23/50 NYC Adventures: Hillsong NYC

Hillsong NYC

I would be completely remiss if I didn't highlight this very special part of my and Stevie's time living in NYC: our community at Hillsong NYC. Hillsong is a church in Australia that has plants all around the world, and we were thrilled when we moved to NYC and realized there was a branch right in Midtown. After the first Sunday morning visit, we knew this place was "home". The atmosphere, the message that was spoken, the incredible worship and the warmth of the people completely drew us in. Not to mention the fact that we "felt" the presence of God so strongly. It just felt right. It felt like an atmosphere of love. And who doesn't want to be immersed in that? But I'll be honest with you. What caused us to stay at Hillsong NYC? It was our incredible small group.

We had the BEST community group that met weekly, right on our block on the Upper West Side, in the coziness of our friends' apartment. Each week this wonderfully vibrant assortment of souls gathered together, sprawled across the bare hardwoods, sharing a meal and talking REAL talk. We delighted in each other's poignant joys and cried in moments of sadness and disappointment. We prayed. It was the most intriguing experience, to knit my heart together with people so unlike myself. Different accents, different heritages, from different countries all around the world, all working in different industries under this city's torrential stretch of skyscrapers. And yet. Here we were. Not so different from each other at all. People with the same rhythm in our heart, chasing truth and love. Fumbling around. But making our way in this gritty, gorgeous city.

// Top: Party People, Middle: We sold Hillsong swag, Bottom: More Party People. //

Love You City Folk.

I feel super proud to have been a part of this powerful group of people. Thank you, Upper West Side Connect Group, you made our life in NYC a technicolor dream. We can't wait to return to the city and visit you! And of course, bring a special visitor along with us :)

If you live in NYC, you should totally check out Hillsong NYC, which meets in the Manhattan Center in Midtown. They're fun to follow on Instagram. Also, check out the newest Hillsong United album, No Other Name, which I'm loving lately :)

5/50 NYC Adventures: American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History.

I understand that it's the first day of Spring today. While that's precious news to most of you, I hate to admit that its still 30 degrees where I live. I'm not exactly feeling the springtime yet. And what's a gal to do when its freezing in the city? Visit the zillions of museums! We live really close to the American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side in NYC, and every time we walk by, Stevie gives me the puppy eyes. He always wants to go in. Ugh, such a life-long learner.

So a few weeks back, we made a day-date plan to visit and brush up on our, well, natural history. (Side note: Since getting pregnant, I have really been digging the "day dates", AKA, the "I'm too tired by 6pm to even think about going out for an entire evening" date. It's been a really fun alternative to those wonderful days of yore, when we used to get dress up and go out for a cocktail and dinner. Sigh.) But back to the dinosaurs - Okay, I have to admit: It was kind of cool. There are FOSSILS. Of serious dinosaurs. I don't know about you, but I just never think about dinosaurs. Like, I haven't even considered their existence since I heard about them in elementary school. But dinosaurs! They used to roam this Earth! And man, were they BIG. It's actually pretty fascinating. I sound like a big dork right now, so just let me show you:

// Baby got back. //

// Doesn't it hurt just to look at it? //

// That turtle is as big as a VW Beetle //

// I can't even. //

// Why the surprise? Um, they found two cow-sized remains inside the stomach of this dino when they dug it up. COW SIZED. //

// Kind of glad these don't roam anymore. Just sayin'. I'm about to have a kid, you know? //

// JAWS. JAAAAWWWWWSSS. //

// He's cute isn't he. His hair fluffs. //

// It's funny to me that this is a decor trend right now. IT'S AN ANIMAL HEAD. //

// Raar. //

// Stuffed critters. //

Death and All It's Friends.

Huge, right?? And to be honest, the museum itself is pretty impressive. It's beautiful and old and everything you would think about a New York-ish museum. We toured through the gorgeous Akeley Hall of African Animals that inspired Night at the Museum (and for you Friends buffs, also where Ross and Rachel first... well, you know.) and marveled at the impressively real-life looking stuffed animals. No, I don't mean like the fluffy ones you take to bed, I mean like taxidermy. Like Norman Bates.

Exhibits of Nausea.

The other element of the museum that could have been really cool (but maybe not the best choice for 1st trimester pregnant ladies) is the Heilbrunn Cosmic Pathway. This swirling path centers around the Hayden Sphere, taking us on a 13-billion-year historical journey through space, big-bang style. Yeah, it was a little yawny, I'll admit, but not nearly as nauseating at getting to the Hayden Planetarium. Stevie REAAAALLLY wanted to see the 3D Exhibition Dark Universe, which turned out to be a movie that you watch by looking directly up. Like, crane your neck and watch the ceiling for 30 minutes. Tickets to see the film cost $25 a piece, but we thought it would be a really amazing/educational/life-changing experience (oh, stupid advertising). Unfortunately, Dark Universe did not live up to the hype. Cuz it made me want to die. The interactive film moves you through the Milky Way like you're on a ride at Universal. Ugh I get dizzy just writing about it... I had to close my eyes to keep from tossing my cookies. And then, with my eyes happily closed, I couldn't help but drift... off to sleep. Oops. Probably the biggest waste of money we've spent since coming to New York. (Ha, did you believe that?! Everything here is overpriced.) But seriously, that one was a big bummer. And obviously, my opinion is completely skewed because I was still in my 1st tri when we visited. It could have been a better experience, perhaps... if you're into space stuff? I realized that I'm not. And Stevie? Now he wants to travel so space more than EVER. So maybe the Dark Universe charms worked on him.

Upper West Side Snow

It's Still Snowing.

Friends. Wherever you are, I hope there is sunshine streaming through the window and a hot steaming beverage nearby. I hope your feet are wrapped in cozy, thick-knit socks and your ears are toasty with warmth. But I mostly hope that winter is on its way out the door for you, no matter what that asinine groundhog says. Please, dear God, let this winter come to an end. Please. PLEASE!!!

I don't mean to sound desperately over the weather. But I am. I've done the New England winters for two previous years, but this New York winter has thrown me for a loop. I'm not sure why. Is it the howling winds? Is it the teasingly warm weekends (you know, in the 40's),  followed by painful "highs in the LOW teens" weeks? This winter has got to end. I hear you laughing. Yes, I know that I have a minimum of 8-10 weeks left of this mess. This MESS. Yellow snow. Icy sidewalks. Windburn smacking me in the face as I attempt to walk (and not slip on ice AGAIN) down the stairs into the subway. The dark cover of night arriving at 4pm. It's so dark, you guys.

Ways I've been managing in the cold?

- Whining.

- Journaling my whines. Sometime they're really clever. 

- Netflix.

- Going to museums. (Okay, we've only gone to one so far... but we aspire to visit more.)

- Cooking and baking. Ugh my waistline.

- Thinking about exercising. I'll let you know when I am ACTUALLY in a state to exercise again.

- Watching HGTV. I have a major crush on the Property Brothers. Stevie's response to that? "Yeah, I always knew it took two men to replace me."

- Incessantly calling my mom and sisters. I think they might be screening my calls at this point.

- Begging people to come visit me.

- Dreaming of warm vacations.

In the meantime, the snow around my neighborhood and the park is rather pretty. Let's just focus on that and pretend that Spring is just around the corner, k?

// Central Park //

// Central Park West //

// A bench. A snow-covered bench. //

// Aren't those people walking cute? I thought it was cute. //

// Who says we don't have woods? //

// In the summer, this garden is PACKED with exotic flowers. //

// Don't walk. //

// View outside my window. The progression of snow covering the wilt-y tree. //

Happy Friday.

We are expecting more snow this weekend. So my wish for you... I hope your weekend is warm and fun and WARM.

Love love love.

Because Honestly... THIS is New York in the Fall.

// My view from Belvedere Castle in Central Park. //

Central Park. In the Fall.

I don't mean to brag. I really don't. But I do mean to be shamelessly thankful. I AM SO THANKFUL TO BE LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY. I can't say it enough. I can't stop thinking it. Every single day I wake up, so thankful to be living in this vibrant, pulsing metropolis. Even when I see the rats saunter around the subway tracks. They saunter. Because they have no reason to scurry. They own those tracks. And even when my lightyears-old radiator decides to wake me up in the middle of the night, hissing like the soundtrack from a horror movie. And even when I go on auditions and, you know, get rejected (don't cry for me, Argentina.)  I am still happy to be here. So over the moon. And why shouldn't I be? This place is a dreamers city. Full of bright-eyed crazies and cold-blooded cynics alike. What an effervescent kind of mess.

Even those of you who don't care for NYC at all have to admit - the fall foliage in Central Park this year can't compete with even the most picturesque of New England's Berkshires. This autumn has been outrageously gorgeous, and having previously pounded a lot of New England pavement, I can speak from experience when I say that this autumn has been utterly mesmerizing. The papery leaves continue to fall like confetti, swirling around and having a parade in the sky before finally landing and collecting in a decorative array all over the great yard. The temperatures are continuing to drop, but I just had to share these beauties with you before the winter wonderland overtakes my Instagram.

// Classic panorama. Stevie is so good at taking these. See midtown in the distance? //

// We are children. The end. //

// The sun is SO bright. I'll take it. //

From Glory to Glory.

I just love autumn. So tell me. What has fall been like in your neck of the woods - Dreamy? Dull? Comment below!

The Time We Got Stuck On The Roof.

Where There are Roofs.

In New York City, the apartments are OLD. So old. But one of the benefits to many of these pre-war buildings is the fact that they have roof decks. In about every movie EVER made about New York City, I feel like there is a scene where snazzy people are partying on a roof deck, clinking champagne flutes and wearing sparkles and looking pretty fabulous.

I'd like to say that we are those people. But we aren't.

Stevie discovered that our building actually has a roof deck. A sort of dilapidated one. It's not really set up for people to go out there. In fact, there are huge signs on the doors that say, "DO NOT OPEN - ALARM WILL SOUND", so I figure, we're not really supposed to go up there. I'm a rule follower. So end of story.

Obviously not the end of the story. Stevie determined that we can sneak up on top of the roof of our 6-story apartment complex. And according to his assessment, the view "is awesome!" I never asked him how he figured out that we could get around the alarm system (it's better to know less in these cases.) So against my better judgement, I followed him up 6 flights of stairs and opened the warning door; yet no alarm went off. Hmm. Okay. We were feeling pretty Jack Bauer-ish. Rogue. And sly.

We stepped out onto the windy deck. It was pretty awesome, I admit. We could see the tops of all the buildings on our block, we could look down on all the interesting apartments. We could see the edge of Central Park. We could see cats, flowers, patio furniture, tree tops, we could see everything! It was fun. And colorful. And kind of windy. So windy, in fact, that after about 5 minutes of snapping some pictures, I was ready to go back downstairs. And eat some soup and stuff.

We walked towards the door. Which was slammed shut.

So... AWESOME.

Like I said, the wind was not messing around, and it must have blown the door closed.

It was locked. Totally locked. We wrestled with the door. We threw our body weight against it. But nothing. It wouldn't budge.

"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DOOOOOOOOO?!" I'm a bit of a wailer. It can't be helped in moments of panic.

Stevie, on the other hand, is cool, calm and collected. Almost always. It's annoying. BECAUSE WE ARE LOCKED OUT ON THE ROOF. It's time for panic.

 "Kris, it's okay. We could call the super," he said to me. Oh no. Not happening. That guy kind of hates us.

"The super hates us. Not an option."

He stared at the ground, lost in thought. "Okay... ok, I think I've got an idea." He hoisted open a side window leading into the stairwell, just around the corner of the extremely locked door. Propping one leg up and then the other, he slithered his wiry self into the slatted opening and disappeared.

I was alone. On the roof deck. All alone. The wind whipped around my head. I was swimming in the thought of having to sleep up there. And the fact that I never knew my husband was secretly in Cirque du Soleil.

When suddenly!

My man reappeared, through the previously locked door! Victory! VICTORY!!!! Instead of whining like a baby about how I am never breaking the rules with him again, I just hugged that man liked crazy and then leapt through that door before it shut on us again.

Moral of the story? Follow the rules. Even if the alarm doesn't go off. Because there won't always be a window of opportunity ready to bail your out of your law breaking!

Mmm so deep.