The New York Botanical Gardens

Today (Saturday September 29, 2007) we went to the New York Botanical Gardens. It was Amazing! We really enjoyed it. It was kind of a quick trip but well worth it. The flowers and trees were beautiful. Adorning each tree was a small tag outlining the name and origin of the tree. Our mothers would have loved it. I was a little disappointed with the iris (because it wasn’t the season for them to be in bloom). There was a whole hallway of them, but being spoiled at a very young age with Green-thumbed parents who love iris, I have seen better and more of them in my own back yard.

Today was National Free Museum Day- so we decided to go to the Bontanical Gardens up in the Bronx (northern NYC) so we got on a train and went all the way up there. Then we got to the gardens they told us that we had to have printed something off to get in for free. So instead we just paid the student price for the grounds tickets (which was only $2.00 each) and we got to walk around the grounds- we weren’t able to go into any of the buildings and see the exhibits but there was still some really cool stuff to see on the grounds. We didn’t get to stay very long because we had to get going so that we could make it to the Court of Honor. On the way to the church we stopped at Joe’s Best Burger to eat- it was really good and they had some crazy soda (they had chocolate soda- which tasted like chocolate milk with fizz- it was…interesting).

Today they had the first Court of Honor in our ward that they have had for 6 years. B is working in the Young Men’s and so it was so great to go and see them get their merit badges and see their excitement in their success. After the Court of Honor I stayed for a service Relief Society activity and then the General Relief Society Women’s Conference. It was a great night and I was able to learn so much from the conference.

Papa Smurf's Trip

This past week we have had the Father in town. It has been great. He really enjoyed himself here and got to do and see a lot. One thing interesting that he said was that he would not have gone into the city without us there to guide him. He said it would be to intimidating. I really agree. It is a huge city and not very easy to find your way around if you do not know where you are going. Any city that you are not familiar with is hard to get around. I am glad that we got to be tour guides- it was really fun to see stuff again and to be able to absorb it (without the ‘tourist’ rush).
Monday night we went to Mormon Night at the Mets, the church got a lot of tickets and we were able to go to the Met’s game for really cheap- but cheap comes with a price (we were so high in the nose bleeds that we thought we were going to fall to our death- it was sooo high)- but it had a very good/different view of the field (kind of angelic- from the sky…haha jk) . The entire mission was there- and all the missionaries were passing out things- it was very cool to see them all. Elder Mackrory was there- he grew up in Longmont and even went to prom with B once. It was crazy but very fun to see him and be able to talk to him about everything. The Mets didn’t really make us proud. Most of the fans left with their heads hung low at the 6th inning because it looked like their was no help- in the end the Mets lost to the Washington Nationals 4 to 14.





Tuesday night we went to our wards Chinese Moon Celebration potluck- at this potluck the ward had tons of Chinese food- including squid (which B was to nervous to eat- because it was looking at her). The food was really good but very different and interesting- but a good taste and good experience.


Wednesday we went to Times Square. We ate at Bubba Gump- where B and Dad both could answer most if not all of the Forest Gump trivia (who knew I was related to such nerds- ha jk). It was good food and it was a fun atmosphere. Then we walked around Time Square so Dad could really get a ‘New York’ feel (we forgot a camera and so we went and bought a disposable camera- pictures will soon follow).
Thursday we went to the New York temple. On the way B and Dad got to walk through Central Park- so cool to see. The temple was great and it was cool to have that calming sense. Afterwards we went out for real New York style pizza.


When we got back to dad’s car (he parked it in Queens and we took the subway into Manhattan) we couldn’t find it and thought it was stolen. So we called the police and had to file a police report. After the police came (and lots of stress thinking that the rental car, his computer, camera and life were stolen) we found out that the car had been towed to New Jersey. So Dad came back to our house (we didn’t get there until 1:30am) until a cab could come and get him to take him (around 3:00 am) to the airport to get another car (still without his computer, camera, phone charger ect) so he could go to his hotel and get two hours of sleep before having to go to work. It was a hard night and was very frustrating and scary- but it all worked out for the best.
Friday, dad took me to the laundry mat and to get groceries (yay) and then we all went to Applebees to eat and then we all went home to sleep- after a long and tired day. It was so great to have Dad here this week- it was fun to see him and share our new life with someone in our family.

Our Trip to Palmyra

Saturday (Sept 22- B’s birthday!!- and the 180th Anniversary of Cumorah), we got up early, went to the airport and flew to Rochester, NY- where we rented a car and went to Palmyra to see the church sites. This is something that I have never been really interested in, but we thought we would try it and I absolutely loved it. It was an amazingly spiritual, peaceful and serene experience. It was cool to be in the places and sites where the prophet, Joseph Smith, and the early saints were- it was comforting and calm (like you feel when in the temple).We went to Joseph Smith's Farm, the Sacred Grove, the Palymra Temple, the hill Cumorah, and the Historic Publication Site of the Book of Mormon.

Les Miserables on Broadway

Friday (Sept 21), B got off work early and went to Manhattan to stand in line for discount Broadway tickets; she ended up getting tickets half off for Les Miserables. We saw it that night and it was amazing…to say the least. It was so great to be able to go see a Broadway; to get all dressed up and glamorous, to walk down the packed streets of Time Square, so actually know that you get to participate in the banners of flashing lights. We had both grown up knowing and singing this musical and so it was really exciting to be able to go. It is one of those great musicals that is a dream and is just a ‘have to’ in your life. The story made tons of sense with the music as it was watched on stage (it tied the story and music together- we could see where it all fit in). The performers were amazing and had such great talent. The theater was smaller then I had expected (smaller then the Buelle in Denver, but that makes sense) and the set was so amazing; the floor spun and they had three level sets that they pushed on and off and would turn to make different buildings- it was great. The whole thing was a dream come true- it was so amazing.

Manhattan New York Temple

Ben and I were able to go to the New York temple on Thursday (Sept 20) evening. It was so amazing. I had only ever been through the Denver Temple so it was a lot different- you moved from different rooms. It was such a great experience and was just so amazing to be able to go through the temple again. It was such a spiritual experience and it was good to get out of the world- it felt like we had to walk back into the world when we were done, and it was so surreal. We will defiantly have to go back again.

Central Park and Julliard

On Monday (Sept 17) Ben came and picked me up after work and we walked to Central Park. Central Park was so beautiful; it was clean, elegant, quiet (compared to the rest of the town) and peaceful. I was SHOCKED- I thought it was going to be dirty, like the rest of New York and full of bums and creepy men- but I was WRONG!! There were ponds, castles, outdoor theaters, fields, and tons of beautiful things. The trees were huge and the architecture was so cool- we both felt like we were in Europe (or so we assume Europe would feel like). Walking out of the park we came upon a big black tie event where there were lights, music (Latin- made me want to dance) and people dressed up all elegant- we watched for a while (kind of a Sabrina moment) and then kept walking. On the west side of the park we walked up past the New York Temple (so comforting to see it and have it so close) and across the street is Julliard. So we went over there and awed at the idea. We had dinner at another great pizza place (Pizza is very ‘New York’- and I think that’s because it’s the cheapest thing in New York). It was such a great night- we just walked around and awed at things- we took tons of pictures- and we loved it!!