Christmas Highlights of 2021!

Last day of the year and here I am scrolling through photos from Thanksgiving and remembering all the great little adventures we had. Whether it's just walking the streets of New York capturing decorative stoops to walking along a crowded fifth avenue looking at all the holiday decor. We love the city and even though we didn't get to see Santa at the Plaza that didn't stop us from getting our traditional photo. Such a special place and my how Noah has grown! I may or may not post more pics and adventures from this year in the new year but here are a few moments from the city that seemed truly magical to us! 

All Decked Out On The Upper East Side!

This year the upper east side really decked their homes with all kinds of holly, nutcrackers and candy canes! My daughter took a few photos of me and it totally reminded me of my modeling days! I just love how the residents in the city go all out for the holidays. It brings a smile to my face knowing that even in the city people take the time to make it magical by bringing out the holiday spirit through their decorations. And if you get tired of looking at me prancing around in my photos feel free to scroll on down to the end where you'll see more townhouse decked out with their finest holiday decorations! One that includes the Grinch in which you can see a video here! 

Christmas In NYC!

Living near the city certainly has it perks especially during the holidays. There are so many places where we go year after year that never gets old. No matter how many people take and post the same picture on social media, the ones I take are my own and they are for me to remember and I don't mind sharing it and documenting it. I captured quite a few photos this year that may very well make it into the blog in the new year because there are so many Christmas posts I have drafted that I want to share, but today I will share what Christmas in the city looks like. And when you have kids that tag along they make it even more magical!

The Mirrored Snowman At The Oculus!

We had a little bit of snow flurries earlier this week but to no avail. No snow for us yet! I'm sure it's coming but for now we will deal with this huge silver snowman that's on display at The Oculus. There's also a ton of winter trees where these two were strolling around as if they were hobbits! Seeing the Westfield world trade center all decked out for the holidays was a beautiful sight and walking as if you were in a winter wonderland! Without the snow of course! 

Dyker Heights Christmas Lights 2021.

 

Last week we went to the famous light displays in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn where people go all out and light up there homes! It truly is magical and whether you are four or 12 these lights will definitely light up a child's eyes! We've been coming here now for four years and this year we brought along our little guy Trent and he was in awe with all the lights. Particularly the Santa mailbox! It's a must see every year and it's free to go! Crowds weren't too bad and there are trucks where you can get hot chocolate for 5 bucks and delicious popcorn for 8! A little steep in prices but worth it! You can watch this little reel I made of the lights here too! 

A Simple Christmas!

 

Each year the gifts get less and the kids sleep in longer which means that even though they are excited for Christmas they are slowly growing out of the "waking up early-let's see what Santa left us" phase. Sure Noah still believes in Santa Claus but he also understands that Santa can't give every child in the world what there hearts desire because of 'Covid' and all and luckily I have an understanding 12 year old who doesn't ask for much and that this morning he was satisfied for what he received. And I am glad!

Visiting Santa At Bergdorf Goodman!

 

Oh my son...with his untucked shirt and all but at least he still believes in Santa Claus!And doesn't this Santa look dashing! Having his little buddy Trent tag along has also been fun for Noah and a reminder to me of hew it felt to have a toddler again. Love these boys and because I didn't get to visit Santa at all throughout my childhood (I know, terrible right?) I got to take a picture with him and believed in the magic I once missed as a kid! 

KAWS At The Skartsted Gallery.

Kaws is truly one of our favorite artists and whenever we get a notification that Kaws is in the city we run!! We recently saw the most savviest exhibit of KAWS curated at the Skartsted gallery. It was simple and quaint. Not crowded at all. The exhibit was free and we were in and out within half an hour. Noah just loves these sculptures and is always amazed at all the art we see here in the city. He's very particular when it comes to art. For example, as much as he thinks The Met is the coolest building it's not his favorite museum. When knows...maybe when he grows older he will appreciate The Met as much as I do! He loves the AMNH and anywhere where they have KAWS exhibit as well as museums with an immersive installation. We had a nice quite time gazing at these magnificent statues and paintings. Such an intelligent work of art! 

Happy Birthday Jon (no h)!

 

Per the usual, I’m so proud of this one. Today he’s 51 and he continues to smile & love each day as if it was his last. He’s the coolest dude you’ll ever meet! I Love that after long hardworking weeks he still adventures with us. He loves us hard and it shows. Cheers to accomplishing the first year in your fifties and for sticking with us! Happy birthday to you Jon (no h)! Love ya!

The Rockefeller Tree '21

This cutie made it on the Rockefeller's newsletter this month and seeing his sweet face published holding these Rockefeller tree postcards designed by artist Lisa Congdon warmed my heart. We absolutely love this city no matter how crowded it gets-especially during the holidays. We recently went to see the tree at Rockefeller and oh my gosh! The crowds were insane! I couldn't believe how cramped and crowded everyone was! I'm talking like sardines! I mean it's always crowed during the holidays cause of tourists but this even worse than pre-covid. I didn't want to be rude and push people so I gently and in a firm manner fought my way through the crowd to get a picture of this years tree. It was impossible to get the kids in a photo so I found an empty spot where you can still see the tree in the background. I quickly snapped a photo of these lovely faces before everyone and their dog saw where I was standing. Oh man, was it a crazy evening but nonetheless got some pictures to remember this New York moment! 

Holiday Train Show At The NYBG!

Tis' The Season for all things festive and because of the holidays and wanting to spend more time with my family than on the computer have lacked in publishing any posts so I am going to try to catch up and document all our little adventures we've had as of late, particularly in the city and hope that if you happen to visit new york city during the holidays that you will hop on here and get some pointers! 

One of our favorite things to do during the holidays is go to the holiday train show. Noah has been a lover of trans since birth and this year was the first time Jon went!! Noah was so excited that daddy got to see all this. They walked around patiently taking their time looking at every detail within every single sculpture. Once upon a time Jon wanted to be an architect and because of that dream was fulfilled just by looking at each piece carefully. He was amazed at all the work and creativity it took to construct these models. He was very impressed and Noah has the same dream of being an architect or an engineer when he is older. We will see what happens to that goal in the future but for now they had fun walking through the gardens and seeing all these models together. The trains have always been Noah's favorite but this year was a bit different. As he gets older he becomes more interested in looking at what these artists use to build these exquisite sculptures and was asking a ton of questions to Jon about them. I'm so glad that we were all here together getting our art fix. Love all these sculptures! 

27 Years In Marriage!

An odd number and not a milestone but to me 27 years in marriage means a lot. I mean that's almost close to 30 years so I feel that every year Jon and I make it in marriage that counts for a lot! Especially in a pandemic that is ongoing which caused so many of our friends to split up. I am grateful for the patience that my husband has for me because menopause isn't fun! Amidst all the trials and small disagreements and all the every cursing I do under my breath we continue to endure and hang on for dear life with this thing called parenting. There's truly no one else I'd rather be stuck with in marital bliss/stress on occasion than with this guy! Happy Anniversary babe! 

December Is Here!!

Here we are a week into December and only have two more weekends of it. I can't believe how quickly time flies when you're busy raising kids mixed in with stressful moments all while adding in the fun and joy and chaos that it brings! 

The Holiday season is such a short time of year and because of that there's so much we'd like to do. Especially in the tristate area. So wherever you live and whatever festivities your town has, whether big or small enjoy them. Try not to get caught up in the materialistic hustle and bustle of things. And as much as I would loooove to venture out all over creation there’s only so much time.

And for those of us who have kids, gift them with time and experiences-because before you know it they'll be young adults coming home once a year. Relish the days you have with them and take those small moments of wherever you'll be this holiday and enjoy them because I have a feeling that this Christmas is going to be different from past Christmases.

FOR EVERYONE!

And So Goes November!

And just like that...November has passed. This is truly my favorite time of year and although I LOoooove the holidays autumn is truly my favorite! The fact that Noah and I are fall babies makes the season so much beautiful. Luckily I captured fall this year in various places and I still have more content I'd like to share so you'll still be seeing fall posts in the month of December. After all, winter doesn't officially begin until the 21st so I think I will still post fall-ish things! 

These were taken in Central Park before going to the Guggenheim to see the Kandinsky exhibit which I'll post later. Walks in Central park are my favorite and if I lived here I would be here every. single. morning! It seems like fall is still hanging in there and I'm grateful that it at least lasted until Thanksgiving. We are starting to get into the feels of the holiday season and will probably get a tree sometime this week! So long November! Now for some photos...

Noah-isms // Pandemic Fall Edition.

At 12 years old Noah's vocabulary has become way too extensive for me which means I don't feel the need to continue to document it. He''s pretty much speaking like a tiny adult and still says things that are "off the wall" (I blame that on watching too many you tubers who play video games.) Not that Noah plays a lot but he does have a Roblox account and being the cool mom that I am do allow him a good enough time to be on it. (Try 1-3 hours) but at least he doesn't talk back or throw a tantrum when I tell him it's time to wrap it up. He's a good kid and I honestly couldn't ask for a more respected, kind, and funny little boy. Well, he'll always be little in my eyes but he's growing up to be the quite young man and so far the age of 12 has been treating him well! Good thing he's only a tween for a year! Let's just hope that the teens won't change him too much! Here are a few Noah-isms that I have remembered him saying as of late....

Falling Leaves - Live From Our Backyard In New Jersey!

Fall is quickly coming to an end. We have been raking the leaves in our backyard and instead of throwing them in a bag for pick up the kids put them in a pile and have leaf fights and jump in it! This moment truly reminded me of their first leaf war years ago when we first moved to Jersey. It's a good thing these are fresh leaves that have fallen off from our tree in our backyard and not from a park. It brings me so much joy to see them get along and have fun with whatever they do as siblings. They are five years apart and these three are literally "three's a crowd." If I could write a sitcom I would call it "three's company-siblings of New Jersey." Sure Noah can be a pest sometimes to these girls when they want "girl time" but for the most part they will include him in any outing whether it's going to the library, bookstore, skating, going for a walk, or to the movies. These kids are always together 95 percent of the time (except when Lexie is in college) and that makes my mama heart so happy seeing that they all get along no matter the age difference. I captured a few photos (mostly blurry) of them tossing leaves up in the air and it probably took five takes for me to get the perfect shot of them throwing the leaves up in the air, but alas I got it! When photos don't look clear and precise it's ok. It's always the blurry, random ones that are the happiest! You can watch this little reel of them on my instagram and on my TikTok here. 

Macy's 95th Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade!

The Macy's thanksgiving day parade is really fun to experience in person if you are in the city. This was the first time where we actually arrived close to 6am! We live in Jersey so the drive that early in the morning only took us about 45 minutes on the turnpike and it was so nice not having any traffic entering in! I recommend watching it down 6th avenue near radio city. Central Park west is a nice spot but in all honesty being near the park where the sun hits pictures may not look so great. So when you have a tall building like Radio City Music Hall blocking the sun you're photos will most likely won't have any sun spots and what not. But if you're not photographer and just want to sit and watch the parade then by all means you can go to any spot where the balloons will be passing!

Autumn In New Jersey!

Our neighborhood is absolutely stunning in the fall. I never knew how beautiful autumn looked until we moved to this area. There are so many fall photos I want to document and being that it's still November and that fall is still hanging on want to show off how the garden state and Mother Nature get along! 

We live near the Peddie private school and a walking trail which is soooo nice. Temps are pretty cold right now so we haven't been getting our daily walks in our neighborhood but in the beginning of fall we walked along Peddie lake and man oh man just look at all that foliage! New Jersey definitely has her moments and in the fall she is absolutely gorgeous! 

Thankful for Pumpkin Patches!

Fall continues to fly by and I'm so grateful that we were able to start the season early by going to various pumpkin patches when October hit. Now that we are nearing the end of November it's truly bittersweet to look back at the some of the photos that didn't make it to the blog until now. As the kids get older they are more independent on choosing their own pumpkins as opposed to asking me, "mom, does this one look good?" Even my adult daughter will ask me that but this time none of them asked-even Noah. He will pick one without a stem and just grab one as long as it's orange! We had such a fun time at Trauger's in Bucks county. This is the second time we've come here and their little general store is filled with goodies such as apple slushes, donuts, banana bread and all kinds of sweets! Super delicious and the pumpkin season just went by too fast! Always grateful to capture my kiddos in action as they wander around the patch just having a blast!

Autumn In Woodstock, Vermont!

Woodstock is always a must when we go to Vermont and it is still the charming quaint town that I love! I love that Noah's birthday falls around the time we come and so far we have taken a picture on these steps! I look back at this post and I can't believe how fast he's growing! 

Everything in this town is so festive and there were so many porches decked out with gourds and pumpkins! It is so beautiful here and Jon even said he'd like to retire here. It is such an aesthetic place to escape to get away from the grind of Jersey. Who knows where we will end up once retirement hits! We are still young and will continue to road trip to Vermont every fall as long as our bodies allow the 5.5 hour drive! Now for some colorful photos!

Autumn in Vermont- Part One!

Our trip to Vermont this year was so fun and the fact that we only brought Noah with us made it special being that it is still his birthday season! Brace yourselves because when one goes to Vermont-especially in the fall you just don't take a few photos. You take a gazillion photos so I may have to split this into a couple of posts. 

There are so many quaint towns within a 70 mile radius and we hit all the ones we wanted to go to. We got ice cream at our favorite place in Ludlow and went home with a couple bottles of vermont maple syrup. Jon absolutely loves it here and we hit some random spots while driving all over creation just to capture the beauty of mother nature. 

November Rain In Central Park...

Autumn in New York is like a Nora Eprhon movie. Especially in the early morning hours after it rains. Going to Central Park early in the morning on a weekday was a dream. A dream because there was hardly anyone in sight. I saw a couple of photographers with their tripods doing their thing, a couple of joggers, some dog walkers but other than that I felt like I was all by myself. Capturing every single color and falling leaf that defines this season. And as much as I love the energy and action of the city, it's nice to have some silence. And just like my place in Jersey- it's nice to have a somewhere to go to where one can sit and walk around for hours to take in the beauty of mother nature all while appreciating the places we venture out to and live. And for me...that's Central Park in the fall. I also made a little reel for viewing pleasure and you can view it here on my Instagram or here on my tiktok. And now for some photos...

Autumn in Central Park NYC!

Last week on Veterans Day we went to the city to check out the fall foliage in Central Park and one thing for sure when we got there is that New York city is not DEAD!! There were so many people out riding the carriages, artists painting pictures of the bow bridge and San Remo apartments, and I saw about five brides having their picture taken. It was great. The city felt great. The energy was amazing and it felt so good to see everyone out and about having so much fun doing their own thing. It felt like summer in the fall when everyone goes out and ventures to central park to get away and go for long walks. Central Park is the perfect place for it too! Lexie and I had so much fun getting our cardio fix and seeing various parts of central park. Oh how I love this city and all the action that takes place with it. 

Stranger Things Pop-Up Store In Times Square!

For Noah's 12th birthday we had a little celebration in Times Square where a slice of chocolate fudge  from Juniors was his "birthday cake" and then we explored the Stranger Things pop-up store. It was the coolest installation and all the merchandise they sold took me back to the 80's where I wish my kids would experience that era. They had an arcade where Noah played old school video games that reminded me of my childhood and after leaving the store and re-watching the series stranger things for the third time I feel that the kids are hooked on the 80's. The Upside Down was pretty cool too! You can watch a little video I made on Tiktok here. It was the best and cheapest gift for Noah and he had such a fun time. We also had dinner at Hard Cafe per Noah's request and it was tasty. We hadn't been since Noah was a baby so it was nice going back to a nostalgic, familiar, touristy place from when we first moved here. Such a fun evening and I wish it didn't end. 

NOAH IS 12!

TIIIME flies by so fast and this kid is already 12! TWELVE!! For a dozen years I've got to hang out with the funnest, smartest, coolest kid on the planet. There's so much more of him I can describe in which words can't make up for but this is one kid who hardly stresses me out and is the chillest dude I know. So grateful to have him in our lives and how lucky he is to have three older sisters who love on him so much. What a guy! Noah Michael, happy birthday kid. You deserve so much joy in this life because of who you are. Love you so much and always remember this moment and all the little things in between that makes life with you so interesting to live for! 

Autumn In Industry City!

 

These pictures were taken during the "Hallowdays" at Industry city where they go all out in decorating for Halloween and all things fall-ish. I love all their decorations inside and outside this place. Ever since they redid this whole section of industry city years ago it has become one of our favorite go to spots when we want to explore somewhere different other than Manhattan. I personally like venturing out to every spot in the city where my kids can explore a variety of things. This is also the perfect place for a photo op! I captured a few photos of the kids surrounded by pumpkins, haystacks, and gourds. Such a cool spot to sit after an afternoon of shopping and eating. They always have different cool art installations where the little kids (and big) can have fun. Truly a place to come when visiting New York City! Especially during the holiday months! 

Appreciating Autumn In The Garden State.

Lately I have been really appreciating the beauty of Fall in my new hood. I feel that since turning 50 I don't want to take anything for granted. Not my friends. Not my family. Not The Lord. Not my neighbors. Not mother nature. Not the place that I live. We have been so blessed to live where we live and to have the neighbors we have. To have a couple of friends at church we can rely on, and to have a loving God who is there for us to show off his beautiful creations that he has done along with mother nature! And with that Lexie and I have been going on walks in the morning and just the other day picked up Noah after a half day of school to see the carpet of leaves in our town as well as running errands where we stumbled upon a park where the fall foliage was absolutely vibrant! I captured a few photos of my boy, and he is soooooo dang happy to be November baby and that he was born in one of the most colorful months of the year. New Jersey is no New York but in the fall...she's pretty dreamy. Just take a gander.....

Phantom Of The Opera In NYC!

Three days before Halloween Lexie and I went to our first broadway show after 18 months being closed due to the pandemic and it felt sooooooooo good to be inside a live theatre again. Broadway is definitely back and so many shows have opened up and right now is the time to go cause tickets are crazy cheap! We had such a great time and Phantom was amazing! I can watch that show over and over again! I cried like a baby so bring lots and lots of tissues if you are planning to see it! And if you are curious about the requirements to attend a broadway show, you must provide proof of vaccination along with your ID, a negative covid test and yes...you need to wear your mask throughout entire show. I promise going to broadway right now is so worth it!

Dia De Los Muertos At Rockefeller Center.

Last week I stopped by the Rockefeller center where they had a gorgeous display of Syrians celebrating Dia De Los Metros and this Selena display stopped me in my tracks along with many others were Mexico week was being celebrated. What an elegant display of elegantly dressed skeleton sculptures done my Mexican artists by Menchaca studio.

Welcome November.

Halloween may be over but the crisp air, crunchy leaves, displays of pumpkins and mums on quaint porches, and scents of pumpkin spice still linger in the air. I love this time of year and November is one of my favorite months in Autumn. Particularly because it's the month of only son's birthday and I can hardly wait to celebrate him. But for now I will share this lovely display of pumpkins and mums from our trip to Woodstock. What a perfect time year to visit. I'll share more about our trip later but just wanted to welcome November with a thankful heart and hope it'll be a great month for all! 

Halloween Sunday!

Oh what a night! Had so much trick or treating with the kids tonight until my feet began to ache! Last night we had our yearly trunk or treat at our church and then we had round two tonight in our hood. It was a very energetic evening being that I had two extra kids with me all day! One for a full 48 hours but oh how fun it was to have had a toddler in my home again. Which is why I have Trent as the cover for this post. He totally reminded me of Noah at the age of four wearing this same costume! So happy to have another happy kid put it to use! It fit him perfect and Noah had so much fun having a "little brother" around the house. He wore him out but Noah didn't mind. I told him he had the same energy at that age and Noah was like, "I did??" LOL! I am just so glad these kids had a good time and since UPS doesn't deliver on Sundays it was nice having Jon around too! 

When Noah was little Jon didn't have too many halloweens off and now that Noah is getting older it's not like he cries for hid dad to take time off anymore. I know eventually I'll be the one handing out a bowl of candy at the house by myself while the kids are out halloweening but for now, as long as the kids haven't outgrown trick or treating and I have the strength to dress up and get out with them... I'll take it!

Happy Halloween Eve!

The past two weeks have been filled with all things halloween from going on walks in the city to capture  the beauty of fall mixed in with checking out the coolest halloween decor to just chilling and keeping it close to home and appreciating the garden state on how Jersey does their halloween thing. But let's face it. New Jersey is no New York and there's nothing like Halloween in the city. 

I love New York city in the fall and as it gets closer to Halloween it's become an obsession and a tradition to just venture out and check out all the art installations displayed as well as the decorated stoops. Excessive picture taking was a huge part of this adventure and I love doing it. My kids find it both exciting and exhausting but at the same time interesting to see how New Yorkers go all out for Halloween. It's been great to see some new fall decorations and some old ones that have added new decor as well. I so appreciate this time of year in the city and hope that everyone has a fun safe Halloween Eve wherever you are! 

MOOD'S Farm Market!

'Tis the season to venture out to pumpkin patches and farms! It has been at least eight years since we've been to moods farm market and when I finally had the urge to go back I nearly teared up. Mood's farm was one of the very first farms we went to when we first moved to New Jersey. Sitting at the picnic table eating apple cider donuts and drinking apple slushes while gazing toward the corn maze bought back so many memories when my girls (and boy) were babies/toddlers/teens. 

This was a place of many firsts. 

This is where we picked our first blueberry. Our first apple. Our first blackberry. Our first peach. Our first of everything. Some of the best memories were made at this little farm and I will always treasure them for the rest of my life. And today I went with one of those babies who is now a young adult! It was so nice reminiscing about our little adventures here as well as spending the day in places we hadn't been to in forever! Such a fun autumn day! 

Boo-loon Land in NYC!!

My Instagram has taken over this little blog of mine lately and in all honesty have no idea how much longer I'll keep it active. As long as I have the energy and my carpal tunnel doesn't act up I will continue to document our adventures online. So if you continue to follow and read my blog and don't have an Instagram account I'll share bits and pieces of what's been happening lately on here. 

The Halloween festivities started early for us and I am excited! I love this time of year with all things autumn and Halloween! You can make Halloween fun without having it super dark and scary. Noah and I went to party city in New York and man did they go all out for the kids when it came to candy and balloons! Noah had a bad fall, bruised and scraped his knee a couple of days before and when I heard about this balloon pop-up event had to take him to cheer him up. We didn't dress up but we had fun venturing out and the balloon set ups were amazing! So creative and we loved every minute of walking through them while Noah was trick or treating! Eating wafels and dinges afterward was Noah's highlight of the day and he didn't even think about the pain in his leg while eating it! 

Spring Time In The City!

Here I am in the middle of Autumn and barely documenting about our spring adventures in the city. I have to say that spring in New York City is my favorite and I encourage everyone to go around that time if you haven't! It is so beautiful with all the flowering trees. Especially in Central Park. Chelsea and I took a trip to Long Island City and the tulips were vibrant and perfectly blossomed. There are also so many spring installations that are now taken down but how grateful I am to have been able to witness such beauty in the spring. Here are a few photos I took in Long Island City as well as the upper west side near the American Museum of Natural History. I have sooooo many spring pictures tthat never got documented on here and I hope you enjoy. So that maybe next time you visit the city in the spring you can see how beautiful it is in hopes that you get to see it in person!

Cow Parade In NYC!

It's been over a month since Lexie's been home and I still can't believe that the past 16 months flew by. I still feel as if she's on a mission and I am doing my best to ease her back into civilization. 

The first place we went to was of course the city. She missed NYC so much and as soon as we can see the skyline from the turnpike she uttered, "it's so pretty!" She totally missed it and we are so happy to have her home. It was a perfect day and perfect timing to come here because 21 years ago we ventured out to the city for the first time and I immediately fell in love with it. I was drawn by the architecture, museums, and public art. Especially these cow sculptures which were displayed all over the city. 

AND NOW THEY’RE BACK! 

I was so excited to show Lexie and when we heard there were some at Hudson Yards we went and reenacted these pics without having her sit on the cow (not a baby anymore) lol and took a few photos standing next to one. There are so many cow sculptures and we even saw some in Brooklyn. They are all so unique and cool looking designed from various artists that include celebrities such as Neil Patrick Harris. So glad we were able to reenact these moments and look back on some old pics and to have gone to the cow parade. They are no longer on display but we hope it doesn't take another 21 years for them to return! 

L.E.A.F. Flower Show In NYC!

This past spring I went to my very first LEAF flower show in the city. I have never been to one and oh my goodness was it the best. So many flower displays everywhere from different florists and vendors. It was held at the meat packing district and it only went on throughout the weekend. So glad I didn't miss it! 

I brought Noah with me and he thought the flowers were so pretty. I will remind him that flowers bring light and joy to someones life especially when they are going through a rough patch. I also mentioned they are a nice gesture to give on occasion such as your first date and mothers day! He's always so sweet to pick flowers for me when signs of spring arrive and when we go on walks. He's 11.5 years old and he will still do that. So hopefully with all the reminders and examples we have shown him throughout his young years that he will remember to do that as he grows older. 

Now for some colorful and awesome photos from this beautiful crowded event! 

Apple Picking At Battleview Orchards!

I don't know if it's because we didn't go picking too much during the pandemic but since autumn started we've been out and about exploring farms and orchards and this week we went apple picking. We've always gone apple picking on my birthday since it's close to the first day of Autumn but since it was my 50th birthday and a very warm day to go to the orchard decided to wait until October 1st to officially begin the fall festivities. 

This year we went to Battleview Orchards which is a favorite. We like venturing out to different orchards and Noah and Lexie had a blast picking their own apples. Noah is getting older and it's so fun to watch him pick his own as opposed to me helping him decide whether they're a bad apple or not! He's becoming more and more independent as an almost 12 year old boy should be and that makes my heart happy. I have been trying to live in the moment without snapping too many pics or taking too many videos but I did do a cute little reel and you can see that on my Instagram and as usual I took a few photos. Just enough for a blog post to remember this day. 

Happy Friday & Hello October!

Felt the fall vibes way before October arrived a couple of days ago when I awoke to a morning that was misty and cold with temps in the50's. I love those overcast days. The temps get as high as 70 and even that feels nice. Lexie and I went exploring and found ourselves a quaint little farm called Delicious Orchards where their apple cider slushes are sooooo good. Add some ice cream to it and it tastes amazing. Oh, and some apple cider donuts in the mix and you have a perfect concoction of an autumn treat. So looking forward to more days like this and really hoping that these autumn days go by super slow. So let's bring on the gourds, mums, pumpkins, and all the apple cider slushes and donuts we can eat! 

The Homecoming Of Hermana Jorgensen!

I can't let the month of September go by without writing about Lexie's return from her church mission. She flew in late on a warm Tuesday night in August around 11pm and I couldn't believe how awake I was. It was so nice to have had all my crew to welcome her home including one of her dearest friends from high school. Owen is literally one of my favorites and he has always treated Lexie with respect. He was such a great sport to have waited with us so late and to have visited with us before we left. She was super excited to see him and we were super thrilled to see her. I could tell she needed mom hugs more than anything. I'm sure every missionary who returns home is so thankful to have survived and made it home to their families. Especially during a pandemic and I am extremely grateful that The Lord watched out for our daughter these past 16 months. What an amazing feeling to have her home with us and that she will be here with us until Christmas! Now that's exciting. 

Now for some welcome home photos...

Cheers To Fifty!

Today is my 50th birthday y'all! That's a half century of living on this earth! I am so grateful to be living another day. So thankful for my friends and family who constantly think of me not just on my special day but throughout the years. All the random "hello, how are you doing?" and "thinking of you" texts are always a sweet surprise. Something that we all need from time to time. Blessings to those who have such a friend and wonderful children who write the sweetest letters. Just hearing those words "happy birthday mom" come out of their mouth without having their dad remind them is music to my ears. Adding in hugs and kisses is a bonus and I'm especially grateful to have one of my children home with me all day while I celebrate. So happy to not be spending it alone. This weekend should be all about me but it never is because I just don't allow it. But I know that I will have a great time regardless of how I celebrate. With the kids at school all day and Jon working until 9 sucks but it's okay because like I mentioned, I'm glad to have at least one of my daughters spending my 50th year of my life with me today. 

Back To In-Person School!

After a whole year of being remote these two have been back in school full-time and they couldn't be more happier. As am I! As much as I loved having them home they need to be back in school in person surrounded by their peers and teachers. They learn more, pay more attention, and won't get so bored. Noah got so bored toward the end of school last year that he literally would not pay attention. There were only four remote kids and about 15 kids in person so I totally felt that his teacher was not giving enough attention to the remote kids which is why Noah was soooo bored. Luckily he passed 5th grade and is now in middle school! 

Seaglass Carousel!

When we venture out to the city we tend to do more than one thing and drive to more places than we should. No wonder we are exhausted when we come home! If we lived in the city I know things would be different and we most likely wouldn't be galavanting all over the city in one day. (Yes we would) LOL! Anyway, the day we went to Riverside park was the day the Seaglass Carousel opened up and you better believe we went. I think Jon was the most excited to ride because he's hardly ever with us when we go to the city. This is definitley one of our favorite carousels in the city to go to and we can ride it all day! So relaxing and the background music is enchanting. 

Riverside Park in the Spring of 2021.

Looking back at a few photos from spring this past year. Summer is waning down and here I am continuing to catch up on my blog in September. Riverside park has become one of our favorite hangout places. I started bringing my kids here since 2015. Once we saw Little Manhattan I knew that this park was going to become a favorite and here we are five years later still scooting around. And watching You've Got Mail in the 90's didn't help either. I have always loved that movie and told myself if we ever live near NYC I am going to that garden on 91st street. And here we are making more dreams comet true. It was a perfect spring day and the weather was perfect. I love this crew of mine and its bittersweet watching them grow up. Here are a few photos from that day....

Water Gun Fight!

 

When we moved into the "new" house the one thing the kids loved about it was the backyard. That's it. The yard. All they have wanted their young lives is to have a nice size back yard so they can run and play hide and seek, and hopefully have a hammock and a blow up pool. They have loved every minute of it and have taken advantage of it since summer solstice. 

So the first thing they asked us to buy was a slip and slide and water guns. So we bought both but they couldn't wait to set up the slip and slide and because they wanted to test the waters went old school and played with the sprinkler instead and had a water gun fight. And it was the best sight of my two youngest I have ever seen. Totally reminded me of my sister and I when were little without the water guns. 

And they are going to continue to take advantage of every hot day outside in our backyard getting wet until school resumes! 

Light Leaks In Brooklyn!

So happy to be a 70's baby and to have been raised in the 80's. This amazing immersive art installation took place in Brooklyn and it took me back to the 70's where Chelsea and I took in the sounds of listening and dancing to the background music while a ton of disco balls were glistening all throughout the room. Truly a genius creation. Light Leaks is the place to go that will take you back in time to relive the 70's. So glad they expressed their creation with disco lights and balls for 50 days! It's no longer on display but hopefully they'll come back again next year! 

Sunflower Season!

Sunflower season is blooming and being that we live in the garden state there are so many sunflower fields to go to. I discovered this beautiful sunflower field last month on my way to Freehold called Del Jardin. It truly is a hidden gem and a simple field at that. Never have I've been to a peaceful and more secluded place. If you go as soon as they open on Thursday or Friday you can find some time for yourself and take in the beauty of the flowers. Noah was photographer for that moment and he captured me pretty well I think! 

Dog Days Of Summer!

Since the end of July summer in the east has been scorching hot with heat waves and high temperatures. And August was worse with Hurricane Henri bringing in a ton of rain to New York and New Jersey which set off sweltering temps nearing 100 degrees! Luckily I'm an archaic mom and bought an old school slip and slide so the kids can play on and cool themselves off. Our little neighbor Gwen joined in on the fun and the kids had such a fun time. If you follow my Instagram I created a couple of reels of the kids slipping and sliding! So fun and you can watch them here and here! As much as I love fall weather I don't want summer to end yet. There is still so much I want to do with these kids and so little time. It's not like I can pull them out of school like I did during the pandemic for a day of relaxing and adventuring. We will try to soak in more days of summer before it ends because I can already feel the autumn breeze coming in! 

For The Beauty of The Temple.

Going to the temple even if it's to walk the temple grounds is peaceful especially in the summer time with all the colorful flowers. I don't know what heaven would be like but I can only imagine it will be surrounded by beauty and cleanliness. 

While on our trip to Palmyra we stopped by the temple and we walked all around it.The flowers that surround this small building were bright in color. We could have just sat here all day and just gazed at the sun. Pondering our heaviest thoughts and imagining what it would be like to be together forever. No matter what annoyances and disagreements we bring in a family we know that at the end of the day we can choose to overcome, find a resolve and be happy. Find joy if you will and learn from the lessons that might have been trying that day. To not stress over the little things that we have no control of. God will not judge us because He knows us. And He also wants us to see those small miracles that are waiting to happen to us. 

After a year of the temples being close due to the pandemic I am so happy that they are now open for us to attend to gain and feel that peace again. I only hope that they won't shut down again because of the surge of the delta variant virus again. And if they do, we can always just go anyway and walk the temple grounds just like we did on this day.

Peter Whitmer Farm.

Going to the Peter Whitmer farm is another great reminder of how The Church of Jesus Christ started. It was where the church was first organized and where they first held church service with like eight people. It's also nostalgic for me to go to historical log cabin homes like this and like the the Joseph Smith log home, reminds me of my childhood. Not necessarily how the house looks but the fact that it was small and simple. I love it and I love the feeling that it brings as we tour and walk around through and around it. Although these kids are all about the city they also find solace in visiting places like this.