13 year Anniversary in NYC

 When we found out we were moving away, Rand came up with 2 great ideas.  The first was to spend the night in NYC for our anniversary so I could get my fill and not be so sad about leaving a city I love.  The 2nd idea was to buy an DSLR camera.  We have thought about buying a camera for some time but  always wondered if we would really use it.  Well, we finally did it.  Rand thought it would be nice if we had some cool pictures that we (meaning me) took to hang in our house in the future.  The only problem was that we only had the camera for 4 days before we left, so it's not like I was all that proficient.  I can proudly say I read the manual twice in those four days, took lots of pictures for practice and read a book about SLR's from the library.  I am proud to say I did take all of these pictures in the manual setting.  I think some are pretty cool.

 The picture above was at the Summit train station on our way into the city.

 The view above is as you ride the escalator up to 7th ave and see Hotel Pennsylvania.  I don't know why but it gets me every time.  I compare it to the feeling you get when you walk down Main Street in Disneyland, another place I love.  It just gives me a nervous and excited feeling.  I have to pinch myself every time.  I've probably taken 50 picture of this same shot over the last two years.

 When we left Summit we got into the city and went straight out to the Empire State building to get some pictures.

 Then the Chyrsler building.  As we walked up 5 Ave we also passed the NYC library below.

 And of course we couldn't miss the iconic Macy's.  This year we went to this Macy's here on 34th street at Christmas so the kids could see Santa.  It was magical.  Probably more for me than for the kids.

 I also love Radio City music hall.  One of my favorite memories in NY is when my parents came for Thanksgiving last year.  The year before my mom and I had tickets to see the Rockettes for Christmas but it was the Snow storm of the century the day we had tickets for, and we couldn't get into the city, so we missed our show.  I was beyond disappointed.  Thankfully when they came out in November 2011, we were able to catch one of the fist shows of the season.  It was just my mom, Anna and me.  3 generations of girls.  We rode the train in and then rode in a pedicab for the first and last time in the city.  It was cold, and a bit scary, but so fun to ride in a buggy pulled by a guy on a bike through the streets decorated for Christmas.  The show was really great.  It was a really cold and rainy day but my Mom was a total champ about it and it will always be a favorite memory for me.

 It was only right that we eat "street meat" for dinner for our anniversary.  This is Rand's favorite cart with Indian food.  Even Bobby Flay from the food network has eaten there.  It really is very good food, but it certainly isn't food you want to eat if you need to fit in anything skinny anytime soon.  Let's be honest, I haven't fit into anything skinny in quite some time.

 Time square didn't have the same excitement it had when we first moved here, but it's still fun to visit and it was home to Rand's office here at 1540 Broadway the last two years, thus the picture below to document it.

 I've now seen Wicked 3 times and I'm pretty sure I will never see a better show.  I love it!

 This was our room at The Hilton just up a bit up the street from Radio City.  I stayed there before with some friends and I think for the money and the cleanliness etc. it's a really good choice.  Not quite as nice as the Milford, eh Jess?  :)

 In the years that we've been here I had never seen the flatiron building so it was a must see.  It's strange from behind it looks like a normal building but from the front it really does look flat.  It's so cool.

 I've come to love the "normal" streets of NY.  I love to go to to Chelsea or somewhere with the more typical architecture and the brownstone type buildings.

 We have been down to the 9/11 site several times be decided it would be worth it this time to make the time to actually visit the museum and the memorial site.  I'm really glad that we did this.  It's such a part of the history of NYC.

 One of the buildings still going up.  It's been fun to see the progress from nothing to this.

 The wall above has all the names of those who were killed obviously.  It lists first those in the different planes and then those in the World trade Centers.  It really hit home how many lives were lost seeing it like that.

 This is a picture of an airplane window that had been blown apart, that someone stepped over that day as they were running down the street.  Admittedly the first time I visited the site of 9/11 I felt very little  and very removed from it all, but each time I've gone back, the reality and weight of what happened there becomes more real.  It's hard to walk down those streets and imagine it was those same streets that people were running down from the smoke and debris.  I believe there were something like 6 or 8 people from our ward that worked in those buildings back then.  Every single one of them was late to work that day, so was saved.

 The above picture is showing some of the many, many missing posters that family and friends posted around the site, hoping that somehow their loved ones would be found.

 The fountains are built in the exact foot print of the original WTC buildings.  Around the waterfalls are the names inscribed of those that were killed.  It really is a beautiful and peaceful memorial.

 This is I believe a City Center or government building down by the Brooklyn Bridge that I just thought was pretty.

 Rand and I walked across the Brooklyn bridge.  It was such a beautiful day.  This is definitely one of my most favorite things to do in NY.  The view is so pretty.  Sadly there was construction so a lot of the view was obstructed so we had to just make do with what we had.

 After walking the bridge, we decided to head uptown to Central park.  We rented some bikes for a few hours and rode around the whole park plus some.  Over the two days we calculated that we walked about 22 miles, plus the biking.  The area where Randall is sitting is called the Mall and it's one of my favorites.  The benches that are there all have plaques on them that say they were donated for someone for like an anniversary or a birthday gift or something special.  It's fun to walk along and read who they are there for and why.  Maybe someday I will have a park bench with my name on it ;)

 For whatever reason I'm a total sucker for the Today show.  I have dreamed about seeing Rockefeller Center for years and years, especially with the Christmas tree up.  Thankfully this year my dreams came true.  I even was on the Today show a few years back.  I was so excited to see Matt Lauer and katie up close but they were all away for a funeral that day.  I did get to see Natalie Morales though :)

 It was also important being the chocolate lovers that we are, to snap a picture of our of our favorite chocolatier.  This is in Rockefeller Center, and has really good stuff.  My favorite is the chocolate with mint and Rand's is with chili pepper.

If you would have told me 13 years ago when we were married and "honeymooning" in my grandmas trailer in St. George poor as poor with all of Randall's education ahead of us,  that we would be celebrating together in NYC and not just for vacation but we would be living here I wouldn't have believed you.  I'm so grateful that we've been so blessed over the years, for richer for poorer in sickness and health.  Here's to many, many more.