nyc: day 2

day 2 highlights

sleeping in 

(ryan and lynda's guest room rocks! it's dark and you can't hear a thing in there...even with 3 kiddos in the place)

brandon's birthday party

gray's papaya 

the guggenheim museum

sprinkles cupcakes

walking along 5th avenue

top of the rock

walking across the brooklyn bridge 

dinner with ryan

our nephew brandon celebrated his 5th birthday while we were in town. parties planned by lynda are no small endeavor and we were happy to help set up. it was no small feat to get everything to the park, although it was made significantly easier since they borrowed their friends' minivan and packed that thing full! in addition, we pushed 2 strollers packed with kids and party stuff to the park (these nyc families rock!). these pictures don't do the party justice. it was a carnival/train theme for 25 kids (maybe a few more than that)! 

lynda had all sorts of carnival games going...knock the cans and milk bottles, ring toss, face painting, as well as group games like a huge parachute and something with a really big beach ball (that dave mainly blew up since the pump just wasn't working. what a good guy!). of course there were prizes to put in their cute handmade bags! needless to say, it was a great day to be a 5 year old! 

brandon has been obsessed with trains for most of his life. he can tell you about trains all over the country, not to mention all the different subway lines and commuter trains in nyc. wherever they visit, if there is a train, brandon has to ride it (he recently was in heaven riding the train in chicago and is even happy if it is just the lightrail in denver). brandon is really interested in amtrak (he even has a coffee table picture book about amtrak) and so ryan decided to make bradon an amtrak cake. didn't he do an amazing job?! the night before when ryan was finishing the cake he realized he forgot to put doors on the train. "it's going to be the first thing brandon notices," ryan predicted and he was right (that and the fact that ryan forgot a light on the front of the train). the kid knows his trains! 

we were so happy to be there to celebrate with brandon! he is such a sweet kid!

we left the party and headed to gray's papaya for hot dogs. they were good! it's funny how many things you see in nyc remind you of a movie (since everything is supposed to take place there). we thought of "fools rush in" as we ate our hot dogs. 

i had to take the picture on the right because it made me laugh. the lady is pushing a dog in the stroller! seriously! i am not an animal person and i thought it was pretty ridiculous! but to each their own!

there was a special "black and white" picasso exhibit at the guggenheim that was really interesting. the museum itself is incredibly artistic and was designed by frank lloyd wright (movie reference: when in rome). it's a cylindrical building and by the time we made it to the top we were tired! i was also a little antsy by the end. we spent a long time in there. some of the pieces were incredible and others i thought, "really?! why is that so famous and hanging in a museum?!" it was amazing how talented he was with multiple mediums. 

perhaps the highlight of the day was my red velvet cupcake at sprinkles. so, so delicious! i'm pretty picky when it comes to cupcakes (almost without fail i think most cupcakes, even at cupcake shops, are too dry). but sprinkles didn't let me down. i could totally go for one right now!

we walked along 5th avenue and saw the glass cube apple store, all the fancy shops and popped into st. patrick's cathedral. there was a wedding going on at st. patrick's, which i thought was so funny, since you have all these tourists watching it. and i'm sure the people paid an arm and a leg to be married there. so interesting. the detail of the cathedral is remarkable.

we went to the top of the rock (rockefeller center) and it has the most amazing views. it was incredible to see huge, green, central park in the middle of all the buildings. and it was fun to point out the parts of the city we had been and where ryan and lynda's apartment was. 

 ryan had recommended we walk the brooklyn bridge at night since it's pretty incredible to see manhattan all lit up and he was right (although all the pictures i took were awful). 

we ended the night with ryan at del frisco's celebrating our anniversary. talk about amazing food! i'm not necessarily a steak person, but after eating there i just might have changed my mind. and their calamari and lobster mac 'n cheese was to die for. i'm drooling just thinking of it!