New York, New York!

I finally had a weekend getaway with "just the girls" to the big apple! I had never been away from Ayla and Keira this long, and the vacation was much needed. Mr. B was "Mr. Mommy" for the weekend and held down the fort while I was gone. So strange how the role reverses when mommy leaves the house. Mr. B has left plenty of times for training, deployments, and TAD; but, this was the first time mommy went away. Keira watched as I loaded my duffel bag and my pillow onto the mini-van, and she got excited and claimed that she was going on the trip too. I looked at her eager little eyes, and sighed, "Mommy is just going to be gone for a couple of days, and I am going to bring home something special for you."  I hopped into the van, and waved at my little family as we rolled by. I finally get a moment to breathe, and it was definitely bittersweet. I couldn't contain my excitement because I had never been to NYC before, and I wanted to cram everything I could in such a short time frame. The five other girls I was with are amazing! They are the sweetest people I have ever met, and their love for life is contagious. We kept ourselves occupied with songs, massages, and eating plenty of healthy snacks on the way.

That evening we stayed in New Jersey at a Super 8 and Sequiyah and I compared stories about boot camp experiences. (She was in the Army, and I was in the Marine Corps.) We laughed ourselves to sleep, and I completely crashed despite every one's grumbles of waking up to Sequiyah's little snores. I honestly can't recall, lol! I didn't realize how sleep deprived I was until I got an actual night of sleep. I woke up still mildly tired, but refreshed and got ready for the final leg to NYC.

We jumped into the van and we were on our way. We made it to the Lincoln tunnel and we could see the Empire state building in the distance. I wanted to pinch myself - we had made it! I was experiencing a weekend without the title of mommy, and wife. For once, I was "Holly" and it felt amazing.

We walked everywhere! It was crazy how busy and populated the streets were, and we couldn't help notice how much in shape New Yorker's were. I wouldn't mind living here for a summer.. all the walking, and the sites to see. I would definitely come back home twenty-five pounds less! We walked into Times Square, and browsed through the numerous shops, and finally made way to Broadway Street. We had orchestra seating to The Lion King! I was a bit nervous because of the events that took place just a week prior, and I couldn't help but feel extremely vulnerable. I tried to let go during the performance because I didn't want a attempted terrorist attack to ruin my weekend getaway. 

That evening, we made it back to the room to get ready for dinner, and by then, I was thoroughly exhausted from all the walking. I was becoming miss crabby cakes, and told the girls that I was going to call it a night. I crawled into bed, and called, Mr. B. I cried and whined. I believe I was feeling guilty about being in NYC for Mother's Day weekend without my family. I just couldn't believe how much I already missed my little girls! Keira got on the phone, and told me that she misses me and she loves me. She even asked if I was out partying. I chuckled, only daddy would've said something like that!

I went to bed shortly later, and woke up on Mother's Day fully refreshed. The girls surprised me with a lovely signed card, and high heel inserts and a tooth brush, (since I forgot mine at home and the hotel didn't supply any). It was really sweet! We went on a subway, and I got a little nauseous from being in such a confined vessel. I breathed through it, and prayed that we would hurry up and get to Chinatown soon. We looked at all of the busy stores, and bartered with the owners. We walked down to Little Italy, and was solicited on the street for each restaurants we passed by. It got quite overwhelming, and we were starving so we finally walked into one and hoped for the best, lol. We shared a pizza, and salad.. It was a wonderful experience! I made way across the street to and ordered their famous cannoli's and lobster tails - a perfect way to end my experience in New York. :)

We got home late that evening, and I kissed my Mr. B, and he surprised me with an edible arrangement and two cards. I headed up stairs and checked on the girls - I was so excited to see their innocent faces sound to sleep. I smiled as I crawled into bed.. Hubby didn't do such a bad job after all. :)