New York! New York!

Randy and I, along with my mom, dad and step-mom, went to New York this past week to attend Madison's graduation ceremony from Columbia University. She has earned a Master's degree in Social Work.

On Sunday, we had brunch at Tavern on the Green before heading to Connecticut for a bbq.

Monday & Tuesday we spent touring on Grey Line tour buses. Upper, Mid and Lower Manhattan were covered as was Brooklyn and a night tour. The harbor tour to Liberty Island and Ellis Island came later in the week.

The beginning of the week was freezing and we were bundled up.

Graduation was on Wednesday and it turned out to be a very warm day.

It was so exciting to see Madison in the sea of Columbia blue and watch her graduate.

Proud mom and dad!
We did so much in one week! It's already beginning to blur as to what we did on each day.

We had pizza at Grimaldi's Pizza in Brooklyn and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan.
We went to the Metropolitan Museum on Thursday and walked and walked and walked! There was so MUCH to see!

Attended my first professional baseball game - The New York Yankees! They play the Baltimore Orioles and won, of course. I called Brandy to let her know where I was, but since it wasn't a Mets game, she didn't care. My sunglasses broke, so I got a new pair from a street vendor. I think they're a little big on me.
We saw the Statue of Liberty on the harbor cruise. It is so amazing to see it in person. Just beautiful.

I left New York with a remembrance around my wrist from Tiffany's, a girl's favorite store.

Keith Urban is Coming to Fresno!

Keith Urban is coming back to Fresno and I want to go! I was told his concert last year was one of the best and this year he's bringing Sugarland with him. If you would like to go, would you please let me know ASAP?

The Jewel Hidden Inside

This video will floor you. I've always known to not judge a book (person) by its cover (appearance), but this video really showed me an example of the jewel that is in every single person. We just need to take time with people to find it. When we do, we'll be well rewarded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-KiGva9dV4

This would make a great object lesson at church.

British Books

I've finished another installment in the Shopaholic series, Shopaholic Ties the Knot. Becky and Luke are to be married, obviously, in this one, but of course, things aren't going to go smoothly. It's a fun read. I also finished two books by an author I hadn't read before, Jane Green. She is British, as is Sophie Kinsella who does the Shopaholic books. I love reading contemporary British female author's books that are flavored with British slang, locales and euphemisms. It's interesting to see the differences in our cultures through literature.

Wedding Plans

Madison came home last week for spring break. The first time in four years as BYU doesn't have spring break, because they are on the quarter system. It was great having her here. We worked on wedding stuff. On Monday we went to the seamstress and had her dress fitted along with the muslin top. By Friday the dress was taken in and the muslin top was fitted for her. Shirley, the seamstress, said the lace fabric came in this week and so she will start building the top. (The dress is strapless, as are the vast majority of dresses, and so requires a top).

We found wedding invitations and I am working with the designer to get those ready. They'll be really cute - with blue polka-dots. What can be cuter than polka-dots? That's funny, I just realized my mob dress is navy with cream polka-dots. Well, that is if I can fit into it...I've gotten a bit more curvier of late. I've been exercising, but my pie hole is opening up just a bit too frequently and I've been doing lots of work lunches. It'll do it to you. Gotta work on that. Went over to Brandy's the other night and did her Wii personal trainer program. That is REALLY cool! I need to get a real personal trainer is what I need to do. Anyway, I digress...wedding plans are coming along. I need to work on the food now lol. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

Say Yes to the Yes Man!

Madison brought me the book Yes Man by Danny Wallace when she came home last week to visit. I'll tell you it's one of the funnier books I've read lately. Nice when a book actually makes you laugh out loud. The kick to it is that it's a true story! I thought, because of the movie (which I haven't seen), it was fiction, but it's a book written by a comedian, who because he was disenchanted with the direction his life was going, decided to say yes to everything, and I mean everything. This is one to try!

It's Been a While

Ya, it's been a while since I've last posted anything. I have been busy studying for my insurance license test, which was this morning. I am praying that I passed. I'm a little tired of spending my evenings in front of the computer taking practice tests. Ok, this is weird, but I haven't blogged also, because all of a sudden it weirded me out that anybody could be reading my blog. I know! That's stupid, because the very nature of a blog is to write and have people read it, but I just freaked for a bit. I want to write uplifting, funny, witty remarks and that just doesn't happen. I love reading hypochondriacs blog (see side bar for link). She cracks me up. That's what I would like to write like, but I don't see things the way she does, so I'm not going to be able to write that way. I'll just write my own way and do the best I can.