Christy and Jace

Spring.

2011-07-04T22:45:00.012-04:00

I have really been neglecting this little blog.

Maybe not entirely...

I have certainly taken a lot of pictures with the intent to post them

and

have even thought about all the things I would say.

And somehow, weeks pass without a single entry.

So while we are full swing into summer,

I couldn't neglect to say a little something about the spring.

Spring in New York was beautiful.

Our building.

I have been meeting other residents of our building.

Especially those with dogs, as our paths seem to cross several times a day walking our pups outside. With the warm weather, we tend to be more willing to take longer walks and actually spend time outside. Speaking of which, we joined a chihuahua play group. Seriously! : )

Our dogs have made some new (non-chihuahua) friends too...Pepto, Cooper, Teddy, Gizmo, and Sophie's favorite, Johnny- who she cries every time she sees because she can't seem to walk to him quickly enough.

Gizmo's mom, Mary, has been a long time resident of our building.

She has lived here for something like 20 years!

Mary told me what things used to be like around here. Back then, Mary said our building was family owned and were huge supporters of the arts. They rented to a lot of musicians playing at Lincoln Center and Mary remembers the very artsy feel of our building.

The building has since been bought by an apartment management company and renovations have ensued and a very different crowd has moved in.

Mary is a piano teacher and can also remember when she could see the Hudson River from her window- before there were lots of tall tall buildings.

She misses the old days...but says it is just how things go.

The longtime residents here are pretty active in making sure things are running well here.

A few weeks ago, Jace and I walked into the laundry room in the basement and about passed out. It was beyond hot. Within 10 seconds of being in there, we were sweating and in disbelief that the laundry room could be so hot. We had noticed it was hot before, but never this bad.

I promptly reported this issue to the front desk and was told, they would look into it but there were no plans to install any fans or other cooling devices. It just was what it was.

A week or two later, I again, went to the basement to do laundry and walked into a nicely cooled laundry room.

After talking with one of the long-time residents in the laundry room, I was informed a petition had been created by the residents committee due to the heat of the laundry room and had been signed by many many residents and presented to the management company.

Lo and behold, management installed/fixed an air conditioning system.

This isn't the first issue they have addressed since we have been here and I love that it won't be the last. Their activism is inspiring- even if it is about the air conditioning in the laundry room.

Enough talking, enjoy some photos of our spring.

Our street.

Our neighborhood.

One day during the spring, I spent some time in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

The tulips were in full bloom.

The Cherry Blossom's were in full bloom.

Some gardening was happening right before my eyes.

Which by the way, felt very Ithacan.

A Shakespeare Garden with many blooming things.

There was even an Asian influence in the gardens.

All found in Brooklyn.

See, Brooklyn and I, we are becoming friends.

Between the Botanical Garden, the Brooklyn Flea Market and just the general vibe in Brooklyn, I am loving spending time there.

A Love Letter to Ithaca.

2011-05-18T22:47:00.007-04:00

Ithaca,

The place where I spent three years of my life.

The place I had never heard of before I moved there.

We drove into Ithaca in our moving truck filled with all of earthly belongings across all

states between Utah and New York.

We drove up Route 13 with the lush August greenery at all sides.

The view of Cayuga Lake over the tops of the trees and all its' mighty sailboats.

I can't remember if I was irritated or found it "cool" that only classic rock stations seemed to exist.

It was such a hot hot day, that day we moved into our little townhouse that needed a lot of cleaning and whole lot of TLC.

Upon arrival, the forces that are the Cornell Branch, rallied by an old friend Karlee, kindly helped us unload and at the end, a dinner invitation to our new neighbors, The Carlos'.

If I remember back even farther, I can remember the day that Jace got his acceptance to Cornell Law School.

Jace had his eye on Cornell for a while and while he rattled off all the bright and shiny things about Cornell, I could only hope (and pray) we would headed for a University in a large city.

See, I've always been a city girl.

Always a city girl.

And so, this move to Ithaca, was not welcomed with complete abandon.

I was so excited for Jace and this great opportunity.

I was excited to be in a new place.

But, I was hardly convinced the place was Ithaca.

I was immediately aquatinted with the horror of Ithacan winters.

Where the sun doesn't shine for weeks. Months.

And the cold, is just, frigid cold.

Worst yet, the cold lasts soooo long you forget what "warm" ever felt like.

We won't even talk about the snow.

Your sense of warm and cold become so warped

you find yourself wearing short sleeves and flip flops in 50 degree weather.

Yes, those Ithacan winters.

That very same night when we drove our moving van up Route 13 and unloaded all of our earthly belongings into a dirty old townhouse, yes, that night at the Carlos', I heard about, for the first time ever, Macrobiotics.

Now it seems so ridiculous that I hadn't ever heard of macrobiotics, it is a part of life in Ithaca.

I remember falling asleep on the Carlos' couch, so tired from our drive, so tired from unpacking! And so to bed we went--

only our bed was not yet set up, so instead we pushed our two sofas together and slept that way. For a few nights. Maybe four.

I'm not sure when I fell in love with you, Ithaca.

Could it have been when I discovered my love for gardening?

Ithaca, it is because of you, I know this.

Could it have been when I worked in your buildings

and came to know your people?

When I felt that THE community, was also MY community.

Or how about when I took that knitting class and found myself enjoying the chit chat of the local ladies' gossip as the snow fell outside and Christmas music played softly overhead and I learned how to knit.

Or maybe it was the lady who yelled at me for not recycling my diet coke can.

Or the crazy political signs.

Or the bumper-stickered subaru's.

Or perhaps my yoga class.

Or Wegmans.

Or Berry picking.

Or simply the beauty that is, Ithaca.

Or perhaps the many many souls I would meet and love over the course of my three year stay in the Cornell Branch.

This little town of Ithaca, how it changed me.

How it helped me grow.

How do I ever return the favor?

This connection I feel to you.

Your hippies, your politics, your beauty.

I found myself in you.

And so this love letter.

Visit to Ithaca, May 2011.

Luzzo's Pizza

2011-04-03T21:45:00.008-04:00

I love exploring pizza in NYC.

Thus far, I feel I have had my share of New York Pizza and have a few favorites, namely Patsy's on the Upper West Side.

Last weekend, we enjoyed Luzzo's Pizza on the Lower East Side with some fellow Cornellian's. Really East- like 1st Ave. east. Talk about a trek to the other side of Manhattan! It was very crowded and annoyingly cozy but the pizza was well worth it.

I absolutely devoured 4 slices of Luzzo's pizza and I'm not sorry I did. A new pizza favorite in NYC for sure.

Another development in NYC living.

I really dread grocery shopping for so many reasons.

I HATE fighting through the crowded aisles.

It just puts me in a terrible mood and lugging my groceries home

(which includes my 6-pack bottled diet coke)

is the worst!

Yes, they do offer delivery but it costs extra so I rarely do it.

I am usually feeling pretty brave at the check out line anyway,

I mean,

it is only 4 bags!

What a waste to have them deliver it!

But by the time I get home, 6 blocks later, my arms are literally ready to pop off my body.

It my least favorite about city-living.

One day, while browsing through Bed Bath & Beyond, I saw a "grocery cart".

I have seen both grannies and homeless people using them very effectively to tote around their belongings.

And so, I bought their largest one.

This cart has changed my life.

I think I shall call her, Melba.

A few days ago,

Rite-Aid got their weekly shipment and I was able to singlehandedly fill it up with mass quantities of diet coke and then carry it home all by myself with no pain. I felt so proud!

I sort of sheepishly filled up my cart with 9 six packs and a few jugs of water, hoping nobody would pay much attention.

The lady behind me in line laughed and asked if she could go ahead of me.

And I really tried my hardest not to notice the double takes in my direction looking at my diet coke filled cart.

I thought it might be a good idea to give up the diet coke, but then I thought again.

Another birthday come and gone.

2011-03-06T19:38:00.002-05:00

Officially 28.

I'm quite disappointed that my birthday week has come to an end.
A girl could certainly get used to breakfast in bed every morning and massages on demand.
I tell you, there is nothing better than celebrating a birthday in the Clegg household.

My cute husband fulfilled my every J.Crew desire and even brought me into the world of New York through Lulu Lemon Athletica gear. Really, how cute is he?
He also invited a few friends over some Magnolia Bakery cake on my actual birthday night.
He outdoes himself every year.

And speaking of a great week, I hit the jack pot the other night.
You see, finding bottled 6-packs of diet coke in the city is quite a task.
Even if you do find a good stash somewhere, there is always the task of getting it home.
I figured out that the Rite-Aid on the corner of my block, gets their delivery on Tuesday evenings. I head down there late on Tuesday night or Wednesday and can usually make a few trips to stock up.
But sometimes- there is a dry spell and I can't seem to find ANY bottled diet coke ANYWHERE.
To settle for CANNED diet coke??
Insufferable!
You can imagine how elated I was to find out Rite-Aid got a new shipment.

That would be 48 bottles of diet coke.
I was thinking a 3rd flat would be prudent, but Jace thought 2 was plenty. I guess he was put off by the idea of having 72 bottles of diet coke in our closet.

And just for fun:

Short an Adam.

2011-02-27T21:33:00.006-05:00

Today I substituted in junior primary.

There are 4 little ones in that class and let me tell you, they are a complete riot.

I was teaching them a couple weeks ago and I must have felt pretty strongly about some point in the lesson because soon one of the kids was shaking a pointed finger, talking in a mocking voice obviously attempting to mimic me. I tried to move right along but soon they were all pointing and shaking their finger at me, mocking me in a voice that was, shall we say, shrill and less than flattering.

It probably doesn't help that I totally crack up at their shenanigans.

Today,

during sharing time, the CTR class (4-7 year olds) acted out the story of Adam & Eve and the Garden of Eden.

In the words of LMerk, the skit was a complete gong show and absolutely hysterical.

There was absolutely zero interest from the kids in portraying Eve or Adam.

On their own accord, they appointed me as Eve, and then parsed out the other most important roles of...the bird, the lion, and a very serious concern was raised- Who was going to be the moose??

We were short an "Adam"- maybe because there was surprising competition for who'd play the role of Satan instead. Filling the "Adam" role seemed to be the least of their worries.

You might have missed the bird and moose in the picture but trust me, they are there!

Absolutely hysterical I tell you.

I have the best time with those kids.

The birthday week extravaganza continues...yesterday Jace and I spent some time at the Crew and I picked up a few beauties.

The Matinee Trench.

The I Heart Chambray shirt.

I have been waiting for a chambray for quite a while but hadn't quite found the one.

Until yesterday.

Always say YES! to dessert.

2011-02-25T20:38:00.004-05:00

It is great to have a birthday week at the Clegg's.

We fully believe that birthdays' should be celebrated to the fullest extent.

We do indeed celebrate birthday's by the week....or the month. And this week, is my birthday week!

To kick-off this birthday week, we made a visit to the West Village and enjoyed Italian food at Malatesta Trattoria.

This was a perfect find. A small, quaint atmosphere with waiters that speak with Italian accents- really, it's true. Caprese salad with the most delicious fresh mozzarella, spaghetti (with more yummy fresh mozzarella) & cheese ravioli with a creamy decadent sauce. And dessert.

You see, I used to have a very sound theory when eating out. You eat the dinner rolls, an appetizer and then an oversized dinner. Dessert? Who needs dessert!

(And this coming from a lover of all things sweet).

I mean, it's really for the better when you are getting a pan of brownies, piled with a pint of ice cream and several cups of chocolate syrup. Not that there's anything wrong with brownies and ice cream....(because I really do enjoy a warm brownie with melted ice cream, oozing with chocolate syrup). But, I can fill up before I get to that.

But then, something changed.

A regular dinner with some girlfriends.

Dessert eating is a vital as a diet coke with your meal.

Who can eat without a diet coke??

Certainly not I.

And so you see, I was suddenly exploring the world through dessert and found it to be the best way to explore the world of food.

I am proud to say that I definitely asked for the dessert menu and most definitely ordered a Panna Cotta.

And to think I would have missed out on something so divine. A tragedy!

My guiding principal for my 28th year....

Always say YES to dessert.

A day on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

2011-02-06T11:54:00.003-05:00

Have you ever been to the Lower East Side?

It is worth the subway transfer to get there.

I wondered why NYC was suddenly seeming really small...and then I realized that I have been stuck in a rut on the Upper West Side. I have been limiting my myself to places I can easily walk to or places easily reached by the red line- no transfers allowed!

My friend Jess gave me a good reason to branch out and head down to the lower east side.

I rode the F train for the first time and I couldn't help but sing Ani DiFranco to myself:

"fourteenth street and the garbage swirls like a cyclone
three o'clock in the afternoon and I am going home
F train is full of high school students
so much shouting
so much laughter..."

Jess heard of this great bakery, Clinton St. Baking Company, and suggested we grab some brunch.

Sometimes I wonder why my weight continues to go up, not down, despite my goal to lose weight- I absolutely eat my way through New York. And enjoy every bite.

We couldn't help drooling over the menu options and finally selected a couple of entrees to share:

Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich-

Scrambled eggs, melted cheddar, buttermilk biscuit, tomato jam with hash browns.

Brioche French Toast-

Caramelized bananas, roasted pecans, warm maple butter

It was divine. Absolutely divine.

Ms. White.

The Clinton Street Baking Company was in this awesome, gritty, little neighborhood.

Lots of picture worthy shots.

I love these.

We made a stop at Economy Candy- All the candy you enjoyed as a little kid, now reunited under one roof.

They even had candy cigarettes.

Thanks for venturing out with me, Jess!

P.S. I saw this on my way home in the subway station:

In case you can't read the small print, it says:

Renegade Accordion

Have Masters Degrees

Need Engineering Job

Transportation Engineering City College 2010

Mechanical Engineering Columbia 2008

Complete with Star Wars music.

Martha Stewart Re-visited.

2011-02-06T11:31:00.003-05:00

I was ecstatic to see The Martha Stewart Show live the first time this past October.

But to see it a second time?

Totally awesome.

This time, my crafty friend Hillary made the trek from Ithaca to enjoy all things Martha with me.

Hillary is a huge Martha fan and has been wanting to see Martha for quite a while and tells her Martha ticket saga here, complete with pictures of our day.

My sweet tooth.

2011-02-02T13:37:00.004-05:00

I really have a sweet tooth.

And while I can eat sweets at any time of the day, my intense cravings for something really sweet, occurs at a late hour of the night, usually as Jace and I have just sat down to watch another episode of Mad Men.

My husband, being as great as he is, bundles up in his winter gear and heads out into the cold New York streets in search for something sweet for his wifey- usually a Pinkberry, twizzlers or something of the sort.

One night last week, Jace made his trek to Trader's Joe to retrieve a chocolate mint ice cream and instead, brought home something entirely unexpected:

Trader's Joe was out of the mint ice cream and thus my addiction to candy cane ice cream began.

This stuff is amazing.

And Trader Joe's has been out of it all week- until today!!

If you are still working on your New Year's Resolution to lose weight, I would not recommend this at all.

But otherwise, I would highly recommend this.

Best purchase in New York.

2011-02-02T13:03:00.003-05:00

Are my Hunter Rainboots.

Yes, true story.

When it snows this much.

So much that you can't even see tell that there are cars beneath the snow...

You end up walking around streets that look like this.

(P.S. These pictures were stolen from online)

And walking in puddles so deep you only wish you had someone to carry you around the city.

Yes, my Hunter boots have really saved many days and been the best investment yet.

One of the first pieces of advice I got when I moved to the city was,

"Buy yourself a pair of rainboots."

Thank you, Kathryn!

These things keep water out like nothing else.

I walk through puddles, even the deepest of deep, without blinking an eye.

Even better, are the fleece lining socks you can buy to wear with your Hunter boots that make for a super warm walking experience.

I will say however, that I have worn my Hunter boots most days of the winter and at this point, I am ready to trade them in for some more fashionable looking boots for street walking.

Not to mention, I am pretty much over carrying around another set of shoes in my canvas bag for the indoors.

I am ready for spring any day now...

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-26T16:43:00.012-05:00

Since we didn't get any Christmas cards out this year, I thought I would share our pictures/letter via the bloggity blog.

2010 has been an eventful year! The biggest event of the year was Jace graduating from Cornell Law School. We had been looking forward to that day for quite some time and it didn't disappoint! Jace studied for the New York bar in Ithaca (and passed!). Soon after, we packed up our belongings and left our beloved Ithaca for NYC. It was a bittersweet moment. Moving to NYC was also a long anticipated event for us and very exciting, but it was also hard to say goodbye to Ithaca and our friends. I think often of our little community in Ithaca, our branch, the Farmer's Market, Wegman's, my little knitting shop where they all know my name & the general hippy feel of the town. I just love it and my heart has ached for it.

Even so, we have been settling into city life and are certainly enjoying it. We have had numerous visitors already and have gotten to really explore and enjoy the city. We are also enjoying meeting new friends and learning how to do city life! The Holiday's have been especially fun in the city with the lights and very festive feel. We look forward to Jace completing his Tax LLM at NYU this May and will be staying in the city so that he can start at his law firm in the tax practice group.

We hope you have all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We feel so grateful for all of you in our lives and for your love and support. To an even better 2011!!

Jace's graduation day.

The Martha Stewart Show- NYC

The Mary Poppins Show!

The two kids in the show.

Mary Poppins!

The set.

My new friend, Marne, has photography talent and agreed to take some pictures for us in Central Park. The hope was to put these on a Christmas Card!

The Ellis' in Manhattan

2010-10-28T17:41:00.016-04:00

My family came to visit back in September and we packed in as much as possible- Ellis style. Meaning, we always start the day late and with a very loose plan, take our time and make plenty of stops for food and drinks.

My brothers.

They were really great sports about all the sight-seeing and days of walking- as long as we kept them fed and hydrated! : )

The cemetary behind the St. James Chapel- which still holds items from 9/11.

The American/Chrysler pride.

Luke has a great love of books and here he is looking through some books at the 9/11 Visitors Center. This kid is going to be a smart guy- he reads a ton and loves knowledge. How awesome is that?

At the 9/11 Visitors Center.

A picture of the pre-9/11 Manhattan skyline.

This is the current construction site where the twin towers used to stand. Their plans for the new buildings and areas look phenomenal. If I am remembering correctly, they took submissions from individuals all over for the design of the buildings and grounds and choose a waterfall design. I will be excited to see the finished product.

A slice of pizza at Rigaletto's on the Upper West Side.

This is where we saw Chris Rock- Matt said me, "That guy over there looks just like Chris Rock." I took a look and agreed, "That IS Chris Rock." We all tried to play it very cool but couldn't help sneaking as many looks as possible. He seemed like a regular nice guy just trying to grab a slice of pizza.

We also spent some time in the Financial District checking out

Wall St.

Mr. Clegg looking hot and handsome in front of the

New York Stock Exchange.

It is amazing that we got any pictures here without any people

walking in front. It was super busy with people but I guess

they understand the need for tourist types to get their

pictures and were very accommodating.

I can almost see Connor- give him another year and he will be towering over us. : )

I love the bird on the statue's head.

The Merrill Lynch bull

It was crazy getting pictures of this bull. There were so many people- I wish we had gotten a picture of the crowd around the bull.

I couldn't resist including this picture.

Only in Manhattan.

The Statue of Liberty!

Ellis Island

Japan Barbie.

We found Jace's family!

William Clegg.

On a lighter note...

2010-09-18T21:01:00.005-04:00

Have you ever wondered how to use a shopping cart in a Bed Bath & Beyond in NYC that has MULTIPLE levels? (And no, not by elevator).

This is how....

Pretty awesome, right?

FDNY in the house.

2010-09-18T20:11:00.007-04:00

Last night we had some excitement at our apartment building. When Jace and I were leaving to see a movie (Easy A- which we did end up seeing last night and thought it was really really great) we noticed that the hallway was smokey and had a weird smell. We couldn't determine where it was coming from and so we went downstairs to alert the doorman about the smoke but upon arriving in the lobby and before I had a chance to inform the doorman of the smoke, I heard everyone in the lobby talking about some sort of explosion and pointing at all the glass in the street. Sure enough, the street was covered in glass and we noticed a window was completely blown out...on the fifth floor, OUR fifth floor! I rushed back upstairs not sure what was happening but wanting to grab my two babies, I mean chihuahua's.

Back on the fifth floor, all the neighbors were milling about saying there was an explosion and did it smell like gas? I hadn't met all of my neighbors until last night in the hallway and even realized that I only recognized a few of them. Based on where Jace and I had seen the blown out window outside, we determined it was the apartment across from the elevator and across the hallway from us. Only a few minutes later, the FDNY showed up to investigate the explosion.

We're not sure exactly sure, FOR SURE, what happened but the FDNY was saying that some sort of aerosol can had been left on the stove, which was left on, causing the explosion. The explosion blew out the window and the entire window frame. It also caused damage to the wall adjoining the apartment next door, which was shared with a 90 year old woman. The entire floor jumped into action, attending to the 90 year old neighbor who was really shaken up, calling her son who lived across the street and then retrieving the son from the now roped off entrance. Showing the FDNY where to go. Retrieving as much information from the FDNY as possible and passing it along to everyone else. We were all hanging out in the hall, shocked at what had occurred and yet in some weird way, bonding.

Outside, there were firetrucks lined up and down our street. A spotlight was lighting up the blown out window which was being cleared of glass remnants and then being covered in plastic. If I didn't know better, I would have thought there was a jumper. The spotlight, the missing window, the plastic. Crowds had formed all along the street, trying to understand what had happened.

Luckily, the apartment that had exploded was empty. We heard that a new person was just moving in and had been there to clean (hence the aerosol can on the oven), but was not there at the time of the explosion. This morning, most of the glass on the street has been swept away but you can still see pieces of glass on the parked cars that haven't moved since last night.

Note to self: Never. ever. I. mean. never. ever. leave any kind of aerosol can on the oven. ESPECIALLY IF IT IS TURNED ON.

The Corner Bistro

2010-09-05T19:24:00.007-04:00

We heard that Corner Bistro has some great burgers, and my New York bible, er, guidebook confirmed this.

This hole in the wall looking burger joint was found in hip area of The Village.

I read there can be long lines at the Corner Bistro, but LUCKILY per Christy's need to have dinner at absurdly early hours of the evening there wasn't a wait at all!

If you like great all-American burgers, this is the place for you.

Thick, juicy burger meat with your basic toppings- cheese, lettuce & tomato.

A very unpretentious burger served on a flimsy plastic plate.

The service was lighting fast quick and the atmosphere very low-key.

According to my New York bible, this was a one $ joint- but we found we still ended up spending $30.00- two burgers, two fries, two drinks & tip.

Consulting the bible on the most touristy places to see in the area.

75 1/2 Bedford St.

The narrowest house in New York, and I would venture to say that it may also be the narrowest house in the United States.

The "Friends" Building.

The Village is so very hip with an excess of picture worthy shots...

The High Line

2010-08-11T12:02:00.020-04:00

In the 1800's, freight trains would deliver items to warehouses in the lower west side of Manhattan in Chelsea. The street where these freight trains travelled became known as "death avenue" as numerous deaths occurred from accidents in the streets involving the freight trains. In 1929, it was decided that an above ground, second story level, railroad would be built to prevent these accidents from occurring. This second story railroad ran from 1929 until 1980 when a freight train completed its' last delivery of frozen turkey's. Since that time there was discussion of destroying the railroad but in 1999 a community group formed and began advocating that a park be built instead. In June 2009, this second story park was opened to the public.

This park is now known as The High Line.

Buildings that can be seen while walking along The High Line.

A view of the street from The High Line.

Check out the architecture of the building to the very left.

A view of the water & Jersey from The High Line.

The scenery looks quite industrial, but very chic and trendy at the same time.

Remnants of the old railroad.

As you are walking along the park, you can still see parts of the old railway.

They are still in the process of building 2 additional sections of the park. The landscaping was so beautiful!

Summer Hiatus

2010-08-08T21:01:00.003-04:00

I have been on a bit of a summer hiatus from blogging and need to re-enter the blogging world. This summer has gone by so quickly I can hardly believe it is already into August. I spent a perfect summer in Ithaca enjoying the beauty that is Ithaca and prepared for our long anticipated move to NYC. We are now settled into our little love nest and are quickly learning the ropes of city life. I love city life. LOVE it. NYC and I were meant to be.

This weekend we took a walk through Central Park and up to the Met. It was a gorgeous day and perfect weather for strolling. The Met has a great impressionism collection with Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir and many others. We spent some time enjoying some of our favorites and also stopped by the Picasso exhibit. It is certainly tourist season and we didn't stay long with the crowds. Luckily, I got a year membership at The Met and will be able to go back as often as I want.

This is pretty much what we saw on Saturday. Tons of laying out and enjoying the great weather. The big buildings in the background make this photo amazing.

Our apartment is also near Lincoln Center and I have been loving spending time there. This past week I did my first session at the Manhattan Temple.

I love that the temple is a 5 minute walk from my apartment. It is also quite an experience to be on a busy NYC street and then to walk into the peace & quiet of the temple. I feel quite attached to the Palmyra Temple and think I always will but the New York Temple is also very special.

We attended church for the first time today in NYC and we actually meet in the temple building above. I'm sure our new ward will grow on me but I was holding back tears during sacrament thinking that this is certainly NOT the Cornell Branch. Oh how I was missing the branch today.

We have also been spending a lot of time at the Guggenheim Bandshell, in Lincoln Center- which is surrounded by the the Metropolitan Opera House & The New York State Theatre. During the summer they have free outdoor concerts most nights and we have been fully partaking. Last night we saw this band from Chicago called Mucca Pazza. They were such a riot and put on a thoroughly entertaining show- It was a really great show. They describe their music as circus punk marching band music- complete nerds with nerd hobbies. I felt musically and creatively edified.

is also a new favorite and we have been indulging...almost daily.

I love this girl!

2010-07-04T17:31:00.008-04:00

This is such a ridiculously cute girl!

Meet Norah, Bryan & Lindsey Hicks little girl.

Norah and I have become kindred spirits.

Norah doesn't quite talk yet, but yes, we truly are kindred spirits.

Today at church, Norah chased after me down the hall and

had her arms outstretched for me while

running towards me.

Although I try to steal her at every possible chance,

I didn't realize she really knew who I was!

She makes my heart melt!

Norah, please come visit me in NYC. I will miss you too much.

Palmyra

2010-05-14T22:36:00.005-04:00

After our adventure to Scipio, we decided to continue on to Palmyra.

We had all seen the Palmyra temple before but it was nice to visit and see it again.

We also visited the Chill & Grill and did some shopping in downtown Palmyra.

Such a cute upstate town.

On the temple grounds, the Sacred Grove is behind us.

My grandma and I sitting in the Sacred Grove. My grandmother remebered that when my Grandpa was a branch president in their Auburn branch, they used to sometimes meet in the Sacred Grove in a meeting area- and believed this to be the place.

The temple from the Sacred Grove.

Walking along the grounds.

As we were walking, we noticed this in front of us.

We realized it was a baby fox! It allowed us to get very close to it but then scurried to the side of the walking path.

This is what we saw on the side. Apparently, a mommy fox had given birth to 3 foxes the month before and they had a little hole on the side of the walking path. I guess they were just really used to seeing people and didn't get scared by us at all.

The fox laying in the grass.

Scipio, NY

2010-05-14T22:20:00.004-04:00

It's Jace's graduation this coming Sunday and my Grandma Ann from Boise was able to come celebrate with us. We were so excited that she is here in Ithaca with us and love getting to spend time with her.

45 years ago, my Grandpa Jay worked for Pepsi Cola is Scipio, NY.

My grandparents had mentioned they lived in upstate NY but we never realized how close it actually was to us in Ithaca- just a short 25 minute drive.

Today we took a drive out to the house they lived in 45 years ago- it was the first house my mother lived in and the home my grandmother fell in love with. When my grandparents were moving from their home in Scipio to Kansas, my grandmother went back into the house for one last check for anything forgotten. When she came out to the car, my grandpa asked her if she had left anything behind and she responded, "Only my heart."

She loved this house. So it was so awesome to see it today. It is such a cute upstate gingerbread style home with church style front door. The most recent owners have kept it up so well- the exterior exactly the same as it was 45 years ago.

Finally, a new post!

2010-05-14T22:14:00.003-04:00

We are certainly excited that winter is over and the warm weather has come.

We had a couple of snowstorms this past winter that brought a lot of snow!

Little Sophie on top of a huge snow mound.

This picture does not do this shot justice. The snow was so unbelievably high next to our house!

The chihuahua's trying to figure out how to potty with all this snow.

So crazy!

Food, Inc.

2010-02-18T19:39:00.003-05:00

I have been on a book buying binge the last several months. It is a little insane. I believe I may be diagnosable- as in a book hoarder. : )

Not really, but I would love to do nothing but buy books and read- my true self coming out here.

Two weeks ago, Jace and I saw the movie, Food, Inc.

Completely life changing in the way I view food and I would so highly recommend it. After seeing it, Jace and I have decided to make some changes in the way we eat and it is pretty exciting.

So in today's news, my book purchase for the day was the book, Food Inc. and I can't wait to start it.

We finally have a plan past May 2010!

2010-02-16T18:47:00.005-05:00

Jace was accepted into New York University's LLM in Tax!

For those of you who may not be familiar with legal academia this is a post-law degree specialization in tax law. Jace has been offered an associate position at the firm he summered at, Mayer Brown, also in NYC, following completion of his NYU program.

I will be a little bit of a braggy wife here and let you know that NYU's program is the #1 tax program in the U.S.

Go Jace!

We definitely are sharing our news with friends and family but I will not be making this news public quite yet to my work....And I do have work friends on facebook. : )

This means it is time to start thinking about moving on from Ithaca- It won't be hard to say goodbye to the winters (as it has been snowing ALL day) but there is so much that I will miss. The Ithaca Farmer's market, having my own garden, blueberry picking, awesome hippies, organics, the incredible outdoor beauty, the diversity, our friends here...the list could go on and on.

I have told Jace that one day if we are ever rich and famous we must have a house in Ithaca on Cayuga Lake. In fact, I already have the house picked out. : )

I am determined to enjoy every moment of our time left here!

By the way, if anyone has any suggestions of places to live in NYC or suggestions in general about city living- please let me know! We would love to live in Manhattan but realistically are not willing to give an arm and a leg for a studio apartment. We have been looking in Brooklyn in the area of Williamsburg but are open to other suggestions.

Going Private

2010-01-31T19:09:00.002-05:00

Ladies and Gents-

I am taking my blog private.

If you would like to be added to view the blog- please feel free to leave your e-mail in the comments.

Thank you Thank you!

Washington D.C.

2010-01-31T19:02:00.003-05:00

My mom and little brother, Luke, came for a visit and we all went to Washington D.C.

The weather was awesome in D.C. and we had a great time.

The Holocaust Museum.

My little brother Luke.

At the Natural History Museum.

Luke guiding us around the city. We walked forever but finally made it to the Jefferson Memorial.

Yellowstone National Park

2009-11-16T16:49:00.005-05:00

Jace and I went to Yellowstone National Park in August with my grandparents, aunt & cousins. We had the best week ever!

The Grand Prismatic Spring. So awesome.

We hiked up a bit to see another view of the Grand Prismatic Pool.

Grandma & cousins.

Fishing.

Stunning. Is this real?

Old Faithful.

New York City!

2009-11-16T16:37:00.005-05:00

Jace and I loved New York City and loved Central Park. : )

We rented bikes to ride in Central Park and they asked if they could take a photo of us for their website...?

The Hummus Kitchen!

The food was great and it was so fun.

Baklava. Craving Baklava.

Long time, no blog

2009-11-16T15:21:00.007-05:00

It has been so long since I last blogged so I thought I would try to catch up by posting some pictures. Jace worked in New York City this summer and we had a great time exploring and falling in love with the city. One of my best friends, Whitney, and her husband, Al, came to visit us in NYC and here are some pictures of our adventures.

A candy store.

The Apple Store.

Serendipity.

Whit and I trying to massage our feet on the bumpy sports shoes after a great deal of walking.

Columbia.

The Mets Game.

Ithacan Garden

2009-06-14T12:28:00.007-04:00

This summer a few friends from church were renting a plot of summer gardening. I have NEVER planted a seed in my life and have never attempted to keep a plant alive but I have always wanted to try to have a vegetable garden. One summer back in Utah, Jace and I thought about starting a garden and even starting preparing the soil- but that was as far as it ever went. This year we thought we would join the group and finally make our attempt at having a vegetable garden. I have LOVED having a garden. LOVED IT. I wondered if it might be one of the things that we started and then it would slowly fizzle out but that hasn't been the case. We have become increasingly devoted to our little vegetable plants. : )

Pre-weeding and soil prep.

Tilling the soil.

Making our rows.

(Jace did most of that part...)

This was our final product. Soil weeded and tilled. Rows formed. Starter plants transplanted. We decided to do a lot of starter plants because we had never planted anything before and worried we may not have the skill to grow from seeds.

Plants continuing to grow.

June 2009.

The picture above is several weeks later. Some plants did die but most have grown and stayed very healthy. I also decided to start three rows of seeds, the first two rows in the picture above are the start of the plants which have grown from seeds. It was amazing. I planted the seeds about a week or so ago and then suddenly these plants appeared! Lol.

Weeding.

Our lettuce plants and cucumber plants (which we just transplanted after our last cucumber plants died- we hope these are able to stay alive).

Tomato plants. Strawberry plants. Broccoli Plants. Chives.

Yesterday we noticed that the strawberries have cute flowers on them and as we looked closer, realized the strawberries were forming in the center of the flowers. Yay!

The strawberries are the plants at the back on the right.

Our garden.

Annie and Carter's visit to New York

2009-06-14T12:13:00.004-04:00

Annie and Carter came to New York for a visit...Dave graduated dental school and Jace and I drove up to Buffalo to celebrate!

After the graduation ceremony. 4 years of dental school completed. Check.

Lunch at an Italian Restaurant in Buffalo.

Annie and Carter then came to Ithaca. Our first visitors here in Ithaca! I might have been a little over zealous in showing off all the sites of Ithaca which included, The Commons, Cornell, Wegmans (our favorite grocery store adventure), and of course the beautiful outdoors. Above is Buttermilk Falls.

Buttermilk Falls.

Annie and Carter.

Moi.

Then it was off to New York City. Above is Central Park.

A carriage ride through Central Park.

Taking an iphone break at one of the many thousands of Starbucks in NYC.

Washington D.C.

2009-06-14T11:21:00.007-04:00

Back in March, Jace and I took a weekend and went to Washington D.C. We were only able to go for a weekend and found that we hardly scratched the surface in doing all that we wanted to do. We LOVED D.C. and hope to go back again soon....

My good friend and college roommate, Heather, lives right outside of D.C. and we had a chance to see Heather and her family while we were there.

The White House.

The Holocaust Museum.

This was one of our favorite places we went to while in D.C. We thought we would stop by for a couple of hours and ended up spending almost a whole day there.

The Natural History Museum.

More pictures of the White House.

The Phillips Collection.

We found this museum in a guide book and thought we would check it out. We didn't know what to expect were so glad we did. A couple in D.C. has collected art throughout the years and eventually turned their home into a museum.

Below is a Renoir which is located at The Phillips Collection. Jace and I had seen this painting before in pictures but were stunned by how magnificent it was in real life. We would recommend The Phillips Collection to anyone visiting D.C.

Birthday Party!!

2009-03-01T17:49:00.008-05:00

Saturday afternoon I headed out to see a movie with my friend Kaci...We went to see Confessions of a Shopaholic, which was funny but predictable. Little did I know, Kaci was instructed to distract me so that my husband could complete preparations for a surprise birthday party for me. Kaci dropped me off after the movie and into the house I walked. I was quite surprised to have a house full of people yelling "SURPRISE" at me. : ) My husband has been known to go out of his way to make me feel special and this was no different. Thanks to everyone who showed up to celebrate my 26th Birthday with me...and especially thanks to Jace for his cute sneakiness.

Me and Tiffany with the yummy cake she made.

Notice the knife Jace is holding....

Me with my birthday cake filled with candles...that would be 26 candles.

It took a lot to blow out all those candles, I think next year I might need some help in blowing out all those candles.

Nate and Grace.

Shannah and Skyler.

Melissa and Mia.

Brooke and Jared.

Sarah and Taylor.

Jen, Scott & Conrad.

Lindsey, Ryan, Tom & Kaci.

The shoes.

Painting Project

2009-02-08T20:05:00.003-05:00

I have been looking at my bleach white walls for the last year and a half thinking that I should paint them. Jace even went as far as getting permission to paint our walls several months ago but we haven't ever gotten around to it. Since I have had a few days off I decided to begin the undertaking! I spent a couple of days gathering paint sample sheets and comparing them...I bought a few samples of paint and tried them out all over my walls. I didn't end up really liking any of the colors I chose and in the end went for a basic tan color. Jace thought it would be fun to try a darker accent wall as well. Both colors ended up turning out darker than we had imagined, but we have decided we really like it. It is super soothing to come into a creamy colored room as opposed to a shocking bleach white : )

Jace and I had a good time painting and are ready to undertake our next project- the bathroom. Since I start work at my new job tomorrow I'm not sure when exactly we will get around to doing it. In the meantime I will have to put up with having random colors all over my bathroom wall....oops.

The primer.

Taping- not the greatest tape ever. We were very careful to tape well but the paint still bled in some places. I was always critical of walls that lacked crisp paint lines but now realize that it is a bit trickier than I thought. I need a better tape...

Taping still.

Primer on and now the paint.

Getting there.

Touching up areas.

The finished product.

Our accent wall.

Bikram Yoga

2009-02-04T19:34:00.002-05:00

I just finished my first session of bikram yoga at the Yoga College of India on State St. in Ithaca. I have been doing some yoga classes at my gym and loving them. And then a friend from church, Brooke, mentioned that this place was having a deal for 10 dollars for 10 days. So I decided to check it out. It was incredibly intense. The poses are the same as the yoga classes I have been doing but the room is heated up so that it is a sauna like temperature. The temperature of the room makes the experience intense. I am not much of a sweater, even when I am working out, and I have never sweated so much in my life (no exaggeration there). I left the class drenched in sweat. Next time I will go to class more hydrated because I think I was ready to pass out towards the end due to dehydration. : ) Maybe this will help cure my diet coke addiction? I think I will have to give it a couple more times to get used to the heat- but otherwise I was a huge fan.

101 Cookbooks

2009-01-28T20:56:00.003-05:00

My friend Kaci made some yummy peanut butter type dip that was amazing...She passed on the recipe to me that she got from 101cookbooks.com. I have loved looking through this website and have been trying out some new recipes.

This sushi bowl was awesome. It took a while to make and I think I will substitute chicken for the tofu next time but it was really good. Even Jace approved.

I am a huge fan of peanut butter. I love peanut butter. So I saw this recipe for peanut butter cookies and wanted to try it. Three days later, Jace and I have eaten them all : ) I'm pretty sure we loved them.

Christmas and a wedding....

2009-01-18T18:49:00.004-05:00

Jace and I were back in Utah for just a short period of time and had lots to do!

We arrived on Christmas Eve and spent every waking moment spending time with both sides of our families. Right after Christmas festivities ended, Jace's sister Annie got married. It was a beautiful ceremony and reception. Annie looked gorgeous! We are both so happy for her and love her new hubby, Carter.

Annie on her wedding day.

Her dress was stunning on her!

Growing up I always hoped for a sister....and instead I ended up with four cute brothers. But after I married Jace, I got my wish- a sister! Annie is the best...

Christmas morning.

Melodee and Madi.

Cute Kali.

Annie and Carter.

Me and Bailey.

Ellis Family Pictures

2009-01-02T22:11:00.005-05:00

The Ellis Family pictures were in the morning and here are the results...

My 20 year old brother, Matt.

My 16 year old brother Justin.

My 9 year old brother, Luke.

My 13 year old brother Connor.

My cute parents.

The whole gang.

The siblings.

Clegg Family Pictures

2009-01-02T22:00:00.005-05:00

With all the holiday festivities and family in town, both sides of our families took advantage of the opportunity to do family pictures. It just so happened both family pictures took place on the same day....The Clegg Family Pictures were in the afternoon outside next to a barn. It was so cold outside but you never would have guessed it by the pictures. It was so entertaining to watch the adults trying to get smiles out of the kids all at the same time... : )

GO UTES!

2009-01-02T20:02:00.003-05:00

Utah vs. BYU 2004- The last game of Utah's undefeated season.

The Fiesta Bowl in Mesa Arizona 2004

Utah vs. Pittsburgh

The Sugar Bowl is about to begin...The University of Utah is playing Alabama at The Super Dome in New Orleans. Jace is the biggest University of Utah fan I have ever met- the only people that rival his enthusiasm for The University of Utah Football is his family. Still, Jace takes the cake. He has been counting down the minutes for this game.

When I was dating Jace I had NO idea what huge Utah Football fan Jace is. We started dating right after the season ended and got married right before the season started. I was totally blown away when the football season began- our lives were dominated by the games and all other football happenings. Through it all, I found that I had also become a fan. That year the Utah Utes went undefeated and were the first non- BCS team to go to a BCS Bowl Game. Jace and I went down to Arizona with the rest of his family and some of my family to the Fiesta Bowl and had a great time- it was especially exciting when the Utes won.

Four years later, the Utes have done it again. They are undefeated and are playing in another BCS Bowl Game. This time we weren't able to make it to the bowl game- but we (more specifically Jace) have been so excited for this game. We are now in the first quarter of the game with 8 minutes and 37 seconds left and the score is Utah- 14, Alabama- 0. Go Utes!

So sad...

2008-12-21T12:07:00.002-05:00

Jace and I got up bright and early this morning to get ready for church. We made sure to dress extra warm because we knew the heat was out in the jeep- after the jeep billowed smoke during my drive home from work in the snow storm. Right as we were pulling out of our apartment complex onto Graham Rd. the jeep died. In the middle of the street. I had total dejavu. Back in August when my jeep died (it needed a new battery) it died in the exact same place. So weird. Luckily we have AAA- which has been GREAT to have this year with all the car episodes we have had. Jace called a car repair shop and they estimated the cost of repairs to be anywhere from $150.00 to $2,000.00! Wow...Merry Christmas!

Sledding at Cornell

2008-12-20T13:19:00.004-05:00

It has been snowing like mad here in Ithaca. Yesterday, it was predicted that a very large snow storm would hit Ithaca. When I woke up yesterday morning there wasn't one bit of snow falling. However, around 10:30am it did in fact start snowing- and it was coming down! At 12:00 The Red Cross sent everyone home....I spent an hour in traffic headed up a hill home. My car did not like moving like a turtle in four wheel drive with the heat blasting- right as I was about home smoke started billowing out from under my front hood. It think it over heated? I'm not sure- but currently the heat in my car won't work at all.

This morning Jace and I went sledding with some friends from law school to take advantage of the snow.

Cornell.

Hiking up the hill.

Crawling up the hill.

These pictures posted backwards...this is us going down the hill on a mattress.

Bracing myself for the steep hill.

This was the mattress....it was totally gross.

I almost forgot...here's to you Whitney!

2008-12-15T18:21:00.005-05:00

In September I traveled back to Salt Lake City to attend Whitney and Al's wedding. Whitney is one of my best friends from college and a long time family friend. Her wedding was beautiful and she looked amazing. I was so grateful I could be there to be apart of her special day. Thanks Whit!

The beautiful bride.

The Bridesmaids.

Us again.

Sending off Whit and Al.

My old roommate and friend, Bonnie. It was because of Bonnie that Jace and I got together. Thanks Bonnie!

Whitney's choices of colors and presentation were impeccable...I wouldn't have expected less from Whitney.

I think I am all caught up....

2008-12-14T22:23:00.002-05:00

Now that I have caught up on the past several months...

I am very excited for Christmas this year- like 5 year old kid excited for Christmas. Last year I couldn't be bothered with Christmas but this year....it is different. I started with the day after Thanksgiving putting up the Christmas tree and Christmas decorations. I have been watching Christmas movies 24/7- Elf, The Santa Clause, Home Alone, etc. and making Christmas Sugar Cookies and Peppermint Bark. I am even putting together a Christmas letter and Christmas cards this year. I can't wait to be with family and participate in all the regular Christmas traditions. And I LOVE Christmas morning. My parents told Jace when we got married that I am always the first one up on Christmas morning and often at very early times in the morning. Although I am 25 years old- this is still true. I guess I just have the Christmas bug this year.....

As the New Year rolls around I am also beginning to reflect on my New Years Resolutions....I have been totally bugged that I have gotten so out of shape this year!! I still make it to the gym pretty regularly but my eating is terrible. I mean really terrible. Also, my diet coke addiction has taken on a life of it own, which doesn't help any. Note: I am not committing to giving up my diet coke- I just think I might be able to cut down a little.... : ) The holidays is a really terrible time to begin working on this one but I really need to start now and not wait around for January 1.

I am hoping to make it to the gym tomorrow morning so I am off to bed....

Ithacan Autumn

2008-12-14T21:12:00.005-05:00

Jace and I LOVE the fall in Ithaca. It is seriously beautiful. This year we made sure to go to Buttermilk Falls and do some apple picking at an apple orchard.

Sophie and Jace...hiking up Buttermilk Falls.

Me and Thor. Thor hates having to walk anywhere. Most dogs enjoy walks- not Thor. He would be perfectly happy to be carried around everywhere.

Jace attempting to drag...I mean walk Thor.

A lot of the good apples had already been picked, so Jace had to do some climbing to get some good ones. My favorite apple that we picked was some kind of tropical banana flavored apple. Seriously, it was sooo good.

We made sure to get some yummy cider donuts and cider.

One of the many different kinds of apples.

Jace was a great photographer that day. Sorry for all the Christy photos.

The apple orchard.

This was just as we were starting out...I don't look to excited.

4 Years of Marriage

2008-12-14T18:54:00.004-05:00

In August, Jace and I celebrated 4 years of marriage. It is hard to believe that it has already been 4 years (well, since this post is sooo late it is looking more like 4 1/2 years now... : ).

We spent our anniversary at this great Indian place in Ithaca. It isn't anything fancy- that's for sure- but the food is so good and we are addicted.

Diamonds- If you live in Ithaca you should really try it.

Why are some of my pictures posting sideways?? If anyone can help me out I would appreciate it! Anyways, my cute husband.

Christy- wearing her Tiffany's necklace and earrings that Jace gave me for our anniversary.

And right after this picture was taken, we took a trip to NYC when Jace was interviewing with firms and one of my earrings fell out somewhere in NYC....I was incredibly sad.

Finally...a new post!

2008-12-14T18:28:00.006-05:00

I haven't been very motivated to keep up on this blog. However, I have been sick for the past week and have been spending as much time as possible in bed trying to recoup. As a result, I am sick of watching TV, I can only check my e-mail so many times in a day, and basically I am running out of things to do from bed. Therefore- I have decided to blog....

Back in August, on my very last day in Utah, I went to Lagoon. Lagoon is an amusement park, for those of you not from Utah or familiar with Lagoon. It isn't anything special....but I LOVE LAGOON. It is one of those things that has carried over from childhood that I just haven't ever outgrown. Since Jace grew up with Lagoon practically in his backyard, he is not such of fan. I took advantage of the opportunity to spend a day at Lagoon when my little brothers were in town.... : ) Here are some pictures....

The crew....yep, I'm just one of the kids.

Cute kids! Luke, Emily, Connor and Hannah.

The brothers. Luke and Connor.

It was a super hot day and we thought we wouldn't mind getting a little bit wet...unfortunately, this ride got us all soaked!

My dad after one of the roller coasters...I love the hair : )

This picture will only post sideways- but anyways, we thought it would be great to get slurpees since it was so hot. Luke ended up with a belly from all the slurpee drinking he did.

Luke and my dad with our slurpees.

2008-08-17T22:19:00.005-04:00

All the Cantonese Speakers in the program (yes, I'm the only "Gwai louh" or White Devil)

Me and what I'd consider my best friend from the program, Jesus Alverado from Puerto Rico

My group, Blue 3, that I worked with throughout the program, (from left to right) Jesus, Allison, Paulo, Perry, Ludivica, Florian, Ada, and Me.

Me and Judge O'Scannlain.

What a busy/amazing summer! A few days after I finished clerking, I left for Shanghai and Suzhou for a study abroad program through Cornell in International Business Transactions (it sounds way more fancy than the program actually is!) Shanghai was good, but fell short compared to my first Chinese love, Hong Kong. Suzhou was great; great food, great people, fun times! The program's best feature by far was the people you met and the friendships you made. I was able to meet the U.S. Ambassador to China, Judge O'Scannlain of the 9th Circuit, and various esteemed law professors. Also, I developed some friendships that I'm sure will last a lifetime; friends from Puerto Rico, Milan, Rome, Germany, England, and China. All in all, it was a great time.

A view of Shanghai from one of the large office buildings

One of the numerous shopping areas in Shanghai

Canals in Suzhou frequently featured people in boats washing produce in "less than clean" water!

Summer Clerking at the Federal Court

2008-08-17T22:08:00.004-04:00

I had the awesome opportunity this summer to clerk for two Federal District Judges, Judge Sam and Judge Nuffer. It was a great opportunity to utilize what I'd learned during my first year at Cornell Law School. The work was challenging, substantive, and a great chance for me to be exposed to the function of the court system from a Judge's perspective. The most impressive thing to me, though, was how amazing both Judges were as people. Both Judge Sam and Judge Nuffer were some of the kindest, most thoughtful people I've had the opportunity to be around, and gave me great faith in the judicial system!

Me and Judge Sam
Me and Judge Nuffer
My enormous office with a Million Dollar View

4th of July!!

2008-08-17T21:36:00.004-04:00

Jace and I spent the 4th of July in Boise...It was the typical fireworks in the cul-de-sac type celebration. We pull out the lawn chairs and line them up in the driveway and watch the fireworks show orchestrated by various relatives. Every year I am surprised that everyone makes it out alive and in one piece.

My littlest brother Luke.

My cousins little boy Evan.

The girls- enjoying the lawn chairs.

Us.

Me and my mom.

Cabin Adventure Summer 2008

2008-08-17T21:15:00.004-04:00

I am just getting around to uploading some pictures from the summer...

One weekend Jace and I went to his parents cabin in Camas, UT with our good friends Coleman and Shanna. We have begun a tradition of spending a weekend of the summer up at the cabin with the four of us. Jace and Coleman go fishing, while Shanna and I go shopping at the Park City Outlets. During the evenings we hang out, BBQ, watch movies, ride the 4-wheeler, and just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Jace and I on the porch of the cabin.

Shanna and I.

Coleman and Shanna- at a yummy mexican restaurant in Park City.

Jace and I at the mexican restaurant.

Shanna and I hanging out in the cabin with Sophie and Thor.

Jace fishing.

Coleman fishing.

Lazy Sunday

2008-07-28T23:15:00.004-04:00

Jace left for China a couple of weeks ago to do a study abroad with his law program and I have been hanging out in Utah, becoming a hermit : ) I guess I just miss my cute hubby and wish he were back already...Luckily, my cute sister-in-law, Annie, is around and we spent Sunday eating yummy food, playing Phase 10 and the Wii. Annie is the best! Whenever I am with her, I am in a constant state of giggling.

Us in our PJ's

My niece, Maddy, who let me hold her for the first time this weekend : )

Happy Summer!

2008-07-27T18:26:00.010-04:00

I am loving this summer weather...I will admit, I have not yet thawed out from this past Ithacan winter. Seriously, the sun has never been more welcomed in my life. : ) And I cannot believe how quickly time flies! We have already been in Ithaca one year are getting prepared to head back and begin another school year. A year ago we were preparing for our move across the country to a place completely unknown to us. We packed up a Penske truck and drove for three days straight. This move represented to us the next phase of our life and we were seriously so excited to make the journey. I felt as if arriving in Ithaca was a breathe of fresh air. Of course there were difficult adjustments to make- but otherwise this past year has been incredible. As I was looking back over our pictures from this past year, I realized there are hardly any pictures of Jace! It seems that I had a lot of fun in Ithaca and Jace spent a lot of time at the library studying :) I thought I would post some of our memories from this past year....

Sophie on the long drive to Ithaca.

Jace...need I say more?

Another long day...

Thor.

My good friend Karlee was also randomly in Ithaca this past year...We both lived in Michigan in high school and then our husbands ended up at Cornell. Karlee was my best friend in Ithaca and I don't know what I will do without her now that she has moved to Las Vegas.

December 2007- My first time in New York City at the Rockette's with Annie.

Annie and I at the Hershey store in Times Square.

On weekend Karlee and I drove with our friend Kaci to Boston...Boston was such a cute city.

Kaci, me, and Karlee at a Jazz club in Boston.

Diet Coke- The breakfast of champions.

April 2008- Girls Trip to Florida

All of us.

First Blog EVER!

2008-03-23T11:44:00.000-04:00

Jace and I have been talking about creating a blog for such a long time....finally, here is our first attempt!

Jace and I moved to Ithaca, NY in August of 2007 so that Jace could attend Cornell Law School. I am what they call out here, a "trailing spouse" and am currently working at The American Red Cross in Homeless Services as a case manager/social worker.

So far we have been enjoying what Ithaca has to offer and were especially amazed at the beauty of Ithaca during the fall....One afternoon in October we decided to check out one of the falls in the area, Taughannock Falls.