Going Away Party #3

The lovely ladies of World Vision's 29th Street office threw a DELICIOUS ice cream sundae party for me this week to say goodbye.





Thanks to the Toppings Committee for the selection of cherries, marshmallows, hot fudge, caramel, sprinkles, shredded coconut, M&Ms, huts, Boston Baked Beans and whipped cream!



It's amazing what these girls can do with no budget, some streamers and some tablecloths from Jack's to transform a humdrum conference room with fluorescent lights into party central!


Liz



Sweena, Liz, Josy



Kirsten



After stuffing ourselves with ice cream, we walked up the street to have a drink and some tapas at Ayza.

Emily, Josy, Laura, Sweena, and Liz



See you soon, World Vision New York!

Going Away Party #2

Last weekend, we had a great time in Central Park saying goodbye to so many of our wonderful friends from all different circles in New York City.

We had a picnic, played Frisbee, and enjoyed spending time with everyone before our move next week.



Thank you for five wonderful years of friendship, friends!

Laura and Leslie



Brian and Matt



Laura, Mike, and Shea



Laura and Liese



Brian, Mark, and Laura



Cory, Carrie, Brian, Laura, and Beth

A shout out to our OWN Ollie

I keep forgetting to post this...from our trip in beautiful Bar Harbor, Maine...



A shout out to our own little Ollie - Oliver Brian, we love you!

Going Away Party - #1

We had our first "goodbye to NYC and our friends" party last night - *sniff, sniff.*

It was at this swanky, ab fab rooftop bar at W. 63 Street and Columbus Avenue on top of the Empire Hotel. Great idea, Angelena!





It was so much fun - I forgot to take pictures! So here's where I would've posted pics of all of our wonderful friends who were there:

* Angelena

* Melissa

* Ella & Scott

* Jenn

* Anne


Love you guys!

On the way home, Brian and I stopped for a quick bite of salty hotdogs at Gray's Papaya on W. 72nd Street and Columbus.

Wolfgang Blank, 1928 - 2008

Our family said goodbye to Brian's dad on Wednesday in a beautiful cemetery in Erie, Pennsylvania. A friend of the family shared some special memories of Wolfgang and their common love for all things Brazilian (he was a missionary there, Wolfgang was born there).

He also shared some encouragement from the German hymn, "Nun Danket Alle Gott," ("Now Thank We All Our God") by the German composer, Martin Rinkhart.

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;
The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

The Doughnut Plant

There is an ancient proverb - "All doughnuts are good doughnuts." Well, ok, maybe I just made that up, but The Doughnut Plant's doughnuts are nothing short of uh-MAY-zing.

After hoofing it through the rain and taking the F train to Delancey, I walked the few short blocks to the bakery with the smell of freshly baked doughnuts beckoning me.

Once I got there, I was not about to leave with just ONE doughnut. I figured I could eat one - and Brian would eat the other four (with my help, of course), so I got:

* Tres leches (probably the best doughnut I've ever eaten - with sweetened condensed milk oozing into my mouth with every bite)
* Hazelnut
* Peach
* Coconut glaze with coconut cream
* Peanut butter glaze with strawberry jam




Here's all that was left of those five donuts after about 24 hours in our home:

Cheers! Probst! Salute! to Heather at Pravda

Today is Heather's _______th birthday. (I am not at liberty to disclose her age without her permission.) Right now, she is probably sipping a margarita on the beach in Bermuda, but last night, we had a great time with a few friends at Pravda celebrating her *almost* birthday.



Heather, of course, was working it in some fabulous gold stillettos. You go girl!



Demian and Sarah Repucci (PS - Check out his website - he is an incredibly talented designer!)



Song and Courtney



A good night was had by all!