The Cat's Meow

Finally February

2012-02-12T21:25:00.000-05:00

For some reason, January felt like it lasted for a year. I was happy to see February come... and now it is almost halfway over! We've had some nice weather that has allowed us to play outside and enjoy the sunshine, and it feels good.

Joseph's sister, Mary, is visiting us this weekend and we got to attend the opera! We saw Ernani at the Metropolitan Opera House and it was wonderful. We really enjoyed ourselves and it was a great experience.

This next month is pretty busy with school work, tests, church callings, and other projects. There is always something to do, but that is how we like it. Oh, and happy Valentines Day!

City Life

2012-01-22T17:46:00.000-05:00

We've been able to do a few fun things around the city lately. With only about 4 months left here, I'm getting a little sad and I'm anxious to make good use of our time!

Some friends and I went into Manhattan last week to enjoy some tasty desserts. We had cream puffs at Beard Papa's, banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery, and gelato at Screme Gelato Bar. It was delicious and we were only a tiny bit sick at the end of the night. :)

We finally checked out the Bronx Zoo. We highly recommend going to the zoo in January because you get the whole place to yourselves! We were very impressed and we all had a great time. It was pretty cold, but most of the exhibits were indoors so it worked out great.

We also went to dinner with some friends at Schnippers near Times Square. It was delicious and lots of fun to have a date night in the city and catch up with Whitney & Bryan.

I usually tend to hibernate at home during the cold winter months, so it has been nice to get out of the house and have some fun!

And So It Goes

2012-01-04T09:35:00.001-05:00

We got to spend two weeks with our families in Utah over Christmas. We couldn't get enough of holding baby Grey, who was blessed the first Sunday we were there. He is the sweetest thing ever.

We spent two days in Ely, Nevada, where we relaxed, went on long walks, and drove tractors. It was fabulous.

Christmas came and we were so grateful to be surrounded by our wonderful family. Matthew and Anna were so excited by everything and we loved watching them enjoy themselves.

It was great to see cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends that we haven't seen for a long time. Our kids only begged to come home a few times when they got too overwhelmed, Joseph got a little bit of studying done (for the boards which he takes next week!), and our families didn't complain about all the time and space we were taking up - so I'd say it was a success! :)

We had a wonderful time. Now we are looking forward to 2012 - graduation, moving, kindergarten and more!

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

2011-12-13T07:17:00.008-05:00

The best Christmas present this year is that we get to be with our families! Since we won't be in New York, we didn't want to get a real tree that would die while we are gone. So we came up with this stick tree idea, which I love. The kids had fun gathering the sticks at the park and hanging the little ornaments.

We've been unwrapping and reading a Christmas book every night before bed, and got new Christmas pajamas last night. Our countdowns are getting shorter and I'm finishing up the last few handmade gifts and shopping trips. Merry Christmas everyone!

Grateful

2011-11-28T14:15:00.000-05:00

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving, spent with a great group of friends and amazing food. I don't think I've ever been so stuffed to the brim. We loved spending time as a family over the long weekend. We are decorating our home for Christmas tonight, and I'm really excited to start working on Christmas presents and new holiday traditions.

This big guy has been wandering around our neighborhood for the last week or so. The kids think it is the greatest thing ever.

Lately

2011-11-19T18:28:00.000-05:00

My little sister had a baby. They named him Grey. He is darling and I can't wait to see him and hold him when we go home for Christmas!

We've had beautiful fall weather here (besides one crazy snowstorm) and we have been enjoying the lovely colors. We gathered some leaves this week and hung them up all around our house.

And we got word from the Air Force that Joseph was accepted to their residency program and we will spend a year living in northern Texas starting next August! We are excited and grateful and are looking forward to this next adventure.

Bats

2011-10-31T22:28:00.008-04:00

My little bats had a very happy Halloween. They've never seen so much candy, and they were loving it. I made their wings using this picture as inspiration. Matthew wants to wear them constantly.

We did some trick-or-treating at the mall and they were very happy with the results of their hard work.

Run Fast... or Else!

2011-10-24T12:31:00.005-04:00

Last Saturday I ran in the Sleepy Hollow 10k race. I love Sleepy Hollow (we've been there twice before), but I don't necessarily love the hills in Sleepy Hollow. The race course was so hilly that I almost dreaded turning a corner just to see another hill in front of me. But it was awesome and I finished the tough 6.2 miles in 1:01:42.

A few of our friends ran it as well, so afterwards we all walked around the cemetery and the Old Dutch Church and enjoyed the beautiful fall colors and festive decorations. It was lovely and I think we all had a great day!

These Days

2011-10-12T11:06:00.003-04:00

Matthew wishes he was an animal, any animal, instead of a boy. He writes his name all by himself and counts everything he sees and actually sings the songs in Primary! He is growing up before my eyes.

Anna likes things to be her idea. She sleeps with a crib full of books and stuffed animals, wants to help with everything, and just might potty train herself. She is still itty bitty, but she's acting so old.

Joseph is going to miss his more relaxed 4th-year schedule now that he has started studying for boards and licensing exams. He turned in his application and requests for placement after graduation, and we'll find out where we are moving next sometime in March.

I'm putting together my first primary program and training for a 10k race next weekend. I drove (and parked!) in Manhattan all by myself last week and I kind of learned how to curl my hair with a curling iron.

So Much Sewing

2011-09-27T19:24:00.013-04:00

I have been sitting at my sewing machine during every minute of spare time I've had for the last few weeks. The outcome this time was a bunch of fall and winter clothes for the kids. I'm happy with how things turned out and I love seeing the kids in these clothes. Here are a few of my favorites:

Long sleeve t-shirts, fun tops, dresses made from pretty floral scraps, and a button up cardigan. Matthew got a couple pairs of pants. And I even made a few things for myself. Only Joseph was left out, but I'm not sure I can tackle menswear just yet. :)

(I really don't know how to use Joseph's fancy camera, so that is why the lighting is off in most of these pictures.)

I love to sew, and wish I could do it all the time. But I am taking a break for a bit to spend time on other things. At least until I start working on Halloween costumes...

US Open

2011-09-13T06:27:00.000-04:00

My sis, Robin, flew in to join us the day after we got back from Palmyra. That night we went to the US Open!!!!! I've been watching and playing tennis since I was young, and it was awesome to actually be there in the stadium! We saw Djokovic play, who ended up winning the whole tournament. It was super cool and we had such a fun time.

Besides shopping and sightseeing and bike riding in the city, we also spent a day at the beach. And we ate at Vanessa's Dumpling House, of course. Delicious.

It is always hard to have family leave, but we did so many awesome things and had such a great time while they were here that it was hard to be too sad. We loved every minute with them!

Palmyra & Niagara Falls

2011-09-12T08:27:00.007-04:00

My parents came to visit and we all squished into our car and drove up to Palmyra, NY. We stayed at a campground just outside of Palmyra. It was lovely to drive through upstate New York and see the pretty scenery.

The Sacred Grove was such a special place. It was kind of surreal to actually be there, and it was humbling to think of what happened there. You could feel the Spirit right when you walked in, and it was neat to teach Matthew all about Joseph Smith's vision.

We also saw the Smith home and the beautiful Hill Cumorah.

We toured the print shop where the Book of Mormon was published, and visited the Palmyra Temple. The temple was absolutely beautiful, inside and out. You can see the Sacred Grove through one of the windows.

On one of the days we took a quick trip up to Niagara Falls. We rode the Maid of the Mist boat to the bottom of the falls and it was incredible to see and hear the power of the water. We got soaked! The falls were beautiful and it was so cool to see them in person.

I'm so glad we made this trip and that my parents could come along! It was wonderful to get out of the city and see such beautiful places.

So Far, So Good

2011-09-05T13:51:00.006-04:00

Our August was just about as good as it could get. It started out with Anna's birthday and our anniversary Yankees game. We made a trip to Central Park, and lots of trips to the beach (I have a tan for the first time in years). Some friends and I ran into a star from Project Runway while checking out Mood fabric in Manhattan. That store is amazing and I want to live there.

Joseph celebrated his 30th birthday and is feeling old. Matthew absolutely loved the Museum of Natural History and we loved watching him take it all in. We survived an earthquake and a scary hurricane. We took the ferry over to Governor's Island and played miniature golf and rode bikes around the island (one of my most favorite experiences of all time).

And to top it all off, my parents came to visit and we spent a few days in upstate NY. I'll share the pictures from that trip soon. August was wonderful and was the perfect end to the summer.

NY Yankees

2011-08-14T15:28:00.005-04:00

Joseph and I went to a Yankees game last weekend to celebrate our 7th anniversary! I've been wanting to go to a game for so long, and I was so excited about it! The stadium is HUGE and our seats were pretty high up, but I thought it was awesome. The weather couldn't have been better and we had a blast watching the game and talking. The Yankees lost, but it was still a great night.

I gave Joseph a USU Aggies baseball hat for our wedding present, and this year I gave him a NY Yankees hat for our anniversary. Kind of fun. Go Yankees!!

2

2011-08-08T13:16:00.008-04:00

Anna turned two last week! She got her first real doll, which she has been playing with and sleeping with ever since. We had cake at a friend's house, played at the playground and went on a long walk.

We love all 21 pounds of her so much! She is so much like Matthew, but has her own little spunk that makes her so fun. She can talk so well and really loves to be outside. It was a fun day and we really love our best little girl!!

The List

2011-07-23T14:17:00.006-04:00

I knew I did not want to be left with a really long "to do in New York" list for our last year here. We really tried to spread it out and experience a lot of things during the first couple of years. And we did pretty well: we've seen the museums, all the popular tourist spots, traveled to Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington D.C., been to a handful of Broadway shows, and walked through Manhattan countless times.

But, I still have a list of things we'd like to do before we leave next Summer. Who knows if we'll do them all, but we'll hopefully be able to cross some of these off the list:

1. Visit Palmyra and Niagara Falls
2. Go to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
3. See a NY Yankees game

4. Go to the top of the Rockefeller Building

5. See some US Open tennis matches
6. See more of Long Island and upstate NY
7. Ride in a taxi

There are more items on the list, like places to eat and neighborhoods/areas to check out, but these are the big ones. And actually, I'd rather spend our last year here doing our favorite things and spending time with our friends rather than running around checking stuff off a list.

If anyone wants to come visit and help us do some of these things, you are more than welcome. :) And if anyone has any suggestions of their favorite NYC places that we should try, let me know!

(top two pictures by sis Robin)

Tourists

2011-07-11T19:16:00.005-04:00

I don't know how many times I've led family and friends around Manhattan, showing them our favorite places and checking out new places we've never been. And even though we've lived here for three years, I still feel like a tourist when I pull out my map to find the nearest subway station or have my camera out snapping pictures of anything and everything. I don't think I'll ever get tired of taking pictures of the Statue of Liberty no matter how many times we pass by it on the ferry. It never gets old.

I love that when visitors come I have a reason to pack up the kids and spend a day in the city. Even though it is not always easy, it is nice to get out and explore. Joseph's sister, Mary, came to visit last week and we did lots of fun things.

We walked along the Highline parkway in Chelsea, crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, played at the Rainbow playground, spent the 4th of July at the beach, and visited the Museum of Natural History.

She was a great guest and we had such a fun time with her!

Best of June

2011-06-27T13:30:00.004-04:00

June is my favorite month, and we've had a pretty great June so far. Beach trips, my 27th birthday, Father's Day BBQ, walks at the park, and beautiful (but quite humid) weather.

Next up we've got some visitors, swimming lessons, soccer clinic, and summer cleaning. Joseph starts his 4th and last year of dental school this week, and we are looking forward to spending a little more time with him now that he will just be working in the clinic for the summer.

Two Thousand Miles From Here

2011-06-14T13:26:00.009-04:00

Matthew, Anna, and I spent the last couple of weeks in Utah. We had such a fun time playing with cousins, going on walks, eating good food, shopping, and spending time with our wonderful family and friends. The kids were angels on the plane rides, spent as much time as they could outside, and missed their dad like crazy.

It was great to be there, and now it is great to be back home.

The Good and The Bad

2011-05-28T12:50:00.000-04:00

GOOD: Surprising Katie with a final Girl's Night Out in Manhattan. We ate delicious food and dessert at Max Brenner and ended the night singing karaoke at the top of our lungs. It was so so fun.
BAD: Having to watch our great friends pack up and move yesterday. The kids soaked up every last minute of play time together and I tried to not be too emotional. :) We'll miss them every day.

GOOD: We get to go to Utah this week! I can't wait to see family & friends that we haven't seen for a long time. We are really looking forward to the vacation!
BAD: Joseph gets no break from school until August, so I am taking the kids on the red-eye flights all by myself. Yikes.

May Showers

2011-05-21T15:46:00.001-04:00

It is not fun to look at the 10-day forecast and see rain clouds on every single day. But thankfully the weather man is not always right, and we've had some beautiful spring days mixed in. On the few non-rainy days we've had this month, we've been outside playing with sidewalk chalk and having BBQs.

Mother's Day was beautiful and I'm so thankful for these two little redheads. Our Relief Society presidency is being released, and I'm so grateful I could serve with these wonderful women. Robin & friends came to visit for a few days and I'm so glad they could come and spend some time with us. May has been pretty good despite the rain. And the grass sure is green!

A Little Bit Big

2011-05-05T13:47:00.005-04:00

Matthew turned four this week. In his own words, he is now "a little bit big, and a little bit small". He is absolutely in love with any and every animal, and is particularly fond of those that are nocturnal. Bats are one of his favorite things right now, so he requested a bat cake. It turned out ginormous and delicious, and he loved it.

For his gift we got him a fish tank and then we took him to the pet store to pick out two fish. He was so excited, and he held the fish on his lap all the way home. He named them Foxy and Monkey, and he has only scared them half-to-death a couple of times. He loves to feed them and try to make them swim really fast. (but we don't let him do too much of either, don't worry.)

We love our boy so much and hope he had a wonderful birthday! To me, he seems a lot more big and a lot less small.

Central Park

2011-04-30T07:47:00.001-04:00

Joseph gets a Friday off of school every so often, so yesterday we got to spend some time together in Central Park. The kids loved climbing on the giant rocks and running around barefoot. I could have stayed there all day.

I'm a Mother Runner

2011-04-20T20:49:00.001-04:00

My friend Lizzie asked me to share my running experience on her blog, The Mother Runner. So if you'd like to read about how I got started running, and more details about the two races I've done, you can go there to check it out! Here is Part 1 and Part 2. Lizzie is a clever writer, an incredible runner, and an insightful mother and her blog is one of my favorites! Even if you are not a runner, you might appreciate her healthy recipes and thoughts on life.

We've been sick sick sick here at our house for the last few weeks, but I have still been able to go out running a handful of times. Going running with Joseph while he pushes the double stroller is one of my favorite things to do as a family now!

And, a couple of my recent favorite pictures of the kids:

Springing

2011-04-13T14:15:00.001-04:00

Joseph warned me a few days ago that he has a busy month ahead of him in school. Lots of late nights, tests, and studying. Not fun, but I don't mind it too much when the weather is warm and when I have sewing projects and American Idol to keep me busy at night.

Hopefully I'll be a little more adventurous this spring and summer and I'll take the kids around to new places and try some new things. Anna has started talking in the last few weeks, and Matthew hasn't stopped talking about bats (his current obsession) for the last few weeks. We are all looking forward to lots of playtime and sunshine.

P.S. Our friends and the best-upstairs-neighbors-in-the-world are leaving us at the end of May. We are so sad to see them go! We would absolutely love to have friends or a good family move into their apartment, so I thought I'd spread the word. Here is a link to some pictures of their apartment on their blog. It is an awesome apartment and such a great location here in Staten Island. So, if you know somebody that knows somebody that knows somebody who is moving to NYC, we'd love to talk them in to moving in upstairs! :)

One Step at a Time

2011-03-28T19:28:00.000-04:00

The National Half-Marathon was last Saturday in Washington DC. After a meager 9 weeks of training I had low expectations and no idea what it was going to be like. Last month I didn't even know if I'd be able to run in the race due to a knee injury that kept me from running for two weeks. But I trained as well as I could and was excited to see what I could do.

It was a cold morning, and we were all bundled up and shivering until we started to warm up a few miles into the race. Running down the streets of Washington DC with thousands of other people was so exciting, and the spectators on the sidelines made the race so much fun! I had a huge smile on my face and I loved every minute of it. I was pleasantly surprised that it was easier than I expected. I was not panting too hard at the top of the large hill at mile 6, and I had plenty of energy to laugh and talk during mile 9. But I hit a wall at 11.5 miles and felt like I couldn't go another step. Katie stayed by my side and pushed me through it and we just kept running and running and running. The last half mile to the finish line seemed longer than the whole race, and I was giving it my all to keep a good pace and finish strong.

When I crossed the finish line at 2:19:54 I was shocked! I couldn't believe I had run the whole 13.1 miles, and run it that fast! (fast is a relative term - fast for me is very, very slow for other people:) My goal finish time was somewhere between 2:30 and 2:45, so I was amazed to see that I had beat it by so much. It felt great to know that I gave it everything I had and I had no regrets.

I could not have done this race without my friends. Katie was our leader and my trainer, and she stayed with me every step of the way, urging me on and helping me keep moving and do my best. She is the reason I had such a great experience. Christy was a beginning runner like me, but she shocked us all with her endurance and speed. Natalie inspired me with her intense training and ability to push herself. Oh, and Katie had a baby three months ago. Amazing.

It was an incredible experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Maybe I will do it again sometime. I definitely learned that we are capable of a lot more than we think we are, and sometimes it is fun to do something you didn't think you would ever do!

Break for Spring

2011-03-21T08:47:00.003-04:00

One good thing about still being in school is getting a spring break! Joseph had last week off, and we decided to stay close to home and enjoy some things in the city.

We loved the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, and had a great time walking around the South Street Seaport in Manhattan. Joseph and Matthew went to a movie, and I ran 10 miles and stopped in for jury duty.

Joseph is back at school today, and it is raining like crazy outside. I've got final preparations to make for the big race this weekend (yikes!) and lots of housework to catch up on. But the kids slept in this morning, so that is a good sign that we used our spring break to the fullest!

Best of Friends

2011-03-02T13:24:00.003-05:00

Little Anna puts up with quite a bit of roughhousing from her brother. But much of the time, they are the best of friends.

Race Me

2011-02-13T21:39:00.004-05:00

I ran my first race this weekend! Some friends and I ran the Cupid's Chase 5K in Manhattan on Saturday morning. It was a brisk 30 degrees, there was ice on the course, and I was super nervous. But I survived, and although I didn't quite reach my ultimate goal, I set a personal record and had a really great time!

Now that my first race is out of the way, I can focus on the bigger running events in my near future. Such as running the half-marathon in Washington D.C. at the end of March!!! I've been training for a few weeks now, and although at times it still seems very daunting, I'm feeling good about it and I'm really excited! I've got some great friends to run with, some fabulous new running shoes, and the incredible race course to keep me motivated. It is going to be awesome, if I don't die first.... :)

Hello February, Hello Running Shoes

2011-02-02T17:36:00.001-05:00

• We put up some heart decorations (idea from here) to celebrate the new month. We have had a crazy winter so far, with multiple storms leaving more than 15 inches of snow each time. Today we got freezing rain that left a coat of ice over everything. I don't think the 6-foot pile of snow in our front yard is ever going to melt.
• Thanks to my awesome friend upstairs, I started running. I'm not a "runner" yet, but I have been going running quite a bit and I really like it. I've set some ~~crazy~~ lofty goals for myself in the next two months, so I'll keep you updated...
• Anna is 18 months old now! She doesn't talk much, she doesn't love nursery much, and she is still pretty small. But she is funny and opinionated and loves to be cuddled and copies everything that Matthew does, down to the way he holds his markers when they are coloring.

Christmas Trip

2011-01-09T16:31:00.000-05:00

On Christmas Eve, we packed up our presents and food and headed to Pennsylvania with some friends, where we stayed for a week (and thankfully missed the blizzard in NYC that left Staten Island with 18 inches)! It was a super fun little Christmas trip!

fun things: skiing on Christmas day • eating so much food we could burst • matching pajama pants for each family • the guys making Christmas breakfast • swimming in the huge jacuzzi bathtub • watching the kids play and play with each other and their new toys • spontaneous ear piercing on a trip to the outlet mall (I felt like a nervous 12 year old girl, but I love them!) • bowling - and not doing very well • wearing matching yellow sweaters • hilarious "just dance 2" on the wii at night • swimming and sliding at the resort water park • playing card games and board games • laughing all the time •

I'll keep saying this again and again, but having good friends makes being so far away from family so much easier.

Gifts

2011-01-03T13:32:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! We spent a week with friends at a resort in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. We ate way too much food and had a lot of fun. I'll post pictures soon.

But first, I thought I'd share some of my favorite things I made for friends and family this Christmas. I had so much fun making all of these things, and in some cases I made a second to keep for myself because I loved them so much!

Top to bottom: felt bird ornaments, rose barrettes, skirt for sister, a tie for my dad, Christmas tree garland, bean bag animals, nyc felt ornaments, shirt for sister

It got just a little bit crazy at times, so I think I'll have to start sewing earlier next year if I plan to make this many gifts again! :)

This Christmas

2010-12-15T12:50:00.000-05:00

This will be our third Christmas we've spent far, far away from our families in Utah. But we are slowly creating our own traditions and we really enjoy the relaxing time together. We'll get to spend Christmas nearby with good friends this year, and we are looking forward to a fun little trip of skiing and swimming and playing.

The tree is decorated and redecorated daily. I love our Christmas tree this year, and I love that Matthew helped me decorate it. I have to smile when I look at it and see two or three ornaments on the same branch.

Packages and presents are in the mail on their way to family. And one good thing about being far away from family is that we get a lot of mail and Christmas packages! The kids get so excited every time they see a big box at our door!

Christmas shopping is not done, but almost. The sewing machine is probably going to need a loooong break after Christmas because I have been sewing day and night. I've had so much fun sewing tons of presents. And, of course, lots of oranges and Christmas goodies are being eaten.

Christmas cards are sent out. This year went by so quickly when I look at it this way:

Matthew is finally starting to figure out Christmas and he absolutely loves anything to do with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. We've had fun counting down the days with our advent calendar, and reading tons of Christmas books from the library. There has been no real snow for us yet, but I'm sure it is on it's way. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to everyone!

Letter Wall

2010-12-09T08:39:00.003-05:00

We have a wall of letters at our house. Each week we choose a new letter to learn about, and it directs our crafts, activities, FHE lessons, and discussions for the week. Matthew has really enjoyed it, and he can probably list off at least five animals for each letter! We are almost halfway through the alphabet, and some weeks we stick to it better than others, but I think it is doing some good!

S is for snowflake, P is for pig, B is for balloon ... etc.

Thanks

2010-11-27T16:54:00.000-05:00

We had a fun Thanksgiving dinner with a couple of Joseph's classmates and their families. The food was really good and we had fun talking and playing games and looking at their cute babies.

A favorite tradition is our "Night After Thanksgiving" event on Friday night when we watch a movie and enjoy leftovers and tons of other snacks. Matthew got to stay up late this year and join us and it was so much fun. We've really enjoyed the long weekend together! Happy Holidays!

Last But Not Least

2010-11-08T13:15:00.000-05:00

Joseph's parents came to visit for a few days last week. They are always so good to us, and are so easy to have around. They helped with the kids and the housework and the grocery shopping, but still had a little time to themselves to travel through Brooklyn and Long Island.

We've had so many visitors this last month that it has just flown by! We had a lot of fun seeing all of the family members that traveled so far to be with us. Now it is back to our normal schedules, normal nap times, and making plans for the holidays!

Fall with the Family

2010-11-04T20:40:00.004-04:00

Robin, Megan & Kyle came to visit in October and we had a wonderful time. Here is some of what we did and learned:

1. Taking two kids, two strollers, and a few blankets and bags and purses on the bus, ferry, and subway is not easy - even with four adults.
2. A restaurant entirely devoted to variations of macaroni and cheese is a very good thing.
3. Paying only $11 for enough Chinese food to feed four adults is definitely worth two trips in three days. Especially because it was delicious.

4. When walking around the city, comfortable shoes are only a necessity if you don't want your heels, toes, and arches to be in pain. Otherwise, cute, but impractical, shoes are better. :)
5. Searching for shells and crabs on the beach makes for a perfect afternoon. And walking around a lake and seeing the pretty fall colors is the perfect thing to do on a sunny morning.
6. Shopping with sisters is so much better than shopping by yourself.

7. Anna's hair is finally long enough to put in pigtails and it makes her look like a little girl instead of a baby.
8. If you stand too close to a street performer's act you just might get pulled into the middle of it.
9. My sisters and brother-in-law are seriously the best, although I already knew that before this trip.

Monkey Matthew & Banana Anna

2010-10-31T16:31:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween!

School Days

2010-10-12T09:15:00.006-04:00

Joseph and I are trying to think up ways to get Matthew and Anna into Princeton University...

Okay, not really. But we went on a day trip there with some friends last weekend and fell in love with the beautiful campus. The buildings were incredible and the campus grounds were full of studying students, outdoor dance classes, and lots of squirrels.

We really enjoyed strolling around with our friends and soaking up the beautiful fall weather. And it made me miss our favorite USU campus and living in a small college town.

Anna looks like she'd fit right in, don't you think? Maybe in 17 years.

No Time To Rest

2010-10-06T13:57:00.007-04:00

Joseph's sister Sarah and her husband Justin came to town last week. I hate to say it, but I think that they did more here in a week than we have done in over two years. They did a bus tour, went to the top of the Rockefeller Building, visited the Met and the Natural History Museums, and lots more. Luckily we got to tag along with them for a few days on the weekend.

We saw Wicked on Broadway and it was absolutely fantastic. We loved every minute of it and have been humming the songs ever since. We visited Katz's Deli and had amazing pastrami sandwiches, and weaved our way through Canal Street to find treasures to take home to their kids.

We waited in line for over an hour at Grimaldi's, but it was worth it to be able to eat that delicious pizza while overlooking the water and the city skyline.

We went to the beach and to the park and lots of other places in between. We loved having them here and are so glad they liked NYC!

First Day of Fall

2010-09-22T08:17:00.002-04:00

The last few weeks have been pretty great as we have been getting back into the swing of things here at home. The weather has been absolutely perfect for going on walks, having picnics at the park, and hanging out at the beach. Joseph hasn't been too busy with school yet (oh, and he passed the boards!! yea!), I've been sewing during every free minute I can find, and the kids are soaking up every second of outside play time.

Happy first day of Fall!

Just Like That

2010-09-06T20:09:00.008-04:00

...our month-long trip to Utah has come to an end and we are back home in NYC. We filled our days with sprinklers, sidewalk chalk, parks, animals, softball, walks, and family. It was the perfect amount of time to see and do everything we wanted and get refreshed and ready for the new school year.

Anna came back a different girl than when we left: she's now walking, talking, and letting us know her opinion about things. Matthew was a good sport to be carted around to new places and new beds all the time. Joseph took his dental boards test and got a few days to relax and not think about school.

We had a fabulous time and are now looking forward to a beautiful fall in New York, and a handful of visitors coming in the next few weeks.

On The Farm

2010-08-16T09:32:00.002-04:00

Soon after we arrived at my parent's house Matthew asked if it was a farm. I guess to a city boy a white fence wrapped around the porch, a wooden gate to the backyard, lots of grass, and a big garden equals a farm. We have been doing lots of digging, riding ponies, playing in tents, and watering the garden, so I can see why he might be confused. :)

It has been great to get together with family and friends and be able to relax just a little bit. Anna has been taking a few steps on her own and will be walking all over the place pretty soon.

We can't wait for Joseph to join us out here next week. He's been studying hard and we've been missing him!

Golden Birthday

2010-08-02T14:09:00.007-04:00

Anna turned 1 on August 1. This last year has been wonderful with her as a part of our family. Ever since his birthday, Matthew thinks that everyone turns three and gets a duck cake on their birthday. So we indulged him and Anna ended up with a pink duck cake, which she loved.

Anna is such a happy little girl and we just love her to pieces. She and Matthew are best friends, and she is my little sidekick and shadow.

We think it is about time that all of her uncles, aunts, cousins, and great-grandparents in Utah finally meet her, so that is what we are heading out to do this month. I think they'll all love her just as much as we do. Happiest birthday to our best girl!

Red

2010-07-22T08:08:00.004-04:00

I love this picture that a friend took of us at the beach a couple of months ago because it shows off just how red our kids' hair is.

I get asked where their red hair came from almost every time I go out. I believe it is thanks to my great grandma, Ethel Elizabeth, who I hear had beautiful red hair. My mom just sent me this picture of Ethel and my grandmother, Barbara. Lovely. Can't you just imagine how pretty she was with her red hair?

I never thought I'd have two redheads, but we sure love them!

Our Home: Bedroom

2010-07-16T09:35:00.002-04:00

It has been a year since we moved here, but I just barely finished getting our home put together the way I want it! Slow and steady, I guess.

Joseph spent hours turning this $20 Craigslist desk and free chair from the side of the road into this beautiful new sewing desk and chair! It is my favorite thing in the whole house!

My other favorite things are the black & white family pictures throughout the room, my striped sewing machine cover, the beach picture Robin took in California hanging over our bed, and my guitar hanging on the wall (hopefully tempting me enough to actually play it more often...).

I don't claim to be any type of interior decorator or designer, but I do love decorating my own house. Since I'm home everyday, almost all day, I enjoy filling it with things that I think are pretty!

J&S

2010-07-09T07:46:00.010-04:00

Joseph's brother, James, and his wife, Sarah, came to visit us last week! We hadn't seen them in over a year, and they had never met Anna, so it was a great visit.

They went to the Met, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, ate pizza at Grimaldi's, and saw Wicked on Broadway.

We all went to a Staten Island Yankees Game, had a BBQ, went to Coney Island beach, went on walks, and played and played with the kids.

It was really fun to have them here and to be able to spend some down time just relaxing and chatting with them. They were wonderful visitors and we are so glad they could come!

Boston

2010-06-29T15:22:00.006-04:00

We took a quick trip to Boston last weekend. We stopped in New Haven, Connecticut on our way and visited the beautiful Yale University campus.

In Boston, we spent a full day walking along the Freedom Trail that took us through historic areas and past places like Paul Revere's home and grave site, the Massachusetts State House, the USS Constitution ship, and the Boston Massacre site. We loved following that red brick line all through the city.

We really loved Boston, and enjoyed crossing another city off of our list of places to see. And of course we had fun just hanging out together.

Me & Him

2010-06-20T20:13:00.003-04:00

I love that my birthday falls on or around Father's Day every year. I turned 26 on Thursday, and it was a really great day. Even though we went about our basic daily routine like usual, it was nice to have a little something special to celebrate. And nothing beats a pizza picnic in the backyard.

It was Joseph's turn today, and even though his gifts will probably get returned or exchanged, I think it was a successful Father's Day. :) We love him.

Little Clothes

2010-06-15T16:05:00.007-04:00

Much like last summer, I have been busy making clothes for Anna. This time, though, they are not quite as tiny since she is almost a year old! I've really enjoyed making up my own patterns, learning new techniques (shirring is awesome!), and reusing my old dresses or shirts to make things for her.

And it is so nice that she will happily wear anything I put her in. :) It is fun having a girl.

Halfway

2010-05-25T18:46:00.002-04:00

Joseph finished up his second year of dental school yesterday! Just two more to go! He starts in the clinic tomorrow, so we spent his one-day break at the beach today.

Come and Gone

2010-05-17T13:12:00.006-04:00

My parents came for a visit a couple of weeks ago! It had been way too long since we'd seen them, so we had lots of talking, cuddling, and playing to catch up on. No time was wasted.

We went to the Manhattan temple, my dad spent a day riding a bike around the five boroughs of NYC, and we took a day-trip to Philadelphia.

It was terrific to have them here for Matthew's birthday and for Mother's Day. Perfect timing.

We love to see how much they love our kids. I'm sure it is hard to have their only grandkids over 2,000 miles away, so they love every second they get to spend with them. We had such a great time with them here, and can't wait until the end of the summer when we'll be together again!

3

2010-05-11T13:46:00.007-04:00

Matthew is three! He is in love with ducks, so naturally he got two new ducks, duck shaped french toast, a duck birthday cake, and all his ducks (that I could find...) attending his little party! My parents were here for his birthday and we all had a great day together.

He is our best little boy, and we love him so much! Happy Birthday M!

Good Days

2010-04-28T14:23:00.004-04:00

picnics in the backyard, sewing projects, grandparents coming to visit in a few days, spring cleaning, and birthday planning for the boy

Brooklyn Bridge

2010-04-16T14:25:00.005-04:00

Sometimes I almost forget that we live in NYC, especially since we now live in the more suburban Staten Island. But when we get to do things like walk across the Brooklyn Bridge for our weekly playgroup, I remember how cool it is that we live here! Here are a few of my favorite shots we've taken of the Brooklyn Bridge.

all the large size pictures were taken by sis Robin

April

2010-04-05T09:53:00.005-04:00

We've had a wonderful April so far. It was a very happy Easter, with beautiful weather, picnics, coloring eggs, General Conference, and handmade rag dolls for the kids from the Easter Bunny.

All the snow is gone and it has been in the 70s a few times already. We love having our own backyard to play in and explore. Joseph is in the middle of his busiest semester ever, Anna is in the middle of learning how to crawl, Matthew is in the middle of potty training, and I am in the middle of it all. Happy Spring!

Our Home: Kid Room

2010-03-26T08:26:00.007-04:00

I just finished putting together the kid's bedroom. We moved Anna in with Matthew a couple of months ago, so it has been fun seeing them share this space.

I bought these printable number and alphabet cards to hang on the walls. If you look close enough you will see that their names are spelled out with the cards in the frames. I love that it is personalized, but not too obvious.

I made their blankets using this technique from Katie (who is one of the most talented people I know) and I appliqued their names on the back just for fun.

Next (and last!) task: our bedroom!

Spring Break: Washington DC

2010-03-05T14:36:00.008-05:00

We spent some time in Washington DC last week during Joseph's spring break. We stayed with Joseph's aunt & uncle in Virginia. The weather wasn't the best, but the sights, food, and company were wonderful.

: national archives - where the declaration of independence and constitution are kept :
: smithsonian museum of natural history :

: arlington national cemetery : the vietnam memorial :

: washington monument : lincoln memorial :

: the white house :

: the capitol :

We only scratched the surface of the things we would like to see in Washington DC, but what we did see we loved. It was a beautiful city and you can't help but feel an increase in gratitude and loyalty toward our great country and its founders after you visit.

Outside & Inside

2010-02-11T12:51:00.003-05:00

Outside: over a foot of snow and our car is completely covered

Inside: staying warm and having fun

Making It Through The Winter

2010-01-31T20:58:00.005-05:00

Joseph and I got to go to Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway at the end of December. We always enjoy a night in the city on our own, especially when we know the kids are at home and asleep! It was a cute show and we had a good time.
Anna will be 6 months old tomorrow! She rolls over and scoots around in circles, eats carrots and avocados, squeals and squawks all the time, loves her brother who can make her laugh like crazy, and is a very sweet baby.
I had a fun "Girls Night Out" in Manhattan with some of the girls in our ward. Mmmmmm, Rice to Riches is yummy.
Matthew is always busy with his train sets, dinosaurs, and rubber ducks - when he's not hiding in the cupboards or running around in circles. He's a great boy.

M&K

2010-01-14T11:47:00.000-05:00

Sis Megan & brother-in-law Kyle came to NYC for a visit last week. We hadn't seen them since the day they got married last June, so we were really excited! They had big plans for hanging out in the city, and I got to tag along with them a little bit.

Matthew loved having "the guys" here, and it was fun to have them meet Anna for the first time. We ate at a super nice Mexican restaurant, fed the ducks in the FREEZING cold, visited the pet store at the mall, and laughed a lot. We love them so much and miss them already!

Our Home: Office/Guest Room

2010-01-06T12:24:00.001-05:00

We finally finished putting our office/guest room all together. It is a tiny room with a big couch and a big desk, but I think we were able to organize it well enough to not look too cluttered.

My favorites are the animal print fabric I got on eBay, the magazine files to hold all of Joseph's school stuff, the shoe rack to hold all of our supplies, and the mouse pad that I covered with cute fabric. Now it is all ready for our next visitors that are coming tomorrow!

Next task: the kids' room!

Merry Merry

2009-12-27T15:26:00.006-05:00

new pajamas on christmas eve

our traditional chinese take-out for christmas eve dinner
(started the first year we were married when i didn't know what to make for christmas eve dinner...)

matthew in action on christmas morning (my mom made that awesome snake)

We had a wonderful little Christmas together. Lots of family time, homemade presents, treats, packages in the mail, toys, wrapping paper, movies, and smiles. It is amazing how fast it comes and goes! Hope you all had a merry merry Christmas!

Christmas Storm

2009-12-20T10:53:00.006-05:00

Did you hear about the winter storm warning for the east coast? We got about 8 inches or so out of it. Church is canceled today and everyone is busy plowing and shoveling. As Matthew watched Joseph shovel the sidewalk outside he said "Thanks for cutting the snow ground, Daddy."

This is actually Matthew's first time really playing in the snow and he loved it! Thankfully Joseph will be home for the next couple of weeks so he can play outside with him. I usually find any excuse I can to not touch the snow all winter!

But this sure does help it feel a little more like Christmas!

Holidays

2009-12-06T19:29:00.004-05:00

We are grateful for good friends that make it a little easier to be far away from home and family during the holidays.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with a great group of friends and lots of delicious food. Now we're looking forward to a relaxing Christmas holiday with a couple weeks off school and our own little family traditions.

Happy December and Happy Holidays!

Our Home: Kitchen

2009-12-01T10:30:00.001-05:00

There wasn't much we could do in here, but I did get our shelves organized and we made a pegboard to hold our keys, pens, paper, and calendar.

I'm loving making our apartment feel more like our own!

Next task: getting the office/guest bedroom ready for our visitors in 10 days!

Sleepy Hollow

2009-11-23T09:50:00.009-05:00

The Allens let us tag along with them to Sleepy Hollow a few weeks ago. It was more colorful than last time we went, and we got to see a little more of the cemetery. It is always nice to get out of the city and enjoy some time as family and friends!

Oh, and I got my hair cut and I love it!

Wanna Take a Trip?

2009-11-19T12:52:00.010-05:00

If you feel like making a spur-of-the-moment decision here you go:

JetBlue tickets from SLC to NYC are only $89 each way if you buy them today! You have to travel between Dec. 2-16 or Jan. 6-28. There are great deals from other places, too. Click here to see the flights.

The Gedge Hotel located in Staten Island is already booked from Dec. 10-14, but we would love to have visitors any other time!

Just so you know....

Our Home: Living Room & Dining Room

2009-11-05T13:25:00.011-05:00

After living here for almost 4 months, we finally hung something on the wall! Moving, having a baby, entertaining lots of visitors, and a very small budget kept us from getting our place decorated for a while. It's definitely simple and inexpensive, but that's how we like it!

I love our NYC picture collage (pictures taken by us and sis Robin) with the satellite map of NYC that Joseph found at his Grandpa's house. I also love the toy storage in the bookshelf, the G that Robin gave to me for my birthday, and the silhouettes of our little family.

Next task: the kitchen.

Dog & Cat

2009-10-31T10:18:00.000-04:00

Matthew loved going trick-or-treating for his first time! He was good at knocking on the door and saying thank you, but he never quite got the hang of saying "trick-or-treat"! He eagerly ran up all the driveways and stairs to knock on the doors, got the candy, and then bounced on to the next house. But by the end I was carrying his heavy pumpkin and his doggy ears, and he was distracted by all the colorful suckers he had been given, so it was slower going. It was a fun Halloween!

October

2009-10-22T13:15:00.011-04:00

Joseph and I got to go to the NYLDSPA Scholarship Banquet in Manhattan a few weeks ago. Elder Richard G. Scott spoke and was presented with an award. It was great to listen to Elder Scott, and to meet people from all over the NYC area. The view from the ferry on our ride home was so cool!

We have had some beautiful fall weather this week. Staten Island is covered in trees, and they are just beginning to turn colors. It is nice to enjoy a few more days outside before the cold really hits.

Oh ya, GO YANKEES!!!!

Sweet

2009-10-10T08:45:00.003-04:00

Visit & Blessing

2009-10-08T09:24:00.006-04:00

Joseph's parents and sister came to visit at the end of September. We loved having them here! They saw "Mary Poppins" on Broadway, we went on walks, and sat around talking and enjoying the kids.

Joseph and his dad made a toddler bed for Matthew. It was a lot of work and they spent a lot of time on it, and it turned out really great!

We were also able to bless Anna while they were here. It was a special day, and we were so glad to have family here for it.

Measured

2009-10-01T10:10:00.002-04:00

One of these is not like the other:

1 week --- 3 weeks

4 weeks --- 6 weeks
8 weeks --- 2 years & 4 months

Yankees, Ducks & Bed

2009-09-17T13:51:00.002-04:00

We got to go to a Staten Island Yankees baseball game over Labor Day weekend. They are the local minor league baseball team. The stadium overlooks the water and you can see the Manhattan skyline. It was beautiful, and we had lots of fun all together!
Matthew finally figured out how to climb out of his crib, so we've been making the transition to a bed. Last week I didn't think he would ever learn to stay in bed, but it is going pretty well now.
We live a few blocks from a beautiful park with lakes and ducks. We love to go for walks and runs around the lake. Matthew talks about ducks and geese pretty much all day, every day. Those, and his Thomas & Percy trains, are his favorite things right now.

Tiny Clothes

2009-09-12T11:13:00.001-04:00

I've been sewing a lot the past few weeks. It all started when my mom showed up with stacks of beautiful fabric and tiny dress patterns.

We used these free patterns that we found online, and then made up some of our own, too. Most things were a bit too small or a bit too big, but by the end we got it about right. I've had to stop myself from making any more teeny clothes. She's growing fast, so I'll save some fabric for the next bigger size.

Gwa Gwa & Gwamma Visit

2009-08-29T20:26:00.007-04:00

My parents came to visit last week. Matthew calls my mom "Gwa Gwa" and my dad "Gwamma". We had a wonderful time with them here! Dad played and played with Matthew and Mom helped so much with Anna.

We did some fun things in Staten Island and Manhattan, but mostly just enjoyed our time all together at home. We are so glad they could come visit us for a while and we miss them a lot!

Ode to Brooklyn

2009-08-23T15:43:00.002-04:00

our friendly neighborhood subway stop at franklin ave, taken by Robin

The good, the bad, and the curious - what we learned in Brooklyn while living there for a year:

Parallel parking is like a competitive sport. I had probably parallel parked about five times in my whole life before we moved to Brooklyn. But, not only can it not be avoided in NYC, you must also learn how to fit into a space this big. Seriously, I don't know how some people (including Joseph) got into spaces with less than 2 inches on either end of the car. Amazing. And yes, the good spots are coveted and you think of reasons to not use your car for 2 days just so you don't lose your spot.
Street cleaning regulations are a necessary evil. The street where we lived had street cleaning 4 times a week. This meant that we had to be parked on the opposite side of the street during the cleaning time frame, or we had to go out and move our car and search, in vain, for 1.5 hours for a parking spot somewhere close to our apartment that was not going to have to be moved again in an hour for street cleaning. What a bother. But, I admit that if street cleaning was no more, the roads and gutters would be buried in garbage and litter. Joseph and I were floored by the lazy people we saw littering. There are garbage cans on every corner but people would still throw their garbage on the ground 2 feet away from the trash can. I saw people open their car door and put banana peels, wrappers, and cups on the road when they were stopped at a red light. So disrespectful.
People talk to them selves a lot. I think this is hilarious. I've never seen so many people singing, talking, mumbling, yelling, etc. to themselves as they walk down the street. And a lot of times they are normal looking people. I guess you aren't labeled as crazy in Brooklyn if you talk to yourself every once in a while.
Convenience isn't always convenient (for me). NYC is a city for walking and taking public transportation. It is not a car friendly place. So, there are little markets, specialty stores, restaurants, laundromats, etc. on every block and corner so that they are convenient for the people that live close by. But my definition of convenient is a one-stop shopping store with a large parking lot. Reality and my ideals often clashed as I tried to live like I was in Utah while I was living in Brooklyn. I finally started using the copy/fax services in the nearby beauty salon, walking to the post office to buy stamps, and stopping at 2 or 3 different stores on my way home from the subway to get all the ingredients I needed for dinner. Once I stopped resisting the lifestyle things went more smoothly.
Fire truck and police sirens were our bedtime lullaby and morning alarm clock. We lived on the ground floor with our windows facing the road. There was a bus stop right in front of our window. There was a stop light on the corner. There was a lot of traffic. And there were constant sirens. Matthew loved it and would stop what he was doing and look at me every time he heard one. But I soon learned to ignore it and I almost didn't notice them anymore by the time we had lived there for a while. Except for the blasting loud sirens that jolted me out of sleep at 4:00 in the morning and had my heart racing for at least 15 minutes. I never got used to that.
Unsolicited advice is always offered. I should have counted the number of times I was told to put shoes/hat/coat on Matthew. Or told to not let him suck on something. Or told the reason he was crying (did they really think they knew better than his own mom???). It really bothered me at first. And I guess it still bothered me at the end, but I like to think that I didn't let myself get offended. At least for long. Because they were only trying to be helpful, right?
Honking is an automatic response. The light turns green and .012 seconds later three people are honking at you. People drive with their hands on the horn. And even if there is no way you could possibly move forward until the 25 cars in front of you start moving, the people behind you will honk and honk, thinking it will somehow make things move along. Not so. All it does is drive people like me crazy! How impatient can you be??
Walking is good exercise. Obviously. Since I was pretty scared of driving in Brooklyn (absolute madness) I walked almost everywhere I went. The library, the grocery store, the bank, the post office, the park, etc. Time/babysitting permitting, I even walked 45 minutes to my doctor appointments at the hospital over 2 miles away. In my opinion it was so much better than driving in the crazy traffic and trying to find a parking spot. I always felt better after a nice long walk.
Public transportation isn't scary. I actually really enjoy riding the subway. At least, I do when Joseph is with me and can carry the stroller up and down the stairs. But I was more hesitant about taking the bus. I think I had something against buses, and I have always thought they were a little sketchy. But it turns out there was something fun about riding the bus to church and having it fill up with other ward members at every stop, and then all of us piling off at the stop around the corner from our church building. So, when walking was out of the question because of weather or distance, you could find us on the train or the bus. Again, the $2.25 per ride was definitely worth it to me to not have to drive the car!
People put anything and everything out on the curb for garbage day. Things that you would normally have to take to DI or the dump and dispose of yourself were always sitting out on the curb on garbage day. Furniture, clothes, shoes, appliances, you name it. And you can take whatever you want that is sitting on the curb. I found a nice tupperware container once, but that is the only treasure I ever took home with me.

These are just some of my thoughts and observations, and I could be terribly wrong. And of course these things are not limited just to Brooklyn, nor do they always occur in Brooklyn. Everyone's experiences are probably different, and these are just some of mine. Please don't think that I am complaining, either. We really enjoyed our time there, and I came to appreciate and enjoy {most} of these things

We have been in Staten Island for a month now, and we are loving learning the ins and outs of our new home.

Robin

2009-08-18T20:28:00.005-04:00

We had to take Robin to the airport tonight and say our goodbyes, after having her with us for over two months! We are so glad she could stay with us this summer while she did her internship. We are all going to miss her so much!

If you want to see some great pictures check out her daily photo journal of her time here.

Girly

2009-08-13T16:39:00.007-04:00

Robin took some pictures of little Anna when she was 8 days old. She is a very happy and sleepy baby. She just might have my chin, a Gedge nose, and eyes like Matthew. We are enjoying this transition to a family of four.

Baby Anna

2009-08-03T21:06:00.005-04:00

Anna Adelina Gedge

August 1st, 2009
11:00 am
5 pounds 15 ounces
18 3/4 inches

Little sister is here! My water broke at 1:45 am on Saturday morning. Nine hours and only a few pushes later, Anna joined our family. She is so sweet and tiny. Matthew has been great with her. Everything went really well and we are so happy that she is here!

New Place

2009-07-23T09:44:00.004-04:00

Only one box left to unpack! Really!

The move went as smooth as it could have, thanks to a lot of help. Things are not decorated or put away in all the correct places, but we are pretty much settled. We love our new home, neighbors, and neighborhood. Can't beat walking outside and hearing lawn mowers and birds chirping!

Up next: getting ready for little sister to come in less than 3 weeks! We have much to do.

Looks Like

2009-07-15T12:41:00.005-04:00

Our apartment looks like this:

{ saturday is moving day! }

Joseph looks like this:

{ into his second week of the summer semester of his
second year of dental school. yeah! }

I look like this:

{ at 36 weeks. one month to go! }

and Matthew looks like this:

{ yankees fan all the way! }

Happy 4th!

2009-07-03T12:36:00.003-04:00

We went on a ferry ride past the Statue of Liberty early this morning.

Happy 4th of July!

I never wanted to live on an island...

2009-07-01T14:38:00.006-04:00

...because I'm kind of scared of bridges.

But, here we are, moving to Staten Island in a few weeks!

In a kind of whirlwind weekend we talked about moving, looked at an apartment, and decided to move. Our current apartment lease is almost up, and we thought that if we found something better - shorter commute, bigger, closer to a park, cheaper, etc. - we would think about moving. Well, this place had everything we wanted, plus more. We couldn't pass it up!

We feel like it was meant to be, since it kind of just fell into our laps. It is a beautiful, newly renovated home with a yard and a driveway! Staten Island is a lot more residential and suburban than the other boroughs, which (I have come to discover in the last year) is a lot more in my comfort zone. Boy do I miss driveways and parking lots.

We are very sad to leave our ward. We are kind of sad to leave our apartment. We are maybe a teensy bit sad to leave Brooklyn. It has been an interesting year, and we have really enjoyed our time here. But I think Staten Island might suit us better, and I'm excited to start fresh with a new home, new baby, and new school year.

P.S. The Verrazano Bridge is obviously not a rickety-old bridge that will fall into the water anytime soon. That makes me feel better. :) And, I know Brooklyn is technically on an island, too, but somehow it seems different.

No Place Like Home

2009-06-25T11:45:00.002-04:00

We loved celebrating Megan & Kyle's wedding. Meg was a beautiful and gracious bride, and they are so happy together! All the planning and preparation came together and it was a wonderful day.
My cousin's wife, Bethany, took the wedding pictures and they turned out very good. She did a great job, and I'll try to post more of them once they are ready.
I was sick with a cold and flu for the first 5 days we were there! That was definitely not fun, but it was nice to be around family so that Matthew was well taken care of.
Then, Matthew got a bad fever the last 3 days we were there. It is even less fun to have your child get sick!

We got to go to the zoo, play outside A LOT, and enjoy lots of quality time with our families. It is hard to have a limited amount of time to spend with the people you love so much. Matthew enjoyed all the new sights, toys, and attention.
Matthew did pretty well on the plane rides. He slept for a couple hours, and was happy to have his own seat instead of having to sit on our laps.
All too soon we had to leave and come back to our own home... which will soon be our old home since we are moving next month! We will still be in NYC, but it just might feel like a whole new world. I'll share more details later!

25

2009-06-19T09:06:00.009-04:00

We are back in Brooklyn. Robin came back to New York with us and is living with us for the next two months while she does an internship at the Whitney Museum Library. Joseph has two more weeks off before school starts up again. We are having lots of fun!

I turned 25 this week! We went to lunch at the famous Grimaldi's Pizza at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. It was the best pizza we have had here so far! Then we went back home for homemade apple pie and vanilla ice cream. Joseph gave me Broadway tickets for Mother's Day/my birthday, so we left Matthew with Robin and headed into the city. We saw "Jersey Boys" and had a wonderful time. The music was incredible! We strolled through the crowds in Times Square and enjoyed the evening out. It was a great birthday!

p.s. Only 8 more weeks until little sister comes!

Travel

2009-06-01T13:32:00.003-04:00

M at the airport --- the cute couple

We are heading out this week to spend some time in Utah. Joseph is done with school for a little while (yeah!) and we are looking forward to lots of fun and family. We have a long list of things to do and people to visit and wedding preparations to complete and memories to make.

I'm sure Brooklyn will continue on it's crazy pace without us here for a bit.

Beach & Zoo

2009-05-16T11:27:00.007-04:00

We've really been enjoying the nice weather (when it's not raining...) and the winding down of Joseph's semester. We've been to the BBG a few more times, Prospect Park Zoo, and yesterday we took our first trip of the summer to Coney Island beach. I love being able to get out of our normal daily routine and do something different.

Some of my sewing projects are featured here as well. I made Matthew's shorts (both pictures) and my skirt.

And, I'm just over 27 weeks along with the girl. I feel great and can't believe she will be here in 3 months!

2

2009-05-05T08:48:00.006-04:00

Matthew is 2! We had some friends over on Sunday night for cake and ice cream. On Monday we opened presents and played with his new toys.

He is a great little boy and we love being his parents.
Happy Birthday Matthew! We love you!

one, two, three, go!

2009-05-02T10:34:00.003-04:00

Matthew can count to two. Well, he skips one and goes right to two. He counts things by pointing at them and saying "two, two, two". And he can say go. Here he is riding his truck and helping Joseph count.

Lately

2009-04-29T15:32:00.010-04:00

Joseph is busy: finishing up his first year of dental school - only 4 weeks left!
Catlin is busy: sewing, sewing, and sewing! and planning matthew's birthday celebration.
Matthew is busy: playing, throwing tantrums, learning the alphabet, imitating everything we do, and preparing to turn 2 in less than a week!

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

2009-04-18T14:50:00.015-04:00

We live within walking distance of the beautiful Brooklyn Botanic Garden. We have been there a handful of times, and it is always incredible, no matter what season it is. Right now the cherry blossoms are just starting to come out, and the magnolia trees are in full bloom. Here are some pictures from last fall and this spring:

cherry blossoms & magnolia trees

celebrity path with names of famous people from brooklyn

japanese garden

Easter

2009-04-09T20:52:00.003-04:00

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Happy April

2009-04-06T09:37:00.005-04:00

Robin was here for a couple of days last week. We walked around Park Slope, the Upper East Side, and Union Square, and ate at the Shake Shack. We are glad she likes to come and visit us!
Matthew will be 2 in less than a month. He has so much energy and loves to be able to run around. He is hilarious.
I am about 22 weeks along with little sister. I feel great and everything is going really well.
We are so excited that spring is here! We have had some great weather and love to be able to go on walks and play at the park. Joseph is really busy with school, but he still finds some time to teach Matthew how to play ball.

Little Sister

2009-03-24T20:13:00.003-04:00

I had my 20 week ultrasound this afternoon. We found out we are having a girl! We are very exited for Matthew to have a little sister. I think she looks just like Matthew did in his ultrasound pictures. Will she have red hair, too?

Philadelphia

2009-03-20T16:35:00.008-04:00

We spent a few days in Philadelphia this week during Joseph's spring break. We saw so many things and had a wonderful time.

first view of Philadelphia --- Love Park

City Hall --- Benjamin Franklin Memorial in the Franklin Institute (which is awesome!)

Benjamin Franklin's grave site --- Elfreth's Alley (the oldest continually inhabited residential street in the country)

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Washington Square --- Independence Hall

Statue of Rocky outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art (the steps he ran up in the movie) --- Logan Square

George Washington Memorial --- Liberty Bell

The weather was beautiful and the trip was just the right length. I love that we live so close to so many things. Where should we go next?

Musicians

2009-03-12T14:48:00.007-04:00

There are street/subway musicians everywhere in NYC. Most are pretty amateur and don't sound all that super. But we have seen some great performances while waiting for the subway or walking through a park. Here are two of the best we have seen:

My favorite is probably the awesome mariachi band that came onto the subway one day not long after we moved here. {three men in costume with a guitar, upright bass, and harmonica, playing and singing "La Bamba"} Matthew and I had the biggest smiles on our faces - I couldn't believe it was actually happening! It was the best subway ride into Manhattan we have ever had!

Books

2009-03-08T15:58:00.002-04:00

These are the last few books I have read. I enjoyed them all, and would recommend any of them. I spend my time reading at night when Joseph is studying. I love having some time to relax after Matthew is in bed.

I think I'm going to take a little break from reading for the next couple of weeks. There are a lot of other projects, responsibilities, and things to think about that could use some of my attention.

Check out my goodreads link on the sidebar to see what I have read (and how I rate it) during the last couple of years.

Wedding

2009-03-02T10:03:00.003-05:00

Little sis Megan & Kyle are engaged and getting married in June! I'm so excited!