Happy Tuesday, friends! I just arrived back from the best trip down South — to Savannah, Georgia, to be exact — with three of my closet friends that I’ve known since our 2nd grade Balmville Elementary School Days in Newburgh, New York. 2023 marks 40 years on earth for all of us, meaning 30-plus years of friendship.
If that’s not something to celebrate, I don’t know what is.
We stayed at this Airbnb, which was the perfect location for us. We were walking distance to so many restaurants, bars and shops, not to mention the water and the Savannah and ghost tours, both of which we took full advantage.
Since I knew I’d be mostly catching up with my friends, I didn’t spend too much time researching what I might want to do while in town. Seeing my friends, checking out some gorgeous trees and eating delicious food was about all I had on my list. Luckily, my friend Laura did do her research, and she guided us through the most magical and perfect couple of days in (holy crap it was hot!) Savannah. Some of our highlights included:
Our tour of the city was hop-on/hop-off, and we hopped off at Forsyth Park to take in some of the gorgeous Spanish Moss (neither Spanish nor moss, mind you) trees.
Dinner at The Olde Pink House. This place was SO. STINKIN. COOL! It’s actually an old house that turned naturally pink when the sun baked through the white paint to expose the brick underneath. You can check out the entire house — which is gorgeous — after you eat and, of course, they say it’s haunted.
On Sunday we drove out to Tybee Island, which was about 20 minutes and totally worth the drive. It was the cutest little beach town.
Arco Lounge had the yummiest (and prettiest!) craft cocktails.
The breakfast at Little Duck Diner was so good (even if the service was so incredibly slow).
Besides all the eating, drinking and site seeing — which was an integral part of the trip, don’t get me wrong — it was so amazing to catch up with these lovelies. We live in Colorado, upstate New York, Florida and Arizona, respectively, so as you can imagine we don’t get together that frequently. Upon leaving this trip we made a pact to do this every five years.
I surely hope we can keep that promise.
Here’s a bit of what we saw, friends!
Even the Savannah airport was adorable! Look at these cute rocking chairs outside!Love Lock Bridge was something else <3Savannah, you sure are cute.So many treats! Such amazing pralines! This place is a gold mine for candy/sweets lovers.Look at this Treylor Park breakfast insanity! I ate more grits on this trip than I did probably the entire time I was in college in Virginia. And I’m not in the least bit sad about it.Touring around Forsyth Park. Look at these trees!!! (Don’t touch ’em, though! Tiny little bugs called chiggers live in them. They used to be used to make pillows, though, which is where the phrase “Don’t let the bed bugs bite” comes from!)Look at this gorgeous room at the Olde Pink House!And this creepy cellar that was actually incredibly cool. Tybee Island was such a tucked away gem of a spot!I hadn’t been in the ocean since we were in Australia, so this day was long overdue. And to be there with these besties was even better. A little Chamacos humor 😉Dinner at Huey’s.Drinks at Arco.And a super cute ghost tour to round out our last night.
I sure do love these muffins. Best friends are hard to come by. People who stick by you through thick and thin are hard to come by. Finding people who have been with you from the beginning is a nearly impossible feat. My luck to have been found these friends is off the charts.
Bis bald, my friends. I hope you’re soaking in the last days of summer, too!
Happy August, friends! Man, oh man, did that summer fly by! I mean, I know it’s technically still summer, and for most of the country, kids are still out of school. Here in Colorado, though, we’re gearing up for the return of the school season (TOMORROW!), and all the insanity that comes with it.
Traditionally speaking, summer has never been my favorite season. I obviously loved having the time off from school when I was a kid, but as an adult, the heat and humidity, long, lazy days … it’s just not really my thing. So, after returning from New York at the start of the girls’ summer vacation, I vowed to make this year different. I vowed to say yes. Yes to more concerts and more shows. Yes to more swimming and more adventures. Yes to being out in the (hot!) world more. The older girls would be in summer camp for the majority of the break, but I also wanted Emilia to have a stellar time. I enrolled her in swim lessons and a couple half days of camp. I made an Emilia Summer Bucket List and slowly ticked things off as the weeks went by. We took more walks, went to story times at the library and got her a scooter.
All of this is to say … this summer, I changed my own personal narrative. Don’t get me wrong. I was still very tired and had moments of absolute stress. We had illnesses and bumps and bruises and fought boredom (and each other), for sure. But overall, this was a summer for the books, and we didn’t even travel until the last few weeks of it. We made fun in our own backyard, as it were, and I’m here for the results, experiences and memories.
I hope you’re all making the most of any breaks that have come your way, as well!
Library Story Time!
The first-ever toddler story time visit for Emilia was a huge hit! We made it back a few more times throughout the summer and she walked in like she owned the place. I can’t with this little one. I simply. Can. Not.
The Denver Zoo
I took Emilia to the zoo by herself for the first time, and the way that she loved setting our agenda was a delight. Highlights included picking up dirt, eating snacks and watching construction vehicles 😉
We went back to the zoo for Lotte’s birthday because Chris’ parents got us the Feed the Giraffes Experience, and it was EPIC! So much fun!
Look at those magnificent animals!Look at those tongues!
Taste of Fort Collins
We made a trip out to Fort Collins in early June to celebrate my bestie’s Big Birthday! We went to the Taste of Fort Collins all together, and I returned later that night with Moe to watch The All-American Rejects perform.We also made our own pizzas in Moe’s sister’s outdoor pizza oven, and now we can never go back to boxed!
Red Rocks, Red Rocks & More Red Rocks!
I hadn’t been to Red Rocks as much in my eight years of living in Colorado combined as I have this season … including one more to come in September that I’m SO EXCITED FOR!
Chris and I saw the Barenaked Ladies perform at Red Rocks (with openers Del Amitri and Semisonic) and it was SO WONDERFUL! They were awesome performers, and it was really fun to relive my high school days with Chris <3I went to Yoga on the Rocks (which is exactly as it sounds … performing a yoga class on the stairs at Red Rocks!) with some friends in July. I had been once before with Chris’ sister a few years ago and O.M.G. it is a delight. Red Rocks is always wonderful, but to be doing something so calming and meditative while you’re out in this gorgeous venue in nature … it’s really something else.My baby is growing up. I took Lotte to her first Red Rocks concert this summer. We tailgated with PB & J in the parking lot and hung out until 9:30 listening to Tori Amos under the stars. It was a magical night.Red Rocks at night with my big girl <3
Swim Lessons For Em
Emilia started swim lessons and she has been loving it. As she’s gotten further into them it’s gotten harder for mom (lots more going under the water … yikes!), but I have so loved having this experience with her while I’m still an active part of her lesson. We didn’t start the big girls in lessons until they were old enough to go in themselves. This feels so special.
Junkyard Social Club
We visited the Junkyard Social Club in Boulder, a very cool cafe/play area that takes junk from around Boulder and turns it into fun play structures for kids!
Playdates, Playdates & More Playdates
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … we got SO LUCKY with our neighborhood.
Father’s Day Delights
For Father’s Day we took the girls to their first movie — Elemental — at The Alamo Drafthouse. The movie was super cute, but more than that the experience — sitting in an amazing theater ordering food and drink DELIVERED TO YOU — was so much fun! That was definitely NOT how I went to the movies with my parents as a kid … but then again, nothing is the same from when I was a kid…We had Father’s Day dinner at Freedom Street Social, a cool food hall that opened in Arvada with lots of different restaurant options in one spot. Look at these cuties that I get to call my own … <3
Camp, Camp & More Camps!
The girls have mostly gone to camps at the YMCA, but they took a break from the Y for a week to attend two different camps — drama and art — with friends at the Arvada Center and they loved it!Here’s Grace in front of some of her artwork on display at the end of the week. My little love.
Ralston Central Park & Splash Pad
I finally took Emilia to the Ralston Central Park & Splash Pad! It was PACKED with camp kids (as were most of the places we visited this summer), but she had so much fun.I’ve so loved our adventures this summer, little one. Please stop growing up.
Touristing With Visitors
Chris had a cousin come visit near the beginning of July, and so the girls got to do some adventuring with Matt, as well.We sure do love our visitors!When Grandpa came to visit we checked out Immersive Disney, which was so cool!The girls had the best time running around and listening to some of their favorite Disney songs. (So did the adults, to be honest!)The girls even got to check out a Rockies game — on Stars Wars night, so less — with Grandpa!
Birthday Parties!
We’ve had a couple of summer birthday parties to attend, including this one which took place at Clear Creek Valley Park, a new-to-us spot that is definitely a place we’ll be revisiting. It was so cool!
Camp for Emilia, Too 😉
Emilia’s first camp! She went for four morning sessions at My Gym and had a great time! It was the first time I ever dropped her off somewhere and left and it was … hard. But I made it through 😉
The Book of Mormon
Chris and I saw The Book of Mormon at the Denver Center for Performing Arts and it was SO GOOD!Parents gone wild.
Children’s Museum of Denver
Emilia and I visited the Children’s Museum of Denver on a rainy day in the summer. Translation: IT WAS PACKED! Adventures were still had.More like amazin’ Emilia <3
Milestones & Makin’ Memories <3
This has nothing to do with saying yes to adventure, but it’s worth noting that Grace and Lotte lost a collective FOUR TEETH (two each) this summer! They kept the tooth fairy busy.Chris’ version of a “yes” summer was trying out lots of new recipes. His family was happy to oblige him in his efforts. This was the lobster roll and homemade coconut oil chips he made for July 4th. Yes and yes, please!Grace read ‘Dragons Love Tacos’ before bed one night and asked for tacos the next day. Dad made it happen 😉Don’t worry. We made sure to have plenty of down time for snuggle sessions, as well.I took the girls out for dinner and ice cream to celebrate the last full day of camp. We love The Golden Mill for its multiple restaurants and live music and festive atmosphere. It was the perfect way to celebrate a camp-filled fun summer!
Urban Air
Dad took the big girls on a trip to Urban Air, which is always a big hit.
Our Neighborhood Block Party
Our neighborhood had one of its twice-annual block parties the night before July 4th. It’s always so much fun to see everyone, especially ….All the cute kiddos <3 This is like a third of them!
The Indigo Girls in Fort Collins!
I saw so much amazing live music this summer, including the Indigo Girls at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins with Moe and her sister. I was truly reliving those glory days of high school this summer!
Mordecai Children’s Garden (the Denver Botanic Gardens)
I took all three girlies to visit the Mordecai Children’s Garden — a separate section of the Denver Botanic Gardens — when the big girls were off of camp during the week of July 4th. We hadn’t been in years (and Emilia had never been!) and they had the best time!
Big Soda Lake in Bear Creek Lake Park
Emilia and I finally got to tick Big Soda Lake in Bear Creek Lake Park off our to-checkout list! Park entrance is $10 for a daily pass (that usually gets you in and out, unless it’s a particularly crowded day), and the lake area is so cute! The beach part is on the small side, so I’d suggest going early, but there is a great sectioned-off area for little people, a playground, free life jackets to borrow and a snack stand. Plus, you can get really adventurous and rent (or bring your own) canoe to paddle out into the lake on. So pretty … you can even see Red Rocks in the background on the other side.
Yard Sale Sunday!
We had a yard sale! Made a couple bucks, sold some of our fave things to some cute families, taught the girls some solid lessons and donated a LOT of stuff to Goodwill. It was a solid way to spend a Sunday 😉
We were lucky enough to be able to go on not one, not two, but THREE press trips this summer. I can’t write a lot about them just yet, but once the story is out, I’ll post more details. For now I’ll just share the where ….
The first was Grand Colorado on Peak 8, which was a pure delight. We got to visit the Breckenridge Troll on this trip, too!Our second stop was the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek! We’ve only been to Beaver Creek once before but we LOVED it, and this hotel was STUNNING. So. Much. Fun!Mountainside s’mores by the fire pit. Like I said … Too. Much. Fun!Our third and ALL TIME FAVORITE was C Lazy U Ranch outside of Granby. The extent to which we loved this place — and the extent to which it was incredibly difficult to only include a few photos here — was a whole heck of a lot <3Breakfast Friday morning was a real highlight …And we all (except for Emilia) got to ride horses!Am I a little bit proud of us? Why yes, yes I am.
Tiny Town
When my stepdad was in town for Lotte’s birthday, we took Emilia to check out Tiny Town, a cute little kids’ play area in the mountains that has a bunch of small, kid-sized buildings that make up a “town” they can play in, plus a playground and a train. So cute <3
Such teeny tiny cuteness!These two <3 They sure are cute together!
Lair o’ the Bear Park
Taking Emilia to visit Lair o’ the Bear Park was the final tick I needed to complete her Summer of Fun Bucket List. It was even better that the girls had the week before school started off and the four of us got to visit together <3
These cuties had a blast exploring on a beautiful Monday morning.Dipping our toes in the creek was a highlight!I love, love, LOVE adventuring with my little ladies.
PHEW! And now, the girls start school tomorrow. We’ve bought backpacks and new clothes, gotten haircuts and had our doc check-ups. I don’t know what to say about the fact that time keeps on flying. Except that I’m sure glad I said yes to this summer, and that we’ve all had these experiences. Starting the summer in New York with our loves was the absolute best, and we did our best to keep the party going all season long. It’s been a summer I won’t forget.
Welcome back, friends! After our first day of welcoming summer by galavanting around New York City, we really kicked it up a notch for Memorial Day. Adventures included:
It was the sweetest of days with some of our besties <3
American Museum of Natural History
With so many amazing museums in NYC it can be hard to pick just one for kiddos, but I’m sure glad we went with this one. We only had time for our two extra experiences, the dinosaur exhibit and the Room With the Whale, but gosh was it worth it.This Invisible Worlds exhibit was giving Meow Wolf vibes, but with a much better story and on a much more tame scale.How small do your problems seem in an exhibit like this, though. I mean, really.The girls LOVED it!Dinosaurs were a huge hit too, obviously.Rawwwwwring like dinosaurs!Even Em was intrigued <3I wasn’t sure how the 30-minute planetarium show would go over, but the girls loved it! And Carla, Fiona & Jake were able to join us, too.The whale room never disappoints.Cuties.
Alice’s Tea Cup
After the museum we walked over to Alice’s which, while thoroughly expensive (it was a full tea service that, let’s be honest, mostly got thrown out) was a true NY experience, as well. I’m really glad we did it!
“What’s this stuff?!”The whole gang. And how gorgeous is this room?!
Central Park
We left Alice’s around 2:30 and had reservations at 4 for Top of the Rock, so we took our time wandering through Central Park to get there.
Good ole’ Uncle Brizz.Enjoying live music at Strawberry Fields in Central Park.
Top of the Rock
This is one of Chris’ favorite spots in the city, so it was fun to take the girls there to experience the city the way that birds do <3
Walking through the Rockefeller Center area is always a joy, too.Chris had some extra help pulling the baggage.Gotta love a girl who only loves her snacks, no matter where she may be!More cuteness <3So much love for this girl of mine <3And this one <3And all of them!Plus this one. Carla. My freshman year roommate at JMU, whom I’ve known for 22 years (yikes!). We’ve been to Germany & Salzburg & Nashville together, survived college and our first years as babies living in NYC. She’s a doll and I love her immensely <3
After a very long day, it was back on the subway to head to our home away from home.
Seeing the sites is one thing, but catching up with your loves … that’s everything.
Glacier National Park, in all her beautiful glory … plus my little bubs <3
I feel like I should start this post by writing: “And just like that, I was 40.”
It’s what almost everyone says about turning 40, but it doesn’t actually feel that way. On the one hand yes, I feel like I turned 21 just yesterday. But on the other hand … holy hell a lot of work has gone into reaching this decade!
Between 30 and 40 I became a whole new person. I entered into my first year of marriage, started my business and moved across the country. I added countries and states and continents to my travels, bought a house, sold a house, bought another one. I had two miscarriages and three babies. I lost and gained friends. I lost my Mom.
It’s been a ride, friends!
Anyway, all of this is to say, entering my 40s does feel like a milestone, but not in a “oh my God I’m so old!” way. More in a, “Wow, that was a whirlwind. I wonder what’s next?!” kind of way.
So to kick off this new and exciting decade, I thought it would be nice to celebrate in a place that’s been on my Bucket List since I wrote a geography report about it in 8th grade: Glacier National Park.
And I was right — she did not disappoint.
Although traveling at the end of March/early April meant that most things (restaurants, hotels, sections of the main road) would be either closed or covered in snow, it also meant that we literally had the entire place to ourselves. It was magical, friends. When I tell you the park was our playground, what I mean is that we probably saw about a dozen people the entire time we were there, and the majority of those were on the final day when we visited one of the most popular lakes in the entire park.
We’ve already made plans to go back when the weather is nicer, now that we got to have our initial trip all to ourselves.
Here’s a little bit of what we got up to on my 40th birthday trip.
Day 1: Arrival
We didn’t arrive until mid-afternoon on our first day, which was a nice way to ease into the trip.
These little muffins are becoming quite the travelers 😉Bluey for the win!When we landed we had time to kill before we could check in, so we headed to The Montana Club in Kalispell (about 20 minutes from the airport) for lunch. It was the perfect Montana introduction.And the perfect way to toast an introduction to my birthday weekend!At 4, we checked into our tiny cabin. While this place was fine, there ended up being a few quirks (spider! broken fireplace! hot water that doesn’t last for very long!) that would make me not recommend it for big families like ours. Still, it was a fantastic location — at about 15 minutes to the West entrance of Glacier — AND had one of our favorite features ….A hot tub!Em couldn’t go in for long, but she did get a dip, which she was VERY happy about 😉
We knew we wanted to get up early on Friday to start the exploring, so after dinner we hit the hay (the girls did enjoy their loft beds in this Airbnb, that’s for sure!) and called it a night!
Day 2: East Glacier
On our first full day in the park, we hit the road! We were staying near the West Glacier entrance, but we wanted to head over to the East side to check out Two Medicine Grill for breakfast on our way to St. Mary Lake.
Hard not to take picture of EVERYTHING you see in Montana.Driving over the continental divide!Only one child was awake for the event.Breakfast at Two Medicine Grill was everything we could have ever hoped for in a diner.See what I mean 😉Chris took this photo of me from the car, because ….I will always stop on the side of the road for horse photos. Always.The park entrance photo of my dreams, on the way into the St. Mary Lake area!It was definitely chilly on Friday, so we didn’t actually do any hiking. But driving around and stopping for photo opps was just as good, in my mind.See what I mean 😉There were a lot of road closure on this trip, but we definitely got the gist, and definitely plan to come back when we can see the whole thing!All told, we drove about four or five hours on Friday around the park, and the girls were ROCK STARS. I love my little crew…We stopped at the Glacier Distilling Company on the way home, which happened to be about five minutes from our Airbnb and AMAZING.Delightful tasting flight!Delightful cocktails!Then it was back to our Airbnb for more HOT TUB TIME!
Day 3: Polebridge Mercantile
On our second day in the park we traveled over dirt roads and through rivers (basically) for … HUCKLEBERRY BEAR CLAWS!
The Polebridge Mercantile & Bakery is a Glacier institution, and we were so lucky that it just happened to open for the season on April 1st!
Chris didn’t let on how nervous he was driving to Polebridge until we got home — but he did an awesome job and we arrived in one piece!While Chris fretted the drive, I took photos 😉About an hour later, we arrived!I mean … HOW CUTE IS THIS PLACE?!AND THEY HAD PUPPIES!!!!! (that were actually for bear control …. yikes!)And so many treats! And a coffee that I loved so much I got two of. PLUS …Don’t ask me how many Huckleberry Bear Claws we purchased …How adorable is this Lego version of the store?!Running from a family of Sasquatches. Naturally.We tried to drive into the park from the store, but our car got stuck in a trench of water. So, we nixed that idea in favor of ….More hot tub time!Hot tubbin’ in the cold and snow really can’t be beat <3It was the PERFECT last day of my 30s, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way <3
Day 4: WELCOME TO 40!
And then there was the One Where I Turned 40 …
Yikes!
It was honestly a good day, friends, filled with Facetimes and family and fun and Huckleberry things. I felt very loved and special on this day, and there wasn’t anything else I could have possibly wanted.
Starting your birthday off with waffles covered in Huckleberry jam and ice cream is ALWAYS a good idea!For my birthday, we decided to head over to the famous Lake McDonald, which afforded us some glorious views along the way.Plus this picture-perfect park entrance sign <3It was a cloudy morning, but look at this splendor …So incredibly gorgeous.AND WE BASICALLY HAD THE PLACE TO OURSELVES!It was a special moment.How Mom throws …How Dad throws.Gorgeous.Serene.For dinner that night we headed into Whitefish (about 30 minutes away) and ate at The Firebrand Hotel, which was magnificent. After dinner the skies had cleared and it was nearing sunset, and Chris had the idea to head back to Lake McDonald. I’m so incredibly glad we did …Because these views …Are breathtaking.We have no fun 😉Thank you, Glacier, for putting on a show.Birthday pie that night was … you guessed it! … HUCKLEBERRY!Plus one more hot tub/star gazing soak.
Oh, Montana, you stole my heart. This was the trip of a lifetime, and I’m so happy I got to spend it with my crew.
On Monday it was …
One final hot tub soak and …One final Huckleberry cocktail, then home.
That was my 40th birthday adventure in a nutshell, friends. I hope you enjoyed following along.
I can’t wait to see where my 40s take me in this crazy beautiful world, and I can’t wait to bring you along.
Happy Monday, friends! We celebrated the holiday weekend with a visit from one of my oldest friends and her husband and kids. Another one of my high school friends moved to the area recently, and this little mini-reunion between the three of us — along with my kids getting to hang out with Faye’s kids — was everything my soul needed.
Highlights included sledding in Majestic View Park, a trip to the Butterfly Pavilion, checking out Meow Wolf Denver, lunch at Avanti in Denver … and of course all the extra special bonding time. It’s sappy but true — old friends make the best friends.
It snowed quite a bit the day our NY friends arrived, so hanging in our back yard and having snowball fights was a highlight, as well.The cuteness between these two is off the charts <3Love this girl.And this whole gang!
Here’s a bit more of what we got into — hope you all are having a happy weekend, as well!
Majestic View Park Sledding
Sledding down slick hills is THE BEST!Snow cuties.<3 <3 <3
The Butterfly Pavilion
My friend Moe is not a fan of butterflies, but she faced her fears for the sake of the kiddos 😉Lotte held a tarantula ….Grace gave her a “high five”!This place is so interactive and hands-on, it’s amazing for kids.Butterflies!This particular butterfly was in love with us and kept coming back …Such a friendly butterfly!
A Day in Denver
On Saturday we headed into the city to check out the interactive Meow Wolf experience (AMAZING, if not somewhat overwhelming!) and have lunch.There were four floors (I think, it was honestly hard to keep track!) and SO MANY interactive, amazing things to check out!The exhibits all bled into each other so you spend the entire time in these realistic “worlds”.I can definitely see how it would be overwhelming for some, but our kiddos all loved it!This was OBVIOUSLY my favorite room … BOOKS!We had a big group and we got separated for most of the visit, but we all met up for the lunch after and agreed that it was well worth the trip!I told them to make faces like aliens were coming to get them.My loves <3Lunch after was at Avanti, and the weather was so wonderful we were able to sit on the roof with views of the city.
It was a fun visit with some very sweet moments that we’ll always treasure.
I can’t even <3We had a birthday celebration for Faye’s husband after our Denver day, and the mini cowboy hats were a big hit.So were the moustaches.Come back real soon, friends <3
The excitement began before we even got off the plane, friends … look at that view!
After spending Christmas and the next few days at Chris’ parents’ house in Bathurst, we loaded up the car and headed off to Sydney, where the girls would be staying with their grandparents and some aunts, uncles and cousins, while Chris and I headed off to New Zealand — BY OURSELVES — to celebrate our 15-year meet-a-versary, our 10-year anniversary of being married, New Years Eve (which just happens to be the anniversary of both of those aforementioned things) and the upcoming year of our 40th bdays.
But really, you don’t understand. We never leave our kids, and we especially don’t leave them overnight. In fact, we’ve only left Lotte & Grace overnight once, and that was the last time we were in Australia.
In other words, this was long overdue!
Despite knowing how much we’d enjoy the trip, we definitely waffled. Leaving three kids with any number of adults is bound to be a lot, and flights and accommodation during the holidays are astronomical. After going back and forth on it, we finally decided to JUST GO FOR IT, and we settled on spending our three-night getaway in Queenstown.
I’m so glad we did.
The Details
With so much to celebrate on this trip, we decided to just really go for it. All of that is to say — we splurged in a way we don’t normally … and I don’t feel badly about it one little bit 😉
The largest expenses by far were the flights ($2,515) and the lodging ($2,243).
Even the airport had stunning views!QT Queenstown lobby views.
We stayed at the QT Queenstown and would highly recommend it! Besides the fact that they treated us royally (with the sweetest welcome/happy anniversary package of champagne, chocolate, bath bombs and free drink tickets at their hotel bar), the (absolutely spectacular) breakfast was complimentary and in a gorgeous dining room, the location was perfect, and the views were out of this world.
We also went all-out with our meals (besides breakfast, which was always free and always at our amazing hotel). Because hey, you only have a 10-year-anniversary and you only turn 40 once!
Day One: Arriving
Here’s a little pro tip from me to you — when you’re an American traveling from Australia to New Zealand (ie. me), you do need a travel Visa, and it’s best to get this sorted before you head to the airport. Also, Quantas and Jetstar both have weight limits for carry-ons (not sure about other airlines, but these are the two that we traveled). Both of these are fun things we learned the hard way.
After our initial hiccups, we landed in gorgeous Queenstown, checked into our hotel, then set out to take in the town at twilight and have dinner at The Bunker, a romantic hidden gem offering a prefix menu and wine pairing situation that we were all too happy to enjoy.
Also delightful was the fact that Queenstown was still all dolled up for the holidays.This place is a must if you’re looking for a romantic and low-key dining experience!I mean … yum.This view was a short walk from our hotel.Queenstown is probably one of the cleanest, most picturesque places I have ever been, and it certainly has some of the nicest people I’ve met.Cute when kidless!Delight.Stunning water ….
Day 2: Biking Around Queenstown
Renting bikes has become a little tradition for us while traveling (see Japan, Iceland, London, Rome, New Orleans and Manhattan, to name a few), so we knew we wanted to do that in New Zealand if we could, as well.
Of course, I’m never one to let a little biking come between me and a cute outfit. (Please also refer to Munich.)
Anyway, we woke up whenever we wanted to on our first full day in New Zealand, had the breakfast of our dreams at our gorgeous hotel restaurant, then rented our bikes and hit the dusty (and sometimes very narrow and very close to the side of a cliff) trail. We traveled 18 miles out to the Queenstown Golf Club for a drink, then back via a stop at Altitude Brewing.
I basically had to re-learn how to use the gears properly — as well as remind myself to ride on the other side of the road — but it all worked out in the end!More than worth it for these views!Plus my riding partner was cute <3Quick beers at the gold club before turning around!It was even prettier on the ride back!See?!Altitude Brewing was a delightful highlight.As was the jack fruit bao bun from the food truck!
After our ride we were more than ready for our dinner/adventure with Skyline Queenstown. This included a ride up the mountain in a gondola, dinner at the Stratosfare and three Luge rides (which I was incredibly nervous about but which turned out to be basically adult go-karts down a hill and incredibly fun!).
Again with the views!My very chill Luge face 😉Stratosfare dinner views.Happy.I kept saying that I felt like Frank Costanza on this trip, wearing my travel resort gear!
Day 3: Burgers, Gardens, & New Years Eve
After a fairly intense Day 2, we were happy to lay low on Day 3 and do some more relaxed activities. We tried out the famous Fergburger (my mushroom sandwich was to die for, but Chris said his actual burger was only okay), took a stroll around the Queenstown Gardens, HAD TWO NAPS and had dinner and watched the fireworks/welcomed 2023 from the restaurant in our hotel.
I did eventually dip my feet in, just to say that I had 😉
And that was our short-but-sweet New Zealand trip. It was absolutely everything we had hoped for and more. Thanks for being awesome, Queenstown. You’ll have a special place in our hearts forever.
I’ll be back tomorrow with the final part of our trip — a visit to the beach where Chris and his family grew up vacationing.
Happy Monday, friends! We just got back from spending Chris’ birthday weekend in Colorado Springs, where we stayed at this Airbnb in Old Colorado City, to be exact.
Even though we’ve been to Colorado Springs a number of times (like this special trip, for example), we had never stayed in this part of town, or done the activities that we came to do this past weekend.
Let me start by saying, our Airbnb was magnificent. The place itself was very nice, newly remodeled, etc., but really, it’s the location that sets this place apart. It’s right across the street from a great park (which just happened to be the main stage of the town’s adorable fall fest on Saturday afternoon with live music, face painting, plant potting and more), and is right on the main street, making it walking distance to tons of restaurants, bars and activities. The places that we visited on our stay included:
This is a long list for having only been there for two nights and one full day, but even so, there were so many other fun places we wanted to try! (And hopefully will, sans kids, one day.)
Grace is me when it comes time to pick treats … GIVE ME THEM ALL, PLEASE!Even Emilia got a vegan chocolate treat to devour 😉Air throws are all the rage these days <3We grabbed breakfast early on Saturday and took a quick walk in town before heading for the main attraction of the day. These sweetest little farm owners were setting up their stand for the fall festival later in the day and gave the girls each a free pumpkin — what a fun way to start the day!My favorite pictures are the ones that girls request, like Lotte, with this one 😉
The main reason we picked this particular Airbnb, though — even though all the other perks were top-notch once we arrived — was its proximity (about seven minutes) to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. These ancestral Puebloan Ruins date back 800 to 1000 years, and they’re so well preserved that you can walk and explore in them which, naturally, the girls were obsessed with. It was so fascinating learning about their way of life, and it really makes you realize how smart they were, especially given the fact that their habitats are still standing today despite having so little to work with.
I mean … incredible.These cuties LOVED exploring! (Chris, too .. hah.)Hi!Never goes anywhere without her tiger these days <3The surrounding area is so picturesque, too.These two.The museum did a great job explaining more about the daily lives these people led. Not entirely sure Lotte should have put her tiger inside the fake fire pit, but sometimes ya gotta pick your battles.Emilia loved it, too!Love a good stranger pic!
After spending a few hours at the cliff dwellings, we headed back to our Airbnb and spent some time on our front porch listening to the live music of the fall festival before heading over to partake in the festivities.
It was Emilia’s first “concert,” and she was HERE. FOR. IT!
After a couple hours at the festival, some down time, some snackin’, and a partial viewing of The Addams Family (for me and Chris, not the girls, although I do think they would actually find it hilarious), we hit the streets again to check out The Michael Garman museum, which turned out to be even more fun than I imagined. Michael Garman was a sculptor who created Magic Town, a square-foot miniaturized neighborhood with hand-made buildings and sidewalk scenes, which became The Michael Garman Gallery and Magic Town Museum with more than 500 of his sculptures.
Emilia was fascinated!The older girls were enraptured. Chris and I were pretty impressed, too!
After the museum we hit up Westside Cantina for Chris’ birthday dinner, complete with multiple tacos and multiple margh’s …
One of everything please …Emilia also approved 😉
And that was the gist of our Saturday, the day of Chris’ birth. It was so much fun, and the girls had a blast. Sunday was another adventure, but I’ll get into more on that tomorrow. For now … bis bald, friends! I hope the fall is treating you well <3
This weekend we celebrated my baby sis and her TWINS, arriving this December!
Happy fall, ya’ll! With the arrival of cooler weather and all things pumpkin related, my mood is uplifted. The fall signals new beginnings, in my mind, so I was thrilled to be able to add “throw baby sister a baby sprinkle” to my fall to-do list!
To that end, I have been in New York for the past NINE DAYS while Chris held down the fort with the kiddos at home. (Kuddos to you, my love!) I spent five blissful days in the city, visiting with friends and old co-workers and just generally traipsing around and eating all the things.
Prospect ParkI stayed at my friend’s Brooklyn townhome while I was in the city, and spent no small amount of time in these comfy chairs, with this adorable dog, reading my book and people watching the passers-by on the street below.Dinner at Chela on Saturday night included a lot of laughs and a lot of margaritas 😉 The delight of walking around the city, listening to music and in your own little world, is pretty unmatched for me.Got to meet up with these cuties — my friend’s kids — at J.J. Byrne Playground in BK, which is a must-know spot if you have kids in the area. Took the subway in Manhattan on Monday and spent some time wandering around my old fave haunts, including, obviously, Bryant Park.She is SUCH a delight.From there I walked over to the High Line, which I hadn’t visited in years! It was such a pretty day for it!My walk from the High Line to meet a friend for lunch took me through the flower district, which was so fun at this time of year. A delight of flowers in the middle of the concrete jungle.Lunch was pizza at Posto near Union Square. Could you not just reach in and eat this picture??
I spent Friday through Tuesday in the city, and then grabbed the train from Grand Central Tuesday morning to head upstate for the second half of my trip, including surprising my sister with my visit and, on Saturday, her baby sprinkle 😉
These statues outside of GC are new … and delightful.It doesn’t matter how many times I have been here. (Chris and I even took wedding photos here!) Grand Central is always magic.The views along the Hudson Line are spectacular, too.
I got off in Beacon for a night with my stepdad who is absolutely rocking his recent heart surgery!
We got breakfast at Beacon Bread Company in Beacon, and were lucky enough to spot a glute-free cafe, Kitchen & Coffee, down the road to pick up THE MOST DELICIOUS gluten-free treats for my sister’s shower! (The theme was ‘Twin Buns in the Oven’ and we had all the sweets and treats you could possibly want!)
After spending the night in Newburgh, I hopped in my stepdad’s Mini Cooper and drove to Middletown to surprise my sister. Even though she says she had an inkling of the sprinkle to come after I showed up, it was still so. much. fun. keeping things a surprise! I even got to go to an ultrasound my sister had scheduled for Friday and see my newest little niece and nephew 😉 😉
Greeting committee for my arrival.Surprises — and sisters — are the best <3After the ultrasound on Friday, Steph & I stopped at Hudson Taco in Newburgh for lunch. I had never been, but it did NOT disappoint!More margaritas! (For me, obviously not for the preggs …)
Saturday was the day of the sprinkle, and when I tell you that I was stressed out trying to find a venue, believe that to be true. Luckily, a little deep dive Googling came in handy, because I was able to find the cutest little venue — a vintage barn with the sweetest owner you’ve ever met — in Wallkill. It’s called R&W Farms, and it was exactly the set-up I would have wanted for my sister’s sprinkle. We brought in treats from The Bakery in New Paltz and decorated the Thursday ahead of time (while my sister was at work!), and it turned out so beautifully.
And that, as they say, was that, my friends. It was the sweetest of trips with the best of people and I had a grand time, but really ….
The secret to smiling faces? Skittle bribes, all dang day long.
Happy August, friends! The month started out on not such a great foot for us, so we weren’t in our normal headspace when heading out on this quick getaway. (Well okay, I wasn’t!) At the end of the day I’m so glad we did go. It’s always a good idea to take some time to get out of your own head, recognize what’s so special about your life, bond with your kids, show them new things and, as one friend put it, nature is always healing 😉
The Details
Lodging (Price: $692for 3 nights)
We stayed at this Airbnb in Cañon City, which was a sweet little three-bedroom place with a large dining area and kitchen. It might have been a tad overpriced for the location (it was about 20 minutes from the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, which was our main point of interest for this trip), but we still had a blast. It was all one floor (no scary stairs for littles!), and the layout actually allowed us to put Emilia in her Pack and Play at the back of the house so Lotte and Grace could have separate rooms if they needed them (which one night they did).
The backyard was cute, too, with a grill and little table area under a covered patio, where we grilled out and had dinner on our final night.
Entertainment
The kids have a book called Good Night Colorado, and the Royal Gorge Bridge makes an appearance as one of the MUST SEE places in Colorado. When we were planning a final farewell to summer trip (the girls start school on August 16th!), we knew we didn’t want to go any farther than 2.5 hours (exactly how far Royal Gorge is from us), but that we wanted adventure on a low-key, kid-friendly level which, despite the RIDICULOUS photos, the Royal Gorge offers.
This is an amazing place for families … as long as no one is afraid of heights! Travel tip: Most of the attractions, the playground and the visitors center, etc., open at 10 a.m., but the bridge itself is open at 8 a.m., and tickets are cheaper then. (We paid $83 for the four of us over 2 years of age.)
There was also no one there early in the morning, which was delightful, and the weather was so lovely. By the time we ended up leaving around 10:30, it was getting pretty busy and incredibly hot. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been the amazing experience it was if we waited until 10 a.m. to get there.
As it was, we had the best time.
Grace and her insects 😉 She was besides herself to find two HUGE butterflies on the way in!Despite our children’s faces here, we all had fun <3Makin’ herself right at home <3Man, oh man.This girl was spottin’ tiny green frogs in the grass and slithery lizards running in the opposite direction. She’s a gem at this age, and so easy to please!Feeding the fish.They have every kind of adventure activity you could imagine here — zip lining across the gorge, climbing the gorge, white water rafting in the gorge, riding a train through it, etc. We didn’t do any of those with the kiddos, but the Gondola is included in your entry ticket price, so we did take that, and it was thrilling!
We give Royal Gorge Bridge a big ole’ thumbs up! They have a campground, “glamping” cabins, a dinosaur museum … honestly, we could have spent a week here and not been done exploring. We definitely hope to get back!
Our Friday afternoon was spent hitting up Centennial Park, which had a fantastic splash pad and playground and access to the Arkansas River and was about a mile from our Airbnb. Then it was ice cream at You Scream Treat Emporium.
On Saturday we hit up Skyline Drive — a very narrow 2.6-mile drive with the most amazing views and … wait for it … DINOSAUR PRINTS! — and then did a short hike — the Royal Gorge Overlook Loop — to take in the Royal Gorge bridge from a distance.
Nothing to see here, just a mom trying REAL hard not to drive off a cliff!More skittles bribery in action.Dinosaur prints! (And yes, Lotte does have dinosaurs on her outfit and she is also holding a stuffed dinosaur, so you can imagine the happiness this activity brought!)Chris ran up a steep, short trail to snap this pic. (Insert Wow emoji here.)We accidentally ended up taking the road for drivers for our hike (the hiking trail runs right next to it), but it turned out for the best because there was no way our double stroller would have fit on the other trail.This girl lives for a Dada snuggle <3This gorgeous view. So humbling.Back at the parking lot we had a quick picnic — with this ridonc view — before packing up and heading home.My crew. They super cute.
We stopped for coffee at The Bean Pedaler in the cute little downtown area before heading home. All-in-all it was a very successful — and beautiful — trip, and I’m so glad we did it. It’s a good reminder that it’s often worth doing something to get yourself out of your head. And travel memories are, for the most part, never a bad idea.
And now it’s back-to-school mode over here! This is the girls’ final week before heading back, and I’m so grateful for our summer trips to Seattle and New York, plus this one. I’m grateful the girls had fun experiences with camps and playdates with friends and neighbors and lots of unstructured playtime at home.
We also celebrated a 6th birthday.
The birthday girl requested a trip to the Denver Aquarium on her special day.
It was one for the books. Hope you guys are having an awesome summer, as well <3
Happy Friday, friends! Lotte & I just got back from the sweetest little trip back east where we got to do so many fun things! Some of these fun things included visiting Lake Wallenpaupack, pool lounging with family and meeting more family out for dinner … Steph & I even snuck into the city where we met up with some of my friends for brunch before seeing Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick in Plaza Suite.
It’s been a rough couple of …. years?! Honestly. With our last trip back to New York being the roaring success that it was (ahem…it was not), it was nice to head back this time, even with just the two of us, to see our beloved friends and fam.
Ignoring the news for a few days provided a much-needed reprieve, as well.
Anyway, friends, here’s some of what we got up to …
Me and my oldest, ready for adventure!Cutest cousins <3We met up with my friends at Valerie, which was the perfect location for seeing Plaza Suite after, and very tasty, too.Just a couple of tourists.The play was so cute! The tickets are pricey (we sat at the very tippitty top!), but even just to see those two act together was totally worth it!It rained Monday morning, so we headed to Billy Beez (similar to our Urban Air) to let the girls get their jiggles out 😉Tuesday was gorgeous, so we hit up the pool at my bro-in-law’s parents’ house … the girls had a blast!Couldn’t let the girls have all the fun …Dinner Tuesday night was with family we didn’t get to see over Christmas because of Covid, so this was pure delight.Wednesday was also gorgeous, so we headed to Lake Wallenpaupack in the town where Steph & I hope to find a family lake house we can buy together. Until then, frequenting the area to get to know it better is lots of fun!Because my sis is the cutest, she even planned an early surprise birthday celebration for Lotte, who of course was floored.And that was our trip in a nutshell, friends! I’m so glad I got to spend this time with my little love, who ….… is the best dang travel companion around <3
Bis bald, friends — I hope you’re all hangin’ in there this summer and finding yourselves some happiness 😉
Back to our second day in Seattle, where we rented a car and hopped on a ferry (with our car!) to head on over to Olympic National Park.
If you’ve been a visitor of this blog for a while, you already know that we’re big fans of National Parks! (See Great Sand Dunes, Rocky Mountain National Park, Moab, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Sequoia!) It’s always a goal of ours to introduce our kids to these beautiful places in America, and to help them gain an appreciation for nature and their surroundings.
We sure are lucky to have these things available to us.
Anyway, back to Day Two. It’s a trek to head to Olympic National Park from Seattle. We caught a 30-minute ferry to Bainbridge Island and then drove another 90 minutes to the visitor center and then to do the Moments in Time Interpretive Trail. That’s a lot to do with three littles, but the car we got was comfy and they snacked and watched videos (and, shockingly, napped on the ride back to the ferry at the end of the day) and all was good. We almost bailed on the trip when the weather looked iffy (it turned out perfect!) and seemed like too much effort, but I’m so glad we didn’t!
Chris and I were discussing how, in most cases, the things we almost bail on usually turn out to be some of our favorite memories. It’s a life lesson, for sure.
Anyway, here’s a bit of what we saw!
Back on the ferry!And back in the car!And a short two hours later, we arrived!Grace’s love of insects is contagious, so these slugs on the way to the visitor center were obviously a highlight!The visitor center at Olympic National Park is so kid friendly and amazing — it’s a must-hit!
After the visitor center it was about a 30-minute ride to the Moments in Time Interpretive Trail, which was unbelievably gorgeous. (And, by the way, FREE! Entry into the park was totally free, too, but you can — and should — make a donation online!) The bluest water, the mossiest rainforest, and all the bird chirping you could ever want in life.
So incredibly serene.
Nothing better … am I right?!Oh it’s just Emilia, livin’ that ferry life 😉
Back at home we made dinner for the girls to eat out on the deck, while Chris and I ordered sushi from Umi Sake House, which was every bit as sensational as advertised.
After Emilia was down, Chris took the older girls for a jaunt on the pier (which we could literally see from our living room window), where they took in the sunset view and played a bit of soccer.
And that was our Day 2 in a nutshell. Our third and final day is comin’ at cha tomorrow … and it was also a big one 😉
We’re back from our long-awaited trip to Seattle and Olympic National Park, and I can confirm … if you’ve had Seattle on your bucket list for a while, BOOK THAT TRIP NOW!
We had the absolute best time on our little 3-day stay. We planned to fly in late on Wednesday, after the girls got out of what was supposed to be their last day of school before the summer. The school ended up closing two days earlier, though, for renovations. We tried switching to an earlier flight but they were booked out. So we didn’t end up getting in until around 9 pm (on what was NOT our best flight), but luckily the Airbnb where we stayed was only about 20 minutes from the airport.
The Details:
Accommodation: We stayed at this Airbnb, which had very many amenities. It was right on the water, and was walking distance to literally everything a tourist could want. There was a 24-hour doorman, garage parking, a pack and play and highchair and childproof locks on the doors. There was a small balcony facing the waterfront, a shared hot tub and a rooftop. All the things you could possibly want for an awesome stay. Price: $1990 for four nights
Airport transfer: We set up a car service from Starline Town Car & Limo Service to pick us up at the airport and drop us back off, and it was totally and absolutely worth it. With the five of us, three carseats, a double stroller and all our bags, it was a lot less stressful knowing that we’d have door-to-door service in a car that would definitely fit all of our things, and that we would definitely have a ride for our 5:30 a.m. pick-up to head back home. Price: Approximately $300 (this included tip, taxes and other fees.)
Car rental: We rented a car on Friday to drive into Olympic National Park. We had to get a big one, obviously, so that’s always a bit more pricey. Price: $260
Food: We spent about $500 for food,most of which was coffee. (Not really, but we did do a bit of a “coffee crawl” around the city, which I would highly recommend.)
Coffee from La Panier in Pikes Place.Fresh ingredients Chris picked up from Pike Place Market to make ….This insanely delicious meal!
In other words, it wasn’t the cheapest trip for three days, but we were prepped for that going in and had saved up. We knew we didn’t want to scrimp, since neither of us had been before, and knowing that ahead of time helped us not feel guilty spending while we were there.
It was also the first time the girls traveled with their own money from their allowance. This was clutch when Lotte would point to a $20 useless trinket and I could say, “Sorry, you don’t have enough money for that!”
Day One:
You know who doesn’t sleep in after a late travel night? ALL THE CHILDREN!
We knew we’d all be dragging a bit on our first full day, so we decided to take the morning slow and walk around the neighborhood, including seeing the waterfront and Pikes Place Market.
Seeing the original Starbucks is like a celebrity sighting 😉There is a lot of construction happening around the waterfront right now. We definitely want to head back in a few years to see how it all turns out!
After a short rest (and Chris shopping at the market for fresh ingredients for our dinner), we grabbed a ferry to walk to Alki Beach.
We took a bit of a detour on our walk back to the ferry from the beach, but we did get to head down this gorgeous road, so bonus?!Emilia discovered her love of ferries on this trip <3
After our afternoon walk/beach trip, it was back to the Airbnb, where Chris cooked up his delightful pasta dish for dinner and the girls hit the hot tub with Chris. Friday morning we would be heading out to Olympic National Park … can’t wait to share that adventure with you tomorrow!
I know — we all end up saying the same thing every year. The time flies, and suddenly your kids are so old you can’t believe it. It always amazes me.
Anyway, I digress. The REAL news to report this week is that WE FINALLY GOT TO SEE OUR AUSSIE NAN AND POPPA! After far too many years of Covid-induced distance, Chris’ parents were at last able to hop on a plane and fly back to see us. Lotte & Grace had not seen their grandparents since October of 2019, and Emilia had never met them. So to say that this was a monumental event for everyone is an understatement.
The Connor’s trip coincided with the girls’ spring break, which was lovely because we were able to spend a week in Winter Park together, as well as have them experience taking the girls to and picking them up from school.
In other words, we’ve simply had the most amazing time and I refuse to believe that it will be ending soon. Our plan is to head out to Australia for Christmas this year to catch up with all of our Connor family, so we’re all very busy keeping our fingers and toes crossed that that can still happen.
In the meantime, we have no less than 20,000 photos to keep on loop from our time over the past two weeks.
All the happy faces <3This little one has thoroughly fallen for her grandparentsChris and his dad cooked a yummy traditional Australian bread for dinner one nightNan & Poppa bought us ice creams in the park BEFORE dinner one night — doesn’t get better than that 😉Lotte had two ski lessons while her grandparents were here, one of which they attended and cheered her on throughoutPizza tasting at Crosscut in Nederland before skiing in Eldora was a highlight, as well
Besides having Nan & Poppa here to just live our lives with us for the past two weeks, the trip out to Winter Park was so much much. We stayed at this Airbnb, which was the perfect location for viewing the best times to visit the hot tub and swimming pool (a favorite activity amongst our group), and it was a short walk to the sweetest little sledding hill with community sleds to share. The girls also had an absolute blast hanging out in the bunk beds together.
Our itinerary included a visit to Grand Lake, as well, which was one of our stops on our first-ever vacation as a family of five last year. Chris cooked delicious food, we played games, explored a new-to-us ski town, and generally had a delightful little getaway.
Grand Lake is so much fun in the winter!Chris and I snuck away for lunch and margaritas at The Ditch, which was SO TASTY
You might imagine that two visitors from Australia would be exhausted after all of the above, but that’s just not how my in-laws roll. They are up for absolutely any and everything, and they are happy to do as many activities as possible when visiting their grandkids. So, we thought taking them to visit the Denver Museum of Nature and Science would be a fun activity for the girls’ last day of spring break. This place is so fantastic for kids, since it’s created for them to be able to run around and touch whatever they’d like. We had the best day, followed by a lovely dinner at Jack’s, one of our favorite neighorhood joints.
Dinners out with three kids is SO MUCH BETTER with grandparents 😉
And now we’re staring down the final few days of our visit with these lovely people which, to be honest, we’re all a bit in denial about. Seeing family is always the best thing in the world. Saying goodbye … not so much. To have something to look forward to — like our trip in December — does help soften the blow, I’ve found.
I hope you all are having a wonderful start to your spring season. Until next time … bis bald!
Life continues to be heavy, friends, and I know we’re all feeling it. Around the world it seems like we’re going about our daily lives — sending kids to school, getting dinner on the table, meeting work deadlines (or trying to) — while emotionally, we’re all dying a little bit inside.
The stories and photos out of Ukraine are heartbreaking, and what the kids are going through … it will be with them their entire lives. It feels wrong that this is happening, while I’m over here typing up a blog post, including photos of how we’ve spent our “carefree” time over the past few months since the holiday. It doesn’t just feel wrong, it is wrong.
And yet … here we are. In 2022, we live in a world where one insane leader has enough power (and money) to force an entire country of people into an unwarranted war, while we sit idly by and watch. All the donations in the world can’t stop us from feeling lost, but it’s all we have. Today I donated to World Central Kitchen (and TripAdvisor is matching my donation). This organization is currently working at a 24-hour pedestrian border crossing in southern Poland and has expanded to provide meals to refugees as they flee to the neighboring countries of Romania, Hungary, Moldova, and Slovakia. If you can, consider donating here, or at any number of organizations doing amazing work.
I can’t stop reading and thinking about and praying for the people for Ukraine, even as I try to keep a normal face for my kids. We’re so incredibly lucky to live where we live — despite the issues we put up with — and I hope we never, ever forget that.
Bis bald, friends — I hope you’re doing well. Here’s a little bit of what we’ve been up to lately.
Grace and Chris have gone skiing most weekends since we got back from Christmas, and it’s the definition of adorable. He brings them to Eldora, which is the perfect little mountain for kids.She’s getting so good at it, too!Meanwhile, Lotte started ski lessons this past weekend as well, and she is, as you can see, too cool for school 😉I cannot wait for us all to get on the mountain together <3Besides skiing, the girls have also been in swim classes at the YMCA, which has been so much fun.Sledding at the girls’ school for the first time was an experience. (Hint: Everyone goes really fast!)Chris ran a race a few weeks back to raise money for the victims of the Boulder fire. As usual he was very impressive, coming in 8th out of more than 800 people!Tiny supporter <3This one keeps us on our toes and smiling!Meeting up with Lotte’s kindergarten class at Urban Air Adventure was a highlight for both Lotte & Grace. The coolest!Drinks with a friend at the new Mexican restaurant Lady Nomada in Olde Town Arvada was quite restoring. Lotte seems to have a birthday party every other weekend to attend, and I’m not mad that after 2+ years of hibernating, she’s finally able to socialize the way kids should. It’s the most fun to watch her flourish.We made a REAL thing out of Valentine’s Day this year because we’ve decided that there’s just not enough to celebrate in life anymore, so why not celebrate where we can <3There were a lot of hearts in our day <3And smiles <3Coffee and treats at Kneaders after school and before Lotte had ballet was a highlight. We’ve had lots of awesome-weather days during these past few months, and when that happens we always try to take advantage.Majestic View Park is never not one of my favorite spots. <3<3<3The Denver Zoo is another of our fave nice-weather activities. Especially when it involves merry-go-round rides!
And that’s about it, my friends. Hug those loved ones tight, be grateful for the good things … and help out where you can. It’s the least we can do.
Welp, friends … there goes another year. As the photo above indicates, we’ve had our highs and lows. I think the year didn’t quite pan out the way most of us were hoping it would, but still, there were bright spots to be found.
Here’s hoping 2022 brings you and your family all the happiness and cheer that you deserve! And here’s what we were able to get up to in 2021 …
April
We dusted off our travel boots for the first time in more than a year (!) this past April for a trip to the mountains. We headed to one of our favorite low-key spots — Granby Ranch — and the older girls even tried their hand at skiing for the first time.
Rocky Mountain National Park, ColoradoLotte, Grace & Emilia cuddled up on our couch in the cabin.Chris and the big girls posing on frozen Grand Lake.They look a little weathered here because this was after their lessons … but I HAD to get a pic of the two of them with their adorable little set of skis! We wrangled the kids to take a quick selfie when we got out on the lake in Grand Lake.
Grandpa came for his first visit in more than a year!Lotte started track!Evergreen Lake, Evergreen, ColoradoMe and my JMU girls 😉We sure do love a good splash pad!Just a dad and his trio of ladies.
July
The end of June and beginning of July was a busy time for us, as we packed up the car and hit the road for our trip out East! We started in Colorado and made out way out to New Jersey and New York and then back, stopping in a number of states along the way. (You can find all the gritty details here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.)
Cody Park, NebraskaThe Bean in Chicago!Brigantine Beach, NJThese cutie cousins <3With Atlantic City in the backgroundStaying at a real, working farm in Pennsylvania was … interesting!One of the best stops on our trip home!The Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MissouriColorado State Line
As the holidays rolled around, we were really looking forward to spending Christmas and New Years with family back in New York. Unfortunately, Covid had different plans for us. Perhaps we’ll have better luck next year. Still, we managed to get a day in Manhattan, and we did get to spend actual Christmas Day with family, which was an upgrade from last year, so we’ll call it a win.
Times Square is never not entertaining!Grace was very taken with the Rockefeller tree 😉Snow on Christmas Eve was a perk!Christmas Day cutiesMerry Christmas to you and yours!
And that’s 2021, my friends. We’re looking forward to a quiet New Years Eve (and wedding anniversary, for myself and Chris <3) and planning for (hopefully) some fun travels to come in the New Year.
Hitting above the tree line on the way up when hiking Mt. Belford.
Chris and his friend from New York have made it a tradition to climb 14ers in Colorado together, and while the pandemic derailed any plans for that tradition last year, they were back at it in full force this year! Below, Chris shares all the deets!
While 2021 is far from fantastic, thank goodness there are some freedoms restored from 2020. One of my best friends from New York traveled out to Colorado in early September and joined me for two days of hiking 14ers in the Sawatch Mountain Range. We had our eye on three 14ers, specifically:
*Mt. Elbert, which we tackled on Friday with some fellow running club teammates
Here’s our itinerary, in case it helps anyone else interested in doing something similar:
Wednesday
I picked Gavin up when he flew in on Wednesday and we drove straight to Buena Vista, a little town that’s about 2.5 hours west of Denver. Buena Vista is a great central location that gives you access to a wonderful mountainous playground.It was fun to spend the time in the car catching up and making up for lost time. We stayed at this great one-bedroom Airbnb (I crashed on the couch), and we checked out the Eddy Line Restaurant, a local brewpub I had remembered from a birthday lunch years ago. We prepped for the hike on Thursday by getting our food, drinks and gear ready and went to bed early. The AirBnB actually didn’t have a smart TV (the horror!) but they did have one of the best DVD collections I have come across, and we were able to rewatch some classics like Snatch, Fight Club and Dogma.
The view from our apartment balcony was gorgeous to say the least.
Thursday
We woke up at 4:30 am and left to hike at 5:00 am. The trailhead for Mt. Belford and Mt. Oxford is just a 33 minute drive from Buena Vista. The road to the trailhead is a pretty intense dirt road, but the All Trails directions got us directly there. We were hiking by about 5:45 am, which is way darker than I remembered. Still, a lucky flashlight in the car made it less intimidating (bringing a headlamp or flashlight is a must).
It was too dark to take this photo at the start, so here it is with a couple of busted dudes at the end of our hike.Following the signs is essential when hiking 14ers!
This hike was IMMEDIATELY hard. Usually, there is a gradual climb or a chill portion, but this hike was pretty hard the entire way. It also didn’t help that we somehow got off the trail and ended up semi-rock climbing up a waterfall and steep, rocky surface of a mountain. It was hectic, to say the least. Finally, we were able to find the trail, and almost kissed the ground when we did.
Pointing to the top of Mt. Belford on the way back down.Mt. Belford geographical marker.Well thought-out hiking infrastructure 😉
The rest of the summit was a slog made up of steep switchbacks, as it goes with 14ers, and we reached the top … only to see a thick, heavy cloud cover and some light sleet.
Cloud cover at the top of Mt. Belford.
Feeling a little defeated by what we dubbed “the situation,” and seeing the sleet/cloud cover, we decided to bail on Mt. Oxford, the second peak we had planned to hike. Luckily, there was a truly mellow trail off the back of the mountain that was a Godsend. There was even a pretty magnificent rainbow that showed up around 13,000 ft.
Nothing like a good rainbow to make up for a cloudy view.
The rest of the way down did feel never-ending, but it was very rewarding when we got back to the car.
Details: All told, we hiked 9.5 miles. This was the hardest 14er we have hiked to date (and it is only a Class 2). I would also do this later in July or early August to help avoid any cloud cover. We have unfinished business with Belford and Oxford, so we will be back!
Friday
We packed up and left the apartment at 4:30 am and made it to the Mt. Elbert parking lot by 5:20 am Friday … and it was already packed! We were lucky to snag the last parking spot (!) and began hoofing it with our running team friends, Joe and Zach.
Mt. Elbert was two miles longer than Mt. Belford, but the trail is better marked, and is very easy to follow, some hikers refer to it as the ‘gentle giant’. The weather was also incredible on the way up, chilly but sunny. We hit the summit by 8:50 am and took the obligatory pics, though there was some cloud cover that had rolled in.
Sun rising above the tree line at Mt. Elbert.Just a couple of guys, ready for a hike.Obligatory top-of-mountain photo, with clouds.Not to brag, but … Mt. Elbert is the second highest mountain in the continental U.S. No big.It was pretty.From whence we came!
After that we booked it back down, and we made it back to the lot by 10:50 am. From there we drove to Idaho Springs and stopped at Westbound and Down Brewing for some delicious (and well-deserved!) sandwiches and beer.
Details: All told, we hiked 11 miles and it was well worth it. It is certainly long, but the effort is paid off by the achievement.
After our hikes, Gavin hung out for some fun adventures in our hood including a pool and barber visit, a tap house, and a canoe ride. Overall, these hikes were hands down the hardest we have done to date (we’ve now done TK), but it was terrific to spend some time in nature and catch up on life after 2020.
One of our favorite spots in Colorado — the Frisco Bay Marina
Friends. How is it that no one told me how hectic life gets when you have kids in school?! And in activities?!
O.M.G.
Lotte started kindergarten a few weeks ago (sob!) and Grace is back in preschool, while little Em continues to delight us from home. Lotte also started ballet/tap, and Grace is starting up with swim lessons and music classes in the month of September. And honestly, at this pace, I’m not sure how long I can handle it!
Sweetest little dancer, who forgave me for the fact that I didn’t have her ballet outfit ready in time for her first class 😉
I mean, I know we’ll get used to this as our life, and so-on-and-so-forth, but sheesh, I’m way more exhausted than the kids. I think the fact that we’re still coming out of a pandemic (which is so not over yet) adds to the exhaustion.
Anyway, I’m rambling. The point is, life is crazy busy right now, so when we get a chance to break away from the madness, I’m all-the-more grateful. This weekend we took a day to head into the mountains. We hadn’t been to Frisco in years, and I’m dying over the photos of itty bitty Lotte and Grace in this post! It was Em’s first trip to Frisco (only second trip to the mountains ever, actually, with this trip to Granby being her first), and it was an all-around success, I’d say.
I’m not usually one to climb on the playground equipment with the girls (I have Chris for that!), but something about that mountain air changes me, friends 😉We adore the Frisco Bay Marina — it’s the perfect, low-key spot for families!It’s also the perfect spot to live vicariously through people who rent things there, like kayaks and canoes. Just look at that happy Frisco face!Em is happiest checking out her surroundings … the older girls are happiest when snacking.Checking out new places is exhausting!
After hanging in the bay for a while, we walked into town and headed straight for our favorite outdoor lunch spot, right next to Foote’s Rest Sweet Shoppe (because ending a trip to the mountains with ice cream is a must, obviously).
Em has started standing (with help), and even though it literally pains me how quickly she’s growing up, I’m so, so proud of her.Like I said … ice cream! It’s a must …Ending the day with laughs.
After our busy Sunday in Frisco, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about actually getting out the door on Monday with all three girls like I planned, but Lotte happened to have the day off, and I was determined to make it work. So we packed up the car, and I headed to the Denver Zoo with my girlies.
Lucky for me, Lotte was more than happy to help push Grace, since I had Em strapped to me the whole time.
We had our ups and downs on this little outing, but overall, I’m so grateful that I have a flexible job that allows me to do fun and spontaneous things like this with my girlies.
Heading to the Zoo first thing in the morning is without a doubt the best time, we’ve found. It’s less busy, of course, but also the animals are always out and about!We did something new on this trip, which was to feed the Lorikeets! So. Much. Fun!Gorgeous!We road the train, too, which as you can probably tell by these faces is one of our all-time favorite Zoo activities.Happy place.
Anyway, a very happy and healthy start to the week to you, my dear friends! I hope whatever craziness you’re getting up to right now, that your able to take a beat and enjoy the little things, too.
The smoke from wildfires in the West have made it pretty gross outside in Colorado, but we still made the most of it when we had some besties visit from New York last weekend.
I used to think that it was preposterous to even think about school/fall/the end of the year before Labor Day, but as Instagram has taught me, it’s actually fairly common for schools around the country to start before then. Here in our little slice of Colorado heaven, Lotte will be starting kindergarten (SOB) and Grace will be back to preschool starting next Tuesday.
Le sigh. Summer, where did you go?
Besides our big ole’ road trip and Lotte’s 5th birthday, this summer has been but a blink. We’re looking forward to the girls getting back to school (even though they loved summer camp!) and seeing all their old friends, and we’re hopeful that this school year will see some semblance of normalcy. There will be masks, of course, but if we can just keep the kids in school, that would be such a blessing.
Again, le sigh. The world we live in these days.
Anyway, we had one of my good friends and her daughter — Lotte’s best NYC friend, she informed me — visit last weekend, and today was the girls’ last day at summer camp. We’re soaking it in, and keeping our fingers crossed for the fall future.
Bis bald, friends!
Lotte had the best time trying out track this summer, and we had the best time watching her!2nd and 3rd place in her races … wahoo! We didn’t get around to our annual paddle out on Standley Lake yet, but we did pal around the lake quite a bit, which is always a delight.There were a lot of porch hangs, as well <3And a LOT of cuddles with this treasure…Peak summer vibes right here.We went to a children’s concert in Boulder when our NYC friends visited, and it was so stinkin’ cute!Taking it all in while avoiding the crowds, something I’m sure you’ve all come to excel at, as well. Smokey mountain views.Someone thoroughly enjoyed her first concert experience!Dad and daughter <3Our “strolley” (as Chris lovingly refers to the collapsible Radio Flyer we have) is such a game-changer every single place we go. Fine, Chris, I admit here, in public, that it was a great purchase!Fiona brought flower crowns for Lotte’s birthday!The sweetest!Nothing says summer quite like a run through the backyard sprinklers.We headed into Golden and hit up the Golden Mill one of the days that Carla and Fiona were here. This place is quickly becoming one of our must-hit spots for guests.The ice cream there is a must!This trio agreed …These guys were just the sweetest … even given the occasional complete meltdown 😉Carla and I were roommates our freshman year of college, then worked one street away when we both started our careers in Manhattan. Now her daughter is five months older than Lotte and her son is two months younger than Grace. Love her to stinkin’ bits!I don’t know what they were judging here, but something about this photo is very sweet to me.We saw so many people tubing down the river while in Golden. It was very fun to sit in the park and shovel ice cream into our faces while watching other people exercise.Last day of summer camp calls for cute summer dresses!G sure does love a chocolate treat.This one <3
As you can see from that first photo, most of us were unhappy about this …
Actually, Chris and I went back and forth quite a bit about extending our trip. We had booked refundable places to stay on the trip back, exactly for this reason. Ultimately, though, we decided to keep things as they were. We had jobs and summer camp and track practice and a home to get back to, as much as we would have liked to have stayed for longer.
It was Em’s first Fourth of July, and she spent it in the car! She didn’t seem to mind 😉
After saying goodbye to our family (we hope to see you soon!), it was a “short” four-hour trip to our hotel in Pennsylvania. Even though we arrived late, a super-wired Grace caught some fireworks at the end of the night with Chris. The next day we took advantage of the awesome indoor pool and grabbed some breakfast before heading out.
One of my favorite photos from the trip was taken at a gas station on our way to a hotel … go figure.This random pic at another quick rest stop was another gem <3We love hotels! (And are also very excited to be out of the car!)I mean, look at this awesome pool!So fun!Naturally, I enjoyed from afar 😉Fun with luggage trolleys.
After pool time and breakfast in PA, we loaded up the car again and headed to our next stop — a playground/picnic and then a splash pad, both in Ohio.
This playground in Ohio was so cute, and totally empty!We only stayed here for a quick run-around and to have a picnic, but Emilia approved. We drove about an hour from the playground to this random splash pad in Ohio. It was on the smaller side, but on a 90+-degree day, it definitely got the job done! Splash pads and playgrounds really take it out of ya! And we were off … again!Thanks Ohio … we’ll see ya later!
World’s Biggest Things — The Stop We Never Knew We Needed
The rest of the trip — about four hours — to our Airbnb in Vandalia — was a bit rough, if I’m being honest. We were all pretty over the car, somehow both tired and wired, at the same time. Luckily, about an hour outside of Vandalia, we saw a sign for some of the Big Things in the Small Town of Casey, Illinois, and made the split-second decision to pull over.
Man, oh man am I glad we did … because how much fun are these?!
Who knew big things could be so much fun?!It was late, and starting to get dark, so we couldn’t see everything, but what we did see was so. much. fun!World’s biggest rocking chair! (Allegedly …)This is the world’s biggest wind chime!Next was the world’s biggest golf tee!Then onto the world’s biggest mouse trap?! I don’t know, but we loved it all!What would it be like to write with the world’s biggest pencil?I don’t think this was part of the actual attractions, but at this point in our trip I sure didn’t mind seeing my kids contained somewhere I wasn’t 😉Checking out the world’s biggest mailbox!There was a fountain behind the mailbox where you could throw in coins and make wishes. Bet you could guess what my wish was! (Hint: Getting to our next destination quietly was involved …)Such an adorable town, and definitely worth a stop on your way by it!
Coffee, Dragons and Arches
After our pit stop in Casey, we still had a couple hours to our Airbnb in Vandalia, but luckily the stop did what it was meant to do — wear the kids out! They all fell asleep on the ride to Vandalia and, luckily, this Airbnb was glorious. Three bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a fully stocked kitchen with drinks and snacks. It was exactly what we all needed after a full day of travel.
This cutest little drive-through coffee shop — Shimoji Coffee — on the way out of Vandalia was so lovely!The Kaskaskia Dragon is easy to visit on your way out of Vandalia! You can grab some coins at the store across the street to make him actually breathe fire!About an hour later, we were at The Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Chris and I visited the Arch on our drive out to Denver from New York when we moved here, but it has since gotten an upgrade to National Park status. The museum is amazing now, and the grounds have even gotten an upgrade. It’s definitely worth revisiting if you haven’t been back in a while!The museum is so much fun!There are a lot of fun things for kids to do and see, too.
After our Arch pit stop, it was back in the car for a few hours, until we stopped for gas and went for a quick detour for treats at the Ozarkland General Store…
One of each, please!After Ozarkland it was on to Topeka, Kansas, where we stopped for dinner at The Pennant. This restaurant was perfect, because it had games and bowling and plenty of run-around space for the girls. Plus, it was right downtown, which was fun to check out!
Downtown Topeka, Kansas fun!
After dinner we had a couple hours to our hotel in Oakley. We picked that particular hotel because it was just a few hours from there to our home in Colorado, and we needed to leave early Wednesday to get back.
Grace, exhibiting perfectly how we all felt waking up early on Wednesday to head home after our whirlwind trip.
And that, as they say, was that, friends! After countless miles, five hotels/Airbnbs and 11 states, we were back where we started! Being home felt lovely and completely odd, all at once. We are so grateful that we were able to have this experience, to see our people and to check out so much of the U.S.
At the end of the day, we wouldn’t have done anything differently … except maybe pay more attention to the rules of Dramamine earlier on in the trip. Sorry, Grace!
The Details
Here’s a quick look at all the places we stayed, visited and ate at during this leg of our trip:
Now for the super fun part … the money! We likely would have spent less money on this trip had we flown, even factoring in the cost of the flights. Gas is incredibly expensive right now, which was one factor. We also decided ahead of time that we didn’t want to scrimp on this trip. After not traveling for more than a year, we wanted to stop where we wanted to stop, eat what we wanted to eat, and stay where we wanted to stay.
And it worked out because, like I said, we wouldn’t have changed a thing. Here’s how our finances broke down. We spent:
Hotels: $1581
Gas/Tolls/Parking: $770
Food/Groceries/Entertainment: $1112
Miscellaneous: $250
The grand total on this trip was almost $4,000 which, of course, is a lot of cash. Considering everything we did, though — including places stayed, food ate, things visited — for five people, it really wasn’t all that bad.
Plus, as the kids say, YOLO, my friends … YOLO.
And that was our trip! I hope each and every one of you — who has made it this far in this post! — has something equally as adventurous and amazing planned for the summer. Until next time, friends … bis bald!
This was the gorgeous view from the hilltop at the wedding we attending on July 3rd.
The night before we started our trip home, we attended my brother-in-law’s sister’s wedding at her fiancee’s family farm.
Wright’s Farm is the sweetest little family run farm in Gardiner, New York. They don’t typically hold weddings there, but they do have a brewery, apple and pumpkin picking and a farmer’s market. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area.
Cute as it is normally, attending a wedding there is next level! Unfortunately they don’t normally do events, but fortunately for us, we were able to attend this one because the bride just happened to be my brother-in-law’s sister. Lucky us!
The cocktail hour started at the bottom of the farm in the brewery, which is run by the groom (and his now-bride!). They had live music throughout the day, which was very on-brand 😉After the cocktail hour, guests were sent up the hill to the tent for the ceremony. Although the forecast for the day was dreary, the afternoon/evening ended up being gorgeous, with no rain and, maybe even better, no beating sun. It was a perfectly lovely, overcast evening for a perfectly lovely wedding.There’s nothing like a beautiful wedding with some of my favorite people. Every last detail of this wedding was so pretty, from the location and music on down to the table settings and the food.I love a good tractor picture!My younger sister was in the wedding, and my older one attended as a guest, as well.Grandpa Robert was there, too!We loved the venue, what can I say?!Andddddd … we like to party!The perfect ending to a wedding that takes place the night before the Fourth of July? Fireworks, naturally!
That, my friends, was the farm wedding in a nutshell. There were so many more amazing details I could have captured, if I weren’t too busy having fun 😉
Bis bald, friends! I’ll be back tomorrow with this road trip finale … our 3-day car ride back home!
I should start by saying that the ride out to the farm was less than optimal. (Think lots of things going wrong, including traffic and car sickness … it wasn’t our best ride …) So by the time we arrived, we had all about had it. The farm itself was very sweet, with lots of rescued animals for the girls to fawn over and fall in love with. I, however, was ready for a delightfully decadent shower, or perhaps even a lovely bath.
That wasn’t going to happen here.
Staying on the farm is a unique (and ultimately worthwhile) experience, but it’s important to know what you’re getting into. I’d liken this stay to “glamping,” since there was a roof over our heads and running water, but it wasn’t fancy by any means (nor is it advertised as such … that’s just what I was hoping for at that particular moment in my life.)
Once we started to get over the effects of our gross ride, things got better. It was actually very sweet to see the girls react to the animals, to eat a picnic dinner on the table by the lake, to watch the fireflies outside next to a campfire and to fall asleep to the sound of bullfrogs, and all the other nature surrounding us.
The farm is right next to the cabins on the property, so we walked over pretty much as soon as we arrived.After this trip Grace won’t stop asking for a cat, while Lotte has her heart set on a dog. Either way, I’m not ready for a new pet, so here’s hoping they forget soon!I do love a cute barn scene.There are a ton of animals on the farm that are being rehabilitated from less-than-optimal settings. The girls loved being able to feed and pet them all.Too cute. This was the view right outside our cabin, and the girls couldn’t wait to get out on the water with Chris the next day!That quiet life.Taking it all in.I made Chris stay near the cabin on his run that night (hah!), but this view wasn’t too shabby!Like I said, the girls were ready to go the next morning!
In all honesty, we decided to stop off in Pennsylvania — and in this area in particular — because my sister and I are considering getting a lake house together and we’re scouting spots. We love the idea of getting a place together where our kids can grow up and visit throughout the year. Living far away from family is hard, but if we had a place like that — and a trip like that — to look forward to every year, it might be just a little bit easier.
After our one-night stay in the cabins, we decided to check out Hawley, PA and the cute zoo — Claws “N” Paws Wild Animal Park — in the area. We only got to spend a couple hours in Hawley, but I can tell it’s a very cute area, so we definitely plan to be back!
Livin’ her best life, always!Lotte was thrilled they had lions, as they are her favorite animal 😉These cuties <3So much to explore!
After the zoo, we were finally on our way to upstate New York, where we would be spending the rest of our trip. That included a stay at Grandpa Robert’s in Newburgh, one night at my sister’s in Middletown and one night at my aunt and uncle’s in Goshen. My aunt and uncle were kind enough to watch the girls for us while we attended a wedding, and we were forever grateful!
I’ll post separately about the wedding — because the beauty of it deserves a post all its own — but for now, here’s a bit of what we got up to in New York …
No visit to New York is complete without a stop in Equilibrium, Chris’s favorite brewery.Our stay with Grandpa Robert was delightfully chill, filled with barbecues and walks with Ranger.It was love at first sight for Emilia … not so much for Ranger!Me and my girl <3Grace and Ranger, on the other hand, had a love affair going on!Our last morning before leaving Grandpa’s.The girls had THE BEST time at my Aunt and Uncle’s! It was so sweet seeing them together, especially with Em, who they were meeting for the first time!Seeing Em with my sister for the first time on this trip was pretty special, too <3Cousin love. These photos were actually taken on the night Chris and I went to the wedding and my aunt and uncle watched the girls. I mean … look at that face!My aunt and uncle planned such a fun night for the girls — including cooking and campouts! — and we were so grateful. Taking fabulous care of our kids AND making homemade scones for us the next day? I mean … why did we ever leave?!
We always have the best time when we head back to New York, but it’s usually really hard to fit in seeing everyone who we want to see. Even though this was a quick trip, we got lucky and were able to cram a whole heck of a lot of visiting in. I am so grateful for all the memories we made with so many people we love. This was one amazing trip that we won’t soon forget.
The Details
Most of this portion of our trip included stays with family, but we did visit a few noteworthy places:
The Hawley Silk Mill is a cute little indoor shopping area that’s right next to Cocoon. After many iterations as a textile factory, silk factory and antique center, the factory has been repurposed into the shopping center that it is today.
Equilibrium Brewery is a fun place to check out if you’re in the Middletown, NY area (and if you like meat, which I don’t, but everyone says theirs is great!).
I’ll be back tomorrow with one of the most beautiful weddings we’ve been to. Until then … bis bald, friends!
Happy day after Father’s Day to all you dads out there! I hope you were thoroughly spoiled and had just the best time with your loved ones. We’re in full-on packing/planning mode for our trip over here, but we did manage to get out to celebrate Chris for a bit, which was lovely. It was bagels and presents in the morning, followed by a short hike/walk to New Terrain Brewing Company, then a movie and dinner ordered in.
Glorious.
Anyway, wish us luck as we continue to prep for our cross-country adventure! Any advice for long car trips with littles? Send ’em my way!
Bis bald, friends!
Chris went for a run in the morning and came home to three very excited little ladies .. and the presents they had painstakingly picked out for him 😉You can park about a half mile from New Terrain and walk to the brewery, which is always a lot of fun. You walk behind an archery course, a dog park and a bike park, so there’s no end of things to keep the kids occupied watching.Someone was particularly mesmerized watching the archersIt was Em’s first brewery experience, and she approved.The girls have also been happy to get back out into the world, I think. They’ve been pretty happy with the outings …Particularly where treat are involved!
Welcome to Friday, friends! This week felt … long! As I mentioned in this post about returning to normal, the more things we tack on to our calendar, the more time just flies by. Seriously. End of June, where did you come from? Summer? What happened to Spring?! But I digress.
Drinks and dinner at a new-to-me restaurant — American Elm, in Denver — with a friend earlier this week felt surprisingly normal and refreshingly wonderful.
The biggest thing we have coming up — other than Father’s Day this weekend … happy early Dad’s Day to all your wonder fathers and father-figures out there! — is our road trip out east, which commences next Thursday. I will be using this weekend to do all. the. things. That includes making approximately 1,000 lists and ticking each and every thing off methodically as I go along. Any other list-makers out there? It’s the only way I can seem to get everything done these days! (This Smarter Travel packing list is a good place to start …) I’ll head back over here soon to list out our actual plan for the trip — kid-friendly (hopefully!) stops we’ll be making on the way out and back, what we actually packed, etc. — but for now I wanted to hop on and say happy Friday/happy weekend/happy Father’s Day/happy Summer/and happy Juneteenth! However and whatever you’re celebrating this weekend, I hope you make it a great one.
Last weekend we tried out Westminster Center Park — also referred to as Peter Pan Park — for its playground area and splashpad. Even though the splashpad was smaller than we were expecting, the girls had THE BEST time, and the playground — modeled after the movie Peter Pan — was so adorable!Em enjoyed it, too!That itty, bitty face … gets me every time <3It’s been 90+ degrees here all week, which has meant lots of backyard, blow-up pool time for us!Chris planted two rose bushes the other weekend — one for my Grandma and one for my mom — and they are starting to bloom.Somewhere along the way, this little one turned six months old. It was Dads and Donuts morning at Lotte & G’s summer camp this morning … no better way to celebrate, if you ask me!
Living that post-vaccine life … or getting there, at least!
Happy almost summer, friends! This year we have … plans?! For things to do?! And how crazy does that feel after the year and a half we’ve all just had? I mean honestly, a friend of mine mentioned that after she got her first shot she expected balloons to fall from the ceiling and a marching band to play. Obviously that didn’t happen, but what did happen was that we’ve started, slowly, to return to what our life looked like pre-Covid.
Lunch at an outdoor restaurant in Golden when my stepdad came to visit a few weeks ago. It was the first time we had physically been to a restaurant in more than a year, and man oh MAN did it feel good!
It definitely took me a while to get into the swing of things, but I’ve now gotten my hair done, we’ve had dinner at an indoor restaurant and guests and playdates at our home. We’ve started to open our lives back up, and while that’s awesome and amazing and wonderful, there’s a small part of me that still longs for the quiet days. The older girls are in summer camp from now until school starts in the fall, Lotte has started track and we have a monster road trip planned from Colorado out to New York (and back!) to see family we haven’t seen in more than a year, to head to the beach for a couple of days and to attend a wedding.
All of this feels … almost too good to be true. And while I’m grateful to be able to do these things — see our family, most importantly — I’m also staring at our (overfilled) calendar and remembering the days when there was nothing on it but to hang.
So I propose a challenge, dear friends, to bring back the things that give you joy in your life when you feel comfortable doing so, but to also say NO to more things that don’t. That’s a tough thing to do — especially when it involves keeping your littles from doing things — but for me, at least, I think that’s the only way I’ll stay sane as we dip our toes back into life.
Bis bald, friends … and stay safe out there!
My birthday celebration back in April … I felt the same way the girls did about the cake, I just hid it better than they did 😉 Real Simple helped me with our Easter table this year, and I could not have been more pleased. Was it just me, or has anyone else out there become obsessed with home goods during lockdown, as well?Two of my three Easter bunnies <3Outdoor parks and playgrounds continue to be our preferred places to hang, but we’re slowly opening up to indoor playdates and dinner parties, too, which feels oh-so-lovely.Lotte went spring skiing with her dad again at A-Basin, and we even got her a season pass for next year. I love that she’s loving this sport, and I can’t wait until we can all go together as a family!We honored my Mom on the 5th anniversary of her death with a family Zoom and, of course, making her (in)famous cinnamon buns.The girls continue to find happiness in everything they do, which is truly the most inspiring.This crew has become very good at finding new playgrounds to enjoy … and Em is just along for the ride.My stepdad came to visit! We surprised the girls and they were SO EXCITED! It was truly adorable. Not to mention that Grandpa was the first grandparent that Em got to meet. It was a happy, happy time.We headed to Golden with Grandpa, which is one of our favorite spots to bring guests. It truly never disappoints. And we ate at a RESTAURANT! The Golden Mill just opened up along the creek, and it was so lovely to be out and about in a way that we hadn’t in so long.That outdoor beer life <3Emilia, taking in those mountain views.These girls are picnic pros at this point!Our little preschool graduate! Lotte is off to kindergarten in the fall, and honestly, I cannot talk about it … Lotte has also started track! Which of course makes Chris endlessly proud …Track star. Chris & I dressed the girls in their best purple for a little “hike” around Evergreen Lake this past weekend as part of an event that my alma mater — JMU — was sponsoring. It was so nice getting outside with them and sporting those JMU colors!Evergreen Lake views are pretty magnificent.Ever-the-rebel.The majestic mountain/water combo.Evergreen LakeThe perfect day for a lake walk.We also got family photos taken recently to celebrate adding little Em to our family, and I am SO HAPPY with how they all came out!Big & Middle, always being monkeys <3And our newest angel, who is truly just the sweetest child in all the world.Our trio <3 <3 <3Bis bald, friends! Hope your summer(ish) season is off to a great start!
Happy Tuesday, friends! I hope you all had a happy (and hopefully relaxing) holiday weekend. Chris & I took our lot to the mountains for a little getaway in Frisco, Colorado. We had only been there once before when we stopped for breakfast on our way back from Beaver Creek two summers ago, and I made a mental note back then that we would have to come back and stay for longer. Plus, spending one of the final summer weekends in the mountains seemed like a good way to top off a summer of adventures.
