Houston and Dallas Temples.

 

My blog posts may somewhat be out of sequence but wanted to share a few photos from some of our temple trips. First of all, I can't believe we are already at the end of July! How did we get from June to July in five minutes!! Anyway, the last time I went to Dallas was when I was about six. I've driven through Dallas but have never been Downtown or to the temple. So surprising my dear friend Maggie who lives there was fun and we ended up spending the morning with her. We went to the temple and captured some photos of it's beauty as well as my family. I have missed her and am so glad she is doing well. Both the Dallas and Houston temples are beautiful and I'm so glad we got to stop by both of them. Maybe next time I can spend more time in Dallas and the Houston areas but spending half the day with my friend and taking photos of my kids to remember these days is all that I needed to refresh and get a boost for this trip!

Texas Road Trip!

Two weeks ago we embarked on a road trip to Texas and let me tell ya, it was a long drive. We've done this drive before but for some reason Jon and I have grown somewhat weary in travel. Before, we used to drive straight through. Even with kids in tow we'd literally sleep in the car to save money so that we can arrive faster. Now we sleep in hotels which takes us longer to get there but the perks of a road trip are seeing what's in between New Jersey and Texas and I feel that we saw in between the seven states we drove through was interesting and important. Certain sights, hidden gems, random museums, but friends and family were the whole purpose of this trip and they were the most important. We'd definitely do this road trip again and I'm so glad we did it! As long as our bodies and minds are able to handle long drives we will continue to drive. Unless we go out of the country-now that's a different story!

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum- Marvel Universe Edition

I'm so glad Noah talked us into going to Madame Tussauds and that he left happy! His favorite part of the wax museum was the Marvel Universe and standing in with Stan Lee. Oh how he wishes he was real! The entire marvel section of this museum was amazing! I have one more photos to share and write about but it'll have to wait until October. I'll just say that this museum has everything. In case you missed part one of Madame Tussauds wax figures you can check that post here. 

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum NYC!

This year there was one place on Noah's bucket list where he's always wanted to go and we finally caved and went! It's such a touristy thing to do and the fact that it's smack in the middle of Times Square didn't bother us so much. I've learned to just go with the flow and although Times Square isn't my favorite place to go I do appreciate all the things they have to offer us neighboring jersey folk such as broadway shows, free yoga on the first day of summer and... Madame Tussauds wax museum! The one place Noah has always wanted to go! 

Another Summer, Another Scout Camp.

 

Another scout camp has come and gone and I'm so glad Noah is home! After being gone for a whole week he always returns older and somewhat different and in a damn good way! I don't know why this one hit me so hard when he left a week ago. I have learned that as I get older each day is different. Every year is different; and we change. Every moment of every day counts. Which is why I take advantage of every waking moment with my family. Noah is my only boy and last kid and I see him changing and growing every single day. I see it and it pains me at times. This is the only thing I dislike about motherhood is the constant grief and how he's constantly changing. The fact that I'll never get those days back is a bit heartbreaking. And the fear of how much my heart will hurt once he's all grown up and left the house. But I have a long ways from that! It's bittersweet but at the same time it's interesting to watch him grow up and change. And I'm grateful that being in Boy Scouts is allowing him to do that. He is constantly learning and developing new skills. I love that he enjoys it and wants to learn more. That he always looks forward to the meetings, weekend camp outs and of course scout camp every summer. He makes me proud and Jon always gets excited when he has passed something that he's learned. Being an Eagle Scout is a big deal and Jon will always be grateful for earning his eagle; and our hope is that Noah will earn his before he's 18 too!  

So glad all our scouts home safe! 

Hydrangea Season!

My love for hydrangeas never gets old and as I looked back through the archives of this blog there are so many photos, and written posts I shared about this flower. I first discovered them in North Carolina and when I moved to the east coast they are literally all over Jersey and New England! I love them and summer is the season for them. New Jersey is certainly lovely and not boring because there are a lot of hidden gems around here. If you drive long enough and go rogue without googling "famous hydrangea spots" or "best shore place" you'll most likely find hidden gems on your own. 

Art Omi In The Summer of 2023.

ART. Art- no matter what form it's in is something we all love in this family. The kids and I have been to Art Omi multiple times but this was Jon's first time and Noah was all excited to show him all kinds of art sculptures. It's an outdoor place and not only do we get to explore nature and go on a little hike but we get to see art at the same time! Noah loves coming here and this little trip never gets old. There is always something different being displayed and sculptures that really make you think and study as to why it was made. This year there were even a few new art installations. You can also see different art sculptures when I came with Lexie here and Chelsea and Noah here.

Noah's 2nd Annual Guitar Recital.

A little late in posting but Noah did excellent at his guitar recital last month. He is getting so much better at playing guitar to the point where he could probably just teach himself by watching youtube videos. I attest that to playing piano for six years and the trombone too. Once you learn to play one instrument it's easier to play different ones. I am thankful to Dan in teaching him and he plans to continue to teach him again in the fall. Summer has been here for the past two weeks and even though there are no more lessons until September Noah does play from time to time. Sure gives him a break besides playing Roblox! Click here to hear play Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. 

A Simple Fourth Of July!

Our Fourth of July started out with donuts from Broad St. Dough co. and Wawa breakfast sandwiches. We ate while watching Independence Day. It's such a classic movie and it never gets old. The temps have been increasing lately and the day was hot and muggy; and because of the torrential rain pour we had earlier in the afternoon made our plans change. I honestly didn't want to go into the city to catch the fireworks so we had our own little sparkler party. I honestly just wanted to relax and so did the kids. As much as we love the city we want this summer to be chill. Especially since Chelsea is leaving for college next month. The sparklers were a hit. We went to a nearby lake and watched the fireworks as we were driving all over town. It was definitely a chillllll 4th and honestly didn't have FOMO for once! 

Lady Liberty!

Two years ago we found out about the Reclining Lady Liberty through social media and had the chance to go see her at Morningside park in Manhattan where she laid for about a year or so. We then found out she moved to Liberty State park in Jersey City last spring and in all honesty think this is the perfect place for this 25 foot sculpture to reside. She is beginning to fade a bit but she still reclines comfortably and the kids enjoyed climbing on her two years ago but now we give her rest and just took pictures. Here's wishing everyone a happy Independence Day and hope that we can all slow down every once in a while and relax and recline like Lady Liberty! (artist is Zaq Landsberg)

Yankees Game & Shakespeare In The Park- Our Favorite Summer Traditions!

There are two things that I love about summer in the city and if you happen to be traveling to the New York city or live near the New York area going to see a yankees game and watching Shakespeare in the park in Central Park are two must do events to put on your bucket list. 

We have been going to see Shakespeare in the park for over three years now and have been going to yankee games since we moved closer to the city. It has been two of our favorite things to do in the summer time and it is so fun. This year we saw Hamlet and had 3/4 of our kids with us including an extra Hyrum. June was such a fun and crazy time and it slipped away from us too fast! If we can squeeze going to another yankees this month that would be great cause even when they lose (which they did that day) it's still a great time! LOL! 

Belmar Beach Scenes!

First day of July and I already feel summer flying by! The beach is the one place that I look forward to every summer and even though the water was choppy and the water was super cold Chelsea and I had a girls day out and as always had a nice time having the sounds of the beach be our therapy for the day! Belmar Beach and Spring Lake are neighboring beaches on the jersey shore and we love taking turns going to both. I think Belmar will always be our favorite. The scenes from these two quaint beach towns are charming. From vibrant hydrangea flowers to boats and waves I captured a few moments before soaking it all in getting wet in the ocean! Beach hair don't care!