"L" is for the way you LOOK at me!

Love Day came and went. I adore Valentine's Day and always have. I love seeing people blush. People carrying over sized teddy bears. Outrageous balloons. Incessant pink and purple hearts. Rich chocolate. The loads and loads of roses on every street corner in NYC. Though, I prefer not to be the recipient of the over sized animals and obnoxiously nauseating balloons. I simply enjoy watching people!

Nate and I kept it simple this year. In years past he has been in charge of covering three holidays all on his own during the month of February: our half anniversary (yes, we celebrate our half anniversary. I like to take advantage of every holiday!), my birthday (yet to blog about), and Valentine's Day. We decided that from now on I should be in charge of planning Valentine's Day and he can worry about the other two days. That doesn't mean he is exempt from spoiling me to pieces . . . it just means he doesn't have to do the planning!

I bought him this book, I LIKE YOU. I always tell Nate, "I like you," to which he replies, "I love you too!" There you have it. "I guess I just like you . . . because I like you!"

Nate likes to tell me stories about his days working at Jack in the Crack. There was a woman who worked there named Rosetta who had a twin sister named Mosetta. Rosetta would always say, "Have a blessed day LOVE!" Valentine's Day was a blessed day indeed.

Door jamb Defined

Door jamb-"A door jamb is the vertical portion of the frame onto which a door is secured. Most types of door fasteners and deadbolts extend into a recess in the door jamb when engaged, making the strength of the door jambs vitally important to the overall security of the door."

Clearly, the neighbors don't live there anymore, so quitting jamming crap into their door jamb people!!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

So on my way home from work yesterday I saw a man riding his unicycle in the snow. Really?! The woman beside me turned to me and said, "At first I thought he was riding a regular bike with no hands and I thought that was stupid." We shook our heads in agreement and went our separate New York ways. Who does that? I'm sure he crashed into a heap of snow or drowned in a puddle.

When I was about 2 blocks from home icicles suddenly started crashing down from trees. I thought I was going to die. I put my backpack (Yes, I'm cool and I wear a backpack!) over my head and ran. I have 3 fears about living in NYC: 1) That a tree might fall on me, 2) That an icicle might fall on me, and 3) Black cars...also known as car services. I still fear riding in them alone. It took me months before I would ride in a taxi by myself. This is coming from the girl who was terrified to drive at 16 and never liked to pump her own gas--a story for another day. Maybe I should move to Jersey? I hear they're not allowed to pump their own gas there.

After all of this snow, still no SNOW days off work. It's unfortunate. Word to the wise: Don't underestimate the depth of puddles around here. It's risky!

From Then to Now

I love this picture because it encompasses our story of BYU-Idaho, love, and the beauty of rural Rexburg. So many memories come to mind: the temple dedication, firsts, nightly strolls through campus, moments in the gardens, our engagement, and the daily grind of student life. As I am still a student, I often miss being there. I don't miss the winters! I'll tell you that right now. This picture just reminds me of where I've been and the good times.
This is what I get to experience now. My internship brings me here every day. I love it! I know that this experience is going to go by in the blink of an eye, in a New York minute really. For now, I'm getting used to the daily commute to the West Side, taking sneak peeks into the Julliard dance studio across the street (secretly wishing I was up there dancing!), laughing with the other interns, grazing on mini candy bars that are overflowing at the office, and warming my belly with soup from Europan for lunch every day. These are the little things that are making the winter bearable for me this year. It's officially been a year since I started school online. I know I'll look back on my schooling one day and be glad that I did it. In the NOW, Nate is surviving busy season and I'm loving the 9-5 world. In the FUTURE: Two semesters left. Mom is coming in April and friends and family are coming in June! Lots to look forward to.

Martha, Martha, Martha!

Joey & Martha

MH & RL

Mr. Pink who sat next to me. I had Maria take a pic so that we could remember him forever!

The Girls

Photos courtesy of Maria Hatler. Gracias mi amiga!

A couple weeks ago I attended the Martha Stewart show. My facebook status after the show went something like this: "Martha has skinny ankles. I heart Joey :) and Thank you Nigella for the recipes!" All I had nice to say about Martha was that she had slender ankles. We'll leave it at that. She was a little snippity that day! Joey is the smiley pie in the fist picture who gets the crowd going with lots of oohs and aahs. He's a hoot! I thoroughly enjoyed him. Martha's staff made TV production look like a fun job. I'd intern for Martha! Later that evening we celebrated Kellyn's B-Day. Beckers & Cade are missing from the pic, but it wouldn't be a party without them. All in all, another fun-filled day. I'm really trying to wrap my mind around the idea of working 9-5 next semester. What a change it will be. I'm almost ready for it. I've got to crack down on homework in the next couple of weeks, but I've sure enjoyed this semester. Next week we have tickets to the Rockettes and my friend TLC is coming to visit! I better start working on my research paper...

Day 7

I'm grateful for our families and for Sundays. I heart the Sabbath day and dear friends who feel like family when we're so far from home. I'm grateful that NYC feels like home now after 2 years!

Merry Marathon Eve!

I love the Fall in New York City. It's beautiful, and one of my favorite NYC events takes place every November--the NYC marathon. In fact, I just gave my informative speech for my public speaking class on the NYC ING Marathon. Nate and I were walking through the park tonight and we saw everything prepped for the the marathon. It made me so excited for tomorrow! One day I will run it, for now I just enjoy being one of the 2 million spectators that line the streets of New York City.

Tonight, we had a mini photo session just for fun with a good friend. Then, we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in the city, Sarabeth's. We have the velvety tomato soup, decadent hot chocolate with whipped cream, and cookies to go. The cloud cookies are my favorite! It was a perfect night out. We returned home to resume our studies; speeches about dragons, oil changes, and foreign languages, while Nate stuffed his brain full of more CPA knowledge for his upcoming test. I'm so proud of him and can't wait until we're all done spending our Saturdays studying.

On day 6 of gratitude month I am grateful for many things: My beautiful mother who surprised me with a new willow tree statue today just because. My upcoming internship with the Church Public and International Affairs Office. I'm pretty stoked to work in such a pretty part of town; Lincoln Center melts my heart. Also, I'm grateful for date night :) Mostly, I'm grateful for the beautiful Autumn season, especially here. It was nice to get out tonight after a full day of studies.

Good Luck marathoners!!

Huck-a-doo!

I'm obsessed with Memphis right now and can't get the songs out of my head since I saw the show on Friday night for the second time.

Reasons why I love New York:

1. Broadway

2. Central Park

3. The Holiday Season in NYC...I'm ready for it. The stores have been ready since early October.

I miss retail sometimes (only sometimes for the discounts and cheesy music). I love that the stores sport Xmas in October. It really is a beautiful life! I've already turned on the NSYNC christmas album. Battements anyone?! (Erin that was for you, the rest of the blogging sphere will think I'm nuts.)

Off to bed...it's almost 4 am.

123 Party! : Takin' It To The Streets!

I totally saw these guys today at 58th and Lex! They were dancing up and down the streets in the middle of the road with their boombox.

1, 2, 3 Party is a renegade dance troupe. Lazer, formally known as Fury, began the group. He auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance this season, and clearly didn't make it, but the judges got a kick out of him. They made my day! Only in New York (and Boston I guess.)I watched another video on Youtube of auditions that were held to be a part of the troupe. Let's just say, Nate could have schooled those kids. Did anyone watch the Lauritzen boys' ALL STAR number?! haha Actually, I laughed really hard because I think Nate's dance skills are of the same caliber. (That was not a diss on my husband!) These guys are cool, and so is my husband because we have dance parties all the time! You would all find it to be highly entertaining if you saw Nate and I break out in dance in our apartment. It usually occurs after we watch a "dance" movie or anytime Pandora blasts Soulja Boy (that played over and over in the rental car on our honeymoon).

I know a kid from high school who would be a great asset to the troupe, but they would have to change it to 1, 2, 3, 4 Party More! Holla! Tallen Meek, if you are out there, this is for you my friend.

Tallen = boy on the right.

Love it While I Still Can

These pictures do not do the sky justice. They are from my camera phone, but I absolutely love being able to sit in my apartment and stare at the sky and the river. My favorite is watching the sunrise or when storms roll in. Lately, it's been really hot in our apartment and I can't sleep, so I wake up at 6 am to turn on the air and this is what I see. Amazing!

Nightly Strolls

June is a beautiful month because it marks summer (blasted humidity!) and because Nate can be home by 6 or 6:30 most nights. It's a rare occurrence for him to be home that early any other time of the year, but one I quite enjoy. Usually after dinner when it has cooled off outside we take a nightly stroll. I have fond memories of summer nights in Rexburg because it seems like all we'd do was stroll and eat snow cones at the Snowasis . . . How I miss that place! I've learned to love strolling in New York too. Who wouldn't?! Tonight on our stroll we came upon a lovely antique.When I say lovely, I mean used. When I say antique, I mean recycled furniture. Nate and I saw the exact 2 drawer night stand that Nate and Luke picked up off the street for our first apartment two years ago. When we saw it we both said, "It couldn't be." Sure enough . . .we opened the drawer and voila! Cow print baby! "That's it!" When we moved last year we just sat that puppy on the street knowing some fool would pick it up just like we did. It's a heavy piece, well on it's way to earning the title of antique. The cow print made this recycled treasure unforgettable. It only made it from 88th to 89th last year. I wonder where it will go next?

On this stroll we also saw a battle on the streets for a parking space between a not so nice man who wanted out of his spot, and two other cars who were waiting to pull in. Let's just say that one of the two was not so happy to have lost the battle . . . this happens quite frequently here. We decided that the drivers of these little cars always win!

We stopped and took a looksie (my favorite word) on the steps of the Met. Actually, we ran up and down them for a while. I love walking along the Met at night. There were quite a few people enjoying the evening on the steps. It was lovely! On the walk home we decided we want to invest in our own snow cone machine. For now, slurpees do the trick. Thank goodness for 7-11!

Did you know . . .?

New York City has fireflies! Nate and I were just on a walk to the grocery store and we saw "lightning bugs"--lots of them! They reminded us of our childhood in Missouri. Here I go again with a back in Missouri post, but I would spend hours catching lightning bugs with my brothers, and Nate would too at his Grandma's house. It was a happy night! (NYC also has mosquito's. Not so fun! I already have two bites this summer. They like me a little too much!)

PS22 Chorus "EMPIRE STATE OF MIND Pt. XXII" Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

This is sweet! It reminds me of going to school in the city when I was little. I love choirs! These kids are singing about THEIR home, where dreams are made of, NYC!

Where to Begin?

There is so much that we haven't blogged about. I didn't really blog about our summer, or any holidays, or any changes or events that have recently occurred. So here is a recap.

June- We went to TX for a week to see Nate's brother return home from his mission, but he ended up getting an extension and didn't come home until July. We made a trip to the beach and called it a summer vacation. I went to St. Louis to see my Hoefelmann family after that. My trip overlapped with my Dad and brother's trip so I got to see them and it was great. Nothing better than Ted Drewes with Dad and a nice summer BBQ with the family. My cousin Karri had recently had a new baby girl, so it was my first time meeting Launa. I was also able to be there when my cousin Elizabeth announced that she was pregnant! It was a tender moment and she is due any day now. Hoping I can make it out there again this summer to meet her little guy, Riley!
July/August- Nate and I spent the 4th of July in Washington DC. We were on TV with Aretha Franklin on PBS for the Capitol Concert. I don't remember if it was July or August, but we made a trip to Palmyra and Niagara Falls with The Gibson's. Great memories!! We went to the Palmyra pageant and it got rained out with two scenes left. What we saw of it was awesome! We'd love to go again this summer. In August we celebrated our 2 year anniversary and my cousins Kristen and Karley came to visit for a girl’s trip just a week after we moved into our new apartment. It was so much fun to have them here and experience NYC.

Palmyra Pageant

Frozen Custard in St. Louis

Me with Launa and Lily

Elizabeth just told her mom she is pregnant!

Me with 3 of my 4 brothers and Dad

Kristen and Karley in Time Square

Kristen and Nate love to be goofy!

Sept- We went to Utah for my niece’s baby blessing. It was a quick trip, but it was so wonderful to see my family! We also saw Nate's brother Brent for the first time sine he had been back from his mission to Milan, Italy. (He'll be getting married at the end of April so we'll get to go back to Utah for that!) We also spent a night in Rexburg. It was so much fun for Nate and I to spend time together. We loved the drive to Idaho and seeing friends from our Idaho days. Rexburg was beautiful as ever.

Sept/Oct- Honestly, everything is a blur. Nate started studying for the CPA exam. He would come home from work and study till bedtime...nothing has changed or will change until next Fall probably. Sometime around there our friends the Abels came to visit and stayed with us for a couple of days. There were lots of visitors that stopped in and stayed a night or two during the summer, but we were so glad to see the Abels! In October Miss Sadie turned one and we went to her first birthday party! My mom came out in October for her own birthday! We loved having her here and she was really happy to see our new apartment (elevator/dishwasher and all!) It is always fun to have her come and sad to see her go, but hopefully she'll get to come out for her 50th too!! Some time in Oct or Nov we went with some friends (including Sadie bear) apple picking and decided that should be an annual outing.

My niece Naveya! sweet girl

Friends from Idaho: Brett, Eric, Julie, and Julie's comp. from mission

The Pecks and Broden, The Ellis' (just had new baby!), & us!

Cherise, Barbara, and Amy Abel

Friends at Grimaldi's under Brooklyn Bridge

Apple picking!Sadie

Nov- We were very blessed to have a couple of Thanksgiving feasts! We were able to spend an early Thanksgiving with the Gibson's. Kris' family was in town and we had a blast getting to know them and then seeing the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade with them from Kris' office in Herald Square. It was an awesome view!! Thanks again Kristi-Lynn! Then, we spent Thanksgiving Day with the Monroe's and the Weirs. It was a beautiful Thanksgiving and we were really happy to spend it with great friends!

Macy's Day Parade

Thanksgiving at the Monroe's

Dec- Oh December! In December, Nate's brother Aaron and his wife Sam came to visit us! It was their very first time to NYC, but it wouldn't be their last trip. Sam stayed with us to see a doctor in NYC. Sam made herself well acquainted with the city while Nate and I continued working our regular shifts. We became fans of toasted marshmallow shakes from "STAND 4" thanks to Shannon! We all made it out of NYC and home to Texas within a day of each other right before the big snow storm. It was the Lauritzen's first Christmas with all of their boys home in 5 years due to all of their mission's over lapping. Nate's parents made it an extra special Christmas for all of us, and we all went a little overboard on the gifts. It was a nice break from our busy lives in the city. We hadn't even had time to think about Christmas until we got to Texas. Nate spent the entire trip studying for the second part of the CPA exam. On Christmas Eve, Nate received the good news that he had passed the first exam. Upon returning from Texas Nate took the second exam and we are still waiting for the results. So we have two down, and two to go! Go Nathan! In December I started training for a half marathon with Melissa Monroe and we are still going strong. Dustin is awesome and runs with us too...now if we could just get Nate out there with us. Nate doesn't handle the cold too well...and the rest of us have all invested in winter running gear so we are official. haha Our races are coming up in April and May.

Aaron, Nate, Papa Noel, & Brent in Christmas PJs

Jan- I came home a little sooner than Nate to finish working my last full week for the Gibson's. It was a bittersweet week. I truly love Sadie and am so grateful for the opportunity I had to share in her first year. I've missed seeing her daily and chatting with Kristi-Lynn about the ins and outs of our lives. It was a busy week for everyone! I started school online through BYU-Idaho that very week. I have midterms this week. Sam and Nate both came back to NYC the same day and shortly thereafter Aaron came. In all, Sam was with us for about 2 months and in that time we all got to know each other really well! haha That's what happens when you put two married couples in a studio in NYC...craziness. We're glad they were able to come and gain the experience they needed, though it didn't go as planned. We love them and are grateful for all of the time we spent together over the Holidays and in NYC. In January we celebrated Melissa's birthday! hurray. She had her party at our place and it was a hit. (She has been more diligent in her blogging so catch up on her page for details :) ) When Nate returned from Texas, busy season officially began with JPMorgan's earnings release...He has been getting home pretty late, but I've kept busy with school, running, and good friends who take care of me.

Sam & Aaron

Feb- We also hosted a super bowl party with the Monroe's this year. It was pretty sweet because Dustin hooked up his projector and created an 84 inch screen for everyone. (Again, check out the Monroe's blog for pics.) Parties in NYC are crowded and wonderful! This month we celebrated my 22nd birthday! woot woot (That was for Brent and Kate :) ) I was able to go to brunch with Kristi-Lynn and Sadie bear at Alice's Tea Cup! It was so much fun to catch up and to see how big Sadie has gotten. Thank you again Kristi-Lynn!! I got a priceless picture of Sadie sucking her thumb and sleeping on her mommy's back. Love it! My birthday was lots of fun between brunch, a movie, and pizza and games later on. Thanks to all who celebrated with me!!! Valentine's Day was sweet. We finally framed our picture of the St. George temple and made a goal to attend the temple more often. We are currently getting used to staying up much too late to watch the Olympics, working on our taxes...hmm, looking forward to Spring which won't come for a while, and loving our little apartment which is finally fully furnished! Nate says, "Hi guys!" Love, Rach....hopefully I don't wait another 6 months to update. We were just a little busy!

Sadie Bear sleeping after birthday brunch!