Day Two in NYC

Dave had a few more meetings to attend today, so I was on my own until the early afternoon. I had a great time just walking around and doing more shopping in Times Square. I love the people and the atmosphere here; definitely never seen anything like it in any other city that I've been to. I started my day with another (and not the last!) trip to M&M's World, then I checked out the Hershey Store--very small, but had cute merchandise. Times Square just celebrated the grand opening of a new Walgreen's in November and it's actually a pretty cool store, inside and out. It has three levels, of course, and a HUGE (250,000 lbs. to be exact) LED display on either side, which looks really cool at night. Oh, and the building is situated in the median, right between the four lanes of traffic. There are actually several things stationed in the median, including a police sub station.

Fun at the Disney Store

The NYPD sub-station in Times Square, Hard Rock Cafe, and one of the many views inside Grand Central Station.

An ad for Mary Poppins, the closest I could get to the REAL Matt and Meredith, and the famous New Year's Ball.

Click on this collage to get a closer look at the prices for drinks and munchies in our hotel room. If we had opened the container on the left, it would have cost us $8--for two bags of M&M's!! Needless to say, we visited the local grocer when we needed snacks and beverages.

Our First Day in the City

Well, I made it to New York in one piece and survived my first-ever cab ride. Had one minor setback shortly after arriving at LaGuardia--actually, it was a pretty major setback. Somehow, during the plane ride from StL, my car keys fell out of my coat pocket and managed to work their way in between the seats. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal, had I noticed it BEFORE I de-boarded and retrieved my luggage. My excitement over standing next to Joe Buck at baggage claim (my closest brush with "stardom" during our entire stay) was overshadowed by sudden panic--if I didn't move fast, my car keys would soon be on their way to Dallas. And we'd be finding another way home upon our return to The Lou. I'll spare you the details of the next 30 minutes. Suffice it to say that I retrieved my keys just before the plane left the gate--don't remember the last time I was that happy to see ANYTHING. What an ordeal. :) Anyway, I got checked into the hotel, then headed out for lunch; grabbed a slice of New York Style pizza from Cafe Metro across from Grand Central Station--very yummy! When Dave's conference wrapped up for the day, we walked down to Times Square, did some shopping, and ate dinner. Here are some pics from our first day:

Not only the greatest kids store--this one has to be the BIGGEST!

Tyler would have loved this giant ferris wheel that was built right into the center of the store. These are just a few of the cars that kids could ride. I wasn't able to convince Dave to take a ride on it with me. :)

Some of Tyler's fave characters from "Star Wars: Clone Wars."

This Barbie doll house was cool. See the windows across the top? That's actually another floor full of merchandise.

Dinner at Olive Garden, which, like most buildings in Times Square, is three stories tall.

Getting ready for Round One at my favorite store in the universe. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Baby Ava looking cute as usual. :)

Tyler's Pearly Whites

We took Tyler in for his bi-annual dental check-up today. He wasn't crazy about going, but he cooperated the entire time and got a good report from Dr. Kara (who also happens to be our neighbor). He's been showing us his "pearly whites" all evening and is now insistent on brushing his teeth twice a day. :)

Old Blue Eyes

Cuddling with Daddy after bathtime is always a requirement.

My Little Drummer Boys

There's no such thing as a quiet dinner at the Lunning table!

Having fun (and making a mess!) with dessert.

Superbowl Sunday

It was a pretty low-key evening for us, which was nice. We invited my mom over, as well as some good friends of ours, Tom and Margie. Our kids had a good time running around and playing together while the guys watched the game and we girls prepared/ate snacks and socialized (although we did catch part of the game and a few of the commercials).

Hangin' out with Dave and Margie, and Mama Jeanie having fun with her "grand boys."

We're ready for the "Monsters vs. Aliens" preview!

The Steck's--one of the nicest families we know. :)