elmo gets a check-up

I love this little boy...he is a constant source of love, joy, and of course, entertainment! He has recently given us a whole new picture of "praying without ceasing"...no matter where we are, at dinner, before bed, in target, in the car, anywhere...he will stop me several times a day, bow his head, fold his hands and say,"Mommy...this" And we pray...we pray in Target, we pray in the car...we pray at the park. What a precious lesson to learn from my 22 month-old! Thank you Lord, that he already knows that he can talk with you at any time! I am so thankful that we have Jack for a little while, but even more thankful that he will always belong to the Lord.

start spreadin' the news...

i'm leavin' today...i want to be a part of it...NEW YORK, NEW YORK!

okay, so we aren't moving...but our trip was wonderful! it was so nice to have time with matt and to experience such an amazing place together...we saw three shows-"The Drowsy Chaperone" is Sutton Foster's new show and it is wonderful, especially for musical theatre lovers, as it pokes fun at and celebrates what the theatre is all about in a funny and very clever show-definitely deserving of its 13 tony nominations..."The Light in the Piazza" is just beautiful-the music, the lighting, the sets...you definitely get whisked away into the romance that is Italy..."The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is another fun one...we were very happy with all three of our choices. After we got in on Friday night, we had a fabulous dinner with Jason and Allison, a couple that we actually met in blogworld...their apartment, dinner and conversation were great, and it was fun to be around their son, Levi, who is the same age as Jack...We walked the brooklyn bridge, explored central park, we walked everywhere really, and I LOVED THAT...i will be forever ashamed that here at home people(myself included) will drive their car from one end of a shopping center to another so they don't have to walk that far...it was so nice to be outside and to see all kinds of people in one place. We rode the Staten Island Ferry and got a good view of the Statue of Liberty, saw the World Trade Center site, and the Empire State Building was right outside our window...Our hotel was right in Times Square and as exciting as that area was, I was glad to do some non-touristy things like visiting The Strand Bookstore, Bank Street Books where we found Jack a children's book on New York and his very own taxi that he has hardly put down since we got back, Brooklyn Industries-a neat little clothing store, strolling down the streets with brownstones in Brooklyn, people watching in Washington Square Park, just exploring in Greenwich Village (where we did have a celebrity sighting--walked right past Sandra Oh), and enjoying long strolls just wondering about all those people who actually live on Park Avenue! Everywhere that we ate was wonderful...we did everything from a local diner, to a hot dog at Gray's Papaya, to Ruby Foo's...a wonderful pan-asian restaurant, to a sidewalk french cafe, to the best pizza in New York city at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn, to dessert at Serendipity, to my favorite...a charming little place on the upper east side called Elaine's. We made it to a good many places in the city, and of course we could have still seen much more...I can't wait for our next trip!

Here's some pictures...

Outside the Marquis Theatre, after "The Drowsy Chaperone"


Outside the beautiful Lincoln Center where we saw "The Light in the Piazza"


Circle in the Square Theatre, where we saw "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"


I really love this picture Matt took of the amazing Grand Central Station, standing amidst all the movement of the city. Yes, that's me telling him to hurry up because it's time to cross the street! And we learned quickly that when it's time to cross, it's time right now!


Frozen hot chocolate and a strawberry cheesecake sundae...YUMMMMMY! It's a good thing we were doing so much walking!


On our walk across the Brooklyn Bridge


A lunch picnic in Central Park


If you look closely, you can see Katie, Matt and Al...we got to be there for Katie's last working day on the Today show...that was fun! I still didn't get to meet any of them, but it was still neat to see those people in person that are in my living room every morning!


This church was amazing. They say you could lie the Statue of Liberty down inside of it. Beautiful.


Someone had made a peace sign out of flowers on the John Lennon Memorial in the "Strawberry Fields" area of Central Park.


Okay...so we had a great time...however, this was still probably the best part of our trip! Jack had a great time with both sets of grandparents, and of course didn't get spoiled at all! I am glad that he did so well with us being away that long...but I also know that I will never lose that picture in my mind of him running towards us with his arms out, yelling "Mommy! Daddy!" What a sweet moment...Looks like we were squeezing him a little hard, but hey, we missed him!

MFFL's and Bono

GO MAVS!!! What an exciting series! I have some cute pictures of my guys in their jerseys that I will try to post later.

On another note, I am excited to watch Nightly News with Brian Williams tonight as they broadcast Bono's trip to Africa.

the office

well, we love this show around our house...and if any of you didn't see it last night...here's the wonderful ending! ...i missed the best part while giving Jack his bath, so Matt also put this link on his blog...he thinks it might have turned the show a little girly, but i think it's great because now couples everywhere can enjoy it even more!

jenna...this post is especially for you...now we can watch it over and over before we go buy the second season dvd of course!

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills...

Is it just me, or does anyone else have to try typing in those word verification things more than once almost every time they comment?!

need input...input...

For those of you who did not catch the movie reference in the title...shame on you, what a classic...

anyway...so speaking of the title...I have a few things that I want some suggestions on...

First...Matt and I are going on a five-day trip to New York in three weeks! I am so excited. This will be our first time away from Jack for more than a night, so that will be hard, but it will be so nice to be together in the greatest city ever. We would love some fun suggestions for our trip. Obviously we know all of the typical tourist attractions, but if you have any unique suggestions, great places to eat, etc...bring them on!

Second...I am working on a summer reading list. One thing I know I want to do this summer is to re-read some of the books that have meant alot to me over the years. That could probably take me all summer, because there are so many books that have meant so much to me at earlier stages of life and I want to read them again to see how they speak to me now. I love that about a book...how it is has a life of its own...how it can touch you in such different ways with the very same words depending upon your circumstances while reading it. Some of my all-time favorites...The Giving Tree, Charlotte's Web, Anne of Green Gables, Number the Stars, Little Women, The Secret Garden, A Wrinkle in Time, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hiding Place, Redeeming Love, Mrs. Dalloway, The Grapes of Wrath, Jane Eyre, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, God is no Fool, The Joy Luck Club, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Poisonwood Bible...well, really almost anything by Barbara Kingsolver, Madeleine L'Engle, Elizabeth Berg, Patricia Polacco, Henri Nouwen, Anne Lammot...oh the list could go on and on...

So...here are a few I have on the list for new reading so far...please feel free to leave commentary on any of the ones listed if you have read them...and definitely feel free to add on some new suggestions!

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (Kate...I bought this book when you were reading it in college, and I still haven't gotten to it...I am determined that I am going to read it this summer!)
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Night by Elie Wiesel (I can't believe I still haven't read this one...I've wanted to for years...this is the year, folks)
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Real Sex and Mudhouse Sabbath, both by Lauren Winner
The Rock that is Higher by Madeleine L'Engle
Operating Instructions by Anne Lammot
Theater and Incarnation by Max Harris
Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

There are actually several that I would like to read by Anne Lammot, Eugene Peterson and Walter Bruggemann, and I am always looking for new great children's books to add to my collection...any suggestions?

Finally...we have moved into a little rent house like I mentioned in the last post...it is so nice to have more space, hardwood floors and a big back yard for Jack to run wild in...and he does! Like I also mentioned in the previous post...I am wanting to take up gardening. I have kind of been talking about it jokingly, but really it is a hobby that I have always wanted to pick up. However, I literally know nothing on the topic...so any tips, suggestions for beginners...would be much appreciated...if you're even still reading, that is!

guess who's back...back again...???

yeah...so it's been awhile...i hope all three of my readers haven't given up on me...

things have been crazy in the past couple of months, and i kept wanting to post, but feeling like i had completely poured out my heart on that last one left me feeling a little inadequate...oh well...here i am, back again! we have just gotten the internet at our new house so i feel reconnected with the real world...we are trying to get settled in...it's a great little rent house with hardwood floors, a big back yard and a third bedroom that i am hoping will quit looking like a storage room soon. jack loves the backyard...i think that i am going to have to take up gardening because i have a feeling that we will be spending most of our daylight out there. jack is growing everyday...i can't believe that he will be two in july! i will try to post some recent pictures soon...i just wanted to check in and say that i am still out here...more to come later...