NYC: Ten Years... Two Months Early

The professor and I often dreamed {and planned} of celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary with a trip to New York City. For most of this year it was a trip that we were planning but then... we discovered there was a baby on the way {by late February 2010 I will definitely be "great with child"} and there was a costly double bathroom debacle on the heels of a major kitchen renovation. Suddenly timing and finances became big complicating factors to our travel plans dreams. We talked, we crunched the numbers, we looked at dates, and ultimately we decided that, considering the circumstances, a quiet {and relatively inexpensive} weekend on the gulf coast would be a more appropriate getaway for our tenth anniversary.

But...

The professor does not let go of dreams easily. He secretly made plans and did some financial juggling and, unbeknownst to me, planned a delightful, memorable, and generous trip to New York for the two of us. Knowing that I don't love surprises {especially big ones} he handed me a card one morning, exactly three weeks before we were to depart. It said:

your kiss.

ten years of bliss.

a stealaway not to miss...

December 13th-16th

New York.

Let's do it!

And so, we went to New York. It was four blissful days of celebrating ten happy, blessed years of marriage... two months early!

Truly, I should end this post here, but because this little place is the only semblance of a scrapbook that I keep be warned, there are many photos {all shot by the professor} to follow...

Radio City Music Hall in the night rain.

Our favorite breakfast spot, Ess-a-Bagel.

The Seagram Building, designed by Mies van der Rohe, 1958

The boys would absolutely love this place!

{Yes, Santa did a bit of Christmas shopping here!}

Central Park

Look, I'm in LOVE,

and I'm in-love!

LOVE by Robert Indiana, 1964

An afternoon spent at MoMA.

Jackson Pollack {and me} at MoMA.

The whole city sparkled.

New York at Christmas is truly wonderful.

A trip highlight, dinner at '21'.

Rockefeller Plaza

Times Square

Macy's, where the professor's favorite attraction...

was the vintage, wooden escalators!

The Empire State Building,

although we agree, the Chrysler Building is far more elegant.

The Empire State Building as seen from Bryant Park.

I cannot believe that no one ever told me to visit the New York Public Library.

We happened upon it quite by accident and were stunned.

It is gorgeous.

When and if you are ever in New York... visit the library!!!

The Rose Main Reading Room, New York Public Library, Third Floor

Look at all the people!

Park Avenue at night.

Little Italy dressed for Christmas.

The city from atop The Empire State Building.

The Chrysler Building

More Christmas shopping accomplished here.

Lever House, 1951

Grand Central Station

Our "stealaway" was nothing short of grand. I am overwhelmed and humbled by such a thoughtful, loving, and generous gift from my dear husband. This Christmas there will be no presents under the tree for the two of us and in February there will be no diamond anniversary bands, but the four days of blissful togetherness spent exploring a new place was worth every penny!