To Be Young and in Love in New York City...

....maybe not the young part....but we're still young at heart.  Matt and I took a quick anniversary trip to the Big Apple while the kids went to church camp last week.  Matt had never been.  I was fortunate to take a trip to NYC back in 2015 for my sister's 40th.  We didn't have much time and wanted to make every minute count because there is so much to see.  Our hotel was right on Times Square and in the middle of the Theater District.  The Hilton hotel chain definitely has some of the best rates so always check into that if you're looking for a place to stay.  My hair was looking rather raggedy so I stopped next door and grabbed an NYC hat.

The absolute FIRST priority for me (especially since it was lunchtime) was to head straight for Halal Guys and grab a delicious chicken bowl.  It's been four years too long since I ate there and couldn't wait to return!!!  We stopped at Rodgers Theater to see if we could snag some Hamilton tickets, and I had heard that the box office sometimes has tickets available.  No luck.  Plus, I didn't personally want to spend $500 on tickets even if they were available.  Matt and I are more comedy-type and had already booked reservations at the Comedy Cellar and The Gotham Comedy Club for the next two nights.

The Central Park bike tour is one I would highly recommend.  Pay the money and do it!  There are many of them to choose from so don't accept the first price they throw out.  Central Park is large, and unless you have lots of time to kill, this is the best way to see it all.  Plus, you learn so much from the tour guides on history, wear the stars live, movie scenes/filming, etc.  The guides also stop at the most popular spots in the park for photos.

We weren't able to snag a picture at the famous F.R.I.E.N.D.S. fountain (because it was being repaired/restored) only to learn that it was a replica and not the one in the actual TV show which was filmed in California.

After Central Park we headed back to the hotel to crash for a little bit.  We'd been up since 3 AM and needed rest.  There is no shortage of panhandlers in NYC.  We were headed back to the hotel and turned a street corner, and Matt got caught by a group with CD's putting on the pressure sale.  Before he could pass, one of them had slipped one in his hand, signed it, and was asking for $20.  The minute Matt pulled out his wallet, they swarmed to him and were all asking for hand-outs.  It was a little frightening, but he finally broke free of them.

We crashed and burned at the hotel for a little while before heading to the Comedy Cellar.  I was thinking I'd made reservations to the actual Comedy Cellar.  When we arrived, the door supervisor instructed us that our performance was around the corner.  NOTE:: there are two Comedy Cellars - both under the same management.  The primary reason we wanted to go to CC was because we love the HBO show 'Crashing' with Pete Davidson.  I had no idea and simply had picked the time that seemed appealing.  We were a little bummed, but the entertainment was fantastic.  The headliners were podcast personalities from "Inside the Closet."  They were super funny.

When visiting NYC in 2015, a good friend of mine told me that we needed to try out Serendipity, but we never made it there.  I told Matt I really wanted to try it out. Forbidden Broadway Sundae was the move, and it was tasty.  I will say that we tried out Legendary Milk Shake in Nashville the week before, and it was definitely better than Serendipity.  It's a little overrated but worth trying out.  I also picked up a few packets of the Frozen Hot Chocolate which is what they're known for.

 Tuesday was full.  We started out with a tasty breakfast from Junior's before heading to Liberty Cruises for our Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island tour.  The weather was gorgeous.  I booked our reservations too late to go to the Pedestal portion of the Statue of Liberty.  However, there is a  museum on Liberty Island which was a nice addition.  We caught the ferry over to Ellis Island and browsed through immigration museum.  Both of us were getting hungry by this point, so we didn't stay real long before catching the ferry back to Battery Park.  Since we were close to Chinatown, we decided to try and find a restaurant there.  We were totally depleted, and Wonton Garden hit the spot!  We'd done so much walking and were ready to head back to the hotel and rest our feet.

I'd been perusing different sites trying to find us a decent deal on a Broadway show.  There are SO many shows in NYC, and they aren't cheap.  Since Facebook collects all this data from my searches, all sorts of ads were appearing in my feed.  I stumbled across a F/B ad for Burn/This with Keri Russell and Adam Driver.  WOW, two incredible actors, the Hudson Theater was right around the corner from our hotel, tickets were very inexpensive, and the play was set to close at the end of next week.  It was perfect.  I grabbed two tickets in the balcony for Wednesday night.

Tuesday night, we hit up Gotham Comedy Theatre. I probably wouldn't have known about Gotham had I not gotten an email at SKyPAC through Laughstub with all the information.  Janeane Garofalo and Michael Rapaport were two of the comedians scheduled to perform.  I vaguely remember Janeane and honestly, I wasn't impressed with her bit considering she professes that she's been a stand-up comic for over 30 years .  I didn't find her funny at all.  Rapaport is the dad on one of our favorite Netflix shows 'Atypical,' and he did a fantastic job as well as the other comedians.  Before the show, we ate the best burgers at Lucky's.

Wednesday was our last full day, and we wanted to make the most of it.  We ate breakfast at Toasties, and did a little souvenir shopping before heading to see the the 9/11 Memorial Museum  (which is a must-see).  I'd already been on my last visit and personally didn't want to see it again.  It's very emotional, but I relented and went with Matt.  He wanted to do the Guided Audio Tour.  I imagine if we ever take the kids to NYC, I'll do it again.

After 9/11, we headed over to Joe's Pizza, known for classic New York style pizza, which was amazing and took a walk (halfway) across the Brooklyn Bridge.  

We required some rest at this point and headed back to the hotel to relax before Burn/This.  Matt decided to get on The Comedy Cellar to see if there were any open reservations to the midnight show and managed to snag us two spots.  We figured it would be worth staying out late since we were leaving the next day anyway.

 Burn/This was well-written and kept us entertained from start to finish.  However with the run time, we didn't have a chance to go back to the hotel to change and went straight to The Comedy Cellar.  Call it karma or whatever you wish, but after we returned TCC for the second time, the show prior was running a little over.  AND, because they require everyone upon entry to seal your smarts watches and phones in a mailing bag, you don't have any way of knowing who you'll see when you're there.  Matt and I were hands-down the oldest people there, but we didn't care.  We sat right up front and were the butt of a couple of jokes.  The first two comedians were funny, and then, out of nowhere, Judd Apatow took the stage.  Are you kidding me?!?  If you don't recognize the name, you'd certainly know his movies and that he's worth a cool $90 million.  He loved talking to us because we're in the same boat.  Matt even made him laugh =).  It was a super cool night and experience.  We didn't get back to the hotel until after 3 AM. 

By Thursday morning, we were beat.  We also didn't have much time to kill.  I wanted to run to Starbucks for a coffee and muffin.  I'd been Snapchatting with my buddy Jennie who was also in NYC at the same time.  Turns out she was right across the street from the Starbucks I was at.  Matt and I did a little shopping before returning to the hotel to check out. 

We thought about trying out a Lyft to save some money on our return to the airport.  Not a great experience.  And by not great, I mean, the driver didn't show up but charged us.  Fortunately, he refunded the money, and we still had plenty of time to kill so we opted for the subway/bus transfer and only spent $2.75 each.  It wasn't ideal, but we didn't care because our flight wasn't until late afternoon.  Because it was the 4th of July, check-in was slower than ever and getting through the security points took decades, but we finally made it to our terminal.

It was the perfect getaway, and the right amount of time.  We collected our rug rats from church camp the next day and spent the rest of the weekend relaxing.

Halfway Through

Someone please tell me how we are already halfway through the year?!?  It's month SIX people!  I do love summer but honestly, it's the busiest time of the year for me with my job.  While my household is enjoying a more relaxed, lazy schedule, I'm up at the crack of dawn and heading to work for summer camps. I just completed my second week camp and have a little breather before the next two weeks begin.  It's halfway through the year, halfway through my camps, and I'm halfway losing my mind =).

  Karson continues to stay active with both basketball and volleyball but has a little time off for dead period.  Her volleyball team always participates in a tournament at Lindsey Wilson in June.  Due to track, she hadn't had much time to shake the rust off but did a great job.  Her team won all their games (but again, it was a little warm-up, not much hard competition). Basketball participated in three day-tournaments for Greenwood High, Barren County and Glasgow High and a three-day camp at WKU.  The girl stays busy and active which is how she likes it. The track banquet was also this month and was a nice event.  I dropped Karson's letterman off at Duke's to add all her bars and patches.  She'll get to add the KHSAA Triple Threat patch to her jacket.

 

When she's not on the basketball court or at practice, you can find Karson and company at the sand volleyball courts at Preston Miller Park.

 Miles played in his first Go Series Golf tournament last Thursday in Madisonville in the 11-12 year old division.  It's 9-holes walking.  We bought him one of those rolling carts to help keep all of his gear together and make it a little easier for him.  We were super proud of his attitude and that he tied for 5th at his first event.  He's signed up for two more tournaments, but due to a thumb injury (trampoline + football + brother + AJAX soap) this week, he has to drop out of tomorrow's tournament =(.

 

Isaac spends a lot of his free time doing youth events at Greenwood Park during the summer.  It's hard to believe Church Camp is next week.  He went with the group to Lipscomb University's IMPACT the weekend before last and had so much fun.  We're grateful to Brian and Elyse (the summer intern) for working so hard to shape and teach our youth the importance of loving God and loving others.

We love Uncle Ben and were happy to celebrate his birthday this month at Long Horn!

Happy 20th to US!

Greenwood Park Church of Chirst - we were married by Matt's dad Colvin on June 5, 1999 at 3:00 PM which was also the 51st anniversary of my grandparents - Bill and Bonnie Hartwein.  Memaw passed back in November, but this week would've marked their 71st.  Matt and I were talking the other day about how strange it is/was that our parents are currently (or close to) the age of grandparents when we got married.

Is it possible to summarize 20 years?  I have no idea.  It's hard for me to remember the details of yesterday. Matt and I have loved each other for 23 years. Here is the highlight reel....

CHURCH
The Hilltoppers for Christ.  It's where we met.  Matt rolled into the student center in a Gold Acura and Bright Orange North Face Jacket.  I thought he was the most handsome guy I'd ever seen and remembered him playing basketball for Greenwood High year's ago.  We'd both grown up in the Church of Christ - me and Greenwood Park, and Matt at Lehman Avenue and Alvaton.  We'd crossed paths here and there during high school at church and school functions.  During our HFC year's we did lots of dorm bible studies, Tuesday night devotionals, mission work, and weekend trips.  He and I drove to Edmonton every single Sunday to work with the Edmonton Church of Christ.  After college/marriage, we moved to Georgia for a brief period and worked for Lake Park Church of Christ.  Lots of twists and turns in ministry.  Matt got his graduate degrees (Master of Arts in Religion and Master of Divinity) from David Lipscomb.  We worked at University Church of Christ for a period of time before starting Bowling Green Community Church or Christ which initially met at Bowling Green High School and eventually moved into the 12th Street Church building.  Church was a big part of our lives and journey.  It was meaningful. It was hard.  It was time consuming. Serving in a leadership role came to an end for us.  Matt had already carved out a new career path and a more secure future. He'd decided to go back to school and pursue a degree in Education (undergrad in History, Masters in Education, Rank 1 and Masters in Administration).  He and I were both working all week and every weekend with full time jobs and a family.  Something had to give.  After much thought and consideration, we hung up ministry hat. 

These are Matt's Ten Commandments, and I love them.  Because we're not active in church doesn't change the core of who we are and are trying to be.  We still love each other.  We still love God.  We still strive to be good people.  We're not any different.  We're still good people who work hard and love others.  We both still serve the community and teach our children values.

1.  Seek Love first!  Love matters most.  God is love.
2.  Cherish Tiff and the kids and tell them how much you love them everyday.  Really, really, really, really cherish them and make it obvious to the four of them how much that you love them.  Tiff only has one husband and the kids only have one dad.
3.  Appreciate other people for who they are.  Don't compare and judge.
4.  Relax (don't worry about your life, breathe/meditate regularly).  Life is short.  Live as a non-anxious presence. Everything passes quickly.  Take time each day to get in a good mental place.
5.  Trust that LOVE wins (believe the future is bright).
6.  Exercise regularly, eat healthy, sleep well (if possible, take a nap when you're tired).
7.  Don't feel bad about feeling bad.  Let bad feelings pass.
8.  Want what you have (be grateful not entitled.  It's all a gift.  "Thanks").
9.  Choose happiness (do your work and rest with peace, joy and appreciation).
10.  Be as kind as possible (when it's all said and done, how you treated other people that will matter the most).

KIDS

It was something Matt and I had talked about at different points during our dating relationship.  Having them was sort of the progression of what we both wanted in life. We knew we wanted kids, and we had kids. I can't really process my life before them.  I ask myself...what in the world did  we even spend our money on?  We were married for three years before getting pregnant with Karson.  There were no 3-D options, just the basic poltergeist fuzzy screen where the sonographer is pointing to body parts.  You're nodding your head pretending to agree with what they're pointing at.  You brought in a VHS tape for the recording and got a blurry picture. I gained around 70 lbs. with each pregnancy.  People tried consoling me by saying it was all baby.  Nope, not true.  All our babies were small Karson at 6 lbs., Isaac 7 lbs., and Miles 8 lbs.  All I could think about was food and when I could eat next.  The hunger disappeared when they were born.  One would think nursing babies would make you hungry, and while I was hungry, it was nothing like my pregnant hungry.
     One thing I controlled was the day of the week my babies were born -all on a Tuesday, like their dad.  Tuesday child is full of grace.  It's about the only thing I could control.  There's nothing easy about the baby years.  It's all about survival - mental, physical, and emotional.  I read all the books, tried all the tips, never figured it out....still trying to figure it all out...probably never will.  One thing we both agree on is that we want to be PRESENT both emotionally and physically for our children.  At the end of the day, we want our kids to know that we love them, we hear them, we support them, and we are available - not helicoptery or smothering them to death but available.  They need to have their own lives and make their own decisions.  It's important to be real with them.  It's hard being a teenager, and all we can do is be supportive, loving, and give positive correction.

DWELLINGS

• Worthington Triangle Street in Lake Park, GA
• East 15th Street, BG x 2
• Plainfield Way, BG
• Roseberry Circle, BG

PETS

• Daisy and Duke (mini Dachshunds)
• Green Jill the Turtle
• Princess Sparkles Hampster
• a few BETA fish, sea monkeys, and hermit crabs 

We'll stick with Jerry Deaton - the stuffed giraffe horse who celebrates his birthday every year on June 1.




We plan to celebrate our 20th in New York this July with a quick trip while our kids are at church camp.