New York

Judd and I had our 5th anniversary this year & we celebrated it in NEW YORK a few months later! This was one of the most incredible trips ever!Judd standing in front of Grand Central Station.

*This was the worst part of the trip. We had set up a driver service to pick us up and take us to our hotel... let's just say that was a waste of money!

When we finally arrived at our hotel, we were given aroom with a broken air conditioner, water all over the floor & a giant fan drying the carpet. After a quick dinner.. and a much calmer pregnant girl, we went back to the hotel & got a new room & the rest of the trip was fantastic!

We were told the best way to see Mannhattan in a hurry is to take a bus tour. One of the first things we saw was the LDS Temple. It was so neat to see all these skyscrappers & then suddenly Angel Moroni. Going to the temple was the only thing on our list that we didn't get a chance to do. The first day it rained a little.. but not bad enough that we couldn't ride on top of the bus. Times Square The ball that drops on New Years (We were both surprised at how small it really is.) This is a wall of tiles made by school children after 9-11. Our tour guide for this part of the trip stopped the bus and told us about his experience the day of the terrorist attack.It was so interesting to listen to someone who experienced the terror of that day first hand.

This Fire Fighter uniform is in a church just down the street from where the twin towers stood.

There was such a strong spirit in that church and so many reminders of the love and unity that

came about after the attacks. Brooklyn Bridge

After the tour we went down to 30 Rock and went to a taping of 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'

Judd and I got to sit on the front row and had a blast! We even got our 2 seconds of camera time during the broadcast.

After Jimmy Fallon, we walked down to see if we could buy tickets to Chicago for the next night. When we walked in, they had started seating for the show that night & we got an incredible deal on 3rd row seats!I had huge expectations for a Broadway play &I was a little disappointed in the show... but the fact that we were up close and personal withthe actors made it a great experience.

The next day was rainy! This is the view of Manhattan from the back of the Staten Island Ferry. I love the dark clouds over the city. Lady Liberty

This sphere was in the center plaza of the World Trade Center. It is now in Battery Park along with an eternal flame to memoralize the vicitims of 9-11

View from the Top of the Rock

Central Park That night we took a tour that took us over into Brooklyn. This is the view of Manhattan from across the river.Of course my pictures don't even give it justice!

The next day we had our 1st subway experience. Only to be complete with a big nasty rat running around!

We even got a chance to see a Mets game.I'm quite positive that we sat in the section with the weirdest people possible... it was quite the experience! Needless to say.. I got a little restless when the 7th inning took over an hour & Judd agreed that we could leave a little early so we could get in some shopping before we went home. Unfortunately for us, all the action happened in the last2 innings & we missed out! Oops.. we'll call that my bad!

Our last stop was Serendipity 3 for some

Frozen Hot Chocolate!

We had the most incredible time & I am so thankful we got to spend it together! It has been an amazing 5 years &I am so glad we were able to celebrate like this!

Our Little Gamer

We took Redd to Boondocks on our way down to a Utes game. He had so much fun playing Rollerball. He was fascinated with the ball return...

he would watch the ball come back and

when it popped out, he was so excited.

It didn't matter how many times we tried to teach him to roll the ball, he kept throwing it down the lane as hard as he could.

Yes!! Racing with Daddy! I think they did better than me and a two year old wasn't steering my car. Merry-Go-Round I think this is the 1st family photo we have taken at a game. Usually I'm not in the picture.

Redd loves going to the games and cheering for the Utes. He tries to sing along to the fight song, but usually sings "Utah Man sir am I... Go UTES!"

Redd loves to have his ticket and carries it around with him for days after the game. He is also obsessed with his jersey... we have had to limit him to wearing it only on game days because he wants to wear it everyday.

Petersonalooza

For the first time since I've been

part of the Peterson family,

we went on a vacation that didn't

involve a sporting event!

We started out in Island Park, then ventured

into Yellowstone, went rafting down

the Snake River and spent some time

in Jackson Hole.

Kirt and Kady came a few days early

so Redd got to spend some time with his

California Cousins!

Owen, Tessa, Jon, and Redd

Kady's darling friend Brooke White did a benefit concert the night before we left. On our way we stopped for lunch and Redd got a sandwich that was almost as big as he is! Redd and Tess driving the shopping cart. Island Park We spent one of the days fishing. Unfortunately the fish weren't biting, but the guys had a great time anyway.

Bart brought along some four-wheelers

and the kids had a blast riding around by the cabin.

Yellowstone

I got the opportunity to enjoy

Yellowstone--Peterson Style.

That means you actually get out and

do all the really long hikes. Who knew there

were a bunch of geysers back behind Old Faithful?

After a fun day in Yellowstone we stopped

for pizza and Redd got a little out of control.

He got his booster chair down and started

scooting all over the floor on it.

Notice the braclets? Those once belonged to

Cal and Joni, but as soon as Redd got a hold

of them... well he didn't take them off the rest of the trip.

Rafting This is my favorite picture!

Someone thought it would be a good

idea to let Redd put on their life jacket.

Here's Redd when he discovered he wasn't

going on the raft.

Jake, Lisa, Kirt, Joni, Kady, Jon, Judd, Kaden, Owen, Cal, Sean, and Bailee Jackson Hole

Our Family

Tessa and Redd

Aren't they the cutest?

Owen!! I loved sitting by him at dinner..

what a crack up!

Judd turned 28 and we

had a sweet Mexican Fiesta

dinner to celebrateWaiting for Bar-J-Wranglers...These kids love their Grandpa!

We ended the trip with a ride down the

Alpine Slide!

Cal

Kady and Tess

I think Redd had just as much fun

running down this hill and back up the

stairs as he did on the Alpine Slide. Thanks so much to the Peterson Family!

We are so lucky to have you & we always

have so much fun spending time with you!