New York

Again, I have so many things that I want to blog about, but I am trying to find the time between activities, shopping for Christmas, wrapping, catching up on laundry, Ryan's birthday, and keeping the girls out of trouble. Maybe I'll get caught up someday...

Every year we go to New York the first week in December and I always look forward to it. Some people have asked how we are so lucky to do that. I have to say that I have a very generous grandpa, who takes us. It all started when my grandma and grandpa went to New York in December to shop, see plays, and see the city at Christmas. My grandma died with I was in 6th grade, but she wanted my grandpa to conitune the tradition. He took my mom and my aunt when I was in 7th grade. After that my aunt decided to not go back and since I was the oldest grandchild, I got to go for the first time in December of 8th grade. Ever since then, we have continued going. My sister started coming when she was in 9th grade, and a couple of years I wasn't able to make it in college but my grandpa and mom have been every year. When Emma Catherine was 10 months, she went with us because I was nursing and Bailey went this year because of nursing, but usually it is my grandpa, my mom, my sister, and me.

This year we had such a fantastic time. Bailey was such a trooper flying, being in the cold, and not on her regular schedule. We spent our time doing a lot of shopping and we love to see the people and all the Christmas decorations. We went to see the play, Wicked, and it was incredible. I can't even tell you how much of a help my grandpa was. He watched Bailey the first night so I could go to the play with my mom and sister, and then each afternoon, he would walk Bailey back to the hotel to take a late afternoon nap, and my mom and sister and I would stay out shopping for a couple more hours. It was so neat for them to get to spend special time together and he took such great care of her, putting her down for a nap, etc. I couldn't have asked for a better trip.

She's all bundled up

Papa and Bailey are about to walk back to the hotel

We are standing on a stairway right in the middle of Times Square (which happened to be right across from our hotel)

The Rockefeller Christmas tree is the in the background