New York

In August, Kelly and I took a trip to New York with my family. We left the boys with friends and family for five days and headed to the big apple. It was the first time for me, and I loved every bit of it. We of course did all the normal sight seeing. Ground Zero, the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, China Town, and so much more. We stayed in an apartment we rented out just a couple blocks away from the heart of Times Square. The apartment wasn't so great, but the location couldn't have been better.

The highlights of the trip for Kelly all involved the Yankees. He was able to walk through Monument Park and see the plaques of all the Yankee greats. He loved it! The new stadium is under construction, and almost complete, so this was the last year of the fabled stadium. We all went to a Friday night game and then the guys went to a Saturday afternoon game. It was a dream come true for Kelly to be able to see the Yankees play in the stadium before the switch. I too enjoyed the game, except for the hour rain delay. It was miserable!

The highlights of the trip for me were the two Broadway plays we were able to see. Before we left one of Kelly's co-workers told us about lotteries the theaters do for tickets. You arrive 2 hours before the show starts and put your name in a hat, and then they draw out 13 (or so) names. If your name is drawn you get to purchase two tickets for $26.50 each.

We decided to try this for Wicked. When we got to the theater there were so many people there waiting already, but we waited and put our names in the hat. When it came time to draw the names, the guy came out and said that there were about 200 names, and they would be drawing 13 names. I was ready to leave thinking of how small our chances were. I'm sure glad we didn't. Kelly's name was the second to last one drawn. We ended up getting to see Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre on the front row. It was AMAZING!! I absolutely loved it! It was one of the best plays I've seen, and I can't wait to see it again. Kerry Ellis played Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and was unbelievable. I was teary eyed by her performance. I never imagined that I would have been moved like I was. It just goes to show how good it really is.

I was also able to go and see Legally Blonde on Broadway with my Mom, Morgan and Shantelle. We had so much fun. We all went and saw it while the guys went to the second Yankees game. The play was hysterical, and so well done. I loved the music and the cast. It was even more fun for me, because I'd watched the casting of Elle Woods on MTV, and getting to see Bailey Hanks (the winner) was so much fun. I loved her!

The day we went to China Town was a little unfortunate. We were looking for some "purses" and had been pulled into a little secret room to view them when one of the little shop owners rushed in and started speaking really fast. They started pushing us out of the room and ripping things out of our hands. We couldn't figure out what was going on. They were furiously pulling things in from outside and closing up as fast as could be. It was so insane! We shortly found out that undercover cops had started raiding the shops looking for illegal merchandise. It was unreal. I seriously think that half of China town shut down in five minutes or less. People passing by were telling us to wait and come back tomorrow. We wouldn't find anything we wanted. I couldn't believe it!

This trip was a blast, and I can't wait to go back. Thanks Mom and Dad for making it possible for us to go on this trip. We love you!

Here are more pics...