Mom comes to NYC

This week was a fun one, and I realize there will always be a never ending check list of things to see here!

My mom came to visit on Wednesday, and she stayed till Sunday. We did a lot of walking, and by the end of the trip she had a few blisters and sore feet. I remember when I first got here my legs were really sore as well. If there's another thing I'll get out of this summer, its the appreciation of walking. I hope I'll walk a lot more once I'm back home, because there is no reason not to! I can easily put in 5 miles of walking a day here, so why not walk the small 3 miles across town? :)

Anyways, the first morning my mom was here we decided to take a sight seeing bus tour through Manhattan. We also saw the statue of liberty! I had my first celebrity spotting and saw Matt Damon filming for one of his new movies. That night we had dinner with the Bieler's, delicious as always. Late that night we went to the observation deck of the Empire State building, and was that a view! NYC looked so pretty at night.

Friday my mom and I took Gabriel on a horse carriage ride through central park! It was very pretty. We then took him to FAO Schwarz to look at toys and to buy some delicious candy. Later that day we saw Ground Zero and also walked the Brooklyn Bridge. Walking Brooklyn Bridge has probably been my favorite thing to do thus far!

Saturday we walked to St. John the Divine and also went to eat at a fabulous Mexican Restaurant. Later we saw the Lion King on Broadway! The costumes were fantastic, and the acting and singing were phenomenal. I hope to do one more broadway show before I leave!

Thankfully mom wasn't shocked to see where I lived (in Harlem), and overall I think she had a great time! It's interesting to point out all the differences New Yorkers have in the way they live with the way we do back home. You can't buy a full week's worth of groceries because you can't fit it in your cart, an "easy" walk is at least 20 blocks, produce at groceries would blow our fareway and hyvee out of the water, doors are locked even if you're home, no driving, no walmarts, and the list goes on. I think the thing that is hardest for me to get used to isn't the long walking, but that there isn't a wal-mart! At least it keeps me from spending more money than I need to.

What's up for this week? We're flying to ASPEN, COLORADO! We will be staying there 3 weeks! Charles and Kristen are in the wine business, and there is a food and wine festival that goes on there. Supposedly this is the biggest and most important wine festival in the world, so top chefs and wine makers will be there. I hope to have a run in with all the food network stars: Giada, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, and Rachael Ray! The first week we're there the festival is going on, so Charles and Kristen will be very busy with their work. Thankfully Kristen's parents are going to be staying with us, so I'll have help with the kids. Also, Kristen's mom is bringing her dog along, so that will give me comfort for being away from Wrigley:) The last week of our time there is vacation time.

I hope everyone is doing well! I miss you dearly. Next time I post I'll be writing about my experiences in Aspen! (Aspen always reminds me of the movie Dumb and Dumber, haha)