We conquered NYC!!
I decided to just use the some of the pictures from my phone. We have a lot of great ones on our other cameras but this will give you an idea of our time PLUS I still added 30 photos to this post!
1. Amazing meal in NJ and time with the family
On our drive into the city we stopped to have dinner in NJ. Mike and I had not seen the Canary's since Italy and they had never met the boys. Dinner was wonderful and it was so nice to get out of the car. I walked away feeling STUFFED (I didn't even have desert -- which is unheard of) and inspired. I really enjoy talking to Wendy about parenting and I enjoy the way that this family does family.
2. Another successful car trip
A few great things about our car trip --- we didn't have to change any poopy diapers, the boys fell asleep immediately if you asked them to take a nap, we didn't spend a million dollars on food & snacks, AND NYC parking was only $120 for 4 nights. That is cheaper than Chicago!!
The time that we spent in Central Park was my favorite part of the trip. We were staying very close to the park so we spent a lot of time there. On Friday morning Mike and I were even able to go on a short run together while the boys stayed with grandma. We had absolutely beautiful weather and I look forward to our next visit and being able to explore even more.
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| Lauren was able to capture this picture of the boys playing Hide-N-Seek. |
I want to be clear -- traveling with all of us is HARD. We have a thousand moving parts. Mike and I don't have many minutes to talk AND on this trip we didn't even sleep in the same bed. Though it is a huge production it is so worth it to spend time with the five of us and the extended. We all really enjoyed catching up with Brian, Lauren, and Pat. Brian and Lauren went above and beyond to help make our stay in the city successful. Pat was her usual, giving, wonderful self who makes sure that we are taken care of, happy, and always have full bellies. I am so grateful that we can all spend this time together.
We were able to try lots of different food in the few days that we were on our trip. I stepped on the scale last night and holy my body has also felt the result of so much indulgence.
This was one of the main, original reasons that we decided to make the trip. I am not a huge parade person so I didn't think that I would be won over by the experience. I think a few things really changed my perspective. On Wednesday night, after heading back from Brian and Lauren's, we had to fight traffic to get to our hotel. The reason -- steps from our door the balloons were being blown up and stored for the night. It was so cool to have this sneak peak without having to battle the crowds. In the morning we watched them take the nets off -- I could of stood there and watched all day. The weather was beautiful, we walked through the park AND we were even still able to see the parade on TV because the path is so long. It was an experience to say the least.
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| We did get some of Cameron's pouting throughout the trip. We did miles and miles of walking. He has clearly stood by the fact that he does not like to run or walk. Usually these bouts were solved with piggy back rides. |
Um...holy moly these two should never move. Not only that -- but for the purpose of our trip their apartment was absolutely fabulous. We were able to have a "hub" that we could go to and relax. For Thanksgiving we were also all able to sit and eat outside. It was a tad bit chilly but it was still wonderful. I even took a nap while dinner was cooking -- yes -- I am like the student home from college who needs an afternoon nap.
I am not sure if this needs much explanation or insight. It was a crowded, holiday week but the boys still enjoyed going on the subway, taking a taxi (it was actually an Uber), and continually trying to find Spiderman. Cameron kept saying, "Why is it so crowded?" when we were on the subway. I completely agree. Crowds are for the birds. Once we were back in our little corner of the city it was peaceful and relaxing.
On Friday Night Pat had all three boys spend the night in her hotel room. We wheeled the crib up to her place and she ordered pizza and rented movies. The boys had a blast but I think that we had more fun out on the town. We did a small food and bar crawl and MEALED on some sushi. I have been craving sushi for months and this exceeded my expectations. It was also nice to sit and talk with Brian and Lauren. Usually we have kids at our feet so having a few hours with just adults was great.
I must say that these four boys make my heart beat. I feel so proud to be the mom of the three little ones and honored to be Mike's wife. These vacations that I can spend extended periods of time with them -- when we can sit down and enjoy meals -- when we can play games and enjoy laughs -- when we just spend time with each other -- it warms my heart. So grateful for these four men.
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| I know that this is such an unflattering picture of me but I needed to add the details and truth to my life. The bags under my eye (even when I am trying to make them go away) are HUGE. The true, pure exhaustion is shown in my face. |
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