Happy Monday! I’m here with Holly sharing some fun from our trip to New York last week. I hope you’ll link up with us for Hello Monday!

My mom and I have been talking about taking the kids to see the Rockettes for years. We decided that this was going to be the year and I am so glad we did! My mom found a bus trip that made everything so easy!

We were up bright and early on Thursday morning. The bus met us about 15 minutes from our house and my parents were here at 6 am. There was some construction on the roads affecting our route to the bus so we left extra early. The bus left at 7 and we were on our way!

We talked, read, played video games, did some word searches, and talked some more on the ride. We hit a little traffic at the Lincoln tunnel but the ride was so easy. The bus dropped us off about 2 blocks from Radio City Music Hall. It was so nice to be able to leave bags on the bus while we had fun in the city.

We headed over to Radio City and had a little time to enjoy NYC before heading into the show. We found the Christmas ornaments on the fountain and some giant candy canes. Jack, Luke, and Dad found the MLB store and took a look around.

Then we headed into the show. Radio City is GORGEOUS!! The lobby was so lovely! I love the history of the theatre and all of the details that remain from the 30s.

We grabbed some popcorn, drinks, and headed to our seats. We were in the first mezzanine and it was a great view. This was my third time seeing the show and we’d always been downstairs. I loved seeing the show from a little higher. I felt like I could see more!

We all LOVED the show! It was a little different than when we saw it in the early 2000s. The new song and Frost Fairies were great. They made a few changes to the nativity scene and I thought they were fantastic, too.

After the show, we headed to an early dinner. We walked down to 46th street to Nino’s 46. It was a small, Italian restaurant that felt like authentic NYC. It was delicious!! My mom got chicken Parmesan, I got spaghetti and meatballs, my dad got spaghetti with Italian sausage, and the boys got pizza. Everyone’s dinner was so yummy!

After dinner we headed out with the crowds in Rockefeller Plaza. Saks had a fun light show on the building and it was really crowded in front of there. But once we turned into Rockefeller Plaza, it was all worth it! I hopped up in the planters between the fountains to take some pictures. When I got the boys up there with me, the security guard told me to get down so we didn’t get a picture up there. Darn!

My only regret from the whole trip is that I missed one picture. We ran into a bride and groom from Scotland that had just gotten married in Central Park. Her dress was the most beautiful green, sparkly dress and the couple looked so happy! We helped them get up in the planter/fountain to get the perfect picture. The security guard was not happy about them being up there, but I kept him busy with a conversation until they got the shots they were looking for. I wish I would’ve snapped a photo of her dress. It was gorgeous!!

We went down to watch the ice skaters inside for a bit. That was a cool view of the tree, too!

I love that tree! It’s so big with so many lights and it brings me so much joy!!

After we spent some time in Rockefeller Plaza with the tree it was time to head back to the bus to head home. They showed Home Alone 2: Lost in New York on the way home. The boys hadn’t seen it and it was so fun to see the places we’d just been. We got back to our car around 10:30 and we were in bed by 11.

It was such a great day! New York City is so fun all year, but it is especially amazing at Christmas! It wasn’t as crowded as I thought it would be and that was just fine with me. Jack even commented that it was more crowded when we were there last summer.

Seeing the Rockettes was so special! My mom told us that she went to see them when she was a little girl, took my sister and I when we were little girls, took her parents and us in the early 2000s, and then was able to bring her daughter and grandsons this year. The Rockettes are a special part of our family memories in the Thanksgiving Day parade and at Radio City. This was one of those days that made memories that stay in your heart forever! Thank you Mom for taking us and making memories with us!

Have a great day full of sunshine and Christmas books!