New York Fun! Day two...

Day two started a little later than we had anticipated! We slept in a bit because we were REALLY tired! We didn't get out of our hotel until around 10:30am. We decided that a quick breakfast was probably the way to go so we just stopped at the Starbucks across the street and grabbed a drink and a sweet roll (thanks to a sweet gift card that Chan had secretly stuck in my suitcase- that sweet guy!) We headed straight to our tour bus and jumped on. On this morning we went through the city on our way to the SOHO, Chinatown, Little Italy area. The person conducting the tour on this day was a woman with a VERY thick accent! At one point I turned to Tammy and said, "This lady sounds like Fran Drescher!" Tammy agreed and we got quite a laugh from her! When we got off the bus we wanted to get a bite to eat before doing some shopping. Again, thanks to Tammy's wonderful preparedness, we knew we wanted to go to Lombardi's. It's a New York style pizza place that has been there since the early 1900's! When we found it we were so excited! The smell in there was YUMMY! They sat us at a table in the rear of the place that was close to the kitchen. It was fun to see the locals there and partake in one of the BEST pizza's I've ever had! I've never been a big fan of thin crust pizza, but this place made me a FAN!

Once our bellies were full we were ready to shop! We were basically already in Little Italy but walked through the rest of it and passed some other yummy looking restaurants. We made it to Chinatown! We were SO excited to check this place out! Everyone we talked to said we HAD to go there and shop! Tammy was on the lookout for a cheap knock off purse, but I was just looking for things I could buy my kids! We ended up being VERY surprised at what was there. I was expecting it to be more "authentic" Chinese stuff, like Kimono's or whatever! And Tammy was expecting to see rows of stores with knock-off stuff! But what we really saw was just a TON of souvenir stores with cheap NY items. It worked out great for gifts though! Tammy purchased most of her family gifts there! I only ended up purchasing a ring, but it looks real good for $15! I thought it was a great buy! While walking through there these Chinese women would approach us saying things and lean into you trying to get your attention. I literally could not understand them! It took me a while but I figured out that they were trying to sell me "knock-off" stuff! Apparently NY is trying to clamp down on this behavior and you have to go into "back rooms" to see it! I never acknowledged I knew what they were saying because doing that sounded a bit freaky to me! 

Once we saw Chinatown and Tammy bought some treats we were headed to the SOHO area. There were other stores there that we wanted to check out. One of the things that's tough in NY is trying to find a restroom! Thankfully we were able to find one while we were shopping that area! It was not easy! We loved the walk through this part of the city. The buildings were cool!

 Tammy found a Pandora store once we got there and purchased a bracelet with NY charms. She said she's going to add to it as she travels. I thought that was awesome! We hit a few others as well but we knew we needed to head back to our hotel because on this night we were heading to Broadway!

Because time was getting short we opted to not catch the bus back. It would have taken too long and we needed to get all dressed up for the show. We made a last minute decision to take the subway since it's cheaper than cab fare. We headed down to the stairs and purchased our tickets and asked the lady behind the glass which trains to take to get us back to Times Square. We went through the ticket area and quickly realized we weren't really "sure" about what we were doing! Thankfully I saw a woman holding a metro pass and I asked her if she could help us. She was obviously a local (because of her accent) and was very willing to help. Everyone thus far that we had encountered had been incredible! She looked at Tammy's cell phone that had the subway line info to which she said, "shit I need my glasses"! We laughed about that for the rest of the night! She did finally help us and we made it back to Times Square, but that ride made Tammy VERY nervous! She told me later that she was impressed that I wasn't scared and the only reason she felt that way was because it wasn't planned as well as she wanted. She was afraid we'd end up in Queens or something! Thankfully, that didn't happen!

Our first subway ride!!

We got back to the hotel and only had a little over 2 hours before we needed to head out to our show. Unfortunately the weather took a turn and it was raining pretty good that night. I am kicking myself that I didn't get a picture of us all dressed up for the show, but I really feel that's why I didn't. We were running late getting there, the traffic was thick, and we literally got there just in time to sit and see the show! The theatre was beautiful! Really high ceilings with a stunning chandelier! The stage was large and we could tell right away from the set that this show was going to be amazing. We saw Cinderella and the people playing the characters were wonderful! When the stepmother stepped on stage the whole audience applauded right away and were excited. I was wondering who it was until I heard her speak.... it was Fran Drescher!!!! It was unbelievable that I had JUST talked about her that VERY day! Crazy!! It was also funny that Carly Rae Jepson was Cinderella! She did a great job though! We loved the show! It was truly stunning from the people to the costumes and set! So glad we got to see it!

When we came out of the theatre it was still raining and we had NO PLAN on where we were going to eat or how we were going to get there! Our plan was to just grab a cab, but it was the same plan as MANY that night! So we just began walking hoping that we would be able to hail a cab. Unfortunately Tammy had worn these SUPER high heels and was struggling to keep up with me in the rain as I was trying to find a cab. Every cab that I attempted to hail already had people in it! It was so frustrating! but FINALLY a Lincoln Town car stopped and said he could take us, but it was a flat rate. At this point we didn't care! We wanted OUT of the rain, so in we went! This guy was a CRAZY NY driver! Wholly Moly! I was holding on as he flew down alleyways and streets, but we got back to our hotel fast and I was grateful to get in our room and out of my pantyhose! :) We got out of our wet clothes and put on some comfy ones and tried to decide where to eat. There was another diner nearby we had seen in Times Square so we called to see how late they were open and we literally had MINUTES to get there before they closed the kitchen. This place was called Brooklyn Diner and it looked like a diner, but I'm sure the prices certainly don't reflect any diner that's actually IN Brooklyn! Just saying! But Tammy swears it was the BEST Reuben sandwich she's ever had and I opted for a yummy salad. It was a great ending to another fantastic day! We headed back to our room and decided to hit the sack so we could start the next day earlier! We didn't want to sleep away our time in this amazing city!

New York Fun! Day one...

Last fall my best friend of almost 20 years texted me and said she wanted to take me on a trip. When I saw it I immediately said I AM IN! And I didn't even know where we were going yet! I called her later that day and asked her about it and said, "Where would we be going?" She responded saying she hadn't totally decided yet but was considering New York. I lost it! I got VERY excited and after talking it over for just a few minutes the decision was made! Over the next several months she REALLY did her homework! She spent HOURS online mapping out what we could see, where we would stay, subway routes to get everywhere etc etc etc! So when the time actually arrived I could hardly breathe I was so excited to go! But BEFORE that could happen I had to prepare my family for my absence! I will admit I went a bit overboard in preparation, but I didn't want anything to ruin my fun trip! I bought all the food for the week, made a list of dinners and how to prepare them so the kids could cook, made arrangements for car pool, paid all the bills yada yada yada! I even cleaned the entire house and did every stitch of laundry! I was READY! So on Monday morning I had Chan drop me at the airport for my flight to St George to meet up with Tammy. I was still in disbelief that I was ACTUALLY going to New York! Tammy picked me up and we went back to her place to finish her packing before heading to Vegas for our red eye flight. Her sister Stace took us and we hit California Pizza Kitchen for dinner before heading to the airport. I took pictures of the gate we sat at because it said JFK- I was still having a hard time believing we were actually going there!

We boarded our red eye and we were pooped! We both attempted to sleep on the plane and were sort of successful, sleeping for short stints, for the 4 hour flight. It felt like forever! But we arrived early morning in NY and grabbed our bags and headed for the curb to catch a cab. Once outside we hadn't gone far when a man approached us asking if we needed a ride. We said we did and he pointed at his VERY nice Cadillac Escalade and said he could drive us. We were going to say no until he said it was the same price as a cab. Yeah, we were IN! It was the best decision too! His name was Hector and he was HILARIOUS! We literally laughed the entire way into the city, which was a long drive due to the morning commuters. Some of the things he said were NOT politically correct to say the least, but it's stuff we'll never forget! The drive was amazing too! We saw parts of Brooklyn, the space ship towers that were in the Men In Black movies and some unreal cemetery's. When we got into the city we were both stuck to our windows just looking and checking out EVERYTHING! We made it to our hotel and checked in and went up to our room to drop our stuff. Every now and then Tammy would say, "We are in NY!!" Even though we were totally exhausted from our travel we got cleaned up, grabbed our cameras and headed out! We knew we wanted breakfast and because of Tammy's GREAT homework we knew exactly where we wanted to go- Evergreen Diner. So we were following the GPS on her phone when we turned the corner and saw this...

Yeah... that's Time Square! I wish so badly someone would have had a video of the two of us walking into this area that morning. I am sure we looked like total idiots! Neither of us could stop smiling or saying WOW! We only had to walk a couple of blocks through here before finding our cute little Diner.

This place was authentic! Exactly what I expected to see in NY! It was covered with pictures all over the walls of famous people who have eaten there. It was literally a hole in the wall place, not fancy AT ALL! Our waitress was awesome! When Tammy asked her what was good she literally said everything! And MEANT it! She was so cute and did an amazing job and the food was incredible! Just your basic diner breakfast fare but literally cooked perfectly!

On our way to this diner we noticed the double decker buses that do the city tours. My in-laws had told me about these and how wonderful they were so we grabbed a brochure and was checking it out while we ate. We decided that the tour was next on the list. So off we went to buy our three day pass for the tours. We chose the green line because it hit all the places we really wanted to see. But we could go onto the others as well. We left the restaurant and bought our tickets and jumped on the bus! It was a bit chilly that day and was overcast but we didn't care! We went up top and couldn't wait to see more of the city!

We went through times square, through the Fashion District, did a drive by of Madison Square Garden (which is really ugly), went by Macey's department store on our way to the Empire State Building! That was where we were getting off! We HAD to go there!

The drive was awesome and we were craning our necks looking up at all the amazing buildings! We jumped off at the Empire State building and headed for the observation deck. It's 86 floors up and the building is gorgeous! We loved all the shiny metal- especially on the elevator doors. As we winded our way through the lines to get up there we had the opportunity to snap a photo. The guy taking them was cracking us up! He would say, "Reeeeeaaaadddyyy" in the funniest voice! Needless to say it was something we repeated the rest of that day! He was one to remember! We finally got to the area where the observation deck was and they gave out these head sets and devices that would tell you all about the building. I will admit we didn't use those to their full potential! We were just too excited to get outside and see the city! So on we went! We finally made it outside and the tourists in us were out again! Only this time we were almost quiet with awe! The city is HUGE and beautiful!

It was so busy that morning that we actually went down about 6 flights of stairs vs waiting for the elevator! It was worth it! And all along the way we were meeting locals who were enjoying their jobs and even joking around with us here and there! They were really great!

After visiting the gift shop there we headed back to our bus and headed toward the 9/11 Memorial. This was another MUST DO and we figured we'd go there next. We took the bus as far as it would get us and then we walked a good 6 plus blocks to get to where we needed to check in and get a ticket. As soon as we got to that area there was A LOT of people standing in line and waiting and everyone was being respectful. There were signs to read along the way, we paid a donation for a ticket and in doing so got these bracelets.

We continued on, going through a security area and another bit of a walk, before entering the memorial. It's still not "complete" but we were able to see the pools, the building where the museum will be, as well as the surrounding areas. The reverence there is incredible. And the memorial itself was beautiful. As horrific as that day was, they are truly honoring those people well. When entering we noticed that there were white flowers sticking out of some of the names. We later saw a sign that said they put those flowers there on their birthdays. Incredible...

I was holding it together pretty well until I read a name that was followed by "and her unborn child" and that's when the tears came. But more than sadness I felt a sense of pride that no matter what may happen to us we will rise again and show whomever that they WILL NOT break us!

After walking the area for a while we went over to the store. This is where I made my favorite purchase- a "I love NY" sweatshirt. It's the iconic shirt but instead of a red heart it's a blue one. And it has a 9/11 Memorial emblem on the sleeve. I really love it! They also had some amazing books and objects from that day in there. Even a piece of twisted metal from the trade tower building. It was unreal to see. I am grateful to all those who work there, who answer questions daily about what happened, and who help people heal from what happened there. I want to go back when it's all complete so I can see the museum as well. It's going to be truly remarkable.

After leaving the store we quickly realized that we were starving! Thankfully right across the street on the corner was a hot dog vendor! It was another thing we needed to check off our list, so off we went! This guy was A TRIP! He was talking on his phone with ear buds speaking some strange language that Tammy later called Aladdin! Hahaha! But truly, it was a very strange language! He asked us where we were from and when we said Utah he asked us if it was in Africa! Ummmm... WHAT? We tried to explain where it was stating that it was closer to California and he had NO IDEA where that was either! This guy literally must have JUST arrived in the city! Thankfully he understood us enough for us to buy a hot dog & a pretzel and get change! Then we were off again! We had planned on catching our bus again but were tapped out, so we found the nearest cab and jumped in!

We ate our food, enjoying every bit, on the cab ride back to our hotel. We were both proud of ourselves and what we had managed to see in ONE day! But we were tired and we knew we needed to rest up before dinner. We got to our room and crashed! The time difference was hitting us, so we both took a small nap before getting cleaned up for dinner. We wanted to check out the stores in Times Square so we left early and ended up spending quite a bit of time sitting on the steps and people watching. It was unreal... Tammy kept saying, "I'm so happy right now" and I couldn't agree more. The perfect ending to that first day was our dinner at Carmine's. Tammy had made that reservation 2 months in advance and it was truly worth the wait. I decided that I had NOT had real Italian food until that night! The food literally melted in our mouth! (I could really go for one of those meatballs right now!) Even though we were stuffed to the gills we couldn't pass up a dessert opportunity! We HAD to go to Juniors and choose something yummy! Of course there was a line out the door, but it went fast and we each chose a superb dessert! I don't think I would change ANYTHING about that first day, in fact if it's all I had gotten to do, it would have been perfect! But we knew there was more to come!

So back we went to our hotel to rest up for Day 2! We got in our jammies and with me and my breathe right strip and her with her "cell phone fan app" we were ready to sleep! (oh the joys of sharing a bed with your BFF! Hahahaha!)

Keeping busy as usual!

I figured I would do a quick update !

Chan: Keeping busy working and handling his church calling. He has been going out to lunch every Friday with some friends at work and trying all sorts of new places! We all went to one with him recently called R & R BBQ and it was fantastic! I also got to catch a Jazz game with him recently, which is always fun! Our Valentines Day was a huge BUST! We got all dressed up and tried to head out to dinner and everywhere we tried to go there was already lines out the door! So we ended up going to Lowe's to look at materials to make our barn door and then hit the drive through at McDonald's on our way home! Oh well..better luck next year! But we did get this funny photo of ourselves in the car in the drive through!

Andee: I got to attend a P!nk concert in January which was CRAZY AMAZING! I always knew she was good, but her concert blew me away! And being able to see it in the Coke suite with Amra Hajric just made it more fun! I am loving my new job! I am still learning every day, but I feel like I have fit right into the mix. In February I got a call from the High School Football Coach Bob Stephens. He asked me personally if I would be the new Booster President! I honestly wasn't surprised, I kind of saw it coming, so I had already talked it over with Chan and accepted. It's a two year assignment and A LOT of responsibility! I have my first meeting tonight actually- so wish me luck! I am also staying busy with Young Women's and I enjoy being in there with Brianne. Funny story- I was assigned to teach the combined lesson in February and totally forgot!!! This is SO NOT LIKE ME! I remembered 5 minutes before I was to teach! YIKES! But I managed to pull it out thanks to Carter coming to share and the other leaders chiming in! It actually ended up being a good lesson! Maybe it was meant to be! Hahaha! Here's a photo of Chan and I at the Jazz Game too..

Carter: He has been busy trying to find another job and landed one at Pizza Hut. I was hoping he would find something that wasn't in the fast food area, but oh well! He started about a week ago with training and has real first day on the job tomorrow. So far he is enjoying it. He is also training hard for the power lifting meet this May. He REALLY wants to win it this year! He asked a girl to prom (the one that was his escort at Mr Alta) and is very excited about it. They are great friends and he knows they'll have a blast! He is also participating in another assembly at the school this week for spirit week. Apparently it's teams of kids doing crab walks and trying to steal the other teams socks! Sounds interesting for sure! My favorite thing he's been doing is cheering on the basketball teams! He goes to all the games and gets crazy! A local sports photographer snagged this shot and it was in the newspaper! It's pretty cool!

I had to email the photographer and ask for a copy! But I had to have it! It's awesome!

Will: This has been his first year EVER with challenges in school. I have been working hard with him since January to try and get things sorted out! He ended up having to drop a Spanish class because it was proving to be too much for him to handle. I am actually glad we did! I have NEVER done anything like that, but I could tell he was beyond overwhelmed. Now that it's been sorted out his spirits seem to have come up. He has also been working out A LOT! He will also participate in that power lifting meet in May. I can't believe how much stronger he is already! It's awesome! He is filling out a lot and starting to get some muscles starting to show! He's very proud of it- and he should be! Here's a shot (not a great one, but you can get the idea) of his growing muscles!

Brianne: She is rocking it at school! A lot of my friends were concerned about their 6th graders going in to middle school this year, but I was never worried! And here's some examples of what I mean! First off, she is doing fantastic in her classes! She has wonderful grades and even made it on to the honor roll for the first trimester (and most likely will for the 2nd). But the thing I'm most proud of is how she handles herself! Last week the two of us went to the gas station before school to get a drink. I bought her a bottle of Pepsi that she could take with her to lunch. She was sitting at a table eating when an 8th grader (in goth type attire) came and took it from her! She got right up, chased him down, and grabbed it right out of his hand and said "That's MINE"! I was shocked! She is not afraid of ANYONE and won't take any one's crap- no matter how big they are or scary they may look! That 8th grader actually got laughed at by his own friends because of how Brianne handled it! I am impressed with her confidence! (I'm sure having two older brothers has helped A LOT!) She likes having me at school and will pop in and say hello often- which I love. She has taken a bit of a break from her voice lessons because her teacher had a baby, but she is gearing up for softball which starts at the end of the month! She is VERY excited too because one of her best friends (Bergan) is playing with her. She also has a job right now! She babysits every Monday and Tuesday for the family who live right behind us. She does a great job and the kids LOVE her! She likes to play with them and rarely has a tough time. I am so proud of her! I snapped this photo of her while we were watching our little niece Chloe last week- it's the perfect way to show what kind of babysitter she is!

It's such a sweet picture! And the best part is that Chloe came to her and wanted to snuggle. So cute! She is also trying very hard to choose a song to sing for the school talent show. Tryouts are coming up in April (I think) so she is wanting to prepare.

Such a blessed family! I see and feel it every day!

Mr Alta Photos

 Carter doing his "talent" which was his Chris Farley stand up... soooo funny!

 Walking the red carpet in 3 inch heels!

 Strength challenge- he should've won this! He jst kept looking over his shoulder and a book slid off the top!

 Right after he won! With his escort Isabelle Jones

Mr Alta wearing his embroidered tie that he won! So proud of him!

January Spruce up photos!

 Carter's Senior year jersey along with all his Varsity Letter certificates etc. And I love the new couch we got! It fits down there perfectly!

 Will & Brianne's player pictures (Brianne's trophies are on the small shelf) and Will's Little League Championship Jersey. Above the TV is all of Carter & Will's little league trophies and the big one to the left is Will's championship trophy! It's HUGE!

 The barn door that Chan made for me! It still needs some tweaking, but I LOVE it!

The new family room set up! New paint, couch, side tables, curtains and accessories! I am LOVING how it turned out! :)

Mr Alta

One afternoon while I was working I got a call on my cell phone- I looked to see who it was and saw it was Carter. He is not one to call me from school unless he needs something so I picked it up and answered. He sounded excited and said, "Guess what Mom, I was voted into the Mr Alta Pageant!" I couldn't believe it! I told him how proud I was of him and couldn't wait to hear more about it at home! Later that day he filled me in on all the details. It's a bit of a spoof on girls pageants, but to be chosen to participate was a HUGE honor! Anyone could be nominated and then those nominations were put on a ballot (for the Senior class there was more than 20 people) and they were asked to choose 2 people on the ballot to participate. Ballots were counted and Carter and one other guy (who happened to be the quarterback of the Varsity team) were chosen! There were 8 guys total, two from each class, that were asked to compete in several competitions. First was talent, and Carter did a stand up routine of Chris Farley's Bennet Braurer. It was HILARIOUS! Then they were asked questions like "how would you defeat Chuck Norris" or "what's your idea of a perfect date". The responses were pretty dang funny! Then they were asked to strut their stuff on a red carpet wearing 3 inch heels! THIS was funny! Actually FINDING him heels that FIT was a challenge! Anyway, it was entertaining! Then they did a eating contest.... yeah he smashed ALL of them on that one! In fact he's participated is SEVERAL eating contests at high school and has NEVER lost! Anyway, the last event was a strong man contest. They had to hold two textbooks on each outstretched hand! Carter had this one in the bag but looked over his shoulder at the guy behind him and dropped one! Oh well! All said and done he did SOOO well and after the judges collaborated he was voted Mr Alta 2014!! WOO HOO! We are so proud! He was awarded a neck tie with Mr Alta 2014 embroidered on it. Such a huge honor and well deserved. I don't know anyone who loves their school more and loves to participate in ALL the activities! It's a night I am sure he will treasure forever! As will we! :)

January spruce up!

So right after Christmas Chan and I decided to use some Christmas cash to get a new couch for our family room. We went to a local store and ordered it two days after Christmas and then the domino effect happened.... we needed to get rid of our current couches (two black leather ones) and I wanted them to go to the basement for the kids. So to make room for them I put our HUGE entertainment center (EC) and a pull out loveseat on Facebook for anyone to take. The couch went fast but no one was biting on the EC. In the meantime Will had come to me saying how much he hated the paint color down there so maybe we should paint too! Honestly, I had to agree. I painted it a while ago a blue color and I too was no longer fond of it. So off we went for paint and I began to paint it a very neutral tan color. Not long after I painted we finally gave up on trying to find a new home for the EC so we asked some of Carter's buddies over, borrowed a big trailer, and loaded it up. We bribed the guys with free lunch so it seemed to work well! We also figured we'd have them help us get the old couches downstairs since we had them here and once they started trying it was evident pretty quickly that they weren't going to fit. AAAAAAHHHHH!!! I was SOOOOO bummed and MAD! Unfortunately there was no way to get them down there, so later that day I put them on Facebook as well. I figured if I could sell them I would use the money to buy something new for the basement. I initially thought I would have to buy some cheap futons since I wasn't going to get much for my used couches. So thankfully after about a week I was able to sell them to a friend and off I went to find something. I had done a bit of research beforehand, so I knew what I wanted to go check out. When I got there to see it I could see immediately why it was so inexpensive! I was sure it would only last 6 months! So I spoke to the salesman and he began showing me the "sale" items. I say "sale" because most were still over $500 per piece! Anyway, we came upon a sectional that was on sale and I could even order the color I wanted and with the cash I had on hand it was worth the money and it would last! So we ordered it! So two new couches ordered and I still needed to do a bit of work before they arrived so I figured I'd better get busy! I finished painting the basement- even painted the trim and doors again. I also got new picture frames, some rods to hang jerseys, new shelves, lighting and a new curtain for the window! We got it all hung/installed right before getting a call that the couch was in. We called to find out it was the basement couch, not the family room! There was an "issue" with the other and required special delivery on a split truck of one of the pieces. So off we went to pick up the kids couch- we got it downstairs and TA-DA basement complete! It looks fantastic! MUCH better than it has since we've lived here! I put up all the kids certificates for their sports, the boys jerseys, pictures of them and displayed their trophies. I LOVE the way it turned out and now they have a great space to chill with friends. And the dominoes are still falling........ so since I still didn't have the family room couch I started looking more closely at the paint in THAT room. It needed some freshening too!! I liked that basement color so much I went and bought more and started painting MORE! I attacked the family room and repainted all the walls and then repainted all the trim (even around the windows) as well as the door. It looks AMAZING! Only problem? One of the walls in that room leads to the kitchen! So I started painting IN THERE! I got the one wall that connects DONE and will wait a bit to finish the rest. I am a bit tired of painting! Anyway, I decided while I was at it to buy new curtains, a new shelf, rearrange pictures and get a new coffee table! Yikes! I told you it was a domino effect! Anyway, we are over 3 weeks out and getting our other couch has turned into a bit of a freak show! It STILL hasn't arrived but we are keeping our fingers crossed that it will be here soon! In the meantime I have ONE more project- a sliding barn door. Chan is going to help me build it! It will cover the doorway that we have to our garage/basement. That way when there's a basement full of kids (or just our VERY LOUD kids) we can shut that door and have a bit of quiet to ourselves! When it's all said and done it's going to be marvelous! I am SOOO excited! (I have posted pictures on my Instagram of the basement and will post the family room when the couch arrives.) So change is in the air! I'm loving it!! :)