I heart NY

Larry and I have always wanted to take the boys to NYC.  Larry has loved the city ever since he was a missionary in NY.  I have grown to love NYC over the past few years while traveling there for work.  So, when Larry had the opportunity to go to NYC for NY Comic-Con, I jumped at the chance that the boys and I might be able to tag along.  Larry was going to be busy most days with the convention so the majority of the time it was me and my boys, hitting the streets and subways of NYC.

We took a red eye flight thinking we would get some sleep on the plane but sleep really never came.  The boys were good sports about the whole thing.  We got off the plane, dropped our luggage off at the hotel and went straight to Battery Park to pick up our Statue of Liberty tickets.  There was a whole lot of waiting around.  Waiting to get the tickets, waiting to go through security before waiting for the boat and then more waiting once we got on the island to go through more security to go inside the statue.  Once we got inside the statue the boys were pretty impressed and enjoyed themselves.  

This is where I would LOVE to show you the pictures from the Statue of Liberty but they somehow were deleted from the camera.  Just imagine the boys standing under the nose of a replica of the Lady Liberty's face.  Now imagine a nice shot of the boys standing with the water behind them and the NY skyline in the distance.  Great shot!  Now imagine Dresden having a melt down and standing on the lawn in front of the statue being grumpy.  Lastly, imagine dozens of birds on the grass in front of the statue and Logan running towards them making them all fly away.

After we waited in more lines to get back on the boat to head back to shore, we went to the 9/11 Memorial.  We watched a documentary on the building of the new World Trade 1 during the 10th anniversary so the boys were very excited to see the building in person.  I think they were pretty impressed with the water falls and how large the new building is.  For me, it was a feeling of awe knowing that I had once walked that plaza when the Twin Towers were standing and to now walk around the huge footprints of where these two massive towers once stood.  It is so hard to imagine what it must have been like on that day and the months that followed.  

Larry had time the next day to go to the Natural History Museum with us.  After seeing the movie, Night at the Museum, I think the boys were a little disappointed to not see anything coming to life.  In reality, they were so tired from not getting sleep the night before that they were pretty tired and not too interested in the museum.

Dresden, Larry, and Logan at the Natural History Museum

 Logan not having a melt down

 Logan having a melt down

 Dresden in front of a giant whale at the Natural History Museum

 

 FAO Schwartz and the Big Piano

 LEGO Statue of Liberty

Dresden is currently very interested in cars and was very impressed with all the nice cars he saw on the Upper East side.  As we were walking to the Metropolitan Museum we came across a wedding party that was waiting the bride and groom to get their pictures taken in Central Park.  Dresden saw this Rolls Royce and wanted his picture in front of it.  The driver was standing on the sidewalk so I asked him if I could take a picture of the boys in front of the car and he said, "I can do you one better.  They can sit in the car."  Dresden was in disbelief.  He told me it was his best day ever!  I bought him Ferrari shoes earlier in the day, he saw a Lamborghini, 3 Bentley's, 2 Rolls Royce's, 6 Porches, and he got to sit in a Rolls Royce.  The boys were on a total high and didn't seem to mind the walk to the Met.

 Dresden and Logan in the Rolls Royce

The boys standing in the doorway of an Egyptian Pyramid

After leaving the Met the boys really wanted to walk through Central Park.  They LOVED the park!  The loved running up and down hills, chasing after the squirrels, and all of the unique playgrounds they have.

 The boys sitting in front of the Conservatory Pond

 Logan and Mom

 Dresden and Mom

This slide was built into a hill.  You would slide down the slide on a piece of cardboard.  The boys had so much fun and thought this was the coolest slide ever.

The boys really enjoyed taking the subway and were really great about reading the signs and remembering what lines we needed to transfer to.  They also loved swiping their MetroCards to get through the turn styles.

 Mom checking subway app on her iTouch and Logan being silly

 Both boys loved to stand while on the subway.  Here is Dresden standing, trying not to wake up the "hobo", as the boys call them.

On our last day we woke up and went to the Empire State Building.  When I have been there before the lines were crazy long.  We got there early and didn't have to wait, only for the elevators.  Most of our stay in NY was overcast and rainy but this day was perfect!  We could see for miles.

The boys listening to the audio tour

 Looking out over the concrete Jungle

Before we left we had to go back to Times Square and make those last minute purchases.  The boys loved the M&M store and spent way too much money there.

 

Before we even got out of Manhattan, both boys fell asleep in the cab on the way to the airport.  The flight home was uneventful and all three of us were able to get some shut eye.