Peace, Love, & Happiness Installation.

Here's hoping that the month of February treated y'all well and that y'all felt so much love this month than ever before. In spite of all the snow we got in the east and all over the country (71 percent of it!) I hope that everyone survived and endured the unusual freezing temps (especially in Texas.) I wish y'all more peace, love, and happiness in your future and in your lives. I hope that the next 10 months will bring more blissful moments. I hope that spring will come faster that we expected. I hope that each day we wake up we will have a good attitude and have positive days. I hope that your days are bright as all the snow we had. I hope that the worries of the world will be less on your shoulders. I hope that no matter where you are or where you live that you will find joy in all that you do, and with all that you see. 

**Peace, Love, and Happiness art installation is located at Pier 17. More photos below, and if you look at the last photo it's even more beautiful in the evening when it's overlooking the Brooklyn bridge.

Ice Castles In New Hampshire!

Late in January we had the opportunity to explore one of the coolest winter attractions in New Hampshire- Ice Castles. It is a huge phenomenon that literally brings winter fairy tales to life. Especially after watching Frozen 1 & 2 like a gazillion times. The kids LOVE those movies and sure enough when we came here they were expecting it to be frozen and not only was everything frozen but we came on one of the coldest days of the year! 20 degree weather that felt like -11 degrees! We still had the best time walking around exploring and finding all the holes that one could squeeze themselves into. You're not allowed to do that so luckily they had extra amenities such as slides, fountains, snow tubing and horse drawn sleigh rides. It truly was an epic experience that we will never forget and the kids didn't even care that their feet were numb by the end of our adventure. They will do it again in a heartbeat so you better believe we will be coming again next year! There are at least 30 photos on this post so I hope you get to the end of it and you can watch a little video of us snow tubing here. 

Empty Sky.

 

It was a sunday morning on February 7th when we got a notification that in person church was cancelled due to the snow. Jon and I were like, "well... it's not that bad but hey, if church is cancelled the we'll watch it on zoom and then go for a drive later in which we did. The snow doesn't bother us and in all honesty it wasn't that bad. We have been through worst snowstorms than this and thank goodness for having a UPS driver who knows how to maneuver through it all! We just meant to go for a short drive and then ended up at Liberty state park where the Empty sky memorial is. I'd never been here and was so happy that we stumbled upon it! There were no crowds. Just us and the snow quietly falling from the sky. It was so beautiful that the cold didn't bother us. I captured this shot of Noah walking through the monument and then we quickly read the words that are engraved on the Empty Sky...

"On the morning of September 11th, 2001, with the skies so clear that the Twin Towers across the river appeared to be within reach, the very essence of what our country stands for – freedom, tolerance and the pursuit of happiness – was attacked. This memorial is dedicated to New Jersey’s 749 innocent loved ones who were violently and senselessly murdered that day at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, PA. Let this memorial reflect the legacies of those whose lives were lost, that their unfulfilled dreams and hopes may result in a better future for society. Their unique qualities and characteristics enriched our lives immeasurably and through this memorial, their stories live on."

It truly is a beautiful monument and plan to go again in the fall! 

One Year Church Mission Anniversary!

Today marks one year since our hermanitas mission began and we are so proud of all the work she has done n not only in sharing the gospel but in serving others in the simplest of ways. Serving in Arizona has brought her many adventures and unique experiences. Her emails are interesting and funny and I look forward to reading them every week. There were times where she didn't send one but nonetheless she keeps us posted and the fact that she had Covid and has since then recovered from it recently prevented her from writing so much. But as she wrote in one of her recent emails... the work goes on and advises us to do the same and look for the miracles. To be kind through a smile or a wave. To remind us that we all have the capacity to be a better person and to spread the love out there. I love her so much and she is literally my rock.

Life for her has been very unique these days. Being a missionary during a pandemic has been extremely different for her as it has been for all the missionaries who are currently serving right now. Her and her dad will exchange missionary experiences and talk about how indeed times have changed from when he served 30 years ago-without a pandemic! They have so much in common and it makes me happy to hear them have these spiritual discussions. These missionaries have so much to endure, and because some areas still can't enter into peoples homes have found ways to be creative. Their creativity expresses love and devotion and it shows through her smile in photos and her words in her emails. Her example is a strength to all of us and we can't wait for her to come home to us in six months! 

Love Is In The Air In NYC!

One thing I LOVE about the city on Valentines is how so many businesses and residents decorate their stoops. There are also many artists who will spread the love by creating their own art on their doors or a random wall on the street along with art installations and sculptures. This month we went to town all over the city and stopped by so many cute places where there were people speeding the love and we just had to capture each other in them. Since Jon works every single day until dusk my kids are my sweethearts when it comes to taking pictures during the days that lead up to Valentines day. Luckily we came on a Saturday where Chelsea was able to capture at least one photo of me and her pa!

A Snowy Day On The Brooklyn Bridge!

There have been many times when we've walked over the Brooklyn bridge but never when it's snowed. When we had the first snowfall we immediately went the next day to see if Noah could go sledding on the bridge but to no avail. The snow had already been shoveled. But that's okay because we had the bridge pretty much to ourselves so no kids. Temps were pretty cold and we probably saw about six people walk the bridge that day including one jogger. We absolutely love this iconic spot and it never gets old. Winter, spring, summer, fall...you will find us on this bridge anytime of the year! I captured my crazy kids. They amaze me with the stamina they have. Especially walking in 25 degree weather. And remember we are on a bridge! Luckily it wasn't too windy so we could tolerate the cold. It was a great day and one for the books (blog!)

Chinatown - The Year of The OX.

 

When we come to the city I have to admit I take chinatown for granted. I don't really come here too often unless it's to get some bubble tea, but even then I haven't gotten one in a year. I love this corner of the city, and have made a vow to support it more. Especially now with the pandemic having impacted many small businesses. There is so much to see and browse here. So many places to shop and eat. Extremely great food and the prices aren't too bad. I love this culture and hope that with the Lunar celebration we just had businesses boomed. Let's continue to support and love them! Also...take a look at the last picture! Now that's a huge OX! 

Noah's Ordination Day.

Couldn't let this special day go by undocumented on the blog. Earlier this month Noah was ordained as a deacon in our church. I guess you can say it's equivalent to being an altar boy in the catholic church. He will begin passing out the sacrament to the congregation. It's such a wonderful blessing for him to have accomplished. Turning 11 gave him the opportunity to prepare for this ordinance, and on his own motive wanted to be a part of it. Underneath his smile he's still a little nervous to begin passing it out, but I know once he does it more and more he will become a pro and he will see the blessings that come from it! 

Update: Noah passed sacrament today and he didn't look nervous at all. I have to admit I shed a tiny tear as he was sitting waiting for the sacrament prayer. He looked so calm and at peace while passing it out to my family. We are so proud of him and the sweet spirit that he has. 

Wintery Scenes At Central Park!

There's something magical about the first snowfall in NYC. I LOVE the city so much that we try to venture out there a couple times a week. I try to make time for my city to nurture it by showing her off to the world in pictures. I went early one morning to capture the beauty of central park covered in snow and it was 'snow beautiful.' I'm not a professional photographer but these pictures don't do it justice. You have to be here in person to take in all the wonder and beauty of it. I literally walked around park for about two and a half hours and in between taking photos sat down and relaxed and watched people as they walked by. You're never bored while walking among 843 acres of land! Strawberry fields, the Bow Bridge, The Gapstow Bridge, Bethesda Fountain, Cherry Hill Fountain, ice skating rink, a horse carriage. Seeing all the these iconic spots that make up Central Park covered in snow was breathtaking and it just made me want to put my camera away and sit down and just stay here all day. Even when the temps are in the 20's!

Life Lately With Snow!

Brace yourselves for there will be a few winter posts coming your way. It's been such an un-motivating month for me to blog so I'll be playing "catch up" again. We had our first snowfall at the end of January and then the nor'easter hit earlier this month. The kids and I did venture out and enjoyed the snow for a bit. The snow always looks beautiful when it first falls, but then the next day everything turns into slush. Our snow days have been fun and pretty to look at and when I see the kids jump for joy knowing that they have an early dismissal or no school at all due to the snow the looks on their faces are priceless!

Winter Time At Bryant Park NYC!

Bryant Park in the winter time never gets old! Before the snow storm hit we ventured out and walked around and ate at our favorite spot Wafels and Dinges. We didn't get to go ice skating because of time and in all honesty Noah gets a bit nervous when there is too many people. It wasn't too too crowded but Noah isn't the best skater and so he prefers roller skates over ice skates but he does love an outdoor rink better than an indoor one. We still managed to enjoy ourselves and man do we love the city! Here are a few pics from that day. I think my favorite capture is the frozen fountain. It has been cold enough for it to freeze. So cool looking!

A Merry Pink-Mas at the MOIC!

Going to the Museum of Ice Cream in a pandemic year was absolutely different compared to last year when I took the girls for their birthdays only because we wore masks, we ate our ice cream outside, you couldn't play in the confetti pit, and you had to wear gloves in order to throw some confetti in the air. We still had a great time and I think Chelsea's favorite part the second time around was going down the slide! Mine was the ice cream! It truly was beautiful to go at Christmas time with the pink trees and twinkling lights and although we went in December last year it only felt fitting to write about it in February being that this is the month of everything pink! So here are a few photos from that fun December day in 2020!