December - NYC for Christmas!

 December was a wonderful month. It was filled with fun, laughter, hope, love, service, and a trip of a life time. Get ready for a picture overload.

The boys started off with a fun birthday party invite to celebrate Dexter's 10th birthday. They were so excited to check out Boomers in Modesto with friends. 

Beckham and Rowan at the arcades and Jack in the bumper cars. 

Jack loved the bumper cars!

These three were a party in themselves, haha. 

Two besties enjoying life. 

Giselle did such an awesome job keeping us updated on the boys. Michael and Giselle treated them like Kings. They loved every minute of this party. Jack and Beckham talked a mile a minute when they got home. So hyped up on all the fun and maybe some sugar ;) 

In September Jack asked if he could join the choir. I thought that was such a fun idea, so we signed him up. He really enjoyed his time. I'm still not 100% sure if this was to get him out of class, or if he was truly interested, haha. Either way, I was happy he was trying new things.

Our little singer following in his Dad's footsteps. 

I forgot to include the picture on the left below in last months post. Pres, Mikale, and Staci went out to lunch to celebrate Staci's happy birthday! I was so happy they could be there with her.

Brian's December journey.

Bri was doing much better come December. He was starting to move more. Eat a little better. So much so that he was able to go home and enjoy Christmas with his family! Huge win in our book! He was doing his best to do all of the exercises the doctors highly suggested. He was gaining some strength, breathing a little better, and trying hard to eat more protein to give him energy and nourishment. We all were feeling so hopeful and had an optimistic view now that his chemo was more regular. 

We flew Pres out for another long weekend so he could be with Brian and family. He was there from December 13th-17th. We were so excited for these brothers to be back together. Preston was with him as much as he possibly could. He rarely left Bri's side. He was with him at every appointment, stayed the night with him, and checked in on his chart updates online. Pres was constantly reading Bri's results, screenings, tests that were being ordered, and even doctor/nurse notes. He checked on his baby brother multiple times a day whether he was with him physically or while at home with us. He would share the updates with me and explain what each thing meant and what the next possible step could be. He would check in with his doctor friends here in Manteca if he needed help understanding something, or just needed advice on what to suggest, or even look for as we went throughout this journey. Pres was like a real life guardian angel in my opinion. He was always Bri's advocate, support, encouragement, and in this case amazing big brother that never left his side. He kept their lines of communication open and talked as  often as he could. 

Meanwhile back in California the kids I enjoyed a fire and movie  on our Friday night. 

Quinn slept surrounded by her stuffies. This cute girl just melts my heart. 

We had a visit from some fun carolers in the ward. It was such a treat.

We also met Santa at our annual church Christmas breakfast. We always look forward to this event every year. There's nothing like a jammie breakfast.

This year the kids sang us all a couple Christmas songs. It was so cute!

The day after Preston got back from Bentonville our family was off to NEW YORK CITY!

Every year our family chooses an experience over gifts for Christmas. This year the kids chose NYC. This year we thought it would be fun for them to pick our location. We presented them with three options to choose from...Hawaii, New York City, or Los Angeles. After quite a few back and forths and lots of thinking... they chose NYC for Christmas, and then asked to do Hawaii for spring break, haha. Since our kids don't get the opportunity to experience real winters here they wanted something colder. Jack said, "I want to experience what Christmas is like in the actual season it should be. Winter!" Haha. I was blessed to experience Christmas in New York City on my mission, but it has always been a bucket list item for Pres too. I knew this was a trip our family would cherish and remember for a long time. We had to do it! As always, I booked our trip well in advance, so we could get cheaper flights and book a hotel before the New Years crew came in.

Welcome to LaGuardia Clark Crew!

We jumped on our Southwest flight from San Francisco to LaGuardia on December 18th. The flight was seamless. We landed in NYC around 10pm which was only 7pm for us.

Enjoying all things NY right off the bat!

After grabbing our luggage we got a taxi as THE perfect introduction to the city life :)

We checked into The James Hotel, dropped our bags, and headed for pizza! The kids thought it was so fun to get pizza at 11pm, haha. We may have gotten a few looks from passersby, but we enjoyed our time. Little Italy did not disappoint! There margherita and ricotta pizzas were divine. 

That night we tucked into our beds ready for what our first day had in store. Pres and I decided to have at least one "surprise" for the kids each day we were in New York. 

Day 1:

We walked by the Macy's window displays on our way to a tasty bagel place called Liberty Bagel. 

When we finally arrived there was a line out the door. That is saying something. We waited about 30 minutes before being able to put in our order. The wait was worth it. Everyone grabbed the perfect bagel and spread that matched their personalities and taste buds. 

Quinn and I got the rainbow bagel which is what Liberty is known for. It was all so good. 

After breakfast we made our way to Central Park for our first surprise! I thought the flowers on this Sheraton were just gorgeous.

Beckham wanted a pic on HOPE :)

Our first surprise was a carriage ride through Central Park! It was AMAZING! We had a boys side...

and a girls side. Quinn was in heaven!

Love this shot of these two. 

We rode all around the park making a few stops along the way. It was pretty chilly but our guide had plenty of blankets for us. 

This was such a cool way to see Central Park.

Jack playing the "which finger is fake" with his glove :)

Beckham soaking in his surroundings.

Quinn over joyed being pulled by a horse :)

Family Photo op at the Bethesda Fountain

One more with these four!

There was a man singing under the tunnel. It was so pretty. The acoustics under here are legit. He was singing Oh Come All Ye Faithful as we walked through.

Selfie in the tunnel.

Family selfie :)

Pres snapped this of the crew on our way back to the horse and carriage.

We made it back!

Bundled up and ready for more adventure.

This is the John Lennon tribute they have in the park.

Yoko Ono owns the entire upper apartment in this building. It is right across the street from the John Lennon memorial.

Meet Hugo! Our trustee steed. 

Family shot in the carriage.

The city is in the process of building "billionaire row". These giant skyscrapers are apartments for the rich and famous. We heard that from the top it will sway pretty significantly in the wind...not my cup of tea.

Photo shoot with Jack :)

The kids saw this park on our journey around the big park. They asked if we would be able to stop by so we did. Everyone got to swing and then we went off to explore more.

Beckham's turn for a shoot.

This kid kills me, haha.

Close up

Love these random boulders all around the park. Perfect for a quick picture before heading on.

Love this guy!

Celebrating 13 years of marriage in one of the greatest cities in the world! Happy Anniversary to the man I love. Grateful to have this guy beside me. 

 

We got off at the Rockefeller subway stop and walked through the building. They had all kinds of trees set up around. It was beautiful.

The TREE!

The famous Rockefeller Center tree. It was so pretty. It was super crowded so we didn't get to close. This is a better shot of the tree anyway, right? Well in my opinion ;) We were standing where they film the Today Show. It was the perfect spot.

We started making our way to dinner, but stopped by the FAO Schwartz store to get a pic with their pretty trees too. Fun story ... As we were passing the Rockefeller Center we were stopped by a few men that looked like security. We paused on the side walk and out walked Sarah Silverman, haha. How random is that?! She walked right in front of us and got into her SUV. We had to explain to the kids who she was. Wreck It Ralph helped a little, haha.

Dinner at the Melt Shop was SOOOO good!

Then, off to Time Square!

We made our way back to the Macy's Department Store to check out the inside.

There were NINE levels!! We loved these old railings. This store was built in 1902! We loved showing our kiddos The Miracle on 34th street.

A shot from our walk back to our hotel. We were right down by the Empire State Building.

Day 2:

A walk around Union Square.

They were having a fun Christmas market on the square. We paroozed the different booths to see what people had made and created. It was fun to see the craftsmanship of so many vendors. 

Next stop, part one surprise. Our favorite place to hunker down for a couple hours is an awesome bookstore. Pres found the coolest one in NYC! We hung at The Strand for several hours finding all kinds of treasures inside.

They had the coolest kids area. The kids stayed here the entire time. They'd read something, get up and find another book, sit and read some more. We LOVED The Strand!

Pres keeping tabs on Brian while we were away :)

Surprise part 2 of Day 2!

WICKED on broadway!

Jack, Beckham, and Quinn were SO EXCITED to experience their first broadway show. Pres and I were thrilled to have the opportunity to see this one again. We were also stoked to see what the kids would think of it all. 

At the end of the first half, they were hooked! Everyone talked about favorite parts and they couldn't get over the power of the Defying Gravity song. They LOVED the show and talked often about the music and cast members throughout the rest of the trip. A highlight for this Momma was that several people around us complimented Pres and I on how well the kids did. A three hour show is hard for most kiddos to sit through, but these three were AWESOME!

We hit the Subway with our Subway after the show. We were ready to call it a night.

Food for the win! The kids ate Subway while Pres and I ate incredible BBQ from a place around the corner called the Mason Jar.

Q posing like Beckham boy :)

Day two was such a fun day. We loved everything we were able to see, do, and be a part of. 

Day 3:

On our walk to breakfast we had to make a quick stop for a picture. Beckham wasn't feeling it so Dad stepped in on his behalf :)

Donuts were delicious from the Donut Pub! 

Grabbing the subway to head up to our day 3 surprise!

The Natural History Museum for the WIN!!

Learning all things space and educating the rest of us on "fun facts". This kid was in his happy place. 

We were able to get tickets to all of the "extra" exhibits. This was our first one. It was all things elephants. It was super fascinating. We learned about there incredible ability to hear things through the ground with the giant pads of their feet. They can sense where to go and how to get there. Very family centered animals. They grieve the loss of their family members and stay close to them for some time. It was a really cool exhibit.

We headed to the Arctic World before our first show.

Our first movie taught us all about blue whales. Those incredibly large creatures are magnificent. It was liked by all!

Made a brief stop through the gem world on our way to our next exhibit. Jack thought this was a good replica of what space would look like. Galaxies and stars everywhere. It was gorgeous!

Our next exhibit was the Butterfly Kingdom. They had hundreds of butterflies to look at. The museum guide was there teaching us about the life cycle and how the museum gets a shipment of cocoons every week. Legend has it that if a butterfly lands on you then you get to make a wish and it will come true. It will also bless you with happiness.

These three loved this part. They found it fascinating. They wanted so badly for a butterfly to land on them but none did. Maybe next time guys!

This is where the TRex is in the Night of the Museum. However, in the actual museum they have a brachiosaurus instead :)

This is where the actual TRex sits :)

Last stop in the museum...

A movie all about space! Jack loved telling us everything he knew from the movie. He had a few questions he came up with while watching that he looked forward to finding answers to. 

We spent the entire day at the museum and it was a blast! Our tickets were for 10:30am and we left around 5pm. It was time and money well spent. The kids thoroughly enjoyed their time here. After dominating the museum we headed towards the NYC Temple. We made a quick stop in bookstore on our route to see if they had a book we were looking for. 

I love that Beckham finds a book and a spot to read anywhere we go. 

Lit trees lined the street by the temple.

The temple!

Loved being able to show this cute crew where I spent time as a missionary. We even ran into a pair of Elders on their way out. It was so fun talking to them about my mission and the wards I served in. 

Lincoln Center with my babe.

We stopped at Levain Bakery on our way home and it was quite the treat. We all devoured our goodies and luckily had a few extras for breakfast the following day. 

Harry Potter in NYC!

Hey, I'm in Hagrid's shoes :)

After our dinner we hit up the Harry Potter store not far from our hotel. I just started reading this magical masterpiece with my kiddos. We love all things Harry Potter!

On our way back I noticed this beautifully decorated area. It was Little Italy. 

We passed by Flatiron Public Plaza one more time and I wanted a night pick of this beauty. 

Then through Madison Square Park. This is where Pres and I decided we would live... if we are ever blessed to live in this great city.

A beautiful tree stood bright at the entrance.

Another day done. We were ready to tuck into bed with a book and call it a night. I couldn't wait to show the kids our surprises for the next day!

Day 4:

Another epic surprise for this family of five. We surprised the kids with tickets to see the Rockettes!

For part of the show we had to wear 3D glasses. The kids were pretty stoked for that part ;)

A smiling bunch after the show. It was AMAZING! I would highly recommend the show. The Rockettes were phenomenal and they surprised us all with the coolest live Nativity I have ever seen. The music, the dancing, the sets, everything was just done top notch. It was awesome!

Since the Rockettes perform at Radio City Music Hall right next to the Rockefeller Center, that was our next surprise stop. Jack, Beckham, and Quinn were ready to see the city from the best view in the...Top of the Rock!

Family photo from the 67th floor!

Such amazing views! You can see the entire island!

Ready for the next floor.

Views from the 70th floor below!

Empire State Building on the left. Lady Liberty in the back on her own little island.

Checking out the views.

A big brother helping a little sister out :)

Central Park

Enjoying his time on top of the world :) The many faces of Beckham.

Love this shot of our three cutie pies. My heart!

Perspective

Catching Beckham enjoying his reflection on top of the city ...

I loved sneaking these shots of all these faces. Never forget the child in you Beckham James!

We finished at The Rock and headed back to the subway.

Riding the subway was always a highlight for this crew. They loved the concept and trying to go no hands.

Subway faces...

Pres and I took the kids back to the hotel to take a break. I took that as an opportunity to venture on my own. I headed back up towards the rock with my camera to grab a few pics.  The Macy's store front is captivating. They have interactive window displays. They were so fun.

One more shot of the famous tree.

The angels that lined the walkway were beautiful as well as the Christian Dior & Saks Christmas display in the back. I guess they do that every year!

The Rockefeller skaters. It's actually a lot smaller than people think. There's only so many allowed on the ice at a time and it's pretty expensive. Side note...Central Park also offers ice skating and it's cheaper. There's actually a few places around that do.

The Rock from below. 

After my little hiatus I was back on the subway heading home. I loved a little one on one time in one of my favorite cities in the world. 

I picked up my crew and we headed to one more pizza spot for the week. One of our favorites was Bleeker Street pizza from a trip Pres and I took a few years ago. We wanted the kids to experience it as well. 

We came, we saw, we ate, we loved. I think the overall fave now was Little Italy. I think that one won this trip. Bleeker had gotten so big they were able to expand. It just didn't taste the same for some reason. Still dang good but Little Italy had our hearts.

A quick trip to the Giving Machines! 

We were so excited to Light the World this Christmas season! Everyone got to pick out a gift to send to a family in need. Beckham chose winter clothing for children, Jack picked food for a week for a family of four, I picked a water filtration system, Pres bought a pig, and Quinnie chose school supplies for 25 kids. This is one of our absolute favorite Christmas traditions. We look forward to it every year. 

We made one last quick stop at Milk Bar for treats before crashing for the night. There Milk Bar Pie is a trip back to your childhood memories. 

The boys wanted to do face masks with me :) It's hard to smile with those things on, haha.

We recapped our days with our kiddos. Asking what their favorites have been and if there is anything else they were hoping to see while we were here. It was fun debriefing each night and highlighting all the faves. It's safe to say that so far, every day had "favorite things". I loved hearing them remind each other about things we did and they'd all exclaim, "Oh yea! That was SO fun!"

Day 5:

On our last full day in the city we knew we had to hit up another donut place. We grabbed some tasty donuts before heading to one of the last surprises of the trip. 

The boys gave a thumbs up on the donut choices they made.

One of our last surprises were tickets to see Blue Man Group!

Waiting for the show to begin.

The kids thought these guys were so funny. They laughed a lot. Totally intrigued by the magic tricks and drums. I think we did good in this choice.

The Blue Man Group performed in a quaint part of the city. I loved the cobblestone streets, the architecture, designs, colors, etc. It was beautiful.

After our theatrical experience we brought the tone down a little and headed to our final surprise...The 9/11 Museum.

This is a crazy looking mall outside of the museum.

We first stopped at the memorial outside. 

The new One World Trade Center.

"Playing chess" with a rhino and dog :)

Pres, Beckham, and Quinn on the bike.

Once in the museum we headed to the movie they play before walking through.

Waiting on the film to begin.

Beams from the original tower.

Original staircase.

Part of the antenna that was on top of one of the buildings.

Part of the elevator.

We answered a lot of questions the kids had about this horrifying day. They had great questions that they asked the volunteers as well. It was fascinating to see this through the eyes of a child. Pres and I both shared where we were, what our thoughts were at the time, and how the United States had united in strength. That strength and unity are things I wish we still shared to this day. How quickly we forget that we are all in this together.

On our walk back I snapped one more picture.

The financial district. Hey hey Wall Street.

Battery Park was closed due to construction, but we still got a sneak peak of this pretty lady shining bright.

After our trip to the museum we asked the kids if there was anything they wanted to do before we headed back to our hotel. They all said, "Let's go back to The Strand." So the bookstore was where we went :)

They had so much fun reading and scanning more books. We ended up taking several books home as our souvenirs! Luckily we packed an extra duffle bag just in case ;)

Day 6:

Our flight left on Christmas Eve at 3:30pm. We packed up our stuff, got ready for church, checked out of our hotel, and headed for the subway. Grateful that our hotel held our bags for us until we got back. 

I was so excited to go to church where I served as a missionary almost 20 years ago. I couldn't believe that there were still a few families there from my time. NYC is very transient. People come in for a few years and then head out. I was able to talk with Dr. O'Leary and the Buckners!  The Buckner's actually remembered me, haha. What can I say, I'm memorable ;) They caught me up on the missionary work going on and the changes coming. It was so exciting to hear how the Lord's work was still making massive progress in such a busy place. So much growth, opportunity, love, and service. Love the gospel of Jesus Christ. To celebrate Christmas Eve, and put a stamp on our final day in the city, we ate a delicious brunch at Jacob's Pickles.  This will be a go back restaurant for sure! It was AMAZING! Everyone enjoyed their meals, filled their bellies, and we were off. 

Jacob's Pickles for the WIN!

Welcome back to LaGuardia Airport! Merry Christmas Eve!

A quick layover in Denver. Just enough time to eat dinner, change into jammies, and get some wiggles out. Our flight landed was supposed to land in Oakland at 11pm. We wanted to make sure we were prepped for sleeping kiddos on the drive home. Plus, who doesn't love jammies! We were Christmas morning ready in our matching jams. Our flight ended up being delayed slightly because they had to switch our pilot. Then, they switched our flight attendant, so we were delayed a little longer. Luckily it was 30 more minutes. Not bad for a delay. The crew quickly turned the plane around and got us all on. 

The flight itself was flawless and quick, landing in Oakland around 11:30p. By the time we made it to our car it was pushing midnight. We arrived home around 1:30am and passed out. Thank goodness for good sleepers because these three didn't wake up on Christmas morning until 8am. 

Santa came!

New York was our Christmas gift, so luckily Santa had a couple fun gifts still to open. The kids felt like Christmas morning felt a little weird this year because they felt they experienced Christmas all week long. Which is exactly what we did. It worked! Pres and I wanted them to focus more on the memories being made rather than just gifts you open. It was music to our ears. A tradition we plan to continue.

Merry Christmas!

Jack's theme, to no surprise, was SPACE!

A few days later and we were celebrating this guy! I cannot believe we have a double digit kiddo! Welcome to a decade old Buddy Bear.

Present time.

Jack asked for a solar cake. I did my best with the directions he gave. It was my first time using fondant. I look forward to practicing with it a little more before the next bday. He LOVED his cake. 

It turned out ok and it was also delicious! Happy boy!

Jack is 10!

The only thing he asked for, for his birthday was a "yes day". He wanted to play screens for as long as his heart desired, drink root beer, and eat his favorite foods. He had a Nutella bagel for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and Costco's orange chicken with broccoli for dinner. This kid had A LOT of fun on his special day. We love our Jackson Scott. He continues to amaze us with his intelligence, love for reading, animations he creates, and his fun loving attitude. 

This was one of his recent creations. It made me laugh out loud!

A couple days later and it was Quinn's turn to celebrate!

                                           

She asked for her favorite breakfast. 

I made another attempt at one more cake. She wanted a bookworm cake :)

Luckily this sweet 7 year old loved her cake. She asked if we could eat it at lunch instead of waiting for dinner. She chose buttered noodles with parm as her special lunch.

Birthday song fun!

She made and wish and boom! She's 7! 

For dinner we had salmon and roasted potatoes. Quinnie LOVES salmon and potatoes ;) This girl is a one of a kind. She's smart, funny, creative, and always ready to play a game. She loves making cards, serving others, and reading. We love our Quinnarie!

Sweet dreams little one ;)

December was a month we will not soon forget. We had so much fun, hope, and love. On top of that, we have memories for life. December is always a crazy month for our crew. From Christmas concerts, parties, our anniversary, to celebrating two wonderful kiddos birthdays. It always goes so fast! We love trying to embrace each day of this month. It may go fast, but the older I get, it seems to come around again just as quick. 

New York was everything Pres and I had hoped it would be for our family. Every single time I fly to New York I get emotional when the plane touches down. There is a piece of me that has never left, from the first time I stepped foot in Manhattan. My heart explodes with joy and my eyes start to drip as we taxi to our gate. I love that city so much! It truly feels like going home for me. I am so incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to serve the people there, but equally grateful, that I could share this part of me with my family. The kids accepted everything about this place in minutes. They loved the culture, the food, the people, the entertainment, the fun, the sounds, everything! We cannot wait to go back. 

Merry Christmas!