Lion King was Incredible!

All I have to say is AMAZING! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect Lion King to be as awesome as it was! The minute the curtain came up and the animals started to flood the stage my heart was pounding. I can't explain how but the show just immediately grabs you and pretty much doesn't let you go until the end. Well, even then you are still somewhat caught up in it as you mull over the magnificent things your eyes have beheld. For starters the costumes were insane! When the giraffes came out onto the stage for the first scene I swear my jaw dropped all the way to the floor and then it only got better from there. Besides the costumes the songs and voices were soooooo powerful! Seriously, I wanted to get up and start dancing and singing! LOL. Nathaniel Stampley was Mufasa and boy oh boy did he have an incredible voice! It was so powerful, which I guess is required for Mufasa, the role of a great King. He didn't disappoint! Derek Smith played the role of Scar and he was so amazingly nasty and was just so perfect for the part. He made you cringe every time he spoke as he plotted his way to ruling Pride Rock. But out of all the characters in the play my favorite was the role of Rafiki played by Tshidi Manye. If I would have been allowed I would have taken Rafiki home with me. Ethan loved her! He was so cute the way he giggled as a result of her presence on stage. We had a fabulous time and I think dates with just Ethan and I should be more often. Especially if it's broadway shows! Here's a few pics I took of Ethan before we headed into the show.

This picture was hilarious. I was waiting to take a picture of Ethan when all of a sudden this lady runs up to him right when I click to take the picture and his face was priceless. She scared him silly but he had a good laugh as she ran away.




Before Lion King started we were pretty early so we walked down the street and passed the theatre for "All My Sons". It was it's opening night and I guess Katie Holmes is in it. So I guess all the "Say NO to Scientology" freaks came out for the night to protest. I got a kick out of the sign "Free Katie, Keep Tom!". Honestly though, can't they think of a better way to spend their evening? Well, apparently not! But besides this and 4 half naked guys tryin to sell their calender (sorry I didn't get a pic for you! LOL.), New York City was pretty normal for the night. Awwww, we're going to miss this place when we move! Oh, and thank you NYU for your student discount tickets! We've sure appreciated you the last couple of weeks!

Never Will We Forget

I'm pretty sure that no matter how much time goes by, whenever someone mentions the date September 11th, I'll always get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even though we weren't there to live through it, my heart aches for that awful day! I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the terrorist attacks were announced throughout the world and I remember the first time approaching the world trade center when we first moved here as tears quickly surfaced as I imagined the chaos and destruction and lost lives of that day. I will never comprehend the hatred of those who felt this horrific act was necessary.

This September 11th Chad and I were able to go into the city for a date. When we came home to pick up the kids from our friends we were so glad that we had made the decision to ride the ferry instead of taking the train. On the Southern tip of Manhattan were two beams of light shooting all the way up into the sky acting as a reminder to us all of where the two towers once stood and of those who had lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. It was an amazing sight and we couldn't take our eyes off of it. When we got the kids, and even though it was close to midnight, we decided to race home and grab our camera and head down to the waterfront and take some pictures as we knew that this was our last time to take advantage of this moment. It was an incredible sight to see and one that left us with lots to reflect on. Here's some of the pictures that Chad was able to take from the waterfront in Jersey City.

I think we've been in NYC way too long!

LOL. Not really but when you see these pictures of Edyn you'll agree with me that she sure knows how to get around in NYC and just how to look the part. I was removing pictures off of our camera and came across these two. I had totally forgotten that Chad had taken them. So here's our fashionable Edyn riding the train into Manhattan. Sunglasses and purse in hand are essential! Oh, and it cracks me up just how serious she is in this first one. I guess she's got places to go and things to see!

SUMMER IS OFFICIALLY OVER!

The day has arrived! Ethan and Edyn both started school today. With it being Edyn's first time to go to school full-time I found myself ancy most the day worrying about her and wondering if she was doing ok. I never thought I'd be one that cried when I dropped off a child for their first day but surprisingly it took everything in me to hold back a few tears as I left Edyn's classroom this morning. But really, I guess I had nothing to worry about. Her teacher mentioned that she did really well and cried just a tiny bit when they were asked to lay on their cots for a nap. She hasn't had a scheduled nap in forever so I really don't blame her, especially when there is toys in arms reach. LOL. When I picked both of them up they were completely drenched in sweat. No wonder! It was 90 degrees today, mixed with a ton of humidity, and there school has no air conditioning. Hmmmmm, summer doesn't really look like it's over! Oh well, they did look really cute in their uniforms, little beads of sweat on their noses and frazzled humid hair!

Tee Hee! One last thing . . . do you think I could fit Edyn in her Hello Kitty backpack? That thing is way too big!