Remember When...dedicated to Anna Young & Danielle Doty

I promise I will update the blog soon with our life in TX, but in the mean time I am having too much fun reminiscing about New York. That's what you do when you leave somewhere that has been a major part of your life, right? Well, it's funny how I'm reminded of funny NY memories everyday. For instance, this morning I went to text a good friend. I text her frequently, but have never noticed before this morning the contact listed just below her named: "Taxi Brief Case." Who is that you may ask?

Well, remember when I did my internship last winter and I was Admiral Yost's assistant? Once, upon a time we made our way to the United Nations, only to realize that when we hopped out of the taxi Admiral had left his brief case inside. My job as an assistant to representatives to the United Nations entailed far more than e-mail and scheduling. I was a navigator, peacemaker, party planner, taxi hunter downer, grocery cart snatcher (that's a story for another day), blog stalker, and giggle originator. Looking back, I have never laughed as much in my time in NY as I did during my internship. It was happy!

It was probably three of the longest, most wonderful winter months of my life. In part, thanks to Admiral who never let a day go by without compliments, incessant jokes that his wife Jan joyously found humor in even when the rest of us were just nodding our heads and smiling, lovely to-do notes placed gently upon my desk, and intense moments of panic such as the brief case fiasco, the "will you create a power power point for my meeting with church head quarters that is in less than 24 ours?" or the time we almost forgot about an appointment with an ambassador and I had to go to Admiral's apartment personally because the dear man wouldn't answer his cell phone. We had our moments! Also, the internship was made brighter because of the "bevy of beautiful blondes" that I worked with. It's nice to be appreciated as a blonde, and the office certainly appreciated our beauty, brains, and giggles for a time.

So, this random post was all sparked thanks to a contact that I can/ should delete now. Though, I'm tempted to leave Mr. Taxi Brief Case in my phone just to remind me of the wild day it was. I felt like I had saved a dog from being run over that day, or that i had retrieved a most precious belonging on the corner of 66th and Broadway. Never a dull moment!

Thanks New York! Thanks Admiral! Thanks beautiful blondies! And a special thanks to Danielle Doty for scoring me the internship in the first place :) You are all very loved.

Now, to that homework. Let's just say it is a really good thing that this is my last semester. I spent more than half the day shopping online yesterday instead of plowing through my assignments. Baby L is going to have a pretty nursery! Here's a sneak peek:

Our recliner (not pictured in our home)

For Good

Our lives have been richly blessed through friendships and memories in NYC. It's time to move forward to a new chapter.

We're treasuring every last minute of the city. Soaking it all in! It hasn't hit me yet how much our lives are about to change.

I keep telling myself this. So much lies in store for us. I can't wait to meet our little Peanut :)

NYC you have been good to us! Thank you for giving us a home, a place to grow, and life-long friendships!

I'm trying to do as this says. I woke up from a nightmare and couldn't sleep, so this is me trying to keep calm.

This song so beautifully articulates how I feel about the friendships and ties that we've made here.
 Each life that touches ours for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;
Thou sendest blessings from above
Thru words and deeds of those who love.
 What greater gift dost thou bestow,
What greater goodness can we know
Than Christlike friends, whose gentle ways
Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.
When such a friend from us departs,
We hold forever in our hearts
A sweet and hallowed memory,
Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee.
For worthy friends whose lives proclaim
Devotion to the Savior’s name,
Who bless our days with peace and love,
We praise thy goodness, Lord, above.

The After Effects of Irene

Our Sabbath has really been a day of rest. We slept through the storm and then had cinnamon rolls for brunch. We watched My Fair Lady and researched baby stuff. Finally, we decided to take a stroll to see just what Irene brought to our neck of the woods. We headed over to Carl Schurz park to take a looksie and found one of our favorite spots flooded.
The Peter Pan statue was suddenly an island.

Quite a few trees were uprooted or damaged in NYC. We were very lucky to have minimal damage done to our neighborhood. Through all of this we learned just how important it is to be prepared. Better safe than sorry!

We couldn't resist the bump shot.

I'm absolutely in love with this brownstone and the gate.

I dream of owning this place. It is magnificent inside. I've been in love with this place since we moved to Yorkville 3 years ago. It is so charming. Once, someone inside had the window open and they were practicing the violin on their balcony. So dreamy! I can't help but sneak a peak inside every time we pass by. Nate and I take detours down this street just so I can peer in.

One day!

Soy un Hijo de Dios

Watercolor of NYC skyline by John Held Jr.

I am a Child of God print by Marc Garner

I am so amazed by the members of the church in NYC. I can honestly say with a full heart how much I love this church and the people here. I am so grateful for the universal truth that we are all children of God.
This video touched my heart today.

Harvard Sailing Team

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Last weekend my sweetest friend Miss Kaylee Kirkland came to town for a visit. Friday night we made our way down to the People's Improv Theatre and had ourselves a little chuckle. We loved their show, and found out that they perform every Friday night for those of you who are interested. They were very comedic . . .go figure. I especially got a kick out of this little number BECAUSE the song "Life is Like a Hurricane" is the theme song for Ducktales the cartoon, and it just so happens to be the alarm clock ringtone on my phone. Ya, I'm cool! The skit at the show was better than this video because on the "awoo-ooo!" parts, they all did the wave together. There were lots of other funny skits and we quoted them all weekend long. "It was exclusive!"~HST

p.s. HST is not affiliated with Harvard in case you were wondering. And if you want a good laugh look up, "Boys Will be Girls" by the HST. One of their best acts, if I do say so myself. They also did a sweet Home Improvement theme song rendition. What can I say? I love TV shows from the 90s. (I religiously watched almost all of these!) I can officially check off comedy show from my list of things to do in the city. Check! That feels good.

All in all, it was a splendid weekend. We saw Wicked, watched the Jimmer (Go Cougs!) and ordered in, had a dance party in our living room (oh wait--only room), slept in, gained inspiration for the new blog theme (Thank you Kaylee!), and made inside jokes and memories that will last FOR-EV-ER!

Clownin' Around

Last week I managed to go running once. I'm really not motivated this winter. I sort of hate the frigid temperatures! I run with my dear friend Anna after work. At 5 pm we promptly change out of our tights/nylons into running tights to brave the NYC cold. Well, I forgot to pack my running tights, so I walked out in shorts and my legs were glowing. Anna was worried that I would get frost bite, so she kindly encouraged me to put my pink tights back on. I was reluctant, but didn't want to freeze my petooties off, so I changed again. I was a hot mess. Nate's Houston Rocket's sweater (a couple sizes too large), my blue BYU-I shorts (super unattractive), a lovely shade of magenta tights, and yellow neon running shoes. Phew! I don't know what was worse, my magenta tights or my white legs. I opted for magenta.

We enter the park. I told Anna I felt like a clown! Though, it isn't unusual for people to wear random colors and hideous outfits. (For instance, Mr. Man/speed walker on first Ave. thinks it is okay to wear his thong leo with fish net tights all year long. SO NOT OKAY!) 5 miles. Check.

Then, the commute home from UWS to UES. Should I have changed back into my skirt? Yes. Did I? NO. I proceeded to use public transportation in my clown outfit. I wasn't ashamed. Though, I joked with Anna that I was one of those "What is that person thinking?" people that others discretely take pictures of. We laughed.

Taken July 2010 at the Statue of Liberty
Woman wearing a Skort. Mickey Mouse watch. Wild hair that I never wanted to forget. oh, and a Bow!

Forward to this week. We ran once. I was decked out in Nike from head to toe and even had on my Brooklyn Half shirt. Anna told me I looked official. My inner runner (jogger now a days) was very proud.

Dreamy

Yesterday while running in the park I had my I-pod on shuffle and the NSYNC version of Dreams Come True came on, all the while little sidewalk chalk messages popped up all over Park Drive: "Become Your Dream." I've seen this artist's work all over the UES on random pieces of furniture and trash, but while running in the park it spoke to me.