Trip of a Lifetime--Day 1

As many of you know, my 5th grade team wrote a grant last year to go on a history trip back to NY and Philadelphia and we GOT IT!!  So, on June 8, I set out on the trip of a lifetime.  We had a take a red-eye (don't recommend at all!) so we could get in as much as possible.  Day one was full of amazingness and tiredness.  We got to go to the World Trade Center Memorial Museum that had just opened.  It was incredible!  What a day.  The pictures will tell the rest:

Me and my teammates excited to get our journey started

 The September 11th Museum--pictures don't do it justice, but at least it's something

The Cross at Ground Zero

 The pool

The new Freedom Tower hidden mostly in clouds

 The wall that keeps back the East River

 A tiny part of the lightning rod on top of the North Tower.  Man those towers were massive!!!

They really have these as the car parking lots.  Amazing!!

 Tenements (very small apartments) that upwards of 10 immigrants would live in--so cool to see and experience first hand

 Central Park

An awesome place to eat.  Super yummy chicken parmigiana

Ended the night at the Empire State Building, but didn't go to the top because there was zero visibility because of the rain and clouds all day

What an amazing first day, but boy was I glad to get in my bed that night and sleep!!!

Tyler!!

I can't believe my little buddy is already three!!  Tyler is the cutest, most obedient, playful, funny, smart little boy I could ever ask for!  He LOVES his momma.  He tries to keep up with his sisters.  He taught himself the alphabet and now knows his uppercase and lowercase letters, can count to thirty and can identify the numbers 1-12.  He can also spell his own name (most of the time--he sometimes forgets the letter e).  You are so smart buddy!!  His talking is coming along, and he's now speaking many words in each sentence.

Tyler,
You still love Ariel, Elsa, Buzz and Zurg, but are now branching out to Spiderman, sharks and snakes.  You love to read books, fight with light sabers, sticks, just about anything.  You love to sit on mommy's lap and watch movies, play alphabet games, do spooky Halloween matches.
You love to pretend to be a ghost and scare us and a bear and "attack" us. You are starting to think about going peepee in the potty (which mom and dad aren't pushing yet either) and are still taking an afternoon nap.
You are the sweetest little boy a mom could ever ask for and I thank my lucky stars (and my Heavenly Father) every day that I was so blessed to become your mom!!!!  Love you little boy!!

Emily's dance recital and Tyler's 3rd birthday

Emily had her last dance recital in May.  She was so cute and a very good dancer!  She has chosen to do art lessons instead this year.  She is so naturally artistic so she has my full support.  Em did a cute dance to In Summer from Frozen and then was a flower in the production of Alice in Wonderland.
Coincidentally, Emily's recital fell on Tyler's birthday.  I must have been worn out from Em's concert because sadly, I only took one picture of Tyler on his birthday, eating ice cream.  We did go out to eat at Chuck-a-Rama for his birthday and he opened some presents (dinosaur, bike, clothes) but it was really low key.  We sure love you though, Tyler!!!!!!

 Isn't that about the cutest dance picture ever or what?!  I love you, my beautiful Emily, so very much!!

Always happy that Grandma and Grandpa can come

My sweet little boy eating his ice cream