NYC

Last weekend we had a great time visiting New York City for the holiday hustle and bustle. We had planned the trip to visit our friends who live in Brooklyn and to take Em to the American Girl Doll store for her birthday/Christmas gifts. Jon had the great idea to drive half way the night before, stay at a hotel, and then travel the rest of the way Saturday morning. Even in doing that, we didn't arrive at our friends' house until 11 am. We spent a little time there catching up and playing, but as Em asked for the 10th time when we would get to the store, we left them for the afternoon and took the subway into Manhattan. The ride itself was an experience for the kids, but they were very anxious to get to our destination, Rockefeller Center. When we exited the subway, we were immediately swept up in the crowds. We walked a few blocks to see the huge Christmas tree and then around the block to watch the ice skaters for a few moments. We wanted to grab something to eat and found this perfect sandwich shop, where we got to sit at the window and watch everything going on outside. After lunch, Em couldn't take waiting any more, so we had to get to the American Girl Doll store. When we arrived, there was a line to simply get in the door. Thankfully it actually moved quickly, so we were inside within several minutes. The place was packed. I tightly held Em's hand and tried to navigate the store. Being as little as she is, I am sure she missed seeing half of what was in the store, and instead, got to see everyone's legs and packages. I tried to usher her around to see the whole place, but she already knew what she wanted. We headed upstairs to find the historical dolls in our search for Emily. At first glance, I couldn't find the Emily doll because she wasn't even displayed among the others, but since I knew she was friends with Molly, we found her in a box next to that display. My Em was immediately in love as she smiled ear to ear and kept saying, "My Emily." Those were my thoughts exactly. I too was smiling ear to ear seeing my little girl.

The rest of the weekend was great too, but that moment was priceless. We went down 5th Avenue, to FAO Shwarz, had a delicious pizza dinner, spent the evening relaxing with our friends, went to Liberty Park, and had a long drive home. A great weekend and a treasured memory.