Trips Galore

Where do I begin..  I know it's been a while since I have blogged but it seems like life has been terribly busy.  Here is an update on some fun things we have done over the past couple of months...

After Carl returned home from Mauritania (and he and I spent some wonderful time in Paris and Monaco), he took a week off from work so we could hang out as a family.  Carl and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary and the next day we embarked on a camping adventure with the kids.  The last time I went "real" tent camping was 5 years ago.  Several years ago, I heard about a place in Arkansas where you can dig for real diamonds and keep any that you find.  Of course that peaked my interest, but we never made it up there - until now... this was our chance.  We set out for Murfreesboro, Arkansas, a 7 hour drive north of us.  We made it to the campsite and set up our tent.  Katelynn was so excited about sleeping in a tent and she still talks about it.

Todd and Katelynn excited after getting the tent set up

The next morning after breakfast, we headed over the diamond mining site.  This place is the only place in the world where a regular person can mine for diamonds and keep what you find.  We rented our tools and dressed in clothes that we didn't care about getting muddy in.  We received a lesson in the 3 different methods of mining.  It was a fairly hot day, but we made sure to stay hydrated and rest from time to time.

We were not successful on the first day of mining for diamonds, but we still had fun and found various types of rocks including quartz and agate.  Later in the day we made our way over to the pool/splash pad waterpark that is connected to the diamond field.  It was nice to cool off and relax after a long day of digging.

The next morning we began another digging adventure and met some very die-hard diamond diggers.
Once again we were not successful at finding a diamond but we still had a lot of fun working together as a family.  On our last night at the campsite, we roasted marshmallows and had smores.  We made it into the tent for the night just as a rainstorm began and we fell asleep listening to the rain... so peaceful!  On our way home from camping, we decided to make a 150-mile detour and stop in Dallas.  We visited some of our favorite eating places from when we lived there last year.  Babe's Chicken is must if you are ever in the Dallas area. It has the most amazing fried chicken tenders, vegetables, and biscuits.  We also made a stop at Braum's Ice Cream and Country Store.  This was always a favorite of ours since their ice cream is out of this world.

A few weeks after our return from camping and digging for diamonds, Carl had a work trip to the city that never sleeps.  As my track record holds, I ended up turning his work trip into a mini vacation.  The weather in New York City was absolutely beautiful and a nice change from the hot humid climate of Houston.  Carl and I were able to spend the first couple of days together, but when he started working the night shift, I explored the city on my own.  We went to see the broadway musical Mamma Mia and had a blast.  I was able to take a train to Connecticut to meet up with my former youth pastor and his family, Dave.  Dave lives in a beautiful part of the country and the leaves were just starting to change.  It was so good to spend some time with Dave and Paula and see how much their kids have grown.

Times Square

I found out about a discount broadway ticket booth where you can get tickets to shows up to 50% off.  I set off early on my last full day in New York City to Times Square where the ticket booth was located.  It is located in the middle of Times Square.  The booth opens at 10 am, however I was there at 8 am and was first in line.  Around 8:30 am, the line started to pick up and I was glad I made the trek early in the morning.  I was able to get Carl and I half off tickets to the Jersey Boys musical.  Jersey Boys is the story about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.  The music was amazing.

Later in the evening after Carl went to work, I walked to Rockafellar Center which was only a few blocks from our hotel and did the evening Top of the Rock tour.  The view of New York City at the Top of the Rock is incredible.

view from Top of the Rock during the day

view from Top of the Rock at night

On one of the days we were in New York City together, we took the subway down to the location of where the World Trade Center was and where Freedom Tower currently stands.

It was amazing to see how much progress was made on the construction of both Freedom Tower and the World Trade Center Memorial.  Last time we were there, 8 years ago, it was nothing but a huge excavation pit.  The Memorial is beautiful and is a wonderful tribute to those who gave their lives on that fateful day.

Stay tuned for an update from Carl on a recent project (it'll be posted in about a week or so) - you're not gonna want to miss it!