New York, 4 days, 3 toddlers

This past February we went to New York City for my birthday. When Michael asked about what I wanted he added "or where do you want to go?" It did not even cross my mind to take a trip because, well, we have 3 kids that are 4 years and under. The last big trip destination was Italy for our honeymoon. Knowing full well that we wanted and family right away, we went to the one place I had always dreamed of going, Italy. And it was magic. Everything I painted in my mind with black and white striped gondola rides in Venice, the arts in Florence, the ancient, avant garde setting that is Rome. And the FOOD!! Enough magic to momentarily tuck away that wanderlust and start a family (literally, Jo is a honeymoon baby). Just until one day, when the kids are all grown, we could set out for adventure again. So when he suggested a NYC trip, the very bucket list item screaming and waiving its hands from the front seat of my adolescence, I was thrilled. Then again the very thought of bringing three toddler aged children to the city made my very anxious mom heart want to die. Or vomit. Or both.

"We can't go because of the kids." When I said it out loud I felt the only honest part of myself want to reach out and slap the victim who just blamed our kids for ruining my birthday dreams. You know that voice in your head that tells you, that you can't do something and then blames someone else for it. You can call her Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer. I'll refer to her as Douchebag Darla. And that girl is lazy, she is boring and full of fear and bad energy. Pretty much a giant douchebag. I hate being her. The truth is, I just didn't want to do the work, the planning, packing and preparations required for a trip across country, three kids in tow. Home is my safety net. It is my motherhood survival pack. Yes, the whole house. That is why I take the whole house and shove it in one of the three backpacks I drag around town. It is comfortable, well stocked and has a rhythmic routine that ensures everyone gets enough sleep if we so choose. Thank God for Michael, who is the King of Fun and is always willing to call me out on such nonsense. With his enthusiasm and even a drop of his courage I would run for president, or a marathon, or just go on a run. Let the planning begin!

We got tickets, found an Air BNB walking distance to Times Square and with fear of being out numbered, we asked our sitter, Sierra, if she wanted to go with us and rally kids in NYC. I Googled all the site seeing destinations we wanted to check out and Yelp searched all the surrounding restaurants. At the heart of our itinerary was FOOD!

The city was amazing we did soo much in 4 days. Upon arrival, it was clear that strollers were rare and big families the oddity. We even joked that the state would enforce a tax on crying babies, but instead of the stiff, hurried, overworked New Yorkers from early 90's movies, real life New Yorker's were so kind and incredibly helpful. Every trip up and down the subway stairs, men and women offered to help lift the stroller or assisted by clearing a pathway. Bagel lines, crowed trains and fancy restaurants all shared one thing, the lovely small talk of strangers. I found New Yorkers to not only be interesting people but to my surprise, very interested people. People who were interested in our little family. Those who wanted to reach out and give Burt a pat on the head or stick their finger out for Stella's handshake or share a city secret with Jo. The Big Apple with all the hustle and bustle gave our family the warmest welcome.

We try our best to attend church even when we are out of town. We find the meeting house relevant to where we are staying and attend a meeting. Our kids love being "home" away from home and I love being with other members of my faith (otherwise strangers) and being able to connect to the Spirit and feel a sense of community. I hope our frequent out of town visits will encourage our children to find light where ever they are on their journey, geographically or otherwise. The members in the NYC ward were especially welcoming and beautifully more diverse than what is typical. The beauty and diversity of the Spirit felt with those members carried us throughout the rest of our stay in the Big Apple.