Rest of the trip

Okay, so after the morning of E.S.B. and Rock Center, (we actually took a subway back to the hotel...wanted the full NY experience) we headed to the restaurant
Serindipity from the movie of the same name. It was a 2 hour wait and it was too cold and we were too hungry to wait that long. We wandered all along Park Avenue and looked at all the rich places along Central Park and it made us think of Friends, Seinfeld, and other stars who might live there. We finally found a Cafe and we were thrilled to eat good old fashioned food and get out of the cold. Ashley needed a place to study, so the girls and I went and did the carraige ride in the park and Ty got Ash set up at FAO Schwartz at a table to study. Then we wandered through the park. We then all went to the toy store and found the car and drove on out of Manhatton. Huge kudos to Tyler for driving in this mess. The traffic was horrendus and he made it seem so easy. The Lincoln tunnel is a sight to see with a ton of lanes merging into just a few. The bridge goes under the water and when you come out, you are in New Jersey. That night we went to a cute little Italian place to eat and got these HUGE Philly cheesesteak sandwhiches that were to die for. They were awesome. Then we went to the grocery store and it was fun cuz it started to snow on our way home. We went to church on sunday and heard 2 awesome talks and then we were able to see Ashley lead the music in Primary. She does such a great job and the kids love her (especially one particular visiting girl). We came home and ate our leftovers and then headed out to see the Liberty Bell, Independance Hall and Congress Hall. We drove all around the historical district and saw the Delaware River. We then drove out to Valley Forge and really had a great time hearing the stories and seeing George Washington's winter Quarters during the war. It was so cold it was easy to visualize what they went through.

Central Park and the horse and buggy ride

I didn't get a great picture of the buggy, but here are a few pictures. It was so fun to see around Central Park. We walked around after and saw the ice-skating rink and some really cool bridges.

Empire State Building

Here are some of the very cold pictures from the Empire State Building. It was a beautiful, clear,sunny day. We could see a long way. Fun that on top of all the buildings there was snow!

Tracy, Tiffi, and Tiana's excellent adventure

I have to do one part of the adventure at a time because we did so much in 5 days.
We arrived in Philly on thursday night Feb. 15th. Ty met us at the airport and got us safely back to his darling new condo (well, new to them). There was a huge snow storm the few days before and we were uncertain as to whether this trip would even happen. Luck was with us though and we sailed in with no problems. Ty and Ash both had school on friday, so the girls and I decided to be brave and bold and take the train from Norristown to Philly, change trains, Philly to Trenton N.J., change trains and Trenton to Manhatton. We only had a few little bumps in the road (the drive to Norristown took much longer, due to construction and we had to find a different train station than the one Ty told us to go to) but it was a fun and relaxing way to get to the city. We arrived at Penn Station and literally walked across the street to check into our hotel. I have to say a little about the temperature. Tyler kept telling me how cold it was and that I would never believe it. He was right. It never got above the 20's and that was not counting the wind chill factor. There was snow everywhere we went the whole trip. I have never felt so cold so fast in my life. Anyway, we checked into our marvelous hotel (thanks hubby for looking out for your family) and then ventured out into the city. We walked about 10 city blocks and had to duck into a donut shop to have some hot chocolate and warm up. Ty and Ash drove in and met us right near the Gershwin Theatre to go to dinner and see "WICKED". It was amazing to say the least and we loved every second of it. My pics didn't turn out so good, so hopefully Tiff will post hers, of the theatre. The next morning we did the Empire State building and Rockerfeller Center.

The pool makeover

This is the making of the waterfall/slide for the "new" pool

My beautiful daughter

I would like everyone to know how proud I am of Tiana and all that she has accomplished. Tiana was awarded her Young Womanhood Medallion today in Sacrament meeting and I was so happy for her. She is an amazing young woman, who does more in a day than I could dream of. Tiana starts every day with early morning seminary at 6:00 am. I have never once had to get her out of bed or remind her to go. T is always on the go supporting her school by watching all the teams or participating in Student Council and the Choir programs. She just got back from State for Student Council and you have to be selected to be able to go. Tiana is running for Student Body Vice President for next year and is thrilled for the upcoming year. The Prom this year will be planned by the junior class of which Tiana will play a big part in. I am glad she has found several things in life that make her happy. Tiana is a very beautiful girl and I am PROUD to have her as my daughter. I love you T, Mom