A very, merry happy New Year to all you lovelies 😉
It’s that time again. An introduction. A blank slate. A chance to start over, continue being amazing, set new goals, or aim to keep the old ones. AND …. it’s reflect-on-the-past-year time, too. 2025 was a good travel year, for us, with lots of love, laughs, cuddles, and adventure. Here’s what we got up to.
January
In January, Chris and I booked it to Florida for a quick 48-hours so he could run his 10th marathon. We hadn’t been away from the girls overnight in about two years, so it was really quite fun to take that time <3
HOT TUB TIME!Chris ran his marathon in three hours and eight seconds. LEGEND.I was quite proud, to say the least<3
February
In mid-February, Steph, Rosalie and Robert flew out for President’s Weekend to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Rosalie’s 6th birthday. We had such a blast!
We saw Lyle the Crocodile!We checked out the Bubble Planet Immersive Experience in Denver!We went swimming at the Apex Center!Lotte, Steph & Ro got their ears pierced!We went to the Science Museum!Lotte sang the National Anthem at a CU basketball game with her school choir!
March
In March we headed off to Taos, New Mexico, for spring break! It was a new state for the girls, and we had such a blast.
New Mexico!We stayed in the most beautiful spot!Spring skiing is the best!Pottery at the Imagine Children’s Museum was an unexpected delight.Such a gorgeous trip <3
April
I posted an ode to winter at the end of April, with highlights including lots of Lotte choir singing at fun events, art exhibits, author events (both mine and other authors!), plays, fancy tea services, tons of skiing .. and lots more!
The Maurice Sendak exhibit at the Denver Art Museum!Lotte singing at a Rockies game!The Wiz at the Buell Theater in Denver!Easter tea at The Brown Palace in Denver was delicious!Lotte performed with her choir for a festival and we got to hang at Elitch Gardens!
Madeira Island, PortugalBarcelona, SpainVenice, ItalyDolomites, ItalyNuremberg, GermanyReims, FranceParis, FranceDisneyland ParisBruggeAmsterdamIreland
As if that weren’t enough, when Lotte and Grace had their horse camp canceled last-minute, I booked a quick trip back East for the week before Lotte’s birthday! Grace was meant to come, too, but after a month in Europe, girl needed some R&R at home, which was totally fine. She’ll catch NY next time round!
Solo NY trip with my girl <3We had a lot of good food and drinks AND a lot of time to chat, which was so much fun and so different from how it usually is. My brother-in-law was a doll and watched the twins a bunch, and Lotte & Ro entertain themselves, which left my sis and myself to our own devices on several occasions. I do not take those times for granted.Lake swims!Fun at the fairground!
August
I wrote a farewell to the Summer of 2025 covering the final few weeks of our break before we were back-to-school. It included a birthday, camp, a visit from our NY loves and one final out-of-town trip.
Phew. What a summer it was!
Just a couple’a cuties at the Denver Zoo.The Frisco Bay Marina always hits. Rainbows in the mountains? Can’t beat that.You also can’t beat a National Park. This one — Rocky Mountain National Park — is near and dear to our hearts.
September
September started with a bang when we celebrated Labor Day in our own Colorado backyard. Sunshine. Hikes. Moose. Bear. Glaciers. Lakes.
Oh, Colorado. You beautiful beast, you.
Gem Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
November
In November we hopped on the earliest flight possible to high-tail it to New York for the Thanksgiving holiday! We saw Wicked, had tea at the American Girl Doll store, drank hot cocoa in an igloo in Bryant Park, hung out with Bluey, deep fried a turkey … and so much more <3
Core memories, ya’ll.Hot cocoa and cocktails in a cozy igloo by the Bryant Park ice skating rink? YES PLEASE.Nothing beats it.
December
Less than one week after getting home from our New York Thanksgiving, we were back on a plane! This time, it was to Knoxville, for the AAU Youth Track & Field Championships, which Lotte ran with her team, the Colorado Coyotes. We were so stinkin’ proud of her, I could cry. Oh and also … how cute is Knoxville?!
Santa at the Sunsphere!SO PROUD OF LOTTE!Ice skating for the win!
And that was our near in a nutshell, friends! We had pretty amazing travel experiences and I never stop being grateful for all of it for even just one second.
I hope you all had a wonderful year … and cheers to an even better new one!
Oh Hawaii, you beautiful beast, you. We had the most amazing Christmas holiday with the grandparents here.
Happy Wednesday, friends, and happy “I-don’t-care-what-day-it-is-or-what-comes-next” time of year!
Actually, for those keeping score, it’s New Years Eve. So three cheers to another 365 days well lived (well, most of ’em, at least) and trips traveled and friends and family made/cuddled/loved and books read and things seen.
All the things.
We arrived back from our Christmas in Hawaii early yesterday morning and spent the day fighting off the jet lag/overnight-flight-no-sleep thing. But now that I’ve had a nap, I thought I’d get this blog post in. Although we specifically said when planning for Hawaii that we wanted to literally do nothing, literally doing nothing looks a little different with three kids. We stayed at the Hilton Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa, which was entertaining enough with its multiple pools, lagoon, outdoor movie nights, early morning yoga classes, hulu lessons, and more.
Throw in a few fancy dinner reservations, a Christmas luau and a whale watching tour and we had ourselves quite a busy vacay! No matter, though, because it was all incredible and exactly what we needed. The fact that Chris’ parents met us there was the cherry on top.
Here’s a bit of what we got up to!
Let’s start with the weather. Upper 70s/lower 80s and barely any rain? Yeah. I could get used to that.Hey, you know what’s festive? Hawaii during the holidays!Yup.
We arrived on Christmas Eve and had our first meal at Fresco Italian Restaurant. Their gluten-free Spaghetti Alla Pescatora was the perfect introduction to fish on the island (I think we had seafood for every single meal, often with breakfast being sushi from the ABC Store for Grace, who became obsessed) and the Mai Tai’s we ordered began our weeklong crusade to have as many as possible.
(Please see our trip to Europe this past summer for another example of ways we incorporate drinks into our travel experience. Ahem…. Aperol Spritz.)
My first Kona Coffee of the trip was from Chee Hoo Patisserie. I made it a cold brew with Macademia nut flavoring and never went back.Look at this pastry! (Also from Chee Hoo.) We certainly did not starve on this trip.Emmy had a malasada every day. She was livin’ the dream.We spent almost the entire day on Christmas at the beach/lagoon/pools! We rented … whatever these things are … and napped and snacked and sunbathed and splashed. It was pure heaven.Love my travel/beach-lovin’ girl!I mean, are we cute or what?On Christmas Night we attended the resort’s luau, which was even more than I could have asked for.The food and drinks were so good, and the entertainment and stories told were so fascinating. FIRE DANCING. ‘Nuff said.The girls were in awe!Except for Grace, who fell asleep.Then Nan & Poppa paid $60 for the images they took at the beginning of the event. So here is each. and. every. one 😉 Enjoy!Yup.Ooohhhhhh.Uh huh.And another!
The girls even ended their Christmas Day with a night swim at the resort pool. Not too shabby, if you ask me.
The next few days were beach, pool, lagoon, repeat. We bought snorkel gear and the girls saw tons of fish, too.Just the literal best in-laws anyone could ever ask for in the world ever.We did take a boat out one day to go whale watching!Sadly, this boat ride made me feel sick, which has never happened before! We did, however, see SEVERAL INCREDIBLE WHALES. So a little upset tummy was totally worth it!We saw rainbows, too <3We had a fantastic meal at the Bali Oceanfront restaurant on Friday night and had front-row seats to their Friday fireworks show!Lotte also discovered her love of Boba Tea.I discovered that there is no end to my love of poke bowl consumption.Chris & I left the kids with the grandparents one night and grabbed an early anniversary dinner out. We went to YA!! Sushi, which is this tiny, unassuming restaurant in the front of a hotel with the MOST INCREDIBLE SUSHI. We had the chef’s tasting and it was absolutely incredible. Even better than some of what we had in Japan.We also discovered our love of the ABC Stores on this trip 😉 They had sushi, shirts, sandals… everything you could possibly need for an incredible vacation!Ice cream on vacation just tastes different, doesn’t it?So friggin’ good.Dinner our last night was take-out on the beach. This also hits different than it would sitting at your kitchen counter at home.I even managed to drag myself out of bed for the 6:30 a.m. yoga session on the last morning we were there. It was hard! And I was so proud of myself.Red fruit pastries for the absolute win.Last-day paddle boarding.Of course I had a turn, as well. Well, I guess I should say I let Gracie give me a turn around the lagoon.
And that was our trip in a nutshell, friends. The perfect mixture of adventure and relaxation, and we will absolutely be back to Hawaii, that has definitively been decided. For now, though, we’re back in the mountains and we head to Winter Park this weekend for the girls to start their ski lessons, which they have every Saturday in January.
Life keeps movin’ friends, and we’re just along for the ride.
Nothin’ like a little early morning run/walk to kick off your Thanksgiving day of eating!
Happy Monday, friends!
I hope you all had a fantastic holiday filled with food, friends, and festive feels. (See what I did there?)
We were in New York and it was fabulous. Our flights were smooth sailing (I guess the trick is leaving on the first flight out in the morning, even if that means waking up at 2 a.m. to do it), we spent two fun-filled days in the city seeing the sites and hanging with friends and fam, and Chris got to tick off deep-frying a turkey from his Thanksgiving bucket list.
It was one for the memory books, friends.
Here’s a bit of what we got up to in photos.
No Thanksgiving trip back East is complete without a viewing of Wicked! What did you guys think? I know it got mixed reviews, but I thought it was fun and beautiful and a good way to spend an afternoon.We spent the afternoon after Wicked at Aspire Brewing with my aunt, uncle, and cousin’s daughter. We didn’t get a chance to see my cousins on this trip, but seeing those three was an acceptable substitute 😉The American Girl store in Manhattan was a VIBE. I think we spent something like four hours there on the Monday of Thanksgiving week! The dolls got their hair done (as dolls do), we wandered around and shopped, and we had tea at the cafe. (Which was shockingly good, I must say!) I mean look. Is it incredibly overpriced and silly? It sure is. Will the girls remember it for the rest of their lives? They sure will.I mean look at this place! Gorgeous.The city was just getting set up for Christmas, so of course we toured around a bit, too <3Who could pass up a candy cane display AND free candy canes?The Rockefeller Tree wasn’t lit yet and the Saks Windows weren’t decorated, but the things we did get to see were enough to make me very happy.While the big girls and I were in the city during the day on Monday, Chris & Emilia stayed back in Newburgh so Chris could work. They decided to grab dinner before heading into the city to avoid traffic, which meant that Chris finally got to achieve one of his dreams … dinner at the Alexis Diner. Hah! It’s an institution in Newburgh, so I’m glad he and Emmy both got to experience it, even if I wasn’t with them.We slept in the city Monday night at my friend’s Brooklyn brownstone, and then we hit up the Bryant Park holiday booths on Tuesday, including drinks and snacks in a Cozy Igloo at the ice skate rink! Look. Was it overpriced and was the food pretty terrible? Sure was. Was it incredible and super fun and something I would do over again in a heartbeat? YOU KNOW IT.Spending time in Bryant Park allowed us to stop into the New York Public Library, which is gorgeous and worth a visit no matter what, but the reason we were there was to see the original Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal (the one that inspired the beloved books and movies) and all of Pooh Bear’s friends!No visit to midtown is complete without Chris’ patented Grand Central Tour, which he taught to Grace and she can now give, as well!Then it was onto Emmy’s early birthday surprise .. Christmas with Bluey! CAMP has set up shop with an immersive experience for kids and it’s all decorated for the holidays, which was a lot of fun. I mean … how stinkin’ cool?!Then we high-tailed it back from the city to be with these monkeys … the REAL reason for our visit <3My brother-in-law’s co-worker hosted an informal Turkey Trot the morning of Thanksgiving, which was great because Lotte has some training to do!She even bought medals for all the participants, which I thought was the sweetest added touch.Then it was back home and time to prepare for a deep-friend turkey Thanksgiving! I don’t eat meat, but rumor has it this was without a doubt the best way to cook a bird. Love ya, sis <3Three little monkeys, sittin’ in the fold-out chair …We. Sure. Do.
New York just gets better and better as the girls get older and start to remember all the small details of our trips. Like, I’m sure Lotte and Grace will always remember visiting the American Girl Doll store (and are both still playing with the dolls I gave them more than a year ago even after we’ve returned home), but they’ll also remember the ladybug we found on Thanksgiving morning. Trying deep-fried turkey for the first time. Piling into the pull-out bed downstairs to watch a nature documentary. The slime they spilled all over Rosalie’s dresser and carpet. (Okay, maybe that’s not the most fond memory.)
I treasure these trips, not only for myself, but for my kids and the memories we’re creating.
Now we’re off to Knoxville, Tennessee on Thursday so that Lotte can run in the Youth National Championships for track. We’re so proud of the effort she’s put in this season. Whatever happens with the race, she’s already a winner in our minds.
What do you do when your kids’ horse camp is canceled last-minute?
Plan a quick trip back East, obviously!
Lotte and I are currently on our way home from a last-minute trip to New York, which is always the best time. Grace was meant to come with us, but after a month of traveling in Europe, my little homebody needed some R&R in Colorado. I promised her that she and I will have a Mommy-Daughter trip another time. Since Lotte’s birthday (!) is on Sunday, though, a trip for just the two of us worked out well.
We had such a great time.
We hadn’t been on a Lotte-Mom solo trip in so long. It felt so lovely <3 Love my girl with all my heart.Upon landing, Lotte’s first order of business was to get a Nathan’s traditional hot dog. Which she hated. Best laid plans.Then Grandpa and Mojo picked us up and we were off to upstate NY!My older niece didn’t know that we were coming. Seeing these two together is the sweetest thing.My sister had a reading for her book at the Gardiner Library on Tuesday, so Lotte and I got to see her in action! I even donated my own book to the library. I’m so happy to have a copy in New York!My brother-in-law’s parents have a pool, which we put to good use on Tuesday afternoon. We had the best weather on our trip!This frog was a big hit, obviously.Love ya, sissy <3I had a lunch date with my stepdad at Piccolo, which was so fun!Spent a lot of time getting this little nugget to love me, too <3Lotte went to camp with my niece on Wednesday and they drew these PERFECT self portraits of themselves 😉Dinner at Bone Yard Cantina Mexican was so good! And this Sangria was one of the best I’ve ever had. Hands down.We have fun.The coffee at Callie’s Cocktails were so good, too!We visited High Point State Park in New Jersey and swam in the lake.These girls are never not finding frogs!Love ya sissy <3My sister got the cutest penguin cake and penguin decorations to surprise Lotte with a little birthday celebration. It was so sweet!The Otisville Country Fair was a lot of fun! They had animals and rides and food trucks and local craft vendors. The kiddos had a blast!Lotte & Ro had a great time running amok on the rides. I can’t get over what a little dare devil Lotte (and Grace!) has become.Ridin’ high into Year Nine <3
And that was our trip in a nutshell! We had such a great time. We always do. Thank goodness Steph and the entire crew will be out to Colorado in less than two weeks. We sure do miss them.
Hello, friends! Welcome to my final Europe installment … Ireland!
It is so hard to believe that this trip has come to an end. All that planning and booking and prepping is over. And holy cow was it fun 😉 We stayed in this Airbnb about 30 minutes outside of Dublin, and the view was spectacular!
We stopped in at Rolling Donut before our Little Museum tour, and it was so good! They even had vegan options for Emilia!This tour was so good! They really catered to the kids — although it was amazingly fun for adults, as well — and was less than an hour, which was a really good amount of time for us.The U2 room was a hit 😉St Stephen’s Green Park was so pretty. Tons of greenery. Lots of fountains and lakes and ducks. It was quite lovely.Pretty.A Guinness in an Irish pub, obviously!We have thoroughly worn these girls OUT.The self-guided tour at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral was really interesting, and the church was beautiful.So pretty.We walked past the Dublin Castle on our way to dinner, which has a beautiful garden, too.Boeuf and Frites was a delightful steak house in the Temple Bar neighborhood, although there were ZERO options for pescatarians. Hah! I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for non-steak lovers.The Temple Bar neighborhood was bumpin!And so, so very pretty!The Ha’penny Bridge was fun to walk across.And back home to a nightcap. It was a great day.
Pretty and calming waterfall.The girls had a lot of fun exploring in this area for a bit.The Sally Gap Drive was incredible, and you go past this P.S. I Love You Bridge, which is in a very picturesque area and was used in the filming of the movie.How pretty!The water was freezing, but fun to dip our toes in 😉Then it was off to the beach! We had such beautiful weather while we were here, so of course the beach was packed. So much fun, though!Soft-serve with sprinkles on the beach. Summer made.Johnnie Fox’s had the most fun atmosphere. There was live music, tons of people, the funkiest decor and really good food.Yum.Did not regret this pasta with salmon and shrimp at all <3
And that, my friends, is that. Our trip. Done and dusted. Four weeks. Ten countries. ALL THE FOOD AND DRINK. So many memories. It was honestly the best time. And the fact that we had the grandparents with us just pushed it over the edge to amazing.
And now, excuse me while I sleep for the rest of the summer.
We arrived in our 9th country (the Netherlands, of which Amsterdam capital) of this trip in the late afternoon on Sunday and spent our two full days here exploring this insanely fun town. Amsterdam has a wild side, for sure, and I think because of that I enjoyed it even more.
Things we did here that I would highly recommend include:
Where we stayed: We had two triple rooms and one double room at the Conscious Hotel Museum Square, which is located a little bit away from the mayhem but still surrounded by plenty of things to do. The hotel puts a big emphasis on environmental sustainability, which is why I was drawn to booking it in the first pace. PLUS they gave me a bottle of champagne, some delicious fudge, and the sweetest note to congratulation me on Grace Retraces Her Day. How sweet is that??
How thoughtful is this note?And their cute little outdoor area in the back was the perfect place to toast!
Where we ate: We had breakfast at our hotel on Monday (which was great), lunch at ‘T Nieuwe Kafe and dinner at Esh Pitabar. Esh is a bit outside of the city center, but I would still highly recommend it if you love Mediterranean food, and ‘T Nieuwe Kafe was perfect for an outdoor spot right in the center of things.
Their salmon salad was so good!Nothing but pride over here for this INSANE table of food!
What we did: A few of our favorite activities include the NEMO Science Museum (this was fantastic for kids and adults alike, we could have spent all day there!), Tony’s Chocolonely (this place is so cool! It focuses on sustainability for cocoa farmers and you can make your own chocolate bars, but it was PACKED! I would suggest going early …), the flagship LEGO store (which had everything, including trivia games and demonstrations and building stations … no wonder it had a line to get in the door!), the Sam & Julia Mouse Mansion (which is a sweet little store with model houses for a famous Sam & Julia Mouse story from Amsterdam) … and of course just wandering the streets!
The human body floor at the NEMO Museum was my favorite!So much to learn!Cheeky cuties <3To-die-for churros!So much chocolate at Tony’s!Pigeons have become a real obsession on this trip.The LEGO store was so much fun! Beauty around every corner.<3<3<3Such a cute little shop to add onto your Amsterdam tour!
On Tuesday we had another full day. We took a tram from our hotel to the De Plantage neighborhood of Amsterdam and had lunch at the de Plantage cafe. Then we checked out ARTIS, the Amsterdam Zoo, which was right next door. After that we hoofed it over to the Van Gogh & Rembrandt immersive experience in an old church, and had dinner at Trattoria Koevoet just a couple of streets over.
This restaurant was so beautiful, and the food was as beautiful as the atmosphere.And the zoo is right next door! It was such a beautiful zoo, too. I would highly recommend for littles who are sick of culture and art and city life 😉Look at these cuties!The butterfly house was a big hit!Classic <3The Van Gogh & Rembrandt immersive experience was also great for kids who might not be interested/able to make it through the actual Van Gogh museum. If you really want to see some Van Gogh art, though, I would recommend the actual museum, which my in-laws did and loved. Trattoria Koevoet is a tiny, old-school Italian restaurant with a lot of character. The food is so good. I’d recommend it after the Van Gogh immersive experience, since it’s about a four minute walk, but be sure to make reservations!Amsterdam, we <3 you.
And that was it. Amsterdam in a nutshell. Tomorrow we’re off to Country No. 10, our final stop. Ireland. We are both excited and exhausted. Glad to heading home, sad for the trip to be ending. All the feelings. But for now, I look forward to exploring one final new place. Until then … bis bald, friends!
After missing our first train out of Paris, we caught one an hour later (they said it was standing room only, but we luckily got seats), had a short pitstop in Brussels, and were on our way to Bruge!
Farewell, Paris! It was so much fun!
We stayed at a very fun Airbnb just outside of the city center, which was great for our family.
Nan & her traveling ladies <3
We were pretty exhausted the first night, so after dinner at The Grilloir Bistro (which was so tasty, and had the prettiest courtyard!), we called it a night.
Grandpa makes a comfy pillow!
We hit the ground running on Friday, as we always do on our first day in a city. We walked six miles, had a brewery tour and lunch at De Halve Maan (amazing tour and fantastic lunch, terrible service), went to the Choco Story museum (it was so much fun learning about the history of chocolate, and a presentation at the end showed us how they make their famous pralines), had a horse and buggy ride with a great guide who told us a bunch of history (Lotte and I noticed the day before that everyone seems to have fabulous doorknobs here, and it turns out that’s because the doorknob is the only part of the house people are allowed to personalize … how fascinating is that?!) and ate waffles for dinner from Chez Albert.
What a beautiful day.
I took so many door photos. I was obsessed.Chris and I went for a morning walk — a favorite part of this whole Europe trip — and found a coffee shop for breakfast.Walking into the city center along the canal was so much fun!So many core memories made on this trip.We saw so many swans and baby swans!There were so many natural drinking fountains around the city, too, just like everywhere else we’ve been. Look at this insane town square. Mind blown.I cannot with the flowers all around the doorframes. Such good beer at De Halve Maan Brewery!Even better food!Yes, our waiter forgot us, and yes, we waited 45 minutes just to put our order in. STILL WORTH IT.Glorious.Is there anything cuter, though?No. No, there is not.The Choco Story Tour was a lot of fun!They had a photo booth at the end that you could take photos at that they emailed to you 😉The pralines that they made at the end were to-die-for.Our horse tour around town was also super fun! 70 euros well spent.Waffles for dinner. Duh.This seems to epitomize the attitude here, and I love it.
On Saturday, we rented bikes! Chris and I have always liked to rent bikes in new cities where we visit, and this was the first time we’ve been able to have Lotte and Grace ride with us. It was so special.
We grabbed ours from Ben’s Bikes in the center of town and rode about 30 minutes to the adorable town of Damme, then rode the Lamme Goedzak canal boat back. Emilia rode on the back of Chris’ bike for the first time in her life (she loved it, I was stressin’), my in-laws rode e-bikes, and the big girls rode their own bikes the whole way! We were so proud of them!
Ready for bikin’!I could not be prouder of this girl and her middle sister — they did such an amazing job riding!Treats before the ride, obviously.This girl had one big fall, and she picked herself up and kept right on going. Rockstar. The views along the way were stunning. So serene and peaceful.We ate at De Knotwilg, the sweetest little restaurant in town with tons of old-school games that kept the girls busy the entire time. Andddddd ice cream on the way out. Obviously.Look at this cute ferry that took us home!They even had drinks you could order while you enjoyed the prettiest ride.My girl <3And that’s a wrap on Bruge Bikin’!So many doors of Bruge today!
And that’s a wrap on Bruge! What an adorable, quirky, fun, romantic, serene, wild town. I want so badly to come back here. But for now, we’re on to country No. 9 … Amsterdam! Until then, friends, bis bald!
I mean, amazing, but also … hot! There were heat advisories on both Monday and Tuesday which, of course, were the two days that we had our biggest outdoor plans. But you know what? Heat. Be. Damned! We did ’em anyway! And yes our faces were flushed and we drank our body weight in water (and champagne and Aperol Spriztes) and sweated it all out as soon as we drank it … but it was a damn good time 😉
Chris’ mom came to visit us when Lotte was three months old and when she would change Lotte’s diapers she would read from the world ABCs poster above Lotte’s changing table. The “P” was for Paris, and Nan used to say that some day she would bring Lotte to Paris to visit.
Dream trip complete.
We stayed in an old hotel-turned-Airbnb about 30 minutes outside of Paris, which was so much fun for our crew!Look at these cuties, all ready for adventures and Bucket Lists and all the things!<3<3<3I’m honestly so proud of how these girls handled the day, considering that it was sweltering.We paid to head all the way to the top, and it was a delight. Seriously, the crowds were way less, and it was breezy and shady and beautiful. Totally worth it. If you want to head to the top, check the website and note the day that tickets open up, because they sell out FAST. Like, Taylor-Swift-concert fast 😉Those views!I cannot.Plus … champagne! For the price of your first-born’s college tuition, you can get a glass 😉Worth it.Chris, Emilia, Grandpa & I walked down from the 2nd floor observation area, which was actually a lot of fun!A well-deserved lunch afterwards. The place we stopped didn’t get great reviews so I won’t link it, but for us, the proximity to the Tower was worth the price tag. (And it was a HEFTY price tag!)This ended up NOT being vegan and DID give Emilia a small reaction. But at least in the moment she enjoyed it.Tuesday was … Disney Paris Day! We had the best time!
It was about 100 degrees on the day that we visited Disney Paris, and while yes, that’s insane, I also thoroughly believe that spending a sweltering day at Disney was far better than it would have been to be in the city of Paris. Disney just does everything well. The rides were air conditioned. The restaurants were air conditioned. They had water stations and misters and there was plenty of shade. It just really wasn’t as bad as you would imagine a 100-degree day spent outside would be.
These cuties.Pinocchio with Nan and Poppa! We ticked off SO MANY rides and I was so proud of our entire crew!Macaroons and the It’s a Small World ride. Perfection.Walking through Alice’s Maze was the best!Top of Alice’s castle.Colonel Hathi’s Outpost was the perfect mid-day pitstop. Cold. Dark. Humongous enough for the kids to run around in. Emilia loved the Star Tours ride!We hung out around our cute town on Wednesday (the Disney Drag is REAL!). The Wednesday market near the church — which is open until 1 — is a do-not-miss!We went to the market in the morning by ourselves, then came back later in the day with the girls to have them splash around in the sprinklers for a while.Ice creams and Aperol Spritzes to finish the day, obviously.
France, what can I say? You were above and beyond. Despite the heat, we had the best time. And now we’re on to Country No. 8 … Belgium! I’m so excited to stay in Brugge. I’ve heard the best things? Has anyone stayed there before? I’d love to hear!
My babies in the Germany town where I was born. The absolute best.
Hi friends! Welcome to the insane drive portion of our summer in Europe. We left the Dolomites around 6 a.m. on Friday to begin our journey to Paris, which would take us two days and include several stops along the way.
Most of the time the drive was stunning.
Our first stop was Innsbruck, Austria, for a park runaround and some sugar to wake us up.
Rapoldi Park was so much fun! It was huge, had beautiful gardens, a cafe, duck pond, and two playgrounds.Duck pond!Back at it!
Our second stop was the Chinese Beer Garden — located in the English Garden — in Munich. Chris and I had been here with his parents the last time we were in Munich, and Chris had such amazing memories of the food that we had to go back!
So pretty!YUM.This girl truly came into her love of meat on this trip!The merry-go-round was a hit!
Then we were off to our final stop of the night: Nuremburg, where I was born! Hotel Victoria was so perfect. Right at the beginning of the town center, and with a beautiful breakfast included in the price.
I couldn’t believe I finally made it to my birthplace with my girls!
It meant so much to me to be in Nuremburg with my babies! I hadn’t been back since I lived there as a kid, either, so it was truly a special night.
Oh Germany. I love you.We walked up to the Imperial Castle, which had amazing views of the city.Emilia basically ate pretzels the whole time. Le sigh.Twinning <3Core memories made, for sure.
After a 6-hour road trip back in the car on Saturday, we arrived in Reims, France! Our Airbnb was super close to the town center, so we went exploring right away.
Watermelon in our French courtyard.Reims, you are so super cute <3Obviously this carousel was a hit!Grace is a bit over photos. No one tell her we have two weeks left …Dinner at Brasserie Le Gaulois was SO GOOD. Breakfast was obviously of the bread and pastry persuasion.We toured a little bit around the Champagne region on our way out to Paris.Such a beautiful area of the world!
And then it was a little under two hours to our next stop … our Airbnb in France! But, that’s a story for another time 😉 Until then, bis bald, friends!
Look, here’s the thing about amazing Venice. Every single place is fantastic. So I literally took no notes of names. Not for restaurants. Not for shops. Not for drinks. Any and everywhere you eat or go here will be … fantastic.
Chris and I were so happy to have this time in Venice, not only because the grandparents were here to help give us some time alone, but because the last time we were here it was for one night, and our experience was very different. We had the best time this trip around. Here’s a bit of what we saw and did …
Taking a private water taxi from the airport to your Airbnb sets the bar pretty high.Chris and I took pretty much the entire day by ourselves to explore and eat and drink while the grandparents took the girls to see …Glass blowing! They had the most fun!This city is otherwordly.Breakfast both mornings. YUM. We never got there early enough to try the pistachio croissant, but the honey, chocolate, and cream ones were a delight.We had lunch and our first Aperol Spritz of the day at the fanciest restaurant with a live quartet playing. Who even are we??I call this one artsy in Venice 😉Le sigh.Rooftop bar + second Aperol Spritz = Perfection.There was a third Aperol Spritz in there somewhere, but I guess I didn’t deem it worthy of a photo 😉 We DID take an evening gondola ride, though, and that was so dreamy.<3<3<3After an insane dinner, we capped the night off with gelato in the square. The best.Even though it was only two nights, we truly packed it in.
Venice, thank you for putting on a show for us. We loved every second of it. (P.S. Can’t recommend our Airbnb enough. It was totally in the heart of things, but also so solitary and quiet. Perfect for both things.)
After we checked out of our Airbnb we took another water taxi to our rental car and drove three hours to .. the Dolomites! We’re here now, and it is so incredibly gorgeous. As I always say, I can’t wait to explore. Until then, friends … bis bald!
The weather in Denver has been less-than-springlike. (Well, with the exception of just this past weekend!) We’ve had snow two of the past three weekends, and it’s barely gotten above 60 degrees for more than a day or two at a time. Not that I’m complaining.
(Okay. I’m complaining a little.)
I’m just sayin’ … spring, if you ever feel like showing up, we wouldn’t be sorry!
In the meantime, here’s a bit of what we got up to over the winter.
Ski, ski … & more ski! The girls and Chris skied more than 10 times this season, and Lotte & Grace even did their first black diamond runs! I’m so proud of how hard they’ve been workin’ on their skin’ skillls <3I even managed to get out with the fam a few times, which was so much fun!Emilia completed four ski lessons this season, but has yet to decide if she actually likes it. Her instructor recommended snowboarding, so maybe we’ll try that, next.We skied with our neighbors/friends a bunch, too, which was always the most fun <3Back in January we went to a Maurice Sendak exhibit at the Denver Art Museum.It was so cool! We particularly loved the interactive elements.I love these curious little kiddos <3In February, Lotte sang The National Anthem with her school choir at a CU Buffs women’s basketball game.AND she made it to the jumbotron!In April, she sang The National Anthem with her school choir for an opening weekend games for the Rockies!Some cutie friends joined us for the game <3And we stayed at an amazing hotel for a press trip for the weekend … stay tuned for more info 😉Just this past weekend, Lotte sang in the Choir in the Park festival and we got to hang at Elitch Gardens. We had never been, and it was so much fun!This was one of the few springlike days we’ve had lately, and we were HERE. FOR. IT!I had so many amazing events for my kid’s book, “Grace Retraces Her Day”! This is me at the Junkyard Social Club in Boulder …At the St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Olde Town Arvada …Getting ready to read at a story time for My Gym …Reading to the animals (and kids!) at Lil’ Buckeroo’s Petting Zoo in Erie, CO …Reading to all the classrooms at the Kiddie Academy …And us at the 20th Anniversary Kite Festival in Arvada!I took the big girls to an event sponsored by the Boulder Bookstore where we got to hear cartoonists Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud talk about their new graphic novel, The Cartoonist Club.We saw The Wiz at the Buell Theater in Denver!We had afternoon tea at The Brown Palace for Easter and it was so yummy!Same girl. Same.We do fancy well 🙂
And that’s about it, friends. It’s been … busy. To say the least 😉 But such a blast.
I have another book event coming up on May 7th at the Boulder Bookstore. If you’re local, I’d love to see you there! Sign ups can be found here.
And now, we focus on the end of the school year (four weeks left!) and our epic summer plans. It’s been real, winter … see on the flip side! Bis bald, friends!
Lotte performed the National Anthem at a CU Boulder women’s basketball game with her school choir!
And lots of cuddles and love, of course 😉
Brought these cuties to the airport with me to pick everyone up. We took our welcoming committee duties very seriously <3Love my sisterrrrrrrrrrrrr !And Grandpa, of course 😉Lyle the Crocodile at the Arvada Center was so cute! The play was adorable, and they had a little “how we make it come together” session afterwards with two of the actresses, and then they answered questions, too. Lotte & Grace got picked to ask questions and theirs were very good ones … if I do say so myself 😉Sunday was Rosalie’s birthday, and we had a Wicked-themed party that was so fun!Emilia couldn’t come with us to the Bubble Planet because she had ski lessons at A-Basin, but she made her own fun on the bunny hill 😉The Bubble Planet was great! The girls tore quickly through it, but it was still a really fun way to spend an hour on a cold day.Grandpa, takin’ one for the team!I’m a very cool aunt. This was probably our most favorite room.To infinity and beyond with this girl <3Trippy!Lots of love in this pic. They ended with a $10/person VR experience, which was sort of annoying. But Lotte, Rosalie, Grace & Grandpa really enjoyed it!Afterwards we went swimming at the Apex Center to say farewell to swim before Rosalie and Lotte got their ears pierced on Monday. It was SO BUSY, but the girls had a blast.This ropes course in the water was a particular hit 😉We ended the big birthday with a screening of Wicked in our movie theater room. The perfect topper!Lotte, Ro and my sis got their ears pierced on Monday! To be honest … Lotte was terrified 😉 She needed lots of pep talks and cuddles, but eventually, she did it!We requested to have it done at the same time. I wasn’t sure if she had one ear done at a time that she would actually get them both pierced!I was so proud of her for working through her fears! (Ro didn’t even flinch, hah!)Just a couple of pierced ear ladies <3Paddington (which was very cute) to celebrate!
The girls went back to school on Tuesday, but after we picked up Emilia from her half-day preschool class, Rosalie, Steph, Grandpa, Emilia & I headed back to Denver and to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
I’m glad that Emilia & Rosalie got to spend a little one-on-one time together while the big girls were in school <3The Science Museum is always a blast!The ladybug was of course a hit.We stopped by the new In-N-Out on the way home, too!Grandpa said it was only so-so 😉A quick hair salon sesh at night and that was it!
Rosalie and Steph left early Wednesday (tears), but Grandpa hung out one more day to catch Lotte sing the National Anthem with her elementary school choir at the CU basketball game!
So proud of these cuties!Jumbotron cuteness!
And now, it’s back to just us. Wah wahh. We miss our family, but so glad to have these memories.
Happy New Year’s Eve, friends! With the near arrival of a new year comes my favorite part of keeping up with this blog: Reminiscing about our adventures from the previous year.
It was a good one, friends. A real good one. Here’s what we got up to 😉
January
Ringing in the New Year in Iceland!
I love this blurry photo of the five of us, chillin’ in a hot tub in Iceland the morning before flying back to the states. Rounding out our European holiday adventure (and here!) with a last day in Iceland on Jan. 1, 2024 was the perfect way to start the new year. The rest of January was spent heading to the mountains each Sunday for the girls’ ski lessons (we made an entire weekend out of it here and here!) and reliving my reporter days with a travel event in downtown Denver.
These girls ROCKED their ski lessons this year! Lotte was even riding lifts by herself by the end. (Insert Mom’s terrified face here!)Drinking booze back at the lodge was a big hit for Mom & Dad during lessons 😉Snow tubing in Frisco was so much fun!I loved heading to the Convention Center in downtown Denver for the travel expo. It made me feel like I was young again, traipsing around NYC to report on events for my editors at various mags.
February
The absolute joy of a cousin’s get-together <3
In February I snuck away to New York with the two big girls for a surprise 5th birthday treat for my niece, Rosalie. We all had the best time. The girls got to run wild, stay up late and eat an insane amount of treats. I got to see my little baby twin niece and nephew who are growing up way too quickly, and my sister and I even snuck away one night for dinner/drinks on our own. Amazing.
The best <3We love a good surprise in this family!Someone wasn’t very happy to be leaving …
Delicate Arch trail!Mexican HatForrest Gump PointMonument Valley!The Grand Canyon!Horseshoe Bend was a stunning, last-minute addition to the trip!Bryce Canyon, in all her glory.And Capitol Reef National Park, which turned out to also be such a fun surprise addition!
April
My birthday month arrived so quickly! We started the month off with a bang, heading to Steamboat Springs for a press trip that was truly a delight.
Such gorgeous snow!Lotte & Grace had the best time skiing the fun runs on the mountain! Emilia … not so much 😉 We have faith that she will get there!
At the end of April, Chris took Lotte and Grace on his first-ever solo trip with them! They headed back to New York to visit LEGOLAND! Too much fun was had by all.
I’ll never get over this amazing photo 😉I’m so glad they got this special time!Those are some tired but happy kiddos!
June was such a special month for us, as we headed Down Under for the entire month. We started out in Sydney, headed to Canberra, flew to Melbourne, checked out Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island, met friends in Brisbane and then were back in Sydney for a few days before heading home. We even had a couple hours layover in Vancouver on the way home.
What. an. epic. time.
Cutest cousins on the beach!The Vivid light show was on while we were there, and it was so beautiful!Such a special place to be. The gang is all here for Auntie Kate’s wedding party <3Canberra, AustraliaVisiting the Australian War MemorialQuestacon was so much fun!An initial Melbourne fam meet-up at Queen Victoria Market.Melbourne street art!The Great Ocean Road was so wonderful. All the beaches were gorgeous, but the 12 Apostles were particularly delightful.Dinner with my Melbourne family was such a highlight <3We even checked out the fairy penguin parade on Phillip Island!Airlie Beach, AustraliaBeach Baby in the Whitsundays. No biggie 😉Ready to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef!Gorgeous, gorgeous Whitehaven beach.Hamilton Island was a dream!We swam with sharks and sting rays!Then it was onto Brisbane!Where we had a lot of fun <3We even got to meet up with my bestie from 2nd grade — and her mom! — when we flew back to Sydney before heading home. So. Amazing!Cheers to an amazing, amazing trip <3
July & August
We made the most of the rest of our summer after returning from Australia, that’s for sure 😉
We racked up the activities after getting back from Australia — concerts, camps, visitors and lots of swimming topped the list — and before we knew it, we had a 3rd & 1st grader, and little Emilia starting 1/2-day preschool!
We saw Billy Joel and my life was made!The kids loaded up on fun camps, including this one at a horse farm where they got in lots of riding.My sister and niece came to visit!So did Grandpa and Mojo <3Some of our NYC friends came to visit for a week, too, and the kiddos went to Muddy Buddies camp together, which was adorable!We swam a bunch, too <3
September
Hello, Hamilton!
In September I took a trip back to New York to see Hamilton with my sister for her birthday, and we went to Mexico as a family on a press trip. It was one for the books.
Taking in the sights the first night I was there.Spending time alone with my sister was definitely one of the best parts of the trip.One of my many NYC happy places — Bryant Park.
Just a couple of gals, lovin’ Mexico!Gorgeous beach.Delicious food.Fun features. ‘Nuff said!
October
We very much made the most of fall in Colorado this year. We went to the mountains a couple of weekends, visited Great Sand Dunes National Park and really just Halloween’d out. It was a delight.
Frisco fall.Right in our own back yard <3St. Mary’s GlacierGreat Sand Dunes National Park was gorgeous.Great Sand Dunes National ParkZapata Falls, CO
November
Such a fun start to the holiday season!
In November we headed out on our last trip of the year — back to New York to spend Thanksgiving with our friends and family. We had so much fun! We spent time in the city (including seeing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person and checking out the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Lightscape with friends), and upstate, with stops on the Polar Express (oh hey there, Santa!), seeing Wicked the movie and having a lovely holiday. We hope your holiday season was bright, as well!
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Lightscape with our crew.The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!Upstate with cousins!More family love!All. The. Family. Love!!!!
And that’s a wrap on the year, friends! It was a jolly lovely one, filled with so much friends and family … and travel!
Happy Monday, loves! I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving break. We sure did. Our holiday started with a 2 a.m. wake-up call last Saturday to catch our 5 a.m. flight to New York.
We love New York.
To be honest, landing at 10 a.m. NY time was delightful. Sure getting up early was annoying. But there was zero traffic to the airport. The airpot was *slightly* less crowded than normal (lots of people, it turns out, like traveling early), and the whole experience just felt less stressful. Landing early meant we were less stressed out about quickly grabbing our car and racing upstate to get the girls to bed. Instead, we had the whole day ahead of us.
Delight.
We packed it in on this trip! Some highlights were:
Sleepovers at Aunt Stephie’s house, Grandpa Robert’s house and Fiona and Jake’s house in the city
The Polar Express train ride in the Catskills
Seeing Wicked, the movie
Checking out the holiday lights at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
SEEING THE MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE IN PERSON!
Spending a relaxing Thanksgiving afternoon with family upstate
Brunch with more family on Friday
Our flight home on Saturday was at 6 a.m., so it was another early day for us. But landing at 8 a.m. MT meant we had all day Saturday and all day Sunday to rest and rejuvenate. Honestly, everything went as smoothly as we could have possibly asked for (including a broken down Christmas train and pouring rain Thanksgiving Day parade), particularly for the busiest travel week of the year.
Here’s a bit of what we got up to 😉
Gorgeous city views on our flight in, including …The Statue of Liberty!LGA is by far our favorite airport. It’s hard to get the girls to leave! We also saw a bunch of the marching bands arriving on their flights for the Thanksgiving parade, which was so much fun!
We surprised Ro with our visit on Saturday, and let the girls know they’d be heading to the Polar Express on Sunday with a cute hot chocolate bar my sister set up. Because she’s super cute.
Spoiled-but-happy kiddos 😉Love these cutie cousins!
The Catskill Mountain Polar Express train ride is so cute! The staff sings and dances, you get chocolate cookies and hot chocolate, and the decorations are top-notch. Yes, our train broke down. Hah! But even so, the staff did a great job keeping the kiddos entertained, and although we never made it to the “North Pole,” Santa did make it onto the train, which was really all the kids cared about.
Ready to ride!Matching pjs for the win.Too stinkin’ cute.My girl <3The holiday season has officially begun!
My sister worked a half -day on Monday, and then we grabbed Ro early from school and headed to see Wicked, the movie, with Lotte and Grace. I wasn’t sure how they would do with the 2 hour and 45-minute run time, but they loved it! We’ve been listening to the soundtrack ever since.
Popular. You’re gonna be pop-U-lar!
Wednesday was so much fun! Chris and I headed into the city early to hang with our loves Fiona & Jake (and their parents ;), and then my sister and Rosalie and Robert met up with us later to check out the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Lightscape. We had the perfect weather, and the kiddos loved running through all the beautiful lights.
So grateful for this crew <3We made ourselves right at home.Ro and Uncle Chris <3The show wasn’t too long, but it also was long enough that it felt worth the cost, since our kids basically ran through the entire thing.Definitely take time to stop and smell the flowers.And drink hot chocolate with snowman marshmellows!Love ya sis <3Love allllll these girls so, so much.Such a fun night!
Thursday was Thanksgiving! We had another early wake-up call — 5 a.m. — to leave Carla’s by 5:30 and be into the city by 6. It was absolutely pouring, but we got so lucky to find scaffolding that kept us warm and dry, and there was even a little ledge that the girls could stand on — away from the crowds — and get a good view of. A couple of tips from the day, if you’re ever thinking of doing this yourself:
Book your parking ahead of time. We found a garage at 60 W. 30th for $20 that was perfect.
Head to Columbus Circle/Central Park West, if you can. It was, we read, a less crowded spot, and had great views.
Get there by 6:30 if you want to be up-close. If you don’t care about that, getting there when it starts is fine if you’re willing to stand back behind the crowd and catch the floats from afar.
We read that strollers and umbrellas were not recommended, but having my sister’s double umbrella stroller was an absolute life saver for us. People also definitely did have umbrellas. Just something to think about.
Potties. Plan for them. They can be few and far between!
Ready for a rainy day parade!The turkey!Jolly Green Giant!Minions!Bluey!Dora!Such a wonderful way to start the day!There was even time to catch a nap on the ride back upstate 😉
We spent Thanksgiving afternoon with my brother-in-law’s family. It was super low-key and relaxing, with a tasty Thanksgiving dinner thrown in the mix.
I spent a lot of time on this trip trying to get this little girl to love me. Theo seemed to think I was okay. Arabella took a little bit more convincing!Brian’s sister Meg brought gifts for all the girls and made it into a fun little game. It was the sweetest thing <3Cousins at sunset.Grandpa!It was an incredible Thanksgiving, and one I am very grateful for <3
Friday was our last full day, and we spent it with a family brunch at my aunt and uncle’s place, followed by dinner at Grandpa’s.
A kid-approved spread!Uncle Brian made special muffins for Emilia, now that she can eat baked goods with milk and egg in them. All the kids were obsessed!Such a special day, hanging with our fam.More. Cutie. Cousins. How lucky are we to have so many loves?!
And that was it, friends. Our trip in a nutshell. We all headed back to Grandpa’s for one final dinner and to say our goodbyes.
This <3
Happy Thanksgiving, friends! That was our final trip/flight of the year, which is unbelievable. Now we settle in for the birthday/Christmas season, and all the craziness that brings. We’ve got our eyes (and wallets) set on the year ahead, and some hopefully super-fun things.
Until then, though … bis bald, friends, and happy holidays!
We sure did manage to live it up for these 7ish weeks, though 😉 Here’s a bit of what we got up to after heading back from Down Under.
Camps!
I feel like we really hit our stride with camps this year. Rather than sticking to the same exact one, we switched it up.
Two weeks at the Arvada Center — for four camps total — was just the right amount of time. Even Emmy got to join in on the fun!Horse/riding camp at the Community Farm was a huge hit! The girls loved farm life, were obsessed with all the animals and, according to their instructor, were amazing at riding. The big girls did a week-long bike camp with Pedalheads. Lotte improved on her skills, went on road and trail rides, rode to the park and the library and just generally had an amazing time.And Grace finally learned how to ride! Turns out, with the proper instruction, she picked it up super quick 😉The big girls finished out their camp excursions with some awesome visitors <3 They attended “Muddy Buddies” camp at the Majestic View Nature Center and TKTKTKTKT. Which brings us to ….These cuties <3<3<3<3
Visitors!
We love our summer visitors. This time we were SO LUCKY because we had Grandpa and Mojo, Aunt Stephie and Ro, and our New York friends Carla, Fiona & Jake (who did camp with the girls). We sure do have the best time showing our loves around our Colorado home.
I love when my sister is here <3Steph & Ro & Gpa were here for Lotte’s birthday, which was so. much. fun!On Lotte’s birthday, one of her friends from school was having a birthday party at a local pool that Lotte wanted to go to. That made it super easy on us!Ro & Em got some quality time alone when the girls were in camp. It was predictably adorable.We went to Big Soda Lake one day, which was SO HOT, but also lots of fun!Sister <3We had lunch at the aquarium restaurant the day before Steph & Ro flew out.And walked through the downtown aquarium itself as well!Having a dog in the house — Grandpa’s Mojo — was a lot of fun, too!Besides going to camp together, we showed Fiona & Jake some of our favorite spots. That included, of course, the Butterfly Pavilion.
Miscellaneous
When we weren’t camping it up or entertaining guests, we managed to have a lot of other fun, too.
Grace’s first concert, and Lotte’s second, was BILLY JOEL at Coors Field!! How cool/fun is that?!We had so much fun with these cuties <3We spent a weekend at Auntie Moe’s where we rode the Buckhorn Northern Railroad train and visited that quintessential summer institution … Dairy Queen 😉Dad had a date with Lotte at Meow Wolf!Dad had a date with Grace … at Meow Wolf 😉Mom & Emmy celebrated her last day of camp with a date at McDonald’s 😉We had neighbors over for the sweetest little birthday celebration for Lotte <3We continued our annual tradition of testing books for the Good Housekeeping Kids’ Books Awards. So many great ones this year!I took Emilia to what was likely her last-ever toddler story time. She was pretty over it. That is absolutely the end of an era for me. I CAN’T EVEN!Tie-dying tees was a huge success!Who doesn’t love an outdoor/backyard summer movie night situation?!
And now, we welcome the next season of this year. So far, it’s been a pretty great one, and I have a pretty good feeling about this school year, as well. We still have quite a few fun adventures planned before we say goodbye to 2024, but until then … bis bald, friends.
After one final morning with Kate & Tom in Canberra, our little fam loaded up for the hour-long flight from Canberra to Melbourne.
As a side note, the Canberra airport was a dream!
We landed around 3 p.m. on Wednesday and checked into our Airbnb (which had THE MOST spectacular view!), checked out the neighborhood a bit (this is such a great spot!) and grabbed sushi dinner from Sushi Jiro (which was phenomenal). Not a bad way to start the third leg of the trip.
How amazing is this view?? One of the tall buildings in the corner even put on a light show every half hour in the evening. Spectacular!Sushi with a view!There’s street art down every Melbourne alley, and it’s so much fun to spot!I won’t post every photo I took because, as you can imagine, it was quite a few. BUT HOW FUN?!Some of my Mom’s fam met up with us at the Queen Victoria Market, which was a lot of fun. I love this family <3Just look at these cutie kiddos!It just goes to show that distance can’t keep family apart.We had the sweetest first full day in Melbourne!I sure do love my sweet travel buddies <3<3<3Riding the City Circle Loop (the free tourist tram) was a real hoot.Federation Square was a very cool spot for artwork, food, drinks and to check out the Yarra River.
Friend meet-up in Torquay!Torquay was about an hour from downtown Melbourne, and such a fantastic first stop on our trip!Poppa!We saw the most insane competition at Lorne between elite search & rescue teams. It was seriously impressive.And got our toes wet on the beach, of course <3Look at this gorgeous drive!Apollo Bay was cold but so, so beautiful.So. Beautiful.After about four hours of driving, we made it to the 12 Apostles!What a gorgeous view.Two cuties <3<3This was the idyllic view from the deck of our cabin in Port Campbell.The Bay of Martyrs was our first stop on Sunday morning.The London Bridge was also so. cool. Part of it fell several years ago — the part that connected the two rock formations — so it was pretty special to see what’s still up.The Grotto was my favorite, I think. What an insanely cool spot!Gorgeous.Then it was back to the 12 Apostles beach area for a bit more sandy toed fun.
After spending a few more hours on the Great Ocean Road, we headed back to Melbourne, and had dinner with my Mom’s amazing family. I hadn’t seen them in over 10 years, but it was as if I see them every day.
My cutie Italian Melbourne fam <3But how cute are all these kiddos, though?!My grandfather passed away years ago, but what an absolute treasure to spend time with his 94-year-old sister, Rosina.On our last full day the girls wore ALL THE SWAG they got from my wonderful family the day before <3We stopped at the Caldermeade Farm and Cafe on our way to see the fairy penguins at Phillip Island, and it was so much fun! Cute farm animals. A fun playground. Watching an assembly line of cows getting milked. What’s not to love?!Grace and Lotte’s abilities to sit through photos really started to wane about now. Fair enough. These kids have been AMAZING!We made it to the Phillip Island Fairy Penguin Parade! Phillip Island is about two hours from our Airbnb, and totally worth the drive! The penguins make the trek every evening around sunset from the ocean to their resting nests, and it is absolutely one of the best things I’ve seen in my life!You’re not supposed to take photos of the penguins or the march after sunset, but just trust me when I say that it’s incredible and well worth a visit.We <3 penguins!The penguin count for the day!
Grace’ face in that last photo says it all. Melbourne — we’ve done so much! It has been amazing in every possible way. And now we’re onto the tropical part of our trip. Airlie Beach, here we come! Until then … bis bald, my friends!
Welcome back to a recap of our Aussie Adventures! (The first round of fun in Sydney can be found here.) We fly out of Canberra today to head to Melbourne, but Canberra has been an absolute blast! After finally recovering from a round of stomach bug that knocked us all for a loop, we were able to fully and properly celebrate Aunt Kate & Uncle Tom in their home town, and to show the kids a bit of what Canberra has to offer. This is one of the spots they had never been before, so seeing it for the first time through their eyes was so magical.
Here’s a bit of what we got up to!
Our first couple days were stomach-bug rough, so it certainly was nice having THREE grandparents around to help out with the kiddos!Cockington Green Gardens was a nice way to spend a beautiful day outside, and the kids loved running around the tiny building set-ups.Tiny Aussie things.Cousinssssss!!!!We <3 you Poppa!And you, Auntie Sarah!Saturday was WEDDING PARTY DAY! The girls were super pumped to get their hair done.#teambride in full effectThanks for throwing a stellar party, Aunt Kate & Uncle Tom!Grandpa was here, too!My cutie MIL & SIL. I sure got lucky <3Can’t remember the last time Chris & I dressed up for a night out on the town. Love ya, hubs!Never not smiling when we’re with Nan & Poppa 😉A trip to the Australian War Memorial was both beautiful and sobering. Remembering those who gave their lives …The Questacon science center was so cool! Everything was so hands-on and the girls had the best time!We spent the better half of four hours here on a rainy Tuesday. So good.Adults had fun, too.We’re wiped, Canberra, but thanks for being a pure blast!
And now we’re off to Melbourne to visit my own Aussie family. I am so excited for the girls to finally meet my Mom’s family and to see that side of Australia. Until then … BIS BALD, FRIENDS!
Happy June, friends, and welcome to the first installment of our Aussie June!
We arrived in Sydney early on Sunday morning and have spent the past couple days showing my stepdad around. We drove to Canberra yesterday for my sister-in-law’s wedding party, and although a gnarly stomach bug has taken pretty much every single one of our gang down over the past few days, we’re hoping to be on the other side of it finally.
Here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to in Sydney so far!
No one does an Aussie airport arrival quite like the Connors <3We waited months for this moment!The treats started flowing immediately.Fam-bam party [with a super-special “for Chris” hand gesture … it’s an inside joke, don’t ask ;)]It was chilly and windy at Bald Hill Lookout, but so, so beautiful!These cuties are having the best time … minus the vomiting :/We are very intrigued by the Cockatoos.Cutie cousins taking a lil’ beach walk.<3 x 5!The Simbio Wildlife Park was the perfect way for us to say hey to some Aussie animals.Smiles all around!Koalas!Kangaroos!Feeding the kangaroos is always an absolute highlight of any Aussie trip <3On Tuesday, Lotte, Cath, Robert and I headed to the Vivid Sydney light show at the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and downtown area. It was so gorgeous!Dinner and drinks at the Opera Bar!Pretty hard to beat that view <3We’ve got a lot to cheers to.So gorgeous!Thanks for the fantastic time, Sydney
And now we’re in Canberra ready to celebrate Auntie Kate & Uncle Tom. Until the next entry … bis bald, friends!
Chris took the big girls on a trip to New York back in April to visit one of his bucket list places … LEGOLAND! Here’s what he had to say about their adventures.
When Dad is a huge LEGO nerd, and you have family that only lives 15 minutes from the new LEGOLAND in New York, you make a special trip to “take your kids” to LEGOLAND! This is how it went down:
While we were visiting for Grandpa’s surprise 60th last year, it dawned on me that I had never taken my oldest ladies (Lotte and Grace) on a trip by themselves. They are six and seven now, so traveling is A LOT easier with both of them … and I had always wanted an excuse to visit the new LEGOLAND theme park. So I put two and two together, and we found a Friday that Lotte and Grace didn’t have school, and booked the trip!
As we were planning our adventure, our team of three LEGOLAND enthusiasts snowballed into a crew of 13 covering three generations, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and best friends. When visiting a theme park, the more, the merrier! We had such a blast with everyone.
The girls got a little treat by getting out of school early the Thursday before and we took an afternoon flight to New York. To say it was fun traveling with my two adventurers was an understatement. It also felt like a wonderful parenting transition — away from the stressful, exhausting travel with young kids into a new type of travel that felt so much more free and easy. It was truly one of those moments like losing a first tooth or seeing your kid ride a bike for the first time. I highly encourage it. I felt closer and more connected with both of them after we got home.
We landed around 9:30 pm ET, but were able to get into our rental car by 10:15 and got to my sister and brother-in-law’s just before midnight. The girls slept in the car and fortunately settled right back down to get a decent night’s sleep.
We intentionally picked a Friday early in the season for both better weather and lesser crowds. The weather was spectacular — 55 F and sunny — a perfect day to spend outside. The crowds were really light as well. Getting there right as it opened at 10 a.m. helped. We waited maybe a combined 30 minutes for all of the rides we went on. I am glad we chose the day we did to check it out.
The park itself is a blast! It is certainly geared towards younger LEGO fans, but I (a 40-year-old man-child) had just as much fun, both watching them experience it and also getting to experience it myself. Grace’s highlight was the Dragon Rollercoaster, and Lotte loved the pirate ship. My personal favorite was the Mini-land, which had realistic recreations of so many beloved U.S. landmarks. The detail and interactivity were incredible. New York and the singing Mt Rushmore really stood out.
It isn’t a huge park, and you can certainly cover it all in a single day. But there are a lot of stairs and hills, so the energy was starting to lag after lunchtime. We made one more loop on the rollercoaster, built custom mini-figures, and called it a day around 3:30 pm.
After some pizza and playing with their cousins, our ladies crashed for the evening. We then went to watch our cousin play soccer on Saturday and headed back to LGA for an early evening flight home. LGA is so fantastic now that it has been updated. The girls even wanted to get there early to play at the playground and see the fountain.
We got home around 9:30 pm on Saturday with two busted-but-happy little ladies. It was a short but very sweet trip and something I will certainly repeat in the future.
Who loved LEGOLAND more? Hard to say 😉What’s not to love about water features?!Kid-sized LEGO figures throughout the park were a real treat.So were the LEGO bumper cars!Empire State Building LEGO!This is by far Mom’s favorite picture from the trip. Grace’s face is priceless.I am so glad that some of our Manhattan besties got to join us!Happy and headed home …
After our Grand Canyon adventures, we loaded up to head to another new National Park for our list: Bryce Canyon. Grandpa had been here before, but Chris and I hadn’t, so we were really excited to be hitting up this park on our ride back home. We were surprised how much snow was on the ground when we arrived, but luckily it was just enough to slightly cover the hoodoos (the amazing rock formations you’ll find in Bryce Canyon), but not to cover them completely.
Before we arrived in Bryce, though, we stopped off at Horseshoe Bend, which was only about two miles total to walk there and back, and was totally worth the stop.
Look at that beauty!Hello, Horseshoe!Just the cutest little adventurers! Also, Chris found these shoes for Emilia in a secondhand store in Moab and, to be honest, they were one of many MVPs of the trip 😉
Horseshoe bend was about 2.5 hours from our hotel in Williams, Arizona, and we had another 2.5 hours to go before we arrived in Bryce. It had taken us longer to get out of the hotel that morning than we originally planned, and the stop took longer, too, so we decided to rearrange our planned hikes. This turned out to be necessary anyway when we arrived and saw how much snow was on the ground!
Our original hike in Bryce — the Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden — was going to take about 1.5 hours to complete, so we figured we would get to it the following morning. Of course, that was before we did the Sunset Point to Sunrise Point walk and came upon the (very muddy, very steep) entrance for the Navajo Loop. We quickly realized that wouldn’t be happening for us, particularly with the three littles and the muddy/icy conditions. What we ended up doing was great, but I do hope to get back to do the Navajo Loop at some point, since it seems beautiful.
For our tired, hungry group of travelers, though, the (mostly chill, not too steep, but yes still muddy) Sunset to Sunrise Point walk was just perfect.
Don’t mind if we do!The first time you see the hoodoos it takes your breath away.Insane.Did I take 1,000 photos of them? You know I did.
After our walk, a check of the general store and dinner, we were about ready to crash. It was the perfect dip of our toes into this gorgeous National Park.
When we realized the Navajo Loop wouldn’t work for us, we stopped into the visitor center Thursday and asked a ranger for a suggestion. Turns out, the Southern Scenic Drive was perfect. It would take us to Rainbow Point (the highest point in the park) and past the Natural Bridge.
Rainbow Point sits at 9,100 feet. So yes, it’s high … but not so high for these Colorado mountain lovers!These signs cracked me up. As if I wasn’t anxious enough already, thank you very much!The Natural Bridge was SO BEAUTIFUL.
And that drive took us through to the end of our Bryce Canyon adventure. We headed back to Grand Junction, Colorado that day, but not before stopping at our fourth (if you don’t count Monument Valley, which is technically a Navajo Tribal Park) and final National Park.
Considering that I had never heard of Capitol Reef, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But holy crap was this park gorgeous! It wasn’t small, either — it took us quite a while to drive from end to end. The hike we attempted — the Hickman Bridge Trail — would have been gorgeous had we finished it, I’m sure, but it was pretty steep and rocky, and a storm was setting in. Plus, we were just ding dang exhausted after nearly a full week of travel! Still, we were able to get out of the car and stretch our legs a bit, which was all we really needed.
Just keep hiking. Just keep hiking 😉Such a trooper <3
And then, just like that … we were back in Colorado!
One brief stay in Grand Junction and lunch in Frisco later, and we were … home!
Phew! Thanks for coming along that journey. It was a great trip from start to finish, thanks largely to awesome planning (the writer takes a bow), amazing weather and the best company a gal could ask for.
Until next time … BIS BALD, FRIENDS! And happy spring!
Happy Tuesday, friends! Lotte, Grace & I got back last night from a long-weekend whisk away to New York, where we surprised my niece, Rosalie, for her 5th birthday. This trip was full of Mom/Big Daughter bonding, cousin cuddles, family fun and lots more. The girls had the sweetest time together trashing houses, playing with puppies, and just generally eating way too much sugar and staying up way too late. Birthday treats galore! Movie nights galore!
What’s not to love about that 😉
We’re backkkkkk! G had an ear infection earlier in the week last week, so I wasn’t sure this trip would happen. I’m glad we ended up decided to go, though. It was pure delight, as per usual <3Grandpa picked us up at the airport and we stayed with him for the first night. The bond between this man and my girls makes me very happy.Our surprise visit was a hit! Rosalie had no idea we were coming, and she was so excited to see her cousins. Lotte & Grace loved being the objects of a big surprise, too. It was off-the-charts adorable.Cousins <3<3<3On Friday night the girls went to a movie/pizza/dance party night at Rosalie’s preschool. They wore pjs and watched Trolls and had a great time!Meanwhile, Steph & I got to have some one-on-one sister time while they were preoccupied. It was a win-win.The twins are getting so incredibly big! They were both working real hard on their first steps while we were there.On Saturday we headed out to The Castle Fun Center, which was a HUGE flashback to my youth!These cuties had a blast!Grandpa came, too, and Steph & I got to hang with him for a bit while Uncle Bri mucked around with the big kids.Angel baby.Angel baby No. 2.These two are SO ALIKE. Sometimes … that causes problems. Hah. But mostly, they’re so super cute together I just can’t stand it.Aunt Stephie, we love you so.Grandpa pile on!I cannot believe Rosalie is five! Kindergarten, here we come!We spent the last day building forts, having movie nights, snuggles and playing tag.Cat snuggles were included, as well.We REALLY hate saying goodbye :/ But you know we’ll be back soon.
And that was our trip in a nutshell! Next up: Spring Break Road Trip to the Grand Canyon! I am so excited. Until then … bis bald, friends!
Happy Monday, friends! I’m comin’ at ya from the arctic tundra of the Mountain West. Weather.com currently says that our temp feels like -6 degrees.
That’s cold.
All three girls started their ski school lessons this past weekend (there are four total), and when we learned that it was going to be warmer in the mountains (by a whole 20 degrees, almost), Chris and I made a last-minute decision to book a house in Georgetown for a Saturday and Sunday stay. Georgetown is about halfway between our home and Arapahoe Basin, where the girls would be skiing. A winter storm dropped about seven inches of snow in the mountains heading into Sunday (with more falling throughout the day), so the drive to and from lessons — and even more so the drive home on Monday morning — were a bit scary. But we did it! And staying over the Sunday night after lessons was clutch, since everyone was tired!
Now we just need to figure out what we’ll do for the next three Sunday ski lessons 😉
Bis bald, friends!
We did a little helmet practice in the days leading up to Em’s first lesson. Girl does not like headgear! But she approved of the helmet! The other gear was a different story.Ready to rip! Actually, Em didn’t even get her skis on for her first lesson. It was all about prep this lesson (which I could have skipped paying the astronomical fee for, if I’m being honest). Next lessons, they’ll be strapping in.On the road again! I sure do love my little adventurers. They are up for anything.We stayed in a little 2-beddy in Georgetown, which was perfect for us. It even meant that ….All three girls slept together for the first time! After some initial kerfuffles, they did great 😉Lotte did so great! She’s starting off on greens, and I can’t wait to see where she lands when ski school is over!Grace is working hard on the basics. She’s desperate to do the chairlift, so hopefully she’ll get there after her lessons this season.Thumbs up!Is there ANYTHING cuter than a 3-year-old in ski gear?! I think not. Emilia was NOT into her lessons to start, and we definitely questioned how it was going to go for three hours. Her instructor had all the patience in the world, though, and I think she’ll do great things over the next three lessons!The cheeks. The lips. The vacant “what the heck is happening” stare. It’s all too much.Exhausted but happy 😉Red face, happy heart <3 (I promise they were warm enough. Dad had them in allllll the gear!)
It was an awesome little last-minute get-away for a snow-filled, holiday ski weekend. Chris got in a few runs, too, which he said was awesome. I need exceptional conditions for snowboarding … inches and inches of falling snow isn’t my thing. But I will get on my board before their lessons out!
Bis bald, friends! Hope you’re staying warm, happy and healthy!
Happy Thursday, loves! My third and final installation in our European Holiday Adventure is brought to you by the frigid, fantastic land called Iceland. (For the record, Chris and I had already been a number of years ago, and our obsession was already grand.)
This time we decided to do things a bit differently, though. We stayed at this Airbnb — rather than right in the city of Reykjavik — which was off-the-beaten path and totally in the Icelandic wilderness.
Can you think of anything more magical?Same view during the daylight. Look at all that awesome isolation!The back of the house led out to a lake, which I’m sure is amazing in the summer.
This log cabin was so glorious, and its geothermal hot tub was even more glorious. We frequented it quite a few times during our two-day, three-night stay.
So. Much. Fun.This was around 10 a.m. on our last full day. It just doesn’t look like it, because the sun doesn’t come up until after 11 a.m.!Final morning family hot tub adventure.Chris and I also hit the hot tub on New Years Eve night — which also happened to be our 11-year wedding, 16-year meeting anniversary — after putting the kids to bed <3We even saw the Northern Lights from it!
Okay, enough about the hot tub. (Even though it was awesome.) Here’s what else we got up to.
Rock ‘n’ Troll!
Frigid but fun, we loved the trolls!
This place has a lot to offer — a hotel, cafe, library, etc. — but the short walk up to the troll statues was why we made the visit.
Emilia ended up with some seriously cold feet, but she enjoyed the visit up until that point!Lotte found another good use for her Christmas Market scarf!
Hot Springs!
Holy gorgeous.
We stopped at the Deildartunguhver Hot Springs — which also had a lot to offer, including a restaurant, hotel, geothermal baths to bathe in, greenhouses during the summer, etc. — but showing the girls some hot springs in Iceland was our main draw.
So stinkin’ (smokin’ ?!) cool!It doesn’t really matter which ones you see, but when in Iceland, you must hot spring it up!
Waterfalls!
When in Iceland, you are often only one step away from imminent — but beautiful — death.
I joke, but seriously, this place is not for the faint of heart. The Glanni Waterfall was glorious and I’m glad that we visited, but I was also super happy to snap a few pics and get my children the hell away from the tiny gate that separated them from a rocky free fall as soon as possible.
So pretty though!
What even are we tiny humans on this vast planet?Emilia got a real kick out of it!Gorgeous girl <3Insane.There is a short walk from the parking lot to the waterfall, which is also beautiful.
A Day & Night in Reykjavik!
Downtown Reykjavik in all its adorable glory.
Nan & Poppa had a super early flight back to Germany on our final day, so they spent the night in a hotel in Reykjavik the night before. That meant that we got to spend the day and some of the evening in the city on New Years Eve. We hit up Fly Over Iceland (an interactive, AI experience that takes you “flying” over all the main attractions of Iceland), Chris and I had an anniversary dinner at the coolest restaurant — Fjallkonan — and the girls got to have dinner delivered to them in bed while they watched a (funnily enough, French) movie at Nan & Poppa’s hotel, Berjaya Reykjavik Marina Hotel.
Nan & Poppa’s hotel was right on the waterfront. So cool!Emilia was too short to ride the Fly Over Iceland attraction, so I hung back with her in the cafe and gift store. This delightful holiday coffee — and the fact that they were still playing holiday music, but in Icelandic — made me more than happy to do so 😉Grace took this photo in the hotel. I just thought it was adorable <3Fish & chips dinner at Nan & Poppa’s place.
And that was Iceland in a nutshell, friends! I do need to take a moment to thank the Icelandic horse — whom I have affectionately named Buddy — who came right up to me when I was taking photos of his group on the side of the road. He seriously made my trip.
Look at this handsome, rockstar of a horse. Love you, Buddy <3
We’ll definitely be back to Iceland again as well, perhaps in the summer to catch more of what this awesome place has to offer in different weather.
Thanks for always being awesome, Icealand!
And thank YOU for following along. Until our next trip — a road trip to the Grand Canyon over the girls’ Spring Break! — bis bald, loves!
Welcome back to my Very Merry Christmas in Europe round-up! First up was Germany and France. Today, we move on to Switzerland!
Basel, Switzerland was about an hour and a half drive from our Airbnb in Germany, and although we only planned for two nights and one full day there, we had the best time! Switzerland was a new country to me, and color me obsessed. The neighborhood of our Airbnb was quiet and residential, but super close to a bunch of fun restaurants, bars and stores, and the train made it very easy to get into the city center. Our Airbnb host even hooked us up with a BaselCard, which got us free transportation and discounts at certain places throughout the city.
On our day in the city we got coffee at a local shop, rode the train into the city center, visited the Toy Museum (which was SO MUCH FUN!), walked passed the super cool Tinguely Fountain, saw the gorgeous City Hall all decorated for the holiday, went on a wild goose chase for fondu and ended up with (still delicious!) Italian for lunch, walked over the Rhine River, bought a fancy bauble at a local jewelry store and, after the kids were home, fed and bathed, Chris and I had wine at a neighborhood wine bar.
We sure can pack it into a day.
Here’s what it looked like!
We arrived after the sun went down and our neighborhood was lit up and pretty.We went for a walk when we first arrived to pick up some essentials. We bought cheese, pastries, milk, pouches and local wool socks, and I knew this was a special place 😉Poppa having brekkie with the kiddos in our cute little kitchen.Our neighborhood in the morning.The coffee from that local shop was out of this world!Notorious for their neutrality, the Swiss people had lots of “No War” signs hanging from windows.Riding the local transport, when it was available, was such a highlight for the girls!And off we went!On our way to the Toy Museum we walked through the Christmas Markets being taken down, and we could tell how magical they would have been.The Toy Museum! And I mean … COME ON. Europe is SERIOUS about its holiday decor!This place was great! Our host had told us it wasn’t worth going, but based on some of the details he shared, I have to think they’ve remodeled recently. There are four floors with thousands of toys in intricate scenes behind glass (so no worries about touching!), and they give you an iPad to put around your neck. There are scanning codes throughout the museum and when you point the iPad at them, virtual tour guides pop up and tell stories about what you’re viewing. So much fun!We accidentally hopped off the train one stop early, but that was awesome because we just walked right over the glorious Rhine!Chris did some googling and found an awesome-looking fondu spot that was too awesome for its own good … aka PACKED TO THE GILLS. We eventually found an Italian restaurant that was right on the river and gave us everything we needed.My girl — in the scarf she bought from the Christmas Market in Baden-Baden — exploring the Rhine River. I hope these girls never stop exploring and never lose their curiosity about culture and the world.This City Hall is to-die-for!Inside was even prettier!They had a guest book you could sign, so you know the girls took advantage of that <3Walking back home we came across some street performers playing music. Emilia’ delight was palpable 😉
And that was it for Switzerland, loves! We had to leave super early the next day to get back to the airport to fly to our fourth and final destination … ICELAND! Switzerland, you were an absolute delight, and something tells me we will definitely be back.
Bis bald friends! Until tomorrow, and the last of our European adventures …
Happy New Year, friends! How it’s 2024, I’ll never know.
Okay, full disclosure before I get into this post: It was really hard for me to narrow down photos 😉 Like, harder than it usually is, which is already usually very hard. This European Christmas Trip of ours was EPIC, and it was made even more epic by the fact that we were able to do it all with Chris’ parents. Any time that we and the girls get to spend with them is special. To spend that time on vacation over Christmas in Europe?? I mean. What can I say?
To start, our place. We stayed at this sweet Airbnb in the Black Forest, and it surpassed my wildest dreams. The house itself was huge, with plenty of space for four adults and three kiddos. Plus, it was filled with so many games and toys that even if we never left the house, the kids would have stayed occupied for days. There was also a hike directly accessible from the back of the house that had breathtaking views. It was the perfect spot for us, and the best place to begin our European journey and spend Christmas.
How sweet is this cute little covered outdoor picnic area, too?! Here is poppa, hosting his ladies to a (brief but very sweet!) afternoon tea.The outdoor hut was also the perfect spot for housing some of our Christmas Day necessities 😉Our host even decorated for Christmas, leaving us a live Christmas tree and all her ornaments to adorn it with! It was the sweetest touch on her behalf.Here she is on Christmas Eve, fully decorated and ready for celebrating!Here’s one happy Grace, with a little of the view from our house behind her.Two of my little loves on Christmas Day <3Another two cuties on Christmas DayThe absolute best.Also the absolute best <3Even my mom came to hang for a bit. This was by far one of the most incredible moments of the trip, and trust me, there were many. IYKYK.There were tons of balconies, which made for amazing sunrise/sunset viewings!Cheers to this amazing spot in the world.
Although hanging out in the house would have been enough, I had specifically formulated the plan for this holiday with one goal in mind: CHRISTMAS MARKETS! Europe is known for them, and I wanted in. So … are you ready to market it up? Here’s where we went.
Thursday, December 21: Freiburg, Germany
Lotte looks fairly miserable in this photo, but that was after what was, trust me, a very fun night!
Our first Christmas Market was in Freiburg. Since this was our first one (well, Chris’ parents had already been to a couple by the time we arrived, but it was my first one!), I didn’t realize that the market is actually spread around the city. We kept stumbling on different sections of it as we walked around, which was a really nice surprise.
As a person who thoroughly enjoys holiday decor, these markets were MY JAM.We started in early on the treats, and did not stop.We went on every ride we saw!We drank ALL the Glühwein (hot wine!) we could find!I couldn’t love this holiday hopping crew any more <3
Friday, December 22: Baden-Baden, Germany
As you can see, in Baden-Baden, we weren’t messing around!
Next up was the Baden-Baden market, and the fondu igloo lunch I had booked us weeks before. This felt like the perfect excuse to don the matching Christmas sweaters that Nan had brought for us 😉 The day was chilly and rainy, but snuggled up inside our heated igloo with our fur blankets and tasty treats (you rent the igloo for three hour blocks and are welcome to walk around the market during that time and then go back to the igloo whenever you like) was the perfect way to spend this day and see this particular market.
The coziest!The cutest!Despite the weather — or perhaps because of it — this particular market felt so magical and festive. The girls loved checking out the ornate booths, and Nan loved teaching them how to shop!So much fun!The absolute best.We had the sweetest time! Nan & I have vowed to make a special trip back to Baden-Baden, which means “bath” and is actually known for its amazing spas!
Saturday, December 23: Gengenback, Germany
Such a beautiful spot!
We had a tough decision to make this day: Travel 3.5 hours each way to visit the Nuremberg (where I was born) markets, or head about 25 minutes away, to Gengenbach, to see their world-renowned life-size Advent Calendar. Ultimately we decided to stay local and head to Gengenbach, which I think was the right decision. All the more reason to make another trip back to Germany in the future to hit up my birth spot. Perhaps when we have a little more time.
This was the smallest of the markets that we visited, but it was also the sweetest town with the cutest Advent Calendar Town Hall.Each day leading up to Christmas they perform a short play with live music in front of their beautiful Town Hall building, then they lift the one (hand painted by a different artist each year!) window that corresponds to the day. We were there to see the 24th window get lifted — a fish for the Feast of Seven Fishes! — which felt extra special.Smiles all around <3
Sunday, December 24: Strasbourg, France
Glorious Strasbourg, France!
We classed it up on Christmas Eve and decided to head out to FRANCE. Strasbourg was about 45 minutes away, and it was easy to drive, park, and hop on a quick train to the Christmas markets. This event was sprawling, and so, so beautiful. We were even lucky enough to catch the tree lighting, accompanied with Christmas music, of course.
The markets were gorgeous, but even the buildings in the area were so ornately decorated.More Glühwein! You could get a small refund if you returned the cups that the wine was served in, but you best believe we kept all of them!When a picture says it all.Such a gorgeous area! They say this is the biggest Christmas tree in the world … but you know 😉More gorgeous buildings. I honestly could have spent days here wandering the streets and been quite content.This girl clung to her dad like glue the whole trip, which was super annoying for him but VERY nice for me! I didn’t have to carry her AND I always knew where she was 😉Insanely beautiful …Everywhere you looked …Thank you Strasbourg for a very special, unforgettable Christmas Eve!
Of course there are a very many more Christmas markets in Germany (and France and everywhere else in Europe, really) to visit, but these were centrally located to our house and I had read great things about them. After having now actually been to them, I can agree: There is nothing like Christmas in Europe. It stands alone. Nowhere else compares. The end.
After spending a relaxing Christmas Day and Boxing Day eating, drinking, hanging at our house, watching movies and playing games, we spent our final day in Germany checking out a bit more of the view around our town and heading to Lake Mummelsee, a beautiful lake with a quirky story.
Glorious views (and sun!) on our final day in Germany!Driving through the Black Forest to reach the lake also provided for some gorgeous views! Don’t forget the Dramamine! We’ve arrived!So pretty!Every day in Germany was fabulous, and the last day was no different.
I’ll be honest, friends … I had a lot of anxiety leading up to this trip. I worried someone would get sick or get hurt, and as our friends started dropping like flies to illness as our departure date got closer, I only got more and more nervous. Once we were on our flight to Germany, though, I realized … there’s nothing you can do about that. I could spend the trip worried, or I could relax and enjoy and know that we would handle whatever came our way.
Luckily, I can now say that other than a few coughs here and there, we were all GREAT. No illnesses to note. So see that? All that worrying was for naught. Wouldn’t a crystal ball be great so we could know all ends well ahead of time?
Anyway, that was about it for our Germany (and France!) expedition, friends! I’ll be back tomorrow with the second installment (third country!) of our adventure: SWITZERLAND!
