Thursday

Statten Island Ferry - we took this to see the Statue of Liberty. It is free and it leaves every 1/2 hour and you don't get off, so it doesn't take hours - we LOVED it. I have done a Harbor Cruise before, but Spence hadn't seen the Statue up close, so it was a fun thing to do.






Max Brenner - can you say CHOCOLATE? They have a separate Chocolate Menu here and it was SO hard to choose and since Spence just isn't too keen on the stuff, I ordered a chocolate shake. What I really wanted was the Fondue for TWO, but I knew I would eat the whole thing myself so there you go. It was really good and Spence had the Oreo Cookie shake - also very good. A VERY fun place to go visit and see..



Cafe Lalo - made famous on You've Got Mail - we had dessert there with Mike and some friends and it was so good. We didn't get a picture but Mike and Spence had the waffle with cinnamon whip cream, strawberrys and real maple syrup - wow - I would definitely get that again..

I had a lemon angel food cake - super good, but didn't top the waffle. Just ignor the goofy picture - I'm not a model okay:)

Friday - the Last day..

Magnolia Bakery - I have wanted to go here forever - and the cupcakes are good, but I think it is more to do with how famous they are. We got a Red Velvet with Vanilla and Vanilla with Chocolate - they were really moist and we ate them in Rockefeller Square - a great setting...

NBC Studios Tour - okay, this is the one thing I would maybe skip unless you have kids and are wearing thermals. Seriously, it was FREEZING in there. We really didn't even see that much besides the Jimmy Falon set, the Saturday Night Live set, and the NBC Nightly News set. There was a spot that you could go pretend to do the weather and news at a desk and it was ONLY for kids or really weird adults. Anyway, not my favorite, but now I know and so do you..

Jersey Boys - such a great musical but maybe a bit R-rated on the language if you ask me.. It is about Franki Valli and the Four Seasons and has GREAT music. Brent and Mike have a really good friend in it, so after the show, she took us on a tour of the stage and dressing rooms - super fun and interesting. It was their 1500th show!!

Times Square on our last night:( We got a Tasti-D-Lite ice cream - not worth the hype - and headed to the TKTS steps which over look Times Square. It always amazes me how many people are out with kids and just in general out at 11:30pm. I guess I am too Utah-ized..

Here are some things on the "list" that we didn't get pictures of, but we highly recommend:
Patsy's Pizza - such great pizza and pasta
Battery Park - walk around - people watch
Seaport - more walking along the water
Brooklyn Bridge - we did this 2 yrs ago - but you walk over the bridge and eat at Grimaldi's Pizza which is SO yummy
Dylan's Candy Bar - a shop ALL about candy and chocolate - very fun
Subway Metro Card - DO this, it is and excellent way to get around
Top of the Rock - did this 2 yrs ago - great 360 degree view of the city

This was such a great 10-year Anniversary present for both of us. We loved spending our week doing whatever we wanted and sleeping in as late as we wanted. Thanks to my WONDERFUL mom for taking my kids for the week and letting us do this - we love you... And thanks to Brent and Mike for letting us text and call you multiple times!!

10 Years to NYC

Spence and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary (a bit late, but we couldn't go in May) in New York and we are SO excited! I just wanted to post quickly so that if you happened to be watching T.V. this week, you could keep an eye out for us just in case we happen to grace it. Tuesday, we are hitting David Letterman - I know it's a bit late, but that is what Tivo is for right? Wednesday is Regis and Kelly and I am SUPER excited for that! I don't watch the show regularly, but when I do I really enjoy it and I just LOVE Kelly. Friday we are hoping to be at the Today Show where Rascal Flats are having a concert. Anyway, it should be an AMAZING week with AMAZING food and AMAZING entertainment - I will post all of the fun next week!!!

LAGOON - It's Where FUN is (and also where you can wear your TRASHIEST outfit- oh yeah, and don't worry about wearing a BRA with that tank top)

So, we had our ANNUAL Lagoon Day for Spence's work and it was really fun - minus all of the women that were totally going for the "Most Trashy" award! Seriously, it is as bad as going to the Layton Walmart!! Spence thought it would be funny to take pictures of all of the girl's (not a head shot) and post it, but I couldn't think of a way to do it without them seeing - as I am not very sneaky. Anyway, I am not sure if they thought it was attractive, but really, those tanks that are loose and hang low - they NEED a bra underneath! It is not a good look. Besides the general Lagoon attire, fun was had and the kids LOVED it. Kendalyn is finally tall enough to go on EVERY ride and she took full advantage of it too. Grady LOVED the airplanes and the boats and kept saying "boat" and "plane" over and over. Adri loved every ride she went on, and was able to sneak onto the bigger rides when the guy/girl wasn't paying attention (I know, we are not the best examples)! Spence and I were DEAD by 8:30 - I think we might be older than we think we are... Sadly, Kendalyn was always in the opposite location of the camera - so there are NONE of her, but she was there and LOVED it - enjoy the pics!!

Our FIRST picture of the day - we were RARING to go

Our LAST picture - we were SUPER tired

The FAM

Au Revoir

The cast is GONE!! We finally got it off last Friday and it has been a blissful week without that retched thing! The sock thing REALLY helped though - it was just starting to smell and it had been on the same amount of time as the first one - I was so PROUD:) He was so cute about getting it off and getting the x-rays again. He is really still and just stares at everything going on. He was just happy to get his sticker and sucker - whatever it takes I guess! Kendalyn was our photographer - she really is quite good I think. Hopefully that will be it for us and casts - I am crossing my fingers!!!

Dancing Queen

Little Miss Adri had her spring Dance Recital last night and it couldn't have been more CUTE!! She LOVES dancing and that is precisely the reason I put her in dance - she can carry quite a beat. Hairspray and High School Musical are BLASTED out of her little CD player CONSTANTLY and she happily dances along (Grady does too and I really need to get it on video camera)!! This year, instead of dragging my cute little grandma to the crowded recital, we took her to the dress rehearsal along with Grady and Spence. It took us all of 20 minutes and we were off. SUCH a great idea because the actual recital of course, was slammed with crazy parents who save seats 3 hours prior to the event and then the rest of us chums sit in the back - but it was just me and Kendalyn so it turned out perfect. Her song was "This Will Be" - the one from the Parent Trap with Lyndsey Lohan - remember??? It was so SWEET - Good Job ADRI!!!




With her friends Azelynn and Haley - they are SO CUTE together!!!

Kendalyn's Piano Recital

Cute Kendalyn



This year, Kendalyn has been taking group piano lessons and I can't believe all the stuff she has learned. Amy (our Musikgarten teacher) has taught them in such a different way than I learned, so it has been so interesting to see what Kendalyn can do and with only one year behind her. She teaches them to listen to the song, use a do-re-mi pattern, sing it, and then play it. Kendalyn can play about 20 songs and she can play them in 3 or 4 different keys - which is PURE AMAZING to me. I took lessons for 10 years and I am now learning how to take a song and put it in a different key from my 8-year old - CRAZY!!! She also has learned how to compose, and they had to play an actual song they composed at their recital. Anyway, she has LOVED her lessons and will be moving to private next year - but we are so proud at how well she has learned and how great she is at practicing - hopefully it will stick!!!


With Teacher Amy - we LOVE her!



Explaining what she will be playing



Playing while the others sang and played different instruments



Doing a FUN song they surprised us with



Getting her Certificate and a Medal around her neck



With the "Moms"



With Grandma Thurgood and Great-Grandma Petterborg