Our Spring Fling With Jennifer

Along with Spring, we welcomed our oldest daughter, Jennifer. She arrived at JFK early Easter morning after flying most of the night from California. We enjoyed a wonderful week together. Special thanks to Shane who took their three children camping during Spring Break and sent Jen to NYC to see us. We watched the sunrise as we drove to our home in Astoria. It was a sunny Sabbath Day, made extra special with a beautiful sacrament meeting with the Astoria Ward.

Later Sunday night, we took Jennifer for a tour of Manhattan in the car. The bridges and lights are so spectacular at night. It's about the only time that you can really get around the city without traffic. She'll probably never have another "Sunday drive" like this one!

On Monday we traveled to Sagamore Hill. It was not open to the public, but we drank in the beauty and peace of this extraordinary place.

Forsythia is in full bloom all over the city and everywhere on Long Island.

Spring wildflowers pop above green lush foliage.

Leaf green so fresh and new....just beginning at Sagamore Hill.

Massive trees flank this handsome home on a hill.


Chas and Jen pose at the side entrance of the home.

In the garden orchard this magnificent tree was in full-bloom.

These large pink blossoms smelled as inviting as they looked.

We made our first trip to the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, which is a little further east on Long Island. We hope for another day there before we leave.

Chas and Jen posed amongst massive decorative columns in the garden.

Enormous eagle statues guard the entrance.

The magnificent mansion overlooks a most inviting, soothing bay.

Canadian geese were nesting everywhere! This one dared me to take his photo not far from the nest.

Serene swans, at least 32 pair, filled the bay.

Tuesday we celebrated with our Jamaica Institute class our completion of the New Testament.
We enjoyed time to visit over roast chicken, potato salad, green salad, fruit salad, sourdough rolls, berry cheesecake, and I planned to serve it with ice water. I learned that the saints in Jamaica with the exception of a couple do not drink NYC water!

That's when our hero, Shelonda, showed up with enough ginger ale for all!

After dinner we watched, "Reflections of Christ," and shared our testimonies and what we have each learned about Jesus Christ and His gospel. It was a sweet experience and we are so glad Jennifer was with us to meet most of our dear friends who live in Jamaica.

Pictured, first row, (L to R) Moise, Gertrude, Vanessa, Nikita, Shamee, Florinda, Elsie and Lois.

second row: Shelonda, Marchita, Jennifer, Sister and Elder West, Kenneth, and Ishanti.

We were missing Anita, David, Andrewnay, Tony, and Necole, (who came in after we took the picture), sorry! We are so glad they are planning to continue institute class together after we are gone. We have so loved our students in Astoria, Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Little Neck, and Queens College.

Thursday we took Jennifer to Manhattan to the Macy's Flower Show at the largest Macy's in the world, at Herald Square. I've been to Macy's in Idaho Falls a lot and have never seen anything remotely like the flower show that is held each Spring in Manhattan.

Splendid Spring bulbs are blooming in pots all over Manhattan.

Our favorite flower girl, Jennifer, among Macy's blossoms!

Each day a different floral designer creates a masterpiece that if featured. This captivating ballgown arrayed in pinks and purples was unbelievable!

These majestic pink flamingo topiaries, the icons of the Macy's 35th Annual Flower Show are based not on the graceful and exotic birds of Phoenicopteridae family immortalized by James Audubon, but rather on the plastic American variety that has graced the lawns and gardens of suburbia for over half a century. We couldn't help but think of our fun friend T.L in Rexburg!

These vividly colored topiaries are all living, growing gardens. Their intricate wire and welded steel skeletons are first packed with many pounds of moss, then painstakingly planted with over 2,500 flowering kananchoe plants, a hearty succulent, and surely one of my favorites. Each specially cultivated kalanchoes was grown and cultivated in tiny 2" pots, then each plucked clean of its thick green leaves by hand, yielding a feathery soft pink surface.

The fabulous flamingos were standing in this flower surrounded pond at the entrance of the store. There were several pair of these beauties through out the store and in the many windows!

All the flowers were living, high and low, floor to ceiling, absolutely everywhere all through out the store.

Our favorite part of the day was attending the Manhattan Temple with our sweet daughter. We always love and appreciate the beautiful feeling that is there.

On our subway ride back to Astoria I took Jen's picture by this young man. One of the problems we have as missionaries is that so many people are "plugged in" and don't want to talk with us. Interestingly, when I took Jennifer's picture a young woman who was on the other side of Jen asked her who she was. Jen replied, "I'm my mother's celebrity," and she was right!

This small person, Michael Jackson impersonator, had drawn quite the crowd as he danced to the music in the subway. Jen was amazed!

We finished our day with an incredible Italian dinner at Trattoria L'incontro on Ditmars in Astoria. It is rated #3 in all of NYC for award winning food, an overwhelming selection of daily specials, fabulous service, and a lovely atmosphere.

Saturday morning before Jen flew out, we took her to see Doma at Pema Nails for the ultimate in pampering! She was salt scrubbed, messaged, polished and relaxed, before her long plane ride home. Thanks Jen and Shane for our great week together. It is truly our favorite perk for senior missionaries...having our family members come for a visit. We will remember it always!