YEY, WE MADE IT TO SEE YOLI AND JOSE' ( I had to change the title after seeing these photos)

MY SWEET SWEET FRIEND!
BUNDLED AND COZY
HEY JUST BECAUSE I'M LITTLE, DON'T FORGET ME HERE!
PRETTY LIGHTS AROUND THE PLAZA (PHOTOS COURTESY OF YOLI)

IT SEEMED AS THOUGH WE COULDN'T GET TO NY FAST ENOUGH TO SEE OUR AWAITING FRIENDS! THE BABY HAD HER NAP, ATE, AND THEN THEN OUR HEATER WENT. OKAY, CALM DOWN, I SAID TO MYSELF WHILE I WAS STOMPING AROUND THINKING SHOULD WE GO OR STAY TILL THE HEATER GUY CAME AND FIXED IT. I CALLED THE GAS COMPANY AND EXPLAINED (our sweet friends from Florida are in NY) WE HAD A BABY IN THE HOUSE AND THE HEATER DIDN'T WORK.  THE GAS COMPANY SAID, "WE'LL BE THERE BETWEEN 9AM AND 4PM!  THEN I REPEATED, DOES HAVING A BABY MAKE US PRIORITY?  THEY SAID, THEY'LL MAKE A NOTE OF IT!  OOOH, I FOUND MYSELF BITING MY TONGUE ONCE AGAIN.  ISN'T THIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY FRIENDS?  

FORTUNATELY, I MUST HAVE GOTTEN ACROSS TO SOMEONE EMPATHETIC AND THEY CAME AND FOUND AND FIXED THE PROBLEM.  YEY HOO, IS ALL I COULD SAY. 

THEN OFF TO NY WE WENT!

It was a year since we first met Jose and Yoli in China.  Now there we stood in the "Met" as we hugged, smooched and were reunited once again.  Oh we had so much to chat about.  I loved the expressions on Yolis' face when she saw Kira again...she lovingly picked her up and gave her the sweetest hug and kiss.  I enjoyed the three of them interacting and when we went to eat and settled down, it was as if Kira somehow remembered them.  She smiled from across the table and then went to sit in Yoli's lap...again craving more love from this wonderful woman and Mommy to two beautiful adopted children.  We took pics, Jose took more pics and then we went to Rockefeller Center (My IDEA).  

Okay, so you know when you're all excited about something, you forget certain things...like how far you are walking!  So I had these shoes on, clogs meant for high speed walkers like myself, however, they weren't really broken in and so my foot started to ache a bit.  I didn't pay attention and just kept walking.  The night was so beautiful...the crisp, cold air, the smell of roasted chestnuts from the street vendors and colorful Christmas lights all around us lit up the night.  We walked along Madison Avenue having fun window shopping and talking.  

53 blocks, 3 Elmos,  one Winnie the Pooh, a Bunny and 3 dozen Santas later, we arrived at Rockefeller Plaza!

HOW PRETTY!  It had to be the biggest Christmas tree I ever saw and felt like we stepped into a movie set.  Just lovely, especially since it was a first time for Kira and I to be there.  Yes, I admit, never been there before while living so close!  But it didn't matter, I was enjoying another first with good friends and my little daughter.  We took more photos, and then had to part and make a train back to NJ.  Oh, how I wanted to stay and spend more time with Yoli and Jose.  They warm my heart!  We reluctantly had to leave and gave big hugs until we can meet up again.  

So the long, cold walk to the train station was on.  I started to get an awful cramp in my foot and had to stop.  I knew it was my shoe, but hey, I couldn't take it off, so Dani tried to get a cab. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE  to hail a cab on Madison Ave at night, so we kept walking.  Meanwhile Kira was bawling and screaming, wanting to get out of the stroller.  Where is Yoli?  She'd be able to calm her down!  It was getting colder by the minute and all I could think of was not letting my baby get cold.  Dani took off his inner coat and we wrapped it around her, (she had layers of clothes on), I put my scarf around her face and we sheltered her from the wind.  She kept on crying and I thought, where the heck is a cab when you need one! 

So we walked another mile or more to the train and Kira finally fell asleep.  She wasn't cold thankfully and just slept till we got home.  

In the meantime, I had this aweful pain in my foot that was just getting worse.  I paid no attention to it really since my eyes were on Kira the whole train ride home.  It wasn't until this morning that I awoke with one great big, toe that was so swollen and painful, I thought it must be broken to hurt like that.  Mega strength Motrin failed to help, ice a bit, but the throbbing of it all, was the worst...it feels as if every nerve in your body ends up in that one toe!  I can't bare weight on it and thought, how could a walk have caused this?  Well, I still don't know and my doctor said it's trauma to the nerve and tendons and prescribed a walking boot (which I can't get today because that walking boot store is closed).  

Well, I still can't get over how much fun the day was for us all.  Despite my aching toe, my heart is full with the love of good friends and my family.  Hey blogging would be boring if not for a little adventure, right!

OKAY, I ADMIT IT, THESE ARE WHY MY FOOT HURTS...ACHING TO BUY THEM!
MORE CITY BEAUTY
YES, ELMO'S WERE OUT PATROLING THE STREETS OF NY


AND HERE WE ARE, YOLI AND JOSE AT THE TOP THERE, DANI AND I ON THE BOTTOM, YOU CAN TELL WHERE I AM, CAN'T MISS THAT BIG MOUTH!





Well now that I uploaded some of the highlights, I find myself missing Yoli and Jose terribly! The baby just loves you both and so do I. So until we meet up again, it will be a Holiday to remember for sure! Thanks for coming up and hope you had a wonderful time!