Home Sweet Home

After a crazy two weeks, we've made it home. As much as I love going on vacations and visiting different places and seeing family and friends, I really love coming home. I love my nice quiet house, my snugly bed, my closet and a dresser with drawers where I can see all my clothes right in front of me instead of digging through a suitcase trying to find something cute to put on.

We had a wonderful vacation. It started out really crazy and hectic with Joe flying across the country but by Thursday we were right into the swing of things. Getting on to our flight from Orlando to NY was interesting. I've never traveled with kids before and it really does add a new layer of stress and unpredictability to things. I honestly don't know how people travel with children by themselves. There were three of us and only two babies and it was all we could do to get our bags checked and get through security. I think we may have gotten the most unfriendly flight attendants possible for our flight also. There was a mix up about the seats on the plane and where the kids could sit and it just made getting off the ground really annoying.

The day after we flew in I got on the train and headed into the city to meet up with Joe who was flying in from Colorado. I have to admit that I was really nervous about being on the trains and navigating the city by myself. Once I got on the train and settled I took out my book, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and just read for the two hours it took to get to NJ. Once I got there I hopped on the PATH train into Manhattan. That was a little nerve wrecking. My stop was the last one and by the time we got there I was the only person left in my car. I kept imagining some scary person getting on with me and robbing me or something. I know its irrational, the train was moving, but I was really scared. I got off at the last stop and was trying to find the connecting subway to take me uptown close to my hotel. I had mapped it all out online and was looking for the E train. Well, no such train existed where I was so I decided to get up on the street level and start walking in the direction of my hotel. So I walked, and walked, and walked. I got off the subway at 33rd Street and walked to 51st Street... with my 20 pound bag on my shoulder. Everyone asks me why I didn't get in a cab and I really don't know why. I've never hailed a cab in my life and was scared, I guess. I was really afraid of sticking out like a tourist and didn't want to "do it" wrong. Come to think of it, the big white bag over my shoulder probably made me look like more of a tourist than not calling a cab the right way.

I did finally make it to our hotel and found Joe there waiting for me. The hotel was great. It was beautiful. There were no Gossip Girl stars around but it was still neat to be in the same courtyard where the show is filmed. Our room was very nice although we didn't have a very good view. We looked directly out to a brick wall. We could see left and right just not straight ahead. Oh well.

Once we freshened up we went out to walk around and grab a quick bite to hold us over until our big dinner out. I seriously love New York City. It just has such an energy and it sucks you in. The city has charisma. The sites and sounds and smells and excitement are intoxicating. We popped into a little sandwich shop and got something to eat and then walked back to the hotel. Our dinner reservation was for 9pm at Tao and we knew we could walk there from the hotel. We got all dressed up in our Florida goes to NY finest and headed out. I think that may have been my favorite walk of the trip. We were all dressed up and walking hand and hand down Madison Avenue at night. I felt like we were out on date night. We really overestimated the time it would take to walk to the restaurant and ended up getting there twenty minutes early so we headed in and to the bar. It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be... and a lot more packed. The music was so loud it was like being in a club. We jockeyed for position in the bar area, mainly trying not to get knocked over or not knocking someone else over. We were finally able to snag a little two seater couch and stayed glued there until our table was ready... at 10:05pm. I guess in NY reservations don't matter. We had a couple of drinks though and just enjoyed people watching.

Our dinner was ok. I think the food is along the same level as the Cheesecake Factory, which is good, just twice as expensive. The atmosphere is really what you pay for. It was a beautiful restaurant. We ate on the second floor so we were able to see the first floor with the big Buddha statue and the private third floor dining room. The walls were exposed brick, which I love, and it was just really open and airy. Definitely an experience.

Friday was just as fun. We did everything on my list. Top of the Rock, the water taxi tour of the NY Waterfalls, the Chelsea Market, and cupcakes at Billy's bakery. We were able to successfully navigate the subways and the streets. Heading back to our hotel we walked along the streets in Chelsea and I, again, fell in love with New York. The streets down there are much different than they are uptown. They are lined with trees and the brownstones have these amazing stoops with scrolled metal work and there are beautiful window boxes filled with flowers. People were walking their dogs and coming home with their shopping bags. It was so neat to see where people lived. It made me want to move to New York. I'm sure that I'd never be able to afford a brownstone in Chelsea but you better believe if I ever win the lottery I'll be spending at least a year there.

The rest of our trip was all about relaxing and spending time with the family... and eating. Meg's wedding was beautiful and unique. I thought the tropical theme and island-y music was so much fun. I had a blast laughing with Joe and with Breanne, dancing with the babies and watching them run around and "rule" the dance floor. These family moments make such great memories and I'm so glad that our family really makes the effort to be there for the special events. Usually our reunions revolve around weddings but we discussed having an annual family reunion since the next two kids of marrying age have vowed never to get married. I think we should really stick with that plan. Who is the first to host it? Canada anyone? ;)

So thank you family and cousins for yet another wonderful vacation. Thank you Dan for talking me into my first trip to a drive-in movie. It was great, even though we didn't stay for the second movie. Thank you to all my cousins and aunts and uncles for the laughs and the love. You guys are truly the most fun family ever. I don't know anyone who has as much fun just being with their family as I do. I put a couple of pictures in the family album but will gladly post any pictures you email to me. I love you all and can't wait to see you again.