10 years ago...

...on the morning of September 11 I was 13 years old, in my bathroom brushing my teeth and getting ready for school...when my mom called me into her room to see something. 

She had the tv turned on and showed me that a plane had crashed into one of the WTCs. 

I kept asking "why" and "what happened?"

We were both just baffled and couldn't figure it out.

Then as my dad and I were standing there watching the tv another plane came into view, headed for the second tower.

My dad jumped up as soon as he saw it and pointed at the tv yelling "another plane's going to hit!"

That moment was slow motion for me as the second plane hit the second tower.

I was stunned, shocked and baffled.

The 3 of us couldn't believe what we had just seen.

We knew right then it was no accident!

We couldn't believe the things that were happening as the rest of the day unfolded.

It was scary and shocking...especially because we had been in Manhattan just 2 months before with our good friends/neighbors the Habels.

Our hotel was the World Trade Center Marriott, located right in between the World Trade Centers.

We stayed there for about 10 days touring New York and going to the top of the World Trade Center twice, once at night and once during the day. 

I was disappointed to find it was cloudy on the day we went to the top because they had told us you could see the curvature of the earth on a clear day and I was really hoping to see that.

I still have several souvenirs I had purchased from the top of the towers.

Here's a scrapbook page from our trip:

My mom in the plaza at the bottom of the WTCs where we spent a lot of time.

Shaun (turned away), Nicki and my mom on Ellis Island with the twin towers in the background.

I remember I almost fell over taking this picture because I had to lean so far back to get the top of the towers in the picture!

In our hotel room, Nicki, me and my dad looking out the window at the street below.

Our room was on the 13th floor and we joked about bad things happening. One night the fire alarm went off several times but they kept telling people not to evacuate...we called it the curse of the 13th floor. 

Who knew that in 2 months every floor in the hotel, not just the 13th, would be destroyed.

My family in central park. 

Had to throw this one in there because it is so weird to see my dad with a goatee. 

Here are some snippets from what I wrote about our New York trip in my journal, from July 19, 2001 (with some present day commentary added):

Dear Journal, 

the last week I went to New York. It was sooo cool!!!!! (are 5 exclamation points really necessary?) I loved all the tall buildings and the statue of Liberty. It is very expensive there. ....... I think the next day we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There were a lot of naked statues there. There were even some paintings of naked people. Gross!!! (I was quite disturbed that no one else seemed to be as bothered by all the naked people as I was) ....... We went to the top of the World Trade Center at night. Then on the last day we went during the day. We were up very high. It is 110 stories high!!! ....... (and for the grand finale...) I ate at McDonald's a lot there. I had a big mac for breakfast one day because we were too late for the breakfast foods. Then we flew to Denver, Colorado and I had a big mac for lunch. And another day before that I had another big mac! And the day before that I had another big mac!!! (obviously I really loved big macs back then--barf!). I had a lot of fun there! I loved it sooo much! I want to go back. Me and my mom think that it would be neat to just live there for a year and get to know the place well and stuff. I really loved it there. I liked the tall buildings and stuff like that, that Utah doesn't have. Well got to go. (I also met aunt flo for the very first time in New York. What an adventure that was!)

Anyway.

After being in New York at the twin towers just 2 months before 9/11, it was hard to believe that the biggest part of our trip (no pun intended) was no longer part of New York.

When I got home from school that day, I walked in and my mom and I just looked at each other....

We didn't even know where to begin or what to say.
It is hard to find words to adequately describe this tragedy and the years that have followed....
but I don't think anyone will ever forget that day.
God bless America!