A VERY Merry Christmas!

Jed and I had our FIRST married Christmas together in New York City. We had a great day...had a nice breakfast and dinner, watched LOTS of movies, and best of all OPENED PRESENTS! I REALLY dropped the ball this Christmas. It's not easy to try to outdo my husb, and the gift exchange proved that again! Jed got me a VERY nice gift of an iPhone and a "congratulations for getting a new job" gift of a purse (maybe had to do with me leaving the interview and my $5.00 purse broke in his office???) I got Jed some jeans (ZZZzzzzz) and some fun stocking stuffers. His favorite? Holiday Origami kit.
We hope you all had as much fun, love, and happiness on Christmas as we did!

Ho Ho Ho

There are a lot of random pictures we want to post. Here you will see some pictures of the apartment (Yes, we bought a 4 foot tree), Santaland (in the Macy's...yes, THE Macy's that was in Miracle on 34th Street), Jed and I in front of Saks 5th Ave., and to wrap up the holiday pictures, a Mini Michael Jackson. Nothing says holiday cheer like a mini-Michael singing BAD on the Subway

Table Top

A HUGE thank you to Jed's family for our NEW kitchen table!!! You can only find this table at the Bed Bath and Beyond (known as BBB from now on) in Manhattan...which makes sense as it folds up to be a tiny little thing. The 4 folding chairs fold up and fit in the door. The leaves fold out to be a HUMONGOUS table...where will we put it? Yeah, we're not sure, but we are sure we love it!

Christmas Cheer

It's been a while since we have updated you all on our lives. Jed has been working hard at PWC...so hard that they wanted him to go to Baltimore a few weeks ago. Because I am "in between jobs" he thought it would be a good idea for me to go and visit my family and friends in Utah a week earlier than planned. The little elf in me decided to create a Christmas surprise. My father's birthday in on December 3...also the day I was flying in. So, long story short, I surprised my family! It was a lot of fun.
Jed came to Utah a week later and we hung out with friends and family, played with my nieces and nephew, played nanny, maid, housekeeper, cook, etc. and had a great time doing it. Jed even got a day of snowboarding in.
We are happy to be back in NYC and SO excited for our first Christmas in the Big Apple! I came home to find a present under the tree from Jed. I am tempted to open it and re-wrap, but he is almost as excited as I am, so I will leave it be.
Stay tuned for some Santa pictures...
Merry Christmas!!!

Staten Island

Jed's family was in town over Thanksgiving. They really wanted to go to Ellis Island, but we talked them into a ferry ride that goes past Lady Liberty and other main attractions.

Hats off to Bryant Park!

Jed and I took his family to one of our favorite NYC spots: Bryant Park. BP has an ice skating rink for the holidays, and LOTS of Christmas shops...one of which sold HATS. Jed and I both bought a hat to keep not only our heads, but our ears warm as well!

Macy's Day Parade

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving a little bit different. We started off our morning at 5:15am, met friends at Central Park West and 66th Street, and were ready for...the Macy's Day Parade!!! It was SO much fun. I love parades, I love holidays, and I loved sharing it with Jed!

Heather's favorite floats/participants:
Thanksgiving turkey, a girl dressed up as a cinnamon roll, and of course, Santa Clause






Jed's favorite floats/participants:
McDonald's shoe car, the marching bands, and of course, Dolly Parton

Gobble Gobble!

Bring out the fine paper plates and the best plastic cutlery, it's Thanksgiving time in NYC! Ok, so we were a tad bit early this year, but it's gonna be a mad house in a matter of hours with family coming in from all over the country, so we figured we'd do Thanksgiving dinner early while it's just me, Heathe and Hebe in our little apartment.

Heathe did an amazing job...with a little bit of help from her hubby. :) We got a pre-seasoned, pre-stuffed boneless turkey breast from our favorite local butcher that could have fed about 10 more people. We made yummy mashed taters in our fancy Kitchenaid (thanks Sheri!) and topped it all off with copious amounts of gravy. YUUUUUUMMMMMMYYYYYY!

So, in the spirit of the holiday...a Thanksgiving list from yours truly:

Top 10 Things I'm Grateful For on This Day of Giving Thanks:

10. An apartment in New York City that's bigger than a closet
9. A closet in an apartment in New York City that's bigger than a rat hole
8. A view of both the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building
7. Cuban sandwiches and corn on the cob from Cafe Habana whenever I want
6. Banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery whenever I want
5. Two legs that run to burn off all the calories from #6 and #7
4. Ikea for providing all the storage and shelf space with a sleek Scandinavian flare at such an affordable price
3. A brand new family to call my own (even if it is only a 2-pack for now)
2. A brand new wife who's the best any guy could ever ask for
1. A brand new best friend who happens to be the best wife a guy could ask for and the other half of a brand new 2-pack family

Updating

Sorry we are behind! Here are some updates in our lives:
#1. I was a victim of downsizing. I am no longer working at Detica...this is a good thing! I am so excited to find a job where I feel that I am contributing...and, they are paying me until the end of the year, so I am not feeling so rushed to find a job (don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing!)
#2. Jed's brother has been visiting for a couple of weeks, so we have been entertaining him.
#3. We prepared our Thanksgiving dinner last night...we had a great turkey, potatoes/gravy, green bean casserole, stuffing, etc. It was fun to conquer such a feet in such a small area in less than 2 hours.
#4. I made my first attempt at cinnamon rolls...they turned out really tasty but looked less desirable!

Jedders

Reasons why I appreciate Jed
1. He's a VERY hard worker...sometimes I get selfish and want him all to myself, then I remember that PWC likes him just as much as I do...AND, they pay him!
2. He carries the laundry to and from the laundromat...clothes get freaking heavy!!!
3. He's so funny. He makes me laugh all the time.
4. He always has nice and encouraging things to say to me.
5. He rationalizes why we NEED new clothes, with me.
6. He is an amazing navigator...he always walks me through uptown and downtown and helps me figure out how to get places.
7. Because he brought me to this crazy amazing city!

Welcome to Avenue Q!

Our first Broadway show together in the big town! Way funny, way good singers, way loved it.

Run Run Run!!!

Front row seats to the annual ING New York City Marathon...all for the low, low price of, well, living in New York City. Our friends happen to live right next to the spot where the runners cross over into Queens (they run through all 5 boroughs), so we went over there and checked it out. Turns out you see some pretty crazy, and famous, runners...bugs bunny, a carrot, Lance Armstrong (ok, so we didn't see him, but he ran in it...finished in 2.5 hours!!!), uncle sam, and much much more.





PS We're running in the marathon next year

My Favorite Halloween treat of all...

is Jed!

SPOOKTACULAR Halloween

Spooky!!!!


Ok, I may have fibbed a bit in the title...this Halloween we were a bit, ummm, unprepared. Jed had to work later than expected, the costume selection was a little risque, and we just didn't have the spooky spirit that we wanted. We did attend a Halloween party at the Williams family, and we went to the ward party. It was a decent Halloween, so here's to hoping next year is even more spooktacular!


Me and Kelly...loving the treats!



Ghouls from my ward

Around NYC

Here are a few random shots I have taken of things in the city. Things that may be out of the normal in most places, but in NYC, nothing is out of the ordinary...because there is no ordinary!

A clown on a bike...ok, so this isn't so out of the ordinary. This was at the Columbus Day parade















This is Olive crawling in and out of a newspaper stand.










Just a big pink hippo truck

Apartment Updates

Jed and I realized that winter is coming and we still didn't have bedding!!! We decided to buy a few more things that will help pull our apartment together and get us ready for winter in New York. Jed and I wanted a rug under the coffee table and couldn't find one we both liked. We went to www.flor.com to custom make our own rug.

Enjoy!

List

Now, I have had a few requests for updates on the blogs, so here you go. Now, there are no pictures for this, but I PROMISE to put some pics on this weekend.

Now a list.

Things I have grown to love in NY

#1. Pizza. I think we all saw the Connecticut pizza video. It's tastes so good, it's quick, it's YUMMY, it's cheap, it's EVERYWHERE, it's the American Dream...covered in cheese.

#2. The tourists (when I'm not in a hurry.) They get so excited to see the sights we see EVERY single day. I hear little bits of conversations saying "This is the big make up store (Sephora) that has all the rouge you can ask for" (Usually with a thick foreign accent)

#3. You see celebs, like Cuba Gooding Jr., strolling across the street like he's one of us...

#4. CUPCAKES!!! I can't tell you how good the cupcakes are...oreo cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, reese PB cup cupcakes, twinkie cupcakes, the list goes on and on and on. And I will be damned if I don't stop until I have tried every last one of them. (sorry for the curse mom, it just fit in the sentence so well!)

#5. The weather (my how the tables have turned from Summer) it's gorgeous right now. It's about 65-75 and it's warm enough during the day and crisp at night. Love it!

#6. You really can get ANYTHING you want (with the exception of a money clip for Jed) at any time, in any situation. It's marvelous.

Now...the list of dislikes

#1. Spit. Oh the spitting that happens in this city. It's as if people don't respect that I actually have to walk on the sidwalk or the stairs or anywhere else they feel like spitting. I am shocked if I don't HEAR let alone SEE at least 5 people spit as I am walking by. It's disgusting.

#2. The cigarette smoke. Oh mercy. I think Jed and I are the only people on this island that doesn't smoke...no wonder so many people spit...they need to get the nicotine out of their system. I just wish it wasn't at the expense of me stepping in it. I had one lady ask me for a lighter. When I said I didn't have one she looked at me like I had three eyeballs. I said "I know, I'm the only person in this city that doesn't smoke, get over it" (ok, maybe I didn't say that, but I thought it.)

#3. The grocery markets. Picture a dark, unorganized (ahhhhh), dim alley with food along the walls and that is your typical Woodside market. (I may be exaggerating a bit) but, I do love it when my friend Natasha needs a "Target run."

#4. Stairs. Down 4 flights to get out of our apartment, up 5 flights to get to the subway platform, up 3 flights to get out of the subway. It's no wonder that Jed looks like Thor with his firm thighs.

Well, will you look at that? The likes are outweighing the dislikes...This city is really so much fun and I do LOVE being here with Jedders. We have learned a lot about this city, about our relationship, about our friends, about our religion, and it's all been for the best. We are so happy and can't wait to have you all come out to see it for yourselves.

Goooooooo Bulldogs!

The Eastman's Go To College: Vol. 1.
Welcome to Yale everyone.

Piggin' Out on Pizza

Here's us at Peppe's Pizza. A little pizza dive in New Haven, CT that's supposedly one of the first pizzeria's started in America. It's been around awhile and had some pretty cool patrons...Frank Sinatra (reportedly the only person they've ever opened up shop for on a Sunday), Bill Clinton (he got turned down for a Sunday opening) and, well, of course, Jed & Heather Eastman.
Hard to believe but that whole pizza you see coming out ended up in our two bellies!

Subway Singer

A day in the life of New York newlyweds. Just riding the subway to meet up with some friends for dinner and right next to you is a music video shoot...the next big musical artist for sure, watch out VMA's, here she comes! PS. the subway smells like bacon.

Where We Work

Hey everyone! Here's a little vid of where we work...just to give you a taste of what it's like to work for the Man in Manhattan. Busy streets, busy people, busy busy, but we do get a nice view of the Chrysler Building.

The revealing of the FURNITURE!!!

Happy to show you our new furniture. We LOVE that we are making our apartment a place where we are comfortable and that we enjoy spending even more time in. Hope you enjoy the tape.

PS. for all of those that are curious about the bus...another bus came and rescued us! Thank heavens...that would be a long walk to Queens. Also...side note: please forgive the ironing board. Shouldn't have been out!

Ikea because home is the most important place on earth

So, after a neverending battle about where we should buy furniture, what style we want, how much we want to spend, etc. Jed and I took a little trip to a place we call Ikea. We took a bus from New York to Elizabeth, New Jersey. It's about a half hour from NYC. It was a very successful trip. I forget how much I love Ikea until I am actually there. So, we would like to share a little of our trip with you all. Enjoy.

Camping Trip fell flat!

So, Jed and I have been excited to go camping with our ward. We bought a tent, a sleeping bag, some junk food and we were ready to go! The Glasses (Glass family) in our ward offered to give us a ride. After loading up the car, we realized that the tire was a little low...after changing the spare tire and taking it to Papi's Tire shop, we realized that our camping dreams went up in flames. The tire was slashed pretty good (those curbs jump out at you) so we were unable to go. I took a video of the Glass family and how they cope in stressful times.

Jed and Heather

Just because I think Jed looks adorable in this picture. We are having dinner at Tao. Fun fact about Tao restaurant: It's the restaurant on Hitch where Will Smith and Eva Mendes go "speed dating".

Street Fair was more than Fair...

Check out the vid and pic that we took at the street fair in Manhattan. This street fair was held on 6th avenue...one block from Jed and my work.
The 4 feet of hair was ridiculous. She had bobby pins sticking up everywhere. Just one of the MANY crazy things we see in the city. As a matter of fact, I am going to make you a list of funny/crazy things we have seen in the city.

1. A sandwhich board sign for a dentist that read "Free Toot Brush" Hilarious!
2. Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny wandering down the street like nothing was wrong
3. A VERY innocent looking Chinese gentleman that slid right off the subway seat because he was drunk. (at 5:30pm)
4. A man in a full body Elmo suit
5. The naked cowboy AND cowgirl. Please keep children and young boys away from her!!!
6. A guy smoking in my face...oh wait, that's everywhere...everyday.

Hope you enjoy!

Back by popular demand!!!

Hello all! Sorry it's taken a while for us to get a post up. We've been having lots of fun in the Big Apple. We are both working a lot, making friends in the ward, and living in this crazy city! The subway is our best friend, comfortable shoes are envied by me, and the weather is cooling down. Fall in the east is suppose to be gorgeous. I can't wait! Jed and I are loving married life and growing to love each other more and more everyday. Life's great for us. We hope to hear from you all! We miss you all and hope you come and visit soon!

From Grantsville to NYC

This past week we had a special visitor...HILLARY! Jed and I had Hill come and visit us while I had a few days off before I start work and we needed our twin fix. So, she came out for a couple of days. What did we do you ask? Ate a lot, shopped a lot, walked a lot: What NYC is all about!
We did take a little time out to see Central Park, Washington Square, SoHo, and James Blake. Yes, the U.S. Open is in full swing and we got to see him at a sports shop in midtown. Fun!
For all of you that are coming to visit, Hill said the couch was very comfortable and she only woke up 3 times when the planes flew over the apartment.
Thanks for coming HIll, we had a blast!

Coney Island

I went to Coney Island with some girls in the ward. It really reminded me of old school New York! It was really nice to be at the beach where the air was clean. It was fun to meet new girls in the ward, it was fun to eat a $3.00 microwaved corn dog. Coney Island has been on my "things to do" list...so, CHECK! Done!

Meet the Mets!

Hey everyone. Here's a couple pics of me and Heather at the Mets game the other night. Heather's new job took all their employees to the game (tough gig, huh?) and invited us to go. If they keep this up we're definitely gonna be okay with her new job. Anyway, if you can't tell, that's David Wright at the plate trying to help the Mets come back from being down 7-2 in the bottom of the 9th. They almost did it, scored 3 runs, we thought they were gonna pull it off, but it was still a really exciting game. We're pretty sure we're gonna be Mets fans...kind of have to be since we're only 2 stops away from Shea Stadium on the 7 express, and one of us is tired of rooting for the evil empire.