HOME

I can’t believe it’s been more than 3 weeks since we dropped Mum and Dad off at the airport!  They flew out on December 15 to meet their (at the time) 10 week old granddaughter for the first time. I knew their trip was going to be special but we didn’t quite realize just how perfect it was until Elana, Chloe and I returned home from the airport and reflected on everything that we did! Let’s start from the beginning…

Monday, December 15

 

With signs and cameras flashing, Mum and Dad arrive at JFK like celebrities with full fanfare. Of course, Chloe immediately stole the show.

Mum took Chloe from Elana’s arms and pretty much didn’t let go until she left 3 weeks later.

Tuesday, December 16

Matt and Cate Harding were in town with the kids (Ella and Jonah) for a week. They were on the first leg of a world tour that would take them through Sweden, Italy, Paris and Tokyo after New York (what a tough life!). We met up with them (sans kids) and, good friends – Steve and Lauren Mehlberger, for dinner in Hoboken. The atmosphere was great…good food, good company and LOTS of conversations!

Chloe was the only kid who joined the adults for the night. She was well looked after with plenty of volunteers to feed and hold…

Wednesday, December 17

We spend the morning ‘laying low’ so the Grandparents can get some quality Chloe time…

“Watch what you say Grandpa…unless you want a knuckle sandwich!”

In the afternoon, we meet up with the Harding family for some Ice-skating at a little rink in Jersey City around the corner from where the Hardings were staying.

Mum, Dad and Cate were smart to hang back and take photos. I felt very old and sore afterwards.

Thursday, December 18

Most of the day is spent readying ourselves for a big night on the town to celebrate my Father-in-Law’s (Scott’s) birthday. Together with his girlfriend (Alice), Aunt Joanne, friend (Gary), more friends (Steve and Dawn Linden), Mum, Dad, Elana and I, we loaded up in a huge SUV limousine (fits 12 comfortably) and were whisked away to the Chart House – a seafood/steakhouse – overlooking Manhattan from the Jersey side of the  Hudson river.

Our main objective for the night was to witness the Rockefeller Christmas tree in all it’s dazzling glory before the lights went out for the night (at midnight).

This was accomplished…these photos tell the story.

Friday, December 19

The timing of the previous days festivities could not have been better. By the time we woke up Friday morning, the entire upper East Coast was covered in a heavy blanket of snow (and it was just getting started!).

Mum and Dad got what they wished for…a white Christmas!

I trekked outside and braved the heavy snowfall and wind to get a Christmas tree for our home…all before breakfast! Now that I was sufficiently drenched with melted snow, I jumped in the car to pick up the Hardings who were preparing for the next leg of their trip – Switzerland!  We all spent the rest of the morning staying warm in the Nanscawen household as we intermittently checked the tv and the web for weather reports and airport delays. Packing the car to the brim (and I’m talking…no room for an extra bottle of water!) we drove…errr…sledded to JFK. The Hardings got away safely (and on time) and we spent the rest of the day decorating the Christmas tree.

Saturday, December 20 – Baptism Eve!

The Mehlberger clan (Steve, Lauren and, Godson, Luke) joined us as we caravaned up to Stroudsburg, PA for a weekend of Baptizing. The snow storm subsided, the roads were clear and the trip was relatively uneventful.

As soon as we arrived at Mary’s we were greeted with Antonio’s ‘Soup of the Day’. Though the accommodations were tight – 8 adults, 2 kids, 1 dog and 1 bathroom – we all managed to spend the night in comfort and get ready for Church the next morning without killing each other.

Sunday, December 21 – Chloe and Luke get Baptized!

Collectively, Elana and I (Godparents to Luke) and Lauren and Steve (Godparents to Chloe) decided it would be fun, convenient and meaningful to get both Chloe and Luke baptized on the same day at the same Church. So…that’s what we did!

We woke up Sunday morning (some much earlier than others – Tazzie and Luke) to another heavy snow day with most of Stroudsburg’s roads still covered in snow. The 11:00 service (with the Baptism’s incorporated) was held at Stroudsburg United Methodist (the church where Elana was baptized) and the Baptism was carried out by Pastor Bob Shank (who presided over our wedding). And, one more interesting tidbit of information, the dress in which Chloe was baptized is the same dress that Elana (Mom) and Mary (Grandma) were baptized in…three generations of use!

Chloe and Luke during the Baptism.

Parents/Godparents/Children/Godchildren/Pastor Bob

Scott and Alice threw a great post-Baptism party with a lot of great food and a surprisingly big turnout despite the weather.

Thankfully a very eager Gladys was there to help feed Chloe while we helped feed ourselves.

Along with the baptisms, the day coincided with Grandpa Scott’s birthday and…in line with tradition…Aunt Joanne is seen crowning him with a home-made birthday hat that he’s required to wear the rest of the day. The hats are always creative but generally not flattering!

As the day wound down…people went home but Scott and Alice just couldn’t get rid of Mum, Dad, Elana and I.  As evidenced by this photo, Abby (Scott and Alice’s Coon Hound) was ready for us to leave so she could get some sleep!

When we did finally leave, we decided to make a stop at Stroudsmoor (an events facility where, cousin, Jason Witcraft works) to view his handiwork – the Stroudsmoor Christmas Tree.  He and 3 other people worked in the icy cold conditions to decorate this monstrous 30+ foot tree with stunning lights!

Monday, December 22

We drove back home to Hoboken to rest up…Mum, Dad and I had to rise early the next morning…

Tuesday, December 23

Mum and Dad were very eager to visit the New York Stock Exchange (when in Rome!) but were concerned that a tour through the NYSE may no longer be possible given the tightened security since 9/11. Dad had already written to the exchange’s management with no response so, weeks prior to their arrival, I decided to reconnect with an old friend/ex-colleague – Sara Dillon – who I knew was a Director of Trading Technology there. She was more than happy to give us a tour and arranged for us to meet her outside the exchange (corner of Wall St and Broad St) at 9am so that we could make our way through security in time to see the ‘opening bell’ at 9:30am. Sara did not disappoint. We mingled with the traders on the trading floor and got to experience the rush as the bell rang and traders jumped into action. Sara took us upstairs to the very ornate boardrooms where Executives and Board Directors meet. Funnily enough, the only other person getting a personal tour that day was Hillary Duff (an actor/singer – teen idol). As we crossed paths, we were introduced to her…shame I’ve never seen a single movie she’s been in but nice to meet a celebrity. She was there to ring the opening bell (promoting her charity – Blessings in a Backpack).

Later that night we caught up with the Mehlbergers (Steve, Lauren and Luke) at their house for kebabs on their grill. Dad was quite taken by the fact that people on the North East-Coast of America still brush the snow off their grill and BBQ outside in sub-zero temperatures. Well…it does happen…and we had a great time hangin’ with the ‘bergers for a small pre-Christmas celebration.

Wednesday, December 24

We relaxed at home for most of the day before heading up to Stroudsburg, PA (yet again!) to attend church for the Christmas eve service. With this being her first Christmas, there was a lot of focus on Chloe and her reaction to pretty much everything. She seemed most enthralled at the flickering candlelight all around the church when we lit up candles and sang ‘Silent Night’. It reminded me a lot of the ‘Carols by Candlelight’ events we use to attend back in Tasmania.

Just before the service, we got a photo of Chloe in her Christmas outfit next to Grandma Mary’s Christmas tree.

Thursday, December 25 – Chloe’s first Christmas!

To keep with tradition, we waited until midnight then opened our presents with Mary and Antonio. Everybody seemed to get what they wanted…no prize for guessing who got the most pressies!

We spent breakfast with Scott, Alice, Aunt Joanne, Stacey, Mike, Jason, Laura, David and Alicia where we ate too much great food and opened too many great pressies. The rest of the day was spent with Mary and Antonio for yet more great food and conversation.

Eating Mary’s lasagne and engrossed  in conversation on Christmas Day.

Friday, December 26

We drove back home from Pennsylvania on Christmas night and decided to spend the entire day indoors doing very little other than sleeping, eating and…yes…opening more Christmas pressies! This time the gift exchange was between me, Elana, Chloe, Mum, Dad, Tazzie and any gifts from Heidi, Paul and Philip that Mum and Dad brought over.

Saturday, December 27 – Chloe’s first flight

We had an incredibly early flight to catch. 7am – JFK to Kalamazoo, Michigan to catch up with cousins (all family on Mum’s side). For those of you who have travelled by air with babies…my hat is off to you. Carrying formula, toys, car seat, stroller frame, baby, etc through security is intimidating enough but when you’re on the plane and trying to find space for all you carry-ons all the while praying that there won’t be a sudden outburst from your little angel…it’s quite overwhelming. And Elana and I had help from the Grandparents! Anyway, suffice to say, our paranoia was pointless. Chloe simply ate, played and slept the whole way there.

We were picked up by Uncle Dave and shuttled to their (Dave and Aunt Marla’s) house on a lake in Portage, MI. Not long after catching up with their kids – Zach and Jonathon and unpacking our bags, the gang – Uncle Kip, Aunt Jan, Matt, Tori, Luke and Claire, Lorena and Jason – all arrived at the house for another evening of Christmas festivities and gift exchanging and opening.

Sunday, December 28

We spent the day at Uncle Kip and Aunt Jan’s eating Kip’s perfectly grilled steaks and playing the Nintendo Wii. For those of you who don’t have one (or haven’t tried one), I just want to say that there’s no better video game console to brings all ages (young and old) together while leveling the playing field! As an example…Dad (who I doubt had ever played a video game in his life) was quite a contender in bowling beating people like myself and Uncle Dave. Despite being regularly beaten by Dad and Elana, I had a great time.

Monday, December 29

A long day of flying to get home and faced with the dreaded prospect of work the next day (after two and a half weeks off), Elana, Chloe and I relax at home that evening. Mum and Dad spent an extra night in Michigan.

Tuesday, December 30

Mum and Dad arrived back in Hoboken. I spent a very quiet (and relatively easy) first day back at work.

Wednesday, December 31

New Years Eve. Dad discovered an old school friend who he hasn’t seen in years – Kerry – was visiting New York so he arranged to catch up in lower Manhattan. They met up at a restaurant located in the building where Elana and I use to live! Although I was working, I joined them all for lunch. Kerry and his wife, Yvonne as well as their son and daughter-in-law were all very nice people. It was great to hear a few more Aussie accents! I jokingly pointed out to Dad that typical Aussies never meet locally. It takes simultaneous trips to the other side of the world to catch up!

The night of NYE was spent babysitting our Godson – Luke and watching the celebrations around the world play out on the TV.

Personally I’ve never been one to celebrate NYE outside in New York. Why someone chooses to spend 10+ hours in sub-zero temperatures with limited elbow room in order to view a shiny ball drop in the distance is beyond me. I get a much better view on my TV in the warmth of my living room!

Thursday, January 1 – Happy New Year!

A new day, a new year and, apparently, a new opportunity to shop? We all jumped in the car and drove to the Short Hills Mall (I think Elana asked to be buried there). Crowds were non-existent and it was actually a pleasant way to escape while staying warm.

Friday, January 2

Most of the 2nd day of 2009 was spent putting together a frustrating, yet highly addictive, jigsaw puzzle. It was a team efforts with Elana, Mum, Dad and I all contributing equally. Here’s the results of our blood, sweat and tears…

We also took yet another brief trip back out to Stroudsburg, PA to pickup Tazzie (who had been staying with Mary since the previous weekend when we had left while we were travelling to Michigan).

Saturday, January 3

With only a few more days of Mum’s and Dad’s trip remaining, we decided to brave the cold and take a brisk walk through Central Park. Brisk being the operative word, an hour was about all we could bear even though the scenery was truly stunning.

We grabbed Macchiatos at Starbucks to warm up and then spent the rest of the evening in New York’s flagship 6 story Barnes & Nobles bookstore where we all went on scavenger hunts looking for literary favorites. I’m so pleased that, even in a heavily digitized and virtualized world, books have not lost their appeal.

That evening, we awarded our bravery in the cold with a hearty meal at our local Italian restaurant – Three A’s. In fact, the restaurant is so local, it’s attached to the back of our apartment building. Needless to say, we didn’t need a cab. The restaurant has a pub in the front and, that particular night, the place was humming! Elana and I typically walk in there without need of a reservation but this plan didn’t serve us well. We had to wait 45 minutes for a table and…with all the noise…we began to wonder if this was such a good idea (with Chloe and all). Fortunately, Chloe fell right off to the land of Nod and didn’t wake up to anything (not even ACDC thrashing in the background!). So we got our table and I wound up having one of the best meals I’ve had at Three A’s! Mum, Dad and Elana were equally impressed with their meals (and the Chianti).

Sunday, January 4

We all decided to take a drive to upstate New York to visit Elana’s college (Marist) and to grab some brunch along the way at Cold Springs. We stopped in at a fantastic little Inn – Hudson House (right on the Hudson) for brunch. The setting was perfect (as is evidenced by the photos below) and the food was delicious!

Hudson House – A Country Inn at Cold Springs.

Delicious brunch at Hudson House

I love this photo of Elana and Chloe. The way the light hits them and with the decor of the Inn, it looks like a scene from the 1920’s!

The Hudson River capped with ice

Monday, January 5

I was back at work again and, although business was back in full swing, I was eager to get back home to spend our final evening with Mum and Dad. Elana had promised to make her popular turkey meatloaf and Mum was making a Pavlova (a.k.a Pav) – a dessert popular in Australia that consists of a crispy meringue outer-shell with a fluffy, marshmallowy center topped with fresh whipped cream and fruit. I’m convinced that Mum, although still an American citizen, should be made an honorary Australian citizen solely based on her Pav making prowess. Nobody makes a better Pav! Most Americans have not been introduced to this delicious Aussie dessert. Mum made one for Chloe and Luke’s Baptism party. I watched in awe as one person tried a slice and, through word of mouth, the Pav disappeared within minutes! I literally had to guard the plate in order to snag a slice for myself!

These photos don’t really do it justice but here’s a few pics of the Pav that Mum made…

We sat down to our last meal together. Elana outdid herself with an incredible turkey meatloaf (the secret ingredient is apples) and mashed potatoes.

We weren’t the only sulks who were sad to see Mum and Dad (Grandma and Grandpa) leave…

Grandma rocked Chloe to sleep one last time…

Tuesday, January 6

Mum and Dad wanted to get away early (the forecast was for snow) so we packed the car and were on the road for JFK by 9am. The ride to the airport was a little quiet. One could argue that we were all tired but I think we were mostly just sad. Sad that we weren’t going to have Mum and Dad (Grandma and Grandpa) around anymore and sad that the fun, action-filled days we’d grown so accustom to were all over.

Writing this blog post and looking back over everything we did…I’m amazed that we didn’t drive ourselves to exhaustion! This really was a great holiday (even if Chloe was too young to remember it). We purchased webcams to use with Skype so that we can all see each other during chats from our respective sides of the globe. Although not as good as the real thing, this is the next best way for Mum and Dad to keep close tabs on their Granddaughter until next time when Chloe visits Australia for Christmas 2009. By then she will be walking and talking (maybe jibberish…but still…talking!).

Elana and I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

Mum and Dad dish out dessert in style. No New Years Eve is complete without ridiculous looking sunglasses that remind everyone what year they just entered.

Chloe partied too hard and crashed early in the night. This didn’t stop her from ringing in the New Year with a glass of bubbly. How was she holding on to the glass? Hmmm…what trickery!