Done!

Hot Dog

he likes it!

Christmas Tree{s}

On Friday we finally went out and got a Christmas tree! I couldn't handle not having one anymore, so we bundled up and drove to a little lot about 1.5 miles from our house on the side of a busy road. I didn't stop smiling the whole way home with the tree sticking out of the trunk. This is the first real tree I have ever had, and I am so impressed! It smells wonderful and is so pretty! Matthew has been really good about it, and has left the ornaments and presents under the tree alone. He just likes to stand by it and look at the lights.

On Saturday we went to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree. It was big. And it was absolutely freezing, so we didn't stay long. It might have been cooler to see it at night.

Yep, we are staying here in NYC for Christmas this year. My sister will be here with us for a few days over Christmas on her way home from London. It is hard to be away from our families, but we are grateful for webcams that help us stay in touch!

Metropolitan Museum of Art

aka "The Met"

Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso,
tombs, mummies, African masks,
antiques, modern art, Greek sculpture...
and much more that we didn't even see!

Manhattan at Night

late show studio, manhattan LDS temple,
empire state building, 8th avenue

Thanksgiving Visitors

Shay & Alexis spent the Thanksgiving holiday with us and we had a blast! We had so much fun with them here, and laughed constantly because they are so funny. We went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and cooked our own full menu Thanksgiving meal.

 

We did lots of other stuff that I will share later.
Thanks for coming, guys! Come again soon!

Thankful For

from here

Winter & Holidays

• It has been FREEZING cold here! Good thing we got new coats and boots! Matthew's is a little big. No snow yet, but I hear it is coming soon.
  

• We are missing our families so much during the holidays. Wish we could be there for all the parties, food, traditions, and memories.
  

• Some of our dear friends from waaaay back in the good ole' USU days are coming to stay with us over Thanksgiving! Who? Guess you'll just have to wait and see!

Happy Holidays!

Bedroom

I have been working on decorating our bedroom for the last little while. Here is what I've done:

I was going for a black/navy/yellow theme. I still need to do something above the bed, but I just can't decide yet. Once I find a good fabric store here I will make pillowcases from a pretty yellow floral fabric. I want a nice family photo to put in the yellow frame on the dresser. Otherwise, I love it!

Little Things

• Catlin is busy: decorating the bedroom (making a quilt cover, painting bedside tables, hanging frames); babysitting for people in the ward; reading.

• Matthew is busy: being an 18-month-old; enjoying the last days of warmish weather at the park; transitioning from two naps to one.

• Joseph is busy: studying for quizzes; catching up on college football scores and stats; new church calling.
  

Star Sighting

We went to the BCM again this week. About 5 minutes before we left I noticed something: someone who looked an awful lot like Maggie Gyll_______. Well, it was totally her! She was there with her daughter, Ramona, and her fiancee and maybe her mom. She looked super cute and was playing around with her daughter. Kind of fun to see a star in my own neighborhood! I would have felt way too stupid to ask for a picture, or to sneak a picture, so these will have to do. {I just looked her up - she lives in Brooklyn!}

Hilarious conversations I heard:

Maggie sat down on one of the benches for a second. A lady (maybe in her 50s) came up to her.
LADY: "You look really familiar. I think I've met you before."
MAGGIE: smiles
LADY: "Oh I know, from the Brooklyn Heights Club. Right?"
MAGGIE: "... no... probably from... movies."
LADY: "What?"
MAGGIE: standing up to walk to her daughter "I'm in movies."
LADY: "Oh, ya! What is your name?" ...thinking to herself...
MAGGIE: "Maggie."
LADY: "Of course! I'm so sorry. How embarrassing. Forgive me..." on and on. Bet she felt silly!
MAGGIE: smiles

The employees all standing around the front desk staring over at Maggie as I'm walking out:

GIRL 1: "She is a lot skinnier than I thought, and tall."
GIRL 2: "They always are."

November, Book, Nursery & Marathon

• Happy November! We have been here for 3 months already - in some ways that seems short, and some ways it seems long. We have been happy here and are still grateful for this opportunity everyday. We miss Utah, friends, and families very, very much though!
  

• I read Breaking Dawn. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. I have to commend the author for her ability to write books that keep the reader's attention - even readers that don't care much for the characters or story.

• We were more than an hour late for church yesterday because the NYC Marathon ran right across our usual route to church. I've never seen so many people running at one time! During the 1.5 hours in the car, Joseph and I decided that we never want to run a marathon. It's just not for us. (marathon pic from here)
  

• Matthew went to nursery for the first time on Sunday! He is pretty independent, so I don't think he even looked back for us when we left. He did great and I'm sure he will be happy in there!
  

Chef Costume, Book, & the BCM

• We went to the Brooklyn Children's Museum with some friends. It was really neat, and Matthew enjoyed running around and playing with everything. I think that will be a weekly wintertime activity.

• I finished reading The Soft Spoken Parent by Wallace Goddard. There are 55 strategies presented in the book that will help you become a more understanding, compassionate, and Christ-like parent. I really liked it, recommend it to anyone with kids or without, and will be reading it again shortly to refresh my memory!

• We had a ward party and the kids got to wear costumes and go trick-or-treating to classrooms in the church. Matthew was a little chef. Happy Halloween!

Flight Special!

LOOK!

If you want to come visit THIS WEEKEND - tickets are only $99 each way through Delta! You would have to come on Saturday, October 25 and leave on Monday or Tuesday, October 27 or 28. Bonus: you would get to see me play the piano in the primary program!

COME!

Haircut, Fall, Shopping & Books

• Matthew got a much needed haircut - Joseph is usually the hair cutting guru, so it was my first time doing it by myself. It turned out pretty good, and his hair is still reddish.
  

• Isn't NY beautiful in the fall? I love walking down these streets to go to the park.

• I went on my first shopping trip in Manhattan! I loved the craziness of Union Square, the awesome deals I got, and carrying all my shopping bags home on the subway!

• I just finished reading So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger. I thought it was beautiful and interesting and exceptionally well written. I loved it just as much as Enger's other book, Peace Like a River.