NYC Lately

We have been busy in the city lately. I want to write down and remember what we've been up to, so this is a little bit of a catch-up.

Enjoying lots of lazy weekend picnics in Central Park. I mean, that face? She is always smiling. And she makes a great pillow, too.

 A jalapeño margarita at Jimmy's Pickles. So. good.

An easy salad I made for lunches one week with colorful peppers, tomatoes, quinoa, cucumbers, black beans and avocado.

A book chat/signing with Hoda Kotb and Jennifer Weiner! I am a total nerd and am okay with that. Jennifer Weiner's new book, All Fall Down, is the perfect summer read. And, Hoda? She is my new bestie. :)

 Wine with our friends Lindsey and Misha

 Manhattanhenge

Lovely dinner at Tao and visit with sweet Katie and Drew!

{Um, that is a giant fortune cookie filled with white and dark chocolate. And it was as good as it looks.}

 

I wrapped up working at Kate Spade. It was a fun experience, but I'm very excited to be getting back to the classroom next month!

 We went to our first Summerstage in Central Park to see Counting Crows {and Toad the Wet Sprocket!} and loved, loved, loved it. It was one of those nights where we looked around and at each other and thought about how special it is that we live here.

 I have been tiring this little muffin out on our nightly walks in the park. She's so darn cute.

We saw Sara Bareilles on Sunday and she put on an amazing concert.

 

I'm not usually one for concert souvenirs, but I love my new BRAVE shirt!

 



This blurry picture is as good as we could get. We had a blast!

Visit to NC

I've been away from the blog on an unintentional break, so I've got lots of catching up to do! Hoping to post more regularly on all that we've been up to lately.

It was so nice to be back down south for a few days. We had a great time and only wish we could have stayed longer! I came down on Tuesday and TJ came Friday morning (after a cancelled flight Thursday evening!)

Tuesday: Mom and Dad picked me up from the airport and we had a quick lunch at home. Then, we went to see the new house they are building, which will be ready in August! I'm so excited for them and was happy to see it in person. Part of this trip was to "say bye" to my childhood house. We all grew up there, and for my whole life, it has been home.  It will be strange to not go there when visiting NC, but I'm really happy for my parents who are building their dream home. Later that day my sister and her family came over for happy hour and dinner. My nieces are darling and are getting so big. Madeleine kept saying "I love you, Mo-Mo. Can you move to Greensboro?" Heart breaker!

Wednesday: Caitlyn turned two! We played at the park in the morning, the pool in the afternoon and had a little pizza party that night. Such a fun day celebrating her!

Thursday: A little shopping with mom, Marideth and Merritt came over for a visit, and family dinner. TJ was supposed to join us but Hurricane Arthur had other plans. His flight was rescheduled for the next morning.

Friday: I picked up TJ first thing in the morning from the airport and we headed straight to pick up chicken biscuits. :) We all went out to show him the new house, then went to Winston to see Marideth, Adam, Merritt and Adam's sweet parents at their house. We had lunch and played in the pool before heading back to Greensboro for Fourth of July cookout. We ate lots of good food, played some baci ball in the yard and lit sparklers in the cul-de-sac. It was just right.

Saturday: TJ and I headed to Charlotte for a quick day trip. We visited with our friends Brad and Michelle and met their adorable new baby, Braden.  Then we drove around town, quickly strolled through Nordstrom and had lunch with Brent and Danielle at Chuy's. Luckily, the humidity had dropped and the weather was pretty perfect. Neither of us took pictures, of course! We headed back in time for dinner at Mom and Dad's. {We didn't take a single picture!!}

Sunday: We had a great day. TJ and I went on a lunch date to one of my favorite restaurants, Lucky 32. We sat outside and our meal included fried green tomatoes, a must have. We then headed to the pool and played with the girls. Mom made a delicious meal for dinner, then we said our goodbyes {for now} to my sister's family.

We headed back to NYC and to the dogs on Monday. It was a short, but very sweet, trip. I am glad to be in New York but I also miss North Carolina and the ones we love there. Until next time, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind.

Catching Up-Five on Friday!

Hey Guys! First of all, I didn't know if I'd be able to post today because my blog kept redirecting to an unwanted page and I was freaking out a bit. Whew-It's fixed and functioning and FYS is back! I am linking up with April, Christina, Natasha and Darci for Five on Friday!

 

This past week was exciting because I was officially offered a teaching position at a fabulous school! I have truly missed being away from teaching since we moved here, and at the same time I've really  loved working at Kate Spade, too. Next year I will be rocking this look a lot as a science teacher! ;) I'm thrilled about this new challenge and opportunity.

 

We also had a great time with our visitors over the last couple of weeks. We went to Delaware to visit with TJ's family and went to Rehobeth Beach for the long weekend. Only my fellow Today Show fans will appreciate the fact that I saw and met Hoda Kotb while rounding the corner heading to the beach! In a too-high pitch I waved and greeted her like she was best friend, ha! She was super sweet and absolutely beautiful. Definitely a highlight of the weekend for me!

 

We introduced the dogs to the beach and that was so much fun.

Bailey as the ultimate sunroof windrider on the way to the beach.

 

 

Then, TJ's mom and sister came back to NYC for a visit and they did some major exploring.

 

 

We went to see Bullets Over Broadway {loved it}, walked the Highline, visited Chelsea Market, ate lots of good meals, and went to a Yankees game. We had a great time!

 

 

If you come to New York and you love rice krispy treats, you should definitely go to The Treat House. You can get a variety of little treats in all sorts of fun flavors. Perfect for girls like me who enjoy a little variety when it comes to food! {And for my southern teacher friends who know about Newk's rice krispy treats--these help tie me over!}

 

I have purchased three nail polishes this week. Someone please help me. I've got a polish problem.

Essie cocktails and coconuts

Butter London cake-hole

Essie haute in the heat

 

On a much more somber note: For us, May 26th was and is all about my babies. Each year it's impossible for me to believe that another 365 days have gone on since we lost them. I look at the pictures above and am reminded that while we are experiencing joy in our lives, a part of us remains missing. Where there is happiness in our hearts, sadness also dwells there. It is a parallel of emotions that has become our normal. I know that I can take part in life and experience joy and laughter, because I owe them that. But the passage of time does not fade the memories, the heartache, the love that is there. They are always with us. Always. I don't celebrate, though I always remember this day.  I grieve on this day but I also live. I spend time with my husband and remember our babies and I do something that they would enjoy. We went to central park and had a picnic with the dogs. We stayed there for hours. As I looked up to the sky, where they surely are in Heaven, I saw a rainbow. A reminder of God's promises, and a reminder that they hear me. They see me. They are doing okay.