NYC Day 4

Saturday's agenda included going to the 9/11 Memorial so our day started with a subway ride down to the lower part of Manhattan to meet Scott and the band!

The new towers are beautiful and architecturally amazing!

There are 2 reflection pools commemorating those that lost their lives on 9/11

The names of all those deceased is on the side of the pools

I was saddened walking through the memorial and even more so when trying to explain to Cara what happened on 9/11 and how it changed our country so much.

We walked to the financial district on our way to the South Seaports where we shopped and ate lunch

After lunch we walked to Chinatown for more shopping

It was crowded and crazy but Cara loved it

She got this for her room

And these cute sunglasses

From here we walked 2 blocks to Little Italy and had dinner at LaPuglia's which was delicious.  Cara went with the band to go see Lion King which she LOVVVVED!

After the show the band's charter bus headed back west to Indiana but we still had 2 days to go!

NYC Day 3

ON Friday morning we hopped in a cab at our hotel and headed to Chelsea Piers to take a lunch cruise to see the Statue of Liberty. It was a rainy morning so we were worried about finding a cab but got very lucky, traffic was horrible but we made it on time to meet the big group!

In line to board the Spirit of New York cruise ship

Family picture (except for William who was staying dry)

Reminds me of seeing Lady Liberty 3 years ago in the pouring rain, at least this time we had the shelter of the boat after getting a few pictures

After our boat cruise we went to the Lincoln Center.

We saw where the New York Met, New York Ballet and Symphony all perfom.  Amazing facilities!

Will was being good and cooperating thank goodness!

We went back to Times Square for dinner at Bubba Gump's and then the big group went to see Wicked!  After some quick shopping we headed back to our hotel to end another fun-filled day!

NYC Day 2

The band finally arrived (they took a charter bus and drove all night after leaving IN Wednesday evening) in NYC Thursday morning and we met them at Rockefeller Center which was just a 5 minute walk from our hotel. Cara was super excited to see her Daddy!

Their agenda included walking and seeing the sights on 5th Avenue so our first stop was St Patricks Cathedral.  It is undergoing a major renovation but still beautiful.

Cara grabbed her Daddy's hand and never let go this day!

Will was excited to see Daddy too!

So was Mommy!

In line waiting to tour NBC studios! We saw the sets for Dr Oz, Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live! The first Rossville group saw Bruno Mars (the guest host that week practicing his monologue). Our group didn't see any celebrities :(

The whole group in Rockefeller Center.  I would have love to lace up some skates and knock that off my bucket list but never had the time or bravery to do it!

Later that day we headed to Times Square which was about a 10-15 minute walk from Rockefeller Center.

We hit the Disney Store of course!

And Will got a new stuffed Pluto which is super soft and baby friendly!

He even played with it at bedtime.  Grandpa Fox got him a stuffed Mickey Mouse too which he loved also!  His face lights up when he sees them!

After a yummy dinner at Hard Rock Cafe we went back to the hotel and the band headed to New Jersey to their hotel!  Busy day but lots of fun!

New York City day 1

Scott takes his band kids on a trip about every 3 years and my pregnancy changed the plans for going in the spring so the trip to New York City got moved to the fall. At the time I thought that it would still work to take the baby and Cara if my parents were willing to go to help with the kids. Then I got put on bedrest and our financial situation got a little rocky and I thought going was out of the question.  Until the end of September when I realized the trip was just a few weeks away and I was so sad not to be going and how much we would miss Daddy while he was gone for 4 days.  So....we found decent nonstop airline prices and a great hotel suite and decided to just go ahead and go!

After an extensive security slow down at the Indianapolis Airport (I somehow tested positive for explosives but believe me I had none, long story but I guess I appreciate the thoroughness of the TSA employees) we safely arrived in NYC and grabbed a cab to get to our hotel.

We found this hotel suite at a Best Western Plus right in Manhattan.  It had a separate bedroom for my parents, a full kitchen (that we barely used) plus an outside terrace.  It was the penthouse suite but the hotel only had 11 floors so we weren't that high up!

Nice bathroom!

The family room, the couch pulled out to a queen size bed that Cara and I shared

The outside terrace

Kitchen table and kitchen

After getting checked in we headed out to explore and go out to dinner at Serendipity!

They are famous for the frozen hot chocolate which we are eating in this picture!

This was my dinner!  Delicious strawberry and apricot jam covered french toast! Yummo!

After dinner we headed to American Girl!  Cara's newest doll Caroline was in desperate need of a hair fix!  The other day Cara took a brush to her long curls without wetting it which is big no-no with their hair so we needed it fixed!

Happy Will enjoying his time in the stroller in American Girl

Thank goodness Caroline's hair is fixed and now we know how to fix it ourselves!  We got insider tricks on making those curls pretty and frizz free!!

And that ended a long day of traveling!

Fall Band Concert

Will's first fall band concert at Daddy's school!  The bands all played so well for the first concert of the year, what a tremendous group of kids in Daddy's band this year!

Pre concert snuggles with Cara

During concert snuggles on Mommy!  Only a band directors son can sleep through a live band concert

The bridge...Cara's favorite place to take pictures after every concert

Daddy and his cute kiddos!

Cara introducing Will to the bridge

Congratulations on a fabulous concert!!