Baby it's cold outside!

So it's freezing outside and I'm dying!  It's been a rough week with highs in the single digits and teens with lots of snow.  We've heard it's been a bad winter compared to those in recent years here in Connecticut.  Lucky us, we're coming from 4 warm years in Florida trying to adjust.  It really hasn't been as bad as I imagined it might be....but it's starting to get old already and we're not even through January.  Brent is always excited to report the upcoming chilly forecast and walks to and from work every day loving every minute of it.  I don't know what's wrong with him.  It's not normal.  Lets just I haven't been leaving the house much recently....especially with Clementine.  I miss Florida weather.

This was the original coat that I bought for Clementine several months ago.  It was super cute.  Sadly, it was lost in a casualty over Christmas at Brent's family's house.  Sophie (the dog) ate a nice big hole in the hood and so I had to lay it to rest.

This is the replacement coat that Grandpa Nielsen bought for Clemie.  She got the hat and mittens for Christmas and she actually let us put them on her so we had to get a picture of her all bundled up!  What a doll!

NYC at Christmas Time!

Living in Connecticut for only a year, we couldn't pass up this opportunity to go to NYC over Christmas time.  We made the journey by train from New Haven to Grand Central Station.  Being the weekend before Christmas....it was crazy busy.  The train was jammed packed and we couldn't wait to get there so we could go to our hotel and relax for a bit.  Two house later, we made it, jumped on the Subway and headed for the hotel.  We  were staying at the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park.  We wouldn't normally stay at such a nice place, but a couple years ago Brent won some gift certificates to the Ritz Carton at a dental conference.  We've been meaning to use them forever now, but it just never happened.  I'd checked about a month prior for the Ritz NYC room rates and they were outrageous so I decided against staying the night.  I was bummed because NYC is so hard with a baby and having a hotel to crash in makes it much easier.  The week before Christmas, I check the rates again and they were surprisingly cheaper.  I booked us a room and we were off!  So we checked in and headed to our room.  We lounged around for awhile, ordered some room service, and then bundled up to head to the must see Rockefeller Center.  There were SO many people it was insane!  I didn't wanted battle the crowds to get close to the tree, so we just stopped real quick, took a couple pictures and headed on our way.  It was so cold and snowing....so we had to keep on the move.  We stopped in some shoppes, walked around for a little bit trying to keep Clemie happy and warm, and then headed back to the hotel.  We didn't get to see as much as we would have liked, but between Clementine and the weather, we just couldn't handle it.  After a quick night in the city, a relaxing night and lazy morning, we headed back home.  It was a fun trip and great to see NYC all decked out for Christmas.  It wasn't too bad staying at the Ritz either....I could get used to that treatment!  

This is as close as we could get to the tree without being trampled.

Brent and Clemie all bundled up!

Our delightful feather bed.  It was heavenly!

Part of the bathroom.  I didn't get a picture of the lovely tub that I took a relaxing bubble bath in.   Their toiletries were fabulous smelling!

Brent and Clemie checking out the crib they had set up for her.  It was so cute and Clemie loved playing in it.

They even gave her a whole goodie bag with all sorts of stuff and a Ritz Teddy.  It was so impressed!  

The goodies up close....including bandaids, night light, bathtub spout cover, diapers, shampoo, lotion, and fever strips.  All in a cute bag!  That stuff came home with me of course.

It's Christmas Card Time!

Well it's that time of year and I think we might actually get a Christmas Card out to all of our friends and family this year!  My sister Wendie is a photographer and she is graciously helping us put something cute together.  Let's just hope we can get it out before Christmas!  

If you would like to receive one, please send me your address.  You can reply to the post or email me at JulieLynnNielsen@hotmail.com.

We would love to hear from you and your family also, so if you are sending a card this year PLEASE include us on the list!  

Our address is:

227 Church St.

Apt. 6H

New Haven, CT 06510

Merry Christmas!

Our Weekend Getaway to Vermont

This past weekend we went on a road trip to Vermont.  It is amazing how many states you can go to within such a short period of time.  We journeyed through Connecticut, Massachusetts, ate lunch in New Hampshire, and then entered Vermont all within 3 hours.  On our way home we decided to head west and go through New York.  It was OK for about the first hour or so, until we hit Sunday afternoon traffic going to New York City.  It was so back up and took us forever.  I tried not to let it put a damper on the trip, but we will FOR SURE NEVER be doing that again.  Once in Vermont we first went to the the Prophet Joseph Smith's Birthplace in Sharon, Vermont.  It was so beautiful and peaceful there!  It was definitely my favorite place we visited.  Next we headed to the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Waterbury.  It was Saturday so they weren't actually making Ice Cream so that was a little disappointing.  I would have been fascinated to see all of the machinery in action.  We did get to sample some delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream.  Yummy Yummy!  The next day we went to the Vermont Teddy Bear Company in Shelburne.  They are known for their "Bear Grams" that you can send to someone for just about any occasion.  They are all handmade in Vermont and you can customized them with just about any outfit.  They are a little on the Pricey side, but there was no way we could leave without getting one for Clementine.  The cool thing is that they come with a lifetime guaranty so if anything ever happens to it you can send it in to their bear hospital and if it cannot be healed, they will replace it.  Clemie got a Dark Chocolate bear and we named him "Monty"....since he was born in Vermont.

Overall we had a great trip.  New England is beautiful this time of the year!  We are glad we finally made it on one of the weekend getaways we've been talking about but we (mainly me) always find excuses why we shouldn't go.  We're hoping to make it to Maine soon.  That is the only state left that we haven't visited.

We did a pretty good job this time taking pictures....surprise, surprise.  Normally I forget my camera or bring it and then don't take any pictures.  Enjoy!  

Sharon, Vermont- Joseph Smith's Birthplace

Clemie was happy to run free after the long car ride.  

Joseph Smith Statue on the tour

The remains of the hearthstone of Joseph Smith's childhood home.

Hanging out on the front step

The Memorial that was built in honor of Joseph Smith's Birthplace.  It is made out of one solid piece of granite!

The grounds were so beautiful!  We had so much fun playing.

Leaves were everywhere!  Clemie had too much fun.  She was running everywhere, but mainly just in the opposite direction we were heading.

Clemie couldn't seem to keep her shoe on.

This was the hill you drove up as you are driving to the memorial.  It was breathtaking!  The picture doesn't do justice.

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory- Waterbury, VT

Clemie enjoying the free ice cream sample after the tour.

Paying our respects at the "Flavor Graveyard"

We had to stop and take some pictures all to the beautiful scenery.

Vermont Teddy Bear Company- Shelburne, VT

On the factory tour...

Clemie and I with her new teddy.  She threw her newly purchase bear on the ground so I had to hold it for her.

Clemie on the Journey home asleep with Monty. 

Matching Shoes

About a month ago we when shopping in Hartford.  My friend Jody was in town, so Brent and Clemie went off by themselves while Jody and I visited some stores.  Before I knew it Brent and Clemie showed up....Clemie had some new shoes on.  Normally I buy everything for Clemie and have to approve of everything that she wears.  Needless to say, I didn't approve of the new shoes Brent had bought her.   I would have been mad, but he was so excited about the daddy daughter matching shoes.  He's still trying to convince me to buy a matching pair.  I continue to turn him down and always will.

Brent got his "ugly" and might I add expensive shoes while I was out of town, so there was no stopping him.  I try and not let them bother me, but they are not the most fashionable item in his closet.