and the fact that it's free is a bonus! In case you plan on going you have to reserve tickets in advance. We truly are fortunate to live three hours away from the nations capitol. Hope we can continue to make more day trips here! 

Now for a few photos...

Beach Scenes From Long Beach Island.

The beaches in the summer of 2020. 

As summer began the beaches became more and more crowded which means we didn't go as much this year. A tad bit sad, but as much as we would love to go to the beach two to three times a week we just didn't do it this summer. We are however gracious enough to have been able to have gone a couple of times, and when we did the kids always have a blast. We did go twice to two different beaches this past week and it was awesome. Although I posted a few pics and a little vid of the sound of the ocean I also wanted to write a little bit about it. We usually go to Bel Mar beach but Long Beach Island is another fun beach to go to. We went to Long beach Island on a weekday which means not too many people so it was nice. I captured some moments of the kids and Chelsea wanted to take some photos of me. She said that I'm hardly in any of the photos and so this time she wanted me to get a taste of what it feels like to have your picture taken! LOL! 

Lexie Lately: A Farewell To Her First Missionary Companion & How 'Change' Blesses Her Life On Her Mission.

She reminded her of her younger sister Chelsea which is why they got along so well. Yeah, like literal sisters. They each had their own different views but somehow got along. They leaned and learned a lot from each other even when times got hard because isn't that how people...particularly church missionaries spiritually grow? Together. Discussing about who their teaching and sharing the gospel to. Creating. Finding ways to reach out to others in a pandemic especially when they are still quarantined in Arizona. But life goes on, and transfers come. Missionary companions will come and go. Investigators who are interested in the church will also come and go, or stay. And then a new missionary arrives and it starts all over again. Growing and learning something new from each missionary. And perhaps even investigators. Being teachable to every one they meet. Lexie continues to love her mission in spite of change. She knows this is what it's all about and how she sees change as a blessing.

Hermana Cook seemed kind and I for one was glad to have met her via Facebook when I would talk to Lexie. She even wrote me a letter! She was a pretty good first companion but her time has come to transfer and for Lexie to have a new sister! Farewell Hermana Cook! 

More photos below:

Deep Cut Gardens.

Another simple summer moment was going for a walk inside the Deep Cut Gardens pretending we were in a scene from Edward Scissorhands. I recorded a little vid of it here. This is our second time coming here and it truly is breathtaking. It's a perfect garden and there is so much to explore outside the garden. There are small trails and on this clear evening Noah even managed to chase fireflies. We came late in the evening which made it perfect with social distancing and less crowds. We practically had the whole place to ourselves. Loved every minute of this evening with my small crew. I also feel that the blurriest photos have the best moments...don't ya think? 

A Simple Summer Moment in 2020....

This summer by far has been a pretty rough one. Sure I've posted many pictures on my Instagram about our adventures and how much fun we've had during the pandemic but there are days when I've been downright down. And the days when we venture outside are by far the happiest. Doing things with my family outdoors has been the best. Especially on the weekends when Jon is off from work. His job hasn't been the easiest and he has been dead tired most days working soooooooo many hours including Saturdays so this past week when he had some time off we took it easy for the first few days and chilled close to home. This man's feet have been seriously overworked to the point where he got gout, but nonetheless those magic little pills that the doctor prescribed did the trick and managed to go outside and play a little frisbee with his offspring. This was a simple moment in the history of 2020. Being in our own town. Our neighboring park. Being old school with a frisbee and family. And this is what makes those simple moments of summer meaningful and memorable.

August With Taylor Swifts 'Folklore' Album.

When Chelsea asked if she can somehow reenact Taylors Swifts aesthetic photos from her new album "Folklore" and mock them somehow I obliged. I know that the past six months has been hard on Chelsea with not seeing any of her friends and finishing the school year via online. We all have our own ways of finding solace and relieving stress throughout this pandemic and for Chelsea, listening to Taylor Swift puts her at ease. She has been a huge fan of hers since she was seven and has been listening to her newest album non stop since she released it and it has been a life saver for her. Every story behind each song is beautifully written and it's so nice to know that being isolated doesn't have to be a negative thing for it truly can bring inspiration to some. It sure did for Taylor when she wrote the songs to this album. It was so fun doing this little photo shoot with Chelsea. She only pricked herself a few times on a thorn bush but nonetheless she was happy being around nature and on this day she truly was a different child. Calm, joyful. Wild, but so innocent. Free. My daughter, frolicking, wry, and shimmering in every way. Thank you Ms. Swift, for uplifting my baby girl with your raw music! 

Spiritual Thought.

Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ not only share the gospel online or in person. They also make time to physically serve others and in these days it’s sooooo needed. Serving others in these days has helped me cope throughout the pandemic. Not only is it therapeutic, but I find that when I serve others I tend to focus on them instead of myself. It is so true that when you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God. And one can truly find joy when they serve and help others.

**Pictured is my cute daughter and her companion Hermana Cook who are currently serving in The Arizona Tempe mission.