Make Sure You Have Plenty of Money, Can Hold in Your Laughter, and Don't Have to "Go"

...And other things I discovered on our "Christmas in NYC" vacation:

1. As I looked around, practically anywhere we went, but especially on the Subway, I was the only blonde.

Ya, I didn't look out of place, now, did I?  ;)

2.  Ice Skating is HARD!!

It kills your feet, calves, and bum.  When we first got on the rink, we were only able to make it HALFWAY around before we had to rest - seriously!  Then we worked up to one whole time around without stopping, then 1 1/2, and then two times around - if we went on the "inside track."  I figured it out; it had literally been 29 years since I had been ice skating!!!

(But, how can you NOT when you're in NYC at Christmas time?!?)

Matt tried a couple laps on his own to see if he could do it better/it was easier without me holding onto his hand........well, he wiped out!  I, on the other hand, never fell once.  I guess he knows now it'll NEVER be a good idea to ditch me!  haha.  ;)

Watching the zambonie is very relaxing, in comparison.  :)

3.  Their definition of money, is not the same as my definition of money.
As we got closer to Central Park, many bike carriages tried to solicit us.  The guy says, "Do you wanna ride?  It's almost FREE!"  Well....on the carriage was a sign advertising it was $3.00/minute.  So, if it takes a couple minutes to load up, and about 30 minutes to ride around the entire park, and another couple minutes to disembark....all of a sudden, "almost FREE" = $100!!
Also, as I was standing in line for the restroom (see #13 below) at Radio City Music Hall (BTW, it was the MEN'S restroom they'd opened up for all us women), I was chatting with the woman behind me in line.  She disclosed that she had paid $420 a ticket to bring her family to the show.  That was the EACH price, not the total price - and she had a family of 4 - she'd spent $1,800 (w/ taxes/fess) to come!!!   She said it was her anniversary, so she told her husband they WERE going to the city!
OK....#1 - the show IS spectacular (see #14 below), but I'm not sure it's worth that much money, and #2 - WHY are you bringing your little children on your anniversary??? 
(We were given our tickets, very generously, by one of Matt's business partners who's from the area.) 

4.  NYC really knows how to decorate it up for Christmas!

5. Thus, expect crowds this time of year! 

6.  ...And Security/Cops

(cops were all over in those yellow, reflective vests - other cops were guarding the street with big, military weapons)

See that cop (in the peaked cap) just right behind Matt?  

Well, 1.4 seconds AFTER I took this picture, he was right on me telling me to step down off that bench I had stood on to take the photo.  ;)    (otherwise I'm too short in those crowds!) 

 So, I guess you could say that I got in trouble with the law in NYC!?

7.  Apparently, I have a boutique in the city! 

8.  It takes 3 hours to get to church 

We looked on lds.org to find the nearest church (in Brooklyn) with the most convenient meeting times (i.e. NOT 9:00a.m.) and went there via bus, subway, and on foot.  When we got there, the gates were all closed up and not a person was in sight.  Matt called the Branch President who was listed on lds.org and found out that it had been their Stake Conference at a different building that day, and it was already over!
Really?!?
This has happened to us on a few separate occasions, when traveling, also.
What are the chances?!?
Well, I'll tell you, because I actually did the Math!  There's only a 3.8% chance that on any random Sunday, it would be Stake Conference.  (It's held twice a year).

So, then we got back on the Subway for 30+ minutes, then walked the rest of the way to this church building in upper Manhattan.

Aaahhh, being there, though, did help settle some of our frustrations from earlier in the day.

9.  Everyone claims they have "The Best Food in the City"

And they might be right!  :)

 {New York style pizza}

 {Mabo Dofu @ a Japanese restaurant}

 {NYC street food carts}

There's TONS of these around on many street corners, and they all serve similar food, yet each one claims there's "is the best."  
They don't want to lose you to one of their competitors, either.

While we were standing by this cart, he was filling another groups' order and it was taking some time, so we started looking at other carts to see if they had a wait.

This guy saw us "shopping around" and he kept trying to keep us there; since he made such a valiant effort, we ended up staying in line for his cart! :)

10.  There is some unique entertainment in the Subway

I texted my fluted-playing friend, who plays for free at church/community functions, that she should try it in NYC with her bag for people to drop money in instead!  

But, I'm not sure how lucrative that'd be; as you can see, he didn't exactly have a "captive audience."

I'd never before witnessed such a thing!  This guy literally pulls a speaker out of his back pack, plugs in his iPod, makes an announcement to our train that no one would get hurt, then the music starts and he proceeds to perform this circus act/break dance routine using all the poles and grab bars on the Subway.  *Notice how everyone is trying to ignore him!*  I just kept squeezing Matt's arm and given him a silent "look" while keeping a straight face.  Then he goes through with his hat out for people to put money into.  At the next stop, he leaves our car, and jumps into the next car....but along the way, gets into an "altercation" with some other young men who are demanding that THAT was their line to work!

11.  I have an instant adoration for missionaries 

And being with them, helped me feel close to my own missionary.

Our SIL's parents are serving a mission in New York, and they have the young missionaries over to dinner every Sunday - and they invited us there, as well.

It was so fun to be among them!

 Our spirits were definitely lifted and you couldn't help but feel GOOD after being in their presence!

12. Rockefeller Center is NOT the only tree in town 

 {Bryant Park}

 {Seaport Village}

see our reflection in the ornament?

 {a Toys-4-Tots tree with presents under it - including real bikes! - 

I've never seen those kind of toys, or that many!}

 {Although, we did go to Rockefeller, too!}

13.  Stay dehydrated, so you never have to go to the bathroom! 

Because there is no such thing as a "public restroom." 

One evening, we stopped at a diner to eat - not because we were starving, but because I HAD to pee, and the restrooms were only for customers!  Then we ordered the smallest thing on the menu that we could find!

Another day, we went into Sax Fifth Avenue to "shop" so that we could use their bathroom.  On my way in search for it, a "perfume lady" caught me to spray me with samples; she was very friendly and then asked for the sale - when I asked her, instead, where the restrooms were, her demeanor immediately changed and she pointed in their direction and "dismissed" me.  ;)

14.  They don't call it the "Radio City Music Hall Christmas SPECTACULAR" for nothing.

There's no better word to describe it: SPECTACULAR! 

Starring the Rockettes!

I was so surprised (because it is a "secular" event), BUT SO GLAD, that they included The Nativity, complete with REAL CAMELS, SHEEP, & a DONKEY on stage, recitation of scripture, and sacred music for the finale of the show.   Matt thought the applause for that number was louder than any other - it was such a SWEET ending that left a wonderful feeling!

15. The TRUE meaning of Christmas can still be found in the middle of NYC's hubbub

 {on taxis}

 {On the Jumbotrons and billboards in Times Square}

THIS is the sight that I acted most like an excited tourist about and snapped pictures galore of!  :)


Now, onto getting Christmas ready at home...... 
(I might be crying a little)  ;)

One Month of Summer - Gone!?!

June is over and done with. 

This fact created a little bit of panic with my children....it means one month of Summer down, only two(ish) to go. 

[In case my kids accuse us of "not doing anything"] Here's what's happened:

Matt's Birthday!

Family Vacation to Aruba!

Big Brothers torturing loving on little sisters!

Band aids....lots of band aids!

 Cousins!

Father's Day!

{Artists: Haylee, Katelyn, & Brookelle}

The Official First-Day-of-Summer celebration!

....complete with ice cream for dinner 

and opening a present (Summer-y wardrobe additions).

Swim lessons for Brookelle!

(she's in the blue swimsuit, furthest away in the photo)


Kyle attended a "Family History" themed Youth Conference with our ward the 25th-27th and had a great experience.

He also got to "sky dive" (iFly) as part of their Super Activity.  ;)

Scout day camps for Matt (in charge of the 11 yr. old scouts) & I (in charge of Bears cub scouts) up Millcreek Canyon in East Salt Lake City.

{view from the hike}

Our family went to this production of "Savior of the World"

Ladies Bear Lake Getaway!

{meanwhile the kids had a blast at home without mom making them to do their chores ;)}

I also found out that applying sunscreen to mostly the front of your legs, and hardly on the back, 

then floating on a raft (laying on my tummy) for two hours on the lake DOES NOT provide adequate protection...and it not a good idea!

Can you say BEET RED?

Can you say extremely painful to sit down - or walk?

Can you say half a bottle of Aloe Vera gel used in 3 days?

(Incidentally, the gel caused my clothes to stick to it, then I had to RIP it off my burnt skin - OUCH!!!)

A Sure Way to Have a Whole Month Fly By Without Even Realizing It

If time is ever moving too slow for you - just dragging on and you're wondering HOW you can make it go faster.......just GO ON A CRUISE.

Because it takes a WHOLE WEEK of pressing preparations before you can even leave:
Laundry
Writing up lists
Shopping
Making an instructions guide for our children's caretakers
Packing
Accomplishing THE LIST
ON TOP OF the extra hours at work that I had to pick up for others in trade to get the cruise week off, and Matt had to work to get all the things done that were needed for deadlines that would come up while we were gone or very shortly after we returned.
PLUS, add a daughter's birthday and party in there with my annual girls' shopping weekend in Park City on the side....

....and pretty much I was going non-stop for that first 8 days of the month.

THEN we made it on our [20th anniversary] cruise!  Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!

 The Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean

Relief.

No Responsibility.

Restful.

{Haha.  Matt took this "selfie" on the first evening.  

I was so worn out by the time our vacation actually started, I fell right to sleep waiting for the show to start!} 

 Recreational.

{Yes!  There is a operational Carousal on the ship.} 

Rejuvinating.

 Refreshing.

Royal Treatment.

from our awesome waiters, "Jeff" & "Lito"

 Romantic.

 Rewarding.

Sadly, that week went by way too fast.

Side Note:  My #1 tip for married couples:  Get Away Together (alone) often! (anything from a date night to an extended vacation)  There's really no substitute.....but that's a whole other blog post for another time.

And then we came back home.  Here's another adjective beginning with the letter "R" to describe that experience:  Rude Awakening. 

Not only was is COLD, but I had to now cook my own food, pick up my own towel, wipe my own nose......Oh no!!  

  
(It's been pretty much back to work non-stop again)

So, on MONDAY, I worked my shift all day and had to go to the grocery store for all the, "Mom! We're out of (fill in the blank with anything & everything)! items the kids bombarded me with upon my return.

On TUESDAY, I worked my shift all day and had to catch up on paying bills.  What in the heck was the current status of our bank account?!?

On WEDNESDAY, I worked my shift all day and did the miscellaneous "office" stuff...and finally decorated for Thanksgiving!  With a side of planning our ward's Christmas party.

On THURSDAY, I finally had a day off work, so I got around to unpacking all my luggage.  I also tackled cleaning the stove which appeared as if a 10 gallon pot of an assortment of foods & other stuff had exploded all over it in my absence.  I also slid on in to the Post Office in the nick of time - 4:56 p.m. - to send off this month's missionary care package (a blog post for another time) for Ryan Elder Brenchley.  (It's that time again, already?!?)

So, there's another week that's gone by in a FLASH.  It's November 20th already!?!?!  That means practically the whole month is gone!  And then Thanksgiving week always goes by fast and after that, November's over.  I really can't believe how quickly it went.  Here I am left reeling.

There you have it.
Prep week + Cruise week + Catch up week.....
How to lose a month in 20 days. (but what only seemed like a few)