6 months

Here's a few shots of Shae at 6 months. She's getting so big!! My moms favorite thing to do is call me when she's babysitting and let me listen to her jabber away. Happy 6 months, Shae!!

girls camp

Last week I went to girl’s camp with the Manhattan stake young women. I went up a day late with a couple of the girls that were on vacation. We met at Grand Central and we were off to Pawling, NY. Now already it was feeling a little weird, I'd schlepped my duffle bag and camp gear all through the subways of New York and now I was taking a train to girl’s camp? Definitely not what I was use to.

After a two hour train ride we finally arrived and already it was starting to feel like home. Camp Liahona was amazing, or at least compared to the camps I use to go to. It had a lake, a mess hall and SHOWERS ... honestly who showers at camp? We arrived just in time to see the girls hit the lake, canoes and slip and slide. They had so many fun things going on I didn't know what to do. That night I got settled in, met my tent mates and enjoyed a nice night around the fire. I love camp fires and have missed them since moving to the city.

The next morning we were up bright and early for the flag ceremony and then it was on to certifications and service projects. Now I know I will continue saying this but it was such an adventure camping with these city girls, it was amazing to me that almost all of them would rather sleep with city rats then spiders. After finishing our certifications I introduced the girls to my favorite girls camp game ... Phase 10, and I'm happy to report that they all loved it! Now usually a service project of pulling weeds isn't that exciting, but to 5 girls who have never dug up dirt with a shovel, it was. It was so funny teaching the girls to dig under the weeds with the shovel so they could break the roots and pull out the weeds with ease. I felt like I was teaching a little kid to ride a bike for the first time.

After getting our hands dirty with the service project we were ready for free time. After seeing the slip and slide the day before I couldn't wait to show the girls what I was made of. There was a big hill with a tarp that we would soap up and then drench with water before each girl took a ride, and believe me, a little soap can go along ways. I had my fun at the slip and slide and showed off a little but I was definitely paying for it the next morning. I can honestly say that my body is not what it use to be and I don't think I will ever throw it down a hill again ... I literally ached from head to toe.

Actually before the fun of the slip and slide another leader and I took a few girls on a little adventure to find a haunted house the lifeguard told us about. So we thought we knew where we were going and decided to go off the trail ... bad idea, never go off the trail they are there to protect you. So we go wandering through the woods and we see a beehive, so we decide to go around it, well little did we know there were several more to come. I suddenly felt stinging and looked down to see that I was covered in bees. So me, being the responsible leader that I am, started freaking out!! I started swatting and all I could feel was more stinging. I didn't know what to do so I immediately had a flash back of "My girl" and started frantically asking the girls if they were allergic. Fortunately, none of them were but then they all started to get stung so all I could think to do was yell run!!! We finally made it to safety and after examining our bodies I discovered I had been stung 10 times, the others were luckily only stung 3 or 4 times and none of us were allergic. The funniest part is, I was the only one freaking out and I got stung the most, so if you're caught in a beehive ... just stay calm!

To wash our wounds away we decided to go for a little dip in the lake and checkout the lifeguard. This poor kid was the only boy at camp and every girl was obsessed with him and I don't think it bothered him one bit.

After all the excitement of the day it was time for dinner and testimony meeting, my favorite part of camp. We had a wonderful meeting and the girls were all so amazing. The one thing that I loved about my camp experience was how diverse all the girls were. We had girls from all ethnic groups and it was so fun to get to know all of them, they each had such sweet spirits and did so much to make everyone feel included. In our stake we have a Spanish branch and two of the girls didn't speak English so the prayers and songs were in both Spanish and English, making it so touching to listen as both were shared.

After testimonies each ward broke off for the bishopric devotional and I have to say we definitely have one of the neatest bishops. He brought his cute little family up to camp out with the girls and he and his wife shared the sweetest devotional with our girls, making each feel so special.

The next day we had breakfast, packed our bags and got back on the train ... back to civilization, as some girls called it. I always loved going to girls camp each year and was excited to go again but I didn't know quite what to expect. I'm so glad that I was able to go and meet the girls of our church here in New York, they truly are Daughters of God.

3 years

On Tuesday Jason and I celebrated our 3 year Anniversary!! We celebrated last week with Michael Buble and then had a wonderful dinner at Union Square Cafe to top it off. The food was amazing and we were so full at the end of it that we couldn't even have dessert but our waiter surprised us with a little treat to wish us a Happy Anniversary.

I can't believe how the years have flown by, it seems like just yesterday was our wedding and we were surrounded with all our loved ones. We have had so many exciting adventures over the past 3 years. I was a little nervous moving to NY but I wouldn't trade it for the world. We've experienced so much this past year and I can't wait to see what the future holds. I'm so lucky to have Jason in my life, he is my everything, he works so hard in school and wants to do his best so that he can provide for me and I want him to know just how much I love him.

greg comes to town!!

On Sunday Jason's Friend Greg came into town for a quick visit. That night we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge so he could see the skyline and then we stood in line for an hour just to get some pizza at Grimaldi's. It was worth the wait and Greg agreed that New York style pizza is the best.

Monday he spent the day with Jason, that included a tour of the city from the top of a double-decker bus and an amazing burger at the Shake Shack (once again ... the best burger he's ever had). Unfortunately we weren't able to get Broadway tickets, I guess the preforms think they deserve a night off and Monday just happens to be the day they all take off. So we took him for some Thai food and some sightseeing in Times Square instead. Even though his visit was short we sure enjoyed having him come and see us. Now they rest of you need to come and try all the good food New York has to offer ... we promise it will be the BEST you've ever had.

michael buble

Okay, so I know I said Josh Groban was amazing but he is nothing compared to Michael Buble. Our anniversary is next week so Jason gave me an early present to see Michael Buble at Radio City Music Hall last night. I honestly don't know how to describe it, it was by far the BEST concert I have ever been to!! The music was amazing, every song he sang was my favorite and it just kept getting better with each song. It wasn't just the songs but his personality, he was such a fun entertainer that really got the crowd going. Now I know what your thinking ... how could he possibly get the crowd going with songs like "Fever"? But he did!!



The best part was that Jason enjoyed it too. He even said it was an amazing concert, now I won't go as far as to say he enjoyed it more then 311, but he enjoyed it none the less. The one thing we enjoyed the most was his laid back personality. He's just a cool Canadian that likes to have a good time. Some of the concerts we've been to it seems like the preforms have to add a little something about there political views, but he was just there to make us laugh. My favorite was it seemed like everyone around us was with someone they loved. It was just a bunch of couples holding hands, something you don't see very often here in NY.



I know I may sound a little obsessed and Jason was getting a little annoyed when I kept saying how sexy his voice was but what can I say ... it was!! I highly recommend seeing his concert if you ever get the chance.

Besides the concert, Jason's highlight of the night was seeing Glen Beck. Just as we were walking out of Radio City he was walking in, Jason spotted him and from across the crowd said hi to him and he waved back and then we said we were fans from Utah and he gave us a thumbs up. If you don't know he's a political commentator with one of the top radio shows in the country and he's a convert to the church, so we thought it was fun seeing him after watching his show so many times on CNN.



Here's a little Buble for you all to enjoy!!!

Mom's weekend

Because Jason had a little break before school starts he decided to take advantage of his free time and go home and see his family. So as soon as my mom heard she jumped at the chance to come out and spend some alone time with Sheena.

She arrived early Thursday morning so we decided to take it easy and relax before hitting it hard. The problem with my mom is when she goes somewhere she spends most of her time trying to find presents for everyone back at home, so of course the first on her list was purses. After her first subway ride and a successful stop at Canal Street we decided to see one tourist site while she was here.

Neither of us had been to the Statue of Liberty and my mom had heard a lot about Ellis Island so we went down to Battery Park to catch the ferry. Of course we had to take the audio tour so we knew what we were looking at but we definitely looked like tourists with our headphones on. The Statue of Liberty was amazing to see up close, and it made it even more amazing to learn about the stories while standing in front of it. Next we were back on the ferry to Ellis Island. Again we had our audio tour to lead the way so we began walking through each room and listening to what took place there, but my mom was going so fast that she was way ahead of the guide and I couldn't figure out way she was skipping everything when it was her idea to come in the first place. Well it turns out that she was so tired from the flight that she just wanted to sit down, I felt bad for dragging her everywhere so we decided to go before she fell asleep. That night we walked down to little Italy and had lobster and some rice pudding from Rice to Riches to top of the evening.



The rest of the trip was spent shopping, eating and shows. We went to Mary Poppins and it was very cute, but the highlight of the trip was seeing Wicked. I have been waiting so long to see it and I LOVED it. I love the story, the songs, the humor but of course my favorite was the ending. I won't spoil it, but it exceeded all my expectations. I loved it so much that I will go to it again if anyone else wants to come out and go with me.

I had such a nice time with my mom and I'm so glad she finally came out to visit. Everything we saw and did was so much fun but my favorite was just the visits we had each morning just catching up on all the news and talking about nothing. Every night we would say we were going to wake up early and hit the streets but it was always noon before we left the house. My brother and his wife made a DVD of my niece and sent it out with my mom for me to watch and it was so fun to see how much she's grown and her cute little personality. Thanks for coming out to visit, mom. Maybe next time you can convince the rest of the family to come!!

Boston

It always takes me a little while to post but eventually I get around to it. So a couple of weekends ago we went to Boston with our friends Bryan & Kelli Granum. We found cheap rates a couple of months ago on Jetblue and decided to make a weekend of it. So that Friday Jason and I made the trek through Time Square to meet the Granum's at their apartment. When we got there I walked up to tell the doorman what apartment we were going to, and while I was just standing there minding my own business waiting for the guy to give us the go ahead and this women standing next to me was talking on her cellphone really loud, she had huge white sunglasses but I really didn't get a good look at her. Then Jason nudges me to look at the girl, and it was Fantasia from American Idol. I must have had a surprised look on my face because the security guard started laughing when I realized who I was standing next to.


After a late arrival in Boston we checked into our room and decided to get some sleep so we could be ready for the big day ahead of us, but Jason was so impressed with the big bathtub that he had to take a bath before he could go to sleep (the first of many). The next morning Jason had to take another bath, and then we were off to meet up with the Granum's. We went to breakfast at a cute little hotel in Beacon Hill (the same neighborhood where John Kerry & Teresa Hines live) and had some amazing french toast. After breakfast we got on the subway and headed to Harvard.

It was such a beautiful campus and just as I imagined it. We started walking around but decided it would be better if we knew what we were looking at so we decided to take the "HAHVAHD" walking tour where we learned all about the famous students who attended and saw where their dorms were. After our brief history tour we were off to Fenway Park. Unfortunately we didn't find tickets so Bryan and Kelli went to the game, so we decided to walk around the harbour and check out the sites.

The harbour was beautiful as well as the Boston skyline. It was interesting to see just how different Boston is from New York. I was expecting it to have all the large skyscrapers but there wasn't that many. Boston is more of a quaint little city then a large metropolis, and we loved everything about it.

We met back up with the Granum's for dinner and afterwards Bryan wanted to take us to a dueling piano bar. While we were figuring out where to go we saw some secret security guards in the lobby of the Granum's hotel, so Jason being the little celebrity stalker he is wanted to see who they were waiting for. So we are sitting there waiting for Jason to get out of the bathroom so we could see who this famous person was and out walks Bob Saget!! He walked out and looked for someone and then got back on the elevator, it was so funny and random ... but there was still someone else because the security guards hadden't moved. Well, the important people finally came and it wasn't anyone we knew, we just figured they were royalty from another country so it really wasn't that exciting. In the mean time Jason was stuck in the bathroom with a bloody nose and was missing all the action. But then out walks Bob again so Bryan asked if Kelli and I could get a picture with him and he was a little annoyed but agreed. Finally Jason was out and we went to the piano bar. It was pretty wild and Bryan got the DJ to try and get Jason on the stage with the wild Bacholorette's but Jason wasn't a fan.


The next day was full of tours, we started with our self guided tour of the freedom trail and ended with the duck tour. It was this cute little truck/boat they call a duck that takes you around the city on land and then ends with you riding around in the boat on the Charles river. After our crazy tours, a wonderful lunch and Jason's hunt to find a cool Boston shirt we were on our way home. All that was missing was a third celebrity sighting. We loved Boston and it was so fun to go with Kelli and Bryan and see the sites, we highly recommend it to all who have never been. But you must come and see us in NY first!!!

Palmyra, NY

Over the weekend Jason and I, along with our law school buddies, rented a mini van and drove upstate to Palmyra to see the Hill Cumorah Pagent and all the church history sites. We started out bright and early and drove straight to the Peter Whitmer farm, after checking out the sites we grabbed some lunch and drove up to Rochester to check in to our hotel. After such a long drive we all decided we needed a little dip in the pool, including Beckett. It was his first time in the pool and I don't know who had more fun ... Beckett or Jason.

Our next stop was the Smith Farm and the Sacred Grove. I've been here before and it's amazing how each time you go you instantly feel the spirit when you walk into that home. It's crazy to walk up the narrow little staircase and see the little beds where they slept and to know you're standing in the exact room where angel Moroni appeared to Joseph. And of course the Sacred Grove is just as amazing. It was raining and it was so peaceful to walk through the grove quietly and just listen to the rain while feeling the spirit. Wondering where is was that Heavenly Father appeared. It was such a spiritual experience and I'm so glad Jason was able to experience it.

The Smith Home



The Sacred Grove

After seeing the sites we decided to stake our claim at the pagent. It was so nice to be surrounded by Mormons again, in away it felt like we were in Utah again. It was pathetic but just seeing Utah license plates excited us. My favorite part was when I got to see my sweet little grandma, she and her friend were on a church history tour and we arranged to find each other at the pagent. It was so fun seeing her out here in New York and just being able to give her a hug and visit for a minute. The rain continued off and on through out the pagent, but the production was wonderful. It takes place on the actual hill and there are so many actors with amazing costumes.


The next morning we slept in (well, I slept in while Jason soaked in the hot tub) had a nice breakfast and then we hit the road again. The traffic was a little crazy and it took longer then we expected to get home but Jason and I weren't complaining because we got to entertain Beckett (more like he entertained us). It was a wonderful trip and we're so glad Chris and Dawnell came with Beckett, he was definitely the highlight of the trip.

Mr. Cool

Welcome to Miami

Because we work so hard at KPMG we were given a five day weekend for the 4th of July, so Jason and I decided to make the most of it with a little getaway to Florida. After a late arrival we went to bed anxious for a day of fun in the sun. It was so nice to walk across the street to the beach each morning where we just lounged out and relaxed. Little did we know that the first of July was the start of Hurricane season in July, so each day we woke up to a beautiful morning and then at about two in the afternoon we would have to run back to our room while it poured for an hour and then ... out came the sun again.

The next day we decided to rent a scooter so we could check out the sights of south beach. Luckily Jason was able to speak Spanish or we would have been in trouble. We walked in and told the lady we were interested in renting a scooter and wanted to know how much it would be to rent it for a few hours. After trying to answer us with some broken English Jason decided it might be easier to just speak in Spanish. It was so fun to see all of their reactions when he began speaking to them, and it was interesting to see just how much more willing they were to help us when he spoke to them in Spanish. The scooter was a great way to see the sights despite getting a flat tire and running out of gas. After our adventurous day we ended the night with some wonderful stone crab at Joe's.



Our favorite day was the day we went snorkeling in Key Largo. We woke up early that morning and headed down to the dive shop to prepare for our trip. The first time I went snorkeling I had a hard time and kept freaking out, so I was a little nervous going into it. After an amazing boat ride through Key Largo we arrived at our diving destination. After jumping in I was okay with the fact that I had fish swimming all around me and actually enjoyed myself. We saw several tropical fish along with a couple of nerf sharks that made it very exciting and was a perfect ending to a wonderful trip. While we loved Miami, I think it's a place that now that we've been there and seen all there is to see, we probably won't be going back.


Our future summer home in the Keys

Our limo ride to dinner


The Versace Mansion

Salisbury, Ct

So Jason finally handed over the computer so I have a minute to catch up. A couple of weekends ago Jason and I, along with some of his law school friends, stayed at the dean of the law schools "summer" home. A couple of months ago the law school held an auction where they were able to bid on the dean's summer home for a weekend and won!!

We left after work on Friday and it was so nice to get away from the city. Jason couldn't believe how rural the towns were outside of the city. He's always said he would like to live in Connecticut and now that he's seen it, he's set on it. He was like a little kid at Disneyland, staring out the window the entire ride. After two and a half hours we arrived, come time find out it wasn't just their summer home, but their guest house next to their summer home where we'd be staying.

The next morning we woke to the chirping of birds and for the first time in a long time we were able to enjoy the quiet morning. We woke up before everyone else and checked out what was in store for the day. First things first Jason was out with the skimmer in the pool preparing for his morning swim. Not only did they have a pool but they also had a full size tennis court where we all got a little morning work out.

The rest of the day was spent basking in the sun by the pool and a little game of baseball. That night we all took a little hike through the forest that led to a beautiful vista with the perfect view of the rolling hills and trees. At the edge there was a fire pit where we got to roast our first (and probably last) marshmallows of the season. When we finally made our trek back to the house we all got a little nervous when two of the guys found ticks. Luckily I was the only girl that wore make-up and had tweezers to save the day.

The next morning was so relaxing just lounging by the pool and enjoying each others company. Although I have to say it got a little old listening to all their law school jokes. (leave it up to law students to make humor out of torts and property laws) Despite the dry jokes it was fun to get to know some of his law school friends and so nice to get away for a relaxing weekend.

The Main House

The pool with the tennis courts in the back

The Guest House (doesn't it look like a scene from Anne of Green Gables?)

The View of the Vista

Another shot of the backyard

family comes to town

Finally, someone came to visit us out in the big city. Over Memorial day weekend Jason's parents and three sisters came, for the first time, to New York. In fact, it was the first time the twins had flown, so this was quite the experience for all.
They arrived early Friday morning with no time to rest. While I went to work Jason took them to Friend of a Farmer for a wonderful breakfast, where they saw a Victoria's Secret model. After a tour of NYU and Washington Square park they walked down to Magnolia Bakery for the experience of their lives. They loved the cupcakes, but the banana pudding was a definite favorite. By that time I was home from work and they were ready for the trek across the Brooklyn Bridge. This was an adventure in itself and I must say they thought the views were breathless. I think they got just about every shot of the downtown skyline they could. Once we were across we walked right into Grimaldi's, no waiting in line, where they experienced New York style pizza for the first time. After checking out the skyline one more time from the pier we were on our way home with blisters already forming.

The next morning we woke up bright and early to catch the double-decker tour bus for our adventure around the city. Now I know some of you might laugh and think it's silly that we took a tour bus, but this is one our favorite things to do in the city. Not only do you get some great shots of the city from the top but you learn all sorts of fun facts along the way. After cruising around the city all morning we hopped off for some burgers and shakes at the shake shack. After the long wait and struggle to find a seat and were finally able to prove that the shake shack was better then In-and-out burger. Then back for a little rest before heading down to check out the lights of Time Square and some family style fun at Carmines. (where everything was big including the titanic dessert)


Because this was so long ago and I can't remember every detail I will leave out the minor details. The next day we were excited to go to a Broadway and everyone was awaiting the experience. Apparently not a lot of shows were showing and our choices were quite limited at the TKS booth. After a decision to see The Spelling Bee we were ready to get our tickets, unfortunately there was on 5 tickets available so we settled for Avenue Q. All I have to say is that this was a HUGE mistake, Avenue Q is the WORST show I have ever seen, after about 45 minutes we were so embarrassed and uncomfortable that all seven of us had to get up and leave. Please tell everyone you know, there is nothing good about this show and I've never been so uncomfortable in all my life. To make up for the humiliation of the show we then went to our favorite chocolate place, Max Brenner, to end the night on a sweeter note.

We spent Memorial day enjoying Central Park, where we toured the great lawn, had a picnic below Belvadere Castle and canoed in The Lake. The next day was back to work for me and shopping for the family. First making a stop at the top of the Empire State Building, then on to some of New York's finest shops, H&M and Forever 21. With a final stop for some more banana pudding they were ready for the long flight home to relax.

All in all they had a great trip, despite the blistered feet, and we loved playing tour guides and showing them all of our favorite hot spots in the city. We can't wait for them to come and back and see us again.

lions and tigers and bears ... oh my!

So now it's time for catch up. A few weeks ... actually more like a month ago, Jason and I attended the Bronx Zoo. KPMG (the accounting firm where I work) hosts an annual firm family day, and this year it was at the zoo. We saw everything from the polar bears, to the gorilla's but I have to say my least favorite was the bat caves. I was expecting to walk in and see a few bats and walk out, but no, there were several different bats from all different parts of the world screeching and flying around. It was definitely the creepiest part of the zoo. All in all it was a great day. The weather was perfect and the animals were playful. Our favorite of course was the gorilla's playing hide-and-go-seek with each other and the polar bear when he dove into the cold water to take a swim. I would highly recommend it to all of you New Yorkers who are looking for a fun filled day in the city, and for all of you from Utah, it puts Hogle Zoo to shame.