Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Been There, Done That!!
Kiff and I had a wonnnnderful time in New York City yesterday! I am one exhausted woman today, but it was worth it!
I don't do so well on minimal sleep, so on Tuesday night I took a melatonin, fell asleep somewhere around 7 pm, and woke up at 3:30 am or so, basically refreshed and ready to go... We left at 4:30 and drove to Baltimore where we got the train. It was so fun at the station! Kiff and I loved the atmosphere. It was all dark and foggy, and there were business men in their trench coats, and we sort of felt like we were in a movie or something. It was very cool. :)
Here we are on our three-hour train ride. We did sleep some of that time, but mostly we watched the scenery fly by - as soon as it was light enough, that is.
We arrived at Penn Station in New York City at 10 am, and after a quick run up to the street so Kiff could have her first look at the city, we took the subway down to the lower side of Manhattan to see Ground Zero. It was less impressive than I expected... I mean, there wasn't really much of a place for the public to view the monstrous holes in the ground. Construction crews and blockades were everywhere. We got this view from a walking overpass. It's kind of difficult to see much of anything...
We went right back in the subway to head up to Times Square, and on our way we came across the Ebony Hillbillies... They were awesome. Kiff got a kick out of putting a dollar bill in their open guitar case. :)
So now it was about 11:00 or so, and we had a few hours to kill before our 2 pm matinee at the Majestic Theater in Times Square. So...... mostly we just walked around and enjoyed all the lights and busy-ness. Kiff looooooved New York! She told me, "Now I know why everyone says 'I love New York!'" She loved the lights and the people and the traffic and all the things to do and see.
We wanted to go to the top of the Empire State Building, but they said there was zero visibility that day so we opted out.
Me in Times Square. It was wet - not raining really, but wet. My jeans were soaked half way up my calves! It was a stupid idea for me to wear my running shoes with mesh uppers. My feet were... a bit damp. Ick.
We came across a bunch of music stores.... They encouraged patrons to play around on the drums, so here Kiff is banging away on an electronic drum set and having a blast!
We had to pay these guys for these shots....... I gave them a buck each. :) I think they were Chinese guys under those get-ups.
At the skating rink at Rockefeller Center.
And the main event of the day!!!!! Boy, were we ready to sit down... We were getting pretty tired by now... but very excited to see the show.
Waiting to get inside...
This was taken from our seat in the rear mezzanine... It was the only good shot I could get inside the theater before the show started. I tried to get a shot of the stage, but it was too dark. But I just love the elaborate design of the theater... The show was fantastic, of course!! We both loved it.
And at the end of our long day, here's Kiff at Penn Station while we waited for the train to take us back to Baltimore. We were EXHAUSTED!!! But Kiff didn't want to leave the city. She just loved it. And we were able to make great memories together and just have a fantastic day. It was so fun!
I don't do so well on minimal sleep, so on Tuesday night I took a melatonin, fell asleep somewhere around 7 pm, and woke up at 3:30 am or so, basically refreshed and ready to go... We left at 4:30 and drove to Baltimore where we got the train. It was so fun at the station! Kiff and I loved the atmosphere. It was all dark and foggy, and there were business men in their trench coats, and we sort of felt like we were in a movie or something. It was very cool. :)
Here we are on our three-hour train ride. We did sleep some of that time, but mostly we watched the scenery fly by - as soon as it was light enough, that is.
We arrived at Penn Station in New York City at 10 am, and after a quick run up to the street so Kiff could have her first look at the city, we took the subway down to the lower side of Manhattan to see Ground Zero. It was less impressive than I expected... I mean, there wasn't really much of a place for the public to view the monstrous holes in the ground. Construction crews and blockades were everywhere. We got this view from a walking overpass. It's kind of difficult to see much of anything...
We went right back in the subway to head up to Times Square, and on our way we came across the Ebony Hillbillies... They were awesome. Kiff got a kick out of putting a dollar bill in their open guitar case. :)
So now it was about 11:00 or so, and we had a few hours to kill before our 2 pm matinee at the Majestic Theater in Times Square. So...... mostly we just walked around and enjoyed all the lights and busy-ness. Kiff looooooved New York! She told me, "Now I know why everyone says 'I love New York!'" She loved the lights and the people and the traffic and all the things to do and see.
We wanted to go to the top of the Empire State Building, but they said there was zero visibility that day so we opted out.
Me in Times Square. It was wet - not raining really, but wet. My jeans were soaked half way up my calves! It was a stupid idea for me to wear my running shoes with mesh uppers. My feet were... a bit damp. Ick.
We came across a bunch of music stores.... They encouraged patrons to play around on the drums, so here Kiff is banging away on an electronic drum set and having a blast!
We had to pay these guys for these shots....... I gave them a buck each. :) I think they were Chinese guys under those get-ups.
At the skating rink at Rockefeller Center.
And the main event of the day!!!!! Boy, were we ready to sit down... We were getting pretty tired by now... but very excited to see the show.
Waiting to get inside...
This was taken from our seat in the rear mezzanine... It was the only good shot I could get inside the theater before the show started. I tried to get a shot of the stage, but it was too dark. But I just love the elaborate design of the theater... The show was fantastic, of course!! We both loved it.
And at the end of our long day, here's Kiff at Penn Station while we waited for the train to take us back to Baltimore. We were EXHAUSTED!!! But Kiff didn't want to leave the city. She just loved it. And we were able to make great memories together and just have a fantastic day. It was so fun!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The Big Apple
Tomorrow Kiff and I are going on a lark!
For her Christmas present, and my belated birthday present, I am taking her into New York City for the day to see Phantom of the Opera on broadway! I am sooooo excited ~ Phantom is my hands-down favorite Broadway show ~ and I haven't been to New York since before 9/11... Long time. Kiff is excited too because she's never seen a Broadway show or even been to New York! She loves the idea of traveling the world, so I figured she had to see New York to get things rolling. :) We're leaving home by 5 am (yikes!), driving to Baltimore, and taking the train into downtown Manhattan. We'll arrive around 10 am, visit Ground Zero and maybe a few others places, and get to the matinee showing of Phantom at 2 pm. After the show, we'll get dinner at Hard Rock Cafe on Broadway, and then catch the train back to Baltimore that evening! It will be a loooooong day... but well worth it!!
Stay tuned for some photos of our fun day!
For her Christmas present, and my belated birthday present, I am taking her into New York City for the day to see Phantom of the Opera on broadway! I am sooooo excited ~ Phantom is my hands-down favorite Broadway show ~ and I haven't been to New York since before 9/11... Long time. Kiff is excited too because she's never seen a Broadway show or even been to New York! She loves the idea of traveling the world, so I figured she had to see New York to get things rolling. :) We're leaving home by 5 am (yikes!), driving to Baltimore, and taking the train into downtown Manhattan. We'll arrive around 10 am, visit Ground Zero and maybe a few others places, and get to the matinee showing of Phantom at 2 pm. After the show, we'll get dinner at Hard Rock Cafe on Broadway, and then catch the train back to Baltimore that evening! It will be a loooooong day... but well worth it!!
Stay tuned for some photos of our fun day!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Winter Project
I always wanted to marry a man who is not only intelligent but also knows how to work with his hands ~ you know, woodworking and that stuff. Jeff just happens to fit the bill. That's why I married him, of course! :) He's very intelligent (he's an electrical engineer, after all); and, if I can brag a bit here, he actually received mostly "Far Exceeded Expectations" on his most recent review! I'm extremely proud of my man. :) But anyway... he also spent a few years in his early twenties working in construction, so he has a great basic knowledge of carpentry, plumbing, electrical, etc etc...
For a long time Jeff and I have been talking about buying/building a mantle around the fireplace in our rec room. Doesn't it look lonely? It really needs something to set it off.
But we also needed to get rid of that boring bookcase and get something that has some character. Then sometime maybe over the summer, Jeff had the spectacular idea of building a custom built-in bookcase spanning the entire wall! He thought it would make a great winter project, and I loved the idea, impressed that he had the confidence to tackle such a big project. We've had fun planning it over the last few weeks. We made a few changes to the original 3D sketch Jeff drew - like giving the fireplace area more space - but here's the general idea:
And today was our first trip to Home Depot for lumber! Here it is in the basement waiting to be primed.
We're planning to paint it white to match all the white trim in the house and to balance out the kitchen's white cabinets which are on the other end of the room. Work will begin soon! I'll be posting pics as things progress, of course. :)
For a long time Jeff and I have been talking about buying/building a mantle around the fireplace in our rec room. Doesn't it look lonely? It really needs something to set it off.
But we also needed to get rid of that boring bookcase and get something that has some character. Then sometime maybe over the summer, Jeff had the spectacular idea of building a custom built-in bookcase spanning the entire wall! He thought it would make a great winter project, and I loved the idea, impressed that he had the confidence to tackle such a big project. We've had fun planning it over the last few weeks. We made a few changes to the original 3D sketch Jeff drew - like giving the fireplace area more space - but here's the general idea:
And today was our first trip to Home Depot for lumber! Here it is in the basement waiting to be primed.
We're planning to paint it white to match all the white trim in the house and to balance out the kitchen's white cabinets which are on the other end of the room. Work will begin soon! I'll be posting pics as things progress, of course. :)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
An Entire Weekend of... Nothing
Does anyone else love nothing-filled weekends as much as I do?
No places we have to go, no tasks to accomplish. Just be. At home. Ahh.
No places we have to go, no tasks to accomplish. Just be. At home. Ahh.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2011!
Goodbye 2010... Welcome 2011! I'm ready for a brand new year!We welcomed the new year last night with a houseful of friends... food... Pictionary charades... A wonderfully fun time. As the night went on, families dropped off one by one, but three couples lasted until midnight with us. We passed the midnight mark by singing a couple worship songs and then praying together. A lovely time with wonderful people. I actually was full of energy all evening long! I guess it was because I was the hostess... I wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of, there was enough punch in the bowl, all that stuff.
New Year's Eve is one of my favorite times of the whole year. I think it's because it was such a special time when I was little. As a church we would get together and have a full evening of food and fellowship and a movie or games. Then as midnight approached we had a time of worship and testimonies, which was a fantastic way of testifying to God's faithfulness and just encouraging each other as we faced a new year together. We always sang "Crown Him with Many Crowns" as midnight hit, and then went around and hugged everyone and wished everyone a happy new year. And then we'd sing happy birthday to Jim Thomas!! Remember that, Fellowship people?? :) Anyway... it's one of those special childhood memories that sticks with me. It's bittersweet how time changes things... on with new times, making new memories and traditions with new people in our lives. But we'll always have the old memories!
Reasons to be thankful looking back over 2010:
- Jeff. He's the most amazing husband in the world and I LOVE HIM!!!
- A lovely June wedding at our first anniversary!! Loved having family and friends gather to celebrate with us! And I loved having the opportunity to wear my wedding gown!
- A beautiful house and area to live in. Northern Virginia is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. And our home is large and beautiful and... I'm just so grateful.
- Jeff's steady and secure and well paying job. That alone is a huge reason to be thankful in these times!
- Times of hardship and challenges. Because they bring growth! And I've experienced both hardship and growth this past year. I'm grateful that God is good, that He works all things together for my good, and that He is efficient in His dealings with His children - he doesn't waste anything!
- I get to be a homemaker! Jeff actually prefers that I not work ~ one reason he's the best! :) I get to stay home and take care of my home and make meals for my family and decorate and all that fun stuff.
- A pregnancy, hopefully...... (I might have fertility issues, so I'm working with my OBGYN to figure out a course of action)
- Direction for Jeff and me to be in ministry together somehow
- Growth in my step kids' lives, and greater unity as a family
- To become fluent in sign language (just for the fun of it!)
Happy New Year to YOU and may God richly bless you as you walk in Him this coming year!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!
What a beautiful Christmas the Case family has had this year! Last night I sang in the Christmas Eve service at our church in Purcellville. The service highlighted the children's choir, with a few adults backing them up with harmonies, so I was one of the backups. :) They had a nativity scene with the kids and it was adorable! It was just a beautiful candlelit service. Only Phil could come with Jeff and me to the service, though, because Kiff had to work. She was home shortly afterward, and we enjoyed pepperoni bread, potato soup, and It's a Wonderful Life... during which I fell asleep. Oh well. I sort of heard parts of it... You know how it is... :)
Then this morning, we woke up to a beautiful and gentle snowfall!! I couldn't believe it! I think that's the first time I remember having a white Christmas! So magical.
Here are the tree and presents before the onslaught...
...and the stockings too, of course...
I made French toast for the fam. Mm mmmm.
Present opening time!
Me with my gifts. Sound of Music!!! A few jewelry pieces from Kiff and Mary... shirts and a fun bag from Mary... a rice cooker from Phil... snow boots from Jeff... and lots of other smaller things... so fun!!
My big gift this year was a knee-length black classy wool winter coat from J. Crew. Love it!! I already opened it because 1) I knew I was getting it (I picked it out), and 2) I needed a nice coat to wear to the Kennedy Center where we went last weekend to see Handel's Messiah, which was amazing, of course. Kiff and Jeff and I went to see that together and had a lovely time. :)
Allie got a bone for Christmas, and here she is guarding it with ferocious growls... so funny.
Jeff's new winter hat! He and I took Allie for a walk in the Christmas snow.
When we got back, we all played a super fun game of Pictionary together. We got to the end of the first game and Kiff was having so much fun, we just kept going! So much laughter and fun.
Our 2010 Christmas family shots...
And one of the kids with Allie. Sweet. :)
Jeff and I are so grateful for such a warm time of making good memories with Phil and Kiff. We were praying that God would bless us with just that this year. They're both off with friends now, leaving Jeff and me to ourselves (which is always a treat), but what a great day we all had together. Thankful.
From our home to yours... Merry Christmas! And may the year ahead be a wonderful one for you!
Then this morning, we woke up to a beautiful and gentle snowfall!! I couldn't believe it! I think that's the first time I remember having a white Christmas! So magical.
Here are the tree and presents before the onslaught...
...and the stockings too, of course...
I made French toast for the fam. Mm mmmm.
Present opening time!
Me with my gifts. Sound of Music!!! A few jewelry pieces from Kiff and Mary... shirts and a fun bag from Mary... a rice cooker from Phil... snow boots from Jeff... and lots of other smaller things... so fun!!
My big gift this year was a knee-length black classy wool winter coat from J. Crew. Love it!! I already opened it because 1) I knew I was getting it (I picked it out), and 2) I needed a nice coat to wear to the Kennedy Center where we went last weekend to see Handel's Messiah, which was amazing, of course. Kiff and Jeff and I went to see that together and had a lovely time. :)Allie got a bone for Christmas, and here she is guarding it with ferocious growls... so funny.
Jeff's new winter hat! He and I took Allie for a walk in the Christmas snow.
When we got back, we all played a super fun game of Pictionary together. We got to the end of the first game and Kiff was having so much fun, we just kept going! So much laughter and fun.
Our 2010 Christmas family shots...
And one of the kids with Allie. Sweet. :)
Jeff and I are so grateful for such a warm time of making good memories with Phil and Kiff. We were praying that God would bless us with just that this year. They're both off with friends now, leaving Jeff and me to ourselves (which is always a treat), but what a great day we all had together. Thankful.From our home to yours... Merry Christmas! And may the year ahead be a wonderful one for you!
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