Ward Party and Father's Day

From cocktail parties to ward parties....hmmmm. If I had to pick, the ward party was pretty fantastic. If I haven't already explained, two of the wards in Manhattan were split and then combined into a third, brand spanking new ward, appropriately name Manhattan 3rd Ward. I was so excited to be switched into this ward, and it really hasn't let me down. This was our first official ward gathering to get acquainted with each other, AND....

....play softball!! I can't remember the last time we've played, but it was a dream come true, made even better by playing on THE GREAT LAWN in Central Park. 

Brandon works so hard juggling his demanding clinical schedule, school work, thesis, scouts and then time with us, which is why we had to treat Dad to something really special for Father's Day. Our friends in the ward have access to a penthouse apartment in their building, and invited us to join for a rooftop BBQ. Barbecue and softball in one weekend?! Come on!!

The guest of honor.

The window at the end of this balcony is my dream apartment. The picture does it no justice. 

Grillin' master

Madeleine and Tori cleaning.

Brighton climbing....

...this!

It was a cute place, complete with shutters...which is a rare site in the city

Entrance to the Queensboro Bridge

We've been so blessed to have these really amazing experiences in the last weekend, that have helped us feel human again. We do so much site seeing that it's hard to feel totally normal here.

We also admitted to each other that we are really intimidated cooking with and for people in New York, because...well the standards feel far higher here. It's not just about taste, it's about the use of the latest healthy and trendy ingredients. Like barley salad instead of pasta salad? Divine by the way! I'm probably far behind the general populace when it comes to culinary standards, but New York is a daunting place to attempt to catch up. Ranting aside, I've been so lucky to attempt to do so here, because eating (especially new things) is probably my favorite past time. Dining with friends has been better than anything I've eaten in a restaurant, and it's usually accomplished with minimal ingredients. It fascinates me! Brandon's also a great Dad! We love him more than eating, but don't pretend that my rant about cooking wasn't necessary to complete this entry : )