Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

We had a glorious time at the Macy's Thansgiving Day parade!!! I love any parade - so it was a truly spectacular experience! 

We traveled up to NYC with Cory, Alyssa and Josh Jurgensmeier from Washington D.C.  

On Thanksgiving morning, Darin woke up really early to save us a sweet spot on Central Park West. By the time the rest of us arrived, the parade was just getting started and we had to fight past hundreds of people to get to Darin. It was hard work - Linsy ditched the stroller in the shrubbery, held Tate and tried to diplomatically move through the crowd to reach Darin.  There were several times when other parade watchers stood their ground and didn't want to move for us - so it was very helpful that Tate was yelling/ crying "Daddy! Daddy!" - that usually did the trick. Tate loved the giant balloons and danced to the music from the marching bands. 

 After the parade, we all walked through Central Park to a NYC restaurant for turkey dinner and then explored Rockefeller Center Christmas lights at night. A magical Thanksgiving!

Fun in NYC for Thanksgiving!

FAO Schwarz

This was Tate's favorite spot in NYC!

Cousins Tate and Josh Jurgensmeier

We are visiting Cory, Alyssa and Josh in Washington, D.C. Tate (21 months) and Josh (11 months) are great buddies!

Leesburg, Virginia - Oatlands Plantation

  

We traveled from Hershey to Leesburg, Virginia to visit our good friends - Marie, Adam, Spencer and Emma Wride. Tate had a wonderful time getting to know his new friends - and he even said "Spencer!" when he woke up in the morning, instead of the usual "Nick! Nick!" (he misses Nick Heiner). 

We visited the Oatlands Plantation, a wheat plantation dating from the early 1800s. Oatlands was thriving estate prior to the Confederate's defeat in the Civil War. At the conclusion of the war, the mansion was in ruin and the owner's wealth vanished into thin air because their Confederate currency no longer had any value.  Since then, the mansion has been used as a boarding school, hotel, and then purchased by another wealthy family for use before it was donated to the National Trust. We had a wonderful time touring the mansion and exploring the grounds!

Picts of Downtown Hershey

These pictures show:

- Turning onto CoCoa Avenue

- homes on Elm Street

- the chocolate factory

- Hershey kiss lined Chocolate Avenue

Beautiful Hershey Theater

Tate and I toured the magnificent Hershey Theater today. Built between 1929-1933, it was part of Milton Hershey's "Great Building Campaign" during the Great Depression. It is truly a beautiful building. Tate enjoyed running through the marble lined corridors, climbing the stairs to the sound and lighting booth, listening to the powerful organ, and gazing at the theater ceiling that appears as a night sky with projected clouds and stars. These pictures show the exterior of the theater, a gold plated ceiling in the entry way, the fancy ladies room, the stage, and Tate taking in the scenery.  

Saturday at Hershey Park Candy Lane

When we arrived at the park, Tate yelled "Rides! Rides!". We had a great time going on rides with friends Clinton, Carter and Anja Morgan, taking in the Christmas spirit, and shopping for candy. After so much hard work, Tate fell asleep in the car - lollipop in hand.

Tate Wants the Camera

Fun in Utah

Before coming to Hershey - we spent a month in Utah and had a blast! We stayed with the Heiners (Drew, Monique, Kevin, Andrea, Sophia, Olivia and Nick). Tate loved spending time with his cousins and he still says  "Nick! Nick" every morning when he wakes up (one week after leaving SLC). Here are some pictures from our good times with the Heiners and some pictures from a trip to Wheeler Farm with friends (Tiffany and Reagan Alleman and Kelli, Porter and Beckham Lindsey). 

Decision 2008 - Palin McCain Rally in Hershey, PA

Pennsylvania is up for grabs! So Tate and I went to a McCain Palin rally this past Tuesday in Hershey. Tate had a great time and broke out into dance during "dig baby dig."