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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBryant Park Christmas market was even more crowded than I could have ever imagined. Surprisingly it was more artisanal than Christmassy in terms of the merchandise itself, and after we got through the market shoulder to shoulder, we were glad to be out of the chaos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We stopped by the windows of Sachs Fifth Avenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And one of the many decorated Christmas trees<\/p>\n\n\n\n We ate at Joe Allen Restaurant\u2026family time was good\u2026food was good, not spectacular, but good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Afterwards, we stopped at Schmackary\u2019s, a cookie shop and I ordered four cookies and the girls and I sampled all of them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the ride home, Mary wanted Russell to take the long way through the city so we could explore more from our windows. Russell wasn\u2019t as thrilled about the idea and there was banter back and forth. Meanwhile, the car started sounding funny\u2026not the biggest concern at first but every few streets and lights (we hit every single one), the sound would intensify. By the time we made it uptown (again went all the way uptown instead of taking a quicker way home), Russell was pissed (as he had the car checked out twice in the past two weeks and his guy Kenny had assured him all was good). Let me tell you, all was not good. The car started to have a burning smell; Russell and Mary thought it was the transmission. As we approached the bridge, Emerson and Harper were sleeping in the backseat while Avery was panicking in the middle row next to me. I think all the adults held our breath as the car made its way over the bridge. Slowly but surely, we crossed the bridge and minutes later the engine light came on and the car stopped accelerating. Mary and Russell were frantically calm if that is even a thing\u2026.and somehow maneuvered off the highway to an unknown exit with shops and a parking lot. As the car made its way into the parking lot, it literally stopped\u2026it was leaking fluid and burning. Emerson and Harper awoke to Mary saying \u201cget out of the car\u201d. They could smell the burning and popped out of their seats with their belongings and couldn\u2019t believe they had slept through the debacle. The man in the car behind us got out of his car to push the car with Russell while Mary steered into a parking spot, and I took the girls into Shake Shack to go to the bathroom and decompress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An Uber picked us ladies up while Russell awaited the toe truck with Michael. Michael and Brenna live close to where we broke down, so Michael came to help Russell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we arrived home, snow started falling\u2026fairly quickly which was interesting considering the forecast said that the total snowfall would be less than half an inch. About an hour later, Russell, Michael, and the tow truck arrived. As we waited for them, Mary had taken out snacks including some caramel covered popcorn and us girls enjoyed the coziness and craziness of the night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We awoke Sunday morning to close to five inches of snow\u2026so much for a half inch.\u00a0\u00a0Russell aborted the mission to get bagels and shoveled instead.\u00a0\u00a0We also had to change our plans of how we were getting into the city…Russell was going to drive us originally; however, he didn\u2019t feel comfortable driving my car, which was unfamiliar to him, in the snow.\u00a0\u00a0I ordered an Uber.\u00a0\u00a0When it was five minutes after our Uber was supposed to have arrived, and it hadn\u2019t yet, I realized the Uber driver had cancelled.\u00a0\u00a0I tried to get another Uber and realized it wasn\u2019t going to be easy due to the snow.\u00a0\u00a0I was starting to think we might miss the Rockettes\u2026the whole reason for the trip.\u00a0\u00a0By the grace of God, an Uber accepted and slowly but surely made its way.\u00a0\u00a0We arrived in the city 15 minutes before the show was about to start\u2026just in enough time to snap a few pictures in front of Radio City Music Hall, meet Caroline (who was now going ice skating instead of Justin) and go to the bathroom.\u00a0\u00a0At 11:57 Avery and I sat in our seats, took a sigh of relief breath, and waited for the show to begin.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The SHOW\u2026was truly sensational. It was even better than I expected. The dancers, the venue, the lights\u2026ALL of it\u2026.WAS spectacular and I pinched Avery numerous times during the show to remind ourselves it was real. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Santa graced us with his presence literally right in front of our seats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, Emerson, Harper, and Caroline were skating in the frigid temperatures at Rockefeller Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We met up after the show and indulged in slices of NY pie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As we ate, I contemplated what to do\u2026we were supposed to head out of the city and home that night, BUT with the snow, the early sunset, and flurries and icy conditions along the way home to Virginia, we decided to stay an extra night at Mary and Russell\u2019s. The girls were ecstatic. I was glad to not have to drive home in the dark, but I wasn\u2019t thrilled about the girls missing a portion of school the next day. It had snowed in Virginia that day too, not nearly as much, but enough to create icy neighborhood road with the below freezing temperatures. I was certain the girls would have a delay, which meant if we left early the next morning, they wouldn\u2019t miss that much school. Against all odds, school was not delayed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since we didn\u2019t have to rush on the road that evening, we enjoyed a little more time in the city, circling the same blocks over and over\u2026.sampling some more cookies and ice cream and coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We took an Uber home, for the price of $225! Yes, crazy. We arrived to a homecooked meal of mac and cheese, salad, and green beans. We enjoyed the evening with Mary and Russell and while the whole weekend was filled with challenges, it made it that much more special and memorable. I can\u2019t imagine any of us will ever forget this trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having the trip with a week before Christmas break started, helped get the girls through three full weeks of school in December. While we missed Justin, nobody wanted to be around his germs or his miserableness. And without him, the girls and I turned the weekend into a girl\u2019s weekend, one where they were looking out for one another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A truly spectacular Rockette\u2019s show and NY weekend!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Rockettes\u2026a bucket list item for Avery. She\u2019d been asking to go the last few years\u2026Justin and I decided THIS was the year! I bought tickets through the accessibility service and was able to not only save by avoiding all services fees, … Continue reading <\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n