Manhattan Mad Dash

Manhattan? Yes.
Dash? We did indeed.
Mad? I daresay we were.


We were there for only 48 hours. It took 5 hours travel time to get up there (we were booking it). We convinced our dear friends to go halfsies with us on a hotel room to save some money, which they so graciously did. We carted around 4 kids who were all 3 and under. We schlepped up and down the subways with bags, babes, and buggies multiple times. BUT IT WAS ALL WORTH IT. For we were able to send off one of Drew's beloved Team members into matrimonial bliss.
So buckle up. I'm taking you on a whirlwind photo-tour of our insane, but amazing, weekend in the Big Apple.

9am...Embark on our journey (4 family members, 3 suitcases, 4 bags of food, 2 car seats, 1 stroller, and a DVD player...is it time for a minivan yet?)


1pm...Quick stop for lunch at Hightstown Cafe in Jersey (does anyone other than us watch Diners, Drive-ins & Dives?) where our waitress would not put either of our girls down until they started crying. However, Makenna met the diner's resident pet, Porkchop the fish.



3pm...Check into our hotel (A-mazing), which had 2 rooms, a kitchenette, and a spotless bathroom for only...wait for it...$209/night! In Manhattan. Plus a free made-to-order breakfast each morning for all of us. Plus an evening reception with free drinks for all of us. Can you tell I was impressed?
Off to the the park across the street while we wait for the Kings to arrive.


7pm...Men are off to the bachelor party while the ladies hold down the fort, bath the kids, and get ready for an off-the-hook marathon day in the morning.
Note: Where do two exhausted moms relax in a hotel room once all 4 kids are asleep? Why, in the hallway of course. (Why didn't I get a picture of this?)


9am...Enjoy our delicious-FREE-breakfast and it's off to the wedding. Down the elevator. Schlep 5 blocks to the nearest subway stop. 1/2 hr. train ride up to the temple. Convince the security guard at the church we were only "meeting" our sitter up at the church (level 3), and not camping out up there all day.


11:30am...Beautiful sealing inside a beautiful temple (sorry, no pictures).

12:30pm...Wedding pictures outside, where I may or may not have pretended I was the hired photographer with my snazzy new camera, snapping shots right and left. Then we meander over to the fountains at Lincoln Center where we shoot more fun pictures of our overly-energetic-from-being-cooped-up-all-morning toddlers.



2:00...Hustle the kids back upstairs to the church to feed the babies, welcome the new babysitter, and turn on a different DVD in the nursery room. We walk to the luncheon at a restaurant just around the corner from the temple- charming, quaint, and delicious. (Sleeping babies were welcome, toddlers were not.)






5pm...Pack everyone up again and haul them back downtown to our hotel...


...where we can change clothes, freshen up, and...spend a nice leisurely evening inside? Not a chance. It's back out with everyone to enjoy the splendor of Times Square at nighttime.

7:30pm...Trek the 5 blocks back to the subway. I should mention here that we forgot to throw the Baby Bjorn in the car when we left and we were not about to bring a double jogger to NYC, so we had a 1-kid stroller for 2 kids the entire weekend. Thus, the improvisational double stroller:


(I bet many of you didn't even know you owned a double stroller.)

8pm...Makenna gives everyone in Times Square a front-row seat to her very own Manhattan Meltdown. I will not go into the details, other than tell you we learned a valuable lesson, "Know when to call it quits." I shall say no more on the subject.
Lucky for us a stop in at the world's largest Toys 'R Us worked a little magic on our girl. So did an introduction into the world of Barbie.


I will tell you that our night did not end here, for I so gracefully chucked my cell phone onto the subway tracks at 10:00 at night. Only to hear from a not-so-friendly subway attendant that I should "just get another phone." When Drew proceeded to ask her at what intervals the trains came, she warned him quite prophetically, "Yo life aint worth dat phone. You got dem two lil' girls to live for. You got to think of dem when you makin' a choice like dat." Long story short, a very nice train worker came with a pooper-scooper and retrieved my phone from the tracks. Sadly, no picture.

10am...Back out for our last day of fun. Staten Island here we come! Boat ride. Free. A good hour of entertainment for the toddlers. Triple win.





12pm...PB&J picnic in Battery Park. Kite flying. And who can leave NYC without the legendary I heart NY shirt? So we snagged a couple of those on our way out.


Whew! After that post, it sounds like our trip went a bit longer than 48 hours, but I assure you we were task masters and fit all that into one short weekend. Fun, fun, fun. Congratulations Peter and Noelle!



(Anderson and Makenna on their first subway date. Ironically, she was the only one with reception down there.)

Eight...

Eight years ago today Drew and I were married in the Mesa Arizona Temple. I won't recant the story; I've already summed that day up. I just want to share how utterly lucky (translate: blessed) I feel to be married to him. No amount of imagination would have turned up a vision of my life today. Pure happiness. Not perfection...but happiness.



p.s. I got my anniversary present early so I could use it on our NYC trip last weekend. Be prepared to view some killer pictures coming soon, thank you Canon Rebel. SO EXCITED!

Arizona Gurls Are Undeniable...

Fine, fresh, fierce, we got it on lock.
Desert represent, now put your hands up...
Oooooh oh oooooh

Addison took her first plane ride to Arizona a couple of weeks ago to meet the rest of the Bird flock. We stayed for a week and had the luxury of enjoying Drew's company the entire time...ahhhhh.

Highlights:
*Swimming
*Diamondbacks game (we love them even though they can't win)
*Caramba's - best cheap Mexican food in the Valley
*More swimming
*Uncles Daniel and Eric bonding with my girls
*Makenna's maiden adventure to Build-a-Bear with Grandma for her 3rd birthday (and the subsequent birth of Mary Bear...hot pink teddy with bride's clothes- what a looker)
*Swimming
*GNO with Christy!!!
*Curling contest between the bros (Drew insists he "lost on purpose")
*Visiting with Gigi and Papa Phil- ooh, how they spoil us...
*Temple visit with my main man and Cafe Rio afterward (please let them build a rogue franchise in Burke, VA).
*Did I mention we went swimming... Every. Single. Day???

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The Birthday Bash

3rd birthday was a hit! Awesome cake that rocked inside and out (if I humbly say so myself). All three candles blown out at once by my long-winded girl. Well-received presents that further prove my daughter is nothing short of a girly-girl. And birthday singing by both sets of grandparents all the way across the country.

Her majesty, the queen, started out her special day by hitting up the local bounce-house with her girlfriend, Neve. Afterward, we celebrated at Chick-Fil-A where she was presented her very own ice cream with sprinkles in honor of her birthday. That night her Daddy treated us to Red Robin where none other than Red Robin himself joined us for pictures and an ice cream sundae. (I should include at this point that Makenna tried her very first corn-dog at dinner. She was utterly baffled by it, until I said she got to eat a "hot-dog-popsicle" for dinner.) Later at home I presented her with my own Disney princess cake creation. Two words: LOVED IT! Belle became her treasured toy who helped her open up all her presents. Favorite gift from us...pink glitter purse with everything a girl could want on the go: cell phone; compact; lipstick; comb; car key with automatic ignition starter & alarm; glamor earrings and ring; money; and a CREDIT CARD! Good thing we had errands to run today so she could show off her new purse.

 

 

 

 

Until next year...


Now we're off to NYC with the kiddos; wish us luck.

Happy Birthday Makenna!

I am in awe how quickly the past three years have gone by for our little family. It seems like not so long ago, Drew was interning up here in D.C. and I was attending my last prenatal appointment in Richmond before my scheduled c-section. Within hours, Drew raced home just in time to be there for Makenna's surprise birth! I will never in my life forget those first sweet, perfect moments of meeting our firstborn. What a beautiful blessing she is in our lives. She is incredibly funny, so independent and strong-willed, brilliant, and one of the greatest joys in my life.




The only reason I show you this picture is so you can see what a tiny little thing she was! All 5 lbs. 4 oz. of her.



Happy third birthday sweet girl!