An interesting start to Memorial Day weekend...

Oh man, last night was not how I wanted to kick-off our 4-day weekend. Thankful that God was watching over us. Three things happened: 1) Oven fire 2) Lady takes a life threatening fall 3) Who's to clean up the blood? 

Part 1:
I was beyond excited to come back home after spending four days in DC for work (which was good, just ready to be back). My flight was delayed over two hours due to weather conditions...and we were stuck on the plane. Fun times. We finally land in NYC around 5PM, I catch a cab and come home. Richard was working late trying to wrap up things before the long weekend. So, I unload all of our photo albums (still in a box) and place everything in the storage area above the cabinets/stove. Remember, our apartment is tiny...so storage is everywhere! Around 8:30PM, I decide to cook dinner before Richard gets home. I thaw the chicken (remember the chicken, there is more on that later) and preheat the oven. Just before I put the chicken in the oven, our fire alarm goes off...which is really nothing new because it happens often with our tiny kitchen next to the alarm. I fan the alarm and open the oven. Our oven is brand new - I see nothing. Our fire alarm goes off again and this time black smoke is starting to come from the oven. I open the oven again and still nothing. Now, our stove is different than the stoves we are used to in Texas. It's open-flame and tiny. So, I decide to open the storage area under the stove....open flames are licking upwards. I'm definitely alarmed, but also thinking - is there an open flame at the bottom too? I immediately call Richard with this question (I know what you are thinking, I should have called 911 first. Yes, you are right. Remember, you brain works a little different in distress.). He confirms there should not be a flame on the bottom of the oven and agrees that I need to call 911. I immediately dial 911, I am trying to control my voice so that they can understand. As most of you know, when I am mad, sad, scared or panicked, I cry. So I am holding back tears and clearly stating our address and emergency over and over to the 911 operator. New York is a little different (as we all know...), and the operator has to 3-way a local operator in on the call. So I repeat my plea twice. At this point, black smoke is really starting to fill our tiny 450 square foot apartment. I am balancing the phone with the 911 operator, while trying to put the leashes on the dogs and get in the hallway, knocking on our neighbors doors and begging the 911 operator to give me an ETA of the firefighters (which I was NOT told, and they were rude about me asking). After what seemed like forever (it was actually only 3 minutes, I learned from my phone history), I heard sirens. I ran downstairs...or at least started to and Pickle and Sundae would not budge. They are trained to not go down the stairs for safety reasons. So I grab both dogs, run down three flights of stairs, across the building to greet 10 firefighters at the front door. They take over our building....3 head to our apartment, 3 go up the fire escape, 2 go up the other stairs in the building and 2 direct from outside. I am in full meltdown mode at this point...standing at the bottom of the stairs with Pickle and Sundae. Neighbors start coming out and they were so nice and helpful. During this time, Richard has abandoned everything he was doing at work, flagged down a taxi and anxiously headed home...not knowing what to expect. By the grace of God, the fire was quickly put out. We only received superficial damage (mainly from the smoke and fumes). Our building maintenance guy helped me start cleaning up the apartment (it was a mess). He walked in the apartment with me and I just stood there...not knowing what to do. About 2 minutes later Richard arrives and we continue to clean and calm down. Everyone was OK.

Then....

Part 2:

We hear a loud noise. A noise so loud that we think it is our A/C unit (remember, no central A/C in NYC), falling from our window due to the fire. We run from one side to the apartment to the other (so, 2 seconds...lol)...and see nothing. I head to our stairwell and look down to see a lady's body mangled on the floor and two neighbors standing by calling 911. I run down there, shortly followed by Richard. She obviously took a very hard fall down the stairs. We don't move her due to possible neck/back injuries and we are trying to keep her conscious. Her eyes are rolling around and it is pretty scary. Paramedics arrive shortly and begin to put a neck brace on her (and then we see blood has started pooling around her neck). She then comes to and starts screaming and cussing at the paramedics and refusing help. At this point, we realize she is very, very intoxicated. It is then realized by the paramedics that she is a nurse. So, they leave with her....and leave the blood behind telling all of us to call the apartment management (it's about 9:30PM at this point). 

Remember, the chicken that was originally thawing? Yeah... while Richard and I are downstairs, little Miss Sundae gets loose and eats all THREE pieces of raw chicken. I walked in just in time to find her licking her lips and looking remorseful. Wonderful. 

And...

Part 3:

Our neighbor calls the apartment after hours number, no answer. Another neighbor tracks down the night security guy. He says "I'm not cleaning that up, I don't know what is in her blood".  Great! It now looks like a murder scene in our apartment building - not to mention how unsanitary and unsafe this pool of blood is on the floor. We stay around for a little while waiting on whoever the security guy said he was going to contact. Which apparently was no one. So I leave a note, so no one else comes home and freaks out and calls 911 again. I am pretty sure the guy is getting fired.

9AM this morning: I hear our building staff confused in the stairwell. I explain last night's events...their eyes look like they are going to pop out of their heads. They had received a very brief report of last night's event from the security guard, but not many details.

Blood is cleaned up. New oven is on it's way. Manager calls us to talk about everything. Crazy, right?

Still in tourist mode...

Washington, DC

Hi there. I am writing you tonight from Washington, DC where I am attending a conference! We have been in NYC for just over a month now...and we are loving it! We definitely still feel like tourists, but are getting into a routine, exploring the city every second we get and loving our neighborhood.

Lincoln Center

Richard and I had dinner with a friend I haven't seen in years! Megan and her husband met us near their apartment by Lincoln Center! Megan and I attended Austin Academy Middle School together and were in the Speech Club. It was so fun catching up over dinner at Rosa Mexicana Restaurant! Who knew we would both end up in NYC?

Lincoln Center is the name of both a complex of performing arts buildings (e.g., Avery Fisher Hall) in the surrounding neighborhood of Lincoln Square within the New York City borough of Manhattan. Lincoln Center is centered around the intersection of Broadway and Columbus Avenue, between West 65th and West 66th streets.

Central Park

We spent a gorgeous Saturday morning biking in Central Park! Our biking adventures are growing! We have biked in...
Vancouver, Canada along Stanley Park (thought I was going to fall into the water or get hit by a kid)
Maui, Hawaii down a mountain to a winery (the scariest thing I have ever done, I held up the tour because I was so slow and the tour guide had to turn around on his bike and coach me along).
New York's Central Park was really fun and a great workout! For once, I did not fear for my life. :) Ha

Public Transit

The bottom left picture is art that is on the East Side subway lines. It's a depiction of NYC and the awkwardness and weirdness on the subway. The other two pictures are the 79th street bus (the M79). Everyone makes fun of me, but I'm a huge fan of the bus system. Sure, they are a little slow and cater to/attract the ederly...but they are above ground and don't have as many crazy people! :) Plus, we are on the far East, so the bus is always empty when we first get on!

High Line

The High Line is a 1-mile (1.6 km)[1] New York City linear park built on a 1.45-mile (2.33 km)[2] section of the former elevated New York Central Railroad spur called the West Side Line, which runs along the lower west side of Manhattan; it has been redesigned and planted as an aerial greenway. The top left picture shows a place in the High Line that you can ditch your shoes and walk in water...it's pretty cool.

Times Square

Richard wanted to go to Times Square to look at a Bank of America sign (his client at work). We were the only two people standing in the middle of Times Square looking at a banking sign...the exciting life we lead. Ha! While we were exploring, we had dinner at John's Pizzeria in Times Square. Great pizza joint with lots of seating!

Food

I won't bore you with all of the food we have been eating (we are in Heaven!)....but below are pictures of some unique favorites we have tried!

When the summer months hit, street fairs and food trucks pop up all over the city! Waffles and Dinges (belgian waffle stand with a million varieties...we had a southern style and maple syrup and bacon) + Kimchi (street style tacos). 

The Toucan and the Lion: Scotch Eggs
We had never heard of this appetizer (it came highly recommended), so we had to Google it. They were so good!
A Scotch egg consists of a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat (this one was duck sausage), coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. 

Week 4 in NYC.

Week 4.

New York City is the city you…

Love to love. The history, culture and food is so rich and abundant here! Everywhere you turn there is something new. You literally change cultures and worlds in a matter of steps. It's amazing. We have tried a TON of restaurants. There are so many that it is very overwhelming, so we have been using an iPhone app called "ScoutMob"....basically, you receive daily coupons on your phone. So, we just follow the coupons - it is great ! A mani/pedi is $25 or less…everywhere in the city! You are constantly working out because you are walking everywhere! You can have ANYTHING delivered...even your groceries! This was awesome (see below to find out why). Each person you meet has a story…the city is built on people with dreams and ambition, pretty cool. You will see someone that looks like a drifter, but they are an amazing writer. We spent several hours in Central Park on a slightly chilly Saturday afternoon (and we did not even come close to exploring all of Central Park). Below are a few pictures we took…the area by the Boat House is my favorite! It's so romantic and you feel like you are in Europe.

Central Park...by The Boat House. Love this area!

Our "SaturDATE" in Central Park...Richard's term. Ha! :)

Exploring the city...

Empire State Building...I work a few streets over and see the building on my walk.

The street I work on!

Supposed to be one of the best coffee place in NYC. It's tiny and trendy...I think we still like Starbucks better though. Gosh, I have been drinking a lot more coffee since living here...I'm always so tired!

Our first food delivery...we ordered guacamole, carrot cake and sweet potato fries...quite the combo.
It was good...and delivered to our door! So cool

Grocery delivery to our door too! Love this on website: peapod.com =)

Love to Hate. The trash is…pretty gross. Not to mention, with dogs going to the bathroom on every sidewalk…yeah, you know what you are tracking right back into your apartment. It's common to count the rats while waiting on the subway (don't worry…they are in the tracks…at least they haven't been by me, yet…). And occasionally, it just smells. The prices are outrageous, everywhere. Getting groceries is an event in itself…you either track down a "cheap" grocery store and lug / pull your groceries back (we did purchase a cart…but you still have to take your groceries out to get it on the subway/bus…or you can walk across the city back home).[Note: ...and then we found peapod.com, woohoo!... see above] Space is a premium. Our apartment is tiny - but for NYC standards…not bad. Let's not talk about rent… ;)

Hate to love. You really do start to love the craziness and the randomness. The crazy person that is yelling on the sidewalk for no reason, the delivery guys on bikes that sometimes run into you and the fast paced life that goes with living in NYC….even your sore legs and feet after all that walking (great workout, right?)!



Back to Texas we went!

Two of our closest friends tied the knot in Austin, Texas. The entire weekend was so much fun and a much needed break from the long move. The wedding was at The Winfield Inn in Kyle, Texas…a gorgeous plantation style southern home! The bridesmaids had the cutest brunch the morning of the wedding in The Winfield. We also had Whataburger not once, not twice but three times that weekend! Richard is really missing his Whataburger. :) Mindy choose our wedding photographer…so fun! It was great seeing Cristina. Our favorite photographer. We loved hanging out with college friends, always a blast! We are so happy for Mindy and Evan… I can't believe it's been 7 years of friendship! I can't wait until all the photos are released!

Wedding Party! Love these ladies!!
It was so fun getting to walk down the aisle with Richard. =)

Rehearsal Dinner

Three Blind Mice…

Well, thankfully there were only two (I think)…and they definitely weren't blind seeing how they made their way to our food (groceries = super expensive in NYC…ekk!). So I'm sitting on the couch around 2PM on a weekday working…both dogs are next to me on the couch and I see something move out of the corner of my eye. I do a double-take, and sure enough…there is a mouse running across our floor. So, of course, the only logical thing to do was to 1) scream 2) grab a pan from the stove 3) stand on the couch with the pan 4) call, email and facebook Richard….Yes, this lasted for 20 minutes before Richard called. During this time, I lost the mouse in the living area and then saw one head toward my closet in the bedroom…I'm still not sure if it was the same mouse…if it was, this mouse has special powers in getting from one room to the other in the blink of an eye! Richard called our apartment management and they set-up an appointment with the exterminator for Wednesday of that week (remember, this was Monday…that is a LONG time). In the meantime, I put out mouse traps (the glue kind) from the management office and place them in the apartment…each time I had to place one in a cabinet it took like 5 minutes because I was terrified to open the cabinet door! …and then I left for Washington, D.C. for work…and Richard dealt with the mouse issue. Phew! We *think* we are good now. The exterminator believes he found the issue. We have not seen any mice. All of our food is now in plastic containers and food does not stay in a trash can…it is immediately taken to the trash chute. Apparently mice are a very common occurrence in the Big Apple… oh, joy. Until we meet again…. Also, special shout out to Richard's Uncle Mark for the creepy voicemail making mice noises. LOL



Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. was filled with a busy work event and computer issues. However, I was away from the mice and I snapped a few cool photos on my trip!

Daily Life

My favorite thing about NYC…it is such a dog-friendly city! You can take your dog just about anywhere…restaurants, stores, banks. We have an awesome park just a few blocks away from us. It has tons of grass, gorgeous trees and the perfect view of the East River. This is where Pickle and Sundae go to make new friends. Well, Pickle is really more interested in everyone that wants to pet her and Sundae won't leave our side unless it is to play the part of hall monitor (she likes to guard the gate where people and dogs come in and bark at any dog that gets "too" hyper…).

The apartment is slowly coming together. We have to build it day by day…literally! It's IKEA. Richard wins the awesome husband award…he stayed up all night the night before I came home from DC to build a majority of our furniture so that the apartment would become functional (I was going a little crazy…I think he noticed). We still have to paint, put things on the walls and build a few more items. Stay tuned.

Fun facts: Most women have a "shoe drawer" at work. You wear your tennis shoes to work and then change into your work shoes. No walking in heels. I am now the proud owner of my very own shoe drawer! You can have anything shipped and delivered - typically same day. Yep, you really want that bagel? It can be delivered to your desk. NYC does not have central A/C. When you move in…you purchase A/C units and pay to have them installed. 2 movie tickets will cost you $27 bucks. Yes, you read that correctly.

"You live in the Big Apple….but what does that mean? Are you close to Central Park? Can you see the Statue of Liberty? Is the subway under you?"


Here are some fun facts about our neighborhood: The Upper East Side.




If you are looking at this map of Manhattan, we are to the right of Central Park.

Want to know more about the neighborhood we live in (Upper East Side in Manhattan)? Check out wikipedia. It's pretty interesting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_East_Side



Few wikipedia highlights:

The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River.

The Upper East Side is one of few areas of Manhattan where Republicans constitute more than 20% of the electorate.

Many diplomatic missions are located in former mansions on the Upper East Side.

The Upper East Side maintains one of the highest pricing per square foot in the United States. A 2002 report cited the average cost per square foot as $856; however, that price has noticed a substantial jump, increasing to almost as much as $1,200 per square foot as of 2006. <-- don't worry….we help to bring this pricing down. ha! :)

The area is host to some of the most famous museums in the world. The string of museums along Fifth Avenue fronting Central Park has been dubbed "Museum Mile." It was once named "Millionaire's Row."

Generally speaking, the Upper East Side stretches from 59th Street to 96th Street (in the zip codes of 10021, 10022, 10065, 10075, 10028, 10029 and 10128).

As of the 2000 census, there were 207,543 people residing in the Upper East Side. The population density was 118,184 people per square mile (45,649/km²), making Manhattan Community Board 8, coterminous with the Upper East Side, the densest Community Board in the city.

The Upper East Side has been a setting for many movies, television shows, and many other media due to its world-class museums, expensive restaurants and boutiques, proximity to Central Park, elite schools, and influential residents.

Movies

• Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

• The Boys in the Band (1970)

• Live and Let Die (1973)

• The Great Gatsby (1974)

• Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

• Manhattan (1979)

• The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

• Family Business (1989)

• The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

• Metropolitan (1990)

• Juice (1992)

• Six Degrees of Separation (1993)

• Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)

• Harriet the Spy (1996

• Ransom (1996)

• One Fine Day (1996)

• The Devil's Advocate (1997)

• Men in Black (1997)

• A Perfect Murder (1998)

• Cruel Intentions (1999)

• Thomas Crown Affair (1999 film) (1999)

• Eyes Wide Shut (1999)(Although this film purports to depict the UES, the film's principal photography with all the actors and actresses was done in the UK. Including the scenes, where the Tom Cruise character was seen walking around were in fact all sound stages.) [45][46]

• Autumn in New York (2000)

• American Psycho (2000)

• Tart (2001)

• 25th Hour (2002)

• Uptown Girls (2003)

• The ProducersRoger De Bris townhouse. (2005)

• The Nanny Diaries (2007)

• Two Weeks Notice (2002)

• The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

• The Devil Wears Prada (2007)

• Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)

• Ghost Town (2008)

• Made of Honor (2008)

• The Wackness (2008)

• The Women (2008)

• Bride Wars (2009)

• Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)

• Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

• The Back-up Plan (2010)

• Sex and the City 2 (2010)

• Twelve (2010)

• Remember Me (2010 film) (2010)

[edit]TV

• Show Me The Manny (2010–)

• Kourtney and Kim Take New York (2011–)

• Gossip Girl (2007–present)

• How I Met Your Mother (2005–)

• The Jeffersons (1975–1985)

• Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986)

• The Nanny (1993–1999)

• Sex and the City (1998–2004)

• Will & Grace (1998–2006)

• Lipstick Jungle (2008–2009)

• Dirty Sexy Money (2007–2008)

• Ugly Betty (2006–2010)

• High School Musical 2 (2007)

• New York Twinx (2010–)

• The Real Housewives of New York City (2008–)

• NYC Prep (2009–)

• High Society (2010–)

• Sesame Street (1969–) (Various clues over the years suggest this)

• Yes! Precure 5 (2007–2008) and Yes! Precure 5 GoGo! (2008–2009)

• Jessie (2011–present)

[edit]Books

• Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

• The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

• The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

• American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

• The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

• The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

• Gossip Girl Series by Cecily von Ziegesar

• Gossip Girl: The Carlyles by Cecily von Ziegesar

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

• The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin

• The Up and Comer by Howard Roughan

• The A-List by Zoey Dean

• The Au-Pairs and Blue Blood Novels by Melissa de la Cruz

• Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

• Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan

• Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem

• The Analyst by John Katzenbach

• The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

• Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella

• Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

[edit]Fictional places

• Treadstone Seventy-One

• Constance Billard School for Girls

• St. Jude's School for Boys

• The Duchesne School

The neighborhood has a long tradition of being home to some of the world's most wealthy, powerful and influential families and individuals. Some of the notable people who have lived here include:

• Woody Allen, film director, screenwriter, and actor[47]

• Joan Didion, Award-winning author

• Jonathan Franzen, Pulitzer prize-winning novelist

• Gerald Garson, former NY Supreme Court Justice convicted of accepting bribes to manipulate outcomes of divorce proceedings

• Sarah Michelle Gellar, Award-winning actress

• Caroline Kennedy, daughter of U.S. President John F. Kennedy

• Brooke Astor, philanthropist and widow of Vincent Astor.

• Spike Lee, Emmy Award-winning director

• Madonna purchased $40 million mansion on East 81st Street at Lexington Avenue in 2009

• Barbara Margolis, prisoners' rights advocate who served as official greeter of New York City.[48]

• Malachi Martin, best-selling author

• Ricky Gervais, comedian

• Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former First Lady

• Lee Radziwill, sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

• Lynn Pressman Raymond, toy and game innovator who was president of the Pressman Toy Corporation[49]

• Martin Scorsese, Academy Award-winning film director

• Eliot Spitzer, former governor of NY State

• Ariel Helwani, MMA Journalist for MMAFighting.com.

• Jamie Dimon

• Robert I. Lipp

• Jay S. Fishman

• David Koch

• Star Jones

• Michael Bloomberg

• Massimo & Lella Vignelli[50]

Week One in The Big Apple.

Well, family and friends...we made it our first week!

I have lots to share, but I'd like to start by sharing my first big realization... that I am no longer around the ones I love. Just days after our big move, my best friend shockingly lost her father. For the first time, I was not a quick car ride away from the ones I love the most. Even though I am physically in NYC, my heart has been in Dallas these past few days. I am beyond thankful for technology and for being able to stay in touch with those nearest and dearest to my heart. Praise God for His continued support these past few days and I ask that you keep Brenda and her family in your prayers.

In a mini-van we go...
Yep, that's right. We drove a mini-van. To New York....no, not just to NYC...through NYC. I think we deserve some type of medal. Note to self: street lanes and traffic lights are just a "guide" in The Big Apple. As you know, we pretty much sold everything we owned, donated a ton to charity and stuffed our little mini-van as full as we could...and when I say stuffed...I mean we popped open the windows accidentally because it was so full. Upon leaving Texas, we picked up Whataburger one last time...until we meet again!

Our mini-van on our street in NYC!

Whataburger...until we meet again!

Pickle and Sundae sleeping on the trip!

Food
Is absolutely overwhelming here. It is everywhere you look! Every ethnicity you could think of and every hour of every single day. It's awesome. You can also order just about everything to your door!

Dinner at a Chinese Food Restaurant on 79th Street (our street).

Public Transit
Is getting easier. Richard can definitely navigate the city better than me...thanks to smart phones, you can look up subway, bus and walking routes as you go. This is so helpful! I think buses are my favorite here. I'm getting better with the subway. I hate taxis.

Of course, our first picture in the city and Richard doesn't look at the camera! LOL :)

Laundry...

Has been easy! As you know, we were using a community laundry facility in Dallas (due to our CARES placement). The machines here are SO much better and cost less. Who would have thought!? Richard picked up a super cool "laundry backpack"! 

For the love of furniture...
We have spent 10+ hours at IKEA in one week (I'm not kidding). We've had 3 meals in that store...and taken a subway, bus, water taxi and taxi to get to and from IKEA in Brooklyn. I am happy to say that all of our furniture was delivered yesterday...now we just have to put it together (the fun part)! We have never been so excited to see furniture! Furnishing 450 square feet was fun - but definitely a challenge b/c everything needs to have a dual function.

Water Taxi to IKEA

Our apartment: wall to wall furniture and boxes

 
 
Pickle and Sundae do NYC!
The dogs are adjusting pretty well (although they will be happy when we have furniture too)! They have both been going to the bathroom outside on the concrete without any problems. We do have a huge park a few blocks away from us with 2 dog runs. They liked the "little dogs" dog run...not a fan of the "bigger dogs" dog run. However, Sundae doesn't really like to leave our side and Pickle just likes to chase balls around...the other dogs just get in her way! We also met another couple our age that moved from Dallas to NYC a year ago and they have a doxie too! :) 

We saw this sign at Macy's (the largest Macy's in the world) while buying our mattress! Too cute.

Dallas Friends
We have already seen several friends from Dallas due to work trips and pre-planned vacations! What a comfort to see familiar faces during such a big transition. That was a huge blessing!

Lunch with Annie and Kyle at Lenox Hill Grill in the Upper East Side.

Meeting Amber at Grand Central Station!

Drinks and wings with Steven at Blondie's in the Upper West Side. The wings are great here!!

Weather
The temperature drastically dropped a few days after we got here...it is COLD. Well, Richard loves the weather. I'm freezing. Ha! We also got stuck in the rain without proper rain gear...however, that won't happen again! Check out Sundae in her cute raincoat!

 As you know, NYC does not have central AC. We bought 2 AC units from Home Depot (yes! there is a Home Depot in the city!). They were installed today - woohoo! We have been told it gets very hot here in the summer and we will be happy with our purchase!

Overall

Everything is going well. It has been a very long transition process and I am sure it will take us a little while to get settled and into a normal routine. I've definitely had my moments due to lack of sleep, not having a functional places to live and adjusting to a new city. One of the biggest adjustments is walking all over the city (after a week, I am finally no longer sore)! Living in NYC is definitely a different lifestyle and takes a lot of learning...we have learned so many things in one week! We are still very excited about our new adventure, getting plugged into a church (we already tried one out) and living in this exciting city! Everyone here has been so nice and love hearing all the accents. NYC is such a melting pot - we love it. Stay tuned for more details.... 

The first church we tried!

Saying Goodbye to Dallas

I've never experienced a move before and I believe even if you have, each stage of your life is so different. Richard and I are experiencing a mixture of pure excitement, wonder and joy about our NYC adventure...but a very bittersweet feeling leaving our wonderful nest of good friends and family. During this time I thought everything would go by so fast, but it has been quite the opposite. I have been enjoying every minute of dinner with friends, birthday celebrations, church services, bachelorette parties and just seeing people... much more than I have ever appreciated. Friendships and family relationships are such a work in progress and take time to develop and moving to a new city feels like you are starting over again. In my moments of anxiety, I have been reminded by friends that have moved away that you are gaining a new experience and a new network... you aren't losing what you have worked so hard to build...you are just making it bigger and better!

It's funny... when you prepare to leave a city,

you start to see all the reasons you love a city and it's uniqueness.

We've also been told by other "traveling" couples that when you move away from everyone you know ~ you each rely on one another more than ever before...building a new strength in your relationship. Richard and I have been thinking about what we want to get out of our time in NYC and what we want to accomplish. We have started our little list and hope to share those experiences with you in the upcoming months as we head down our journey together. We are pretty pumped!

Here is a glimpse into our lives as we prepare to leave Dallas...

Goodbye Lunch With Our Families :: Tex-Mex Style!

Goodbye Dinner @ Gloria's With Prit & Dana
(2 very sweet ladies I worked with at the City of Mesquite in the Fire Dept)

Goodbye Lunch @ Ali Baba's with my Community Service / Historic Mesquite Crew!

Richard heading off to NYC to meet with our broker and find an apartment!

St. Patty's Day Parade with Alisa, Brandee & Amy!

Richard boo-ing the NY Rangers! :) Our niece, Chloe, was SO ready for some cake at our Going Away Lunch!

Our super cute cake that Bren made! Love her and her talents!

Our "Going Away Fiesta"!

Our "Going Away Fiesta" included a pinata, playing Loteria (Mexican BINGO), Cascarones (basically throwing confetti filled eggs at each other...yep, look at that amazing shot up there) and other fun games! 

Our "Southern Style Farewell" included a crawfish boil and frying just about every food you can think of!
 Fried PB&J and  Pickles were two of my favs!

Our "Southern Style" Farewell!

Saying Goodbye to Sean at our fav spot - Pluckers!

Saying goodbye to Jessa at "Into My Garden Tea Room" in Downtown Plano!

Saying goodby to Grammy at her farewell concert!

My Capital One co-workers!

Goodbye Happy Hour with Richard's Co-Workers!

Richard's co-workers gave him a goodbye sign with a mini-van when they found
out we were driving to NYC in one! :)

Saying Goodbye to Christie & Frank :: Our friends we met in the CARES Program!

Walking Sonny home one last time... It has been such a blessing developing a relationship with her! The night before we left, she brought tons of food (as usual) and two dresses, fingernail polish and cooking pans for us. So thoughtful.

Goodbye Texas!