New York City...finally

Well, currently my camera has bit the dust. Adam, as multi-talented as his is, seems to not be great with technology. I have given him my camera twice and twice it has come back unable to turn on. I love you anyway sweetheart. So, this is the written tour, not pictoral. We had 8 girls total.

I got to NYC about 11 am on Thursday and went straight to Rosemary's school. She teaches at Sacred Heart on the Upper East Side overlooking central park. Awesome. She gave me the grand tour and I quickly became jealous of her life. She teaches with all young, cute girls and lives a facinating life. I watched her teach and boy is she good. She was so creative with her kiddos. She teaches math, so you have to get them interested somehow! She taught me everything I know in school! For all you Real Housewives of NYC fans, she taught Ramona's daughter Avery last year. Crazy!

After spending the majority of the day with her. I walked across Central Park to the Upper West Side to our hotel. Jenny and Kiersten picked a great spot! It was everything I picture NYC to be, complete with a second floor dance studio across the street. Very Center Stage. We got together there and started our adventure. To be honest, we spent most of the days shopping. I am sad to say though I didn't buy anything. Not a thing. I kept thinking I was going to find something I couldn't resist after I spent too much money then could just never seal the deal. We had a great Italian meal our first night together. Sorry, I can't remember the name. I also had my first experience with a psychic. Don't judge me. My aunts wanted to do it. Not gonna lie, she was pretty good. Steve, watch out for Julie having twins!!!

Friday we walked everywhere! My feet were killing me by the end of the day. We went to a cool Jewish breakfast spot...very upper west side. It was good and we were lucky because it was their first day to be open again from a 10 day Passover closing. After we left we shopped and shopped and shopped and shopped. Mostly boutiques and stores of the like in the upper and midtown areas of the city. We did dinner at Swing then some numbers after it that I can't remember what they are. Really fun! Dinner and swing dancing lessons. We didn't have partners considering it was a girls trip but we all managed to get a dance or two in.

Saturday was more shopping. Some of us went to canal street. I really like the place, but it started to feel clostriphobic. Jenny found a neat market in Soho last time she was there, so we all met there to peruse. It was held in an old gym and individual sellers came to show what they made. It was like a farmers market with no farmers. Then we did Soho shopping the rest of the afternoon. I saw Rose's apartment and we fit in a famous cupcake at Crumbs on the way. Wicked capped off our evening. I had seen it in Atlanta, but I loved it again. Such a good musical.

Sunday morning we ran a 10K in central park. 6 of us did it. We felt very big city running through the park on a Sunday morning. We enjoyed breakfast together again then off to the airport. We had a great time together. I am so blessed to have a family as close as they are and adventurous at that! We decided to make it an annual trip!!! I really laughed until my cheeks hurt from too much smiling.

Highlights:
-huddled on the bed talking to Kiersten and Jenny when we had a whole suite we could go to
-seeing Rose teach and hang out at her school
-getting to know my cousins on a more personal level...friends instead of just family
-sharing a room with Rachel and Mom again
-modeling lingerie with the girls
-lives revolving around food- very Eelkema
-being in a fit family that chooses to run races on vacation and chooses to walk everywhere
-spending quality time together!!!