After a fun-filled week roving through the streets of Washington DC, Glenn finally rejoined the family around 6:30 on Friday evening! Hooray! We hopped in our beat up rental mini van and headed out of town.
The first stop: 9512 Daniel Lewis Lane in Vienna, VA- Home Sweet Home. This is the town house where we lived during our time as Virginians, and it holds a special place in my heart. I didn’t have long to be sentimental, though. We had a destination we were trying to get to, and time was ticking! Derek hopped out of the van to get a picture with our old house and then we were back on the road!
We drove 4 hours until we reached New Jersey, home of Brent and Kristen! We were excited to see family, and our move from a posh business hotel to a high-class air mattress on the floor felt a lot more like it was the right spot for our family. There is nothing like seeing the smiling faces of siblings when pulling in with four kids at midnight. Brent and Kristen are great (and it was sure good of Aspen to share her crib)!
After a delicious breakfast (and I mean delicious), we decided it was time to brave the crowds and head to the Big Apple. Brent and Kristen were very impressive guides, especially considering that they have only lived in New Jersey for 3 weeks and it was just their second time into NYC. They got us around like pros!
Derek was immediately a fan of the city when we stepped out of the subway stop and he looked up to see his own personal welcome on the big screen.
You know you’re in NYC when the Empire State Building towers in the background!
Brent and Kristen took us over to the Staten Island Ferry, where we went right past the Statue of Liberty. One of those moments where I really felt like a true American. Of course, we were so busy trying to get a picture that Brent cautioned us that we were about to miss the moment completely. In the picture it seems SO far away, but we passed right next to it! Oh well. That little green dot in the background? That is proof that we went by Lady Liberty herself!
The next stop was Central Park. We rode the subway uptown and got out right on the corner of the park. We decided to get some lunch from a hotdog stand. I was skeptical, but the gyro I got was actually delicious! 
There was not much time to enjoy the lunch, however. Moments after we got it, a totally random downpour began. It went from sunny to pouring rain in a matter of seconds. It was totally unexpected, and even our phones showed the weather as being sunny while we were in the middle of the storm. We gathered up the kids and with all the other people of New York City, we ran for cover.
So much for Central Park. We managed to find shelter in the best possible spot- the FAO Schwartz toy store! The boys had wanted to go visit and play the big piano there (they remembered it from the trip we took back when we lived in DC). This time, Derek actually knows how to play, so he had quite a concert planned.
Once the rain died down a little, we headed for Times Square. Wow- it was crowded! There is NO WAY we could have done NYC with four little kids without Brent and Kristen’s help! Everyone had a buddy, and it was a good thing we did! After losing ourselves in the M&M store, we decided it was time to head home.
A deluxe air mattress has never felt so good!
On Sunday we planned to go see West Point, my dad’s Alma Matter. When the children started to fall apart on Sunday after church, however, it became clear that we all needed a break. I have to admit that it was nice to just relax and spend some time together with Brent, Kristen, and cute Aspen.
On Monday it was time to head back to the west. It was hard to force ourselves to leave such a fun place to visit and wonderful hosts, but we had a 4 hour drive and a plane to catch. Once we were on our way, we decided that we would have about 30 extra minutes where we could stop at Valley Forge on the way back to DC. What a gorgeous day! Just like Gettysburg, I wonder if any of the soldiers noticed the beauty of their surroundings in the midst of all the turmoil (although Valley Forge is probably less beautiful in the dead of winter). It was sure a nice day to visit!
Some things never change…
We hiked on this beautiful little trail to see some old replica cabins. Seems like a chilly spot to spend a winter.
Where’s Waldo?
Can you see all the dirt on that face? She would have made a good Revolutionary! (Except those laser beam eyes might have given her position away- I can’t tell you how many comments I got on this trip about how bright her eyes are!)
We even managed to squeeze in a stop to grab some authentic Philly Cheesesteaks, which were a delicious way to pass the time on the drive back to the airport.
And, in the blink of an eye, we were boarding the plane back to Colorado.
It seems almost like a dream now, but a really really fun dream. We hope to be back soon! What a great trip!
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