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26 June 2011

feels like home


I have been home from New York for a week and a half now... I am loving it. I am cuddled up in my huge, white, fluffy bed as we speak. I hear the hum of the AC and TV noises coming from down stairs. I seriously missed these luxuries while I was away. Most importantly I know my boy is studying away at our kitchen table. Just being in the same building as him makes me breathe easier. It is really good to be home. I cried equally as hard when I returned as when I left. I was so sad to leave New York, but also so relieved to be back with my love and that our time apart was finally over. For the first few days I literally didn't lift a finger. That resulted in a huge pile of dirty laundry and empty cupboards and stomachs. I am now focusing on getting back in the swing of my Utah life... gym, cleaning, laundry, cooking, job search, etc. I'm not sure where life is going to take us now that I'm graduated. We will be here until April when Ryan finishes school. I finally realized that Provo is home to me for the time being. I guess it took four years of school, graduating and moving away for me to love coming back. I'm so grateful that I get a bonus year to enjoy the gorgeous mountain sky and living in this little bubble with Ryan. Wherever we end up living in the years after we leave Provo, it will always feel like home because we're together. 

19 June 2011

to our dads...

This Father's Day, we are thankful to have two of the best dads in the world. We are so grateful to have such amazing men in our lives who take care of us and love us like their own kids. We feel lucky to have inherited some of your great qualities! What a blessing it is to have strong examples and priesthood holders in our lives. We are seriously lucky. Happy Father's Day dads!
We love you!




15 June 2011

the city through my eyes


[amateur night at the World Famous Apollo Theater. 
It was quite an experience to say the least.]


{good conversation + food with friends}


(pizza from Numero 28 in the West Village. They let you choose two different pizzas on one pie. Abby's is on the right, mine is on the left.)


[central park]


{The Guggenheim}


(drinking a little Jamba after a yoga sesh)


[There is nothing cuter than Mexican soda in glass bottles.]


{LULA's! best place in the world. so happy to have my treat!}


{lemon cupcake from Babycakes}


(my lunching spot in Bryant Park)


[at Strand Bookstore... 18 miles of books!]


{Seriously, I wake up to this every morning. The view right out my window.}


(fresh strawberries at a street market in Union Square)


[ate lunch at bloomingdale's forty carrots... what a cute place!]


{at the highline}


[rainy city]


{the perfectly manicured lawn at Bryant Park}

I am sitting in the airport about to leave my favorite city in the world. I can't believe seven weeks has flown by so fast. I feel like I just got here and now it's already time to leave. I only got a small taste of all the amazing things that New York has to offer. There is so much more I still want to experience. I am not ready to go at all but I definitely plan on coming back soon! The magic and excitement I feel in New York has not gone away in the slightest. If anything it has grown! This city makes my heart beat faster....

08 June 2011

fame

The number one priority I put on my New York bucket list was to go to a taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Ryan and I watch the show basically every night and Jimmy is definitely our favorite late night comedian. I have the biggest crush on him and I'm obsessed with his house band The Roots. I started calling NBC studios every single day until tickets opened up for a taping. I really wanted to surprise Ryan with tickets for when he came out to visit. Unfortunately Jimmy was not taping ANY of the days Ryan was here... We were both so sad! But I decided to invite a few friends and have fun for both of us! 





Little did I realize that I would get 15 seconds of fame and end up on TV!!!!!


See me over in the corner? I got a little face time with my friend Heidi who is sitting right behind me. It turns out a seat on the aisle is the best seat in the house... At the end of the show Jimmy ran up the stairs and through the crowd. I got to look into his big brown eyes and shake his hand! Obviously I haven't washed my hands since....

If you want to watch the hilarious Jimmy Fallon with James McAvoy (hot), Gilbert Gottfried (creepy & so dirty), Amos Lee (amazing) oh and ME!... click here
(I make my television debut at 7:10)

If you are ever in New York, I totally recommend getting tickets to see this show! Definitely a highlight of my trip...

03 June 2011

that's amore

Have you ever been in a moment where life was just simply perfect? That's how this weekend felt for Me&Ry. From the second I picked him up at Penn Station, life was pure bliss. I savored every single second and truly lived in the moment. New York is such a magical place. The energy, the food, the people, the buildings, the lights.... everything. But it is so much more unbelievable when you're in love. We had such a great time over the long weekend... eating, shopping, walking, exploring, talking and laughing. Ryan loved it here! He finally understands what all my gushing and obsessing is about. The trip was way too short for my liking. Luckily, we did get to see and do so much in the few days we had together!

Ryan arrived early Friday morning after an exhausting red eye flight. After a nice nap we went to Rockefeller Center and took a tour of NBC studios.


We had lunch at Cafe Duke and did a little shopping at H&M. We walked down 5th Ave. admiring all the gorgeous storefronts and made it to Central Park. We leisurely strolled through the park watching runners, dog walkers, pretzel sellers and all the folk that congregate in the park on a warm sunny day. We came out of the park on the West side at 72nd street and stopped in at Trader Joe's. Ryan got a kick out of a grocery store with escalators. They even have special escalators for your shopping cart... He realized right away how unique New York really is. We stocked up on a few groceries and snacks to keep on hand. This girl does not do well in the city heat without provisions. We went home to freshen up for the night and headed out for a fun dinner.
We ate a delicious dinner at Patsy's. As we ate we watched cars drive by and the lights flicker outside the restaurant. At that moment, Ryan fell in love with New York's Italian food. 

Saturday we got to go on an amazing bike tour of Brooklyn.
(Thanks again to the Skousen's!)
We got to see battery park, the financial district, wall street, ride over the Manhattan Bridge, explore DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, the promenade, rode back over the Brooklyn Bridge and ground zero. We stopped to take pictures and admire along the way.




[the Manhattan Bridge]




[view of the Empire State Building through the Manhattan Bridge]





[love this skyline]



[Brooklyn Bridge]



[Lady Liberty]


After the bike ride we went out on the town.
We had Mexican food in Hell's Kitchen at Arriba Arriba! I am still thinking about their chips and guac...


We walked around Times Square holding hands...



Then we headed down to take a little ride on the Staten Island Ferry! 


We stood out on the windy deck and admired the skyline at night and the gorgeous Statue of Liberty. My skirt may have blown up in front of a crazy homeless guy and some teenage boys.



Sunday we spent a day on the Upper West Side. Ryan got to see the glorious i-house where I am staying and explore a bit of my neighborhood.
We walked up Riverside Drive along the park and headed to 
Columbia University.
This campus holds a very special place in my heart. I feel so proud when I visit my dad's Alma Mater. I love thinking about our young family what a great experience we had while he studied here. 






[Ryan was so excited to find Tom's Restaurant from Sienfeld!]


We ate a little lunch at Amir's Falafel.


Monday our biggest activity was a visit to the Museum of Natural History.

[We saw the source of my fear... the whale.]


[Ryan loves his Moai.]


[dinosaurs]


We explored The Village and Washington Square Park. We sat outside listening to street performers and enjoying the gorgeous weather.



For dinner we found Luigi's.. another amazing Italian joint. This little hole in the wall is one of the top rated pasta restaurants in New York. Ryan misses Luigi's more than anything else in the city, of course.


As you can tell we had the most amazing time in New York! I wish our time here never had to end... Oh how I miss him. I'm so happy Ry loved the city as much as I do. Let's just say we will definitely be back!