Ernzens Visit!

I was beyond excited when Chris's sister, Kim, said that they were going to be spending part of their Spring Break with us!!!! Kim was already in the northeast for work, so she flew in Friday night. Ted and the girls flew in Saturday night from Texas. Delilah was counting down for WEEKS before they got here.
Saturday morning we headed over to Randall's Island because it was supposed to be a warmer day. Too bad we didn't realize that it wasn't going to get warmer until much later in the afternoon! You can see we're a little chilly...but we had a blast.

 As you can see in the next couple pictures, sweet Taylor took Noelle under her wing and became her second mommy. Taylor is one of the most delightful pre-teens I have ever known...she is so polite, thoughtful, smart, generous, interesting, and the list goes on. She is so special and Noelle was captivated.

 And this next picture shows the dynamic duo themselves. Lauren and Delilah can play together for HOURS and HOURS. I really don't think I saw Delilah for more than five minutes during the whole 5 days that the Ernzens were here. She absolutely worships Lauren, who is the cutest, spunkiest, funniest little kid you've ever met.

This pic was taken at the World Trade Center Memorial. Such an incredible, moving site.

This is Delilah in front of the Survivor Tree-a pear tree that somehow survived the 9/11 attacks, was found in the rubble of Ground Zero, and nursed back to health. Beautiful.

 We also took the Staten Island Ferry so that we could get a good look at the Statue of Liberty (which is closed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy). This is the girls getting some hot chocolate on our way. Too cute!!!!

Words can not do justice to how much fun we had. We played dominoes, ate great food, played games, and had great conversations about everything. And Noelle and her Aunt Kimmy got to have some special time when Kim took my place at Noelle's mommy-and-me ballet class. I still don't know who had more fun: Kim or Noelle. :) Kim's birthday was on the Tuesday that they were here, so we got a babysitter, I played hooky from class, and we went out for a great evening of dinner and drinks. The trip was over way too soon, especially for Delilah. When she left for school Wednesday morning, knowing that everyone would be gone when she got back, she cried and cried and cried. It was so pitiful. But also a beautiful testament to what a fabulous time our families have when we're together.
Can't wait to see you again soon, Ernzen Family. Love you so much!!!!