California

I was skimming through all my draft blog posts and just realized I never posted about mine and Michael's FABULOUS long weekend away to California. The trip started in Encinitas where we stayed with two of our favorite people in the whole wide world. Lacey and Dave Elpers! Talk about the perfect hosts who live in an adorable house just 3 blocks from the beach!

The rest of the trip we spent celebrating Kat and Jordan McKee. You may have remembered my previous post of Kat's bachelorette weekend out at our cottage. 

What a fun and relaxing rehearsal dinner in the beautiful backyard of Kat's parents' house. Of course the best part was having the entire IU/Alpha Phi gang back together. Having to meet up from Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, New York, and San Diego takes a bit of planning. Wedding festivities are the best excuse! 

What better way to spend the wedding day than at the beach!

Silly boys

Lauren and I challenged them to who could make the coolest sand castle in 10 minutes. It turned into a group project and they didn't want to be timed.

On to the main event...

The beautiful blushing bride

Alpha Phis 

My hot date and me

Good times with great people! Thanks again to our fabulous hosts and to Grandma and Grandpa Nierengarten for watching Miss Grace while we were able to get away. 

Sweet Home Chicago

Dear Grace,

We have safely arrived back home in Chicago. Even though we were anxious to get home, the flight was surprisingly smooth and fast. It started with you being randomly selected by the US government to be searched just before boarding the plane. 13- month olds do look suspicious. You slept a grand total of 1 hour on the 7 hr and 45 min flight. Now that you are completely walking, we took turns taking hot laps around the bathroom area. We only saw real tears of yours after you smashed your finger in the window between your seat and Daddy's. We still don't know how you put up the window, since you weren't able to reach the button. Thank you BP for requiring all employees (and families when moving) to fly business class only. It was amazing having the space, but don't get used to this taste of the good life. I don't think I will ever be able to justify the ridiculous price difference. Personally, I'd rather take 4-5 more international trips than one trip with better food, free alcohol, twice the amount of space, and an exclusive lounge at the airport. It was a cool experience and I did feel special. 

Unfortunately, in the moving process over the weekend in London we have lost our camera. I'll stick with lost because we have no proof of it being stolen (and I feel like being optimistic at this moment.) 

After taking another 25 or so min cat nap in the back of Grammie Mo's car (thank you for picking us up), you stayed awake until 6:30 PM Chicago time (12:30 AM London time). Your energy level was impressively high. You explored this place with Daddy and L Gumball, while I slowly passed out on our bed. I already feel like a spoiled American with my good mattress, ice machine, comfy couch and excellent TV. Superbowl weekend- what good timing to move back. BTW, moving day was also Groundhogs Day. Random. I know. Thanks to my family, we moved into an immaculate place, completed with fresh flowers on the mantel place, and dinner (including dessert and whole milk for Grace) ready for us in the fridge! What a great feeling! Thanks family!

In about 14 hours time, we went from feeling at home at our friend's place in London to our place in Chicago. Blossom family- thank you for opening up your home to us this week. It was the perfect way to end our London experience. Thank God Amber's parents live in the Chicago-land area. Blossoms and Harts, you're already missed. I can't believe how quickly our friendships developed. What a neat chapter in our lives we were able to experience together. 

I've been wide awake since 4 AM Chicago time, trying my best to ignore you talking in the room next door. Time to start our day and get ready for the movers who come at 9 AM! 

Love, Mommy and Daddy

PS Your next adventures: sleepovers at the Grandparent's while we spend some overnight trips with friends and each other. :) 

Copenhagen

Dear Grace,

Copenhagen, Denmark was our last traveling adventure before we move home next week. We LOVED the city and had many random thoughts as we explored it. Their cafes are much fancier than your typical cafe. They have the largest prams out of any other country we have been to. The weather doesn't phase them- the huge bike paths were packed with people of all ages during rain and snow. We can only imagine how gorgeous it would be in the summer. On that note, we would love to go back not only in the summer, but with a group of 21 + year olds. There seemed to be so many cute restaurants and wine bars to close down. Apparently, you must be an avid runner to live in Copenhagen. Morning, evening, rain, or shine; (not that we saw any shine) people of all ages run. Picture balaclavas and spandex pants with reflectors. Enjoy!

Love, Mummy and Daddy 

A look down the world famous Nyhavn Canal/Street, which our hotel was very close to.  We could only imagine being here in the summer and sitting outside some of the cafes while ships came in to dock.

Walking up and down the Straedet, which is one of the longest shopping streets in the world without cars, or motor traffic.  It was simply beautiful and full of energy.  One thing to remember in Copenhagen, shopping is a privilege and therefore, shops tend to only be open for certain hours, and typically closed on Sundays.........boooo!

Picture walking on a keyboard at F.A.O. Schwartz Tom Hanks style, however, the quartet in the window played the notes!

The cyclists around town even inspired you. 

The picture on the right is of the old Stock Exchange called the Borsen.  It's Spire is made up of 4 intertwined dragon tales that go up 50m high.

Daddy was so excited to see the office for this specific tanker owner because he does business with them. We stayed at their hotel, the Admiral just a few blocks down the street. The hotel was decorated like a cruise ship. Talk about character and appropriate decor for the owners. 

Our Hotel......The Admiral

A picturesque view on our way to see the Little Mermaid. 

...and here she is...

Not to be confused with the Disney version, this Little Mermaid is based off Hans Christian Anderson's version. He was also the author of the children's stories, Thumbelina and the Ugly Duckling. 

Smile everyone!!!......as it begins to rain

Then we found our way into the Kastellet, which is a star-shaped fortress that surrounds a chapel, windmill, some barracks, and a museum.  It was beautiful.....even though we were getting rained on at the time.  

Good timing. We happened to see the changing of the guards which takes place at their palace, Amalienborg Slot, daily at noon.

The palace is also right next to the Marmorkirken, which is a domed church modeled after St. Peter's in Rome, Italy.

We finished our time in Copenhagen by going to the old palace of the Rosenborg Slot, where the Danish Crown Jewels are kept.  It was an amazing castle!

Our last trip while in London was definitely a good one.......even though the weather didn't cooperate.  A big thank you to everyone who recommended we come here.

Brussels, Belgium

Dear Grace,


After spending a full day and a couple of nights in Bruges, I made my way to Brussels for a full day prior to catching the Eurostar train back to London.  This city reminded me of how Paris is set up with its streets and buildings, but without some of the well known sites and museums.  Due to their location in Belgium, close to the border of France, the main language spoken here is French.  I was able to get on a sightseeing bus as well as test a few more beers and chocolate shops.....not to mention try the local cuisine, mussels!  Enjoy the pictures!


Love, Daddy


The city of Brussels is known as the heart of Europe.  I could not believe how large this city actually was, especially with just coming from Bruges.

I found out on the bus tour that a few major International Committees reside in Brussels.  NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) being one and the EU being the other.  The EU (European Union) resides in the building pictured below.  Come on guys.....get it together!  However, I am appreciative of the great USD to Euro exchange rate that we have right now for our travels while based in London.

This phenomenal place is called the Royal Palace of Brussels.  It is where the King lives.....just like Buckingham Palace in London.  I wonder if they vacation together as the only time you can go in either Palace is between late August and early October when The Monarchy is away on summer holiday.

The Atomium was built for the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels and the design just barely beat out an upside down Eiffel Tower.  It has 9 spheres that represent the initial 9 areas of Belgium and is modeled after a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified quite a few times.  I was able to take an elevator to the top sphere where I captured a great panoramic view of the city.

I feel like a journey to Brussels isn't complete without seeing the Manneken Pis statue.  This little guy is about as famous to Belgium as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris.  Souvenir stands all over the country had different things to buy with him on it.  If you want the legend of this statue, check out Wikipedia.....too many possible stories to go through for the blog. One of my favorites is, "One story tells of a dam protecting the city from floods. The young boy happened to walk by and noticed a hole in the dam, he blocked it up by sticking his private area in the hole. Thus the city was saved and people quickly came to the help of the young boy, by quickly taking him out and sealing the hole."

Yep, this is a chocolate shop with a full size Manneken Pis out in front eating a Belgium waffle.  Classic!!!  Also, I found the home of Hoegaarden, which originates from Belgium.  I've earned this nickname from some people at work for two reasons....I do enjoy drinking the beer, and Nierengarten is too hard to say and Hoegaarden is more fun.

The Grand Place is an enormous square, much like the one in Bruges where shops and restaurants surround the exterior of the square.  They were getting ready for the month of December and setting up all of the decorations.

I was able to stop in and pick up some Godiva chocolate before coming back home to Chicago for the holidays. Since Godiva was originally made in Belgium back in 1926, I had to let family and friends do some taste testing.  Good decision!

I'd highly recommend visiting Bruges and Brussels as a weekend trip from London.  Just the right amount of time to experience the culture and see the amazing sites.