Josie and Chloe in Gotham City

We were so excited to have Joe, Charlotte, Josie, and Chloe come from Highland, Utah to visit us for a few days.  We were on a break from our temple service during the temple's routine two-week summer maintenance.

Here we are checking out the view from the top of our apartment building.

We went to Manhattan's Chinatown for some authentic Chinese dim sum.  We got along pretty well until they brought around the fried chicken feet.
The next day they were thrilled to discover "Shake Shack," and that quickly became their favorite New York meal.

Chloe was especially excited about our visit to the huge Nintendo Store at Rockefeller Plaza.

 Many say that Juliana's in Brooklyn is supposed to have the BEST (thin-crusted) New York pizza--and we agree.

 It was a thrill to watch the city put on her sparkling jewels of light as dark fell.  The Manhattan skyline was stunning!  Afterwards we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.



Another highlight was visiting Ellis Island, Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty.

We enjoyed walking through Central Park several times.  Central Park is a huge, beloved, public space which is vibrant with activity all day long in the summer.  The Bethesda Fountain is an especially lovely spot.

 When we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chloe was particularly excited about seeing the Degas ballet paintings.

Charlotte, with her training in and love for art, was a wonderful guide for her girls as they got a taste of the treasures in this incredible collection.

We thought Josie looked a lot like the woman in John Singer Sargent's elegant portrait of "Madame X."

We all loved the vast collection of Egyptian art.  Here Joe and Josie check out the Temple of Dendur  transferred here, block by block, from the Nile Valley of Egypt.

Both girls were fascinated by the displays of arms and armor.  These horsemen ride beneath banners  of some of the knights of the Round Table.

A little weary after more than four hours at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we reluctantly decided to call it a day--even though there was still so much yet to see.

We hope  this dear family we come back and see us again soon!