I [HEART] NEW YORK

In an effort to reciprocate for all of you whom I love to read about on your blogs. I figure I may as well go back and catch up (mainly because I haven't downloaded recent pics). I'll tell you about our trip to New York way back December 10th through the 17th. Yes, Christmas was a rush and yes, I planned this trip unprovoked. Call us crazy, it's just the way we seem to roll.
We flew into Albany where we fought with the rental car company who let us reserve a 7-passenger 4X4 Explorer or the like for the week. That like part ended up to be the kicker - "like" in which category? Oh yeah, they get to pick. They tried to give us a five seat Trailblazer - um... hello? Do you see each of our "precious cargo?" They don't fit! We ended up with a van... The weather spared us and it ended up perfect, but I'll NEVER admit that to Alamo :)
We drove to Palmyra the next day where we took in all the Church History sites and met Mark's parents who are serving a mission in the area. As we were walking to the Peter Whitmer home, Jono commented, "Oh, we get to go in the barn!" "Jono, that's the house." Jono: [stunned]. About dark, we walked into the "Sacred Grove" for a unique experience. We were alone in a wintery freeze, three deer came bounding through the grove and into the old orchard; it was serene - until we showed up. We did our best to have the conversation you always wish to have with your family in that grove. But if nothing else, we'll all remember Jono freezing his hands off after falling on ice and crying that he was going to die. Mark & I will remember the workout of carrying Madi/Jono and Cael at a "let this be over" pace. We'll all remember we've been there together, but the warm fuzzy memories might take another trip. On a warmer note, the kids loved showing off for Gpa and Gma while "swimming" in the giant hot tub.
We visited Syracuse and Watertown with Robert and Susan. We got to see their town and and meet some of the people they are serving. It was delightful to see how happy they are and how much good they are doing. The members there just adore them, which was no surprise. We stayed at the Fort Drum in and ate breakfast with the soldiers in the commisary.
After spending every possible minute with Gpa & Gma, we left for Uncle Don's in Rock Tavern. He was a fabulous host and we all enjoyed our visit. He was kind enough to take us into the city, sparing us the train with the crew and bags. We stayed at the Sheraton Times Square for two nights. NYC is a highlight in and of itself; however, the kids loved the famous toy stores, Statue of Liberty, Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular and the subway. It was 60, YES 60, degrees our morning in Central Park which made the Carousel so pleasant. People have wondered how the kids were viewed and treated and our answer is "neutral +." Little kids were the minority for sure, but they received plenty of smiles. We stuck to mostly kid friendly places, so that helped. We were a bit over-the-top in keeping them out of peoples' way (mostly for our kids' safety :) ) We also stuck our phone number in Jono's sock for obvious reasons...we like him. FYI we never lost a one of 'em, can you say HIGH-ALERT?
We're training travelers, but something tells me they come by it naturally because they are SO good. We drove all over the state (totaling over 15 hours) and Cael only cried 30 minutes of that - and no, the rest of us didn't cry at all. We all did okay on the flights (ask us about Chicago sometime :) ) with one exception...being ON our 2nd plane of our return for EIGHT hours because of delays and yours truly not reading the fine print about did us all in. A "touch down" aka an hour and a half on the tarmac somewhere in middle-America isn't considered a layover on the reservations...I learned my lesson.
I've smiled again and again at our MEMORIES that will last a lifetime (because I made them write them down in their books). And just like every trip we take together, worth every ounce of energy & effort.