Derpy Tiger was so popular that the rock finally had to be hidden away so that little cousins would stop arguing about it.
The party continued with an epic saran ball celebration. Adam proved himself to be the best with oven mitts!
Go, Anders, go!
Eila's got this.
Alesia and Janet, thank you for so much fun!
Later that evening we got to enjoy the most beautiful sunset on the harbor. We feel so very spoiled every time we visit Northport.
With the sun gone down, most of us headed to Old Bethpage Village for their Candlelight Evening. I expected candles and colonial-era homes. I even anticipated the period dress. However, the wide variety of outstanding musical groups were a delightful surprise!
A photograph with Father Christmas.
I learned that Christmas Trees didn't become popular in the U.S. until after the Civil War.
Our crafting family was SO interested in this spinning wheel, asking so many questions of this artist. I know my Mom hopes to learn to spin on the wheel that her brother Jay gave her. I hope so too!
Last but not least, the choir. They sang the most beautiful rendition of O Holy Night that I've ever heard. It was a lovely way to close out the Christmas season.
The next morning was December 30th. With time quickly running out in 2025, I finally decided to accomplish a goal I'd put off for twelve months. In 2024 I ran a half marathon distance every month and totally burnt out. Exhausted, I set a goal to complete one 13.1 mile run in 2025. It took until the very last minute, but I made it!
I have to say, my 2025 half-marathon swapped quantity for quality. This run was epic! Even though the forecast predicted a windchill of ten degrees, Talia and I were brave and took the train into the city so that we could run the length of Manhattan. After dropping off our backpacks at a hotel near Penn station (thank you, Stasher!), we took the subway down to Fulton station and began our run near Grand Zero.
From there we discovered this Irish Hunger Memorial, then ran south toward Battery Park.
After saluting the Statue of Liberty, we turned around and headed north along the Hudson River Greenway. This path stretches from the tip of Battery Park all the way up into Washington Heights.
Here are some of our fun discoveries as we traversed from pier to pier.
A Big Apple.
Little Island near Pier 57 was my favorite! What a cool discovery.
Beautiful, but still frigid!
From here we detoured and ran the length of the High Line. Cuz we are cool. Plus, you could never do that with summer crowds.
The Vessel was all decked out for Christmas.
Back on the trail headed North. Past the High Line, the path was far less populated.
But hey, we had plenty of geese to keep us company. Janet would have loved them.
We'd wanted to exit at 116th street to visit Columbia University, but there was no way to get across the Hudson River Parkway until somewhere around 130th street! And so, we explored Columbia from the north side instead. Not that it really mattered. While I may have fond memories of walking the quad as a teen, the campus is now completely locked down. Instead, we ended with some giant hills in Riverside Park.
Can we do it? Yes, we can! 13.1 miles in the books! Congratulations Talia! You are amazing and the best running partner I could ask for.
While they didn't let us through the gates to see Columbia, we still got to see this cool cathedral.
Then it was time to buy snacks and head back to Penn Station so that we could collect our backpacks and change out of our stinky running clothes.
Meanwhile, Jason and Brooklyn took the train in to meet us in the city. These three were all headed to Hadestown on Broadway as their Christmas present. Merry Christmas!
Lights shining after the matinee. While it would have been fun to go as an entire family, tickets were pricey enough that three seemed plenty, plus Eli and Annika already got skis for Christmas. My only regret is not purchasing tickets sooner. The performance was so full that they had to sit separately!
Afterward they spent some time on the town eating hot dogs, dumplings, and exploring Central Park. Seems like the perfect day. With Brooklyn scarcely home from her mission, it was pretty special to spend time with her Dad in his mission area.
Dang, Brooklyn's hair is gorgeously long! How I love seeing these cute sisters together.
Also, many thanks to Christy and Ben for suggesting Vanessa's dumplings. Yum!
All tuckered out.
The next morning was New Year's Eve. Janet, Alesia, and Greg all woke up early and generously helped transport our crew to LaGuardia. Traffic was slight and security lines were short, so we had plenty of time to admire the water feature.
Thanks to some trazodone, Pickles was a chill pug.
Farewell New York! Thanks for making our 2025 finale so special. To all of our New York (and Pittsburg and Chicago) family, we love you all so much! Thank you for the many special moments together.
P.S. Our New York adventures would be incomplete with acknowledging one final tender mercy. When we booked these budget fares all the way back in August, we couldn't get cheap flights all together. In fact, our group of 12 was booked on three separate flights on the way out and two separate flights on the way back. The logistics of it was a nightmare! Amazingly, our flights kept getting switched again and again until our entire group had the very same itinerary both coming and going. We managed to fly from Utah through O'Hare to New York and back during winter weather with only minor flight delays and no lost luggage. Yet again, it was a Christmas miracle!
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