Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Xavier Drake Fellows

Our seventh grandchild was born May 10, 2018.  Xavier Drake Fellows was born at Ogden Regional Hospital weighing in at 7 lbs 13 oz and is 19 inches long.  He is a beautiful baby with chubby cheeks and lots of dark hair.  He and his mother,  Alyssia have been staying with us for a few weeks as she is a first time mother and is learning the ropes of taking care of a newborn.  He has quite a squeal on him and lets us know when he is hungry:)  

We love this new addition to our family!






Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Ministering in CT and Laughter in NJ

Thursday morning the 10th, we rented a car early in the morning and made our way to West Haven to meet up with Elder and Sister Mouritsen.  We met up with Kathy at a park where she introduced us to some members of the Woodbridge Ward (which they are serving in).  While Elder Mouritsen was off giving a blessing to a member in need we met Heidi, Jen, Sarah, Taylor, and Jaime (an investigator) and Nikki and Rob (who we have read so much about in their letters).  It was a really nice experience meeting such wonderful people while the little ones ran around playing.

After Elder Mouritsen returned we decided to get some lunch at a seaside restaurant called Stowes.  It was one of those lunch shacks that specialize in fried seafood.  We enjoyed sitting outside on a picnic table catching up and learning about missionary work in the area.




We first stopped to visit Jaquie.  A recent convert originally from Jamaica.  She was a really sweet lady who just recently had surgery.  You could tell that she really loves the Mouritsens and has a special relationship with them.  After visiting for a bit and before leaving, the four of us sang "Oh, How Lovely Was the Morning".  I think she appreciated it.  I know I did.  It was fun singing harmony with the Mouritsens again:)

After we left Jaquie's place we went to visit with Taylor, one of the mothers from the park.  She is really sweet with two children, Rowan (a boy) and a newborn girl, Sloan.  Her husband is not a member but had come to church the previous Sunday for Sloan's blessing.  

Our next visit was in New Haven, CN at Yale University.  Dick and Kathy wanted us to see the area and we stopped at the bookstore to find a souvenir hat and bell as well.  Rick found a hat but there was no bell in sight:(  I did buy a fun book for our grandkids as well as some chocolate covered almonds that we shared in the car:)

Our next stop was to the Montoya family.  They are a less active family with a son, Victor, who is preparing for baptism.  The mother was not there so we did not get a chance to meet her, but we did visit shortly with Victor, Eliana (his older sister) and the neighbor boy Shawn.  

Next, we went to a unique grocery store called Stu Leonards.  Stu Leonard was a friend of Walt Disney and we could certainly tell because this grocery store was not your average grocery store.  It had talking cows, crabs climbing ropes, and chickens crowing.  For little children this grocery store is heaven.  Lots of interactive things for them!

Clover the talking cow!


Our last stop of the evening was the Hartford, CN Temple.  With Rick's and my goal to visit ten new temples this year, getting to Hartford was on our list of things to do.  The temple was closed for cleaning which was a huge bummer but we enjoyed walking around and taking pictures of the outside.  This temple is so pretty!  With its tall steeple it reminded me a lot of Independence Hall in Philadelphia....except that it's white.  These pictures don't do it justice but it was such a beautiful sight with the sun setting in the distance.


Group shot selfie.


Before we left the Mouritsens they took us back to their apartment to show it to us.  Elder Mouritsen just kept saying, "the church takes care of it's senior missionaries!"  Of course, we already knew that;-)  They love their apartment and it is in a nice complex with a pool and gym.  It has two bedrooms and two baths and their back sliding door leads out onto a grassy area into the woods.  
It was very nice!

We didn't get left from the Mouritsens until about 9:30 and we had a two hour drive to get back to NYC.  I'm so thankful for Rick who drove the whole way.  After 10:00 I could NOT keep my eyes open.  (Which really is nothing new in my case!)  But we were able to arrive safely back to the BW Hotel and drop into bed.

The next morning we left bright and early to get to our next destination.  Atlantic City!  We arrived at the Courtyard by 11 AM and not only did we get an early check in, they also upgraded our room to a suite. (Love our Marriott Platinum status!)  After our small NYC room it was nice to have some space to spread our wings:)




The famous Atlantic City boardwalk was filled with shops and food.  (and we passed a couple of 
psychic shops along the way as well!)   Atlantic City is a lot like a small Vegas with lots of gambling establishments, etc.  We even passed three strip joints in five minutes' driving.  I think this city probably was a big deal back in the day but to us it was just kind of a run down, gritty town:(  Sorry, Atlantic City lovers!

We did enjoy the boardwalk with it's sights and smells and especially the beautiful Atlantic Ocean.  We got to stick our feet in the sand and even put our toes in the water.  It was really cold!
We really enjoyed just sitting on the sand watching the waves come in as well as some of the crazy people willing to swim in that freezing water.  Rick even took a little snooze as we were sitting there.

 

 We stopped at a hole in the wall place, called Bill's Gyros, recommended by our valet.  As we walked in, a customer who was sitting with his wife and eating a plate of mozzarella sticks said to us, "You've got to have the mozzarella sticks cooked crispy!  They're so delicious and gooey on the inside!" So we did.  I also got a chicken sandwich while Rick got the gyro, which in AC it is pronounced Ji Ro!  HAHA!  

The mozzarella sticks were indeed....delicious!


The walls and ceiling of the Ji Ro place were covered, literally covered in dollar bills.  Some from other countries but mostly from America.  If that place ever burns down, that'll be a lot of lost cash!!


Atlantic Ocean.....lots of shells on the beach.  Typical for the Atlantic.  Our grandkids would have loved exploring here.







After going back to the hotel and taking a snooze we got up and got gussied up for the occasion that brought us back east in the first place.  The Brian Regan show.  Rick bought me tickets for Christmas.  We love Brian Regan.  He is super funny and very clean.  That's hard to find in a comedian.  We were a little concerned that seeing that he might let his hair down and be crude, seeing that we were in a more coarse environment.  He wasn't.  The show was great and we had a lot of good laughs!

Before the show we stopped at PF Changs for some walnut shrimp and lo mein.  YUMMM!!





The next morning we got up early again and drove an hour and a half to Philadelphia.  We were excited to get into another temple to get closer to our yearly goal (we are at seven temples already, Yay!)  I was surprised that this temple is so close to the city center.  Just a few minutes from the historical sights.  We were able to do some initiatory work and spend some time in the celestial room. 
 That is always nice:)




After the temple we went downtown to see some of the historical sights.  We only had a short time to sightsee since we were flying out that afternoon but we got to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.  Two Philadelphia icons.





We stopped for lunch at a little cafe that had patio seating.  The weather was very nice, so that made our time there really enjoyable.  While I ordered yet another chicken sandwich......


Rick got the PHILLY BEEF STEAK SANDWICH.   When in Rome......  :-)  Both of our lunches tasted fabulous!



That was the last hurrah of our trip.  We boarded a plane and flew into Chicago and then on to home.
What fun memories we made on this little getaway.
I always love to be with my hunny!

Friday, May 11, 2018

The Big Apple

New York City!!

Monday morning we caught an early flight, had a short layover in Chicago and then found ourselves in NYC!  We have been so excited for this trip and we have not been disappointed.  

We flew into LaGuardia and were told the best way to get into Manhattan was to get a yellow taxi.  The line was super long and so we decided to do something called Bandwagon.  It is a ride share program.  We downloaded an app  and with some help of some ride share workers sere paired with another fellow going our direction.  The three of us got into a small cab for the ride into the city.  A 30 minute ride turned into 50 minutes because of a few accidents holding up traffic on the way.  The ride was a little tight with me sitting in the middle seat (hump) between Rick and an insurance salesman from CA named John.  He was a nice enough fellow but it was a little awkward being that close to a stranger.  

We are staying at the Best Western Bowery Hanbee Hotel in between Chinatown and Little Italy.  While our hotel is adequate (it got good reviews from trip adviser whereas so many others didn't) it is certainly not the Marriot (where we were able to stay the last time we visited NYC)  Our hotel really is adequate and the bed is comfortable so we can't complain:)

After getting settled we got directions from the front desk as to which subway to take to The Empire State Building.  We rode the B Train uptown a couple of stops which put us really close.  We stopped at a Chipotle Grill (fast food) for a quick dinner and then found our way to the top of the ESB.  When Rick had ordered our tickets online he paid an extra $20 each to get the fast pass to not have to wait in lines.  I think it was worth it.  We got to bypass everyone standing in line to get into the elevator going to the top!  I love how fast the elevators go.  We were up to the 84th floor in no time (popping ears as we went)

All I can say about the experience is WOW!!  What a magical place to see the city from.  It is one of my most favorite attractions in New York.  Amazing!!




We got to be there while the sun was going down and it was breathtaking!


Then all of the city lights started coming on.....


                          ......just WOW!!
                   LOVED this experience!!


After coming down we perused a couple of shops.  Rick bought a hat and I bought a bell.
Big surprise there!  :-)





Here are some pictures of Chinatown.  There are lots of people speaking Chinese and loots of interesting smells coming from the shops.  The fish markets are my favorite. NOT!!





The next morning we caught the B train that took us up to Columbus Circle and then we walked a few blocks to get to the Manhattan Temple.  I am happy to say that I was the first to see the Angel Moroni on top!  It was really cool to see the temple right amidst the skyscrapers.  Really cool!






While in the temple we got to visit the Celestial Room which was small but absolutely breathtaking.  As I walked into the room I immediately burst into tears being overcome with special feelings.  It was so beautiful and peaceful.  In our hotel room on the 5th floor we can hear city life bustling cry clearly.  Honking horns, sirens, cars moving.....we can hear all of it.  Even late into the night.

In the temple while all of the hustle and bustle of the city was just right outside its doors as well, inside the temple was complete quiet.  Amazing.

After our temple experience we had a sandwich at the Europan Cafe right next to the temple.




Just across the street was street cart selling Belgian waffles.
Here's Rick picking up his order.


We shared this magnificent dessert.  The chocolate was Pre Mi Um!!


After returning to our hotel and getting a change of clothes we rode the yellow train to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.  It was a special experience being there.  So many people died that day and it gets put into context when you see the faces and names of all 2,996 people.  That is a lot of lives lost.
Truly a sad day in our nations history.

The North Tower Memorial


One World Tower


After getting back to our room we rested for a few minutes and then got ready for the evening's activities.  Here's Rick on the subway looking as handsome as ever:)


Even though we had a short amount of time before our play was to begin we decided to stick with plan "A"  and have dinner at The View  Restaurant, a revolving restaurant on the 48th floor of the Marriott Marquee in Times Square.  We had a nice view of Times Square and a buffet dinner of different salads,  chicken, beef, and pasta, bread and desserts.  It was nice.  I am only sorry we had to hurry through our meal and not get to enjoy the ambiance of the place very long.

Right around the corner of the Marriott was the Broadhurst Theatre where we enjoyed the musical Anastasia.  It was a delightful story with wonderful acting and singing.  I was very impressed of the talent of all involved.  The set was amazing as well, integrating innovated video imaging.




After the play we got to see a real live NY policeman on horseback.


Times Square


A rat on the subway tracks!


The next morning we got over to the Columbus Circle subway stop again to rent bikes.  WE rented them without any trouble and headed over to Central Park.  It was a pleasant ride around the park.  What a beautiful day!  We had wonderful weather and there were many people out and about enjoying the nice weather.


The trees and flowers were in bloom so we got a few selfies:)






We stopped and had lunch at  a food truck.
Rick had a gyro and I had a chicken sandwich.



Afterwards we wanted to take a short horse and buggy ride around part of the park.


Rick got a yummy coconut cream popsicle to share with me!







After our Central Park morning we jumped on the "D" train that got us all the way down to the Brooklyn Bridge.  I was surprised at all of the visitors walking across the bridge.  We hopped behind them and started the trek.  We decided to only go half way across then come facing Manhattan.  It had such beautiful views.




That night we went to dinner at a place called Da Nico's right down from our hotel in Little Italy.



I had the chicken parmesan and rick had shrimp alfredo.


Rick ordered this cannoli and it was suuuuuper good!


We also got complimentary scones with powdered sugar.
I could barely eat dessert because I was so stuffed.


A picture on the streets of Little Italy.


Yummy gelato!


We have loved the sights, sounds, and smells of New York City!!