A perfect way to end 2012

There is nothing like a weekend in New Orleans. A little shopping, a trip to city park for Christmas lights and rides, some wonderful food and a Saints game.

New things we tried:
Ralph's on the Park(awesome food, especially the coconut milk tart), the ferris wheel at City Park(frigid but fun), and the Hilton Riverside(clean,close and inexpensive)

Old things we love:
Celebration in the Oaks, Croissant d'or, and a great time in the Superdome.

You can do a lot in NYC before noon

A carriage ride through Central Park and a shopping stop at FAO Schwartz cap off an incredible trip. Camille mailed her postcards and now we just hope they don't busy us for our over limit luggage- it weighs as much as a small car- say a prayer the zippers hold and our flights/connections work out.

Another amazing day!!

We thought it would be impossible to top yesterday but...

We started with a trip to the top of the Empire state building, then lunch from a food truck in SoHo(amazing empanadas), great shopping, we net Jillian Holloway(future actress extraordinaire) for dinner, then Jersey Boys, godiva chocolate and the tree at Rockefeller center!!!
Wow, wow, wow!!
Now we have really cute clothes an are HUGE Franki Valli fans. "Can't take my eyes off of you".

And just when you think it can't get any better...

Tonight, we went to see "Wicked". I knew the story, had read the book, but the music, the costumes, the voices! The girl who played Elphaba, the wicked witch, had an incredible voice and Galinda was HILARIOUS and heartbreaking. What a great show for a 13 year old girl! The whole premise is -are we born wicked or do life events turn us that way ....Hmmm

Then dinner at Ellen's Stardust diner with singing waiters. Mediocre food, great entertainment.

TODAY was amazing!

We started our day off in the dark...and it was raining. We got to Rockefeller center by 7am, had breakfast at Bouchon bakery and bought umbrellas and decided to brave the weather and watch the Today show. Within 10 minutes, the dancing cop was out in the square and we were right behind him, along with Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and David Gregory! So...check that off the list.

Then after some shopping, we had a wonderful lunch at Todd English's Food Hall at The Plaza hotel then on to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Several surprises: the Matisse exhibit, the photography before and after photoshop exhibit and the Andy Warhol exhibit. WOW!!!

And to top it off, they have an incredible permanent exhibit of impressionist art.

Beautiful lights, friendly people AND a chorus line

What a great afternoon! We got here early, had a great cab ride and a friendly driver. We love our hotel...then we decided to window shop our way to Rockefeller center. The lights and window displays on 5th avenue are Fabulous! Camille exclaimed as we were leaving Bergdorf Goodmans, "it's like It's a Small World with lots of money!!" but then we found some great stores in our price range too.
We got to Rockefeller square about 6:30, bought tickets to the 8pm show of the Rockette's Christmas spectacular and ate dinner out of a food truck before the show.

The Rockettes are awesome! And tonight they ended with a live nativity complete with live camels, donkey, and sheep and a lady reading from the book of Luke and organists playing the Hallelujah chorus!! Wow.
Not sure we could've had a better day.

Thank you Kelly/Dad!!

Camille and I are on our way to the Big Apple this morning. A surprise exciting Christmas present!

Fall Dinghy Series Finale

Wow!  What a summer and fall we have had! We have made so many new friends and the children have loved learning how to race sailboats.  The Fall Dinghy Series that FYC Jr. Yacht club organized was amazing and truly taught our children to make time on the water part of their weekly schedule- we all need to do that. 
I will share more pictures later but felt like this was a fitting image for the summer's end.

Camille's first jazz concert

Camille's Recital

 

Beautiful girl, beautiful dance, proud family!!!

Bike ride and pranzo on via appia

Biking on the Appian way

All roads lead to Rome...

Buona Sera from outside Basilica Maria Maggiore

Today....a tour of basilica's. St. Paul outside the wall where the apostle Paul was born, St. Pietro in Vincoli where the shackles that held Peter are, and Santa Maria Maggiore where part of the manger Jesus was laid in resides. The Italians definitely have the living word here.
Pete might just remember he wanted to buy a straw hat or a pencil sharpener that looked like a catapult.
Happy birthday Dee!

A bicicletta for Quattro

Happy birthday Dee!

At villa d Este in Tivoli

This is neptunes fountain.