New York, Days 3-4

 June 9

We started off Wednesday with a subway ride to Carnegie Hall.  It was fun to walk around it again.  I sang here with my high school choir over 20 years ago!

Then we walked up to the Manhattan Temple. 

Down the street from the temple is Central Park.  We rented bikes and rode the perimeter of the entire park. 

 

Alexander Hamilton Statue

Mother Goose

walking The Ramble

We ate lunch at Shake Shack and headed to the Natural History Museum.

Then we rode the subway back to the hotel.

June 10

The next morning we woke up early to catch the subway down to Battery Park.  We took the ferry out to Liberty Island.

 

 There was a museum talking about the history of building the Statue of  Liberty, which was fascinating.  The part I loved most is the artist fashioned it after Libertas the god of liberty.  Most of Libertas's depictions are of war, but the artist wanted to show liberty comes through law and light, so the Statue of Liberty holds those things in her hands instead. 

Then we took the ferry over to Ellis Island.  Robbie and I researched some of Brian's family that came through there.  It was really neat to read more about this history here.

Back in Manhattan we visited Trinity Church were Alexander Hamilton is buried.

We saw Federal Hall where the Constituion was signed and George Washington was inaugurated.

NYSE

We stopped for a quick lunch at McDonald's and sat by this statue that survived the 9/11 attacks.

Then we headed over to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.  This was such a beautiful tribute.

 

Inside the museum, we didn't even get to all the exhibits before it closed.  We probaby could have spent another hour there.  So many stories surrounding that day.

 

Afterwards, we stopped for dinner at Eataly.  They had yarn hanging from the ceiling which made it look like a gradual rainbow.

After dinner we went to the top of the One World Trade Center.  They had these iPads that you could point at the skyline and it would tell you the names and some history about the different places you were looking at.

 Then we caught the subway back to the hotel.

New York, Days 1-2

 Robbie and I had an 8-day trip to NY/ DC.  We arrived on June 7, checked into our hotel, walked to Times Square and had a yummy dinner at Olive Garden.

The next morning, June 8, we hit the ground running.  We stopped at a Liberty Bagels for a NY bagel breakfast and started walking.  We saw Madison Square Garden.

 Flat Iron building

Grand Central Station

Chrysler Building

 

New York Public Library

Disney Store in Times Square

 

And M&M World in Times Square

 

and the Empire State Building

 

 

After the Empire State Building we stopped for linner at Little Italy Pizza place.  Best pizza ever.

 

Then we headed up to the Rockefeller Plaza

And stopped at the FAO Schwartz toy store.

On our walk home it started to rain.  Luckily I had seen that rain was in the forecast for our trip and we packed rain coats.

Thomas's Birthday

Thomas turned 7 years old today!  He started off with breakfast at Farmer Boys with Brian and Lydia.

Then we went to Soak City!  He loved being in the water again!

Trying out the slides.  He wasn't big enough to go on them 2 years ago when we last went.

 

 

Then we came home, ate Panera Bread for linner and opened presents.

Then he requested to have oreo fudge for his birthday dessert!

Tom has had a great year.  He loves to read Magic Tree House books, play soccer and basketball, and he gives the best hugs!  We love you, Thomas!

Visitors

Gawbie and Grandpa came for a visit on the last day of school.  The next morning we went to the beach with them.  Of course we had to stop at Sweet Jill's for cinnamon rolls too.  We had a family BBQ for the holiday weekend with Bobby's family too.

 

 

Shannon brought her two girls to visit for a few days after Gawbie and Grandpa left.  The kids got along so great and had fun getting to know each other again. 

 

We went on a short walk on the Fullerton Loop.

And ate s'mores by the fire.

 

Our other visitors this past month is this cute mother dove and her 2 babies.  She has watched over them with such great care.  I love having more birds in my backyard.

End of School Year

 It's been quite the school year to say the least.  Starting out in distance learning, going back to campus, being home again for a while, then going back for the end of the year made for many adjustments!  Luckily all the kids went with the flow and still managed to learn a lot!

Robbie and his friend both were awarded the Distinguished Scholar award.

He made the plaque at school for being a Meritorious Scholar and the DeWain Barber Chess Champion.

 Lydia and Thomas continued to thrive at Corey.  We will miss this school next year since we moved.  It's a been a wonderful place with great teachers.  Lydia graduated 4th grade and Thomas graduated 1st.

We will also miss our good friends from the ward who went to school here.  Thomas and Khloe have been in the same Primary and school class for a few years now.

Me and Celina-  Celina and I started a breakfast club, so we still plan to meet and hang out at least once a month:)

I'm so proud of the growth I've seen in my kids this year!  We made it!