Video

Hey!! If you did not see the video post I did, it is down below under my post about Thursday and Friday. They are videos of the performance at Carnegie Hall!! Check it out! Spencer

WAZ UP Y'ALL!!!

Hey guys.  So Thursday and Friday!!

Thursday:
     We got up and rode the subway all the way from where we are staying to the bottom of the island at the Staten Island Ferry.  This ferry just goes back and forth between the two places and does not make any stops and it's free!  On the way there we rode on one side and on the way back we rode on the other side and got to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Right outside of the Subway station at the entry to the Staten Island Ferry

The Ferry ride on the way to Staten Island.  The East side.

Looking back with a view of downtown Manhatten

This is what we looked like!  It is another Ferry.

On the was back from Staten Island.  It's the Statue of Liberty!

This is waiting to get off the Ferry.  Mr. Price!!  It is the Coast Guard in New York!!

After we got off the ferry, Battery Park was right there so we decided to walk around the park and see all the different things they have there.  It was really cool.

This is The Universal Soldier representing the Korean War.

This is in Battery Park.  I promise, the Statue of Liberty is behind us!

This memorial was in Battery Park.  If you can't read it, it says "Erected by the United States of America in proud and grateful remembrance of her sons who gave their lives in her service and who sleep in the American coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. INTO THY HANDS, O LORD"

After we were at Battery park, we took the city bus up 1st Avenue and stopped at the United Nations.  I had forgot that the United Nations was in New York.  We stopped and went through the Visitors Center.  It was so cool inside.  Every piece of artwork in the United Nations is a gift from one of the member countries.

In front of the United Nations Plaza

One of the artwork copies.  It is a hand drawn poster that was originally 20ft X 15ft.  It took 4 years to create and the artist, Krikko, went through 2,496 pencils when making it!!!!

After we left the United Nations, we walked up to Grand Central Station we made a couple of stops on the way though. :)

OH YEAH!!!  

(if you can't read the sign coming out of Hyrum's head, it says Studley!)

This tree was in one of the buildings between United Nations and Grand Central.  It is made up of all ornaments.  There is no tree actually there!!

Some people on the Subway are just WEIRD!!

(I LOVE THE SUBWAY!!)

I think there were 250 people on this bus!

After Grand Central, we went to dinner at this mexican place on the Upper East side called Maz Mezcal on 86th.  It was Amazing food.  It was a little pricey, but totally worth it!!  Then we rode the Subway downtown and did some window shopping and then went to the Radio City Rockette Christmas Spectacular.  It was the coolest show ever! We have some videos of it, but of course, I don't know how to get the videos off the camera!

Walking down by Radio City Music Hall.  Huge snow flake suspended in the middle of a huge intersection! It is bigger than it looks

This is the stage of the Rockette show.  it looks pretty boring before the show, but it was AWESOME!!!

That was the last thing we did on Thursday.  The show started at 9:30 so we got home a little late that night, kind of like every night.  On to Friday!

Friday!  We had an appointment to do baptisms at the Manhattan, New York Temple at 11 in the morning.  So that was the first thing we did.  Before we went in, we met a missionary that was from Vacaville, Ca!!!  He was military so he was only there for a year, but it was so weird!

The Manhattan Temple, right in the heart of the city! Juilliard is right across the street!!

US in front of the Temple

Inside in the lobby.  They have a chapel above the Temple on the fifth and sixth floors!  It is so different.

The Juilliard School sign right across from the Temple.

This in the Lincoln Center Plaza in front of the Metropolitan Opera.

In the Plaza

One of the Theaters in the Plaza

(The Temple is right across the street from all of this!)

In front of the Lincoln Center sign

After we went to the Temple and Lincoln Center, we went back to the apt and changed clothes and then we went to linner.  It was about ten blocks from the apt so we just walked.  We went to a place called "Bettolona."  It was an Italian restaurant on 123rd street and Broadway.  It was so good!!  Everything we ordered was delicious, and the crepes we had for dessert, with banana and nutella, were seriously good enough to die for. Ok, maybe not that far.  It was a very good place to eat.  

On the way walking to Bettolona.  Red brick building on the right is Russell Hall at Columbia University and the gray one in the middle is a huge church that was very pretty.  lots of sculpted stone.

On the way back from Bettolona, we took the Subway to Central Park and the station on 135th street is all above ground!! 

After linner, we went to Central Park and walked around for a while.  Central park is so cool.  It is huge and there are so many things to do inside.  we only saw the very south part of it and we were in it for about two hours!

This is the big statue monument thing in front of Central Park entering from Columbus Circle.

Ice Skating in Central Park.  There was like a two hour wait!! It is on the south east end of the park.

View of the city from the ice skating in Central Park.  Looking at 5th Avenue.

After we walked through some of the park, we walked through town a little and did some shopping at little shops and some of the bigger stores also.  There are so many people in NY for New Years!!

Walking down Park Avenue in front of the Plaza Hotel

The front of the Trump Tower on 57th and fifth avenue

Inside FAO Schwarz.  That store is pretty cool, even though it is all kid toys.  This is a limited edition Barbie Foosball Table.  There are only ten in the world and it was $25,000!!!!!!!!!

Hyrum and I trying on some stunner shades in one of the little shops.

Jessica and Hunter posing with a moose in JCPenny

After we went shopping, we went to the top of the Empire State Building.  It was an awesome view!  Word of advise, go wait in the line that is however many hours line to go to the top.  DO NOT do and fast track pass thing or skyride pass thing of anything.  IT IS TWICE AS MUCH AND EVERYTHING THEY TELL YOU IS A LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

View from the top of the Empire State Building.  It was super cold and windy.

In the lobby of the Empire State Building.  It was so pretty!!!

We are having so much fun on this trip!!!  I could definitely move and live here.  I love all the energy and craziness of the crowds and how the city never goes to sleep!!  Thank You all again for helping make this possible for my family.  It is so awesome!!!!  

No Borders Youth Chorus Performance!

Ok, so somehow there are videos of the performance on youtube!!  Ok, it is a little confusing.  I found two different people that posted all of the songs from our performance.  The first link under each song is a home video by danwrite32.  Some of these are pretty good.  The second link under each song is the official archive video that Carnegie Hall tapes (I think) posted by mikekelly97.  The sound on the second links is not as good on most of them in my opinion.  The songs are in order that we sang them.  Hope you enjoy! Here they are!!

Come On Get Happy:
1st:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iui-6VAc1Lk&feature=g- upl&context=G2cc6c16AUAAAAAAAFAA
2nd:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EchmcaK3HmU

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year:
1st:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egeFq1FTkAk&feature=related
2nd:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21kEYyvQtyo

God Only Knows:
1st:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntEJx16fwJA&feature=related
2nd:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2gkOkkkuO0

Bring Him Home:
1st:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLxauoReqhk&feature=related
2nd:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYlpFz2Gup4&feature=related

Tribute to World Peace: 
1st:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq-vNIbxAus&feature=related
2nd:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zvVbvsaSIc&feature=related

Pictures!!!

Yeah!!  I finally got the pictures to work.  Ok, these are pictures from Sunday through Wednesday.  For the Carnegie performance, you are not allowed to take pictures or video, but somehow we got some.  Not of me though?!?!  I heard there might somehow be a video sent out sometime of the performance, but you know, I am not really sure if or when that is going to maybe happen.  Anyways......

This is us on Sunday on the way to the Sacramento Airport!

This is when we finally got to the Newark, NJ airport at 11:30 p.m.

On Monday all the chorus members met at the Hilton in Newark and they had this cool tree, so we decided to take a picture in front of it.  (There are a ton of very pretty trees all over the city)

This is on the bus ride with the chorus from the Hilton in New Jersey to the Church of All Nations in NYC

The chorus walked from the Church to Carnegie Hall and had to wait outside for a few minutes

While I was practicing at Carnegie, everyone else got to ride the Subway for the first time!

Stephanie and Russ Carson came down from Connecticut to watch the show at Carnegie!

After the Japanese Orchestra Finale. They were amazing!

We were touched by how meaningful the experience was for the members of the Japanese Orchestra.

After the show with Cindy Hansen!  She did the choreography for the Chorus.  Know her from working with the American River Chorus.

Tuesday!  We went to the 9/11 memorial in Downtown Manhattan.  There are like a bagillion security cameras there!!

This flag has all the names of those who lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks.

One of the new buildings at the memorial site.  In the middle of construction.  Very cool.  It is already the tallest building in Lower Downtown Manhattan and it is not even done yet!

A rose placed next to a family member at the memorial.

Very touching.  Babies Breath placed in the engraving.

The North Tower memorial.

At the corner of Wall Street and Broadway!

Front of the Stock Exchange building.

Federal Hall where President George Washington was inaugurated.

ARTURO'S!!!  Shout out to Arturo & Nancy Trejo! (youtube)

Morningside Park in the Upper West side

Awesome tile work coming out of the subway on 81st street!

Soldier with an awesome pose! 

This is in the Museum!!  It looks so real!

Same here!

Outside the main entrance of the American Museum of Natural History.

This was the super stretch pink escalade limo we saw on 46th street.  Pretty flashy! 

NCIS!!!!!!  I had to take a picture.  This was during our night bus tour going by the CBS building.

The famous Bloomingdales mall on 59th and Third!

Cool Christmas display by Tommy Hilfiger.  Two story bow-tie on the left and two belts going across the building on the right all made out of white lights.

The front of Radio City Music Hall!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures so far.  Did not post anything from Thuresday yet.  Still have not figured out how to get video off the camera. :(  Fun fact: there are 24,000 trees in Central Park!!!  Central park is 842 acres.  That is a lot of trees.  

Working on getting more stuff from the performance at Carnegie Hall, but I am not promising anything, unfortunately.  I wish I could even see the performance. 

-Spencer