Stoop Days

I miss our old stoop everyday. This is from our last day in Brooklyn. Sharon and I were trying to get some pictures of Charles and Hailey together. We told them 'put your arms around each other'.
They both did this at the same time.


There, that's better


 

It's crazy how fast they are growing up. It's only been three months. Sharon and I share pictures of our kiddos with each other pretty often and to see how much H has grown since I saw her last hurts my heart. Sharon can't believe it either. We used to see each other almost every day. We have had them talk on the phone a few times and I know he remembers her. It will be crazy to see them together again this summer. I am sure they will have changed so much.

From NYC to MPLS... our move in pictures. Vignette #1

Saying Goodbyes..





Loading the truck..



Last family stoop picture at 814..


814...

Things that were good last week.. in pictures

* Getting together with old friends, especially those who live in Norway!!!


* A jump-house at a birthday party!


*Painting in the backyard


*Worship music being played on the platform while waiting for a train
*Breakfast at Cafeteria with JR
* Fireworks at Coney Island


* Peaches!
* Helene on Piano
* An impromptu frozen yogurt date with Ashley


*A job offer for Chris!!!
 

*Giving a bible to a little girl at church who was so excited to learn how to look up the memory verse she asked if she could keep it. Praise Jesus!


*Charles participating in his first VBS/BUMP


*Margaret and Anthony here
 

Thoughts for a Friday...

It's HOT! (106 degrees with a heat index of 114 to be exact.) A few days ago I was seeing all my MN friends on facebook posting about the blasted weather and now that weather has come to Brooklyn. Should I blame Margaret and Anthony for 'bringing it with them from MN'?? No, but I will be relaxing in the AC and playing in the pool with my favorite boy :)
On that note, upon entering the house after being outside one day earlier this week I had to thank God once again for providing us with the means to purchase our window ac last summer. Holla

Today, despite the fact that I was wearing a cute skirt and strapless top it just got to the point where sticking my legs in the water wasn't enough so I sat down in the pool with Charles and Hailey fully clothed and didn't care. It't too hot to care.

Tomorrow night we are attending a wedding Garba (which is an Indian celebration) for our friends who are getting married in two weeks. He is Indian and she is Italian. It's going to be the fanciest wedding we have ever been to and I am SO excited. She was one of my first close friends here in Brooklyn and I am so happy for her. One of my friends from church lent me a chaniya choli outfit to wear to the Garba and a traditional Indian outfit of her husbands for Chris, even a little one for Charles too! fun!

I didn't hear about the bombing in Oslo until this afternoon after we came in from the pool. I am thankful that our friends in Oslo are all ok. Please pray for Oslo and that God would use this incident as a way to bring people to Him. Klem til Norge.

In five weeks we *could* be back in MN. We wont be leaving before the 20th but it looks like it will be some time during the week of the 22nd. AH! I have so much to do! Not one box has been packed.. Goal for next week while we have Margaret here is to start packing.

Heading to Coney Island tonight for the fireworks. Perhaps a bad idea in this heat but hoping that it will be cooler near the water with the breeze off the ocean.  Wondering what Charles will think of the fireworks this summer now that he is a little older. This will be his third time including two summers ago when he was still in my belly.

Earlier this week I bought some rhubarb because it was on sale and then got some from a friend who got it from her father-in-law's garden. She brought it over along with some blueberry rhubarb upside down cake. mercy.  I love rhubarb.. now what should I make? Thinking I will try my hand at my Grandma's famous Rhubarb dessert and make another batch of strawberry rhubarb crisp. yum

Weekend Adventures

Getting ready for a move across country is a big task! First thing on the list? Downsize! I was just going to take a bunch of stuff to Salvation Army but a friend of ours is moving as well so we decided to pool our stuff together and have a stoop sale first. One thing I have learned about Chinese culture by living in this neighborhood is that they don't really buy things that have been used. If it's free, regardless of the quality, they'll take it, but used? nope. With that being said, we knew going into it that it wouldn't be a big money maker, and it wasn't.



On our second day, which was also our last, we decided to make a huge sign that said FREE for the last hour or so to see if people would take stuff and lessen our load of things to haul to the Salvation Army. Worked like a charm! We got rid of almost everything on our table as well as a lot of the clothes. Everything left over fit into a few boxes/bags in the back seat and most importantly, we got rid of a bunch of stuff! I am sure there will be a few more trips to Salvation Army (as well as some postings on craigslist for some larger items) in the next few weeks, but it feels good to make a dent.

On Saturday we headed for the upper west side to take in the Museum of Natural History. Some people feel obligated to pay the full amount of a suggested donation admittance, I however am not one of them. I paid a dollar a piece for the three of us (which would have cost us $32) and we spend the afternoon at the museum with our friends Dion and Janet and their new baby Samuel. Charles loved the fish, animals and dinosaurs- although walking into the room and seeing the herd of Elephants was scary at first!


(I apologize for the poor quality of some of these photos- they were all taken on my phone)







 


We had a great time with our friends.


Afterwards we headed to the Shake Shack. Ohmygoodness. Awesome burgers and one of the best chocolate shakes I have ever had. Ever. No wonder the line is always out the door!

 
We will definitely be going back there again before we move home- though I am really looking forward to finally consuming a famous Jucy Lucy at Matt's!
And to top off our fun weekend our friend Nate was in NY and we got to spend Sunday with him. Here he is with Charles who is shamelessly giving his girlfriend the flirty eye. Boy did he love making her smile! He is such a charmer!

For Becca..

Can you tell who that is??? Leslie and Charles are total BFF's :)

Showing Our Patriotism