4/16

Nat’s dress arrived in time and fit perfectly! She’s been waiting for this day for a long time.
Wanna hear something funny? Her date’s name is Tyler.
Whenever she talks about him, she says his full name.

Needed help pinning the boutonniere

A few friends went to take pictures at Villa Montalvo

Both were voted to be part of Prom Court!

Her promposal

Our last day in New York. The kids slept in again so David and I went to Levain bakery to pick up some cookies to take home. It smelled heavenly inside!

For breakfast we had croissant sandwiches and pastries at Angelina Bakery

After breakfast, we walked over to another Magnolia Bakery. Nat wanted to bring some cupcakes home. We were lucky the rain came on our last day only.

A light meal at the airport lounge.

We had a smooth flight home. Another fun and memorable trip in the books!

We let the kids sleep in this morning and David and I took the subway over to Russ & Daughters and picked up some smoked salmon bagels for breakfast. It was raining lightly and I think this kept some foot traffic away as the place was not busy at all.

After breakfast, we walked over to Rockefeller Center and shopped around the shops in the area. Then we walked up and down 5th avenue and shopped along the way. We stopped at Tiffany’s too! Forgot to take pictures while we were there.

New York Public Library

We had a late lunch at Eataly in the Flatiron district. The restaurant was at the rooftop and it had really cute decor.

On our way back to the hotel to rest, Nat wanted to stop at Magnolia Bakery for cupcakes. The cupcakes were actually really good.

At the Line store in Times Square

For dinner, we opted for ramen. We found a restaurant called Zen Ramen & Sushi within walking distance of our hotel that had good reviews.

Favorite part of the day:

Nat – Magnolia Bakery

Tyler – Rockefeller Center & the FAO Schwarz store

David – Rockefeller Center

Me – shopping 5th avenue and Tiffany’s!

We started our day with a walk over to Hudson Yards to check out the Vessel. The upper levels were closed but we got to go inside to check it out from the bottom floor.

Then we walked over to Chelsea Market by way of The High Line, a 1.45 mile-long elevated linear park.

At Chelsea Market, we ordered tacos, quesadillas, and a chicken teriyaki bowl from different restaurants. The tacos were really good!

After lunch, we walked over to the Little Island to take in the sights.

On our way out, the kids found an ice cream truck. It was cold, but it didn’t stop them from getting ice cream!

Then we took the subway over to Central Park

We took a break at The Met and people watched

Took the subway down to SoHo and enjoyed afternoon treats at Dominique Ansel Bakery. The cronuts were sold out but we were able to try the Kouign Amann pastry, which was delicious! The kids also got these frozen s’mores and some other pastries.

We shopped around SoHo a bit and then met David’s niece Nga and her boyfriend Shane at a French restaurant called Balthazar. It was fun catching up with her and learning about their life together in New York.

For a late night snack, we got pizza from Joe’s pizza which came highly recommended from several people. The pizza did not disappoint!

Favorite part of the day:
Tyler – shopping in Soho (he bought a hat)
David – Central Park
Nat – Dominique Ansel
Me – walking the High Line

We stayed in Time Square for the remainder of our trip in New York. Our hotel was conveniently located with metro stations nearby and walkable to many points of interest. And boy did we walk a lot!

In the morning, we stopped at the New York Stock Exchange. Tyler was interested in checking this out

9/11 memorial and World Trade Center

The Oculus

Brunch at Joe’s Shanghai. They have really yummy XLB!

After brunch, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a beautiful day to walk around the city.

Grand Central Station. It was beautiful inside!

Summit One Vanderbilt. New York’s newest observation deck. Amazing 360 degree views of the city and fun experiences in sections throughout.

Afternoon snack at Bibble & Sip

Watching street shows in Time Square

Dinner: Katz Deli. Expensive but delicious pastrami sandwiches!

Favorite part of the day:

Me, David, & Nat: Summit One Vanderbilt

Tyler: Riding the subway

We headed to the east coast for spring break this year. Nat has been wanting to go New York and Tyler hasn’t been yet so it was a good destination for a week trip. Plus, we’ve been wanting to visit David’s cousin Sophia and her family in New Jersey. We were lucky to be able to sync schedules and stay with them for two days.

We took a red eye from San Francisco to New Jersey and landing early Saturday morning. After settling in, we had brunch at a country club nearby. Tyler was excited to see golf.

After brunch, the adults went to a nearby park to check out the blossoming trees. It was a nice area for a stroll and lots of trees.

Tyler found out Kyle was a chess player and enjoyed having someone to play with

Dinner at a local Italian restaurant. Liquor licenses in this area are very limited so restaurants allow BYOB (and no corkcage fee!!) We need this in CA.

The kids had a really nice time with their cousins. We look forward to visiting again.

We had a weekend full of celebrations in LA!

Friday, March 25th we celebrated Gooey and Joanie’s wedding at The Ebell of Los Angeles. It was a pretty wedding venue and we had fun with all the family together for the first time in few years.

Congratulations Gooey and Joanie!

Saturday – we celebrated Po Po’s 80th birthday with a big feast at home including Persian and Burmese food.

Sunday, another wedding celebration! This one was for Theresa and Richard and it was at Castaways in Burbank. Also a very pretty venue, the ceremony was outdoors and the reception inside. We had a blast catching up with family, dancing, and playing wedding games!

Congratulations Theresa and Richard!