~What a Week~ Jimmy Fallon & Storm Jonas

So last week! 

Two memorable eVenTs: 

1. Jimmy Fallon Show & 2. Storm Jonas

Jimmy Fallon

First off, my awesome friend T flew in to go to the show with us, and my amazing friend from church, coupled with Carol and Dave split the time babysitting the boys so we could spend the day in Manhattan waiting and attending The Tonight Show. 

This was an incredible experience. We waited in the Peacock lounge where we filled out surveys for the family feud game they later played on the show. They escorted us to our seats in the theater and a warm up comedian hyped us into the mood for the Roots to take stage and then Jimmy, who soon followed through that magnificent blue curtain! The cast line up-Awful; however, on the commercial break he came into the audience and stood right next to John, T, and I. He answered T's question, and talked to us for the entire break. At the very end of the show when Jimmy went into the crowd for high fives Travis was one of the first ones you see on camera; he was so focused on the delivery of the high five, in his words he looked "like a tool." Our friend Whitney, next to him, had this amazing face after missing a five from Jimmy, and her husband... Tom... Well he was out there Dancing like a Loon!! Seriously, we watched it 100x's. 

What an incredible experience.

~StOrMaGedDoN~

This was equally incredible, if not more. We kept being told it was coming, but the skies were starry and clear. Even coming home from Jimmy Fallon, there were no signs. At 2:00am it started. It just kept coming. We received a lockdown notice so before that went into act, T and I "suited up" and traipsed through the snow to the grocery store to buy a few things. At home we ate our traditional "Snow Storm Oreo Shakes" (started in Poland). By the end of the night we received word the airport was shut down and Travis wouldn't be able to leave to Chicago, and T would be stuck with us a little longer. The only thing Trav could do... was jump in the snow... in nothing but gym shorts, just like he used to on swim team; he's a maniac. 

Sunday Trav woke with the idea he would dig the car out and drive through the snow buried streets.. 

BaHahahahahahahahaha.... right? 

It took him 2 hrs just to get a path cleared to the gate. The alley took 7 of us digging and snow blowing before we could get cars to maneuver in and out. He wasn't going anywhere. We ran into the problem of having nowhere to put the endless snow, so our neighbors suggested letting it blow into the backyards of the homes below us; this worked fine until a man came out and started yelling through the fence with my neighbor. Their conversation ended like this "this is illegal in Brooklyn!" "Well then go back to Brooklyn, ya bum! Here in Queens we have a sense of community!!" In the thickest accents I'd ever heard.

  Since T's flight was rescheduled for Monday night and the roads were slowly clearing up, she and I ran around Manhattan with almost No One else around (The museum was EMPTY!) before coming back to find out Travis could still make his rotation he left immediately. So he did. Then T soon followed. And it was just me and the boys...

... and that is where we're at. 

No Sidewalk... We had to walk in the roads

Trap trying to flatten the wall to pack on more snow

I've never been in this room without
Tons of other people! 

We've built a snow mountain and added a slide, I started back to school which of course, means I'm starting to get sick. Travis is staying with his friend, Ajay while in Chicago so he's enjoying himself. Before starting to feel ill, I've spent the past few days dejunking and trying to deep clean our place. Hopefully I'll finish before I just give up! 

They love the slide!

And that was our awesome week! We ended up with 27ish inches of snow, stood in the middle of our busy Metropolitan road with NO cars for a once in a lifetime experience, and have a constant stream of wet socks, hats, mittens, and boots surrounding our heaters!

Here's hoping THAT was our winter and we can just move onto Spring! ;)

Metropolitan with NO cars! Amazing! 

A look back on a good year ~2015~

2015 was such a good year to our family; unbelievably good. 

We received so many blessings, and the fact that it 

followed the dark year of 2014, only

helps to make it seems that 

much better! Seriously.

Viva 2015! 

JANUARY

We spent the first few weeks recovering from that awful sickness we had been fighting since that previous November! But then we found health and the boys signed up for sports classes at the local Rec Center. Maddix was in his 2nd half of preschool. We were still living at my Grandparents in PG, and Travis was in his 3rd month in CrownHeights, BK New York. For an Early Bday present Travis and my mom made it possible for me to take a needed break with my girlfriends, Mackenzie and Camille Ch. for a weekend in Salt Lake. 

Grand Central

FEBRUARY

We were lucky enough to have my aunt and cousin come stay a few days, and during that time found out Maddix had lice! So grateful they were there. My sister returned from her mission and moved in with us. We went horse back riding with a kind neighbor. Packed up the house. Prepared for four straight days of driving. Had a farewell party with my Chuck-a-rama family. Maddix said goodbye to his pre-school class and we Drove to NY. Travis was  in a really hard rotation, living in a closet essentially, and had four middle aged, single, artsy, Mormon roommate guys... one of which who through an art gala in their place and performed the evolution of a tree... wow. 

Last of his BK greasy pizza

Subway riding

"Reunited, and it feels so good!"

MARCH

So. Much. Snow. 

Thanks to Cameron and Trav's parents, we made it and then had people to help us acclimate to our VERY new surroundings. Aside from pure joy of being a family again, there was the highlight of going to Carnegie Hall to see the Piano Guys perform! 

Farewell to our family

Exploring our new Home

APRIL

We found an authentic German restaurant, celebrated our first Easter/Conf. Wknd in NY, enjoyed spring starting to melt the snow, teaching Maddix to ride a bike, Valley Forge, and more exploring around our neighborhood, including the fire dept. We also started Maddix in soccer, and discovered the beaches we would soon visit all summer! 

Long Beach 

Valley Forge 

MAY

Found Atlas park, went out to Long Island for the Air Show, Travis spent a weekend in California taking a test, and Travis and I were able to take our first date and walked 12miles all over New York!

JUNE

We flew back to Utah and spent the month attending two weddings (which Trav came into town for 22hrs for), playing, hiking, swimming, and all the family/friend time we could soak in!

JULY

Made it back to NY just in time for Mormon Night at Yankees stadium where we had some fam in town for the game, and our good friends from the ward, and a stadium full of other members! We celebrated the 4th of July at Jones Beach with the Castles, went to Upstate NY for the Palmyra Pageant and Smith Farm tour, celebrated Aaron's 2nd birthday, went to the beach once a week, and continued exploring with our friends Whitney and Camden. 

Smith Farm

Sacred Grove

Palmyra Pageant

Lighthouse Beach

Zoo with Whitney and Camden and Kenzie

AUGUST

We got the trains to honk at us and played more at the beach. Travis and I had our 7th anniversary (celebrated later). We took the STEP 2 and never looked back! We took a very frugal trip to Gettysburg, Lancaster, Washington D.C. and to Virginia to stay with his Aunt's family. 

Happy 7th!

First Cafe rio in Months!!!

SEPTEMBER

My mom and sister showed up at the very end of August for a visit. We showed them around everywhere before I conquered a MAJOR fear and drove them BY MYSELF to Pennsylvania where we stayed with my mom's cousin and went into Philadelphia to visit my grandfather before finishing their visit back in NY.  There was an Italian street fair, we went to a house warming party, and we also had a bbq with friends. I also started school. Maddix started school. Travis continued wrapping up his core rotations. We also celebrated "talk like a pirate day," and had an all Apple themed day (book themed, picking, pie baking, and movie themed). As a belated Anniversary Present we went to the Redsox vs. Yankees game; it was FREEZING, but something I've waited my whole life to do! 

Philadelphia 

OCTOBER

The weather was just beautiful, and I don't think I've ever seen such a picturesque fall. We visited the Queens Fall festival, celebrated our buddy's 5th bday with a pirate theme. We had a miserable conference wknd experience (bummer), Watched some BYU football, had a ward party where we met Lindsey Sterling, trick-or-treated around the neighborhood before Trav left for a night shift, and wrapped up Maddix's 2nd block of soccer. We also started to receive our first residency interviews.

 NOVEMBER

Travis began flying/driving all over the country for interviews, and we got to go with him to Penn State. Travis and the boys on a date so I could finish a big project. We visited Grand Central Station after our temple session, and we celebrated Thanksgiving. Once it was time to move on to Christmas, we decorated the house and went up to Macy's on 34th street to see Santa, then over to Rockefeller Plaza to see the tree. 

DECEMBER

This was a month of straight Christmas celebrations! Did all the cooking treating, celebrating possible. Our Man Travis turned 30! Had our ward party. Drove to and from the airport once to twice a week the whole month. Travis got to see his fam while in town for interviews (missed garett by 4days). Had my first minor car accident while Trav was gone. Garett came home from his mission. Trav worked 6 days Christmas week, but got Christmas off. Then our friends Ambria and Alex came to visit for the New Years, and we spent one cRaZy week running around NY with them! 

Our Year here in New York has been an incredible experience and one we will cherish forever. We have grown so much in our courage, street smarts, family unit, physically, and definitely in our testimony that God is watching over every decision we make in our lives and he never leaves us alone! 

Thank you 2015 for being so SO good to us!!