NYC- Day 2

So day two, we wake up exhausted, but still are out by 8:30. Our plan is to go for a good hearty breakfast (so we can shop through lunch again!) and then hit the uptown stores...Saks, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, FAO Schwartz...

On our way over to 5th Ave, we head over to Rockefeller Plaza. To our surprise as we get to the Plaza concourse, we see Matt Lauer on the outdoor stage for the Today Show and he introduces James Taylor. What luck! Here's a shot of him on stage singing...

And here's me calling my girl friend Andi... and she's not home!! I'm SCREAMING onto her voicemail, "We're on the Plaza concourse and we just saw Matt Lauer, and we are listening to James Taylor. I can't believe you're not home!!"



We stuck close to "The Evans". We figured it was our best chance of getting on TV. When the camera pans out over the crowd, they are going to get all the Evan Almighty's on! Sure enough, my grandmother could see us! I couldn't think of who else to call that would be home.
I can't believe we were one of the screaming idiots trying to get on camera at the Today Show! I swore I would never do that. Just goes to show you, in the heat of the moment, you never know what you'll do.
After all the Today Show excitement we found a great restaurant below Rockefeller Plaza and had a wonderful breakfast at the window beside the outdoor skating rink. During breakfast, watching everyone skate around we decided we would go to the skate shop, rent some skates and do a couple laps before we hit the stores. We walk into the skate shop, the ticket lady tallies up the register and says, "$48!" Okay we didn't want to skate THAT badly. Let's hit Saks instead!!

This is us "going into" FAO Schwartz...

This is us "inside" FAO Schwartz...

...And this is us "leaving".

When we hailed a cab, I almost had to tell him to remove his spare tire from the trunk so we could fit all our goodies inside!

These next few photos are for my dad. Every time my Mom talked to him on the phone he kept saying, "I hope you're taking lots of pictures", or "Don't forget to bring the camera so you can take lots of pictures". So..

This is us on 5th Ave in front of Cartier...

Still on 5Th Ave, in front of Tiffany's...

This is us on 6Th Ave in front of Macy's...

This is us back on 5Th Ave in front of Lord and Taylor...

So we did take lots of pictures, but somehow I don't think that is what my dad was envisioning. He was probably thinking Empire State Building, Flatiron Building, Central Park, Statue of Liberty.

NOT!

So, we had a great mother/daughter weekend and we have lots of fantastic memories that we'll keep for many years to come. Hopefully one day, I'll be able to do that with my girls.

The BIG Apple- DAY 1

Okay, so here's our story about our little mother/daughter adventure in New York...Look at the first pictures we took. We are so excited we can hardly contain ourselves...




... and we are still on the tarmac in Montreal! We haven't even taken off yet and we are a couple of giddy girls!





This is truly the city that never sleeps (us included!) Although, I do appear to be sleep-walking across Times Square here!


We came home completely exhausted, but had an unbelievably fun three days!




We landed late on Sunday, but because we were staying RIGHT IN TIMES SQUARE, we had the world (literally) at our doorstep. We headed to the Meridian Marquis rooftop restaurant and had a great view of the whole Manhattan skyline. It was spectacular.









And of course, we had to go shopping after we finished our dinner. Where else could you finish dinner at 11pm and then go shopping on a Sunday night until midnight. How New York!!



We had a great time shopping the next day. We were up and out by 8:30. We first landed at Macy's, then headed down to Century 21. A great designer discount dept store. We should have definitely gotten there earlier. So many racks... so little time.



On the way back we stopped at Canal Street and had a great time getting our knock-off bags. We would ask the vendors if they had any Coach bags, they would check to make sure the coast was clear, quickly lead us into the back room, dig out the hidden remote control and pop open this secret door on the back wall that wasn't even visible 10 seconds earlier. It was all very clandestine!! It was just like being back in China once the bartering started. I quickly realized my mother had no knack for bartering, she's such a softy. So I did all the talking. We had a good time and left with 6 bags. These are our treasures from day 1.


Unfortunately Broadway was on strike while we were there, so we had to see an off-Broadway show. That was a little disappointing, but had a good time regardless.

We had a great late dinner in Times Square at Bubba Gumps Shrimp Market. We had a prime seat at the window overlooking the Square. It was funny to watch a giant flat screen TV playing the final episode of The Bachelor and seeing the face of some poor girl being dumped, and realizing that not only is it happening and being seen by millions, but surely she can't know that her face is three stories high on what is arguably the busiest intersection in the world! Something one should think about if ever considering participating in a reality show!! Humbling to say the least.



Next post will be about Day 2.

What Color Is Love?

We're back from New York and we had an AMAZING time. But, I'll write about that in another post ...when my mother emails me our photos. (I knew I should have brought my own camera!!) ;-)


In the meantime...

I came across this little book a couple of months ago that my mother gave to me on my ninth birthday. It was hers when she was a child. I just can't stop thinking how ironic it is that a book my mother gave me 30 years ago would end up being the picture of my family.

What Color Is Love?

by Joan Walsh Anglund

An apple is red.

The sun is yellow.

The sky is blue.

A leaf is green.
A cloud is white...

and a stone is brown.

The world has many things...
the world has many people...
the world has many colors...

and each of them is different.

In a garden

all the flowers are different colors,

but they live happily together...

side by side.

In a forest

all the birds are different colors,

but they live happily together...

side by side.

In a meadow

all the animals are different colors,

but they live happily together...

side by side.

In our world

all the people are different colors,

and, sometimes, they live happily together...

side by side.

Colors are important

because they make our world beautiful,

but they are not as important

as how we feel...

or what we think...

or what we do.

Colors are "outside" things

and feelings are "inside" things.

Color is something we see with our eyes,

but love is something we see with our heart.

An apple is red,

the sun is yellow,

the sky is blue,

a leaf is green,

a cloud is white...

and the earth is brown.

And, if I asked you,

could you tell me...

what color is love?

The book is so small, the verses are so simple, yet the message is so large.

My mother couldn't have known when she gave me that book all those years ago that her family would end up being so "colorful". She tells me often, and it means so much to me, how enriched her family life has been with a special needs grand daughter, a Chinese grand daughter and 2 (soon to be) Ethiopian grand children. So much diversity and so much love. Our family truly is the color of love.

I LOVE NYC

Well, Mom and I are off to NYC tomorrow. Daron was laughing at us because every time we get close to seeing each other our phone calls go form daily to hourly. Today the calls were nonstop. To quote him exactly "$400 to get you to NY and $900 in phone calls":-) He's such a boy!!

We are just a little excited... between deciding on stores we have to go to, restuarant reservations and plays we want to see, there has been a lot of planning!!! I don't think we'll get a lot of sleep. I'll be exhausted when I get back on Thursday, no doubt.

Tonight as I was packing, I had a little friend that was trying to sneak into my suitcase as a stowaway!!

Lots of giggles as Daddy wheeled her around!

Not this time little girl... only BIG girls allowed!!

Should be some GREAT sales just before US Thanksgiving!!! Daron thought I was pretty silly bringing an empty suitcase... he was laughing at me saying, "Only you pack a suitcase in a suitcase!!"

Hey, I know from shopping in China, I'll need all the extra room I can get on the way home for all my goodies. Canal Street, here we come!

After all, I'm only shopping to get as many aeroplan points as possible for our trip to Ethiopia ;-) (WINK,WINK)

Our File Arrived at Kidslink

Okay, it is confirmed! Our file arrived at KidsLink today and they are reviewing it. They let us know once it is ready to be forwarded on to Ottawa. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Monday...one step closer!

FINALLY!! Our file is on it's way...

Okay, I know I said our file was on it's way on Oct 3... but this time I really mean it. I think. At least that's what I was told. You just never really know when dealing with our gov't.

Apparently, the hold up has been in regards to us switching from the China program to the Ethiopia program. Our Province sends a letter to the CCAA telling them that we are requesting to be removed from the China program. Normally they receive a letter from China acknowledging the request. Well, it's been a couple of weeks and no letter. I was told that the decision "had just been made that morning" to send our Ethiopian file off anyways... they have waited long enough and didn't feel the need to wait any longer. What a coincidence that the decision was made on the exact morning that I called to find out what the hold up was!! WOW, that's down-right amazing!!

As of yesterday, I was told our file was being sent to KidsLink that day. It should have arrived today or tomorrow... but I haven't heard from KidsLink. They said they would let me know when they received it. Hmmmm. Our Provincial gov't wouldn't do that... tell me one thing and not follow through...no. Never. Cynical, I know, but International Adoption would make ANYONE a pessimist!!

I'll post again when I know for sure.

If it was sent, KidsLink checks it out to make sure everything required is in the dossier. Then they forward it on to the Foreign Embassy in Ottawa for authentication and legalization. When they receive it back they forward it on to Ethiopia. We are told the Ottawa end of the process ususally takes 2-3 wks. So, if all goes well, our dossier should be in Ethiopia by early to mid December. Then the wait begins...

Having been through the China program already, I can't help but chuckle when I read other waiting families on the Yahoo Groups in the Ethiopian program "going crazy" because their file has been in Ethiopia for 8 or 10 WEEKS and they don't have a referral... WEEKS (that's not a type-o!!)

We were amazed to get a referral for Lily in 7 MONTHS because it was historically the shortest wait times ever in China. It just goes to show you, everything is relative!

A Bubble Bather, An Angel and a Hula Girl...of course it's Halloween!

The girls had a great time this Halloween!

Our "Bubble Bather" got lots and lots of comments on her great costume. One lady coming down the street even took her picture!

Our "Little Angel" liked smacking the balloons on Kyra's costume!

Gran made the Angel costume for Krista when she was three (she's now 12!). Then Kyra wore it the following year when she was 3. Then Nina wore it the following year when she was 3, and now Lily wore it this year! Next year I'm hoping we'll have a little Ethiopian Angel!

Even though Lily had a terrible cold, she loved getting all the candy!

When she got to each door she would yell "Trick-or-Treating". She couldn't drop the "ING". It was too cute!

Even Parlee was a great sport and dressed up as a Hula Girl!

(that was Kyra's costume from last year- but we didn't make Parlee wear the real coconut bikini top that Kyra also wore ;)

Our pup is such a good sport! She would greet the little trick-or-treaters at the door.