Day Nine- One Last Adventure

 New York Harbor. 4:45am Sunday November 26th. 

 Our wonderful adventure has come to an end. We'll happily carry all these memories with us for the rest of our days, but the entire trip went by way to quickly! Oh, and that's what you get when you ask Grace to "pout". The poor thing can't help but smile even when she's sad! 

 We docked near the Norwegian Breakaway. We watched this massive vessel being built on Mighty Ships and she was even more impressive to see in person! 

 Since we were arriving back in New York City while the Downton Abby exhibition was in town, we decided that we might as well get tickets to see it that day. Lunch with Frank and Brady was the perfect addition to our day in New York City. Good food with good friends after an amazing vacation really was the cherry on top of this sundae! 

 Before we entered the exhibit we were told to take as many pictures as we wanted! What a lovely invitation, and one that I didn't mind accepting at all! After all, it's not often that a special event like that invites you to do so. Below are a few of my favorites. The entire thing was lovely and we highly recommend seeing it if you are in the area while it's here. 

We spent a couple of hours soaking in all the beauty of Downton. The only way it could have been any better would have been for us to actually be at Highclere Castle. It was lovely to be transported back to Downton Abby before journeying back to Massachusetts. An absolutely perfect ending to a truly perfect vacation! xo

At The Bronx Zoo

Yesterday we took the girls to the Bronx Zoo for the first time. I hadn't been in almost thirty years, so it was almost like I was seeing it for the first time, too! There had been many changes since I was last there (though a few things I remembered). It was the perfect day to go in- comfortably cool and not too crowded. In our five-and-a-half hours there we saw a fair amount of the zoo, though it's safe to say that we hardly made a dent in it too (we still cannot figure out how we couldn't find where the giraffes were- though we did find their building). The sea lions, bug carousel and children's zoo were definitely the favorite parts of the day. While it wasn't what we thought we'd be doing this weekend the trip to the zoo certainly was a wonderful alternate adventure! xo

In New York City

In addition to our early morning visit with the deer, and Emma mastering shoe tying, Sunday also brought with it Grace and Emma's first trip to New York City. Our love of the Night at the Museum movies was the inspiration for this adventure, and since were were so close to NYC it seemed like the perfect time to finally take the girls to the American Museum of Natural History.

The highlight for Grace and Emma was getting to see "Dum Dum" (and yes, the museum staff there do refer to him as such)! They were so excited to see him that they couldn't resist giving him a hug. It was very sweet! 

 The Planetarium was another favorite, and we all agreed that we really wish we had spent more time there than we did. 

"Mama, you know how we are all made of star stuff? I just love that!" -Grace

 Before we journeyed back to New Jersey it was decided that we'd swing by Donna and Peter's favorite market in New York to pick up some items for dinner. Our walk from the Museum to Citarella was just lovely. From the farmers market as we exited the museum grounds, to the playgrounds we passed on the way, it was truly a glorious day to be in the city! xo

{This Moment} College Friends

{This Moment} - A Soule Mama Friday ritual. A single  photo - no words- capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you are inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments section for all to find and see. We wish you a lovely weekend! xo

A Visit To Maritime College

Last week, on our way home from Dave's grandmother's funeral, we stopped by Maritime College to visit my brother. 

And it just so happened that my Dad was there visiting him too. Dad had been visiting my grandfather down in New Jersey and figured (just like we did) that he might as well stop by and visit Grant on his way home. 

The girls were so excited to see both their grandfather and their uncle. 

The huge smile on my brother's face says it all!

Grace taking in the view. 

She couldn't believe that "Uncle Grant goes to school under a bridge!"

Grant took us over to Fort Schuyler. 

This is where all his classes are and where the Maritime Museum is too. 

The girls were so into seeing all the items in the museum and hearing everything that Uncle Grant had to say! They love the show Mighty Ships and to get to see models of ships like the ones they've seen on the show just really brought it all home for them. 

Grace just loved that her middle name is the name of a very famous ship. 

The first part of my childhood was spent living on the beach in Connecticut. 

With Long Island Sound as our backyard we often saw the QE2 cruising by!

Here Uncle Grant explains that this board shows who's on board ship at any given time. 

Heading over to the Empire State VI which is the training ship for the Maritime College Students. This is the ship my brother will be aboard the entire summer. The girls loved getting up close to this ship. Grant said that had he known sooner that we were coming he could have been able to get us clearance to go on board. Something to look forward for next time! 

Stopping at Maritime College was the perfect ending to our journey to (and from) New York. Thanks, Grant, for showing us around! We had a fabulous time and cannot wait to visit again!