Its been a couple of weeks since we left NYC and now, looking back on these pictures, its making me so homesick for this place. We left at the best time in the city…autumn. The weather was gorgeous and that always makes it a little tougher because you have to remind yourself how bitter cold the loooong winter is so you feel better about leaving. Weather aside, this city has become a big part of our lives- it taught us so much about who we are and how to always strive for the very best. Here are some adventures from our last couple of weeks….
Boating in Central Park…I was hoping the leaves would start to change before we had to leave, but it was still as green and lush as I’ve ever seen it. Definitely not a bad thing ;) Brian and I took the little girls to the Loeb Boat House while Kate and Taylor played with their older church friends. It was such a relaxing (Brian did most of the rowing!) and beautiful ride- can’t complain about this scenery. This pond is is literally across the street from our apartment on 76 and CPW. Ahhh, what a fun time we had living right there!
Tessa and Lauren love to dress like “twins” whenever they can and they have loved these matching twirly dresses. Brian jumped out of the boat for a minute to get some of these pictures while I took a turn rowing. Also, do they dye this water green??? It’s so bright!
On our last weekend, we borrowed the Todd’s van and drove to an apple orchard upstate. We always wanted to go apple picking and this was our chance! The farm was so cute and they had fresh apple cider donuts…yummy! The girls loved picking the apples and then got to go through their corn maze.
After apple picking, we drove further north to West Point Academy. We had heard how gorgeous this area was, but we were not prepared for just how much! I can only imagine how stunning it is when the leaves turn. I mean…can you believe these views??
The campus itself was so beautiful and so clean! It was so neat to see the student body come to a complete standstill at the lowering of the flag- literally people stopped in the middle of the road, got out of their cars and saluted until it was over. So disciplined and respectful.
They had all of these cute homes lined up in the middle of campus- I think it is where the Dean and other academy leaders live? At any rate, the homes were so cute!
A couple of months after we moved to NYC, I gave Brian a gift certificate for a helicopter ride for him and I. It was a birthday gift, but it ended up storming on the date, so we had to reschedule. We were finally able to find a morning that worked with Brian’s crazy schedule- a couple of weeks before we left! It was a chilly and cloudy morning and such an awesome way to see the city from up above. We left from New Jersey and flew right over the Statue of Liberty, up the West side, over Central Park and then to the East side and Brooklyn Bridge. I don’t think I could ever tire of these views!
Just when you feel like you know Central Park by heart, and then you go at it from another vantage point and see so many new things!
Blows my mind how huge this place is…and how many people they squeeze into every nook and cranny.
Governor’s Island is another place we wanted to make sure we saw one more time. We all love going downtown and taking the ferry over to this place that feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle, but still with incredible views (see below).
Its really hard for me to express in words how much this city means to me and my family. There were many times in the days leading up to leaving that I was brought to tears by the kind actions of others on our behalf. We met some of the very best people I know, who inspired me and my kids to live our very best. Not cliche, it is the truth. I have never seen such a huge concentration of good people who do good things and would never judge others. If you needed help and sent an email to the ward, you’d have more responses in ten minutes than you knew what to do with. The people in our ward just sincerely wanted to help and it inspired me to give more and be more to those around me. We love NYC with all of our hearts, but its not the physical places that mean so much, its the people that live there.