It's May, It's May.....

Spring has finally Sprung

What a difference a day makes!

May 18th

May 19th

May 20th

May 14th Anniversary Party

Ana and the girls came home for Uncle Jerry and
Aunt Kathy's 50th Anniversary dinner, but first
they checked out our camper.

They had a snack before heading to Rugby
to swim before the party.

The girls loved the cutout from
Andrea and Jeremy's wedding (2004)

Claire, Riley (babysitter), Lydia, Cecelia,
and cousins Madisen and Kendra (partly hidden)

Someone clinked the glasses, so Kathy and Jerry had some fun!
Uncle Frank, Kathy and Jerry, cousin Roger

Cousins Sammi, Ana, Suzanne, and Jay

Doug, Jerome, Jerry, Wendy, Jill, and Mark

Maureen, Steve and Barb, Brad

Kathy, Reed, Julie, Connor, and Brody

Joni (Jerry's twin), cousins Judy and Roger,
Bob, Uncle Frank and Aunt Theresa

Jeremy admitted that he and Andrea
bought the kuchen-pies

Jeremy and Andrea 12 years later--
they added the sign for her mom and dad's
Anniversary

We headed to the Blessum farm after the dinner
Jerry, Joni, Jerry F., Mark, Judy, Kathy, Barb and Jill (backs)

Ana, Julie, Jeremy, Jay, and Sammi

Bob and Suzanne in a serious discussion

:-)

May 3-8 in New York City

I flew from Iowa to NY on May 3rd,

two days before the girls arrived 

for our "Girls' Weekend."

Went for a walk up Park Avenue and 

back down Lexington

I spotted "Uncle Fred's" surprise business, :-)

found Hunter College,

and stopped at St. Ignatius Loyola church and heard

a Mass going on. . . did not realize until after

the homily that it was a funeral Mass.

(May he rest in peace)

St. Vincent Ferrer on Lexington Avenue
(No funeral here)

When Sara came, we just "had to" try the Levain Bakery
before the rest of the gang arrived.

Two of the Levain cookies we bought to share when
Ana, Trina, Kelly, and Ari arrived on Thursday

We all stayed with Donna at the Park Avenue condo,

and enjoyed lunch before beginning the grand exploration!

Flowers bloomed everywhere in NY (Bloom-berg)


Good thing the girls knew how to get around


They found St. Patrick's Cathedral


The Lego store was a real treasure!


We headed to Rockefeller Center (no ice)

Then went to NBC studios where the girls 

went to a rehearsal for the Seth Myers show,

and Ari and I ate ice cream and hung out

(we weren't 18, so we couldn't go to the show!)

Couldn't get a tour that day, but
Trina and Ari went back on Friday.
Ari had her picture taken with a "Rockette"

Sara, Jimmy, and a couple of friends stayed at the Plaza Hotel
when Sara was working in DC.  Donna got them the rooms.
She said the doorman was surprised when they walked in
wearing jeans and carrying backpacks!


Ana, Sara, and I toured the Tenement Museum

We learned about the reclamation and restoration process

On Friday, we became real tourists--bucking wind and rain! 

911 Memorial fountain

911 Tower


Don't know what this is, but it was near the 911 memorial

Brooklyn Bridge

 Trinity Episcopal Church entry

Ceiling at Grand Central Station

 In the center of Grand Central

Sara, are you asking for a "handout"?

Spotted this sign in a park en route to lunch at Katz's

 Had lunch at Katz's Deli

Ordered a reuben and a pastrami sandwich
to share 

Constitution Hall where George Washington 

took his oath of office

 Junkfest art in the rotunda

 Former computers

Around the rotunda


View from the mezzanine

 Room in a room in a room

Does anything here look familiar?
Fortunately, TJMaxx was across the street,
so we spent (literally) the next hour there

Memorial to immigrants

Battery Park Memorial building

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ARE really out there

American Stock Exchange 

 New York Stock Exchange

 Wall Street (that's a lotta bull)

We found Donna's office before heading to Ilili 
for an awesome Lebanese dinner with the cousins

Marissa and Russell Stokes, Debbie Kanafani, Ana, and Bud
Bud and I sat at the best table--no one else wanted the kibbee nayee!

Phil Shalala, Sara, Ari, on left;
 Jennifer (Susu), Kelly, Trina, and Ellen at back table;
Leon (Claude and Susu's son), Donna, Peggy (Phil's wife)

Susu, Kelly, Trina, and Ellen

Marissa, Russell, Ellen, Trina, Donna, Ana, and Bud

On Saturday morning, the girls went shopping and walked the high line

 We met at the Schubert Theater to see "Matilda"

After the play, we found Seinfeld's Soup Man

The girls tried the soup!

Later we had a spaghetti supper with cousin Michael John
who made the bestest Irish Soda Bread ever for us!

On Sunday, Mother's Day, we all left for home(s) in DC, Iowa, 
Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota
Thanks, Donna, for an awesome weekend! :-)