Broadways, broadways, broadways!

WHERE: New York City, New York
WHEN: July 1998
WITH: Dad, Mom, Diana (and Darin)
WHY: We went to go pick up Darin from his mission.

MEMORIES:
-We stayed in Times Square
-We saw a lot of Broadway shows: Titanic, The Lion King, The Scarlet Pimpernel (my favorite), Les Miserables (thought it was really boring), The Sound of Music, and High Society (another favorite).
-To get Lion King tickets we got up really early and waiting in line on the street.  Mom even got some cardboard from the dumpster for us to sleep on.  We ended up with some standing tickets and some on the aisle just a few rows back from the stage - an elephant stepped on my foot when it went down the isle!
-We went to Ellis Island and saw the Statue of Libery (but didn't go up)
-Did an NBC tour (and got to watch some practice SNL skits)
-Rockefeller Center
-Central Park.  Dad took a nap on a bench.
-Picked up Darin from his mission; went to church with him, went to a member's house for dinner in the Bronx.
-Went up the Empire State Building
-Walked down Wall Street
-Went to a Yankee's game
-Ate at some special hot dog place (Papaya?) and I remember hating it.  (Casing still on the franks.)
-We watched fireworks on Times Square for the 4th of July - it was the first time I had seen fireworks in shapes (stars, smiley faces, etc.).
-We took a limo back to the airport because it was cheaper than getting two taxis.

Got my portrait drawn.  I wonder if I still have it...

Central Park

Waiting for church to start, I think.

 Off to church to see Darin!

New York Skyline.

Statue of Liberty.

NBC tour.

The Today Show - a young Matt Lauer.

The Today Show - a young Katie Couric.

With Darin's mission president - (now an apostle, Elder Rasband).

Dinner with one of the women that Darin taught.

Waiting on the street for Lion King tickets.

Yankee game.

Limo ride to the airport.

Free detour.

WHERE: Washington D.C.
WHEN: March 1998
WITH: Dad, Mom, and Diana
WHY: We got bumped on our flight coming home from Europe so we got to spend an extra day in D.C.

MEMORIES:
-It was the Cherry Blossom season/festival!  So pretty.
-Europe was pretty cold, but it was SO HOT here.  I remember wearing my flowy pants.

Windmills, cheese, and flowers.

WHERE: Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany
WHEN: March 1998
WITH: Dad, Mom, and Diana
WHY: Spring Break

MEMORIES:
-1st time to Europe.
-Rijksmuseum
-Lots of bikes
-I was so incredibly tired once we got there...we took a canal boat to see the Anne Frank house and I remember falling asleep before my head hit my mom's lap.  I also remember really liking the visit to Anne Frank's house.
-We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Amsterdam...which was essentially this old lady's house.  Dad had to speak German to her.
-I liked going to Edam...a cheese town.  I remember trying some new cheeses but not being brave enough to try the really strong cheeses.
-Waiting late at night at a bus station and seeing drug deals take place.  They had blue lights in the bathroom so that people couldn't find their veins to use needles.
-We stayed with our friend Louise Gregory (she was my older siblings' 5th grade teacher) and her (then) husband Sjaak.  We went to dinner in Germany.  Diana and I were craving the American cereal we saw on top of Louise's fridge, but Sjaak insited we have a traditional Dutch breakfast.  We were pretty disappointed, ha.
-My big souvenir was a small clock-locket on a long chain.  My mom spoke French to a lot of the jewelers to ask if they had them.  I still have it and wear it occasionally.
-Going to a flower auction - so pretty to see all those flowers!
-Seeing windmills and touring one.
-Learning about pewter.
-Using our umbrellas a lot.
-Cities we visited: Amsterdam, Volendam, Edam, Brugge, Brussels, Luxembourg City, Clervaux, Liege, Maastrct, Heerlen, Brusnum, Aachen, Valkenburg, and Aalsmeer.
-Food I remember eating: dutch pancakes, lots of baguettes with peanut butter mom brought, orange fanta, smurf cookies, genuine Belgium waffles (so good), chocolate, and traditional bread/cheese European breakfasts.

Oldest home in Amsterdam.

Lady whose "bed and breakfast" we stayed in.

Edam cheese in Edam. 

Working windmill in Edam (someone's house).

Brugge

Chocolate shop in Brussels.  I bought my older siblings a hollow chocolate egg that was full of different chocolates.  I'm sure it broke on the way home.

"Manneken Pis" 1619, Brussels

Luxembourg City

Castle Cleraux

Waiting for the train...baguette in hand.

Louise and Sjaak's house.

Aachen

Inside a windmill.

Flower Market in Aalsmeer.

Look at all those flowers!

M&M Reunion, #2

WHERE: Bend, Oregon
WHEN: August 1998
WITH: The whole family.
WHY: Williams Reunion (Mom's side of the family)

MEMORIES:
-We stayed at Mt. Bachelor Village
-Each family had to do a skit one evening, and we played a white elephant game, I think.
-All the cousins were playing at the pool.  I was feeling left out for some reason so I angrily left the pool without telling one and went back to our room.  Diana called the room to see if I was there (at least they noticed I was gone!), and I told her that a Brady Bunch marathon was just about to start on Nikelodean's Nik at Nite, to which she announced the news, I hear "woohoo's!" in the background, and 10 minutes later our room was filled with cousins watching the Brady Bunch.  I loved it.

Me, Diana, Amanda, Michelle (ponytail)

Granddad and Mimi

The whole Williams Clan

Pioneer Day is a thing?

WHERE: Salt Lake City, Utah
WHEN: July 1998
WITH: Mom (Diana and Darin)
WHY: We were taking Diana to EFY.  And Darin to maybe visit friends?

MEMORIES:
To be honest pictures had to jog a lot of my memory on this one...and here's what I did:
-Stewart Cascades with Grandpa
-Made a quilt with Aunt Veda
-Pioneer Day parade.  This was probably the first time I had heard of Pioneer Day and didn't really get what the big deal was.  (A part of me still thinks it's weird how big of a deal it is.)
-Thanksgiving Point
-Ensign Peak

Stewart Cascades

Please note: my sunglasses case clipped to my belt buckle (ha!).  

Also, that shirt that I was wearing changed colors in the sun.

One of the very few times I've sewn.

Pioneer Day Parade

Back row: Grandpa, Uncle Reid, Aunt Jan

Front row: Me, my cousin Lori, and I have no clue who those two guys are

Thanksgiving Point

Me, Diana, Grandpa, my cousin Brandon, Mom

Ensign Peak

My cousin Brett, Uncle Dennis, Aunt Veda, Diana, Me, Mom