The temple

Just like the temples described in the Old and New Testament, we have temples on the earth today. It was a perfect fall day for a trip to Washington, D.C., and we were so grateful for Hyrum coming to babysit.

So grateful for families. Truly a divine institution.

The rest of NYC

We enjoyed FAO Schwarz, of course. My question is does anyone actually buy the lifesize animals in the main display area? Not only are they hundreds of dollars, but how on earth would you transport them home?

 Loved the giant candy--yes, that is one single Snickers. It says "Slice 'n Share" on it. Wish I'd gotten a pic of the giant Reese's Cups.

 A Circle Line boat tour was a highlight of the trip--it lasted two hours and we got to see the beautiful skyline of Manhattan as well as learn about the various landmarks. Seated from left to right are my brother Bryan, his wife Emily, my brother Ben, and his wife Jaclyn.

 Seated from left to right: My brother Clay, his wife Amie, my brother Adam, and his wife Wendi.

 Seated from left to right: Us, then my sister Heather, and her husband John.

 The tall building on the left is the new Freedom Tower, which will be finished in 2014, I believe. By the end of construction it will be the tallest building in the United States (or maybe the continent?).

 Lady Liberty--she looks a lot smaller in person than you'd think.

 Enjoying a brisk breeze on the top of the boat!

 Lots of neat bridges, too.

 One night we all went out to Tony di Napoli's before everyone--minus us--went to a Broadway show. It was fun to share lots of pasta dishes around the huge round table.

 Can I just say how much smartphones were used on this getaway? Unfortunately Michael and I don't have them yet, but thank goodness for texting because there was no way--at least, not as easily--we could have done all this without them.

 The ubiquitous phones again. (Apparently Ben just got some bad news. Either that or he was checking the scores.)

 Getting a decent breakfast is always a must for me, and I loved Jamba Juice's protein smoothies and oatmeal. Michael loves fresh juice and was digging his freshly squeezed OJ.

 With Wendi on top of the Rockefeller Center. My left arm felt like it was going to fall off from holding Robbie like this so much when he'd get sick of the Ergo.

 Handsome brothers, but missing John (since he and Heather lived here, they didn't feel the need to go up to the top again) and Matt.

Sisters-in-law! So fun, but again we missed Heather in this pic as well as Tana.

The view of Times Square from our hotel window.

It was so fun to hang out with my siblings. I confess I am not a big city girl in any way, shape, or form. I loved walking through Central Park to get a sense of peace again. But I am so glad that we went and got to experience the Big Apple. And it made me so glad I have such great brothers and sisters.

NYC with a baby

Traveling can be stressful.

Traveling with a three-month-old can be more so.

Traveling to New York City by train, navigating the city's subways, and then still managing to enjoy yourself just takes everything to another level.

Places I Nursed Robbie:

1. On the train
2. In our hotel
3. In Shake Shack while snarfing down a hamburger
4. In Carnegie Deli at the table while waiting for my enormous plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes
5. In Carnegie Deli (after Robbie didn't like #4) while sitting on the toilet inside the smallest bathroom stall ever (after which I asked a stranger to hold him while I washed my hands)
6. In the American Museum of Natural History while sitting on a bench next to a stuffed tiger display

I really missed my beloved "Brest Friend" but managed to survive without it.

Places I Changed Robbie's Diaper:

1. On Michael's lap on the train
2. In the handicapped stall of the American Museum of Natural History (on a fold-out table)
3. On the dirty tile floor of Shake Shack (fortunately I had a mat)
4. On top of a cardboard box in the corner of the Lego store

Robbie was an easy-going traveler, despite some crying when being overtired or in a loud restaurant. We took the stroller and car seat on the train, which was a good idea since we had so much stuff to carry. During the day, Michael and I switched off carrying him in the Ergo front carrier. He didn't love it and tended to take little cat naps, but I felt like all three of us did pretty well, all things considered. He liked the motion of walking, the subways, and the train. Stopping? Not so much. It was truly a tender mercy that I didn't lose his pacifier until the last day on the train, and even then miraculously there was another one in a diaper bag somehow.

I was also gratefully surprised by all the unasked-for help we received from strangers. On at least three occasions, a stranger came up to us and asked us where we needed to go or had overheard our conversation and corrected our subway plans. At Penn Station when we needed to find an elevator to get down to our train, the awesome Amtrak employee actually walked with us to the elevator, got on it, walked with us to the next elevator, and got on it as well until we were down by our track.

A sweet baby and nice people (and helpful siblings!) sure make traveling with an infant easier.

NYC, there's something about you

Last weekend, Michael and I had the privilege of going to New York City with five of my six siblings without our kids. (My oldest brother, Matt, and his wife, Tana, were sorely missed.)

When my sister Heather made the arrangements last fall we were on board, but then we discovered we were going to have a baby. However, I knew that if I didn't go I would feel like a martyr. Michael's mom was gracious enough to come up (and leave her daughter and two new grandbaby twins!) to watch Clara--and Hyrum--for us. We brought Robbie along, which made for quite an adventure.

 Clara was enormously excited to spend time with her Grandma. Here they were waving goodbye to us (I'm not sure if Clara even missed us.).

We drove to D.C. for the first night and then took Amtrak up to NYC the following morning. Minus the facts that there are no assigned seats and that we had to get a large stroller on board in addition to our luggage, riding a train was a sweet way to travel--more leg room, no seatbelts, and a laid-back atmosphere made for a very pleasant trip.

 Robbie really likes to hold on to my hair. Apparently eating it isn't too bad, either.

 My brother, Adam, brought Dunford donuts all the way from Utah for all to enjoy.

 Hanging out as we all got to the hotel. It was so dang fun to be with my siblings.

 Adam and Clay, messing around and being funny as usual.

 My sister Heather was so great with Robbie, as were my other sisters-in-law. I'm not sure if he was aware of how many adoring fans he had, but I sure was grateful for more hands to hold him.

To be continued . . .

Captions

It is difficult for Clara to maintain eye contact with a camera. Combine that with our nearly eight-year-old dinosaur with a ridiculously slow shutter speed and you get a lethal combination. Thanks to digital technology we can take as many shots as we need, but sometimes after four or five attempts you just have to cut your losses.

 "How about I just look slightly to the left of the camera? Does that count?"

 "Ooh, something is really interesting over there!"

 (Okay, I just had to sneak this one in.)

 "Yo, what up. At least I'm looking at the camera, dawg."

 "You want me to look at the camera? That is the most hilarious thing I have ever heard in my entire life!"

"Please take all the time you need. We'll wait."