New York state of mind

The boys and I packed our bags and headed to New York for spring break. Thankfully my mom flew along with me. (Brandon has been on a whirlwind business trip and met up with us on Tuesday to hang for a few days.) A plane ride with Ryder is exhausting to say the least, but he did pretty well considering we got up at 4 am to catch a flight; had a lay over in ATL that ended up lasting an additional 2hrs on top of what we already were waiting. We finally made it though. The boys were super excited to see their cousins Katie, John and Luke.

We kept things simple the first day and stayed at the house and just let the kids have some good ole fashioned play time. It was a little chilly that day so we bundled up to go outside. There is a park right next to the house which is really nice. As you can see everyone had a blast sliding, climbing, swinging, and running around.

While in New York my mom wanted to catch a Broadway show (something to mark off your bucket list). Amy, mom and I headed to the city for some girl time to watch Mama Mia. Before catching the show we ate at the famous Stardust diner next door. Its known for the live singing and entertainment while you eat. Of course they're all wanting to catch their big break and make it on Broadway. Our waiter even gave an Elvis performance.

The next day we headed back to the city with the whole gang. Carter was really impressed with the George Washington Bridge so I snapped a quick photo of it.

First stop... the Intrepid, a restored aircraft carrier ship and submarine (the Growler). You know before hand that these things are going to be big but seeing them in person really puts it in perspective.
Brandon and the boys went down into the submarine. If you have to sleep next to torpedoes you know that its cramped for space.

The flight deck was full of restored war  planes not only from the US but from countries all over the world. One of the favorites on the ship was the "tiger" plane. We also posed in front of a plane like the one used in Top Gun. Besides planes they also had helicopters to look at. From the flight deck we got a good view of the city and could even see the Statue of Liberty off in the distance.

The hanger deck was filled with hands on activities for the kids. They all really enjoyed getting to sit in a helicopter and jet. There was a miniature Intrepid, captain deck, sleeping quarters, and more.

Next,  we headed to the Empire State Building. After a quick virtual ride and tour of the city we headed to the 86th floor to look at the city below.

It wasn't long before our time in New York came to an end. The boys had a great time! In fact when we made it back home Saturday Carter said "its nice to be back home and not on a plane" I agree!! I was really looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. Parker didn't agree so much he said " it would nicer if Katie, John and Luke were here." They really love getting to spend time with their cousins. Parker is even trying to plan our next trip.

Road Trippin

After trying to schedule time to make a visit to San Antonio I finally made a girls road trip last weekend. A family friend and one of Brandon's co-workers hooked us up with a 2 night stay at the Westin Riverwalk. Yea connections!!
I had a great time at dinner catching up with every one from our old stomping ground (Clarissa, Stephanie, Jennifer, Merideth, Kelley, and Valerie) and was grateful to have my besties from Dallas come with me.

Day 2 of our trip we headed out for a fun day of shopping and sight seeing on the riverwalk downtown. We went to an old favorite, Charming Charlie's, and spent time (and money) looking at the all the cute jewelry, handbags, and accessories. We stopped by Zinc wine bar downtown for a happy hour drink before heading back to the hotel to get ready for a night out on the town.

We had dinner that night at Iron Cactus on the river and then walked over to Leapin Lizards to end the night. I had such a great time seeing great friends and having a chance to spend some much needed girl time with Kristi and Libby. 

Lastly, during my weekend trip I had three different experiences that told me my brother Justin was with me. First on the drive down I got a call from a 'Justin' at the Yard House to confirm our reservations for that night. Then while walking the river Saturday we came across 'Justin's Ice Cream Shop'. Finally Saturday night at Leapin Lizards the bartender had on a hat that said 'Justin Boots'.  Of course I had to snap a quick picture.