New York, New York

It’s official. I heart New York.

It's been over a month since I was there with my mom and sisters. (I had a little fiasco with the hundreds of pictures we took and loading them onto my computer, but finally, finally I can post about the wonderful trip. )

Over the summer my mom turned the big 6-0. For a good couple of years she had been saying for her birthday she wanted to go to NY with her girls. So the second she said it I started saving. I’m talking every birthday check, every Christmas card, two major garage sales…you get the idea. It seemed like years away, literally. And in October the magic date arrived. I had saved the money to do everything and more. We left our husbands. We left our kids. I took time off work. We planned our days strategically. We spent two days total flying across the country. And we spent 4 glorious day in the amazing city of New York.

Yes, I heart New York! It lived up to everything I had heard, seen, dreamed it to be, and more. I can not wait to go back one day. I loved being in a new place, loved being with my hilarious sisters, loved being with my amazing mother who I love more and more each day and happen to think she looks pretty darn good for just turning 60! There is not one thing I would change about that trip. I think back now on it and feel so blessed to have 4 amazing sisters and a mom who are so truly amazing and who I love with all my heart. How did I get so lucky? Thank you mama for wishing this for your birthday. Maybe I’ll be making a similar wish for my 30th next year. Everyone start saving those pennies!

Here are the highlights courtesy of my sister Jamie's blog who is a much better, concise writer than myself:

We Ate: New York cheesecake. New York Pizza. New York pastrami sandwiches the size of our faces. New York macaroni and cheese, muffins and cupcakes from the cutest bakeries ever. A very delicious, authentic Italian dinner. We didn't, however, eat at Dim Sum A Go Go in Chinatown. Apparently, some sisters didn't think it looked safe to eat there. Ha! (Insert Bryn-Duh, of course a hot dog from a cart like a true New Yorker!)

We Watched:
In the Heights on Broadway. Wicked on Broadway. A taping of the Regis and Kelly Show with Hilary Swank. The Today Show with Matt Lauer and special guest Maria Shriver. A TLC show recording a wedding in the middle of Times Square. The filming of Gossip Girl at one of the hotels across the street from the New York City temple. Donald Trump recording The Celebrity Apprentice in Grand Central station with celebrities Sharon Osbourne, Darryl Strawberry, Brett Micheals, Jesse Ventura, that one Australian cook, etc. Air Force One and many more helicopters land with the President who was giving a speech one street away. We also watched as Bryn spotted and chatted with a team from this seasons Amazing Race...Zev and Justin (who by the way, were totally flirting with her). Those were nice guys, who were so flattered that they were recognized on the corner of a busy New York street. So funny. (insert Bryn- so NOT flirting!)

We Rode:
The subway (so dirty). Taxis (so grateful to be alive). Double Decker sight seeing bus (so cold). Ferry to Statue of Liberty (so beautiful to see the New York skyline from the Hudson). But mostly we didn't ride at all, just walked our fannies off.

We Sight saw (Yes, I looked it up. That is correct.)
Central Park. The Palace. Statue of Liberty. Top of Rockefeller. The Empire State Building. Times Square. Grand Central Station. Battery Park. Ground Zero. Chinatown. Canal Street (is that really sight seeing?)

One super, busy, incredible, memorable, wonderful trip I will never ever in my entire life forget!