April Showers Bring...Family, Friends and Birthdays!

Pat and I are learning that it does in fact rain in New York City! Although we're far from home, the weather in April sure has made us feel like we're in Seattle. And with that, we've learned how solar powered we really are.  Not to mention, that the rain is totally different on each coast. Here in NYC, when it rains, it RAINS! It's often a torrential downpour! It's not that constant drizzle we're used to and that you can get by with if you don't have an umbrella handy. Here, you must always be prepared for a rain storm at any minute. When I say it rains, it really rains, but luckily, it passes.

With the rain, there have also been some nice sunny days this April and a few that were so nice we could get away without a jacket! Let me tell you, when you combine a rain storm one day and a hot day the next....you get a real glimpse of what East Coast humidity is like! My god are we screwed for the Summer! :) Even everyone at work jokes that I have no idea what I'm in for once Summer strikes! Eek!

But, until we get to that point, we're enjoying the tricky weather April is bringing us. We're also glad that the rain doesn't stay long. The last thing we moved to NYC for was rain! haha. We know our Seattle friends and family might be reading this, so for all of your sake, we hope for the rain soon subsides and the sun starts to shine! What a difference it makes! :)

Although it has rained a bit, we were able to get some great weekends in!

The first week of April, our friend Marin came to visit and ran a half marathon with Katie. We made signs for them and cheered them all the way to the finish line! They did great and luckily, it wasn't raining! :) Marin is always fun to catch up with and this time she was embarking on her next big life adventure- owning a home with her boyfriend Taylor!!! Needless to say most of the weekend was spent talking about renovations she was planning and searching across the web for the perfect furniture and decor.  At one point she was even showing us material she was trying to pick out for curtains. That was when we all looked at each other, burst out laughing and said- 'Are we really having this conversation?!' I guess we're all growing up.

That same weekend, Pat and I caught a late night train to Washington DC to spend time with some of our favorite people....Brady, Darcy, Hailey, Ryder and Kenzie!  They were going to be there for 5 days for an event and luckily, DC is a quick train ride away from NYC, so we were able to see them. Although we were only there for one day, we crammed in a lot of activities. We walked up and down the Mall and stopped in everywhere we could between the Capitol and the Monument. First stop was the Museum of Natural History and saw all the Dinosaurs. That was a big hit with Hailey and Ryder! Second was the Air and Space Museum, where we spent most of our time watching the video of the Mars Rover. I don't think Ryder moved a muscle while watching and of course Brady knew all the details of how it launched and landed! Hailey and I also played a trivia game on NASA with a group and guess what- we came in 2nd place! (had Auntie Jill not answered a few herself, we might have come in first ;)). Then, after a quick ice cream break, we hit the Sculpture Park and some of the sculptures looked very familiar. They had a few that were the same as the ones in the the Seattle Sculpture park, a place we all love! It was getting close to the end of the day, so we all walked slowly back to the hotel to grab our bags and head for the train. We did not want to leave! It was so nice to be able to spend some quality time with our family and see how quickly Hailey, Ryder, and especially Kenzie are growing up! We wish we could've stayed for more fun, but just getting a day with them was special! And to see DC through a kids perspective is pretty priceless! :)

A couple of weeks later, Pat's friends Brian and Nona were in town for a wedding. We got to grab brunch with them at now, one of our favorite brunch places (Maialino). Pat's friend Dan introduced us to the restaurant and for those of you who don't know Dan- he's serious about his food. Just to give you perspective, his goal is to try 200 new restaurants this year alone! Whenever we're with him, we're bound to have a unique food experience. My rule of thumb with him is that I'll never choose the restaurant nor will I have him over for dinner. :) haha. Anyway, we all stuffed our faces at Maialino and tried everything from their Porchetta to Ricotta Pancakes to the Fettuccine. All of it was incredible and mouthwatering! In between bites, I also got to hear Pat, Brian and Dan all reminisce about some of their favorite times together. That was pretty fun, but some of the stories we won't be telling our kids someday. ;)

Our last big event in April was PATS BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!! It also fell on Easter this year, so it was a two-in-one celebration!  I planned a special day of celebration that included a family style brunch! I made some of our families' favorite recipes (Nummy Rolls and Cheesy Sausage Stratta) and our friends Katie and Sarah came over and brought some more special treats. Sarah brought the only healthy part of the meal- a fruit salad, and Katie brought down the house (and all of us) with a homemade ice cream cake...yes, that's right, HOMEMADE! It was so delicious and Pat was really surprised by it all. (I kept it a secret). They all knew we were going to celebrate Pat's birthday, but what they didn't know was that the Easter Bunny stormed in our front door early that morning to drop them all off some Easter treats! :) Between the surprises, the food, the sugar and the laughs, we were all ready for nap time by noon!!!!! Pat and I actually did take a nap (first time in years that I've napped!) and then we headed to dinner at one of our favorite places- The House. The House is a restaurant Pat took me to on Christmas Eve Night, but one of their specialties is a deviled egg sampler (four deviled eggs,  topped with bacon, lobster, jalapeno and caviar!!). So, as eggs are an Easter food, I used Pat's birthday as an excuse to go again. Needless to say- Pat had a great birthday, but I think we were full for a good week after.----- Hey everyone, this is Pat now. (yes, Jill handed over the reigns for a second)..... I just want to thank everyone for all the birthday wishes. It really was one of the best birthdays and I got so many nice notes, calls, texts and Facebook posts. Thank you for being so thoughtful!

A toast to the past year. 

The Famous Ice Cream Cake!

The Birthday/Easter Brunch Decor

This about wraps it up for April, but before we sign off, we want to also say a one more thing...


On April 23rd, between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the world lost an incredible human being. Fran Steding passed away at the age of 88,  after one of the most amazing lifetimes we've ever known. Grandma Steding, as we call her, was one of a kind. Her charisma for life was radiant and she had one of the warmest hearts! No matter what you had to share- Her eyes lit up as she listened with the most intrigue and interest in the subject. And her laugh! I can still hear that laugh as I think of her and it puts a smile on my face! Grandma Steding will be very much missed, but she always will have a special place both Pat and my hearts!

Coming out of hibernation

We've heard a few complaints from some of our readers that its been too long since our last update, which was Thanksgiving…excuse me, BEFORE Thanksgiving! So, as we start crawling out of hibernation season and prepare for spring, we thought we'd give a quick update on what we did during the winter months. I'll make it as succinct as possible. So, here it goes!

Thanksgiving:

• Drove a car again. Laughed a lot. Ate a lot. Didn’t walk enough.  Bar hopped. Couldn’t find a cab to save our lives. Caught up with most of our family and friends. Got some exciting news that one of my girlfriends is expecting! Realized we were now only visitors in a city we once called home and next time we come back to visit, we need more than 3 days!

December:

• Started out of town in Minnesota visiting Pat’s family. Celebrated Gerry’s birthday (Pat’s brother). Went to a Vikings game with our friend Chris and his dad George. Didn’t know it then, but saw Favre play his last game as a Viking in the Metrodome…and maybe the last game to take place in the Metrodome (the dome collapsed in this winter’s blizzard). They lost. We froze, but prepared for the cold winter that was about to hit New York.

• Back in NYC. Temperatures dropped. Christmas tree lights and decorations came out of their boxes across the city, and so did the tourists.  We bought our first tree, off the sidewalk I must add. Jenn and Stephen came to visit and we spent time with them eating, drinking, laughing and shopping. Although Jenn and I convinced the guys to shop with us, we were the ones who wound up empty handed. The guys left with bags on their arms, and Stephen with a new hat on his head. ;) 

• Not too far from Christmas, my dad came to visit. We all went to Christmas Spectacular…and spectacular it was! Sipped Irish coffees to keep us warm. Found a new Italian restaurant, indulged in an authentic Greek restaurant (that we would then introduce to Mark and Danielle).  Wine and tapa hopped at Eataly, Casa Mono and joined 100 Santas at Bar Sevilla. Met a crazy, hilarious, and possibly drunk Cabby whom we’ll never forget.

  

Had a week off from visitors and then….

• Shannon and Bron came on Christmas night- their first time to the city! They made it right before the big blizzard! Pat and I cooked our first prime rib and after 5 hours of slow roasting :), we plated the tables and sat down 7 minutes before the day after Christmas (11:54pm 12/25). Then we opened presents, unwrapped all the gifts from our stockings, and once the guys thought it was over- SHABAM, we surprised them with front row Rangers tickets!!!!!!!! (Note here that both Pat and Bron play(ed) hockey and Bron’s favorite team has always been the NY Rangers.) Pat and Bron quickly turned into 5 year old boys, not knowing whether to pee their pants or cry with shock and excitement…until they realized Shan and I were going too. :) haha Next morning, another surprise- Billy Elliot tickets for Shannon and Bron! Oh, and then there was the sideways blowing snow we saw out our window. Blizzard had arrived, but show was still on. Show was great and when we left the theatre there was so much new snow that you would’ve thought we were in there for days- it was falling fast, and not many were in sight. Time Square was desolate. A guy went by on cross-country skis. This was Shannon and Bron’s first experience of Times Square!  The next day- Rangers game. Unbelievable front row tickets. Bought some foam fingers for entertainment (and for the pictures). Couldn’t get any better. Oh wait, yes it could- Rangers beat the Islanders 7-2! The rest of the week we crammed in all the tourist traps- Lombardi’s for pizza, National Treasure Church, Wall Street, Charging Bull, Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, Grand Central, Central Park, Rockafeller Plaza and Top of the Rock…where an accidental memory card reformatting mistake occurred and it became a moment we’ll never forget.  Luckily, phones take pretty good pictures too. 

 
  







 

• Shannon and Bron left on Thursday evening, which gave us 12 hours to clean and prepare for our next guests- Mark and Danielle! It was their birthday/New Year’s eve/work trip and whatever it was, we were happy they were coming to visit! We ate amazing Italian at a new restaurant to celebrate Mark’s birthday and then topped the night off counting down to 2011 at an 80s bar (fitting if you know Mark). To say that we had fun is an understatement- Danielle came home with a different coat and Mark without his passport, which just about sums up the debauchery.  The next day, we called the bar and sure enough they had Danielle’s coat. Then, as a shot in the dark, we asked the bartender on the other end of the phone if he by chance had a Passport that belongs to one Mark Lancaster. He paused and then told us he did. We couldn’t believe it – 2011 was shaping up! Coats were exchanged and Mark no longer had to worry that someone was walking around New York City with his identity! We all had a great time, but I must admit that Pat and I were glad the holiday season was coming to a close... 

January/February:

• All you have to really know is that it was cold and we spent most of the time building up our immune systems. Pat and I rotated with the flu or something of the like. Then, Pat got Bells Palsy. Don’t know what that is? It’s a virus that causes paralysis on one side of the face- most of the time it’s temporary. For Pat, his right side was effected, his mouth didn't move and his eye wouldn't close. Onset was quick, but luckily he got medicine fast. It’s not painful, but more emotionally draining because your face is paralyzed and you don’t know if or when it will come back. I can’t say enough about how proud I am of how he handled the whole thing. He kept his spirits high and had a real good sense of humor about the whole thing (see cigar picture). He also got to see what acupuncture was like!

In two months we saw too many doctors, refilled too many prescriptions and took too many sick days. We call this period of our New York adventure- “the hazing”.  NYC was trying to see if we would make it. Luckily, we did and we better not be sick for the rest ofthe year!

March:

• I got a new job!  But, before I started, I took a week off, headed towards some warmer weather to see my Mom for her birthday! Shannon and my Aunt Cyndi also joined us at the Rancho. We quickly doubled the female to male ratio (sorry Bill). Ate the most amazing cake my mom made for own birthday. Shopped ‘til we dropped. Went head to head in a game of Sister Sequence (which Shannon and I dominated!). Got hooked on Words with Friends. The sisters left so for a few days it was just my mom and I. Pat arrived in time for the tip off of NCAA Basketball weekend, which Bill was thrilled about- another man in the house! :) Bracketology at the Rancho began, dogs got spoiled with long walks and overuse of the Chuckit, and we overdosed on Vitamin D ;).  The week flew by, but it was just the relaxation we needed. We headed back to our colder climate and I was off to day one of my new job! 

WOW! Now you can see why we haven't been good at updating our blog- we've been too busy! That brings you up to speed for now. I hope you enjoyed the update. More soon! Bring on the SPRING!!!!!