13 months on Friday the 13th

Dear Grace,


You turned 13 months on Friday the 13th. What are the odds of that? Your happiness, smiles, and laughter continue to rub off on us. Your little personality is starting to shine. I predict you are going to have a bit of a silly side. You're an excellent eater, preferring to try anything we are eating including Indian. (Vinny would be so proud.) The unique and mild spices don't phase you. You are walking more confidently and independently everyday and you're beginning to fight your sleeping time. You just don't want to miss out on the fun. We love you so very much! Enjoy! 


Love, Mummy and Daddy 

Keep Calm and Ask Mum. xoxo 

Papa Lon or a chipmunk?

Dear Grace,


While Skyping with Papa Lon the other day, you and I were very confused. He sounded so funny; just like a chipmunk! I just had to record it and show him. Enjoy! 


Love, Mummy 

Pinterest Party Thursday #1

Pinterest- oh how I have a love/hate relationship with you. I am one of those members who have way too many boards, way too many pins, and not enough follow through with the great ideas I find. 


This is my attempt to change all that. Every Thursday (only because today's Thursday) my goal is to follow through with one pin and share it. This can be as simple as ordering something I find, trying a new recipe, a teacher tip or even starting to become a bit craftier and organized around the here. 

Pinterest follow through #1: DIY crepe paper lanterns and display. 

These were made for my sister's bachelorette party. It was a good thing all the bride-to-be wanted to do the day of her party was sit around and relax because these took FOREVER to make!

They made the perfect entrance into the party as well as a cute backdrop for pictures, especially when the bride-to-be was opening her gifts.

What can I say? The balls were a hit!

I found the ideas from these original pins: Modern Crepe Paper Lanterns DIY, and decoration idea

If you haven't heard of Pinterst or still have questions on how to navigate your way around, check out these good, basic explanations.

• Pinterest 101: a Tutorial by the Daily digi  
• 6 Tips for Using Pinterest by Four plus an Angel 
• Pinterest and Blogging 
• Adding "Pin It" Buttons to your blog by clicking Moms

Happy Pinning!

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.

Bruges, Belgium

Dear Grace,

While you and Mommy went back to Chicago early for Libbie/Matt's wedding in November, I had to stay back and work a few more days before making the flight to Chicago myself.  I had a weekend available before coming home so was told by many to visit Bruges, Belgium if I hadn't been there yet.  This medieval city was absolutely breathtaking and even though you can pretty much tour the entire city in just over a day, everywhere you looked resembled a post card.  I had plenty more pictures that I could have posted, but picked out some of my favorites.  Enjoy!

Love, Daddy

Belgium is known for 2 things: beer and chocolate!

When I started walking around that first morning, there was a heavy fog that remained over the city.  It was like being in a dream since many people weren't out yet and I was walking around before the stores opened.  I just kept turning into alleys and finding beautiful streets/canals/bridges to take pictures of.

This shot reminded me of something out of a Lord of the Rings film....I couldn't even describe how amazing it was walking around this area.  This is the Church of our Lady, which houses the sculpture of the Madonna and Child by Michelangelo....his only piece known to have left Italy in his lifetime.

Next up was the Basilica of the Holy Blood.  This church is said to contain a vial with the relics of Jesus Christ.  "It is said Joseph of Arimathea preserved the cloth with blood on it after washing Jesus's dead body following the crucifixion and was then brought to Bruges by Thierry of Alsace back in the 12th century."  You can see the vial in the picture below, which I was able to go up and touch while saying a prayer.  A very memorable moment!

Time for some Belgium beer tasting.  I elected to sample the local Bruges Zot, which was fantastic.  Some of my favorite Belgium beers are Hoegaarden, Leffe, Duvel and of course, Bruges Zot now.  There are 1,130 different Belgium beers......all with their own specific glass that I capture in the pictures below. (Amanda Wilson and your Mommy would have a lot of work cut out for them in Belgium.)

This is the main square that has the City Hall and the Belfry, which were main parts of the film, In Bruges.  I climbed to the very top of the Belfry earlier on, but due to the fog I was not able to get a decent picture.  I did have a nice picture of which way London was and how far away I had traveled.

Some more picturesque shots of the city.

It had to happen.....they just looked so good!

Just another sample of the amazing work that these people can do with CHOCOLATE!!!

Side story from Mommy: While you and I were busy preparing for Aunt Libbie's wedding, I received one of several phone calls from Daddy. I answered the phone to him saying, "You know Belgium waffles? They're for real!" 

Next up....the day trip to Brussels, Belgium, the heart of Europe

Berlin, Germany

Dear Grace,

After spending the first days in Berlin focusing on Christmas and being together as our little family of three, it was time to check out the city and some of it's history. Enjoy!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

Berlin Wall- Forced by the Communists, it was built in 1961 and was a devastating event for the people in Berlin. Families were torn apart by the concrete wall and more than 100 people were killed over the following 30 years at the border dividing East and West. The fall of the Berlin Wall didn't occur until November 1989. Daddy was 9 years old and I was 6! For the first time in 30 years, Berliners from both sides of the divided city were able to see each other.  Your daddy actually remembers watching the Wall come down on TV, which was covered on all of the major television networks.

The Reichstag is the Parliamentary Building in Berlin and probably the most symbolic of all the buildings. It was built in 1894, destroyed by arson in 1933 and bombed during WWII. In 1996 it was rebuilt into what it is today.

The Brandenburg Gate, located in the Pariser Platz, has been the backdrop for many events in the city's turbulent history such as military parades and demonstrations, and speeches by historic rulers and statesmen. 

Being described as the best known of Berlin's symbols, you know what that means? The perfect tourist trap! We could have paid to take pictures with these gentleman below like everyone else seemed to be doing.

Schloss Charlottenburg is the palace in Berlin, which happened to have an amazing market in the foreground. Perfect place for a lunch and drink break. 

The Jewish Museum in Berlin is the largest Jewish Museum in Europe, providing many artifacts and personal stories of those who suffered through the Holocaust. Reading the stories and entering the Holocaust tower, which is a simulation in honor of those killed during that horrible period in history, left us speechless and feeling sad that this is part of our world's history.  

Checkpoint Charlie was designated as the single crossing point at the Berlin Wall for foreigners and members of the Allied Forces.

Not realizing we could actually get out passports stamped, ours were safely back in our hotel safe. We made sure we went back the following morning before heading toward the airport.  

Yes, Grace.....this is just another page in your ever evolving passport.  

The End