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Sunday, December 31, 2023

The Last Week of December 2023!



There were so many grateful moments of my life this year but I have to say that this past week was the best and a great ending to 2023! 

I had all my kids home together and not only did they all catch up on sleep but we also had fun playing lots of games and just spending quality time together. We did manage to eat at canes, play chess, take a lot of BeReals, and Noah played his new guitar for us. He's getting better and better. He's been wanting a new one since he started lessons three years ago and I'm so happy that his big sis Sierra & Sawyer gifted it to him. There are a few more moments that I captured as you read and I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year ahead! May 2024 bring you nothing but joy and happiness! 

Friday, December 29, 2023

"What Will NY152 Say Today, I Wonder"

 

One thing for sure is that I'm really going to miss fall. Winter has arrived and I'm enjoying the temperatures because it hasn't been too cold...yet. It's been a great December so far and can't believe we have two days left in the month. I hear that we are going to be blanketed with a ton of snow this year. Last year we got zilch so maybe we will get hit hard this winter. I hope not but I honestly have kind of grown out of the snow phase. As my kids have gotten older along with me I just can't deal with too much cold. And because I'm going through menopause right now I get extremely hot so maybe winter this year won't be too bad for me. LOL! It's been a great December so far and can't believe we have two days left in the month. I do appreciate all the seasons especially when that first snow hits and grateful to live in an area where we get all four but it's nice to go outside with just a sweater on with no coat, and sit on the steps of Kathleen Kelly's brownstone and watch the city as people walk by! 

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Christmas Morning.

 

I’ve never been so at ease than today knowing that these kids are all here at home with us happy and safe! That we can all be less stressed and sleep soundly for at least 10 days without any worry. And that is the best gift ever! Hearing the laughter and joy from them. Having my girls especially my youngest run towards me as I opened the door only to receive the biggest hug mixed in with immediate tears. And I cried too. I love, love this times of year and appreciate all their hard work that they do while they are away at college. And that makes me one heck of a proud mom. I wish they can all go to school close to me and not on the other side of the country, but I'm grateful that they have opportunities to experience life out of their comfort zone. I am extremely grateful that they all arrived safe and that they are all for the rest of the holiday season. Truly one of the best Christmases ever.

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Christmas Eve Sunday.

Christmas this year has indeed felt a little different. Bittersweet different. This past Sunday we had one kid with us at church. Our girls flew in on a redeye Sunday evening and arrived early on Christmas morning. It was a beautiful time in spite of missing our three girls but we still kept this tradition of going to the Washington D.C. temple to see the Christmas lights. And they were beautiful as always. I love that we have temples close by so that we can have opportunities like this. They are constant reminders of the Savior and a wonderful refresher as to how we can start out the new year. Going to the temple truly renews the soul and helps me to live my life a bit easier. The spirit is wonderful and I'm so grateful to Him that plays the main role during the holiday season. Jesus is the reason for the season! Here's hoping y'all had a wonderful Christmas with those you love.

Friday, December 22, 2023

An Afternoon In The West Village.

Last weekend we celebrated our 29th anniversary and it was the simplest one yet. I'm not one to brag or post about every little thing we did or place we ate. I just love the fact that our son was with us for a couple of hours to take our pictures for free! Noah loves the west village and so we went ahead and walked around and Noah just captured us so well. For a moment I felt like we were in a scene from "When Harry Met Sally". It was so much fun. He's got a good eye and there were a couple of moments where I told Noah to just keep clicking that camera no matter what we were doing. He's learning and loves photography. I even captured a few shots of him as well. I love this kid and I think he did a pretty good job!

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Meeting John Stamos!

When my sister came to visit me earlier in the fall we had the opportunity to meet John Stamos! This was a surprise for my sister as he was one of her high school crushes from the 80's. I loved him in Full House and he played a perfect Andrew Kissel brother on the lifetime film The Two Mr. Kissel's. He is an amazing character and as we met he was very engaging in conversation and extremely kind. There were at least 1200 people at this particular book signing and if his assistant wasn't so quickly to rush us out we probably could have conversed for longer than two minutes. I loved his book and his authenticity when it came to when he first took the job to star in Full House. Such a gentle soul and I am so glad that I met him and that I made my sisters dream come true! 

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

53.

 

Another year, another birthday and this tall drink of water turns 53! He continues to shine and smile no matter what. I love how jovial he always is no matter what situation we are in. He deserves all the goodness and love especially this time of year because he is literally Santa Claus. He delivers packages all day long for the entire month of December except for Sundays but luckily we have him home early on Saturdays and we always make up for the days we aren't spending time as a family another time. He loves making people happy when he delivers packages to his clients and those tips he gets this time of year are worth his hard work all year long! So proud of my blue collar worker and that he doesn't like to get his hands dirty. Even at the age of 53! Happy birthday babe!

Saturday, December 16, 2023

And The Adventure Began 29 Years Ago....

So yesterday was our 29th wedding anniversary and I honestly can't believe how fast this past year is already flying by. I look back at last years photos when I still had a little bit of brown hair and now we are both completely grey. Okay, he's pretty much bald but I have gone completely grey! And it all honesty feels good to me. I love how we both embrace our age and don't give any mind to it. We love it and it is liberating to just grow old and let go! Sure we feel our age physically but not mentally. We have young hearts and we love adventure! We love to goof around and dance like it's 1989! So here's to 29 years of youthful living. With the same boy. Still surviving. Still living and loving on each other. May we live to see the fullest as we age. Cheers to 29 years with the sweetest boy I've ever known! 

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Meeting Fran!!!

Ever since I saw "Pretend it's a city" on Netflix last year and just knowing that Fran has lived in New York city her whole life (now that's a true New Yorker) I just had to meet her. So when I heard she was coming to the city to have a conversation with Martin Scorsese I had to get tickets! And so I did! Jon and I had an amazing time meeting her and because she's in her 70's was wearing a mask. I don't blame her. She's a petite little thing and I wouldn't want her to catch covid. I absolutely love her! She was so cordial and we engaged in conversation. She is as funny in real life as she is in the documentary. So if you like sarcasm, someone who tells it like it is all while giving weird looks Fran is the one to "hang" with. And if she ever comes to your town go and meet her and buy her book too! She's a real pal! 

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Oh The Things We See In New York City!

Ahhh! You never know what you're going to see in the city! A couple of years ago we stumbled upon the coolest, most unique installation in the city. We were just walking around union square when we spotted a REAL taxi cab that was halfway into the ground. I mean, I've seen some crazy stuff but this was absolutely unreal! I loved the creation and the fact that it had a chess board on one of the tables with yellow stacked chairs was a plus. Noah loves chess and sat down to check it out. The installation was only up for that day so we were lucky to have been at the right place at the right time! 

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

A Little NYC Guide For The Holidays!

It's been a while since I've done an update of things to do while in New York city and although I'm not a native new Yorker I can say that I feel confident enough to know of what fun events are going on such as places to go to as a family, fun places to go for a family photo, places to have some yummy hot chocolate and overall doing the touristy thing that all tourists love to see when they come to the Big Apple. 

Saturday, December 2, 2023

Miles Has Returned & Probably For The Last Time!

December has arrived and so has Miles our little elf. I still can't believe he continues to return ,every Christmas season, but I have a strong feeling that this will be his last year here. I will always remember the first time he arrived at our little house in Blackwood. And again when we moved to Windsor. It was so fun watching Noah and Chelseas reaction every morning in a different spot doing the funniest things. But I have a feeling that this will be Miles last year visiting us. 

Noah has been sending me Tik Tok videos in regards to "elf on the shelf" and how he sees moms giving ideas as to what to do with the elf. Noah even asked me last year if he was real and flying back to the North Pole every night to report to Santa how good he's been. Whether or not Noah still believes in him or not is fine with me. He may also be pretending to believe in Miles to make me feel better and if he is bless his heart. 

He did wake up this morning looking for him and when I told him he was on the garland on the staircase his eyes lit up. It'll be bittersweet once he goes home for good. Like forever, and when he does I will miss that twinkle in Noah's eye when he sees Miles in a different spot. Noah will be 15 next Christmas and yeah, I think this will be Miles final year with us so we better make it count this month!  

Thursday, November 30, 2023

A Day In Litchfield, CT!

It's the last day of November and I can't believe it has been 10 years since we've been to Litchfield! The first time we came here was during the fall and the kids were so little and young! It was one of the very first quaint New England towns I fell in love with when we first moved to the east coast. So cozy and it totally reminds me of scenes from Gilmore Girls. 

Well, little did we know that this was the town that inspired the location of the show and I can totally understand why! It's such a wonderful spot to apple pick, pumpkin pick, go leaf peeping but most of all go window shopping. It's such a charming town. The village greens is my favorite. Noah was three when he had fun running around and now that he's 14 still enjoys the village greens. We all had so much fun walking around and browsing inside all the shops. I have to say the Litchfield candy store was Noah's favorite. It's not in the village but about a mile outside of town. We hope we will come again when fall peaks so that I can capture the fall foliage in all it's colorful glory! 

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Thankful For Historical Sites!

 

Who would have known that in the outskirts of my own backyard there are pockets of old historic homes and estates with a lot of history! It's amazing what we take for granted when we don't venture out in our own area and so thankful for social media where various influencers from my neck of the woods will post about a place they've been and since there was no school the monday after his birthday weekend we decided to take Noah to Historic Walnford. 

And it was indeed Historic.

So much history and the house and mill was incredible. It was so calm and peaceful touring these sites. I love the architecture inside the house and the location it's at. Who knew this little gem is only 15 minutes away from my house! So thankful for history and for all the historical sites that are literally a few miles away from our little town!

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Macy's 97th Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade!

 

As I wrote in my previous post traditions are the best and I'm so glad that for the past 12 years we have managed to watch the parade in person! It's hard to believe Noah is the only boy left in the nest and that we still manage to go. These moments are extremely special to us and he's such a good sport to wake up early enough to go after all these years! I look back at the first time we went and it's bittersweet how fast all my kids have grown! Especially now that my girls are all young adults, but still...nostagia hurts sometimes because they are so missed especially around the holidays. 

I am so thankful to have Noah to hang with and do fun stuff with. I hope that he will make this a tradition with his future posterity and that he will continue to wake up early-at least for the next four years so that we can make more memories before he leaves the nest! 

Now for a few photos as I didn't take too many because I'm getting old and I actually want to enjoy the parade with what's left of my little fam Jon instead of having my phone glued to my hand! LOL!

Thursday, November 23, 2023

Thankful for Traditions and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Traditions are very special and one tradition that we have had since moving to the east coast has been going to the Macy's thanksgiving parade in NYC. It's hard to believe that I have one kid left in the nest and today was extra special. This kid has been a trooper for the past 12 years waking up every thanksgiving morning at 5-6am just so we can get to the Macy's parade a bit early! I am thankful for all of our blessings and for the day we had. Especially more grateful for my girls who are away for college and live in a state where they have family to spend the holidays with. My heart is full! Happy thanksgiving and stay tuned for more pics! 

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Thankful For My Girls!

 

These girls are my everything! I honestly don't know what would do or be without them in my life. They are the first to have made me a mother. Sierra, Lexie, and Chelsea. All five years apart and counting my blessings everyday that they were born with that age gap. In hindsight it was good for my mental health. That five year age gap has been a blessing and continues to be a blessing. I love them all unconditionally and there is nothing in the world that I would do for them. So thankful for all their differences and for who they are. I sure do learn a lot from them and pray that I will always be open minded and supportive in all the decisions they make with their lives. Motherhood is truly the best and I'm so glad that I decided to have four instead of just one kid! 

Friday, November 17, 2023

Thankful For My Only Boy.

 

November has to be my luckiest month because that is when my son, our only boy Noah was born. He's 14 and till this day he is as sweet as they come. He has inherited at least one attribute from each of his sisters. Me and his dad. He is every percentage of all five of us which makes him unique in his own way. I love that he's kind and giving. He loves to help the homeless. If he sees someone that looks like they are in need whether on the side of the road as we are getting off the turnpike or in the streets of New York he wants to help. 

One time we saw a man walking down fifth avenue in the city looking inside every single trash can for food and here comes Noah asking me if we can get him something to eat. Those homeless people that mind their business and don't panhandle are usually the ones that really need it. And you can tell. I always go by my gut and will give if I feel that nudge. Noah is a lot like me when it comes to caring for the needy. He's crazy and sassy sometimes like Chelsea, super sensitive yet very agreeable like Lexie. Artistic and creative like Sierra, and sometimes too nice like his dad. He does have latin in him which will rarely come out. Like ever! I hope that he won't have that Spanish heat like I do. He's a jersey boy through and through with the way he speaks and I love it! Sometimes I have to tell him to enunciate his words and not talk too fast! But that's the way of life here in Jersey. At least he talks fast and doesn't like being rushed. Living in Jersey can be super rushed and I have been teaching him that life doesn't have to be like that. Just because you're from here doesn't mean you have to be like it! So thankful for this kid who still likes to play with action figures, reads comic books, talks about social media, dystopias, friendships, and constantly sends me tiktoks that relate to love and moms, and also geeky ones that I sometimes don't get! 




Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Thankful For My Sis.

Grateful for sisters who stick together through the thick and thin of life. I'm so thankful for this wonderful sister of mine! I'm glad she was able to take time off from work last month to spend a few days with me. I sure needed to see her and it was so fun to have kept our time together chill and simple without feeling the ne need to go everywhere. Sure there was a moment where we could have gone to the city but she was like, "I've already been to New York." We did go to Philly and she was able to see some the main historical sites such as the Liberty Bell, Rocky steps and statue. She took most of the pictures in Philly and I mainly took pictures of us in Princeton. It's pretty sad that when she visited me last time we never ventured out in my own backyard! LOL! 

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Autumn In New York & An Expression of Gratitude For This Season!


It's been over 10 years since I've been blogging and it's been a few years since I've kept up with gratitude posts. I blame it on Covid and the lack of motivation that it has caused me to "keep up." There are times when I just want to "live" without feeling the need to post and blog all the time. The fact that my back is beginning to hurt as I sit down in front of a computer for hours doesn't help my motivation either. But alas here I am expressing my gratitude and love for autumn online. I love this time of year where the leaves change and the temps become cooler. Fall is indeed becoming my favorite season over summer. Now I know I'm getting old having written that! So let's see how long I will keep up with these posts. There might be days when I'll skip a couple days and a month where I literally write something everyday in November like I did back in 2018. But for now I want to express my gratitude for autumn in pictures. I especially love Central Park in the fall. The fall foliage, the people in the backdrop of some of the pics, the energy that you can sense by looking at them. I love it all and so thankful to live close to this magical city that can make you happy and cry at the same time! It's bittersweet not having the girls around anymore during this colorful  time for photos but luckily Noah doesn't mind being in pictures...for now! 

Thursday, November 9, 2023

14.

Roblox, comic books, playing the guitar, action figures such as Naruto, venom, and Spiderman are among the many things this 14 year old continues to have interest in. And I love it! I love that he still plays with action figures. He even made a little video of Naruto & spidey fighting and it looks so cool. You can see it on my TikTok if you'd like. Although he's a homebody he also loves the city. He loves Cane's. That is his favorite place to eat. It used to be McDonalds but Cane's is his love language now. I can't believe our baby boy is not so baby anymore. He'll always be my baby but first, he will always be my buddy, my sidekick, my true love and major heartbeat! Happy 14th birthday to this kid who always says, "life is pretty good right now." 

 

Saturday, November 4, 2023

Historic Village Diner in Red Hook!

One of my favorite diners is nestled in the small town of Red Hook in upstate New York. The breakfast is amazing and although it can get a bit crowded it's worth the wait and the small space that it serves. I swear the kitchen is bigger than the entire diner. Nonetheless the service was great and the food was delicious. It was a perfect time to come in the fall to go leaf peeping. Seeing all the fall foliage on a rainy day was gorgeous. We didn't mind the rain and love to venture our and of course, we love FOOD! It was the best and we will definitely come back! 

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Pumpkin Picking in Vermont!

October was great and went by way too fast. I thought I would be able to travel as much as I did last year driving all over New England to see the fall foliage as well as in upstate New York but because of all the rain we got for the past seven weeks it was impossible for me to venture out and capture all the halloween decorated stoops that the city has to offer. The upper east side had a ton of decorations and I only got to capture these ones. They were lovely but I wish I had more time to go and see more. However, I was excited that we were able to go to Vermont to do some pumpkin picking at Armstrong farm. All the pumpkins here including the huge ones are way cheaper than the ones in Jersey. You can buy a ton for under 20 bucks! And the jam and the syrup are top notch! Although it drizzled a bit while we there we still had fun picking and Noah felt like a little kid again dragging around the radio flyer wagon. 

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Happy Halloween!


13 years old and this kid still wanted to go trick or treating! I love that he still wants to go out and get all dressed up and get some candy for free instead of just staying home doing nothing. He certainly misses Chelsea and how they would trade candy at the end of halloween night. He was a ghost and I love that he chose a simple costume. Cheap and easy to make and he was a cute one. He came home with a bag filled with candy and he was satisfied with what he got. He gets his braces off next Monday and he is counting the days until he can eat his gummy bears, skittles and popcorn balls! It was such a fun day and capturing moments in the city all dressed up is always fun. There are times when we wish we lived there and then we look at where we are and say, "the burbs aren't too bad" but nonetheless we always make our halloween adventures a fun time whether here or in the city. Maybe next year we will experience the trick or streets in New York! And just look at all the decor on these brownstone stoops! Absolutely amazing! 

Monday, October 30, 2023

Procession Of The Ghouls!

Last Friday Noah and I saw the Procession of the Ghouls for the first time at the Cathedral church of Saint John the Divine and it was absolutely amazing. Every year the present a film before the big ending and this year they showed the German horror film, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" which was accompanied by a live organ. The music was perfect. The film was long at first but then it became funny and interesting. Reminded me of the Chaplin movies I used to watch as a kid with my mom. I loved the ending when all the ghouls came out dancing and their costumes were so cool. My favorites were the dancing demons and the skeleton cellist. I love how they interact with the audience. I absolutely loved it and will definitely come next year and bring Jon. It's a halloween event I wish I would have started coming to years ago but am so glad we finally saw it! Captured a few blurry photos...

Friday, October 20, 2023

Matthew Gray Gubler - The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand!

This was our second time meeting with Matthew Gray Gubler and it seems as if I just met him yesterday. I swear we act as if we've known each other for a long time. He was so accommodating to Noah and we loved every second talking with him about his newest book. He is definitely someone we'd like to hang around with. He is hilarious and down to earth and the sweetest human you can meet. I was lucky enough to be the 24th person to meet him and although he arrived late he made quite the entrance. Jon was like a little kid sitting in his VW bug and really enjoyed meeting Matthew for the first time. So glad I had these two come with me to see him again and we had a great time. From what I heard Matthew stayed at the bookstore until 2am or possibly even later! What a guy! He truly loves his fans and appreciates them to the point where he did not rush out of line. I hope that next time my girls get to see him. They were pretty jealous so Matthew, if you're reading this-write another book! haha!

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Irving's Legend In Tarrytown!

Last weekend we saw Irving's Legend for the second year in a row. We absolutely love Jonathan Kruk. He truly is a master storyteller and does such a great job. His voice is mesmerizing and the way he tells the story of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow is captivating. We took Noah this time around and he absolutely loved it. He has read the book and seen the movie with Johnny Depp many times! It's not scary to him at all. In fact, he would love to live in sleepy hollow in New York (so would I!) It was a fabulous evening and even though it rained; it gave it so much character as we watched Jonathan tell the story under a tent. We met him after the show and he is the kindest man you'll ever meet. You can tell he loves telling stories and books! My kind of pal. We could have talked all evening about Texas since that's our native state! And Noah's favorite part....was meeting the Headless Horseman! 

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Jersey Shore in January 2023.

Who says you can't go to the beach in the fall or in the winter when it's cold. That's the best time because there are no crowds, you don't need to pay for tags, and when the weather is overcast and the waves are choppy it's a good time to take pictures and go surfing. But we didn't go surfing. We just took pictures and along the shore while Noah chased the seagulls and enjoyed the sounds of the waves. We are so grateful to live near the shore and to be able to come here any time of the year! Every now and then we need to hear the sounds of the ocean and pretend you're the only family on earth! Now for some joyful moments with my two favorite boys... 

Monday, October 9, 2023

The Perfect Little Pumpkin Display!


True autumn days have officially arrived here in the east coast and according to the forecast it looks like it's here to stay! Fall is such a short season and the older Noah gets I just want the season to last a bit longer! This is why I'm always taking pictures of everything autumn such as pumpkin patches, fall foliage, and pumpkin displays. The fact that Noah and I are both autumn babies gets us even more motivated for the season and to enjoy all that comes with it. He's always loved pumpkins since he was a toddler and looking back at this post gets me all teary eyed knowing that the years are flying with this kid! We continue to adventure on and over the weekend we stopped by this cute little garden shop. Every time we are on a road trip I will stop at anything that catches my eye and this display did the trick. We just had lunch and as we were roaming around Connecticut passed by this garden nursery in Bethel and it was charming. I think Noah's favorite part of this prop was the truck! So here's hoping for more autumn adventures, and leaf peeping before this season ends and the cold begins!



 

Friday, October 6, 2023

The Martha-Mary Chapel & Redstone Schoolhouse.

After we explored this farm last year we stumbled upon a nearby church where they filmed "The Unholy" and I just had to stop! I love Jeffrey dean Morgan (even though he was not a good guy in The walking dead) but the movie was so good and the fact that it was filmed in New England made it even better. We didn't get to go inside the chapel as it was closed but we did get to go inside this cute little schoolhouse. There had to have been about 20 desks and if I lived back in those days oh how I would have loved coming here for school. Noah mentioned how he probably wouldn't be able to sit in one room all day, but he did like the nostalgia vibe it gave and all the antique desks. 

There is so much history behind the Redstone schoolhouse. The tour guide sat and told us all the history of how this schoolhouse is supposedly the school in the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb." It was very interesting and we could have talked to her all day! They even had a little library outside where you can take a book and Noah grabbed one to read. This gives us an excuse to go back and return it and add an extra book to put inside. Such a beautiful and peaceful spot surrounded by nature. We will definitely come back here again in hopes to go inside the church and take a peek!

Thursday, October 5, 2023

SIX & Back To The Future On Broadway!

Broadway shows are the best gifts anyone can give me, and on my 52nd birthday I ended up watching two broadway shows and it was so much fun! I never grow weary of seeing a broadway show. What I do grow weary of is going to Times Square twice in one week! LOL. Don't get me wrong. Times Square is epic and all but the only reason we go there is to see shows and that's it! Maybe if we are in the mood we will walk around and eat at Cane's and capture a few shots, (and of course write our wishes before New Years eve once a year) otherwise been there done that way too many times!

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

52.

Not sure when I'll stop blogging about my birthday but 10 days ago on September 24th I turned 52. I won't write too much on here about me because what you see is who I am but I will say this....I am extremely thankful to have lived another year. To continue to have my faith in God and to pray and turn to Him whenever I'm at my lowest. To have healthy children and for them to see that no matter what trials they face; they press on and move on with life just like their mama. Thankful that my relationship with all of them is beautiful and that they still take the time to call me when they can! To have an amazing husband who calls me his "Latina drug" because without me he could never function! LOL! Thankful for his hardworking ethic but most of all for our friendship that continues to grow every day. No matter how old we both get we are a team and we are there for each other. It never gets old. Just aging. LOL! I count my blessings for having the life that I have at this moment and that I am in pretty good health. I have embraced my age with love and acceptance and I LOVE how I look! It is liberating to just not care anymore about how one should look once your over 50. And my words of wisdom to anyone who is aging and feels a little bit of insecurity in going grey to just let it go! Believe me, once you are ready to let go and go grey all they way you'll never want to look back. Just move forward and embrace it!  



Tuesday, October 3, 2023

The WaySide Inn Old Barn.

October is here and even though it's 80 degrees right now the weather is nice and sunny outside. Still, I long for overcast days so I can wear sweaters and drink hot chocolate and apple cider. We should only have these warm temps this week and then it should go back to the 60's! We love road trips during the fall and love venturing out to unknown territory. Last year on my birthday we spent the weekend in New England where we did a bit of traveling and we came upon this cool farm stand. New England has some of the most colorful farms and we stopped by and took some photos. I love, love this time of year and hope to explore more farms as we travel and go on more road trips. Truly quintessential New England. More photos below....

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Happy Autumn!

Creative Hatch Studio in the borough of Chelsea in NYC sure knows how to bring out the seasons in the city and this year it is the most simple fall-ish peace sign I have ever seen. I love it and it's such a perfect sign to welcome Fall. Every season we come here just to see how the peace sign is decorated and this year they nailed it with simplicity, elegance, and vibrant colorful fall colors. The fact that it's my birthday weekend made it even more special. Oh how I love the city and this neighborhood. Someday I would love to live here but that's a dream thought. 

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Pumpkin Season!

 

With Noah in year 8 it's going to be a bit hard to get him to venture out to places with me especially after school. Surely I can go out by myself and explore and I will have those opportunities late in the season but time with him is so important and so much fun! So this past Monday we drove out to Bucks county to one of our favorite little pumpkin patches to not only pick a pumpkin but to grab some kettle corn and candy corn. Yes, Noah loves candy corn and until he gets his braces off he can only eat the candy corn cause it's soft. We have been coming here for the past three years (excluding 2020) and on this day the weather was perfect. I love cloudy days and the setup was so perfect for photos. I only get this time once with him and 2023 is just flying by so I captured a few pics with Noah in the mix. I will have to get used to not having the girls come with us but I'm grateful for the first time we discovered this place with Chelsea. I love, love this season and maybe I'm biased because it's my birthday month but man are we lucky to both be born in the most vibrant season called autumn!  

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

DeVotchKa In Philly!

On the evening of the first day of school Jon and I went out to see DeVotchKa for the first time! I have been listening to this great band for over a decade and can't believe I finally saw them in person! We had front row seats and it was a quaint and intimate venue where we just sat back and relaxed to listen to their amazing songs and phenomenal playing. They have not lost their touch and Nicks vocals sounds the same and oh my gosh is it the most unique voice I've ever heard! Such a wonderful evening and I hope they never stop touring. I can hear them sing and play their instruments all day long! I recorded so many videos of their performance and wish I can share them with you on here, but I hope that you can one day see them in person! 

Monday, September 18, 2023

Year 8!

A full week has passed since Noah began grade 8 and so far so good. I still can't believe our only boy is in his last year of middle school. This is insane and I can't seem to wrap my head around it. Just yesterday he was graduating kindergarten and next fall he will be in high school! I need to stop blinking!! I hope that he will make this year count and that he will enjoy and have fun with it. So far he enjoys his classes. French has become his favorite language and is happy to have had the same teacher for three years. He has gym last period which he loves because when winter hits at least the temps will somewhat go down in the middle of the day. He is taking advantage of recess because once your in high school they are gone! He has gotten better at packing lunches and appreciates the little things in life. All I want for this kid is to have a great school year. To do his best in his classes. To be a good influence. To To be kind to others and respect his teachers. The world is changing every second and its up to him to make the world better. With our help in being good examples he has an excellent chance of being one happy kid in spite of any obstacles that will come his way! 



Friday, September 15, 2023

9/11 Tribute Lights & The Empty Sky Memorial.

I always find it incredibly moving every time we go to Jersey city and stand on the Hudson waterfront to watch the tribute lights light up on 9/11. We normally go to the city and stay in the financial district to go to the freedom tower but for the past couple of years we have been going to the Empty sky memorial where they honor those from NY/NY who lost their lives in the towers. Such a beautiful tribute and memorial and coming here never gets old. NYC on September 11th or any other given day never gets old. We are so grateful to live in a place where we are so close to drive to the city and pay our respects to those whose lives were lost. Such a special place to go and feel their spirit. It's truly amazing and the feeling I felt while standing against the rail overlooking the Hudson River staring at the lights pretending the twin towers were still standing brings back so many memories. Happy ones. Even when it rains that doesn't stop anyone from going to pay their respects to remember. 

This is the second year in a row where it has rained and the rain this year formed two lovely rainbows earlier that evening. I know that those twin rainbows were a sign from the souls letting us know that they are at peace and thankful that for the last 22 years, we have not forgotten them. 

Monday, September 11, 2023

Flight 93 Memorial.

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the September 11th attacks and every year on this day it never gets old and I never forget. I will always remember that dreadful day waking up to the sound of a loud tube tv at my husbands grandfathers house in Washington hearing him shout out, "a plane just crashed into the twin towers!" I woke up and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Here I was across the country from one of the cities I have always loved and it was in distress! Living near the city for the past 16 years has really made me appreciate NYC even more which is why I love going there so much. I love the energy and the strength that this city gives when a catastrophe happens. New York is a strong city and we will never forget what happened there. We will also never forget what happened in the outskirts of Stoystown Pennsylvania where flight 93 crashed. On our way home from our cross country trip to Utah we decided to stop by the memorial. It was our first time visiting here. Another trip we should have made a long time ago because it's only a five hour drive from Jersey.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Chicago!


Road trip to Utah has come and gone and for the past ten days we have been catching up on some sleep! Even though school has started we are still adjusting to our back to school schedule so I finally found some time to hop on here and write about our first trip to Chicago! We've never been and I don't know why we never made a trip here sooner. It's only a 13 hour drive and having family living here should have been a good excuse as ever to come more often and should have done this trip a long time ago! We spent an entire day here before heading toward Utah and I'm so glad we stopped by. It is a magical, clean, beautiful city and it truly gives off a cozy and homey vibe. As much as I love NYC I totally fell in love with Chicago and we will definitely be back to visit Kenzie, have more deep dish pizza, ride the "L" and see the bean when it opens up again in 2024! Can you believe we missed it by two weeks and now it's gated and being worked on! Still, it was a fabulous trip and look forward to visiting again soon! 

Now for some photos.....

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

A Day In Mystic!

One thing we have enjoyed doing with our kids upon leaving for college is taking them to their favorite place or restaurant. In this case chelsea wanted to eat at Mystic Pizza and we obliged. We absolutely love New England and didn't mind taking a day trip just for that. There is so much to do in this quaint coastal town and just loving coming here. There is tons of shopping and a lot of places to eat, get great ice cream, seafood and leave with a lot of saltwater taffy too. I love spending time with each other and it's always a joy to leave the chaos of Jersey and go to a much relaxing environment. So if y'all are ever looking for a place to enjoy and relax all year round go to Mystic, Connecticut! You may even be lucky to see the drawbridge go up too!

Thursday, August 17, 2023

A Day In Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Williamsburg in Brooklyn is a hip town and I love coming here. there are many things to do here and earlier this year Noah and I ventured out to it. I have always wanted to see this mural of Drew Barrymore. I saw it on Instagram years ago and we finally captured it in person. It's pretty much peeling off but the artist, Steven Paul who was just 17 years old at the time did a really good job. He titled it "Lost Time" and entered it in the Scholastic Arts & Writing competition in 2014. He also won the gold medal for this photo which led for him to collaborate with Colossal Media by turning it into a mural that is four stories high! It is now one of the most famous murals known as "the Mona Lisa of Williamsburg." Amazing!

Saturday, August 12, 2023

Cross Estate Gardens.

I have to say it has been a really chill summer since we got back from Texas. The kids had pioneer trek a week after we got home and because chelsea is leaving for college soon she is taking in all the sleep she can get. She knows that once she goes to school and works that she sleep deprivation will kick in. So on the days where she's not dog sitting or figuring out what to take to college I am keeping it low key and trying to find relaxing places for us to venture out to.  Luckily there are many hidden gems and picturesque places nearby that require less than an hour drive where we can relax and spend time as a family.

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Pioneer Trek In Pennsylvania.

Reenacting Pioneer Trek in this day and age is an even bigger challenge because of what is left behind such as smartphones & any worldly possessions (which explains these grainy photos taken from an old school camera) but I’m grateful that these kids went including two of my own. Noah said that it was painful but he had great time. He's 13.5 years old and was excited to go and then realized once he arrived at their location how difficult it will be. However, he loved the "family" he was in and was happy to do it and doesn't think he'll do it again!

Chelsea said it was "terribly fun" and got real emotional after coming home and during a testimony meeting at church. She loved it. She hated it, but oh how she appreciated all the sacrifices our pioneer heritage went through so that we can be where we are today with God on our side. She also loved her "family" as well and will always remember them. 

Saturday, August 5, 2023

McAllen Texas Temple!

One of the best treats from this trip was seeing the McAllen temple. It is gorgeous. It is seriously the most beautiful temple I've ever seen. And it is so Texas! I love love love it and am so happy we made a pit stop here before visiting my brother. I'm especially grateful that my mom let me take her picture. The older she gets the more allergic she becomes to having her picture taken but she did it. We weren't able to enter in because the open house isn't until mid august. I am so bummed that we will miss it so next time we visit we are definitely going to plan on a temple trip and see my bro again. Chelsea and Noah thought it was a very pretty temple. Noah loved the architecture and felt like he was in Mexico and Chelsea just loved the fact that it was built so differently compared to other temples in Utah and that it had the title of our church in Spanish. LOL! It was another beautiful moment and pretty great to be back in McAllen again after all these years!

Friday, August 4, 2023

Reunited - Catching Up On Lost Time.

Seeing my brother for the first time in about 20 years was the most emotional part of this trip. Not to mention my mom, who is in the early stages of dementia was even happier to have seen him. It was so hard to watch them two reunite. There is so much to write behind these scenes of this post and if I did a video on them reuniting after all these years I would have gotten so much clout. But I didn't because this was a private and tender moment. Tears were shed in every direction. Jon, who only cries when a huge milestone hits such as our wedding day, our kids being born, or kids serving missions. It takes a sincere moment for him to cry and this was one of them.  Even my 18 year old was emotional. My 13 yr old son was like, "what's happening?" It wasn't until we came home that we explained to him how she didn't raise him and why her her parents did. Long story to share on here but if I ever write a book about my life I will include this part in it. But that will have to wait.