TED Talk

Back to life in LA...  Micah created a Ted Talk on the Great Barrier Reef.  He worked incredibly hard on his research and that was reflected in his video.  We are so proud of the work that Micah has accomplished at school.  What will he think of middle school???

Liam

I don't even know how to start this post...  it was a freak accident that Liam slipped while playing basketball that led to a major head surgery.  I can't even believe what would have happened and how much our lives would have changed if Liam did not receive the proper care.  We are so blessed that Liam made it through surgery and that he will be okay.  Will this trauma affect him in the future???

Bryant Park

Our last day in New York City was not spent at the MET as planned but outside enjoying the city at Bryant Park.  We literally spent the day sitting, drawing, eating, and playing games.  It felt like we were locals and I loved it.  I loved not having to catch a subway to the next stop and to have to use my maps to get to our next destination.  We had such a lovely time that I look back at this day with great fondness and gratitude for our time spent in the Big Apple.  When will we come back???

Midtown Comics

If I had to search through New York looking for my family, I know where I would go... Midtown Comics.  The boys found their happy sanctuary here.  I thought we were popping in for a few minutes but an hour went by faster than they imagined.  A mecca of comic books, Noah and Micah were happily reading and catching up on series.  We were impressed by the depth and knowledge that the workers also had... when will we come back for a visit???

Word Trade Center

This was one of the more somber times we had this week in New York.  We weren't sure if we were going to come to World Trade Center but we decided that this was just too important to pass up.  It was quiet.  It was sad.  It was frequented by the most officers than we have seen yet.  We were all in awe and in appreciation of all  those that lost their lives in 2001.  A wonderful tradition is to place a rose on the plaque on their birthday.  Happy birthday to Stephen Harrell.  We wonder... we will ever see peace in our life time???

Central Park

I love going to the quiet and still parts of the city and was so happy to spend a leisurely day at Central Park.  We enjoyed walking the paths, seeing the cherry blossoms, visiting Strawberry Fields, and watching the boys make massive bubbles with a Bubbleologist in the park.  It just felt like the right time to visit and to get away from the bustle of the city.  When will we come back for a visit???

Empire State Building

To think that we were going to pass up on this iconic building is crazy to me... but there we were debating if we should wait in line to nature up to The Empire State Building.  Thank goodness we decided to take the plunge!  We went to the 86th floor and enjoyed the sites of the city!  It is a beautiful Art Deco skyscraper with a height of 1,250 feet and stands  total of 1,454 feet tall with the antenna.  The boys seemed like they enjoyed this experience more than the Space Needle in Seattle, although that is only half the height of The Empire State Building.  What iconic structure will we visit next???

Hamilton

Tonight we went to Broadway and watched Hamilton!  It was very exciting to be in the theater where it all started.  Jawsh and I had the opportunity to see it in LA but there was something magical about watching it in this city.  The boys were mesmerized and so thrilled.  They even got to meet the actor who played Hamilton after the theater.  Can anything beat this awesome experience???

Brooklyn

Today we ventured to Brooklyn where we met up with Cam.  We took the metro into Brooklyn and walked back to NYC over the bridge.  The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn.  It is one of the oldest roadways and was the world's first steel wire suspension bridge.  It was so beautiful and the weather was just right.  Will we be able to walk across it again this trip???

The Vessel

After lunch in Chelsea, we decided to walk to The Vessel.  It just opened in March so we had to wait for an hour to explore and take in this enormous structure. It is 16 stories and has 154 flights and 2,500 steps.  Since we had been walking the day before and walked through the city earlier, we decided not to venture all the way to the top.  Plus, the strong gales deterred us as well.  It was pretty col to be inside The Vessel.  I wonder if we will ever see a structure like this in LA???

Highline

After our time at the Whitney Museum, we walked up to the Highline to Chelsea Market for lunch.  The Highline is a 1.45 mile long elevated linear park, greenway, and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan.  There were many interesting art pieces.  There was a chilly wind that met us on our walk, so we definitely walked briskly to Chelsea Market.  I wonder what the rest of the day holds???

Ellis Island

This is a big year for Noah as he starts his Bar Mitzvah studies and we wanted him to appreciate his family history so we thought that we should take him to where it started in America...  Ellis Island.  Jawsh's relatives came to the United States at the turn of the century.  With the help of docents, we were able to read historical documents and learn how relatives came in steerage, which were on the decks and were the lowest fare to cross the Atlantic.  It was amazing to witness the history and to try and comprehend what immigrants went through to make it to this country.  Our hope is that Noah and Micah understand the perseverance and grit that it took for their ancestors to come to this country.  I wonder can anyone really understand their struggle???

Statue of Liberty

Our first full day in New York started early in the morning.  We made our way to Battery Park and took the ferry, Miss Liberty, to Liberty Island.  It was so foggy that I was worried that we were not going to see the Statue of Liberty, but the fog wore off and we enjoyed our time.  We had tickets to go up to the crown so we walked up the 354 steps and a great view of the tablet and the torch!  It was definitely an amazing experience and it makes me excited for the rest of the week.  What else will we do???

NYC

Our first night in the Big Apple.  We ate dinner at Shake Shack and then walked around.  Grand Central Terminal is very close to our hotel so we bought our metro tickets for the week and read about the history of the building.  Afterwards, Micah wanted to eat a pretzel so we grabbed one on our way out.  It is so exciting to be in New York... I wonder what our week will be like???