Cowgirl in the City.

My very favorite friend, Timber, came to visit me last week. I don't know how I lucked out to have such a great friend like her. I'm so grateful. She is a wonderful mother, wife, friend and is full of talents. She always seems to uplift me. I often wonder, how two people from such different backgrounds can be such good friends. It goes to show, that the connections we make among human beings is much more complex than just similar backgrounds...

I love Timber's friendship and I treasure it.

I'm so grateful she came to visit me. I have been to visit her in her element. You can see my travels to the boonies :) (i.e. Pie Town, New Mexico) HERE and HERE! Always such a blast to spend time experiencing parts of her life and her lifestyle. Now it was her turn to come see me and my life right now.

We spent some fun times, visiting D.C.

We did a tour of the Capitol. I had gone a few weeks earlier with Betsy...but this time we got to go into the Senate Chamber!!!! I was beyond excited!!!!!!!! We took turns sitting there and watching the Senate in action! It was such a highlight for me. I love the American Government and how it works...I guess that is why I chose to minor in it.

It was a treat...too bad we couldn't take any pictures.

As always, the architecture in the Capitol's Rotunda is amazing. I can't get enough of it!

One day, Timber got up early and headed to the Holocaust Museum. My kids are too young for that museum so I later met up with her and walked around the monuments. Scottie was nice enough to his wife, and stayed home with the kiddos.

We walked and walked and talked and talked. I always have such interesting discussions with Timber. I learn from her and her perspective on things.

I have to admit that walking that much with 'the belly' was a bit challenging! Man! Am I just getting old? I was dragging my feet! We got caught in a storm and we had to run to our car and oh man! It was hilarious! I wish I could have seen myself. I'm sure it was quite the show for everyone!

Timber was so sweet to my kiddos the whole time she was here. They loved her. The only thing Brielle wished is that she had brought Denim!

One night, after dinner, Timber made a bubble bath for them, she sat there stirring the water to make all those big bubbles for a while! My kids LOVED it!

Her last day in D.C. came all too quickly and we headed to New York City for the weekend.

Scottie was so good to me, to let me go on Memorial Day Weekend. The pool opened that weekend though, so he and the kiddos spent Saturday and Monday at the pool. Thanks Scottie for watching the kiddos so I can go have a girls' weekend.

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On Saturday, before heading to NYC, we headed to our last stop in D.C., the Arlington Cemetery. I'm glad Timber got to see it. It is such a beautiful place.

After, the Arlington Cemetery, we took the Chinatown bus and headed to New York City to see our good friend Brenda. The Chinatown bus is always an adventure!:)

We got there late Saturday night...Brenda had a feast prepared for us! We had such a fun time talking and talking...my pregnant body is just not used to staying up until 2 in the morning!!!

We eventually went to bed. Thank goodness Church was not until 11:30am!

After Church, we had another feast! We took a nap and then headed to the city. Brenda lives in a building right across from the Trump Building...and right around the corner is the Stock Exchange Building. That is her neighborhood!

They were both so patient with me and my 7-month old pregnant belly!!!

Thank you girls!

So many taxis...every where!

It amazes me that in such a big huge city with SO many people, they still try really hard to have little parks in the city and pretty areas for people to gather.

Last time, Scott and I didn't make it to the Brooklyn Bridge. So, that was our first stop.

This is so NYC.

The Brooklyn Bridge is so majestic and beautiful.

It really is amazing.

Brenda is such a wonderful, talented girl! I loved being able to spend time with her again. There is such a depth about her and who she is. I love talking to her and I definitely LOVE eating her food!:) She is such a good cook!

I LOVED the Brooklyn Bridge...I wish Scott could have been there to see it too...he would have appreciated how amazing it is.

View of the city from the Brooklyn Bridge.

After the bridge, we got on the subway and headed to Times Square.

It was a busy night! Sooooooooo many people.

On Monday, we headed to Clinton Street Baking Company...it's this super charming restaurant, famous for serving amazing breakfast/brunch food. The wait, however, was 2 hours!!! Disappointingly, we opted not to wait but we did get some pastries.

The blueberry muffin I got, was out of this world!

We walked a few blocks to the subway. I admired the character of the streets of NYC.

So much character every where you turn.

Our next stop was, the Grand Central Terminal. Another place, Scott and I didn't have time to see when we were there last fall.

It's a beautiful place and it is huge.

Brenda showed us this area of the terminal where the acoustics are so amazing, if you stand on opposite sides of the walls and you whisper into the wall the person on the other side can hear you.

It was pretty amazing!

Then, Brenda treated us to Magnolia Bakery's famous Banana Pudding. I have to say that I was not that hungry after my blueberry muffin but MAN!!! That banana pudding was HEAVENLY!!!! Honestly! WOW!

Here I am with my then 28-week pregnant belly! Man! I'm HUGE!

I'll be 30 weeks on the 13th.

We admired Saks Fifth Avenue window displays. Some of it, you wonder who would EVER in their right mind wear something like that, but some of it, is pretty.

Brenda was such a great hostess. She's turned into a New Yorker! It was so easy being there, because she knew exactly where to go, where the subway was, all the good places to eat, etc. Thanks Brenda!

One of our last stops before I headed back to D.C. was Strawberry Fields in Central Park. Strawberry Fields is a memorial for John Lennon from the Beatles. It was nice, but there were so many people there!

We got some delicious deli sandwiches and took them to Central Park and had a little picnic. It was a hot day, but nonetheless, I enjoyed being with such great company and eating yummy food!

On the way to the subway, Brenda took us again to Magnolia Bakery, but this time the actual place. Magnolia Bakery is known to have started the 'cupcake craze'. They were the first ones....and as full as I was from our sandwiches, I had a little bite of a chocolate cupcake and it was just HEAVENLY! I am NOT exaggerating!

...and last but not least, we walked by the NYC Temple. It was pretty among all the other buildings around it.

I had a week full of fun with Timber here and visiting Brenda in NYC!

Thanks for the memories and for priceless friendships!

Now, I just plan on relaxing at the pool until this baby comes!:)