Peter Whitmer Farm & Palmyra Temple: Summer 2020

Such a peaceful trip this was being isolated from people. Not that we don't mind crowds but this trip was completely different. Empty parking lots. Empty temple grounds. No cars. I didn't see the need to wear our masks throughout our time in Palmyra while looking at the sites. Although we are used to wearing them the entire time I have to be honest. It was nice not wearing them being that the temps were in the 90's. Sure it cools down in the late afternoon but during the day it was pretty hot. I captured a few moments with the kids at the temple and Noah roaming free around this reconstructed log house at the Peter Whitmer farm. He had the time of his life being that there were no tours going on. He just ran amuck like a little pioneer kid from the 1800's picking up sticks and rocks. It was simplicity at its best and I loved every minute of this trip. If we could only live simply like the pioneers did back in the day. How nice it would be!

Hill Cumorah & The Sacred Grove: Summer In Palmyra 2020

The Hill Cumorah pageant may have been cancelled this year due to Covid-19 but tradition is tradition and we still made the trip up here. We absolutely love this place with or without crowds and as you can see by the photos on the hill cumorah there was like zero people! This was definitely the place for social distancing and to take in the peace and joy that these historical sites give. I am so glad we made the 4.5 hour drive up year. It is soooooo worth the drive to feel all the vibes that these places give especially in their 200th year! What a blessing it is to be here and to continue this tradition with our two youngest children who on their own motive love to come here. I honestly think they enjoy this trip  because we always grab some lunch at Mark's pizzeria and eat dinner at Tom Wahl's burgers. Oh, and staying at The Palmyra Inn is always their favorite part of this trip! I captured a few photos atop from the hill cumorah as well as the The Sacred Grove. We probably saw five people which were all missionaries from the church in the grove but it was so nice to have some major quiet time to ponder all that happened here 200 years ago! Such special places! 

Lucy The Elephant!

The first time we met Lucy was in 2011. We had only been living in Jersey for a couple of years and wanted to explore every part of the Jersey shore. She is a national landmark and she recently celebrated her 139th birthday! She truly is an old iconic gal! The kids and I have been wondering about seeing her again and since we love this part of the Jersey shore took the time to drive out and see her while getting some sun and having fun in the ocean. It literally was a hawwwwwtttt day which meant that there were hardly any crowds which made social distancing easier. Tours are open and they last about 45 minutes. We were lucky to have been in a group with about five other people. I have so many wonderful memories of when we all came here for the first time as a family. It was nostalgic and wonderful and loved every minute of being here even in 98 degree weather! 

Here are a few photos of Lucy and some from the edge of the ocean! 

Simple Summer Moments In Brooklyn.

Our love for the city continues to grow especially in Dumbo and after being away from her for three weeks we couldn't stay away. Especially during the summer. Oh summer in the city. No matter how sticky our clothes get on our backs while wearing masks in 98 degree weather doesn't seem to bother us anymore. And we don't mind. We don't mind because we know this is how New York is healing. We don't mind because we know it's what saved thousands of people including us. We know it's what's going to continue to keep us safe. She is thriving under the sun trying hard to breath with us. She may never be the same again. Ever. But I know that she is slowly surging just like the New Yorkers that surround her. 

Spending the day in Brooklyn with the kids yesterday was the best. Everything about that day was meant to be. Ice cream cones and root beer floats. Facetiming with Lexie whilst sitting on a bench at Brooklyn Bridge park where she can see the views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. And although it brought a little bit of homesickness to her face she was happy. Happy that we continue to thrive as humans just as New York does. Happy that nothing stops us from coming to the city and doing the things we love. Happy because she sees us filled with joy and seeing Noah being the typical little bro that he is always brings a smile to her face. And she laughs. We are so happy for these simple moments that we had all while keeping our distance and being safe. Summers in Dumbo is all we need to keep these kids smiling. 

Even while wearing a mask....

Lexie Lately: 4th Of July Weekend!

Talking to Lexie twice a week feels like as if she's still in college and the weeks without her continue to fly by.  I miss her presence in our home but technology is a miracle and a blessing and we absolute enjoy hearing about her week and the weekend on Mondays. We recently talked about the 4th of July and how she celebrated the holiday in Arizona. One thing for sure is that she is the life of a "missionary party." Her photos literally brighten my Monday's when she emails them. You're missing out on her musings which sometimes have grammatical errors but blame that on typing it from her smartphone and the fact that she wants to type in spanish instead of English.  Ha Ha! She probably takes after me in that department! Luckily I get the gist of her emails and they are wonderfully written. 

No matter what her days bring she truly relies on hope and faith in God. In her email last week she mentioned how neighboring communities go all out for the fourth and how united all the missionaries are in her district. She has more ups and fun with her sisters than lows. Even when things don't go as planned after one has lost interest or is not ready in the Lord's gospel her faith is unwavering and she continues to stand tall and love her mission more and more...and she is humbled.

Vanderbilt Mansions: The Breakers In Newport!

On our way home from our trip to Nantucket we decided to take the kids to see the Vanderbilt mansions and walk along the cliff walk in Newport. The last time we came here was when we had all four kids and that was in 2013! Chelsea was nearly eight years and my oldest was a senior in high school! It doesn't seem that long ago, but looking at these photos from this post and the ones we took of the kids now is proof that time does fly! And fast! It was a beautiful sunny day and wish I could have spent the night on the lawn outside The Breakers mansion! I only took a few photos of the rooms that caught my eye and because I wanted to just re-read and re-learn everything about this mansion focused on just that and so did the kids. We love history and old mansions and this is a perfect place to come as a family. All the rooms were interesting to read about. Noah's favorite place was the piano room. Chelseas was the bedroom with the pink floral wallpaper. Mine was the library room and you can see a little snippet of that room here on my TikTok. And of course- Jon's was the kitchen that was filled with copper pots! More photos below!

Father's Day Appreciation Post In July.

I know it's been a few weeks since fathers day passed because of I know it's been a few weeks since fathers day passed but couldn't let my days go on without writing a little something about Jon. My father left when I was five which is why I never really write about him or hardly share anything about him. Last time I shared something about him was in this post and writing about that has helped me cope with the fact that he wasn't in my life. With that being out in the open we are so lucky to have this great guy who likes to have his picture taken and I love writing about him! Even after working 14 hr shifts, six days a week for the past two months he is always willing to take us to the places we love. Jon, thank you for staying and for working hard for our family. Thank you for always being there for us even when you're physically not (life of a city UPS driver). You truly are the perfect example of what a dad should be. Here's to more Father's Days like this with kids who are willing to do anything for you. You truly are a super hardworking dad!

A Ferry Ride From Hyannis Port To Nantucket!

For those who may be wondering how we got to Nantucket Island there are several ports to leave from but we actually took the cheaper route. Even though we live in Jersey we stayed overnight in a hotel in Massachusetts and then drove to Hyannis port to catch the earliest ferry. It's about an hour and a half ride to the island, but if you bring a book or something to occupy yourself the ride goes by pretty quick. There is a more pricey route to take which avoids cape cod traffic and gets you there within an hour which is Seastreak but because of the prices we were like...NO! We had the best time riding the ferry and Noah got to see some boats and even got to wave to a few boaters passing by. Riding the ferry was half the fun of this trip and we would love to do it again off season. I wonder how Nantucket is like in the fall and winter months! Here are a few photos from the ferry ride...

Our Fourth of July Weekend In Nantucket!

Our fourth of July was a bit different this year. We usually explore historical places but his year we kept it low key. With the parades and fireworks being canceled we decided to make our own fun and decided to spend a couple of days in Nantucket. It was the perfect getaway for our family. Everyone needs a getaway from the place they live. Even it's your hometown or a place you've been living in for the past 13 years everyone needs to getaway. And that's exactly what we did over the 4th. Although Summer will definitely be different this year for everyone because of the pandemic we have come to terms that if we go anywhere we will do so with an abundance of caution and WEAR OUR MASKS! Cause for some of us we need that getaway. Jon has been working 14 hour shifts six days a week for the past two months and let me tell ya, he really needed this little vacay. He's hoping the deliveries will die down soon from 450+ packages a day to the minimum which is usually about 250. He works his tail off and I'm just so happy that we got to spend some of our days in Nantucket. It truly is a magical place and absolutely loved it here. To tell you the truth I came here to see the Brant Point lighthouse and all the hydrangeas in bloom and man they are everywhere! It is my favorite flower and I definitely had fun taking pictures of everything and everyone! I even did another little video on TikTok.  Here are a few highlights from our weekend...

Noah-isms: Masked In Massachusetts.

It's been a long while since I've shared any "Noah-isms" and there have been quite a few in the past year!!! I keep mentioning how I won't be jotting them down but there are moments when Noah says something off the wall or seriously funny that I have to remember to write them down. Since the pandemic started he has seriously said some crazy things, and this past week told us the cutest joke while we were in Nantucket. I'll blog more about our adventure next time but for now I'll post a few photos of Noah and will begin with the joke he said. He has become used to wearing masks as we should and I'm so grateful that he doesn't' complain in wearing it and understands that wearing it will not only save his life, but others as well. Here is his latest joke.....

A Little Hydrangea Photo Shoot!

The first time I noticed hydrangea flowers were at my brother in laws wedding and they truly were the most beautiful flower I'd ever seen. So you can imagine the look on my face when the time came for us to move to the east how excited I was knowing that I would be able to plant these! I longed to see hydrangeas because they don't grow out west. It has become my favorite flower and every year I look forward to summers when they are in bloom and by golly they are the most vibrant beautiful flower! I have some that grow in the back of my apartment but they are not as colorful as the ones in these photos. So when we went to the beach last week we decided to go for a walk along the neighborhood to capture some in all their glory and even did a little video on my TikTok. And they are soooooo gorgeous!

I had some lovely "models" too and had so much fun capturing these moments! 

Beach Day & Happy July!

As I look back at time it amazes me that we are already in July! There are days I feel like we are still set in March or April but when I wake up and the sun is shining and see more cars on the road I know that those months are long gone and that as a family and universe we are striving to move on and look forward with hope. The pandemic is very much alive and ongoing but as long as we are careful and remember the important things to do in order to stay healthy and alive, the more we can find joy around this virus. So with all that has been going on with Jon working 14 hour days six days a week for the past two months he finally has time off from work!! The kids couldn't be more happier and yesterday we ventured out to the shore for some fun in the sun and I think they got a little too much of that! One thing for sure, as an essential worker Jon sure needed this! 

More fun pics below and a little tiktok of my youngest offspring enjoying this beautiful place on earth...