Peace out NYC!

I had been counting down the days to our move out date and it seemed as if would never come. As it approached I kept feeling so anxious that it wouldn't actually happen, that something would come up or go wrong. I was determined not to let that happen! Our last weeks were a whirlwind. Elly was born, then a few days later I had a going away party thrown by the best friend a girl could have, K Diggity. Of course i have no pictures to prove it happened so you'll just have to believe me. It was a blast, she went around the city and got food from all of my favorite places. Indian, ethiopian, rice pudding and levain cookies. It was awesome.

NYC was SO good to us. It shaped and molded us into who we are today. It made us tougher and more compassionate, it helped us to align our priorities, it motivated us to be better people. It was the hardest, most maddening, lovely wonderful and amazing 8 years of our lives. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm so grateful for the opportunities that we were given there, the friends we made, the food we discovered, the plays seen, the craziness, cold, rain, heat EVERYTHING! It really puts life in perspective when you're there. I lived in NYC now I know I could live anywhere!


We packed everything we would need for a month because I was determined to find a place within that time frame and thankfully we did.

Saying goodbye to Osman was hard. We all cried.

He was our surrogate grandpa while we were there and the first person we met in the city. We got off the plane and went to the apartment and met Osman. He has been so beyond generous to us, feeding us, giving the kids amazing Christmas presents, helping us fix anything we needed etc. We love him!

After a few pictures we realized someone was missing....August! Duh! He had been asleep in his carseat!

August got a black eye a few days before we left because Levi dropped him at the park!

So with a 10 day old baby and 4 other kids we set off in our packed car. Poor kids in the back, they had NO room! Nee Nee was such a trooper!



Woo Hoo! See ya lata!

Palmyra

Way back when (in July) The kids, Nee Nee, Julie and I took a roadie to Rochester to see our gorgeous friend, Christa! It was such a blast and we loved invading their space. I love upstate NY, it is beyond gorgeous and SO green. I have been to the Sacred Grove many times and just love it. I have absolutely felt the spirit here and it has testified to me that Joseph Smith did in fact see our Father in Heaven and the Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for that testimony because with it brings the knowledge of eternal families, temple ordinances and all of the other wonderful things that go along with being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 











Sacred Grove

 

 

Poor Julie had to endure Nee Nee and I singing for hours on end.

 

We went a little cray cray being in the car for so long. 

We sat smack dab in the front. Funny story, I knew that our friends the Ortons would be there performing but I thought what are the odds that I would see them. Sure enough one of the first performers I see walking around is their oldest daughter Karina! It was so fun to see their awesome family there.



Lake Ontario was SOO gorgeous!



This guy was doing this....so amazing to see it all come together. Sadly there was a deluge about 5 minutes later so it got washed away. But you know, being a sand artist has it's hazards.







We totally got stuck in the aforementioned deluge and saw lightening strike...pretty amazing!