there's no place like home

In two days I will be making the trek back to my home town of Lewiston Utah. There's nothing better then driving through Sardine Canyon in the spring and coming down the hill that leads you into beautiful Cache Valley. My favorite is when you drive down and all you can see is a patchwork quilt of fields surrounded by beautiful Wasatch mountains.
There's something about moving away that makes you appreciate where you come from. Since living in the city it's funny how you miss the little things; the mountains, the wheat fields, the quiet open road, and for me just jumping in a car and driving somewhere. This spring is the first time I think I've ever stopped and noticed the beautiful world around me, now knowing what I've missed I can't wait to go home and see all the beautiful scenes of my childhood. And for those of you who have never been; there's nothing like beautiful Cache Valley. Some might even say ... it's a little piece of heaven.

Before going home I made up a few little gifts to share with the women in my life. My mother, sister-in-law, grandma, and aunts have a little tradition of exchanging gifts on our annual Thanksgiving retreat (shopping spree), unfortunately I wasn't able to make it this year and because I will be seeing them this weekend I wanted to give them all a little something from me. Simple summer coasters to set on the coffee table; very simple for any who are in the sewing mood. I just hope none of them look at this before I see them.

here comes the sun

Finally ... the sunshine has reached New York. After a long strange winter we have finally reached 70 degrees. This weekend was beautiful, I definitely think that all of you need to experience New York in the springtime. There's nothing like walking down the tree lined streets of 5th avenue with all the trees in bloom.

Jason has began the long stretch to finals and has kept himself couped up in our apartment so I have been enjoying the sunshine alone. Fortunately he found time to make it out to church and we were able to enjoy the cherry blossoms together. I hope all of you are enjoying the sunshine and for those of you back home who are getting the snow ... I've included some shots so you can see what your missing.

This is a beautiful little cathedral we pass on our way to church each week.

macy's flower show

Not only is Macy's the largest department store in the US but every spring they hold their annual flower show. So of course I was expecting something spectacular. Now don't get me wrong ... millions of fresh flowers every where is always spectacular ... but it wasn't quite what I expected. So my friend Kelli and I went on Saturday to check out what all the fuss was about.
When entering the main lobby we saw many fresh flowers atop all the cosmetic counters, and they were very beautiful exotic flowers. But it just wasn't what I thought it would be. So we continued to wonder around looking for something to amaze us and this is what we found.

An enormous sculpture made entirely out of flowers!! It was very neat and we had the pleasure of conversing with the artist who informed us, that this particular sculptor took 24 hours to construct with the help of 6 assistants and was made up of over 26,000 flowers (at least I think that's what he said) the sculpture had already been up for a day and the flowers still looked beautiful. But because it's New York City and every where you go there's a crowd we only got a quick second for a shot (hence the red blob in the corner). But it's one of those New York things I can now say that I've done. I know I'm being very sarcastic but it was very beautiful and a nice reminder of spring, especially after all the rain we've been having.

my little niece

Here's my one and only niece, Shaelynn!! She's now 2 months and I get to see her in 3 weeks. I can't wait!! (I know the quality of the pictures not that great but that's as good as it gets)

on the street where we live

Just wanted to post a few randoms shots of where we live.

Some of you find it hard to believe that I ride the subway everyday. So I've included a shot of my favorite "The 6 Train".

Finally, the first signs of Spring in New York. This is a cute little church down the street from our apartment.

Did you know the color of the Empire State Building is always changing? This week it's yellow and white for Spring/Easter/Passover. There's a website that lists the schedule of the colors, what it represents and which organizations are being sponsored.

Sorry the pictures not very good.

a must read!!

For all of you who aren't in my book club, you have to read "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer. It's a definite page turner. It's long but trust me you'll have it done in no time. It's a vampire love story, now I know what you're thinking ... bad combination ... but it's not. And the author is Mormon (not that, that matters -but I thought it was interesting). Enjoy!!

Look how cute!!

I found these cute blankets while browsing on etsy. Everyone I know is having babies so I thought I'd share. They are cotton on top with chenille on the back with a wide ric rac for the border. Okay mom ... start whipping some up!





And a cute bib with terrycloth on the back, that comes around the back and ties under the arms.

NYU better than Columbia!!! Now it's official

For those of you who aren't familiar with the law school rankings, history was made today here at NYU. For the past several years NYU has been tied with Columbia in the law school rankings. As of this morning, according to "U.S. News & World Report", NYU is now standing alone at the #4 spot while Columbia has been pushed to #5.

Now don't get me wrong, I was happy for NYU, but I didn't know it was that big of a deal. According to Jason this is big time for the law school, it's professors and students. Because it's law school and everything is about the facts, each of Jason's professors discussed how this ranking will effect all aspects of NYU's reputation. And just to show you how big of a nerd Jason and all of his law school buddies are, immediately after class they all went to Barnes & Noble to purchase the "U.S. News & World Report Exclusive Rankings" issue.

What is up with the hair?

Okay. All I have to say is that if Sanjaya doesn't go home tonight I'm going to be really disappointed in the American voters. I mean come on ... just look at the kid. He's got to go!! Some articles are saying it's his secret weapon, I don't understand, when I see his hair it makes me not want to vote for him. Jason read about a women that is going on a hunger strike and won't eat until Sanjaya is gone. Now that's sad. If I was Sanjaya and I heard that story I would kick myself off the show.

However, we LOVE Blake Lewis but just wanted to inform all of you that "The Love Song" he sang last night was not his own. It was a remake by 311 (of course we would know that). And for all of you who didn't know, he has Cache Valley ties ... so he must be cool. Unfortunately, I think he will follow in the same footsteps as Chris Daughtry and make it to the bottom 2 or 3, but won't be our next American Idol.

What we've been up to

Last week some of Jason's friends got tickets to the Knicks vs Mavericks game. Luckily, one of their flights got delayed so I got to go in his place. Just me Jason and two of his law school buddies (I'm known in the law school crowd as "the wife").
The game wasn't that exciting and are seats weren't that great but going to a Knicks game is a whole new experience. First of all (as Kelli previously blogged) the fans booed the contestants who were trying to win prizes during the time-outs, and I don't mean a simple boo, it's the whole stadium booing the guy who is air balling every shot. My favorite, of course, is the celebrity sightings. Celebrities can be seen every night of the week at the garden, unlike Jazz games, when the only time a celebrity can be seen is during the finals. There was the regular Spike Lee, and several others that aren't cool enough to be named (I didn't know them, so they can't be that cool) but the favorite of the night was Natalie Portman, they showed her on the jumbo-tron while playing the sound track to Star Wars. Even though are seats were high we had our trusty binoculars to help us spot the stars.
This weekend we went to Jason's favorite pizza place and then to a crazy little restaurant called Max Brenner: Chocolate by the bald man, where everything is chocolate. When you walk in the first thing that comes to mind is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Okay, there's no chocolate river, but there's plenty of chocolate. So we shared the fondue for two, which includes a grill to toast the marshmallows, and by the end we were ready for bed. It's so fun, each week we hear about these fun little hot spots and then we have to run out and try them.
Other than eating we've been hard at work and school. Some don't believe that Jason's office is the floor so I've posted a picture to prove it. He's began the finals madness, and this is where he will stay until the middle of May (that's kind of catchy). Notice he has to have his papers spread over half of the apartment. Believe my I try to straighten them but it doesn't work.
While Jason's hard at work I've started a little project of my own. I'm attempting to make a quilt all by myself, without my mother's guidance. The one thing I love about piecing a quilt is first picking out all the fabrics and then watching them change as you piece it all together. You have one idea of how it's going to look and then it turns into something completely different. Let's just hope this turns out good. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Josh Groban

Last night Jason and I had the privilege of seeing one of the most talented singers in the industry. What could be better then Josh Groban at the garden? Jason gave me the tickets for Christmas and I've been so excited that I can't believe it's already come and gone. It was so nice to just sit back and listen to his amazing voice, I loved when he sang in Spanish and Italian - I didn't understand it, but it was so amazing. Jason was in pretty good spirits until we arrived and he realized he was surrounded by millions of middle aged women. We spotted a few men, but they were pretty hard to come by. He sang all the hits from his new CD "Awake" and a few classics, but I have to admit the night wasn't complete until he came out to sing "You Raise Me Up" wearing a NY Rangers jersey. It was a little cheesy and kind of ruined the moment, but if you've ever seen or heard Josh Groban you'll know that's how he is.

Over the weekend we got tickets to go see a live taping of Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham". NYU occasionally offers free tickets to see live tapping's and we just happened to land tickets to a comedy show. At first we were a little nervous, we've never been to an actual comedy show, let alone a taping for Comedy Central. So we were expecting it to be a little crude but it actually wasn't that bad. We were the first in line so going in I was afraid we would be sat right in front and sure enough we were. It was a small bar with a little stage and our table was right up against the stage. I've never been to a live taping of anything before so it was fun to pretend to laugh and clap while they taped us. Robert Schimmel was the host followed by 6 up and coming comedians. One of which cracked a Mormon joke, but it wasn't mean or funny. It was a little awkward however, when the cameraman would hold the camera in my face for 5 minutes so I had to pretend to laugh. All in all it was a funny night although we didn't find out when it will be shown on TV, but we'll be sure to keep you informed when we find out. We love all the fun we've been having and can't wait for each weekend to come so that we can try some new adventure.

Brooklyn Bridge is falling down

We have good news!!(no we're not pregnant) Jason got a summer internship at the NY Office of the Atorney General. (We're both very excited) So, to celebrate we decided to take a strole across the most famous bridge in the city. Now I know what your thinking ...boring. But it was really fun!! It's amazing when your walking under the large cables to see just how grand this bridge is. Someone told us the walk was a mile across, but I don't think it was that far. When you first start walking the buildings are still blocking the wind, but when you get out in the middle ... hold on! One of our favorite parts is the two american flags that are posted on the two dividers (I don't know the correct name).

The best part about walking across the bridge is the amazing pizza and ice cream on the other side. There's a crowded little pizza place called "Grimaldi's" right below the bridge, that, in my opinion, serves the best pizza I've ever had. But if you ask Jason he'll tell you it's not. After that you continue to walk out to the pier to the "Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory" it's also really good, but I'd rather have Casper's for the price.

I know it seems like everything we do is fun, and if you ask my mother she'll tell you that it is. But we are loving the city and we'll continue sending pictures so that someday you'll all come out and visit us.

It's Christmas time, in the city

I know ... Christmas is long gone. But I still wanted to show you all just what the Rockefeller Christmas tree looks like. Sorry the pictures aren't that great. The first night we went to see the tree I forgot my camera and the second night it was raining. It was fun, It was very bright and beautiful. I must say the ice rink below makes it all mystical and Christmasy. Although it's so big that if you try and take a picture up close you just see lights, and when you take a shot of the whole thing it seems so far away.

The picture with the snowflakes is of Saks 5th Avenue. Along the front of the building they have Christmas music playing and each snowflake lights up to the beat of the song. My favorite was when they played "Carol of the Bells". Everyone on the streets has to stop and see. They also project snowflakes falling on the Rockefeller building behind the tree, like I said they do things very big hear in the city. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of the Macy's windows (that was also on the night I forgot my camera) but I have to say hands down they were my favorite Christmas site in the city. They were AMAZING!! Much better then the ZCMI center windows. They had magical fairies in the fairy kingdom and even Santa's toy shop, and at each window there were several buttons that when pushed the characters inside would move and make music. So I guess when you all come out to see the Christmas Rocketts we'll have to make a stop at Macy's. We enjoyed seeing most of you at Christmas and hope you are all enjoying a Happy New Year!!

What a great way to spend Turkey Day

Our morning began at 5:00 am. We woke up early enough so we would be on time to meet the rest of our party in the lobby, meanwhile ... they slept. Yep! They all slept in. So Jason and I, being the troopers we are, braved the rain and arrived at 6:00 am to get a good spot for the parade. It's a good thing we woke up so early, we were probably the first ones on the street, but hey, we got a good spot. And we only had three more hours until the parade began.

The rain continued and it was sketchy whether or not they would be flying the balloons. Finally it began, and the balloons were afloat. Don't worry, for those of you who forgot to watch, you didn't miss us. We were towards the end of Times Square, unfortunatley the camares didn't reach us.

Overall we had fun, despite the rain. It's not something we will try again, but at least we can say we've been there, done that. The balloons were amazing, the pictures don't do them justice. It was amazing to be on the front row looking up at them. The bigger balloons had about 20 men holding them down, and some were really struggling to hold them. It would have been neat to have them higher in the air, do to the weather they couldn't fly them as high. Besides the balloons my favorite, was the Annheiser Busch Clydsdale's that pulled a giant sleigh with a Christmas tree in it.

We had a few celebrity sightings, but I wasn't doing so well with the camera and missed them. We saw Cheyene, Emmit Smith, Chris Brown, Gloria Estefan, the cast of High School Musical and the big man himself ... SANTA (Boy were we excited to see him). If your not familiar with the Thanksgiving Parade it is important to know that Santa comes at the very end of the parade.

Our Thanksgiving dinner was nice, although it was nothing like grandma's cooking. Thanks to Theurer's Custom Meats we had a nice smoked turkey that turned out to be a huge hit. Things are going well, Jason has hit the books and that's where he will stay till Christmas. We did however, get a chance to see the Christmas Rocketts at Radio City Music Hall and it was amazing. The live Nativity was like nothing we've ever seen before (it included live camels), it was very touching ... a great end to a wonderful performance. So we expect all of you to come visit us next year so you can experience it for yourselves. We hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving and we can't wait to see you for Christmas.

We're not in Utah anymore

Greenwich Village hosts the largest Halloween parade in the world and we got a taste of it. They figure there is a turn out of roughly two million people, and who ever is in costume is aloud to be in it. (lets just say this isn't your ordinary Utah parade) This being said you will see every kind of costume you can think of, from sweet and pretty to drag and dirty. My goal was to get a great picture of a drag queen to send to all of you. I had never seen a drag queen in person, but believe me there were plenty. There was a great one dressed up as Strawberry Shortcake but I wasn't quick enough with the camera.

We didn't want to miss out on all the fun so we hosted our own little murder mystery dinner. Jason was suppose to be an old Englishman but it didn't really work. The wig was suppose to be Donald Trump but it was a little much.

Just an ordinary day

It seems crazy that we can go to Central Park or a Yankees game any day of the week. Here are some pictures of what we've been doing with our free time.

Home Sweet Home

When we first found out we were getting a studio we were a little disappointed, we were hoping for a one bedroom. When we came to check out the school in the spring we got to see a studio apartment of some friends and it was rather spacious. However, when we arrived we were given an even smaller apartment that wasn't so spacious. Oh well what can you do?

The great thing about our apartment is that I can cook, carry on a conversation with Jason in his office (the floor), and listen to the TV all at the same time. The down fall; I can't make any noise because Jason's always studying, so when I want to talk on the phone I have to go in the bathroom and when I want to watch TV I have to wear headphones.

One problem is the heater, we don't ever turn it on, but yet there always seems to be heat coming out of it. So we have had to resort to opening the window. (Jason's not complaining) But we live on the second floor right above the front door, so all the smokers seem to congregate right below our window. Let's just say if I get lung cancer from second hand smoke the only good thing is I know a great lawyer who can sue the school. The sadist part is with what we pay in rent we could afford a beautiful home in Utah, but you know what they say, location is everything. After living here we have come to realize just how neat of an area we are in and how many people would kill to live in the village. We are loving it, and wouldn't change a thing.

Welcome to The Big Apple

We've created this blog for all of you to see whats going on in the big city. The picture of Jason is in Washington Square Park. (near our apartment and Jason's law buildings) If you look closely the Empire State Builiding is in the middle of the arch. They also just resently filmed part of a new Will Smith movie hear. (but we didn't see him)