A few days of calm...

But those days won't last long. As of Friday, I am off to NYC for the second time this summer. (The first trip was a blur lasting a mere 10 hours...Sherri and I flew out in the AM, spent the day walking the city--who knew it was THAT big--and got back to the airport within minutes of our flight back to the CLE.) This trip is in honor of Max, my 'cousin' per se, who is FINALLY turning 21! This weekend will show me a much more real view of the city life, and probably tug at my desire to leave the midwest even more (but not enough to want to deal with NYC traffic and chaos.)

So, maybe only for my own viewing pleasure, here is a little trip through my crazy summer (and its not even August!)

First, there was my day trip to NYC, obviously I had to fulfill the childhood dream of FAO Shwartz. Add this dog to my birthday list, please.

Okay, I can't really say that was the highlite of the trip. The city is just incredible. Obviously, I wanted to dress to blend into the city, but my midwest roots really threw off my cover. My purse was clenched at my side (due to some irrational fear of being mugged. I think I read too much bogus news on NYC that week) and the 'I love NYC' shirt vendors preyed on us relentlessly. (Okay, I get it, I'm NOT from the city...)

(Ground zero of the WTC where they are working on building the memorial. It says it will be completed by 2012. 7 years later and there was still just such an overwhelming feeling by standing there...) 

Times square! (Where I stood out the most!) 

We should never complain about traffic again...our bus almost plowed into pedestrians and at one point I hear our cab bump into another one on the street. Real life bumber cars, not as fun as you'd think.

Then there was home...I love spending time with my siblings, and my whole family (not to mention home cooked meals, laundry, and sleeping in a bunk bed with my five year old sister. Okay, maybe I could do without that part). It was awesome that I got to see both of my sisters recitals (They are growing up so fast! I teared up at both performances, yes, I am a sap).

Alexa's performance! I only saw it maybe 8 times (after rehersals) and had learned the finale dance by the end of it, but she did awesome regardless!

I got to see Hannah's dress rehearsal and she is made to be a performer.

Hmm, what next? Oh, Haiti, right? I'll take a break from those pictures.
Then there was DC to visit Lauren and Susie. Some days I just don't feel we are old enough to be living alone in big cities like this, {some authority in the area may not think we are qualified to be doing so either, ha...]but HEY, we're doing it . We had quite the tourist-experience at our day of monument visiting. Complete with attempting to break into the White House...

Here is where Martin Luther King, Jr. stood to give his "I Have a Dream" speech. What an amazing view.

Here's our 'tourist' photos...

World War II Memorial, it was just built in 2004 and it was truly beautiful. (Well, and extremely refreshing to be able to put our feet in the water! DC is so hot and so humid!) 

Discussing our tactics to get in...

This past weekend was Myrtle Beach with my family. I may or may not have made some major life decisions this weekend, it may or may not have caused me to miss my Physics exam and need to drop the course, but all in all, it was fantastic time with my family.

Can you tell I'm at least 9 years older than all of them? Yeah, I can't either. 

At "Dr. Root Beers' Hall of Foam"...Hannah loves root beer so much that the commercial for this place brought tears to her eyes. No, I'm not kidding. And who knew, he was also a Buckeye's fan!

Yes, my family finally embraced my shopping addiction and we decided it would be 'funny' to all put on a different hat for a photo-op. The girl who we asked to take our picture was not nearly as amused...

Ha.

So, this weekend, its back to NYC and then a week in Providence, RI to visit with Max's family. Anyone notice that I always say "I want to move west" and all i've done this summer is visit East? There is something wrong with this picture. Oh well, I've got time...that's what I keep telling myself.