My sister, Karl.

My sister, Karly's, birthday was yesterday, but due to me working, subbing a dance class, and institute...the day, unfortunately, did not include a little blog shout out love.

So here it is a day late:

Karl,

Happy Birthday!

I so wish I was there with you to celebrate your big day.

I would try to make you feel like the most special lady in the world.

Never forget that you ARE special.

Never forget that you are worth it.

Never forget that you're an amazing mama.

Never forget you're stronger than you think you are.

Never forget you deserve happiness.

And lastly, never forget how much I love you.

Happy Birthday, sister.

P.S. And a little shout out to my dear friend, McKell, serving her mission in Italy!  Happy Birthday, Sorella Forbes!

2013 Resolution

I'm a little behind on making goals for this year.

That's mostly due to the fact that the majority of days that have happened in 2013, I can barely muster up the energy to shower.

As I was trying to think of goals for this year I really could only think of one:

Do the best I can.

That's it.

This year I can't set goals like "run 10 miles every week" or "practice the piano every day" or "read 5 classic novels."

My body is growing a baby.

A BABY.

A little human is growing inside of me.

When other people were pregnant it didn't really hit me so hard.

But man...that is crazy!!

My body is growing and nourishing another body.

As cool as that is....it's also exhausting and making me ill.

I am not one of those blessed women that never gets sick during pregnancy.

Ohhhh, how I wish I were.

There have been times when I think I'm starting to get out of this funk and then I throw up 5 times in one day.  That's a dream.

However, the last few days I really have started to feel a little bit better.

Not back to my normal self...but at least not feeling like I just want to keep banging myself in the head with a sauce pan because that would feel better than what is going on in my belly.

I'm 14 weeks tomorrow (Jan 31st) which means I am a third done!

I'm so praying my 2nd trimester brings good things.

I really do want to enjoy being pregnant.

Well, that was a long tangent on getting to my point of just doing the best that I can.

There are some days when really, truly all I can do is plop myself on the couch.

There are some days when I can go run 1 or 2 errands and fold the laundry.

There are some days when it's a mixture of those two depending on the hour.

I just need to do the best that I can for my body.

It is carrying something so precious.

So if that means one day I can go for a walk and the next day I pretend I'm going for a walk...that's ok.

It's been hard to let my body do what it needs to do.

I've always been someone on the go.

Always working, always dancing, always running around, etc.

I've had a little bit of an identity crisis.

I suppose it's a good thing I've had so much time to think and ponder so that I could figure out in my mind how I need to take care of my body.

2013 is going to bring a TON of changes to our little family.

So with all of it coming at me, I just need to do the best that I can.

Pregnant!

So here we go...

Alex's and my life as we know it will never be the same.

And as much of a shock factor it was in the beginning, we are starting to settle in to the idea and are excited for this new phase in our lives together.

So I'll just start from where it all began...

When I was 19 my doctor at home diagnosed me with PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome.)

I had one period at the beginning of my Freshman year at BYU, but then never again that school year.  When my mother found out, she was obviously concerned and took me in to see what was going on.

They did some ultra sound work and went ahead and told me I had PCOS.  She told me that having children was possible, but would not happen easy.  She told me it would take a long time to get pregnant and just keep trying.  So I have lived with that belief for 6 and a half years.

I get married at 24.  Now the option of having children is obviously real.

Not too long in to the marriage I tell Alex I want to go off birth control.

He says no.

I explain to him that this could be a many year long process to conceive and that I don't want to waste too much time before we start trying.

He still says no.

I cry.

He still says no.

I ask a couple months later.

He says no again.

I cry some more because I'm terrified.

He tells me he knows everything will be fine and that I don't need to worry so much.

  I wait a little bit longer and ask again.

(I could have been a crazy person and just stopped taking the pill without telling Alex, but I would have never wanted to start trying until we were BOTH ready.)

Finally, we come to an agreement that my pill package I take for October 2012 will be my last one.

YES!

So right before Halloween I have my period. (Sorry for you men reading this...)

We just decided that we would stay calm and not get discouraged when I did not get pregnant.

Well, little did I know that I would not have another period.

Thanksgiving came and went.  Still felt normal.

Except for one thing...I was a week late.

I just thought it was the birth control getting out of my system and throwing off my cycle.

I did not want to freak out so I just kept thinking it was going to come at some point.

Finally once I was 2 weeks late I decided to take a pregnancy test at work.

I read the instructions on the how to take it like 40 times!

Like it's rocket science or something to pee on a stick...but I was SOOO nervous.

So I did it.

Then I set it aside and waited.

Then all of the sudden I saw it come up positive.

But I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

So I looked from the paper back to the stick over and over just to make sure I was seeing it right!

Once I realized it was actually positive my heart started racing, I started sweating, and I just kept saying repeatedly, "Oh...Ohh...Ooohhhh..."

I couldn't figure out if I wanted to laugh or cry so I think I did a little bit of both.

Though I'm not entirely sure...I felt like I was in a bubble.

Once my head stopped spinning I had to then figure out how I was going to tell Alex.

The week I found out was a CRAZY week!

Between two jobs I had to work 65 hours, teach 2 dance classes, pack up our apartment, and move!  I was already running on low.

So the thought of trying to figure out some cute way to tell Alex made me anxious so I decided to get rid of that anxiety and just tell him.

Unfortunately I was not able to see him for another 8 hours!

But when he got home I showed him the test and our conversation went like this:

A: See!  I told you! (meaning: I told you it wasn't going to take long.)

K:  How did you know?!

A: I don't know.  How did I know I was going to marry you the moment I saw you?  I just know things.

And there you have it.

I am pregnant.

I was totally thinking I was so lucky to not be sick!

Until....

Week 6 rolled around.

Since then I've been ill.

I'll have one good day and think I'm in the clear, but then the next day hits me like a beast.

I'll be 14 weeks in 5 days so I am just praying so hard that I'll be one of those blessed women and not be sick anymore come my 2nd trimester!

(Your prayers are appreciated as well.)

I had my first ultra sound when I was 11 weeks.

Our baby looks good and everything looks normal so far!

So remember that PCOS thing?

Well, my doctor says he's pretty dang certain I do NOT have PCOS!

He says it's not uncommon for girls to have problems with their periods when they go away to college and really wishes my old doctor had explored other options for what could have been going on.

He says that I do not have any other signs for PCOS besides my period going out of whack.

Especially since it took me like a week to get pregnant.

HOORAY!  It felt amazing for him to release me from that diagnosis.

We are looking to have a baby come August 1st!

We won't know the gender until March and we can barely stand it!

I think I've covered all the questions people have had.

If there's any more let me know!

It's been awhile...

Hello, World.

It's been quite some time since I contributed to my little blog.

I know...tsk tsk.  I should be better about updating my life.

For some reason I haven't had that burning desire to write on here.

I'm not sure why because it's not like nothing interesting has happened.

My life is by no means boring.

I guess I just went through a 3 month blog hiatus.

Hopefully I'll get that fire back.

So for a quick update:

Thanksgiving was great!

Christmas was great!

We got to go to the Florida Keys for the first time and I definitely wish I was still there right now as it is in the negatives at night in this Narnia land of Utah.

(p.s. roosters/chickens just roam the streets in Key West.  Literally.  No joke.)

How's that for a quick update?

Well, lastly...the thing that is the most fresh in my mind is something we talked about at Institute last night.  Alex and I have it every Tuesday night this semester and it's something that we really enjoy doing together.

Our teacher made all 50 or so of us stand up individually to say our name, where we're from, what we're doing, and a "blessing story."

(First of all...it was HILARIOUS watching all the single people whispering things to their friends like, "He's cute!" or "She seems cool.")

Second, it was so amazing listening to all of these people publicly thanking Heavenly Father for their jobs, their families, miracles that have happened in their lives, their missions, their friends, the temple, etc.

Alex and I were last.

Alex said his blessing right now is that he is going to be Jack's escort for his first time going through the temple. (Which is on Friday!  Yay.)

I have so many blessings in my life...of course!

But, the biggest blessing I have in my life is having broken up my first engagement.

Did it hurt at the time?

Oooohhhh yessss!

Did I think I was going to get through it.

Nope, not really.

Did I lose faith?

Sad to admit...yes.

However, that experience taught me that I am stronger than I think I am.

It taught me that I can do hard things.

It taught me that even when I don't think I have anything left within me...I actually do.

And just when I started to accept those things...Alex came in and really saved the day. :)

I love him so much.

I thank Heavenly Father for him pretty much constantly.

I really don't know what I would do without him.

He makes me feel so very special every, single day.

He was worth the wait and the heartache.  SO worth it.

So yeah...as sappy as it was...

I told the class the extremely brief story of my broken engagement and how that led the way for the biggest blessing in my life, which is my sweet husband.

Now...let's hope I keep up on this updating the blog business.

Fall break in California!

Well, it was that time of year again.

Alex's breaks from school always result in us going to California.

It's close enough, free lodging, free food, and lots of family time.  That equals a big win for us! :)

This time it was extra family time because the whole fam bam came!

Us and Jack came from Utah and Brittany's gang came up from Arizona.

It made for a very full house and a lot of fun!

We started out our week with a day at the beach!

It.  Was.  Heavenly!

I started out on the nice, warm sand.  It was so soft against my feet and felt great between my toes.

I watched my nephews and niece playing in the water.

It looked so fun, but I knew it was so cold!

I couldn't help it any longer!  I had to get in that water!

So I took the plunge and I am so glad I did!

Me, Britt, Alex, Jack, Isabelle, Jonah, and Hank spent the next hour or so boogie boarding.

I caught the most amazing wave on my last run!

It was the perfect way to end my water time.

I really could not handle the cold anymore so then I grabbed my towel, stuck my feet in the sand, and just listened to the sound of the waves and the children laughing.

The beach really is where I feel the most at ease with life.

Eventually we got hungry so we headed back to the house and then to get ready for family pictures.

So then it was back to the beach for us!

There are a lot of good ones, but here's a few samples:

Chris (BIL), Zak (nephew), Caleb (nephew), Jack (BIL), Violet (niece), Ann (MIL), Dylan (quasi niece), Hank (FIL), Alex, me, Clara (niece), Isabelle (niece), Eli (nephew), Brittany (SIL), Jonah (nephew), Abram (nephew).  That's the whole clan minus Alex's other brother, Wes.  We sure missed him while we were there.

The night was a gorgeous one!

The next day we just hung around Santa Barbara.

Britt, Ann, and I worked out in the morning and got our butts kicked by Ann's trainer.

(Kicked in a good way! :)

Then the whole family cruised downtown and we spent the majority of the day strolling the streets and the pier.

That evening consisted of pool time and getting ready for the big days ahead of us!

That next morning we got up bright and early to head down to Anaheim, CA to start our Disney adventures!!

I have only been to Disney World so I was SOOO excited for Disneyland!

I seriously wish I could have just taped the whole experience.

It really is the happiest place on earth.

And going with nieces and nephews make it even better because then you have an extra excuse to do the things/rides that you would not do/go on if it was just me and some friends. :)

Here are a few highlights:

The Mickey Wheel!

This is also the location of "World of Color" which is a water show at night.

Pretty much puts the Bellagio to shame!

They project images on the water and everything.

I may or may not have teared up a few times...don't judge.

Disney was my life as a child.

Cars Land is amazing!  It seriously feels like you're on Route 66 cruisin' through the cartoon!  And the Cars main ride is to die for!  So much fun!

Tower of Terror is always a must!  I haven't been on it in such a long time so I could not remember when it drops, plus I'm pretty sure it's slightly different than the Disney World one so I was really tripping out...obvs.

Disneyland at Halloween time is so much fun!  There is decor everywhere.

Just been my dream forever to get a picture with this giant pumpkin Mickey!

Ahhhhmazing. :)

Please look at Zac, Alex, and Jack.

They kill me.

No one wanted to watch the parade besides me, Britt, Ann, and little Clara.

Everyone else missed out!

The parade was so stinkin' magical.

I may have gotten teary again...don't judge...again.

Rapunzel is Clara's favorite, but secretly I was just as excited, if not more, when she came around.

One major bummer...NO Jasmine in the parade.  Aladdin was there. :(

We ended off our second day with this crazy dog. :)

Brittany's family stayed at Disney for a 3rd day, but we headed back to Santa Barbara.

We had a nice, relaxing day AND I got to see one of my girls that has already transitioned from New Haven.  She is going to school there so we met up!  It was awesome seeing her!

Brittany's family came back so we could all go to 6 Flags: Magic Mountain the next morning!

There were a lot of great coasters there!

Especially this one coaster we did towards the end of the night called X2!

It literally blew all of our minds.  It was the best coaster I have ever been on...and I'm pretty sure everyone would agree.

I can't even explain it...you just have to go and test it for yourself.

We were all so dang tired at the end of the night!

We slept in a little bit the next morning and then just chilled by the pool until Alex, Jack, and I had to catch our flight back to Utah. :(

I do not like saying goodbye...at all.

I so do love the family I married in to.

I seriously thank my Heavenly Father every day for that side of my family (as well as my own blood family).

I hear stories from friends of their crazy in laws and I am so grateful that is not me.

I miss them all so much when we're not together.

It was such an incredible trip!

Thankfully I have some things to look forward to now:

-Thanksgiving/Alex's birthday...my in laws are coming up!

-Christmas!!  We're going to South Carolina!!!  I cannot wait!  This is the longest stretch I have ever gone not being home!

Did I mention that Disneyland was magical?!

Rach and Bryce's Wedding!

This past weekend Alex and I hit up Oakland, CA for a wedding!

Our friend, Rachel, had decided to tie the knot at the LDS temple there (which was breathtaking by the way) and of course our EFY group just had to be there to support her!

Kate flew in to UT from GA and she, myself, Alex, Nina, and Nina's bf, Ricky, hit the road!

Ashley met us there and when we pulled in, the group was complete!

Even though we got in at 2 am, we couldn't go to sleep because we were having too much fun being together!

I swear, there is nothing better than being at such a happy event, as a wedding, with people that uplift you, make you laugh, and help you be your best self.

Being bridesmaids with these ladies was the best thing!

 Nina, Ash, Rach, me, Kate.

If there could be anything wrong with this weekend, it was that it went by WAY too fast!

Before I knew it, Ash & Kate were on planes, and the rest of us were on our way back to the Wasatch Front.

 I feel like this picture is so perfect for the 5 of us.

And of course this handsome fella was lookin' mighty fine all weekend. :)

In all seriousness, I am so happy for Rachel.

It is so amazing watching someone you care about enter in to such a covenant as eternal marriage.

Even though I've only been married for a short time, I can already feel the power that comes from the covenant I made with Heavenly Father and Alex.

It takes work.  Oh, it takes work.

But when it's someone you love with all your heart, the work is not a burden.

I only wish the best for Rachel and Bryce.

They are so perfect for each other!

I want nothing more for her than to have the most fulfilling, happy life.

Nina is soon to follow. :)

3 out of 5 are taken care of...

C'mon Ash and Katers, pick 'em good. :)

I Am Fabulous!

Now before you go and think I have a huge 'ole ego from the title of this post...lemme 'splain myself.

I once had a dance teacher.

This teacher has been on my mind A LOT recently.

This teacher is the most fabulous woman.

She taught me not only about dance, but how to live life, how to love, how to have passion, how to treat people and how to have no inhibitions.

Her name is Holly Brown.  She is not only my teacher, but she is my friend.

I first met her at age 15 when she started teaching hip hop at the dance school.

I was a little shy at first, but after a few classes with her, she helped me come in to my own and hip hop soon became my favorite genre of dance!  It was favorite part of the week.  Not only because the dancing was awesome, but also because Holly made me feel so good about myself.

At the end of EVERY class we had to throw our hands up in the air and yell, "I AM..." then drop our hands dramatically over our faces while yelling, "Fabulous!"

So my Junior and Senior years were spent on the hip hop team with Holly.

She, and her whole family really, made me a part of their own family.

Her husband, Ross, totally believed in my talent and her little kids became like my own siblings.

It was totally normal for me to be at their house just because.

I could be so super silly with them, but also feel true love.

Holly birthed this beautiful family!

They were even younger than this when I first met them and now they're all growing up and I can't even believe it!

But we're bonded for more than just one reason...

Holly is also my mermaid sister...:)

The summer after I graduated high school, Holly asked me if I would help her out with a summer show.  It would be performed every week at an outdoor venue for all of the tourists breezing by.  I said yes.  And boy am I glad I did!  This show ended up being the talk of the island!  We started out with smaller crowds, but by the end of that first summer...we had a large following!  Then we ended up doing the mermaid show for multiple summers and we soon became a family favorite on people's vacations.  We were even a picture on this one family's Christmas card!  It really was some of the most fun times of my life.  Holly was Bubbles, I was Pearl, and amidst some other mermaids we sang songs, did dances, played games with the tourists, and just entertained while having such a great time!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from over the years:

Lately, I've admired Holly even more.

Her youngest daughter, Jasmyn, has had some really serious health problems.

But through it all, Holly has stayed strong for her family and showed us all what she is made of.

I so admire her zest for life, her unconditional love, and the ability to turn a sour situation into a sweeter one.

Out of all the things I HAD to have at my wedding...having Ross and Holly DJ and run the reception was at the very top.  I could NOT give that up.  And in true Brown fashion, they showed up and threw an unforgettable party!

It was so special to have them there sharing in the most important time of my life.

Being thousands of miles apart is hard, but I still feel so loved by Holly.

She is so great at staying in contact and I am forever grateful to have her in my life.

I am a dance teacher now because of her.

And every class I just always try to think to myself, "What would Holly do?"

I know if I think that...I'll never go wrong.

I love you, Holly!

Thank you for everything!

Enlightenment is a peach.

The other day at church I was reading my patriarchal blessing.

I do love reading it so.

It always lifts my spirits and reminds me of what an amazing life I have still ahead of me.

I read one particular part that has NEVER stood out to me before.

It described the kind of vocation I would have for myself.

I won't go in to detail, as that is both private and not appropriate to share with the world on this said internet, but it was spot on of what I do at New Haven.

I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

It just made me so happy that when I was a 16 year old teenager, Heavenly Father knew the kind of job that would fill me with joy.

How fun.  And cool.

I seriously can't describe how incredible my job is.

I get to see hurt, scared, hopeless girls come in and strong, healed, lovable girls come out.

One of the girls I am particularly close to is graduating from the program on Wednesday.

I thought I was doing ok with it, but I realized while driving home and thinking about her leaving, that I'm really not ok.  So I just cried.  And cried some more.

I will miss her little British self so.

I start up a new post alllll about my job quite frequently because I want y'all to know in detail what I do, but it overwhelms me.

It is ridiculously hard to describe and then for someone to fully understand.

If I ever get around to doing it, it may have to be a mini series. :)

Anywho...those Costco cookies won't eat themselves...

1 Year Down!

I canNOT even believe one year has come and gone!

Where the heck did life go?!

I guess they say that time flies when you're having fun, which may be the reason that this year has gone by so dang fast!

Because Alex and I have too much fun together! :)

Alex really is my bestest of friends and I couldn't imagine marrying anyone better than that man.

Here is what I have learned in this past year about my sweet, sweet husband:

1) When I am feeling down (whether he is the source of it or not) he will NOT stop trying to make me feel better until I actually do feel better.  He is a persistent one.  Which I am so grateful for!  Some husbands would just say I was being a stupid girl and move on until I snapped out of it.

2) I can get a little silly and out of control sometimes.  But whether I'm singing at the top of my lungs or dancing around like an idiot, Alex just looks at me and smiles and says I'm so funny.  That just boosts my confidence to keep being a spaz. :)

3) I rarely play the piano around Alex.  For some reason I get nervous around him and the piano.  I haven't figured out why yet.  Anywho...when he does come home while I'm playing the piano, he comes into the room so he can sit down and listen.

4) In his sleep he hugs me, love pats me, kisses me, etc.  He always knows I'm right there.  It's seriously one of my favorite things when I wake up in the middle of the night and he does something cute without even knowing he's doing it.

5) He always asks my input in his outfits if we're going to church or some other event.  I like that he trusts my fashion sense and knows I wouldn't let him walk out looking like a goon. :)

6) He compliments my cooking.  That makes me feel good.  Whether he does it so I'll cook more for him or because he wants me to feel good...either way...I'll take it!

7) He gives me blessings any time I ask for one.  Not that he could really say no...but he could complain about how he just gave  me one or how he doesn't feel like it, etc.  But he doesn't.  He just quietly does what he needs to do to give me a blessing from our Heavenly Father.  What a treasure to me for marrying such a worthy man who can give me a blessing 24/7.

8) He's always telling me I look pretty.  It doesn't matter if it's right when I wake up or if I'm all dolled up...that man makes me feel like a million bucks.  (Though I do tend to get more compliments throughout the day when makeup and a good outfit is involved. :) But I really am always amazed when we first wake up and he tells me how beautiful I am.

9) He apologizes when he's wrong.  Even if it might take him a few minutes :) I appreciate him taking responsibility for himself.  It makes things so much easier around here.

10) He takes upon himself the job of making sure we say prayers together, read the scriptures together, and go to the temple together.  (Even if the Olympics have perhaps screwed up our scripture reading time.  Oops.)  I'm so grateful for his proactivity in our spiritual lives.  I know he'll be an amazing father in that aspect.  (NO...this is NOT a baby announcement!)

I really could go on and on and on about Alex Foster.

But I don't have enough time.

I need to go kiss that sweet man and wake him up to wish him a "Happy Anniversary!"

We're headed to Bear Lake for a couple days and I couldn't be more excited to spend a few days with no one else but my main squeeze.

Happy Anniversary, Alex.

I love you more and more every, single day.

Thank you for being the amazing man that you are and for helping me reach all I am capable of.

Thank you for making me feel like a queen.

I'll leave you with a video I made for him.

I think it's pretty great. :)

NYC!

So, here I am (a month later) FINALLY blogging about NYC.

Words cannot even express how fun this vacation was!

But seriously...I don't have enough words to describe how amazing some of the sites are.

I highly recommend going to NYC if you have not been!  I would never want to live there, but it was a blast to visit!

It was great to spend time with my sister-in-law, Brittany, my mother-in-law, Ann, and my niece, Isabelle.  I sure got lucky marrying in to a fun family and I'm grateful I got to know them even better throughout this trip.

The pictures uploaded a little out of order (not sure why), but I picked some of my favorites!

Hudson River Boat Cruise: 

 This cruise took us along the river where on one side you have Manhattan and Jersey on the other.  Seeing the skyline from the water was really cool.  It of course has to takes you by the Statue of Liberty. We got out on the island a few days later, but for now we just cruised by.  It was the most surreal moment seeing it for the first time on this day.  I remember staring up at it and thinking, "Wow...it really does exist."

Breakfast @ Tiffany's:

 One morning before our bike ride, I just HAD to eat breakfast at the Tiffany & Co. on 5th Avenue!  Audrey Hepburn is one of my idols and so this was on my bucket list!  So happy to cross that one off!  A muffin never tasted better. :)

Bike ride in Central Park:

This activity was one of my favorites!  It was so so SO much fun!  Central Park is gigantic!  It's crazy to think that there is one of the largest cities in the world all around you, but you're taken out of it and surrounded by beautiful trees, bridges, benches, birds, boulders, etc.

 While in Central Park I spotted the scene from Home Alone 2 and Elf. :)

Times Square:

 Times Square is a wild place. :) It's the busiest place that we found in New York.  And I'm pretty sure the LAST place I'd want to be on New Year's Eve.  There's tons of people there 24/7, stores, restaurants, and a lot of funny characters.  Like this Naked Cowboy for instance.  He was a crack up.  Right here he is saying, "Feel how firm my butt is."  Brittany and I were dying laughing!  When we told him to be nice with us since we were married he just went, "Oh that's ok...I'm a certified minister!"  Oh, ok...because that makes it ok.  It really did make for a hilarious 2 minutes in our lives.

NYPD:

 The police are a frequent sight in this city...thank goodness.  I just decided to ask them if I could take a picture and the one guy gave me his hat to wear.  Super nice!  That is probably one of my favorite pictures from the trip!

John's Pizzeria:

 AKA: The best pizza on the face of this green Earth!  I've never been a fan of thin crust pizza.  But that's probably because it's Dominos.  The crust at the end of the pizza has always been my favorite...it's the reward for eating the rest of the pizza.  I was worried I wouldn't like it, but I was SO wrong!  It was delicious!  Our favorite was the Margherita pizza that had the freshest basil on top!  We went there a few times since it was so dang good!

WICKED:

 I saw "Wicked" in Chicago 6 years ago, but seeing it in NYC was amazing!  The whole show was jaw dropping, goosebump chilling, and flat out inspiring!  That's really all I can say.  I lose words when I try to describe this show.

Behind the Scenes "Wicked" tour:

 The morning after we saw the show, we went back to the theater the next morning for the behind the scenes tour.  They pulled out a bunch of original prop pieces, pictures, and the original costumes for Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth!  I was dying!!!  They also show you in the theater and teach you all about how the show runs, how many people it takes, the process of starting a Broadway show, etc.  It was really neat and I'm so glad we went!

Subways:

 The Subway was a whole experience in and of itself!  You can get yourself going in the wrong way extremely fast.  Just when I think I got it down, we left.  My favorite experience down there on the platform was the night we were coming back to our hotel.  Isabelle got out.  Brittany got out.  I got out. Ann was not so lucky.  The doors shut right on her face!  We all gasped and were in pure shock.  And off Ann went as we stood there on the platform.  Brittany was in such shock that she threw her hands up and dropped her phone down ON the train track!  At this point we are laughing SO hard.  It all was happening in a matter of seconds and it seriously felt like I was watching a movie.  I came SO close to peeing my pants.  And those of you that know me, know that my bladder will lose control and has no mercy sometimes.  Thankfully, I gained my composure before an accident happened.  This guy came over and saved Britt's phone!  He freaking jumped DOWN on the track, grabbed her phone that was in 3 pieces, and hoisted back up on the platform!  We were so terrified a train was going to come!

9/11 Memorial:

 This place has the oddest feeling to it.  The only way I can describe it is eerily spiritual.  I'm so happy with what they've done to make it a special place.  Even though you're in the middle of the business district it is surprisingly quiet.  I was handling my emotions pretty well until I was sitting on this patch of grass watching an American flag wave in the wind.  This man nearby was looking up to the sky and just started sobbing.  Thanks, dude...that's when I started to lose it.  So many thoughts start flooding your mind like, "How scary would this have been?" "What would I have done in the last seconds of my life?"  It was hard to leave because you felt like you couldn't get enough of that feeling.

Carlo's Bake Shop:

 If you don't watch "Cake Boss" on TLC, then you will have no clue what this place is, but for Alex and I...we like that show a lot.  It is just right across the river in Hoboken, NJ.  Thankfully the line wasn't too bad so we didn't have to wait a super long time for our treats!  I got an eclair and a cupcake, which were delish!

 When we got our treats we just went across the street to sit on some benches and eat.  That was also one of the most fun times of the trip.  It was so pleasant to eat treats and people watch during the evening hour.  We were all enchanted with Hoboken, NJ.  If for some reason Alex or I got a job in NYC, I would live in Hoboken.  I loved that little city!

Hoboken, NJ river front:

 Seriously...such a charming place.

NEWSIES:

 I have watched the movie my entire life so it was so exciting to see it on stage!  I was really pleased with how they did it!  I was sad that some of the lyrics were different and the story line was altered slightly, but overall...it was such a fun show!  It has such a great energy and the dancing was to die for! I definitely recommend seeing this if you ever go to NY!

Brooklyn Bridge:

 One morning for our exercise, we decided to walk the Brooklyn Bridge.  I'm so glad we did!  It was such a fun thing to do!  That was another moment where I thought to myself, "It really does exist."  The architecture is amazing and it really was so fun to walk around on it.

Serendipity:

 Giant frozen hot chocolate?  Need I say more.  It was dang delicious!!  And the restaurant has such a delightful atmosphere.  Thankfully our wait was only an hour.  Mmm...I want one of those right now...

Traces:

 This show hasn't been around very long and is actually off Broadway, but was still amazing!  The only way I can describe it is if a bunch of circus people got together in a junkyard and had a party.  The amount of talent on the stage was ridiculous!  It made me feel slightly mediocre.  I bet it will explode very soon!

Manhattan Temple:

 I'm so happy we went to the temple!  It was such a cool reminder that no matter where you are, you can feel the spirit.  The temple was built within a building so all city noise is gone when you walk inside, which was super cool.

Empire State Building:

 Hello from 88 floors high!  Seeing the city from way up there was crazy!  You can see so far!  It's also crazy that you can see from one end of Manhattan to the other and that there are sooo many buildings in between those two ends.  Central Park is also easily spotted, as it was the large green blob. :) I felt very "Sleepless in Seattle" while walking around up there! :)

Rockefeller Center:

 Too bad it wasn't winter so no ice skating was done.  It was still so fun being there!  In the left top corner, the Today show is filmed right there!  We looked through the windows and you can see where they sit and all the different sets they use.  On our bus tour to the hotel on our first day, they drove us by the "Today Show's" Friday morning concert, which was...Maroon 5!  I saw Adam Levine standing there waiting to go on!!  I went a tad crazy inside. :) Too bad he wasn't there while we were just strolling around.

NBC Studios:

 The best "Gilly" face I could muster.  If you don't know what Gilly is...watch SNL.  If you don't know what SNL is...you live under a rock.

Metropolitan Museum of Art:

 The MET is GIGANTIC!  We were in there for 4 hours and only went through like a quarter of it!  The Egyptian collection was incredible!!  But this here is me with Mr. Vincent Van Gogh. :)

 Statue of Liberty:

Before we went to the airport for our flight back to Utah, we hit up Lady Liberty's island.  She is much larger than I realized.  Unfortunately, she is under construction so we couldn't go right up by her, but it was still super cool!

Well...that is my NYC trip in a nutshell!

It was such an amazing experience and I hope I can return someday!

Seriously though...this doesn't even do it justice, but hopefully y'all caught a glimmer into the awesomeness of it all! :)

Thanks Ann, Britt, and Iz for the best time!