Well imagine my surprise!June 2009 PTRw/pics 7/7 pg. 76 NEW TR started link on pg. 76

[shellywalker]

I just spent the last 1 1/2 hours reading your entire report! It all looks so great! DH and I will be flying an adults only trip from 6/30-7/3...celebrating our anniversary and my birthday! Can't wait to read more! Have a great time in NYC!!!!

 

[dddisrunner]

Awesome updates and even better pics! Your boys are just too handsome!

Love the calendar....Amelia loved hers when we did it last year.

Thanks so much!! The boys had fun helping with the calendar!

Lots of great pictures Diane!

Our countdown calendar is based on the same. (Chuck is usually too chicken to steal very many. )

Have a great time in NY!

That is so funny, because Bryan said he wasn't taking any either!

Have fun in NYC . Congrats on your new niece, she is beautiful! Looks like your family had a wonderful Easter. So you smuggled Mickey Heads , us too. I love yourcalendar. Did you sit and cut all those out ?? I think I'm going to just leave them on the cardboard this year , I know how lazy. for 67 more days

Thanks Nichole! We are super excited for NYC, it has been so long since we have been and the weather looks great! Yes, I did cut every Mickey head out I know but I am a neat freak!

Have a fantastic trip tomorrow! Congrats to Eric! Enjoy your break... I have some rooms that need gutted if you want to come and do some more!

Thanks Laura! about coming and gutting your rooms! I have to say it felt VERY good to go through and weed some stuff out!

Reese is a cutie! Can't wait to hear about NYC! Go get a sandwich at Katz's Deli, it is ridiculously awesome and better than Carnegie!

Aww, thanks Nicole!! OK Katz's deli...I wrote it down! Thanks for the tip! I am scared to go to Carnegie after that murder there last year!

Great updates Diane. Baby Reese is just adorable ... what a nice Easter surprise. The boys looked like they had a great Easter.

Love the countdown calendars
Have a great time in NYC !

You are so sweet, thanks so much..I think Reese is adorable too!

I just spent the last 1 1/2 hours reading your entire report! It all looks so great! DH and I will be flying an adults only trip from 6/30-7/3...celebrating our anniversary and my birthday! Can't wait to read more! Have a great time in NYC!!!!

Hi Shelly! Welcome to the DIS and our report!! I love it when new readers jump on board! Thanks for taking the time to catch up and post!!!

 

[Trentmom]

Congrats to Eric on getting his yellow belt

Countdown stage is always so much fun

Have fun in NYC!!!!

 

[Happydog]

All caught up now! Being gone for 10 days makes DIS board catch up a week long job!

So glad that you were able to get the changes for dining that you wanted and that the airline wasn't a "bad" change!! We are still trying for a SciFi ourselves! RE the late flight, tell your DH to drink an extra pot of coffee the next morning! He'll be fine! I have been going back and forth on those very same "green" Tees from the Disney store myself, and now that I see them in person I am going to see if they still have them in the right sizes... so THANKS for posting the photo! RE your boys and the photos from Easter, MY you have very handsome guys! It is funny, but your youngest, Eric? looks as fiesty as my youngest... Same little sparkle in the eye! My DS 6 is in Karate, too! He is a "purple striped" belt -- can't be a "solid" color until he turns 7, so he will be yellow belt then! Did Eric break a board! That is so fun to watch!

Your calendar looks like it was great fun to make! I went to HD myself last week, not sure what I am doing with my ears, since the trip is a surprise, but we'll come up with something!

Have a fabulous time in NYC! Spring is a great time to go.

 

[dddisrunner]

All caught up now! Being gone for 10 days makes DIS board catch up a week long job!

So glad that you were able to get the changes for dining that you wanted and that the airline wasn't a "bad" change!! We are still trying for a SciFi ourselves! RE the late flight, tell your DH to drink an extra pot of coffee the next morning! He'll be fine! I have been going back and forth on those very same "green" Tees from the Disney store myself, and now that I see them in person I am going to see if they still have them in the right sizes... so THANKS for posting the photo! RE your boys and the photos from Easter, MY you have very handsome guys! It is funny, but your youngest, Eric? looks as fiesty as my youngest... Same little sparkle in the eye! My DS 6 is in Karate, too! He is a "purple striped" belt -- can't be a "solid" color until he turns 7, so he will be yellow belt then! Did Eric break a board! That is so fun to watch!

Your calendar looks like it was great fun to make! I went to HD myself last week, not sure what I am doing with my ears, since the trip is a surprise, but we'll come up with something!

Have a fabulous time in NYC! Spring is a great time to go.

Hey there!! Welcome back!!! Eric did not get to break a board in karate but did get to do that on his 5th birthday when we had his party at a local dojo! Thanks for the sweet compliments about the boys! I think there handsome too but of course I am biased! The Home Depot smuggling was fun!! Good luck with your ears, whatever you decide to do! Good luck with your green t's too!

 

[dddisrunner]

Hey Everyone!! We are back from NYC and had an AWESOME time! The weather was perfect and we took about 500 pictures I won't share all of them but I will share some!! I woke up this morning and realized that we leave for Disney 9 WEEKS from today or 63 days!!!! Soooooooo excited! Sooooooooo much to still figure out!! Bryan wants to do a date night, so I am trying to figure out the best time to fit that in? We saw and did so much in NYC! I will leave you with this teaser picture!

It is a beautiful,sunny, warm day here in NJ and we have TONS of yard work to get done so that is what I am off to do! I promise I will do our mini NYC TR either tonight or tomorrow after church! Enjoy your Saturday!


Diane

 

[Charleston Princess]

Hurray for 63 days!!!

Can't wait to see and read more about your NYC trip! Love the teaser pic! You really know how to whet our appetites for more!

 

[Trentmom]

WOO HOO for 9 weeks


Glad you had a nice time in NYC


Can't wait to hear and see all about it

 

[Happydog]

Yay for NYC, Yay for sunny weather (we did yard work too!) and Yay for 63 days!!!


Oh! And absolutely get that date night in!

 

[Nicole786]

Cant wait to hear about NYC! I love the WoD store i practically lived there any day off I had when I lived in NYC! I even had some dreams there

 

[shellywalker]

Welcome back!!! I can't wait to read your mini TR from NYC!

 

[dddisrunner]

Congrats to Eric on getting his yellow belt

Countdown stage is always so much fun

Have fun in NYC!!!!

Imissed this earlier Sorry! Thanks Kelly, he was thrilled to get a higher belt!!

Hurray for 63 days!!!

Can't wait to see and read more about your NYC trip! Love the teaser pic! You really know how to whet our appetites for more!

Thanks Jackie! Update coming right up!

WOO HOO for 9 weeks


Glad you had a nice time in NYC:thumbsup


Can't wait to hear and see all about it

Thanks Kelly!!

Yay for NYC, Yay for sunny weather (we did yard work too!) and Yay for 63 days!!!


Oh! And absolutely get that date night in!

Thanks so much!! I am working on the date night....I am struggling though because the boys ONLY want to go back to Simba's at the AKL and that is really out of the way!!!

Cant wait to hear about NYC! I love the WoD store i practically lived there any day off I had when I lived in NYC! I even had some dreams there

Thanks Nicole! I would be there alot too...the atmosphere is AWESOME!!!

 

[dddisrunner]

Welcome back!!! I can't wait to read your mini TR from NYC!

Thanks Shelly! When is your anniversary? Ours is 6/27!

 

[dddisrunner]

Well we woke up on Wednesday morning 4/15 and the weather was HORRIBLE, so we decided to cancel that first night I was so upset but the forecast for Thurday and Friday were outstanding so I accepted what was and we went from there!!

We left the house at 8:00am on Thursday and arrived at Liberty State Park by 9:40 am from here we would be taking the ferry over to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty! Bryan and I had never been before and neither had the boys. I know we live SO close.......anyway we were all really EXCITED!!


The boys waiting on the security line before boarding the ferry. That is the NYC skyline in the background!

We boarded the ferry and we were off to Ellis Island!

What an AMAZING place! 12 million immigrants passed through here from the early 1890's to the early 1920's! We took a tour that was 45 minutes long with a park ranger....it was VERY interesting and I got quite choked up!

The first room immigrants came to was the baggage room where they left their belongings.......

this is just a random picture but so cool it is faces from one view.....

and an American flag from the other side(left and right, not front and back).......................

Next the immigrants walked up a huge flight of stairs to the registry room where they were watched by doctors and they sat and waited for their names to be called.........

the room was built this way (all tile and marble) so that it was easy to clean...germs being passed through the air was a relatively new discovery!

Once the immigrants were called there names were checked with the ships registry and they went for a medical exam.

This picture is of the hospital which is across the channel from the registry building....there is a contagious disease ward off the back!

A picture of a citizenship certificate....

A certificate stating the immigrant was proficient in English........

That is the gist of Ellis Island! We then ate lunch at a picnic table outside and boarded the ferry to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty!

We arrived to her hind parts!

You are no longer allowed to go all the way to the top of the Statue. The highest point is the top of the pedestal that she stands on! We had passes to do this so we were subjected to even more security......I have to say this security was HEAVY! We actually had to stand in this machine where they shoot these simultaneous puffs of compressed air at you to check for explosives!!! Once through security we climbed the 8 kagillion stairs to the top of the pedestal, here was my view....

Once outside on the pedestal I took this...

You can see the copper corosion even down on the pedestal...

Then once we were down stairs again, I got this shot...

You can also view the Manhattan skyline and they have a picture...this was really strange...

then you look up and that space is empty!

Before we left we took a picture of the original torch....

The boys in front of a lifesize replica of Lady Liberty's face...

and her foot........the boys thought it would be cute to hold their noses!!

With that completed we went in the overpriced gift shop and bought some statues and Matthew bought a postcard for his teacher!!

continued in next post..........

 

[dddisrunner]

After taking the ferry back to Liberty State Park, we had to drive over to our hotel! I took NO pictures of our room! It was nice though! We arrived at about 3:45 and freshened up and set out to find the subway to make our way to The World of Disney Store!!

I was so excited to go inside!! What a wonderful place...3 floors of Disney bliss!!

The chandelier hanging over the registers on the 1st floor...

The princess room....

Saying over the cash registers!

Eric being silly!

A picture frame that I bought!

The view from the 3rd floor overlooking the 2nd!

The boys favorite items!!!!!!!!!

With that we paid for our purchases and headed out to Time Square and Rockefeller Center!!

Continued on the next page!

 

[Nicole786]

Where my cousin lives in Brooklyn is a food market that has an eatery in the back, when you go outside to eat (in the winter theres a plastic enclosure to seal the heat) you have a very nice view of the statue of liberty! I will admit that I am one of those new yorkers that has never done the touristy things though! I want to one day. I took a school trip to Ellis island when I was in the 5th grade and there are some things i'll never forget, I loved that trip so thanks for the pictures it brought back some memories!

 

[IluvXU]

Diane,
I love the frame. I want that for Luke, I think his souvenir money will be to buy that! Can't wait to hear about the rest!

63 days!!!

 

[dddisrunner]

OK, moving right along! We stepped out of World of Disney and continued to Time Square which was about 6 blocks south...city blocks are HUGE my poor kids were dying at the end of theis trip we climbed an ENORMOUS amount of stairs and walked MILES! Eric did not use a stroller but he will DEFINITELY need one in Disney in the heat!!

OK back to the program..........

Times Square...what a FUN, BUSTLING place!! We had to give up our Lion King matinee becuase we canceled our Wednesday reservation but I did take a picture of the theater!

We stumbled onto M&M World, so of course we went in!!

We let each of the boys get a bag of M&M'S Bryan helped Matthew and I helped Eric..we set a limit of 1/2 pound each...well Eric got a half a pound and Matthew with his dads help got just shy of a pound! Ladies and gentlemen we spent $23 on M&M'S!!!!!!!!!

Us in the middle of Times Square....

The New Year's Eve ball is on top of the 2009 sign, can you see it?

We then ventured over to Rockefeller Center!

The skating rink!

We also saw the set of the Today Show! Not sure if you can make out the words on the wall, they say Today!....

A view inside the studio....if you look all the way in the back you can recognize the set!

By now we were starving and looking for a place to eat! I had written down the name of a place called John's pizzeria that is in an old church it was featured on the travel channel BUT silly me forgot that getting a table in the middle of the theater district an hour before performances start is IMPOSSIBLE!!! So where did we end up? The world's most expensive Ruby Tuesday's!!! Actually it was a great meal...expensive but great!! After dinner we headed back to the subway to get back to our hotel...we were BEAT!!

This is the Macy's in Herald Square, where the Macy's Thanksgiving parade is...the picture isn't great!

A picture of the street sign for "Fashion Avenue"

I will post the second day tommorow!!!


Enjoy!!

 

[Trentmom]

NYC looks like so much fun

Did you try and do any of the character meets in World of Disney?


Security sounds incredible at Statute of Liberty.

It is a shame you can not go all the way to the top anymore, But at least you can still get part the way up there.

Love the boys holding their noses


I did not know there was a M&M World there. How cool. I have to add that to our list of things to do when we go.


Great pictures. Can't wait to see the 2nd day

 

[dddisrunner]

Where my cousin lives in Brooklyn is a food market that has an eatery in the back, when you go outside to eat (in the winter theres a plastic enclosure to seal the heat) you have a very nice view of the statue of liberty! I will admit that I am one of those new yorkers that has never done the touristy things though! I want to one day. I took a school trip to Ellis island when I was in the 5th grade and there are some things i'll never forget, I loved that trip so thanks for the pictures it brought back some memories!

Isn't funny that you can live so close to something that people travel hundreds of miles to see but never take advantage of it! I am glad you liked the pictures of Ellis Island, it really was a GREAT and interesting place!

Diane,
I love the frame. I want that for Luke, I think his souvenir money will be to buy that! Can't wait to hear about the rest!

63 days!!!

Isn't that frame the BEST! I hope Luke does get it! What a fitting gift for a first timer to WDW!!

NYC looks like so much fun

Did you try and do any of the character meets in World of Disney?


Security sounds incredible at Statute of Liberty.

It is a shame you can not go all the way to the top anymore, But at least you can still get part the way up there.

Love the boys holding their noses


I did not know there was a M&M World there. How cool. I have to add that to our list of things to do when we go.


Great pictures. Can't wait to see the 2nd day

Yeah, the M&M world was cute it reminded me of Club Cool in Epcot of course with M&M'S though not Coke!! I am not sure when but apparently they stopped letting you go to the top of the Statue a long time ago NYC is HUGE and there is so much to see make sure you give yourself plenty of time...we are still recovering from how much we got done in just 2 days!!