Coney Island

On with our mini vacation....

Monday we went to Coney Island and oh what a day it was. Who ever said that Coney Island is not fun does not remember what it was like to be a kid. The moment that we got there I was overcome with excitement, it was really something. This was one of the best days that we have had in the city.

Doug is a big fan of the Nathans Hot Dog Eating Contest so these pictures seemed appropriate.

We all enjoyed our onion pepper hot dogs and funnel cake...two items that were a must.

We took a walk out to the pier, it was beautiful and peaceful. Doug reminded me that we will be able to do this almost every night when we move.

We even got to see something called "Shoot the Freak". This I kind of felt bad about but the guy did not seem to mind, he was mocking us.

Then it was the actual freak show. Doug claims that this was the best six bucks that he has ever spent. There was the guy that drilled a nail up his nose, the girl that swallowed a knife about a foot long, a women that dances with a snake, another women that is full of electricity and can start a fire with her fingertips, and the fire eating lady among others. Complete entertainment.

Check this out:

Next was the Ferris Wheel. This is a Ferris Wheel like no other, it moves like a roller coaster, I have to admit that I was a little scared.

This video explains a lot but it was a little windy:

We took random pictures, keep in mind that this place is suppose to be for kids. We got a kick out of all the workers smoking and having bodies full of tattoos.

We saved the best for last....The Cyclone!! I have been on many roller coasters but this one takes the cake. It even came with the shirtless man in the front that kept paying to ride it over and over without getting out.

We could not hide our excitement.

The conclusion is...if you get a chance to go to Coney Island, take it!!

For Jeff's take on the day check out his blog, he is a lot funnier then I??

Brooklyn Is Cool

To continue with our Mini Vacation we spent some time walking around Brooklyn Sunday night. It was a beautiful night so we walked around the neighborhood and to the Brooklyn Bridge to celebrate its 125th anniversary.

One of the coolest parts was the telescope that was under the bridge. It really is not a telescope but made to look like one. When you stand in front of it you see people that are over on the London Bridge looking back at you. Many people were dancing and giving us the peace sign. Jeff was performing the moon walk for them sense they could see us as well. The first pictures were the ones that I took but the second is to help you get a better idea. It was way cool.

Memorial Weekend Mini Vacation

We were trying to plan somewhere really cool to go for Memorial Weekend then we realized that we live in the coolest place ever. Sense we will be leaving soon we decided to stay and do things that we have not yet done in the city or things that we really enjoy. We still wanted it to feel like a mini vacation so we went and spent the night in Brooklyn with the Mulcocks. Even though is was a vacation we still went to church (this was a discussion that went back and forth). Caitlin is always healthy so I was learning some new ideas from her on healthy cooking. Here was dinner:

Then we did things not so healthy like banana splits, but come on...it was a vacation.

We played a couple games of Settlers (of course) and Caitlin finally won...yay!! We play this often. Many more good times were had but those details are coming shortly.

Jersey Trip

We had another birthday to celebrate this week, Piper Jane. We all loaded up in three cars and headed to Jersey for a party. For her first birthday, Reagan bought her an adorable dress that had owls on it. To go with the theme, Reagan also made cupcakes that looked like owls, they were cute but not as cute as Piper. We all enjoyed seeing how great she looks and all the yummy food that Reagan brought. Piper got her first bite of chocolate (the doctors looked away) as all little girls should have on their first birthdays. I was also good and made a healthier version of an oatmeal cake, I am keeping with my new diet. I am really going to miss this little one when we leave.

Baseball Games and Cake Go Well Together

For Tracy's Birthday on Friday we went to see the Yankees play the Mariners. Tracy is a huge Mariners fan so it seemed the only sensible thing to do. The weather was perfect, the company ruled, the singing was unforgettable ("In the Navy" was song for all the sailors here for Fleet Week), and the falling down drunks were great entertainment. Tracy was happy about her seats that were right down front and she got a perfect view of the fight that broke out. To bad the Yankees won (go Yankees).....Tracy was not happy about it.

We were able to cheer her up by bringing here for some cake and ice cream....yum.

Appreciation #11

This weeks appreciation goes out to Marci. I used to be Marci's visiting teacher but I always left feeling like she taught me more then I did her. She has taught me by example how to stay so positive even though things may be tough at times. I have enjoyed our friendship and I always look forward to seeing her because she always has a smile that brights up the room. She will call just because to see if I need anything and she is the one that is always busy. She is expecting her fourth child any day but still offers. The other day, when we heard our sad news, she was here with a beautiful candle to light up our home. Thank you Marci for your friendship and the way that you continue to teach me to be better everyday.

This is why....

I love this show So much

So You Think You Can Dance?? Season 4



This is worth watching, even Doug made us watch it again.

Happy Birthday Tracy

Happy Birthday Tracy
(the one in the middle)


We love you!!

A Good Laugh

I have received this e-mail from three different people this month so I thought that I would share.

Quote of the Day........"My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to change it." -- Barack Obama

I did some research and this article claims that Obama did not say this. I don't know if it is true or not but I do know that I got a good laugh out of it.

The e-mail continues with these statistics:

A little over 16 MONTHS ago:

1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) The unemployment rate was 4.5%.

Since voting in a Democratic Congress that promised to change things in 2006 we have seen:

1) Consumer confidence plummet;
2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.50 a gallon and congress refused to vote for policies to increase our production;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;
6) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.

It looks like America voted for change in 2006, and we got it! Remember it's Congress that makes law not the President. He has to work with what's handed to him.

I am not going to give the rest of the e-mail because it goes on and on and I am not here to offend anyone. Like I said, I just got a good laugh out of it.

Amazing Spread

Last night Jen and Gutsavo invited us to their home for dinner. Jen and I were roommates when we were single in the city. Jen and Gutsavo were married last September and even though they live a couple blocks away, we never seem to see each other so last night was a real treat. Brandon also joined us which is always fun. Gutsavo knows how much Doug loves beans and rice so he went all out for dinner. Look at this amazing spread.


I made tres leches for dessert and it was so sweet that after one bite we were bouncing off the walls from our sugar high. I only had about one bite and I was done. It was a great evening catching up with old friends and remember what is really important in life.

Saying Goodbye

Saturday we said goodbye to these three beautiful ladies. All of their husbands have graduated from Columbia and they are moving on to bigger and better things. Moving seems to be a trend right now. Becca and I hosted a brunch for them and as always, good times were had by all.
I have been able to serve with Linda on the Activities Committee. I don't know what I would have done without her Spanish speaking skills.
I got to know Ellen through our "ladies night out" that we tried to have as often as possible.
Christina and I were both in card club so we had our monthly meetings that I always looked forward to.
I am going to miss all of them and I am so thankful for their friendship. Good luck ladies and keep in touch.

Quick and Easy

I am all about making really good treats that are quick and easy this week. I was helping with a brunch today and I thought that fruit sounded like a good idea. To spice things up a little I made this fruit dip. My mom taught me this years ago and everyone uses it in our family. It is very plain and simple but oh so good. Strawberry cream cheese and marshmallow fluff. Mix them together and you have a fruit dip that is worth licking the bowl for.

Cheating Cookies

I had a very busy day today packing up things to bring to the church for our wards yearly clothing exchange. I figured that this was a great time to get rid of some things that I knew we would not be taking with us to California but are still in good shape. There ended up being a lot more then I thought and I got carried away packing up more clothes for the move. Thank you Emily for giving me a ride to the church or everything would have ended up on the street.
Anyway, I forgot that I was to make a treat for my girls tonight. I am the Activity Day Leader for the girls ages 8-11 in my ward. I had to come up with something quick so I came up with this idea. I have used it before and everyone thought that I made the cookies from scratch. I bought the already made cookie dough, made balls, rolled them in coconut, and put them on the cookie sheet to bake. Easy enough and done in ten minutes. So, if you are ever in a bind, I hope that this idea works. They were a hit with the girls. Also, you all can be proud because I didn't eat them.