NYC is magical

So for 4 years in a row I have in some form or another made it to NYC during the month of December and have had the opportunity to see the Magic of NYC during the holiday season.  My first year I took a road trip up and was in Time Square for the whole New Years celebration, this was my first time in the city and I was in HEAVEN!  Ok it was freezing cold with the constant snow and drizzle going on, but there was no way in H E double Hockey sticks that I was going to not experience it this way... The next year I was a resident of DC and my visiting teacher (fellow church member assigned to take care of me and make sure I am doing ok) was Amanda.... I know it was fate ;) She and Shara were planning a weekend up to NYC to shop and enjoy the city and invited me along; I never say no so I went! It was a new experience because we stayed with a friend and took it slower on the touring side of things but spent our time enjoying people watching, eating, shopping, and eating. Last year my girl Jen Jarrett and her now husband Michael Teagle were going to go to NYC to enjoy the city and invited me along again ;) From this I invited Amanda and Shara and then we also tacked on 4 more guests: Angela, Mike, Rusty, and Todd. It was a great time, we stayed in a studio apt which meant there was one bed, a miniature couch and lots of floor space ha ha it was an adventure but once again fun! We all went out to see Nutcracker at the Lincoln Center and that brought a whole new level of Magic to my heart... So amazing! I also saw my first and still only Broadway show, How to Succeed in Business without trying, Daniel Radcliff was staring in it and being a avid HP fan, I couldn't resist so I went with Mike and Jen. (I also went ice skating in Central Park which was another dream of mine).  Each year has given me something new to appreciate about the great city, and this year was no exception to that. Planning to meet Amanda and new friend Emilee (weirdly my 2 sisters names.. spelled the same way) in NYC and stay at another friends house when Amanda called me when I was a hour out of the city and said we couldn't stay with the friend Dayna. I immediately started thinking of how we were going to find a hotel half decent and affordable on one of the busiest weekends of the year... and then Amanda said something about a storage unit.... I had her repeat herself and she actually said, "my stepdad Tim got us a room where he and my mom are staying, the Waldorf Astoria...." (astoria and storage sound very familiar fyi) But yeah, we were going to have the awesome opportunity to stay in one of the most famous hotels in the city, where all the movie stars use to stay, royalty stays, Paris Hilton grew up in, etc etc yeah it was going to be a bit different than any other year ha ha ha 

After us girls met up, we grabs some pizza, garlic knots, and a cab and headed to the hotel (we had about 90 min before we had to be to the Nutcracker so we needed to eat) we pulled up the the hotel and I had a pizza box in one hand and marinara sauce in the other; the door man approached opened my door while I was trying to gather myself, needless to say I didn't have ample time and ended up with sauce all over my coat and bag, Amanda had too many bags to handle, and sweet little Emilee tried to hold us together... arriving like a Class act=FAIL. 

We walked into this lobby looking 

like the newest version of Beverly Hill Billies

and that's being generous ;)

We took a awesome and old limo to the show, had a fabulous time watching the elegance and feeling the Christmas spirit, and then were treated to one of the fanciest dinners I have ever been to by sweet Tim once again.

Tim Lorraine and Amanda on the way to 

Crack or Nuts

Emilee and I in the awesomely lit 

up limo....

Enough words ;)

Mother and daughter could hardly contain themselves!

At intermission, I think it took like 21 

tries to get this picture and I still hate how

I look in it lol

Waldorf Astoria has 1900 rooms/suites

Beautiful view from our window of the Rock

Us 3 chicas in heaven and comfort!

Mysterious dark picture....

Tim and Lorraine= Power couple

 Saturday was a day to do as we wished, we Starbucksed it (a actual verb) and took the Subway to the 9/11 memorial and then walked the Brooklyn bridge. Tim, Emilee, and I did the Empire State bldg and then we all walked over to the Rockafellar tree and time square where we then ate at another amazingly nice dinner... my palate was beyond spoiled! 

Look at those 3 beauts waiting for the signal. 

Emilee's first time on the Subway!

Look closely in the top right corner you will see the

McDonalds' golden arches and then in the left top 

corner you will not a baby grand... yes this is happening

in a McDonalds' site, it was a fabulous dream

The only acceptable drink to have while sitting 

and watching tourists walk all around NYC

What is that bright light in the elevator?

Oh its the Angel Kjersten come down to 

visit during this holiday season 

86 floors up on top ;)

Brooklyn Bridge

Dylan's candy bar

I call this, Stairway to Heaven

Sunday Tim and Lorraine left to DC and us girls spent the day going to little food places we love lol Magnolia bakery, Dylan's candy bar, Serendipity and then met up last minute with Dayna before we trekked it to the fancy bus station back home. Time always flies by way to quickly when in a land of Magic.

Also on the way to NYC I heard the news about the school shooting in Newtown, CT and was brought to reality when the kid next to me leaned over and told me that we were about to pass the town that it happened in. A 20 yr old boy who was mentally imbalanced took his mothers guns and shot her then went to the elementary school where class was in session and opened fire on 2 classrooms, 20 children from 6-10 yrs of age and 6 adults lives were lost that day. The sadness is too much to bear and my heart continues to go out to those who have loved and lost in such a sudden and tragic way.