whatever

NYC...continued

i am not planner....i don't like to be the one who makes the schedules.
i don't like to be the one who decides what everyone will be doing.
on trips or in groups i tend to just go with the flow.
or at least i try.
so the only thing i think i said besides "i want starbucks" when deciding where to go
was "i would love to see Fishs Eddy in real life.

i got my wish. 

i was in love at first sight.



major hot burning passionate love.

i loved EVERYTHING in here.




this picture is overexposed but those mugs look like notebook paper!!!
(if only they weren't 12 oz. mugs...i need a big mug)


for reals...vintage linens just like at the barn in kansas!
i prefer my barn prices to fishs eddy.  
:)




a million milk glass cake stands.


sour apple green hutch?
fabulous.

i loved every detail in this store.
every display piece.
every hand painted sign.
every dish and cup and tea towel.


i could have easily spent another hour here.
EASILY!
but of the four of us....i was the only one freaking out on the inside about how
completely amazing and REDONKULOUS this store was so i bought a t-shirt and we left.

i did not want to.

also i said "i'm going into anthro..." when i found it.






we don't have many fire escapes in kansas....















 we walked to the 9/11 Memorial.



it was very quiet in here....right in the middle of the city.
the waterfalls and pools are so big.

i can't imagine what it was like for people in New York City on 9/11.
i looked around and was trying to comprehend it....
all i could think was "i hate that day"
i was far away from new york and i hate that day for me.
i was so scared for my children and my husband.
so i just can't imagine how the people of new york feel.
the people who saw it with their own eyes...who lost family and friends....
i hate that day.



the memorial is beautiful.
it is a lovely place to honor the people who lost their lives.
but it's sickening that it has to be there at all.
evil.
evil in this fallen world.
but i was thankful for that beautiful quiet place.

we took a ferry boat to the statue of liberty.



she's lovely... just like i thought.



storms were rolling in.


after the statue of liberty we also took a tour of Ellis Island. 
and it poured rain outside.
POURED.

i did not stay dry.

and i didn't stay very chipper about it either.....

i am a girl.

i don't like to get rained on. 

we ate dinner in Little Italy.
it was so weird...they hassle you to get you to come eat at their restaurant?!
begging you to come in...try THEIR food....whadda ya lookin' for tonight folks?
with heavy new york accents.
 we chose the ONE place that didn't do that.
and it was yummy. 

one more new york post tomorrow.

:) 

 

NYC

last week craig and i got all our kids off to three different places 
and we hopped on a plane to New York City. 

we were meeting chicago jen & dave for four days together.




we ate at very fun places.



it was dave's 40th birthday.
letterman's guests were Roseanne, audrey plaza and Jeff the brotherhood.
it was SO cool to see that show IN PERSON after watching it my whole life.
really cool.
dave had been working on tickets for months for us to get to come....thank you dave!!




and we popped into the hello deli.



times square.





dinner at R Lounge overlooking times square....very fun!






dessert at carnegie deli....cheesecake.
(sorry carnegie... pam's cheesecake is still better)







we rented an apartment through vrbo.com so we could have our down time together instead of 2 hotel rooms.
it worked out well!
this is the view off the roof...pretty sweet.

















how do you feel when you look at that picture?
i wanted to go straight back to my little farm house and take a nap.
:)








i will share more pics tomorrow.
it was great to get away.
it was great to come back home.
and always so good to see our chicago friends.

 

sunday/monday

craiggers took me on a hot date last night.

how awesome it is to get a break from being mom and dad and just be US!!
we sat at a quiet outdoor table.
we finally relaxed about halfway through dinner. 
we were really free spirited and wiiiiiiiild......we went to eddie bauer.

then we went to see the movie SUPER 8. 


You can watch the trailer here.   and watch 6 minutes of the movie of there too if you like that kind of thing!
i resisted going to see it because i don't like "alien" movies.
but i am telling you now.....THIS MOVIE WAS GOOD!!!
it was like ET and Goonies and Signs all mixed together.
REALLY good.
i was freaked out and squeezing craig's hand so hard.  
and at one point i jumped so big i hurt a muscle in my leg....not kidding.

i will say the boys in the movie had a little bit harsh language for their age....in my opinion.
one of my least favorite things to see in a movie....swearing kids.
but you are a grown up and you can handle it right?

go see it.
but i don't know if you should be as crazy as us and try BOTH eddie bauer and super 8 in one night.
not everyone can handle that kind of HEAT.  

ha ha ha. 

...............................................

this is my FAVORITE dress of annie's.
i love love love it.
it's from target last year.
i wish it was in my size.
if you have any idea WHERE to buy that fabric please share.
i know it's by Liberty of London and i doubt it's available....but if it is.....tell me where.
it is just the best thing ever.

********holy cows it's $28 a yard**************yikes.
thanks for looking for me girls.
i knew you'd find it for me.

it makes me want to draw and paint.

i am going to make it into a craft thursday project.

faker.

:)

we see this face A LOT but this time it was fake.

................................................ 

sean and talby got home from camp.
they had a GREAT time.
thank goodness.
seriously.
i was so happy to see their faces!
sean took a huge box (like that you buy for a concession stand) of airheads candy to camp.
i told him if he found any rainbow ones in the box to save one because i really wanted to see them sometime!
he got home from camp and opened his suitcase and handed me this. (it's a BIG package)

 
i got excited and said "WOW!!! this was in that box???"  he said "no....i got it at the snack bar" 
and i smiled and handed it back to him.
he said "mom...i got that for you."
"for me? you spent your money at the snack bar on that for ME??"  
"Well yeah mom...i knew you wanted them"

and then i wiped the tears from my eyes.

it's so silly but i felt loved and validated and heard and proud all in that one sentence.

................................................ 

 

this time it was scott who left for camp.
i feel completely different about that.
no worries at all.
he will have a BLAST.  

................................................ 

my talk about wanting more babies in the previous post may have made mr. duerksen look bad.

it sounded like he made the decision alone to not have more kids and didn't ask me what i thought.
he didn't.
at the time i agreed....i signed the forms....i went to the doctor with him.
i had a newborn in my arms and had just moved from IL to KS and was exhausted in every way.
and now that i am not dead tired....i wish we had discussed it at a time when my mind was clearer.
aka....more sleep.
does that make sense? 

sooooo.....bottom line....i changed my mind and he hasn't.

i am the "problem".
not him.

God is big enough to deal with any issues i have i my head and heart the way that HE wants to.
i am ok with whatever God wants for my family.
and i know God would not want me bashing my husband all over the internets. (and the googles)
so i felt i needed to make it clear.

should i just shut up already?

ok. 

................................................ 

REGISTRATION OPENS MONDAY AT NOON CENTRAL TIME!!!

we sold out.
oh my.

it's awesome. 

it's going to be such a fun time.

we have planned such a fabulous time for the girls who will be coming!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!