Tis the Season

Christmas in New York comes early. About a week before Thanksgiving, my mom came out to see us. We were thrilled to welcome her into our little home as the first official family member to make the trek out. She actually came for a conference of English Teachers so she was very busy and we caught moments together where we could. It was so fun. She discovered a store called Dr. Jayz where she bought about a million pairs of cute striped socks. She was surprised that she seemed to be the only white person who had discovered this great place.
As we were wandering through the streets together with my mama, GK and I noticed that the streets were just a little more crowded than usual.
Maybe it's because the Macy's windows have their Miracle on 34th Street displays up as well as their new age Santa windows. Or maybe it's because the Salvation Army Bell Ringers are out. Or maybe it's because it was starting to get really cold. Either way, the crowds have been steadily increasing since then and the Christmas Season is in full swing before December 1.
GK and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. We spent the day with my mom's sister Betsy, and her partner Larry and extensions of both Betsy and Larry. Altogether there were 12 of us I think and boy did B and L put on a show. Larry had been cooking for four days by the time we arrived on Thursday morning. He looked a little worn out, but his food was UNBELIEVABLE! The sweet potatoes, the regular potatoes, smoked turkey and regular turkey, stuffing, etc. etc. It made me begin my plot to be invited back every year.
Before the big dinner, a big group of us tried to go watch the Macy's day Parade. Larry had invitations to a building where we could have had an amazing view. But by the time we got there, there were so many people on the streets that we couldn't get through to the entrance of the building. I have never seen so many people for a parade. They were stacked twenty to thirty deep on the sidewalks and then on the cross streets, they filled the block. All any of us really could see were the giant balloons floating by and everyone would cheer and get so excited, you forgot how little of the parade you were actually seeing.
So now we're heading toward Christmas and feeling a little homesick. We're wishing we could be nearer to more of our loved ones, but we're trying to soak in every bit of Holiday Magic we can find.

A Question of Names

Should there be a GK Risser IV?

To those of you whose pulses have begun to speed up, let me break it to you gently. I'm not pregnant. But when I do become pregnant at some future date, and that little being is a boy, should we name him Gordon?

I never met Gordon number one, but my husband has told me stories of being asked by many people if the famous Gordon One was his grandfather. They would then go on to say what an angel GK's grandfather was.

I have met Gordon number two. He's an angel too. He works so hard and is so committed to helping and teaching his family.

I know Gordon number three pretty dang well and don't you know it... an angel! I mean the name seems to do pretty well for itself. And so I pose the question. Should there be a Gordon number four?

Early in our marriage (being in the beginning of our second year maybe I should say earlier?), I asked GK how he felt about it. He said he didn't care and really that he had never planned on there being a fourth. I joked and suggested following George Foreman and instead of naming just the first boy Gordon Keith Risser, we could name all our kids GK. Girl or boy we could start with Genevieve Kathryn and she could be GK jr. then Gregory Keller could be GK III etc. etc. That way our home could be just packed with little GK's.

Well obviously, the multiple GK's is never going to happen, so I'm back to my original question. Should there be a Gordon Keith Risser IV? GK doesn't care either way, so the critical decision is in my hands and I feel like the choice should be a conscious one. If I'm going to break the line, I want to make sure I've thought it through. And since people generally have a lot of opinions about what babies get named, I thought I'd ask for some imput on the matter.

The Blessings of Early Morning Seminary

This is our early morning seminary class so far. There are others on our roles, but for the first two weeks, Edwin (sitting next to me looking a little uncomfortable to be so next to the teacher) and JJ (who made us hold the photo so that he could grab his manual and scriptures) have been there bright and early to talk about the stories of the Old Testament. They are such great kids. We actually have class at Edwin's house. His mom is the stake Young Women's President and is also on a mission to another branch in our stake where her husband is in the branch presidency. They are an amazing family. JJ moved here from China two years ago to live with his mom who has been a member since she arrived in the United States eight years ago. He was taught by the missionaries, was baptized and now is preparing to go on a mission.



I'm not proud to admit that I was a seminary drop out. In four years of high school, I completed two non-consecutive semesters of seminary. I never really thought much about it after that. But as GK and I teach these kids, I realize what a loss that was and how blessed I am to be getting another chance.


So this is how our days begin. We wake up sometime close to 5am (depending on how much primping is necessary, we push it as late as 5:25), we get dressed and ready, leave the house at 5:45 to go catch the R train out to a place called Bay Ridge. On the train we review the lesson plan we put together the night before and just read a little). The train times are always different, so sometimes we get there 20 minutes early and we get a bagel (directly from the oven) and cream cheese, and sometimes we rush straight from the station to arrive at the Herrera home at 6:41 (class starts at 6:40).


Then we teach our lesson until 7:30 and take the train back home. Almost always, the lesson or the questions Edwin and JJ ask initiates a conversation that doesn't end until GK has to go off to his internship or until we get home and have to take a quick nap before the rest of the day.







This is GK after a morning of Seminary. He was just communing with Ernest Hemingway and learning about his fishing adventures until...










Reggie (who sleeps through seminary) decided that enough was enough and it was time to be up and at them.









To celebrate two good weeks of waking up early and studying the Good Word. GK asked me on a date. He didn't tell me where we wer going, but he picked out my warm weather apparel and told me where to get off the train. We got off at Bryant Park and stopped at a little place to get some hot soup. As we walked out of the subway I said, "GK, you have socks in your back pocket. Did you know that?" He said, "Oh yeah, I found some other ones, will you put those in your purse?" I did. Then when we came out of the restaurant I said, "Hey look at those people over there. Are they ice skating?" He laughed at me. It must be fun to have someone around who's so dang easy to surprise. This is us eating our "Hale and Hearty" soup right by the skating rink. Then we strapped on our skates and made a night of it. It's a good life.

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New Hampshire: the Land of Enchantment

On Friday about a week and a half ago, we packed up our little car and headed for the hills of New Hampshire to celebrate GK's birthday and yet again escape the crazy city. We were excited to see some of the changing leaves and visit a few sites from GK's missionary days...
We drove up through connecticut and massachussets and into New Hampshire and it rained off and on the whole way up. But since the forecast had only given a 30% chance of "light rain" we weren't too worried. We were sure it would clear up. They were exactly right. It rained 30% of our time there

We arrived at around 6pm and set up our tent in light rain while Reggie waited in the car. We ran to a little store in the town to get firewood and a couple of last minute provisions so we could settle in for the night. But as we drove back to our campsite it started to rain harder and harder and the fog grew more and more dense. This is a picture of our tent the next morning when things had cleared up a bit.
But since we were too hungry to wait for morning to eat, we cooked a little "New England Clam Chowder" on our propane burner under the rainfly of our absolutely amazing tent. This is GK prepping for cooking.

I tried to get the chowder on our little homemade table in our tent, but all you get out of it is our faces looking a little funny. Through the night, it rained so hard and the wind blew so fiercely that we both bolted upright in the middle of the night a few times sure that we were going to get soaked. But our amazing little tent (a present from Eddie and Carline, GK's brother and sister-in-law) stayed strong and dry. I have never experienced anything like it. In fact, we had set up our tent under a bunch of beautiful trees that were covered in beautiful, multi-colored leaves. But in the morning, the ones in our campsite were almost completely bare, and the whole mountainside accross from us was totally naked.
In the morning Chef GK made pancakes and eggs, but since we didn't want to use one of our eggs in the pancake batter and we hadn't been able to bring ourselves to pay $11 for a tiny little tin of maple syrup, they ended up resembling eggs but tasting like nothing I've ever had before. But they were yummy when we poured milk over them and made our own kind of porridge. While breakfast cooked, Reggie and my hot chocolate kept me toasty warm. It was so cold that even with two sweaters (made from socks) Reggie couldn't stop shivering, so I cut up yet another sock and tried to make him a hat. He kept shaking his head and it would come right off. Don't show this picture to the folks at Maxfund where we got him, or they might come take him from us.
After our amazing breakfast, we went on a beautiful hike to a little hut just below the summit of Mt. Lafayette (said with a french accent since we were so close to Canada). Reggie started in my vest, but not long into the hike he jumped down and led the way. He was amazing.
We named this Reggie's Rock. We tried to get it on video so you could see how steep it was. He went up it like five times. He loved it.
At the hut we were really glad that we had brought so many layers (and so many snacks). The winds were biting cold and the temperature dropped significantly.
We headed back down the mountain, and by the time we got back to our campsite, the roads had dried enough for us to go for a bike ride. There is a beautiful bike path that goes on forever. We road through and saw some a amazing views. Here you can see a little more clearly how many of the leaves were already gone from the trees.
After this picture (we call it the Risser Leg Shot), our pitiful little digital camera froze, so the rest of our documentation is on GK's video camera. So that's it for photos, but after our ride we had another wonderful campfire meal and went to bed.

In the morning we drove to Vermont and I got to see the first house that GK lived in on his mission and his first church (which has quadrupled in size). And then we got in the car and started to drive. After a while I saw a sign that said "Turn off for Joseph Smith Birthplace Monument". I jumped an pointed and said, "GK! Did you know that was here?" He laughed at me and said there had been four signs before that one and every time he had looked at me to see if I had noticed, but I was caught up in watching the scenery and daydreaming.

The monument was beautiful. It was simple. But it really struck me that Joseph Smith was a real man and was a boy on this land. I don't know why that was so new, but it was a beautiful, simple testimony to me.

Thanks for reading, I will be better at posting more regularly so my posts don't have to be so long. We are finally having the internet installed at our house TOMORROW!

Pictures Coming Soon...

Last weekend we went to Reston Virginia. Some of you may know it as the first known planned community. We spent a beautiful couple of days with our friends Jenny and Damon Larsen and their kids. As well as Johnny and Angela Thompson (who technically live in Maryland).


We didn't have a whole lot of time since we had to be back in the city for Sunday (to get callings... Early Morning Seminary... more on that to be sure). We left Friday morning early and got to VA at around one in the afternoon. It was such a great trip. Reggie is a natural with kids. After playing baseball with Zane and getting fed lots of pizza and french toast by Liv all weekend I think he's been pretty bored just hanging out with me the last couple of days. When he sees little kids on the subway he perks right up and wants to play.


After pretty much just chilling on Friday, we woke up Saturday morning and decided to go to Mt. Vernon, the home of our beloved first President. I have to say that he was a pretty interesting guy. He didn't seem to seek leadership really, he just had a knack and people wanted to follow him and then kept trying to make him king and stuff. Pretty cool.


This is a pretty lame post I know, but I'll add pictures soon and then it'll be a little cooler. But I had to write something about last weekend because THIS weekend GK and I are going to New Hampshire to see the leaves and to camp and to celebrate his 31st birthday! So my next post will include some of those pictures and hopefully some really fun stories about camping and my wonderful husband and our really cool dog.

The Best Nap Ever

So yesterday I came home bleary-eyed, hungry, and exhausted by the New York lifestyle. My wife and I bought a pizza and went home to our cozy little subterranean apartment, ate the pizza, passed out face-to-face on the bed, and I slipped into best nap ever. There was a physical feeling to it that I never wanted to come out of. It was great. Life is good once again. Thank you for reading.