New York, New York! (Trip #2!)

 I had wanted to visit New York City for several years ...so, would you believe that I was just there last month for our second trip?!! It's incredible to see a dream come true.

This was an even sweeter trip than last year. On my first trip in October 2014, my husband took me to NYC for our 25th anniversary. But this time, we brought along our 18 year old daughter for a special high school graduation trip.

We arrived on a Monday afternoon and checked into our hotel. We stayed at The Belvedere in Manhattan, just a few blocks from Times Square. We would recommend that hotel if ever you are looking for a place to stay. It was clean, which if you know me at all, is HIGH on my list! The location was great, too, as it was within walking distance of Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall.

Our first afternoon, we walked to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree (yippee!!), walked on to Grand Central Station to eat at Shake Shack, and then did a little more sightseeing on into the night.

The next few days we squeezed in as much sightseeing as we could. On Tuesday night, we had tickets to Aladdin. It's such a great show and our daughter loved it as much as we did.

Another magical performance!
Aladdin at New Amsterdam Theater, NYC

 Afterwards, it was raining and we walked to a place we found on the internet called Capezzi's. It was located in Hell's Kitchen and was the cutest little place. The pizza was fresh and so delicious. We pretty much inhaled it.

9th Avenue, NYC

Ah, that fresh basil!

Our daughter was so excited to see Central Park. When we arrived there, I suggested walking into The Plaza Hotel first.  I really wanted to see the inside. I kind of wondered if the doorman would just look at us and tell us that we couldn't go in. But I had nothing to worry about. It was a beautiful place. We walked around the lobby and headed downstairs where there are bakeries and shops. As we were leaving, I noticed they were serving a formal tea to a family at their table. I would love to do that next time, but we decided to go on across the street to Central Park.

I had wondered if we had arrived too late in the season to see any fall colors (this was early November), but the park was beautiful with orange and yellow leaves everywhere.

The Plaza Hotel is the white building in the front

The Plaza Hotel

Wollman Rink Central Park

Dave and our daughter on the right at Bethesda Fountain, Central Park
Dave laughed when he saw this photo. He said he looks so dramatic, but  was just pointing out The Boathouse to Caitlin.

A very sweet lady at our church had slipped me a $50 bill before we left and had told me to spend it on something special in New York.  When I saw the horse drawn carriage rides through Central Park, I knew that was where the $50 should go:) 

I couldn't find my photo, so had to substitute this one I found online.

My husband and daughter in Central Park.

After spending a few hours in Central Park, we walked across the street to the upper West side to a few movie locations we had found on our previous visit. You know, you really can find just about anything on the internet. My daughter and I love the movie, You've Got Mail, so we had a map of locations with us. My husband and I had walked to a few of them on our last trip (he is a great husband because he could really care less about seeing those places), but this time we walked on even further until we found the location from the last scene of the movie. I know, some of you are probably wondering why we would even do this, but my daughter and I had so much fun seeing all the locations. I just can't explain it. If you've ever loved a movie, then you might know what I mean.

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail

We found it! This is the same spot from the movie in the photo above. 
91st Street Garden at Riverside Park

We went to Cafe Lalo on West 83rd as well as Zabars on Broadway, which were two other movie locations.

My daughter also had heard of a bakery that she hoped we could visit. We found it on our walk back. The cookies were huge and so good!

image courtesy of reddit.com

Levain Bakery West 74th Street. This was the very long line waiting to buy their cookies.

(We also visited Magnolia Bakery for their banana pudding and Milk Bar on Columbus Avenue on our trip.) 

On Thursday, we took a taxi to Serendipity for their frozen hot chocolate. It was as wonderful as it looks!

Serendipity East 6oth Street, NYC

We walked all over that beautiful city, took buses a few times, taxis a few times, and Uber rides a few times. We found the people to be very friendly. But it also helps that my husband can become best friends with people in five minutes. The Uber drivers and my husband would talk and talk. They would end up telling him their life stories while my daughter and I would just look at each other and smile. He is just like that.

Little Italy

Chelsea Market

A blogging friend recommended this restaurant to us on West 51st Street

We happened upon this photo shoot near the Flat Iron Building.

The Empire State Building in the clouds

On our last day, Friday, my husband and daughter went to the top of the Empire State Building while I stayed safe on the ground at Macys. I shopped for some Christmas ornaments and found these two.

We ended our trip on Friday with our first visit to Radio City Music Hall. We had tickets to the very first Christmas show of the season. Our flight also left Friday night, but we had time to take in one more show. It was a special experience for all of us. If I lived there, I would go to that show every year. It was really everything you would hope a New York show to be.

The Rockettes!

Then it was time to pick up our suitcases and take our last Uber trip to the airport. You guessed it. The driver and my husband never ran out of things to talk about. 

We made it home around midnight. My daughter says that it seems like it was a dream. It's still hard to believe that we went! We would get up every morning and hit it hard. We never got back until it was dark outside. Even after being there Monday through Friday, there are still things we didn't get to see! I saw the Statue of Liberty from a distance, but next time I want to actually go out and see her up close and visit Ellis Island.

I'm so thankful that we were able to take our daughter. I hope to go back again someday. If  I were rich, I would take all eight of us. I would love for all my kids to see it. This is when it can work against you to have a large family. ha!

I loved New York City. I'm so thankful that I've been able to go. It was as wonderful and magical as I remembered it to be!

Washington Square, NYC

Goodbye, New York...until next time!

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#Thanksgiving Ideas

 I'm in a celebratory mood as tomorrow is November 1st! I love this time of year and all the happiness it brings. The leaves have turned and are now fluttering to the ground. The air is a little more brisk in the mornings. My mums are still alive and hanging on for another few days before a freeze surely comes. This is a time of cozy evenings and planning for the holidays.

Pottery Barn Kids always has a beautiful display set up in their stores. I had an email to save 25% off an order recently and so ordered these plates for the kids' table.

$6.50 each @ Pottery Barn Kid
potterybarnkids.com

I loved this banner, too.

Pottery Barn Kids
potterybarnkids.com

Their Thanksgiving kids' table gives me a lot of inspiration.

www.potterybarnkids.com

Do you like to dress your little ones in something special for Thanksgiving? I always did, too.

www.oldnavy.com

www.oldnavy.com

www.oldnavy.com

www.oldnavy.com

Pinterest

Wouldn't you love to walk down this sidewalk? (Pinterest)

If you are looking for a side dish for this year's meal, this was a big hit at our house last year. It is Ina Garten's Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta. My daughter, Caitlin, prepared it. It was delicious!

Her recipe is as follows:

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half through the core
4 ounces pancetta, 1/4-inch-diced
1/4 cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon syrupy balsamic vinegar
ADD CHECKED ITEMS TO GROCERY LIST
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan, including some of the loose leaves, which get crispy when they're roasted. Add the pancetta, olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, toss with your hands, and spread out in a single layer. Roast the Brussels sprouts for 20 to 30 minutes, until they're tender and nicely browned and the pancetta is cooked. Toss once during roasting. Remove from the oven, drizzle immediately with the balsamic vinegar, and toss again. Taste for seasonings, and serve hot.

2012, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved



Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/balsamic-roasted-brussels-sprouts-recipe.html#lightbox-recipe-video?oc=linkback



Happy November to each one of you! May you have the most blessed holiday season this year.

Linking up to:  impartinggrace.com

Miss Grace Filled Life: Pottery Barn Knock Off - The Mayflower

Miss Grace Filled Life: Pottery Barn Knock Off - The Mayflower: Last year, I was admiring this Thanksgiving item at Pottery Barn Kids. But it had a big price tag. If I remember correctly, it was about $50...

Show and Tell Tuesday: Who's Coming to Dinner?

Good September afternoon to you!

I finished up our home schooling day and began reading a few of my favorite blogs. A couple of them were doing a Show and Tell Tuesday link up and today's topic was, "Who's Coming to Dinner?" If you could choose 5 people to come and be your dinner guest, who would they be? I had to give this a little thought, but here are my 5:)

1.  Kate Middleton

courtesy Pinterest

I think she is beautiful, of course, but every time I see her on the news, or she comes to mind, I pray for her, her husband, and her two little ones.



2.  Martha Stewart and/or  Oprah Winfrey

Photos courtesy Pinterest

I owe a lot to Martha. Years ago, I used to watch her decorate tables for different holidays and it was like water to a parched soul. To see someone create beauty, with so much thought and detail, really left an imprint on me. My favorite episodes from her old show, though, were the episodes where she and her mom would cook together. I think I would just want to sit with her and talk about her mom and her childhood memories.

A lot of people had Oprah on their list and I can see why. You could bring up any subject with her from cooking to her favorite book, and she would be delightful to talk with. When I think of Oprah, I always have the same thought. I think she is very open to a discussion about Jesus and who He is.

3.  Tom Cruise or Jimmy Fallon

Photos courtesy Pinterest

I know, that is funny isn't it? But I just love Tom. I would totally love to have him as a dinner guest. I wonder if he likes pot roast?

Jimmy Fallon makes me laugh and he doesn't have a mean spirit. He seems genuinely sweet.



4. Steve Martin

photo courtesy Pinterest

I have a deep affection for Steve Martin. Father of the Bride 1 and 2 are two of my favorite movies. I've watched them a couple of times a year for years! He seems like he would be so easy to talk to.



5. Tom Hanks

photo courtesy Pinterest

I hope he would be as nice in person as he seems to be onscreen. I think he would be, don't you? Who wouldn't want to sit next to Tom Hanks at dinner? I would ask him why he and Meg Ryan haven't made a movie together in years. That is just a shame!

6. One more...Dev Patel. 

photo courtesy Pinterest

He is the same age as my oldest son, but his movie, Slumdog Millionaire, affected me in the deepest part of my heart. God truly spoke to me during that movie and it is something I will never forget. Of course, he probably wouldn't get all that...he would probably be thinking, "Lady, it was just a movie!" as he was looking for a quick exit,  but I would love to have him to my house as a guest anyway:)

A few more that came to mind were Walt Disney (his life story fascinates me), the director M. Night Shyamalan (mostly for my sons who love to talk filmmaking), Jimmy Stewart, Marilyn Monroe (my heart always goes out to her. Did anyone ever tell her that she was valuable to God?),  Julie Andrews, Margaret Mitchell or Harper Lee (both authors), and George W. and Laura Bush.

Also, I thought of Corrie Ten Boom and David Wilkerson. I loved their life stories so much. I've read and reread their books many times.

What about you? Are any of these names on your list? It's fun to dream!

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The Day We Brought Home Wheelchairs

courtesy Pinterest
Do you ever feel like then when you are facing the storms of life?

Not long after our twins were diagnosed with CP, our physical therapist began to talk with us about getting wheelchairs for them. At that time, we used a double stroller, which didn't really work well at all, but it was better than nothing. We had to use blankets to help prop them up in a sitting position and even then, they had a tendency to slide down and become extremely uncomfortable.

We made an appointment at the University Hospital in Iowa City and began the process. I struggled with the whole idea of wheelchairs. The permanence of the situation became more clear when the idea of wheelchairs were introduced.

At our appointment, they shared that I would need to come with the kids and stay at the hospital for two weeks while they were being evaluated and measured for their chairs. I hadn't counted on that scenario. Our littlest boy, Tyler, was just a toddler and I wondered if he would forget me.

The day arrived and we loaded up the kids and my things and headed back to Iowa City. During the afternoon, they were measured and fitted for their wheelchairs.In the mornings, they were evaluated by doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and cognitve therapists. They were extremely fussy kids during this age and to even step out of the room to go and grab a bite to eat next door required feats of imagination. They loved Barney and Donut Man videos, so I would talk to them about mom having to get something to eat, turn on the video, rush out the door, walk/run over to the cafeteria, eat quickly and walk back just as the video was ending. If I could manage that, all was well. I think I pretty much inhaled the food and wasn't even aware what I was eating. (For some reason that I can't recall right now, the patients were served meals on that floor, but the parents that were staying had to eat next door at the hospital.)

Since I stayed so busy during the day, it wasn't too bad. But the nights were terrible. I can remember the kids finally falling asleep in a strange room.  Then I would sit by the window looking out over the University of Iowa campus. There was a clock out in the center of the yard that I would look at. I cried a lot of those nights missing my other two kids. It was just a very lonely time.

One evening the staff said I had a visitor. I walked out of the room and was met by Rick and Jodie Miller. Rick had been a student at Teen Challenge where my husband worked. He and Jodie lived in a town about an hour away. They had heard we were there and had brought a whole KFC meal for us. I will never forget how their kindness felt to my heavy and lonely heart. A meal and a kind word can mean so much!

I think I was doing pretty well overall during those two weeks until they brought me a catalog with photos of various wheelchairs. Maybe they thought it was an exciting process to choose one.  It wasn't. Every dream I had had up to that point now shattered into a million jagged pieces. I sat down at the little kiddie table in the room and cried.

When Dave arrived to take us home, we put the kids in their car seats and then he loaded those chairs into the back of the van. My whole body and mind felt bruised and broken.

When we arrived back at Colfax, Dave's mom was there watching our other two children. I'm sure I must have said something to her, but all I remember is going back and lying down on the bed. I couldn't even cry anymore.  We sat the kids in their little red seats to watch television and I asked Dave to please put the wheelchairs somewhere that I didn't have to look at them right then. After an hour or so, I heard Dave and his mom talking in the kitchen. Faye was making supper for us. For some reason, the sound of normal activity soothed my spirit. I got up and walked in and watched her making meatballs. I am convinced that her presence helped me heal just a little that day.  Everything within me felt broken.  I needed something to be normal and routine and just ordinary.

The wheelchairs did help the kids. They seemed to feel so much secure in them than they had in their stroller. It wasn't the easiest thing to load two wheelchairs and go anywhere, but Dave was always so good about it. He seemed to know that on certain days, I just had to get out for awhile. Many times he would get home from work (and I'm sure he was tired) and say, "Let's load up!" I would have the kids in the van in minutes while he loaded up their chairs and we would be off for Des Moines:)

Sometimes we have to adjust.

My heart goes out to you if you are in a tough situation right now.

It wasn't supposed to be this way, you may be thinking.

I know.

Give yourself some time. Things will start to look better. It won't be this sad forever. Twenty-two years have passed since that day and there has been a lot of joy since then. There will be for you, too.

Psalm 147:3 says, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit." ( Psalm 34:18)

I love the verse that says, "God will give you a crown of  beauty for ashes." (Isaiah 61:3)  If you feel like the dream you had for your life, your children, or your marriage has died, give it to the One who can resurrect and restore all the brokenness that you feel right now.

Things will get better. It won't stay this way forever.

Love and blessings,
Kathy

My Hope Rests in God

Hope 

To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future.

I used to live in beautiful southern Mississippi in a home built around 1910. It sat on 50 acres and I used to love to walk across those pastures and pour my heart out to God. I was 21 years old.

I didn't call that time a devotional. I still don't like the word devotional. Although I am sure there are hundreds of great devotional books out there, I don't own any.

It was just that time I looked forward to.

I felt like when I opened the gate and stepped into the pasture, Jesus was there waiting for me. I believe He was.

There is still something about being outside that makes me feel close to God.

We visited Colorado a couple of years ago and when I walked around Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, I caught my breath. There was that same feeling of God being close by. The beauty of His creation lends itself to feeling His nearness. (I think staying indoors too long can be detrimental to our well being.)

Anyway, back to Mississippi. I was attending college at that time and looking forward to finishing and going off to Bible school. That was where my heart was. I had some very sure promises from God that I was waiting to see fulfilled.

But I had to set those things aside for the time being while I finished my degree. I still had hope in my heart for the dreams that I had, but it was time to get down to the business of finishing what was before me.

I would often walk and talk with the Lord. Sometimes I would cry as I tried to convey all that was on my heart.  I can't always say that I heard God speak to me. But I felt His nearness and I felt His interest in my life.

Soon I finished my degree and did get to go to Bible school. The promises God gave me did come true. But it wasn't instantaneous. It was a process.

I met my husband there and after we were to be married, we would be moving to Iowa. On the last time that I walked that pasture behind my parent's home, I did hear the Lord speak to me. He said, "I'll miss these times with you." I have never forgotten those words.

Now all these years later, I am waiting for promises to come to pass. I am staying busy with the business at hand, but my heart yearns to see what I only see by faith right now.

I still feel Him beside me. He has been a faithful friend. There are a lot of things that I don't understand. Sometimes the waiting seems like it will go on forever. Maybe I won't see the end that I am hoping for.Will I see my daughter healed? I don't know. Will I see our son healed? I just have no way of knowing. But I continue to hope. He is very kind. He has seen all my tears and my fears.  He understands as He reaches out to take my hand and walk with me through the unknown.

I always tell Him that on the day I see Him face to face, I want to know Him and I want Him to know me. It is through these hard experiences that we truly come to know God.

Romans 5:5 says this:

And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

I don't know how to end except to say that I want to continue to choose to trust God.

Linking up to: impartinggrace.com

Graduation Celebration!

Our youngest daughter recently completed her 12th grade year. She was home schooled her whole life from kindergarten through her Senior year. She told me recently that she has no regrets about being home schooled. It was a great fit for her. I can honestly say that she was a joy and delight from beginning to end.

I looked through Pinterest for ideas a few months in advance of her party. I knew I didn't want a cookie cutter graduation party. I also knew a couple of things going into the planning. It would be relatively small and it would be held indoors.

I know two very talented ladies who helped me with the cake end. Emily is a whiz at making cake pops. I asked her back in February if she could make them for a June party. She has two little ones and so I knew her time was valuable. I was so grateful when she said she could.  Another friend, Kerie, makes wedding cakes as a side business. While I didn't need a wedding cake, we found a couple of photos on Pinterest that we thought would make a beautiful graduation cake.

Here are 2 inspiration pics from Pinterest that we gave her as an idea.

Here are the cake pops and Kerie's beautiful cake. Aren't they beautiful?

The top tier of the cake was almond flavored and so good!

I wanted our dining room to look like an art gallery of photos of our daughter.

I had several photos blown up in poster sizes.

This photo was made into a large canvas. You may or may not like Walmart, but they did a great job on all the enlargements.

Here are a few other of the decorations that night.

Inspiration pic from Pinterest.

A friend loaned me an old typewriter.

This Bible verse was placed inside.

Trader Joes had the most beautiful flowers!

This was a serving idea I found on a blog (theenchantedhome.co). I showed it to my husband, and even though the party was only 3 or 4 days away he said, "I think I could make something like that." And he did!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo when it actually had the food on it! This serving platter had grapes, cheeses, salami, peperoncino peppers, and olives on it. A second platter had fruit.

I am so grateful to talented friends who made the night so special and to my husband who always helps the ideas in my head come out so beautifully! We so appreciated all that came and made the night so memorable. (We are saving $$ now to take her on a trip to NYC this fall.)

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