The Happy Travels of the Hendos

The happy Hendos are BACK! We have returned from our fabulous travels. We went to New York for my older brother Paul's wedding, then I hit up the sweet Chi-town for some good r & r, shopping, eating and family time. After those trips i went to work for 2 days then headed up to the mountains for Girls Camp. Needless to say it's been a great few weeks, but I'm glad to be home to my boo and my punkins (steve & cleo for new readers). While in NY we celebrated our 4 year anniversary. Time has flown. We celebrated in the best way i can really imagine, we got gussied up, dined at tavern on the green in central park, and strolled lots and lots around the park and beautiful NY. I kept saying over and over how happy the night was making me, being in a big gorgeous city with my honey on a beautiful summer night was pretty much the pinnacle of happiness for me. Steve even got me the pricey perfume i had hinted at, and i love it! 4 yr anniversary = successSteve had never been to New York, and although I lived in Connecticut as a kid, and have been back since several times, I really wanted to do some of the fun touristy things, most of which I don't remember doing so it was great. We went to china town, the Brooklyn Bridge, wall street, lots of parks, ground zero, saw a show at Lincoln Center, ate lots of nummy food, oh how glorious it was. Below is a photo of Steve enjoying some coco milk. Steve talks about this stuff all the time, he used to have it in Brazil on his mission. He was excited when we were in China town and he found a street vendor who had it, he promptly purchased said coco milk and took a happy sip then offered the coco delight to me, and it was VILE!!!! He just laughed at my bitter face and mentioned that it could be an acquired taste. Real funny, for him at least. Brooklyn Bridge, ignore our soginess, especially mine. We were out in the rain for like 2 hours, but pretty much loved it, you see as desert dwellers it's not often we get to sing in the rain, thus was soaked it in.Rehearsal dinner at Angelo's Pizza. The one right next to the David Letterman show. I've seen many shows where he goes over there of shoots over there, and also the pizza was wonderful.So fun to reunite with my old North Shore 1st ward friends Lauren and Logan, both of whom live in NY now and have been Paul's buddies over the years as well. We have been homies for a while, in fact many of the hilarious and awesome things i say had their beginnings with these 2. They are funny people and i like them. So then Paul and Allison got married!!!!!!!!! If I could put like a size 819 font exclamation point here I would. I know I joke a lot, and rarely say serious things on this blog, which is how i like it, but really being in the temple with my incredible older brother Paul and my new sweet sis in law Allison as they were sealed to one another was touching and wonderful. I love my family so much, they are a strength and a joy in my life. To see Paul so happy and in love has been the best thing ever.

Look at what a babe he snagged. Here are some things i love about Allison:

1) she could sue you (really she's a lawyer)

2) she is tall (5'10 i believe)

3) she loves paul

4) she loves paul enough to see past mine and julia's antics and still join the family

5) she can boogie (she and paul danced like crazy at the reception, it was rad)

6) she's a STOWELL NOW!! WOOT WOOT

There are so many words i want to say about this photo, i'll just list them. Gangsta, bodyguards, looking hott, dc never did me wrong, look how hott steve is, central park i heart you, stoopid flats ate my feet, we look good.After the ceremony we walked from the temple through central park to the boathouse where the reception was. If you have never been to New York, i really strongly recommend you go. My absolute favorite time to be there is the fall. You could go for a week and spend all your time in central park, but you should really go for longer and shop, and eat and sight see to your hearts content.Aside from the bride and groom, my little bro Peter was the total MVP of the wedding. He was on freakin fire. He had me laughing the entire time. I don't know when he got so funny and cool, but i like it. By the way he'll be a freshman at BYU in a few weeks, any body with cute sisters, cousins, friends in provo, you should tell them to find him, cause he's the bomb. Below you'll see he and my dad mock fighting, pretty common occurence in the Stowell household.

Seriously?!?!? I've trained him well

Aww the siblings with the bride and groom.

They were so darling the whole day, and let me reiterate what excellent dance skills the showed off.

Mom and Pam, trouble making sisters. Love these 2 women mucho The girls and pops, do we look like sisters? Cause most people don't believe that we are whenever we're out and about and mention the blood relation

Peter and Rex, a deadly combo (secretly i think they are hilarious)

The happy couple leaving, honeymoon to Italy, wowzahThen they were filming a movie in our hotel lobby the day we were leaving, oh yeah that's Rachel McAdams and ....FIDDY CENT ... can't wait to see that bizarro movieJason had all these foodie places we went to, this place was called something about a papaya, can't really remember. Their main dishes were smoothies and hot dogs, strange but wonderful. I don't know if you can tell but I totally loved NY. From one great city to another. I hung out in the sweet Chi-town for several days after our NY excursion. Juice took this pic, but I love it so much i had to share the most wicked awesome sky line from the most wicked awesome city with you all.Mia monster rocking a cubs jersey

Mother and daughter, can you see the resemblance? Like I mentioned before i shopped, ate, rock band-ed, slept, played with lucy & mia, chillaxed and just had some great fun in Chicago with my fam. One night we went to this crazy cool show called Cavalia. It was kind of like cirque de soleil with horses, so i was totally mesmerized.

These are outside the "big top" where the show was. It made me miss riding, maybe i'll start back up.

I even got to see my ya ya's while home.
And baby Matthew. Laura and Andy sure did make a darling little baby child.Maggie, Laura & Matthew, Rebecca and me. We missed you Ann. So good to catch up and talk and laugh, every time we get together it's like nothing has changed. We are the same silly, weird girls we were in high school. Great summer trips!!