Goodbye New York

It was a fantastic final day in the city. We got up this morning and everyone had one last thing they wanted to do and each thing was different. We weren't sure we would be able to get it all done. It ended up being a crazy busy day, but we did everything we wanted to, and the best part is we all did it together.

We started off with a classic New York breakfast - those are always Alison's favorite. We each got an omelet. Then we headed over to Central Park to go ice skating. Earlier this year I took ice skating lessons in preparation for this trip. They totally paid off. I did really well ice skating and we had a ton of fun. It was fun to be in Central Park skating around enjoying the views of the city in the background. We also talked to Blake about how his mom loved to ice skate. We sure miss her and we are grateful we will see her again one day. We also spent some time walking around Central Park - it isn't quite as pretty with all the trees looking dead, but it was still nice.

After Central Park, we headed down to Macy's to see Santa Land. We had a reservation so we got to skip the line. It was fun. It was Skylee's first time seeing Santa and she wasn't really sure what to think. She has been a little clingy lately and when Kristin handed her to Santa she kind of had a meltdown, but like everything she did it was cute. Santa asked Alison and me what we wanted for Christmas, but we didn't really know what to tell him. While we were at Macy's we also saw the wooden escalators. I have heard everyone talk about them and finally got to see them myself.

At this point, Skylee was a little tired of getting all bundled up and sitting in her stroller. You can tell she was not so excited.

Our next stop was the Brooklyn bridge. Alison and I have always meant to walk across the bridge, but it was one of those things we have never had a chance to do. It was way fun. It was chilly but it was really cool. We were thinking about how we went on two iconic bridges this year the Golden Gate and the Brooklyn bridge - we have been on bridges coast to coast. 

After walking to Brooklyn we wanted to get some pizza at Grimaldi's. We have heard that it is amazing. It was really hard to find and then there was a long line. Fortunately, having 9 people and a baby ended up getting us through faster (we were amazed). The pizza did not disappoint. It was unbelievable. The mozzarella was so good and all the meats. We would absolutely go again.

Our next stop was China town. Kristin and Dan wanted to buy a couple things. We were in and out pretty quick. We were really good at keeping our group together mostly because Debbie was always looking out for everyone. Unfortunately, when we got on the subway we weren't looking out for her and we left her behind. It was way sad. We realized what happened pretty quick and we got her to come to meet us. When she got to us we all gave her a big hug. 

Our final stop was at the American Girl Doll store on 5th Avenue. Alison and Kristin have been waiting to take Skylee there the whole trip. They said she was super cute. Kristin bought her a bitty baby and Alison got her some accessories. They were really happy about the whole thing. 

Alison, Jake, Meg, Bret, and I are all flying out of Newark tomorrow so we are staying in a Newark hotel. We needed to get out there tonight and we weren't sure whether we wanted to take a car or a train. The train was way cheaper, but more work and less predictable. We ended up choosing the train. Alison was a little worried at first, but it ended up being a really good experience - you might even say it was an adventure.

It is always sad to leave the city. It has been such an incredible trip. We have had some amazing family experiences and a very memorable Thanksgiving.

Farewell New York City! We will be back...