Friends from far...friends from near

 We'll start with the friends that are near...Shayne, Emily, & Brady...well, I should say WERE near. But now they live in Wauwatosa, WI! (too far away if you ask me.)

But we were so privileged to go visit them! Yay! Thanks guys for being such wonderful hosts! We loved just chilling with you again (and tasting your part of the country's custard!). Thanks for showing us around and taking us to some pretty cool places! The basilica and the taste-everything-can't-remember-the name-store just to name two. And though I'm sad that you live so far away I must admit you do live in a beautiful place!

This is how Brady felt about being in the car so much....

 Holy Hill Basilica. It was beautiful and kind of creepy at the same time!

 The view was spectacular!

 An attempt at a group photo in the absolutely freezing biting cold!

 Brady and Emily. Haha....Em and I took Brady into this other chapel room and these two women from Spain were in there. The older one laughed and said (in spanish) "He's so cute! Let's make him a priest!" Uh....let's not. :)

 Yup, he still like me...:)

 Catching some time with Dan

 Making Pizza!

 Brady "helping"

 Touring the Sprecher Brewery

 :)

 The Fehr Family Three

 My favorite: the Orange Dream soda....it was like a smooth melted dreamcicle!

 A drive by the lake, then dinner!

 The boys' photography...."We had to get the view in!" :)

 Boots and chaps all-in-one!

What a wonderful full several days! We love you guys!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next up....friends from afar. Luke and Dani!!!! I feel like I've been away from this girl more than I've been near her...but strong stands the friendship! We are so thrilled that you chose to spend your time off with us! We had some adventurous excursions...like skiing Copper, dinner in an old house (half asleep and freezing from skiing I might add), and STUFFING ourselves at that Brazilian steakhouse!You two make a perfect pair...thanks for visiting!

You did great for first-time CO skiers!

 Ski food...what a rip off!

 Haha...I look like a fat Eskimo!

 *gasp!*

 Friends....for a very long time!

:) lovely

YUM! Rodigio Grill

Love you! Where we going next?!?!

The Mr. & Mrs.

 Leman!

 Jake and Tifani

photo by Brooke Francesi

 

January 22, 2012, my brother-in-law Jake married Tifani Bahr. Tif has lived here for four years or so and has worked for my in-law's landscaping company as their HR director.

Yay for more sisters!!!

The Siblings

photo by Brooke Francesi

 

It was such a beautiful weekend. It was wonderful to spend time with family who came into town and of course to love on the little niece, Soraya!

Jake and Tif, we love you guys so much and look forward to seeing the ways God continues to use you as a couple!

Somebody likes uncle Dan's whiskers! 

 Sweet and pretty: little miss Soraya

 Personal shower with the moms, sisters, Kerry, and the adorable Harper

 Auntie Tifani with Soraya and Harper

 Saturday night be fore the wedding we were privileged to have our great friends Shayne, Emily, and Brady stay with us! Even though our time with them was short, we consoled ourselves with the fact that we would be visiting them soon in Milwaukee!

 This little guy has grown up so much since I used to nanny him!

 Hanging out with Erin...we tend to get a little crazy at times...

Another highlight was having Grandpa Hodel make the trip out! He just completed all the family time. We played games, visited cupcake shops, and laughed and talked quite a bit. Family is such a blessing...I can't wait until we're all together again!

PS. The couple honeymooned in Spain and I must say, they have some FANTASTIC photos! What a beautiful place....

NYC

On the way home from Haiti, Dan and and I had a 23 hour layover in Newark, NJ. (Don't worry, it was planned!) This wonderful amount of time allowed from some NYC sight-seeing! We took our hotel shuttle back to the airport where we found the bus that went to the train station. After a 20-30 minute train ride we found ourselves at the World Trade Center station where our adventures began. 

 Train info! Old school....and moving often!

 An old church near the WTC site.

 The freedom tower...being build where one of the Trade Centers stood.

 An old fort...

 ...The Castle Clinton

 There she stands!

 The Ritz Carlton...I think.

 Ellis Island from afar

 On the ferry to get a close up of Lady Liberty and Ellis Island.

 What a whole lot of buildings jammed in a small area! The view was really quite breathtaking.

 Our gift from the French.

(Due to renovations we couldn't go inside. And since we had a time crunch, we stayed aboard the ferry and went all the way to Ellis)

 Inside the main Ellis Island building. The main immigration building and now a wonderful museum!

 They had a big board with money's that have come through Ellis Island...

Hey! I know that stuff!

 If I remember correctly, this was a small courtroom.

 And we think traveling with kids today is hard...

 Dan was a very bad boy... Unfortunately I forget what the prison cell was for!

 Part of the building

 Times Square!!

Whew! What a quick zip around a hopping city! We made it back in time for me to check in at the airport and Dan to take the shuttle back to the hotel where they kindly kept our luggage for us! We had a safe and uneventful flight back home and to our own bed for some much needed zzzzzZZZZzZzzZZzzZ! What a trip! From poor Haiti to affluent New York, to home!