Nathan & Fiona, Kaisa & Everett – Family Blog

The most I can say right now is that I’m an aspiring early riser.  I’m torn between the soft comfort of my bed and seeing the sun rise over the mountains (which I’m doing right now) and getting a jump on the day.   Does anyone else have this dilemma?  Did you resign yourself to one or the other?  A couple months ago I committed to a morning routine…and it went really well, for about a week.

Today was a happy exception.  Fiona’s pregnant and not feeling well, (no, that’s not the happy exception!) and woke me up early this morning (that’s not it either).  She promptly went back to sleep.  I got up, did a variation of that morning routine from oh so long ago, and made myself an omelet and a  smoothie with so many strawberries that I tastes like I used half a bottle of grenadine.  That’s a good thing.

Bloggers like Steve Pavlina, Leo Babauta, and Dumb Little Man have helped me a bit with the early rising but I’ve still got a ways to go.  If you are one of those consistent early risers, what made you decide to do it?  How did you commit?  Or are you one of those people that naturally pop out of bed at civil twilight perky and productive?  (We hate you).  Thanks for your comments!

Finally…the long-awaited post on my trip to New York City, complete with pictures! First, let me say that NYC is absolutely AMAZING! I felt like I was at the center of the world. There were so many things to see, smell, hear, and experience. I could easily have spent another week there and still not seen everything I wanted to! I will definitely be going back sometime, and I would love to take Nathan with me the next time I go.

Ok…now for the good stuff…

Here I am after seeing “Mary Poppins” on Broadway Friday evening. It was so cute and entertaining! I loved hearing the old classics as well as new songs, and I loved the new insight into the Mrs. Banks character! Fabulous!

Saturday morning Kerynne and I took a walk down 5th Avenue. First stop: FAO Schwartz Toy Store where I picked up a darling toy for Kaisa. So Fun! I loved the toy soldier at the door.

Next stop was the Apple Store. This was so cool to see…all of the apple products set up with internet connections so you could try them out. Here is a picture of me with our blog on the iphone!

Here I am trying my first New York City Hot Dog for lunch! It was delish! The guy who sold it to us said we were the first of the day to ask for “everything,” which includes mustard, ketchup, onion sauce, relish, and sour kraut. Yum!

Here I am in Times Square. We stood there for a good 30 minutes, taking it all in. It’s just incredible. There are huge megatron TV screens everywhere and it seems to be at the very heart of the city. It’s right by the Theater District and there is lots of good shopping. We ate dinner at a little sushi place right around here, and it was the best sushi I’ve had yet!

Finally! The moment I had been waiting for! I saw Wicked on Broadway, and it was INCREDIBLE! I felt so many things while I watched this show. The actors were exceptional, especially Elphaba, played by Stephanie J. Block, who was the original person they created the character with. The set, costumes, and lighting were amazing as well…it was worth every penny I paid! The cute girl standing by me in this picture is one of my best friends and college roommate, Libby. She saw “Mamma Mia” (which she had a callback for…yay!) and afterward we met up and went to junior’s for some AMAZING New York cheesecake! Wow…I look kinda creepy in this pic!

Sunday morning we walked to St. Pat’s and attended Mass. This is one of NYC’s oldest churches, and it’s nestled on 5th Ave. among the tall, modern skyscrapers. It’s a neat contrast.

Here I am at Sunday rehearsal with John Rutter. He’s signing my Requiem! It was neat to meet him. He is one of my favorite choral composers and being under his direction was simply amazing! We got to hear some neat stories of how he composed some of the different movements in the Requiem.

Here are me and my three roomies on Liberty Island. They are Kerynne (my aunt), Rachel, and Linda. Aren’t we cute?

Striking a pose in front of the Statue of Liberty. She is so beautiful in person…way better than the movies! We even got to go inside the monument museum and up to the observation deck–after they had cleared the whole place out because of an “unattended package.” Security here is crazy, and for good reason. Ask me about the “puff check” sometime. :)

Monday morning we went to the Manhattan Temple and did initiatories. This temple is amazing…it is truly a “haven from the world” in NYC. The sisters who helped us were so sweet and excited to have us there. I had a really special experience!

Here I am in front of the baseball diamonds in Central Park. We walked through the park and saw the dairy/gift shop, carousel, and lots of same-sex couples. :) The park is so beautiful!

Here I am at Carnegie Hall! Awww…I just realized that the sight seeing bus is cutting off part of the hall…oh well. Singing in this hall was amazing! It is so gorgeous and the acoustics were great. After the performance, we went on a cruise around the Statue of Liberty at night, which was so beautiful but I didn’t have a good enough camera to get decent shots.

On Tuesday morning after my “Early Show” announcement, they told us that David Archuleta would be there to sing. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity! Afterwards he signed my subway map and I got a picture with him…it’s on someone else’s camera, though, so I’ll have to post it later. He is the nicest, cutest kid! What a way to end our trip!

I loved NYC and it loved me! Till next time!