Joey-Natalie-Slade-Naomi

NEW YORK CITY!

We left North Carolina Wednesday night about 7pm and after driving 10 hours arrived in NYC only to spend the next two & 1/2 hours trying to find a parking spot. Joey was so funny when he is tired and hungry. But finally we got a spot! Steve and Mares were so great to let us stay with them. Yayee for SLEEPOVERS! Ice flew in on Friday night and the rest is posted below:

We all ate in West Village which was very quaint with lots of cute restaurants. We picked the lucky one as one of the Olsen twins came in and sat right behind us. She is so short! I really wanted to eat at a polish restaurant while we were there but we couldn't find one. Ironically as Joey and I were leaving the city heading home at the end of the trip, we past a Polish restaurant not too far from where we had been :(

"Beautiful Like the Darkness Between Fireflies"

Every evening on Richmond's boulevard, our front yard, between the hours of 7:oopm & 8:30pm, the sidewalks are filled with the magical glow of fireflies. There are so many that it is almost as if walking in a fairy-tale. Joey and I try to go on a walk every night at this time and we just watch and enjoy the glow. It is fascinating. I feel like a child again. Last night we were sitting on the couch and Joey caught my eyes following a flying bug. Joey assured me it was just a moth, when suddenly it lit up and glowed! It was a firefly in our house! It must be good luck.

WHALES!

I love whales. Why? Christmas 2006 we woke up to sunshine and glassy water on the west side of Maui. I don't even remember opening presents that morning. We were out on the boat as a family and ready for a Christmas packed with tropical adventure. I was wakeboarding when I noticed that everyone on the boat had become disinterested in me and were anxiously looking to my left. They signaled that they were going to drop me. I thought I was left for the sharks and was less than calm until finally they turned to pick me up. It was a family of whales they had spotted. We watched as they sun bathed on the surface, a mother, a calf, and an escort. I think it was my dad who jumped in the water first. Then several of my siblings followed with their snorkles and soon the adrenaline was pumping as we were swimming with the whales! We were screaming and scared and so excited. I have never experienced anything more thrilling. The calf kept trying to swim closer to us, and he was easily bigger than a car! At one point the escort was about 30 feet under us and we starred him in the eye. You could see every detail. Breathless is the only word to describe it.

Joey-Natalie-Slade-Naomi

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