Remembering 50 Years of Marriage in Brooklyn - NYC 2014

Our Saturday was only half over!!  To our surprise the rain continued.  We are not used to continual rain;  in Houston it might pour for an hour or so, even a little longer, but it will stop.  Constant rain for 12 hours is something I've never experienced, or at least I don't remember experiencing it.  It wasn't pouring, but it was certainly steady.  But we persevered.  

We left the 9/11 Memorial and walked to the subway station.  After several missteps trying to get through the turnstiles we were on our way to Brooklyn for lunch and to see the church where my parents were married almost 50 years ago on April 24, 1965.  

We arrived in Brooklyn after traveling under the water...Tate loved the idea that we were racing through the water in a tunnel.  We wandered around in the cold and wet for about 10 minutes looking for a place to dine and came across a sweet French restaurant.  We hurried inside to get warm and dry.  Our meal was fabulous!!  Just the quintessential Saturday afternoon meal in the big city!  Yum!

We then caught a cab to the church!!!

And then we arrived at Greater Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Brooklyn!!

The place where my mommy and daddy were married 49 1/2 years ago.  

It took my breath away.

They said the church had been updated, but that they would know it anywhere.  Sadly it's an extremely small church with a very small congregation.  As such, it's closed and locked down when not in use.  I had spoken with the 'church lady' and she told me the church would be open Saturday morning and invited us to services on Sunday.  Sadly, neither of those times worked for us, but we just wanted to see it!!  

I loved watching my parents set eyes upon this place they haven't seen since the day they were married.

 God is amazing.

We spent a few minutes just taking in this most special place, then we meandered down the street to the Brooklyn Children's Museum which was half a block away!  My dad and Lindsey made their way back to their hotel in Brooklyn to let Lindsey rest up for the rest of the late afternoon and get ready for the marathon the following morning!!

My mom, Tate and I waited for my cousin and his wife to meet us there with the twins!!  Tate was in heaven playing with Kayla and Korey!  My Aunt Lynette came too!  My mom was thrilled!

Bus driver Tate!

Sweet Sisters!

Cousins!

Korey joined in for the water fun!!

Even better, while we were there Abby and Calliope joined us!!!  I was so excited to meet them for the first time along with another SMC who I 'know' from the boards.  Abby looks exactly like she does in her pictures and is just the sweetest thing with just such an amazing, effervescent smile!  I would have known her anywhere.  We didn't get to chat a lot with my family there and all the kiddos running amok.  Tate was enthralled with playing with his cousins, and he's not quite a baby person, so not all that interested in playing with someone younger than him when he can play with his boy cousin whom he considers his best friend.  :)  But it was great nonetheless.

This was the best picture I could get
with three kids wanting to play!!!

We were only able to stay about an hour since we had an hour subway ride back to Manhattan.  We bid adieu to Abby, Calliope, T and her son and made our way outside.  My cousin and his family made their way back to the Bronx while we walked about 10 minutes to the subway station.  In the rain. :)

We were then on our way!!

 

We arrived back in Manhattan about 50 minutes and trudged up the hilly streets back to Silke and Annabelle's!  In the rain :)  It was almost 6!  I got Tate some dinner, gave him a bath, read some stories and he played with Annabelle for a bit.  Then he was sound asleep by 8:30!!

Then it was time for the adults to relax and wind down!  (plus we had to pack up and organize for the Sunday morning marathon viewing!!!!)  

What a beautiful day of familial love!!!