Empire State of Mind

As most of you know, I only write on a rare occasions. I usually don't because of my poor writing skills, especially compared to the rest of my family. But Chelsea has been bugging me for 2 weeks to blog-- So I'm blogging about my interesting life- or so it was for a week. Chelsea this one is for you. This past Spring Break I flew down to see Chelsea in Washington D.C. While in D.C./NYC, Chels and i basically did three things- shopping, eating and of course some sister bonding. I would tell you all the deets about my vaca but that could take up 10 pages, so I will do my best to briefly inform you of everything! From screaming at Obama's helicopter to dining in JFK's old house to getting winked at by Corbin Bleu, Chelsea and I experienced the East Coast like celebrities. Not only were we practically famous, we ate out at all the famous places too. Some of those being; Busboys and Poets, Georgetown cupcakes, Eastern Market, Little Italy and Suefside. We also ate at Gadsby's Tavern, where George Washington stayed, (but Chelsea can tell you about that one later). The Saturday that I arrived Chelsea took me to the city of D.C. and we walked around looking at at the sights/cherry blossoms, we also went paddleboating right by all the monuments. On Monday Chelsea skipped work for some serious shopping in Leesburg, which normally takes only 45 minutes, but thanks to my mapping skills we got there in just under 2 hours. Wednesday it was take your sister to work day and I got to go to a pretty interesting meeting about living conditions for women in Africa. Right after that, we went to the Peruvian Embassy, where an author spoke about being bi-racial. Thursday we headed off to NYC and nearly missed our bus and I got to see the wrath of Chelsea (but I'll explain more about that later). When we got there we didn't really feel like walking around much, so we took a tour boat ride. It lasted two hours, and 30 minutes into it, Chelsea and I were ready to jump off. We thought it would be a good idea to sit outside on top... until the wind reached 300 miles an hour. After reaching land, it was time for us to go to In The Heights starring Corbin Bleu. It was the best broadway show I have ever seen! Especially after Corbin winked at us. After the show Chels and I contemplated on getting a picture taken with him for $60 but we thought the money could go to something more useful- fake designer purses. On Friday, Chelsea's birthday we shopped most of the day and soaked up the essence of NYC. We decided to put our names in the lottery for Wicked, if you won you received FRONT ROW, $25 tickets. A couple minutes after we put our names in, they called Chelsea's name!! I was so excited I wanted to scream, but then I realized I was in a public place-- I could barely contain it. I think Chelsea was a little embarrased of me but hey, how often do you win FRONT ROW $25 tickets to a broadway play in New York? Because we won tickets, we had to change our bus tickets to a later time to leave that night. Little did we know it would soon become the worst bus ride of our lives. After leaving Wicked a little early and racing to catch our bus, the bus was late. While we waited we were surrounded by mysterious drugs, baby daddy's and a bus driver who didn't speak any English. Did I mention that I had the worst migrain ever and Chelsea was acting like Medusa so we would get there on time. Let's just say, I was near tears. Putting that aside, everything in NYC was surreal, I couldnt believe I was actually there. It's non-stop craziness and I loved every minute of it. Chelsea is a blast and we always get along so well. I had such an awesome time and I experienced the East Coast just the way I wanted. Thanks Chelsea!

Here are a FEW pictures we took while there:


First day in D.C.; Townhouses in Georgetown

Paddleboating

Cherry Blossoms

Dinner at JFK's old house-- No big deal.

My little African kids

La Casa Blanca

Statue of Liberty; Boat ride from down under.

Times Square, giving ourselves Sephora Makeovers

Haling a taxi for the first time; I was a regular.

Sitting in Central Park.

In the Heights- Corbin Bleu totally winked at us.

Winning front row, $25 tickets to Wicked.

C Jizzle Fo' Shizzle

Its someone's BIRTHDAY! Here are 10 reasons why Chelsea Jan Smart is the coolest person ever...

1. Chels is the best Aunt ever. She loves C, K, & A so much and they love her too. She is always willing to play with them and change diapers too! (Darel and I LOVE to play with them ... but diapers ... not so much)

2. CJ is beyond the definition of fashionista. Every time she comes home she's got a cute new shirt, bag, or piece of jewelry that is so unique and fun. She's always finding new ways to be innovative with her style and make a statement.

3. Chels is so smart - literally. She just took the LSAT (did awesome), speaks a second language (learning a third), knows everything about politics, and got an A in Econ at BYU. (Okay, the last one was a joke, but seriously - Chels is a little smartypants)

4. Chels is fun. She is always thinking of fun things to do and amazing places to go. She's got such a spirit of adventure and has a great way of influencing others to be adventurous too.

5. Chels has an appreciation for amazing entertainment. Her favorite movie is "From Justin to Kelly," starring Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson. She also knows every musical from Newsies to Mamma Mia and she is always educating me with the newest great flick.

6. Chels has NO fear! She will try anything and nothing seems to get to her when she's in a tough situation. If she hasn't tried it yet, you can bet that someday she will try it just to prove that she can do anything.

7. Chels has an AMAZING memory. Every time we argue about something silly, like what Ursula's eels are named in "The Little Mermaid," or something like that - I know I'm going to loose! She seriously remembers everything - including birthdays, important events, and big days in everyone's life. She never forgets to send a sweet note or card to let you know she's thinking about you.

8. This one is obvious, but I will say it anyway. Chels is BEAUTIFUL! Seriously, everyone I know always comments on how pretty she is and how her gorgeous skin/hair/eyes makes her a candidate for multiple-race affiliation. Is she half Poly? Or maybe a spicy Latino? No one really knows, but whatever it is ... its working quite nicely.

9. Chels always puts her family first. When we get together Chels is the first to remind us of "traditions" and the importance of family. She's always willing to play games with us and is constantly rounding up the troops to go to a movie or do something together.

10. Chels has a great spirit. She gives great advice and I know its because she's grounded in the gospel. She served a full-time mission and she understands the big picture. She's so kind and always willing to share her gifts with others.

Chels! I love you so much and I hope you are having a great birthday!