Thank Heavens for Grandparents! (Kind of three posts in one)

My parents flew out for some quality grandkid time a couple of weeks ago; never ones to let an opportunity pass, Jordan and I went to New York City for the weekend. I know we are spoiled, but we're greatful spoiled. My boys loved having grandma and grandpa at their beck and call. We probably wore them out more than they bargined for, but at least they weren't bored! The boys with Grandma and Grandpa at the Palmyra Temple- Check out Hunter's cool hat! (I'm not sure if you can see Hunter's face in this picture, but he looks completely disgusted- I'm sure it's because of his hat!)
The barn at the Joseph Smith Farm- My boys were very concerned that there were no animals. The Sacred Grove, however, proved to hold plenty of animals for the boys. Their favorite was all the dragon flies.

"A Perfect Day for Dragon Flies"
Niagara Falls- Any questions as to where Hunter learned to wear his hat?
I'm not sure what Hunter is doing in this picture, but my mom was agast.

Feeding ducks along the Erie Canal


A Weekend in The City
Jordan and I left the boys with my parents for the weekend while we took a little trip into New York City. It was a great little get-away. We're very thankful for my parent's willingness to stay with the boys. Here are a few highlight pictures.

A view from the top of Rockefeller Center- Central Park is huge!The Tony Awards were held just a couple of blocks from our hotel- I almost got on The Red Carpet!We got dumped on! Three inches of rain in one day. Jordan bought an umbrella from a street vendor, but one umbrella would not be enough. Lucky? for us we had a China Town Dollar Store umbrella (it turned inside out seconds after we took my picture in front of the Empire State Building). It was an awesome rain shower. We hiked about 10 blocks through rivers to reach Serendipity; Frozzzen Hot Chocolate is Yummy!We loved Central Park. It is unbelievable that a park like that exists in the middle of such a large city. Very beautiful.

It has been great to travel so much again. We're not going anywhere for a while now- at least for a few weeks. Thanks again to all our friends and family that have helped make it possible.

Philly

We spent a day in Philadelphia soaking in some sun and the historical sites. True to form, the boys loved chasing the pigeons better than the Liberty Bell or Independence Hall.

The Liberty Bell

Idependence Hall

The hot sun, need of a nap, and grown-up buildings didn't make my boys feel like smiling for any pictures.

Chasing birds to the rescue. The day wasn't a total waste for the boys- they got to run in circles and chase birds- a good day for them!

We stopped in Lancaster, PA (Amish country) on the way home. Watching them harvest hay was unbelievable. Jordan really wanted to take pictures, but I wouldn't let him. Just imagine harvest time in the 1800's- same dress and machines. Such a different life we live.

Washington D.C.

Just four days after returning home from our cruise, we (as a family) took off for Washington D.C. Sometimes I am thankful for Jordan's persistence, and this was one of those times. I really fought going for a few weeks- I didn't want to wrestle the boys in D.C. by myself for two days while Jordan attended dental conferences. It worked out to be a great little trip though, so I'm thankful Jordan wouldn't accept my refusals.

We were able to stay in the Hilton Washington- the hotel where President Regan was shot in 1980's. The rock tunnel behind the boys was built in the exact spot to give future VIPs an enclosed exit to prevent assasination attempts.

Hilton Washington

After a long day at the National Zoo, the boys were too tired to by excited by the White House.

They fell asleep just a block or two after leaving the hotel and slept through the subway rides and a good chunk of the Mall.

The massive amount of people kept the boys pretty entertained as I walked them around D.C., but we did make it to one museum- The National Museum of Flight. Even though the boys loved it, I kinda wish I would have taken them to The Museum of Natural History. I think they would have liked it more. Guess that gives us a reason to go back!
I don't think we missed a single monument. I'm so thankful for our ghetto stroller- it's so old and broken in more than one place, but it still gets the job done well enough. My boys don't care that it's rusty, or that it's a beast to open; they just like that they don't have to walk everywhere I walk. It's a good stroller.

We drove out to the Washington D.C. Temple one night and the boys loved running along the nature trails and in circles around the parking lot. The view of the Temple from the Beltway is beautiful, but the boys didn't appreciate it nearly as much.

Our visit to Mount Vernon was amazing. Hunter watched a movie! It was historical and we had to have a whole lesson about death afterwards, but he made it through a movie. (Hunter is afraid of every movie ever made- except Disney's Cars) Again, the boys loved running in circles through the dirt most of all. If Jordan could have a home on acreage like that of Mount Vernon, he'd be in heaven. Despite the looks of disgust on my boys' faces, it was really beautiful.

There's more to this trip, but my brain can't focus right now. My parents are here and we've been starting super early and coming in super late for the last few nights. Poor Hunter fell asleep in the cemetary last night and had to sleep in his clothes. I know that sounds odd- I'll explain in that in a future episode. Stay tuned for Philly!

Cruise Vacation

We have had an amazing summer so far, and summer hasn't even officially begun yet! The first part of May we were fortunate enough to have Jordan's nephew Nick and his wife Kelsey put their lives on hold and come stay with our boys. We know Nick is really a cousin to my boys, but they have always called him "Uncle Nick", and I think it's cute. We went to Niagara Falls; the boys love "The Big Wafferfall" (that's what Henry calls it). Then Jordan and I were off for a 7 night Western Carribean Cruise while Nick and Kelsey geared up for a week they'd never forget!

Niagara Falls with Uncle Nick and Aunt Kelsey

It was a perfect vacation that I miss every day. We sailed on the Freedom of the Seas (Royal Carribean) to Hati, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. I seriously cannot imagine a more relaxing vacation; we ate, slept, read, and just hung out whenever we wanted- 24 hours a day. Jordan and I started working out in January just to compensate for all the food we knew we'd eat. In one week's time, we nearly gained back what it took us almost four months to lose. It was worth it though and I'd not take back a single ice cream cone, triple chocolate cookie, fine dining meal, or late night sushi feast.

A view from the 13th deck aboard The Freedom of the Seas

The beach at Lebadee, Hati

Dunn River Falls, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

The sun was a little too intense for Jordan, so he did his pool side reading in the shade.

We ate a lot of great food at this table- I think besides the main entree, I ordered two appetizers and two desserts every night!

We're very thankful to Uncle Nick and Aunt Kelsey for taking care of our boys so we could take this vacation! We're already dreaming of our next cruise- in about 10 years!