we had such a good day

we had such a fun and special 3rd wedding anniversary. i was feeling less than inspired to do anything, and really wanted to wait and celebrate once we got settled in our new home. but Bear insisted that we take a day off from packing and do something for our special day, and i could not of been more thankful. the day was planned out perfectly and it consisted of all of our favorite things. 

Bear and i have started reading this extraordinary wonderful book, "No Ordinary Time". The book is an illustration of Franklin and Eleanor and the influence that they had on American Society. FDR grew up in Hyde Park, NY and that is where we spent our 3rd wedding anniversary. 

we first toured around Eleanor's house. the house was dark and musky but ornate and cozy at the same time. all the original furnishings were in the house. it was very neat to look at all of her family pictures hanging on the wall. and i found it so fun that she use to frame Christmas cards and hang them in her dining room.  

 

Bear had made reservations for lunch at the culinary institute of america. the campus is amazing with views looking over the hudson river. the food was so dang good. but the dessert was even better. 

after our scrumptious lunch we headed to Franklin's house. the rooms were filled with expensive decor and floral drapes. it showed Franklins collection of just about everything; birds, british comic strips, and paintings. Again, everything was original and kept the same way as it was when he lived there.
the grounds were spectacular, filled with rose gardens, a barn, and lots of trees. Franklin planted over 500 trees while living there.

the day was filled with history, outdoors, adventure, and laughter... a perfect combination for an anniversary outing. we did no gift exchange (not even cards) but i did get a big kiss when i woke up and a day that was thoroughly planned out by the best husband in the world.

The last of their trip

While my parents were in town we spent a day in New York City. And although it started raining just minutes after we arrived (and it never let up), we had such a fun time showing them all over. I think the rain made it more fun (and a lot more funny). My Mom had to buy a poncho to stay warm and dry, Bear was dripping with water from head to toe; he was the only smart one to wear a rain jacket, and my Dad and I were like Mary Poppins with our umbrella's swaying in the air. 

We walked through Time Square, went into St. Patricks Cathedral and Grand Central Station. We showed them Rockefeller Center, Ground Zero, and SoHo.  We stuffed ourselves with Lombardi's famous pizza pie and frozen hot chocolate dessert from Serendipity.

As the day went on we continued to get rained on. It was raining so hard that even our umbrellas weren't doing much good. We quickly walked through Central Park and around FAO Schwarz toy store. Shortly after, we called it a day. Making our way back to the train station proved to be pretty comical. It was rush hour. Everyone had umbrellas. Puddles were ankle deep and everyone was trying to get a taxi. We walked, getting more and more soaked with every step. We caught the train just in time. We all looked like we had just stepped out of the shower by the time the day was over. 

The next day we took a walk around Rutgers Gardens, walked around the Stadium, and enjoyed my parents company. Thank you for all the wonderful meals that you cooked (and bought) for us. We loved having you guys visit us.

the sun was out in the city

The hubby and i went into the city today (new york city). it was a very quick trip but we managed to walk several blocks and enjoy the beautiful spring time weather.