NYC Pictures!

Day 1: Lower Manhattan

The closest we were to the Statue of Liberty. We thought about taking the Staten Island Ferry, but opted not to.
We viewed it from Battery Park--Still very inspiring!

Really wanted to go to the shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, but alas, it wasn't open :(

I mean, look how beautiful it looks!
Maybe next time...

NYSE!
Taken from the steps of Federal Hall. This was about the time when my knee felt like it had been stabbed.

One of the new WTC towers.
Had it not been so cold, I would have considered taking a picture of the memorial itself.

The Oculus, across from the WTC memorial. 

We also toured the 9/11 Memorial. It was equal parts moving and overwhelming. We were glad we went in, nonetheless. That night Thomas and I had dinner with Mark at an Italian restaurant in their neighborhood. We went to bed utterly exhausted!

Day 2: Midtown Manhattan

Breakfast at an authentic NYC bagel shop
Went for the classic everything bagel--it didn't disappoint!

Columbus Circle

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I don't think my husband has ever felt more out of place in his life!

Oh wait, we both felt out of place at Bergdorf Goodman's!

St. Patrick's Cathedral
Side altar of St. John the Evangelist
Our Newman center at OSU was named for this saint, so we thought it was neat to see this!

Still in awe of the beauty of this cathedral!

The one, the only, 30 Rock!

No, we didn't wake up nearly early enough to stand in the crowds for the Today show taping!

Mama got a new pair of kicks!
Praise God!

Slice of NY style pizza
Also didn't disappoint!

Katherine got a lot of loot from this trip!

Jay and Mark's treat--a Broadway play!

Yes, Bryan Cranston starred in the play. It was awesome! I also had a celebrity sighting afterwards--my favorite morning news anchor, Hoda Kotb! She is every bit as tall, slender, and gorgeous in person as she is on air! She was also out really late for someone who needs to be at 30 Rock by 3 or 4 AM...just saying! We capped off the night with dinner at Jay and Mark's favorite post-show spot, Joe Allen's. Their banana cream pie hit the spot!


Day 3: Midtown Manhattan, continued

Fish & Chips from O'Lunney's pub near Times Square
They were top-notch!

Macy's!

We found the perfect dress for Katherine...will explain why in a future post!
Let my dress buying obsession begin :)

Beautiful Catholic church near Grand Central Station!
In awe of the iconography used!

Grand Central Station--every bit as busy as you'd imagine it to be!

The Chrysler Building!

My favorite picture of the whole trip!
Us with Jay at the top of the Empire State Building!
(Aside: Jay's office is housed there! We got a cool "inside" view, as well!)

Day 4: Odds and Ends, Upper East Side and Midtown

Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine
The architecture was phenomenal!

Marble carving of the Crucifixion
The intricacy of it blew my mind!

Overlooking the Hudson river--it was SO cold!

Jay and Mark's beloved cocker spaniel, Charley
He received lots of treats and belly rubs during our stay!

Thomas' dream--M&Ms world!

He was like a kid in this candy store!

We went to a few other spots that day, including brunch at a neighborhood diner. We also walked through parts of Columbia's campus. That evening we had dinner at Mel's, a burger place that is also near Columbia. The burgers there really hit the spot after our day full of walking! The beer selection looked good, too, but y'know...baby girl. Thomas reports that his beer was good. My ginger ale tasted just as good! 

Day 5: Packing up and back to DFW!

The view from their rooftop space!
Note the Hudson River in the distance.

It was hard to believe that our trip had come to an end as quickly as it did. We had such fun seeing the city, as well as getting to have more time with Jay and Mark. Our time with them is always such a whirlwind, as it usually centers around holidays, celebrations, or their sporadic trips to Dallas that involve us meeting for dinner at a Mexican restaurant (their favorite that they don't often get in NYC) with the whole family or some subset in tow. 

They are such delightful people. The longer I was around Jay, the more similarities I recognized between him and Steve, who are brothers. We loved getting to go with Jay to the top of the Empire State Building and seeing his office. As I've mentioned previously, they will be moving to Dallas sometime this summer. Jay has lived there for the better part of 26 years, so while it is exciting to start a new chapter with his company and live near his family, his heart belongs to the city. The way he pointed out and described the views to us made me realize that. The selfish side of us is happy to have them close, but I can definitely understand and appreciate the challenge that is leaving a place you love so much. 

Mark, on the other hand, is ready to be rid of the winter chills of the east coast. He loves the warmth of the south, as he is a native Texan. He will likely summer at their property in Connecticut, but is excited to not spend any more winters up north. 

I loved getting to know this piece of Thomas' family better, as well as getting to see a new place!