tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89149459717334403162024-03-05T22:01:02.352-05:00sweetgrassChristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.comBlogger465125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-4787657558205810802016-05-27T11:28:00.000-04:002016-07-11T12:13:33.749-04:00Paris with kids <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>browsing the flower market and bird market on Ile de la Cite</i></div>
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We conceived of this trip to France two years ago, right after we returned from a fantastic trip to <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/search/label/italy">Italy</a>. At that time the boys were three and 13 months, and almost every detail of the trip - the weather, the culture, the food, the developmental stages the boys were in - was a very good match for traveling with small children. Of course, the trip to Italy had some difficulties, but it was beautiful and magical and it was very easy to imagine doing it again. And if the boys were two years older, how much <i>easier</i> it would be! Right?</div>
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Our trip to France was so good (that's an understatement - France is awesome), but the time in Paris was not the perfect fit for our kids that I had hoped it would be. Tim and I did our very best planning beforehand, and I'm so thankful for that because good planning smooths over a <i>multitude</i> of traveling problems. But when you only have eight days in Paris you want every detail to work out as well as possible, and some of our details just didn't work out, namely: the weather and the fact that Sam is two and a half and not a very compliant traveler.</div>
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<i>warming up with some chocolat chaud on Ile St. Louis</i></div>
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One of the reasons our <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/search/label/italy">Italy</a> trip was so successful was that we had gorgeous weather the whole time, and we ate and played outside most of the time. I <i>prayed</i> for good weather in Paris, but alas, it was very cold, cloudy, windy, rainy, and a couple of times even snowy. Great trench coat and hot chocolate weather! But not ideal in other respects. We made the best of things and visited parks and outdoor markets, monuments, and cathedrals, but it was hard to fully appreciate everything when the kids were cold. Sam, in particular, had a hard time with the cold, and this only compounded his <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2016/05/paris-with-kids-glossary-of-terms.html">jet-lagged two-year-old</a> condition. So, we retreated to indoor activities when we got too cold (and that had its difficulties, too.)</div>
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<i>journaling after our trip to Ile de la Cite</i></div>
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So, here are my thoughts on the best possible travels with little ones (<a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/10/rome.html">pretty much the same as before</a>, but with a couple of important additions):</div>
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1. <b>Stay in an apartment or house.</b> Someplace with a kitchen and a washing machine, and more than one room so when kids are sleeping you can stay up and enjoy yourself. Your visit will be about 1000% better for it. (And if you can swing it, try to pick a walkable neighborhood you like. The less time spent commuting the better.)</div>
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2. <b>Bring the essentials, but don't overdo it.</b> Bring their favorite blanket, their favorite bedtime book, their favorite movie on the iPad (and a night light app if you need one). Bring some stickers and paper and crayons, a couple of very small toys, and not much else. We start our trips with a half-full backpack for each boy, and it is amazing how we always have enough! Along the way they acquire little things here and there (coins, rocks, sticks, small toys, tickets, books, maps and souvenirs) and they play with these found treasures <i>so well</i>. There really is no need to bring lots of stuff for the kids. A few comforts from home for bedtime, and their imaginations will do the rest!</div>
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3. <b>Plan activities that are fun for <i>everybody</i></b> - parks, picnics, strolls along the river, bike rides, hikes, etc. We don't plan everything around the kids, but we do try to plan every day with something in mind just for them. A lot of days we would do something for the parents (visit a market, Notre Dame, an art museum) and something for the kids (the ferris wheel, the bird market, a playground, a <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2016/05/paris-with-kids-glossary-of-terms.html">carousel</a>, etc.) For us, the key to happiness seems to be spending time outdoors. </div>
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Which leads me to my next rule...</div>
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4. <b>Unless you're going skiing, travel during the warm months.</b> It seems obvious, but when you're looking at prices the shoulder season is very tempting. Don't mess around with the shoulder season. For adults, fine! But for children, you need the good weather. You need the ability to <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2016/05/paris-with-kids-glossary-of-terms.html">picnic</a> 90% of the time. You need to let them run and yell and wrestle (a lot), and that just isn't possible when you're indoors touring museums and eating in quiet <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2016/05/paris-with-kids-glossary-of-terms.html">bistros</a> all day. You don't want the struggle of dressing them for inclement weather every time you go outside (never mind packing all that gear). You don't want to be wiping noses on vacation! So, pay attention to the weather and go when it's warm.</div>
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5. <b>If you can, travel with people you love.</b> Family, or friends, it doesn't matter. If you have a good time together it's so wonderful to share the adventure. This relates to kids in a several important ways: built-in playmates for the kids, built-in fun for mom and dad (plenty of quiet time to visit because the kids are happily playing together!), and you can swap baby-sitting for each other so you can have date night. Win-win-win. We still love to travel just as a family, but we've had several trips now with family and close friends (<a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/10/tuscany.html">Tuscany with the Griffiths</a>, <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/search/label/switzerland">Switzerland with Mom and Dad</a>, <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2015/09/montana-paradise-valley-part-ii.html">Montana with the Mungers</a>, and Burgundy with the Griffiths) and it has been nothing but blessings for us every time. </div>
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More about this in my post about Burgundy.</div>
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6. <b>If you have a two year old, just stay home.</b> Kidding. (Sort of.)</div>
Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-34936594929192626882016-05-24T15:46:00.000-04:002016-05-27T11:43:30.575-04:00Paris with kids: a glossary of terms <br />
<u>bistro</u>: <i>n.</i> a small Parisian restaurant serving moderately-priced, simple meals that, according to guide books, are "kid friendly"; a place where a family can escape the cold while the kids fill up on baguette and water toasted and then gulped from wine glasses while mom and dad attempt to scarf down some local food before the kids get out of control and break said wine glasses<br />
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<u>carousel</u>: <i>n.</i> a quaint children's ride found in many picturesque locations around the city; a delightful diversion that may be used as leverage for a parent attempting to coerce children into participating in "cultural" activities or not acting like wild animals while dining in public; also, a tantrum waiting to happen if passed without stopping to ride (see also: two-year-old with jet lag)<br />
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<u>dog poop</u>: <i>n.</i> waste created by the numerous dogs of Paris and left on the sidewalk by owners who are too chic to pick up after their furry friends; found everywhere in great abundance including on the wheels of the stroller and the kids' shoes, and who are we kidding probably their hands too<br />
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<u>Eiffel Tower</u>: <i>n.</i> the only monument of any consequence in Paris, according to my boys; the ultimate "esclavator" ride for the two year old who will throw his hands in the air and gleefully yell "the Eiffel Tower!" whenever and wherever it is spotted, even after eight days in Paris<br />
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<u>jet lag</u>: <i>n.</i> temporary sleep disorder due to travel across multiple time zones; a two-year-old's dream come true, he/she will wake and demand food, water, stories, and play time at all hours of the night, find their demands are met by sleep-addled parents, then spend the daylight hours refusing to eat, arguing at every opportunity, and dropping off like a narcoleptic; this tyrannical behavior will go unchecked until the parents have recovered sufficiently to reinstitute some boundaries<br />
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<u>pain au chocolat</u>: <i>n.</i> puff pastry with a dark chocolate center; a common French pastry, if one could take a bite of heaven, it would taste like this; the staple of the child's diet while in Paris as evidenced by crumbs and chocolate streaks ever present on the child's face and clothing, and the erratic behavior that accompanies wild spikes and dips in blood sugar<br />
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<u>picnic</u>: <i>n.</i> a meal that takes place outdoors in an attractive setting, meant to inspire relaxation and well-being; with children will also include 10 minutes of incessant questions about "how many more bites" before they can go play, followed by a few short minutes of idyllic play that quickly devolves into fighting and/or injury with accompanying American-level outburst, and finished with complaining about the cold until mom and dad give up and drag everyone back to the flat for naps (see also: jet lag)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">**It's not my intention to complain here. I love Paris and I love to travel with my family. I actually think the boys handled our trip well, all things considered! This is just me poking fun at what it's sometimes like to travel with kids. Or at least, what its like to travel with <i>my</i> kids.</span><br />
<br />Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-2509298930748396772016-05-22T13:25:00.001-04:002016-05-27T11:47:16.492-04:00Family photos in Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At some point while we were preparing for the trip to France, a friend mentioned that she had booked a photographer for her upcoming family vacation and I knew right away that I wanted to do the same. I love photos more than any other souvenir, and I knew that family photos in Paris, if done well, would be a treasure I would cherish for a lifetime. So I did a little research and was thrilled to find <a href="http://www.katiedonnellyphotography.com/">Katie Donnely</a>, an American family photographer living and working in Paris. Her portfolio was full of fresh, happy, joyful photos, and our experience with her was exactly that! The day of our shoot was early and cold, and Samuel was in a serious funk (that lasted half the shoot), but I don't think any of that comes through in the photos (except, maybe, for Sam's pouting - haha!) Katie did such a wonderful job of capturing our joy and excitement of being together in this beautiful city! I am so grateful for her patience and exuberance, and skill behind the camera. I'll treasure these forever.</div>
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Michael was such a trooper - it was cold and we were all wearing like five layers of clothes!</div>
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We began the session at Place du Trocadero, my favorite spot to view the Eiffel Tower.</div>
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having a <i>come-to-Jesus</i> moment with our precious two year old (it didn't work)</div>
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I really love this one where we're looking at each other</div>
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Finally, a smile from Samuel. </div>
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We saw a dog playing nearby and Katie expertly turned it into a silly game that got Sam smiling and laughing. </div>
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It was such a dream having this beautiful plaza to ourselves for a bit! </div>
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Within 15 minutes it filled up with people.</div>
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Also, we didn't do it on purpose, but our trip coincided with the blooming of the cherry blossoms!</div>
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Those beautiful pink blooms made Paris even more romantic and lovely.</div>
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Happy family. I love these ones of us joking around next to the cherry blossoms.</div>
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From here we crossed over the river on Pont D'Iena to the Eiffel Tower.</div>
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I love this shot, but all I can remember is that it was <i>so cold</i>. At this point, Katie wisely suggested we head to a cafe.</div>
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warm and happy, enjoying some chocolat chaud and coffee</div>
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my sweet boy - he was telling a long, funny story</div>
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I don't think a hot drink ever tasted so good - it was just what we all needed!</div>
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This little Texan perked right up the instant he got warm. Right around the time the session ended. Stinker.</div>
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(I will always remember what it's like to have a two-year-old when I look at these. And that's a good thing!)</div>
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I'm just so grateful we had the chance to take these photos. Thank you so much, <a href="http://www.katiedonnellyphotography.com/">Katie</a>!!</div>
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You made a dream of mine come true!</div>
<br />Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-48962304770334727562016-05-21T16:08:00.001-04:002016-05-21T16:08:38.800-04:00Pictures of Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9dvrl9R6gpeaiAfDBb0bQAYMSJqXxzZSMlMWP0SVoazUkAiuEvaOWZQ1LL04MTOSW1dzkmVjNA7o0LrS2evEBM1Mw6iM-hexKLG107HdMPYaKFuj5H_d8MjF21IKGzLQ_2clct6-EmQ/s1600/DSC01803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9dvrl9R6gpeaiAfDBb0bQAYMSJqXxzZSMlMWP0SVoazUkAiuEvaOWZQ1LL04MTOSW1dzkmVjNA7o0LrS2evEBM1Mw6iM-hexKLG107HdMPYaKFuj5H_d8MjF21IKGzLQ_2clct6-EmQ/s640/DSC01803.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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the view from our terrace in the 16eme</div>
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We're back from a beautiful trip to France! Looking over these photos it seems like a dream! It wasn't always easy (traveling with a two year old is <i>not for the faint of heart</i> - more on traveling with kids later), but it was such a fantastic trip. France is always inspiring for us - no surprises here: the food, the wine, the history, the art, the architecture, the language, etc. - but this trip was extra special because we got to share it with our boys. And even though traveling with kids is tough, it's so, so rewarding to open their eyes to a new part of the world, and a different way of living. They learned so much and had such a great adventure! We'll delve into the nitty-gritty of our travels in another post, but first I want to share some of the highlights from our time in Paris (from the "good camera").</div>
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we loved Monet's Water Lilies at the Musee L'Orangerie</div>
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the boys loved to watch the tower sparkle at night (or as Sammy would say, "sprinkle")</div>
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it's a cliche, but I just couldn't help myself - I had to photograph every beautiful flower stall</div>
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we loved the Sunday morning Bird Market on Ile de la Cite!</div>
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Notre Dame - although the weather was cold, the city was in bloom and it was <i>incredible!</i></div>
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warming up with some chocolat chaud on Ile St. Louis</div>
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pastries and roses from my boys - they know the way to my heart</div>
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Mur des je t'aime, Montmartre</div>
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the carousel at Sacre Coeur - the boys <i>loved</i> this!!</div>
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we rode the funiculare up the hill to Sacre Coeur</div>
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photos from the top of the Eiffel Tower - another of the boys' favorites</div>
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Eiffel Tower selfie - Sam was all pictured out</div>
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choosing a sailboat in the Luxembourg Garden</div>
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it was windy - cold, but perfect for sailing!</div>
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Sammy liked the stick more than the boat</div>
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pirate ship for Michael</div>
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chairs ready to go for the warmer months</div>
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a fantastic playground in the Luxembourg Gardens!</div>
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nothing like hot French onion soup on a cold, blustery day</div>
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another food picture because it was so good</div>
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sunshine in the Left Bank - calls for a picture!</div>
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Michael at the Sorbonne (he was <i>very</i> happy to have this lollipop)</div>
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last hot chocolate before leaving Paris</div>
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yummy treats from the patisserie down the street</div>
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...and last but not least, Remy the rabbit who lived on our terrace. We loved coming home to him every day!</div>
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Much more to come.....</div>
Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-79150222842368227762016-04-13T00:38:00.001-04:002016-04-13T00:38:01.173-04:00Michael's fifth birthday party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I bought him a Calvin and Hobbes t-shirt to wear for his party, and he liked it but he said he would rather stay in his soccer gear for the party. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Note to self: five year olds are too cool for party clothes that are on-theme.</span></div>
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A few months ago Michael discovered my old Calvin and Hobbes comic books and quickly became obsessed. We've spent a lot of time reading and laughing together over the books, and when he asked for a Calvin and Hobbes party for his 5th birthday, I nearly teared up. It's just <i>so awesome</i> when your kids love the things you love. So, we threw a Calvin and Hobbes party! And it turned out really fun!</div>
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the kids made newspaper hats, played pin the tail on Hobbes, and blasted a tower of cardboard boxes with water balloons from a giant slingshot (<i>very</i> popular activity with the party guests)</div>
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<a href="http://thecookiegirlstore.com/">our friend</a> made these amazing Calvin and Hobbes cookies!</div>
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I did the "artsy" Calvin and Hobbes font</div>
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one of my favorite details - the tiger-stripe cake</div>
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the excited birthday boy getting ready to blow out the (five!!) candles</div>
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We had all his favorites - chick-fil-a and lemonade, cake and ice cream, presents, and lots of play time with his friends. It was a really fun afternoon! </div>
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(The day after the party. Wearing the t-shirt and still thrilled about the cookies ;)</div>
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Happy birthday, my precious Michael. xoxo</div>
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<a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2015/05/michael-turned-four.html">Four</a>. <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-bug-party-for-michael.html">Three</a>. <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2013/04/birthday-week.html">Two</a>. <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-baby-turned-one.html">One</a>. <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2011/05/michaels-birth.html">Birth</a>.</div>
Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-17235291484595040482016-04-12T21:45:00.002-04:002016-04-12T21:45:42.081-04:00Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWhCyHG4D-YwtiCxOPtalGDoNHiUKhMGGsi7SrlfzSjrbf4tAsFhr_T_zkihMFvSuHhbsIwKSoCEcQZMhvO8VfOnCZABD8SzCxVdsYZ96xp-kRHPRhC90T6UErTtHxDSAzafSzpBQPsg/s1600/DSC01714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWhCyHG4D-YwtiCxOPtalGDoNHiUKhMGGsi7SrlfzSjrbf4tAsFhr_T_zkihMFvSuHhbsIwKSoCEcQZMhvO8VfOnCZABD8SzCxVdsYZ96xp-kRHPRhC90T6UErTtHxDSAzafSzpBQPsg/s640/DSC01714.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj42viXc9h1d98fWzbIpz_Hp3yd1q-ArX5KJ1YehGuHxxDqFz0N22xfgCdPXBBsH0kCbF7hiS8fhF0NdGaxTMuTqiNWR-rR0gbxAzdQIS1PQ5NfYAhM_agQDqTmMsJN54ivVQBY7ih9ZA/s1600/DSC01711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj42viXc9h1d98fWzbIpz_Hp3yd1q-ArX5KJ1YehGuHxxDqFz0N22xfgCdPXBBsH0kCbF7hiS8fhF0NdGaxTMuTqiNWR-rR0gbxAzdQIS1PQ5NfYAhM_agQDqTmMsJN54ivVQBY7ih9ZA/s640/DSC01711.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7T3nGm3EamEdAB4nBoyJd5iNob2YCSX2oaaD6_Ckl1ynolDwjAnx4Xd43MEIDY7zpCs6T6XkCAROoC5UyenlRTfC7sN01zHYwhmmYw_gXyo_mD06PUJzRBOmaOR7coTpJbGaJrEydmCY/s1600/DSC01706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7T3nGm3EamEdAB4nBoyJd5iNob2YCSX2oaaD6_Ckl1ynolDwjAnx4Xd43MEIDY7zpCs6T6XkCAROoC5UyenlRTfC7sN01zHYwhmmYw_gXyo_mD06PUJzRBOmaOR7coTpJbGaJrEydmCY/s640/DSC01706.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4IEhuRT4Td5UUDSbMMyHX2jsnVUWKJ_fXOlwNS5vpO_iK_oUpi8DLKVVnUqWkMTQo_q-qETFVktlDt5CZoYXN3Z4ZSNneZs-4vuD8zwjE3ITHc9tGTM0VgtrBjVTfmAsMGiR8N72wCM/s1600/DSC01713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4IEhuRT4Td5UUDSbMMyHX2jsnVUWKJ_fXOlwNS5vpO_iK_oUpi8DLKVVnUqWkMTQo_q-qETFVktlDt5CZoYXN3Z4ZSNneZs-4vuD8zwjE3ITHc9tGTM0VgtrBjVTfmAsMGiR8N72wCM/s640/DSC01713.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A few snaps after church on Easter Sunday - still wearing their ties and still smiling! </div>
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These guys (and the pup) are champs :)</div>
<br />Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-49987468661445509372015-11-07T16:28:00.003-05:002015-11-07T16:31:51.824-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">
Over the last year, we've slowly dipped our toes into homeschooling. <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/search/label/homeschool">Last fall, when Michael was three</a>, we bought a simple but fun curriculum called <a href="http://www.motherhoodonadime.com/gods-little-explorers-preschool-curriculum/">God's Little Explorers</a>, and we had a great time with it! Each week (in a 26 week school year) covered a Bible story and a corresponding letter of the alphabet. So, each week we would read that particular story from the Bible, focus on writing the letter of the week, build or create something that worked with our weekly material, and we would supplement with books and other activities like science projects. It was inexpensive, well thought-out, and a really wonderful framework for us!<br />
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X is for x-ray / G is for garden / B is for boat</div>
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I is for insect / Mikey's alphabet (I <i>love</i> this!) / nature scavenger hunt</div>
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hard at work in our classroom / Z is for zoo / T is for tent</div>
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This year we have taken things a step farther and joined a co-op with other homeschooling families in our area, and it's been <i>fantastic</i>! We joined a local <a href="https://www.classicalconversations.com/">Classical Conversations</a> homeschool group and I can't say enough about how encouraging, fulfilling, and educational an experience it has been for us. We've found such a Godly, supportive, vibrant community of teachers and friends! Michael, in particular, <i>loves</i> being at school with his teacher and his friends. It has just been the greatest blessing to be with these wonderful people every week. And we're learning so much!!</div>
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first day of CC - they were both so excited!!</div>
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some of our reading materials</div>
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our weekly board with memory work for history, geography, science, </div>
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language arts and latin, and math (skip-counting seen here)</div>
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The new material that is presented every week at CC is the jumping off point for the studies for the rest of the week. Throughout the week we review and memorize the memory work (which is fun! even Samuel loves it!), we read about the subjects we are covering, we sometimes watch educational videos to reinforce the material, and we also do some math and language arts that isn't related to the CC curriculum. </div>
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giving his weekly presentation / drawing bats in art class / our model of the Colosseum</div>
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Looking at it here, it sounds like more than it really is! On a typical week day we spend about an hour reviewing the CC material and working on math and language arts, usually in the morning right after breakfast. On the days we do projects or extra reading we may spend an extra hour or more on school. We also use lunch time to read and review, and we listen to our "CC songs" (memory work set to music) in the car. And, we use the time before Michael's nap and bedtime to read - something we've always done anyway. So, it's not a huge chunk of time we spend sitting in our school room every day, but rather we're finding ways to use our time more wisely and fit school in wherever we can.</div>
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We always say that we are taking the boys' education one step at a time, and that is true. We don't know how long we will homeschool. <i>We never even thought we would do it in the first place!</i> But decision by decision, we arrived at this place and for now it is a wonderful blessing. I'm so thankful to have this time with them and to experience all of this learning together. </div>
Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-59912222624991017642015-10-11T18:03:00.001-04:002015-10-11T18:03:36.181-04:00How we eat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyxJFtvuONR_CnhRIOh7BR9e25sMIBT_-jyNmVQSBOuos3n7j0y1KuBIIYKV-2tBuMjydTM2OZ2Iq-d0njLy3abOgwTH5uGB0OT5WLVAFR_0stKHLUxLRt_tFY_vBYZiXqtrpW6gXlOI/s1600/Nicoise%252BSalad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyxJFtvuONR_CnhRIOh7BR9e25sMIBT_-jyNmVQSBOuos3n7j0y1KuBIIYKV-2tBuMjydTM2OZ2Iq-d0njLy3abOgwTH5uGB0OT5WLVAFR_0stKHLUxLRt_tFY_vBYZiXqtrpW6gXlOI/s640/Nicoise%252BSalad.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thejewelsofny.com/recipe/2013/8/27/nicoise-salad"><span style="font-size: x-small;">image</span></a></div>
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A couple of years ago, Tim made the decision to start eating clean. After lots of careful research, he settled on a slow-carb diet that is similar to a Paleo diet, but does include some unrefined carbs (like legumes). He made this choice completely on his own (heaven knows I was perfectly happy in my rut of eating easy/yummy foods), and I was so happy and so proud of him! On the other hand, it presented some challenges for me as the main food shopper/food preparer and our at-the-time almost-two-year-old. But, we did our best! And after almost three years we have settled into a pretty easy routine of cooking meals that satisfy our dietary needs (and our tastebuds!)<br />
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I'm a little embarassed to post this here because <i>I am in no way a food expert or even a very good cook. </i>Also, we have "cheat day" every Saturday (and most of the time Sunday, too), so we're not always a great example! But over all, our diet is so much healthier than before! We're all eating more vegetables, protein, and healthy fats. So, when friends and family ask for tips and examples of how we make this low-carb diet work for the whole family, I often think it would be useful to put it all down in one place where people can see a coherent list of meals, instead of me trying to think of examples off the top of my head - ha! (Also, I keep a written list of meals that work for us (for quick reference when planning meals and writing the grocery list), but if I put them all here I can link to the recipes I use in each meal, and that will make cooking even easier for me!)<br />
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Before I get into the individual meals I should explain: while Tim adheres closely to the slow-carb diet, the rest of us do not. So, while we do eat lots of veggies and protein and healthy fats along with Tim, we also eat our share of bread and rice, etc. Tim graciously doesn't mind this, so I am able to just use a simple formula as the base for most meals:<br />
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protein + 2 vegetables (we try to eat as many cruciferous and leafy green veggies as possible) + slow carb (like beans)<br />
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To that formula, I will also add a starch (rice, bread, pasta, etc.) for me and the kids. We might also have some fruit. This is a loose formula, and we don't always stick to it strictly, but it makes things so simple when I approach every meal this way - first planning a slow-carb meal that will work for Tim, and then embellishing with some carbs for the rest of us, or adding beans or extra vegetables as needed for him. Here are some examples of our favorite meals, with links to recipes where available (slow-carb foods are in bold):<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/crispy-roasted-garlic-chicken/#more-2143"><b>Roasted whole chicken</b></a>, <a href="http://www.averiecooks.com/2013/01/lemon-rosemary-coconut-oil-roasted-vegetables.html"><b>roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots</b></a>, <b>sliced tomatoes</b>, baguette, cheese<br />
2. <a href="http://easypeas-y.blogspot.com/2012/03/paleo-meatballs.html"><b>Meatballs</b></a> (<a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/lidias-spaghetti-and-meatballs-434121">much better recipe here for cheat days</a>), pasta, sauce, <b>spinach salad</b>, melon<br />
3. <b>Grilled steak</b>, <b>grilled veggies</b>, baked potato, melon<br />
4. <a href="http://www.thelondoner.me/2014/01/blt-bowl.html"><b>BLT salad</b></a> (the kids like to eat the components separately with dressing for dip)<br />
5. Hamburgers, fries, carrot slices (Tim makes a <b>salad with greens, tomatoes, avocado, hamburger</b>, etc.)<br />
6. <b>Grilled fajitas</b>,<b> beans</b>,<b> guacamole</b>, tortillas and chips<br />
7. <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/286189751297924710/"><b>Roasted pork tenderloin</b></a> (and <a href="http://www.rockrecipes.com/easy-glazed-brown-sugar-dijon-pork-loin/"><b>another version I like</b></a>), <a href="http://www.thewickednoodle.com/parmesan-roasted-cauliflower-recipe/"><b>roasted cauliflower</b></a>, <b>steamed green beans</b><br />
8. <b>Meat and vegetable stir-fry</b>, rice<br />
9. <b>Baked chicken</b>, mac and cheese, <b>steamed broccoli</b>, berries<br />
10. <a href="http://www.thejewelsofny.com/recipe/2013/8/27/nicoise-salad"><b>Niçoise salad</b></a>, baguette<br />
11. <b>Grilled <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sweet-n-spicy-sriracha-glazed-salmon-51252440">salmon</a></b>, <b>grilled asparagus</b>, <a href="http://www.thewickednoodle.com/parmesan-roasted-cauliflower-recipe/"><b>roasted cauliflower</b></a>, berries<br />
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<br />Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-32923254098031267642015-09-02T18:27:00.000-04:002015-09-02T18:27:09.146-04:00Montana - Paradise Valley (Part III)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>in my life I've probably taken 100 pictures by this bridge, but this one is my favorite</i></div>
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On Sunday morning, bright and early, we turned south on Mill Creek Road up into the mountains, past where the paved road ends, along gravel road that follows Mill Creek, and eventually across a beautiful old wooden bridge and into <a href="http://www.yellowstonebiblecamp.com/">Yellowstone Bible Camp</a>. We were only about 10 miles from our cabin, but I felt like I had stepped back in time to my childhood. I attended the camp from 1993-1997, as a camper and as a counselor (I basically went as often as I could). To this day some of my happiest times, greatest friendships, times of purest worship and deepest contentment happened here. It is sacred ground to me, and returning with my family and our friends to worship and play for the morning was the high point of my trip. My heart could have burst with joyful memories and thanksgiving.</div>
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<i>Mill Creek / driving up the gravel road with the windows down</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSivj82IJC_1ILeP2YYNW_mdM_N7A2PZO_H49MsmVsTvaa5QMB57-nRIZCQMZrdQMoAaBHR-SsBWmF2-u39eZhFF4K21B0jibobiUmMeGmBkp9Xm6AfXM_uESsAquZiQIof28saN7lC4/s1600/unnamed-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSivj82IJC_1ILeP2YYNW_mdM_N7A2PZO_H49MsmVsTvaa5QMB57-nRIZCQMZrdQMoAaBHR-SsBWmF2-u39eZhFF4K21B0jibobiUmMeGmBkp9Xm6AfXM_uESsAquZiQIof28saN7lC4/s400/unnamed-23.jpg" width="298" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBk8hLgXWT5sW2tXCw4NCB3qdCfZ97VggprqjTpueGjsQy0XbyMEjCr4n7Kapsmjsxd0bpXmqlAxZ3j7MvLbDspjpmCKltvLUVp7HGM7kejqFeFeUZuHWvVxDzR1H8N4QRH_QoDW2tsM/s1600/unnamed-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBk8hLgXWT5sW2tXCw4NCB3qdCfZ97VggprqjTpueGjsQy0XbyMEjCr4n7Kapsmjsxd0bpXmqlAxZ3j7MvLbDspjpmCKltvLUVp7HGM7kejqFeFeUZuHWvVxDzR1H8N4QRH_QoDW2tsM/s400/unnamed-18.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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It looked a little different, but the place still smelled just like it did all those years ago - the fresh piney air, the smell of the creek, coffee and hot breakfast and smoke from the fireplace coming from the lodge. Kids played basketball and adults sipped coffee around the campfire. We were welcomed so warmly, and when it was time to ring the bell for worship Michael and Sam got to do the honors! We packed into the chapel and worshipped together. It was such a special morning.</div>
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<i>Hyalite Reservoir (photo by Elsabe)</i></div>
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On Monday Tim and Lance spent the day fly-fishing and Elsabe and I took the boys on a hike to <a href="http://alltrails.com/trail/us/montana/palisade-falls">Palisade Falls</a> in the Gallatin National Forest south of Bozeman. It was a fairly long drive (about 90 minutes from our cabin in Pray), but it was so worth it! The views were beautiful and the hike itself was gorgeous and good for kids too. The trail is steep, but it's paved so I was able to push Sam in the stroller, and Michael ran along ahead of us most of the way. </div>
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<i>Palisade Falls</i></div>
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At the top of the trail is this beautiful waterfall. Also, some really cute, really bold chipmunks. I didn't get any pictures, but the chipmunks were obviously used to sharing food with the hikers and they hung around us the whole time we rested and snacked by the waterfall. Later that afternoon after we returned to the cabin and the boys had napped, we went out for a walk in the neighborhood and I fell in love with it all over again. I even found my dream house (see below).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1QiB2mwbjGD-_Q_sr1lfZ9xeF_lsvTRqcW_85mOcq3kUZ-MCuCkOzH2v3eoqWAxVhyphenhyphen7aezBGnL-pDxlNanZmkGrHygbwgAIUxDfOJiAjnRw7YMsTL9sdQ3wCqIL3cZrAkcArmyX91tA/s1600/unnamed-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1QiB2mwbjGD-_Q_sr1lfZ9xeF_lsvTRqcW_85mOcq3kUZ-MCuCkOzH2v3eoqWAxVhyphenhyphen7aezBGnL-pDxlNanZmkGrHygbwgAIUxDfOJiAjnRw7YMsTL9sdQ3wCqIL3cZrAkcArmyX91tA/s640/unnamed-9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>home of my dreams</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcFVaypBu93JQBvawViznFwoBvzW0puOpwjCHFTaj8Ut6qNnVfnz5WsFsvpgPJsQTL3teBU5VQsp2v5TwFh3rHxRP1egxlMUadvn0Fexf7xYnPGx1hvVbqOst5Wv7SPau10cliLTxDZU/s1600/unnamed-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcFVaypBu93JQBvawViznFwoBvzW0puOpwjCHFTaj8Ut6qNnVfnz5WsFsvpgPJsQTL3teBU5VQsp2v5TwFh3rHxRP1egxlMUadvn0Fexf7xYnPGx1hvVbqOst5Wv7SPau10cliLTxDZU/s400/unnamed-10.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhay-pI_Ld-NUMzho9FreP6cybLa6Myn4_fzSebtYDXNvHrlSULrc-8JWYI4yN52zKIpZsjj6VF2isYPIwLlkbutApHmPs8PjUO8rSK2S77VkxKlXfZkxvFlwYxqvfuwXoUOEajCkGSCSs/s1600/unnamed-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhay-pI_Ld-NUMzho9FreP6cybLa6Myn4_fzSebtYDXNvHrlSULrc-8JWYI4yN52zKIpZsjj6VF2isYPIwLlkbutApHmPs8PjUO8rSK2S77VkxKlXfZkxvFlwYxqvfuwXoUOEajCkGSCSs/s400/unnamed-11.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>picking wildflowers and gathering rocks. always gathering rocks.</i></div>
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<i>big sky and mountains at the end of our street</i></div>
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On our last day we all went to Bozeman. We shopped for souvenirs, had some lunch, and played at the park until it started raining. Then, we had the treat of driving back down the valley in a huge thunderstorm - it was so beautiful. I had forgotten how quickly mountain storms come in, and how quickly they move on...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_0TMxvLvi8HXCl9sMfBgw11uGEuzd8iQs-M3gTLDZuTK70UFD3hnySa8Nj3w7DBWoPBmpDUZ9Brh1-2P64SCs7I2tb5ly92uApUZclSZkcbVRIu-3a4hSJlLj1NKzN0Lkz-IQbP-J-M/s1600/unnamed-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_0TMxvLvi8HXCl9sMfBgw11uGEuzd8iQs-M3gTLDZuTK70UFD3hnySa8Nj3w7DBWoPBmpDUZ9Brh1-2P64SCs7I2tb5ly92uApUZclSZkcbVRIu-3a4hSJlLj1NKzN0Lkz-IQbP-J-M/s640/unnamed-17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>walking down main street in Bozeman</i></div>
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<i>enjoying Lindley Park</i></div>
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<i>Lindley Park / the storm completely hid the mountains</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSeLYMHHlqDY5emlDktu0uE-EmoIxw-ryifG5rhT1yTTR1NQZUjgUyDtUfBPOxIXy8Yfc7tpRfpYtW3ILQoYcUCFsSAgFg0gLuJBFXPfNJlkJUsmEfOnJbDNSxMOiLB-5K6psnJYYFA-Y/s1600/unnamed-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSeLYMHHlqDY5emlDktu0uE-EmoIxw-ryifG5rhT1yTTR1NQZUjgUyDtUfBPOxIXy8Yfc7tpRfpYtW3ILQoYcUCFsSAgFg0gLuJBFXPfNJlkJUsmEfOnJbDNSxMOiLB-5K6psnJYYFA-Y/s640/unnamed-23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>after the storm, headed home on highway 89</i></div>
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<i>stormy afternoon view from the cabin / last night out in Livingston</i></div>
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That night we drove back into Livingston for one more meal at the Rib and Chop House. It was hard to enjoy it, knowing that we had to leave the next morning. I was so sad and then, that night when we got back to the cabin, God blessed us with one last spectacular sunset over the river. It was so, so beautiful. It was quite a gift to all of us. </div>
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I'm so very thankful for our time there. </div>
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<i>sunset on our last night at the cabin</i></div>
Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-18729948023477196172015-09-01T17:35:00.004-04:002015-09-01T17:38:58.876-04:00Montana - Paradise Valley (Part II)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>storm over the Absarokas, headed south on 89</i></div>
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On our third and fourth days in Paradise Valley, we spent some time in the local towns. On Friday we went in to Livingston, one of our favorite places in Montana. We walked around and bought souvenirs (including some cowboy hats for the boys - be still my heart!), and had an amazing lunch at Mark's. It was one of those days - the weather was gorgeous, and the burgers and shakes were so good, and we had such a good time devouring our lunch and listening to good music in the car. That's a memory that will always make us smile! </div>
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<i>Livingston. I love so much about this picture, but especially the truck with the canoe, camper, dog looking out the window, and a bike on the back - delightfully typical in this part of the world</i></div>
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<i>the boys in their new hats / lunch at Mark's was a good choice</i></div>
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The next day we went to Bozeman, another town we <i>love</i>, and took the boys to the <a href="https://museumoftherockies.org/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/">Museum of the Rockies</a>. That was a <i>huge</i> hit! The dinosaur exhibit was amazing as expected, but so were all the other exhibits. Michael loved the Native American exhibit, and both boys were in heaven playing in the Children's Discovery Center, dressing up as rangers and fire-jumpers, camping and fishing. It was really fantastic. Michael has been talking about it ever since.</div>
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<i>Sam was SO excited about these dinosaurs - this picture makes me laugh every time!</i></div>
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<i>Sam has a thing for mountain lions / please, please don't ever become a fire jumper, Mikey</i></div>
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And in all the rest of our other free time we were on the river. Pretend fishing, waving to all the people that went floating by, collecting rocks, throwing rocks, catching minnows, climbing on fallen trees and driftwood, and later doing some actual fishing after we bought them some poles. It was such a treat for all of us to be out there on that cold, clear water.<br />
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<i>we loved waving and chatting with the people floating the river</i></div>
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<i>our "pet" minnows / all four of us in our happy place</i></div>
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<i>Michael really took to the river - he seemed right at home and it was so fun to watch him!</i></div>
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<i>Sammy liked it too - as long as he could hold our hand</i></div>
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One of my favorite nights of the trip, we allowed Michael to stay up late with the adults to have a camp fire. We also told him we would sleep outside with him (his idea because he thought we should be camping out <i>all</i> the time in Montana). We didn't get a lot of sleep that night, but it was really fun and I know it will always be a special memory for us.</div>
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<i>he was so excited! (actually, we all were!)</i></div>
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<i>such a big boy! he totally enjoyed being one of the grown ups for an evening :)</i></div>
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<i>sitting around the fire pit with Uncle Lance</i></div>
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<i>it was such a beautiful night! not too cold, but chilly enough for a fire...</i></div>
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<i>...and s'mores, of course</i></div>
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<i>Michael took this one for us! One of my favorite shots from the trip!</i></div>
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<i>We took this one in our bed on the porch around 10:30. Two hours later Michael and I were still awake (mostly because he wouldn't quit talking). He walked out into the grass to go potty and came back to tell me that he smelled a skunk. And that's when we retreated to our beds inside. But it was fun while it lasted!</i></div>
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There's still more to come...</div>
Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-69016531120731937592015-08-31T15:42:00.002-04:002015-09-01T15:43:26.522-04:00Montana - Paradise Valley (Part I)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Absaroka range, Paradise Valley, a few miles from our cabin</i></div>
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<i>Mallard's Rest, Yellowstone River</i></div>
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It took us most of the day to drive from <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2015/08/montana-glacier.html">Glacier</a>, south through the Flathead Valley, through Missoula, south and east and over the Continental Divide and into Livingston. From there we turned south onto highway 89 through the Paradise Valley - a gorgeous two-lane road that follows the sparkling Yellowstone River dotted with fishermen in their boats, beside pastures of cows and green fields watered with giant sprinklers, and the Absaroka mountains looming up beside us. We opened the sunroof and the windows for the final stretch of our drive, and tried to take in every bit of the beauty and the sweet air. When we arrived at the cabin and got out of the car I could have cried with happiness - it was a quiet little spot on the country road of my dreams, and just beyond the cabin, winking at us in the afternoon sun, flowed the Yellowstone river. We immediately trekked down to the water to start exploring.</div>
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<i>driving south throught the valley / our view from the porch</i></div>
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<i>exploring "our" little piece of the Yellowstone / ice cream on the porch</i></div>
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It was hot and sunny when we arrived at the cabin, but as soon as the sun dipped below the mountains (around 9 at night!) the air turned cool and crisp. The mornings were so refreshing - open windows, sweatshirts, hot coffee, warm little guys in their warm pajamas. Some of my favorite things!<br />
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<i>waking up and showing me the river - the boys always wanted to get outside right away! me too!</i><br />
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<i>happy Sam - he picked out this mountain lion in Glacier and named him Bomp</i><br />
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<i>quiet, happy morning by the river</i><br />
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On our first day we packed up and headed south to Yellowstone for a half-day trip. We wanted to minimize time spent driving and/or sitting in Yellowstone traffic, and of course find some activities that would be fun for the boys, so we drove a short distance into the park and spent the morning hiking and playing at the <a href="http://www.youryellowstonevacation.com/index.php?p=region&region_id=1&category_id=38&member_id=201">Boiling River</a>.<br />
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<i>hiking along the Gardiner River / the Gardiner and Boiling Rivers meet</i></div>
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<i>a beautiful day in Yellowstone - by the end of the hike we were hot and ready to get in!</i><br />
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<i>playing in the Boiling River (it turns out there was a snake coiled up in the rocks right next to us)</i></div>
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It was a perfect activity for little ones. The hike was flat and pretty, about half a mile in each direction, with the Gardiner river running along beside the trail, and wildflowers to pick along the way. The trail ends where the Boiling River empties into the very chilly Gardiner River, and where the rivers meet the water temperature fluctuates between hot and cold, but it's comfortable enough to swim! The boys protested when it was time to leave, and I forgot to bring them dry shoes for the hike back, but otherwise we had a really good time!<br />
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<i>Park County Fair in Livingston / dinner at the Rib and Chop House, one of our favorites</i></div>
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<i>having some ice cream at the fair</i></div>
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That night we hit one of the highlights of our trip - our precious friends Lance and Elsabe joined us!! We met up at the Park County Fair in Livingston, had a fun dinner at the <a href="http://ribandchophouse.com/locations/livingston-montana-restaurant/">Montana Rib and Chop House</a>, then spent the rest of the evening back at the fair before heading home to the cabin. We stayed up late every night visiting, using the hot tub, having a campfire, trying to photograph the stars, and always laughing. It was so special sharing this trip with them! I wish I had more pictures, but as is so often the case (in my life, at least) some of the best times go un-photographed because I'm just enjoying myself too much to worry about pictures! I suppose that's the way it should be.<br />
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More to come....</div>
Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-7755455776588928122015-08-18T00:17:00.001-04:002015-08-18T01:05:49.589-04:00Two years old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>I wish he would loosen up and have fun sometimes</i></div>
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Today our Sam turns two. What a couple of years it has been! This child has brought so much love and joy into our lives. It hurts my heart that you're growing up so fast, Sammy, but oh how we have treasured every moment with you.</div>
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You love everything on wheels - trucks, cars, motorcycles - and you love Mickey Mouse, so we had a little bit of both to celebrate your birthday. You loved it! You were so thrilled with your Mickey Mouse cake, and the Mickey toys, and especially with your "motorcycle" (big wheel) and helmet. What a gift for me to get to put together this little celebration and see your reaction! It made my heart burst seeing your happiness, Sam! </div>
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<i>We celebrated with family at Gigi and Papa's house last weekend, and then again at home over the weekend</i></div>
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<i>playing cars and stickers - two of his favorite things</i></div>
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<i>Evie loved the balloons! She carried them around very carefully without popping them! Made us laugh.</i></div>
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Happy, happy birthday precious boy! You're such a blessing to us!</div>
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We love you more than you will ever know. xoxo</div>
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Sammy <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2013/08/samuel-randall.html">newborn</a>, and <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/08/happy-birthday-sam.html">one year old</a> (and <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/08/sams-birthday-party.html">first birthday party</a>).</div>
<br />Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-52327964146074428642015-08-13T00:04:00.001-04:002015-08-20T15:57:13.771-04:00Montana - Glacier Country<br />
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<i>Avalanche Creek Glacier Park or, as Michael calls it, "our river"</i></div>
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We're back from our trip to Montana, and since we've been home I've been acting like a teenager, alternately floating along on the dreamy memories of our trip, and
moping like my life is over because the trip is behind us. Maybe I'm reacting this way because I <i>was</i> a teenager when I lived in Montana? Have I regressed to my adolescence? </div>
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<i>Mission Mountains and barn, Flathead Valley</i></div>
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I think I'm just having a hard time getting over this one because Montana, <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2010/01/wise-old-friend-recently-began-nudging.html#comment-form">as I've mentioned before</a>, is my sacred place. For many reasons - so many of my formative years were spent there, my memories of it are almost all very happy, the peace and quiet and the landscape and the people are just a good fit for my personality and my taste, oh and it's <i>GORGEOUS</i> - it feels like my home. <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/search/label/italy">It takes forever for me to move on after a good trip</a> under any circumstances, but this one has been really hard. It was a dream come true to share Montana with my boys. One morning at breakfast Michael actually turned to me and asked out of the blue, "Can I grow up here?" and I almost cried because it makes me so happy that he loves it as much as I love it. I've always hoped that Montana would be part of Michael and Samuel's life, and this trip seemed like the beginning of that.</div>
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It was everything I expect summer in Montana to be - crisp and cool at night, hot and sunny during the day, buzzing with life (read: mosquitoes and biting flies), shimmering with crystal clear rivers and dazzling stars, covered with the dome of that big open sky, and smelling as fresh as if the Lord just put the finishing touches on the pine trees. Of course it wasn't a perfect trip. (Do they exist? I'll spend the rest of my life trying to find out.) There were short nights, grouchy mornings, testy arguments, getting on each others' nerves in the car, etc. But there were such good times, too. I love that we showed our boys a part of our country that is <i>so different</i> from where we live. (I'll never forget Samuel walking barefoot in the grass and excitedly saying, "No ants! No ants!") And, as far as traveling with kids goes, Montana is as perfect a place as I can imagine. To say that it is casual and outdoorsy is a total understatement. The boys spent most of the time dirty, barefoot, playing with rocks, sticks, dirt, water, and whatever else they could get their hands on. I'm proud to say that the boys spent almost all of their waking time outside playing and exploring. We couldn't have kept them inside if we wanted to. </div>
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<i>bear patrol and howling like a wolf / sunset from the porch</i></div>
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<i>breakfast at <a href="http://www.buffalocafewhitefish.com/">Buffalo Cafe</a> in Whitefish / wildflower picking at the cabin</i></div>
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We flew in and out of Spokane, which means that we had a pretty (but long) drive to get in and out of Montana. We stayed in a cabin up a long gravel road on the edge of Whitefish, where we were warned not to go outside without bear mace because a bear had been hanging around the property. We never did see that bear (Michael kept lookout the whole time we were there) but it was a beautiful place to spend a few days. We spent two days on the west side of Glacier Park (not nearly enough time!) and found a few things that were just right for young kids:</div>
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- We walked the <a href="http://www.hikinginglacier.com/trail-of-the-cedars.htm">Trail of the Cedars</a> - beautiful, shady, flat, with the gorgeous <a href="http://www.waterfallsmontana.com/waterfalls.aspx?id=1">Avalanche Creek Gorge</a> at the halfway point, and plenty to explore along the way. This was a perfect "hike" for the boys. They <i>loved</i> it.</div>
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- Picnic and playing at Avalanche Creek, just across the road from the trailhead for the Trail of the Cedars. Both days we went to Glacier, we packed a cooler with snacks and lunch. We liked this spot so much, we ate lunch here both days. It was so beautiful and peaceful, and the boys were so happy playing with the rocks and water, they never wanted to leave. It was a really special spot for us.</div>
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<i>Huckleberry Nature Trail</i></div>
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- On day two, in the name of kid-friendly hiking and wildflowers, we drove up the west side of the park to the <a href="http://enjoyyourparks.com/glacierhuckleberrynature.html">Huckleberry Nature Trail</a>. This one was a little bit out of the way, but it was a fun hike, and good for the kids too (Sammy rode in the pack for this one as there was quite a bit of climbing, but Michael handled it like a champ!) I only wish we had brought some sort of bear protection with us - there were multiple bear warnings at the trailhead, and it was obvious to us as we walked the trail that this was prime bear territory. Tim and I were pretty terrified as we began the hike, and we thought about turning back, but we made a big racket (Michael chattered and sang happily the whole way) and we never did see any bears (<i>so</i> thankful for that). The views were beautiful and it was such a peaceful, pretty trail - when we weren't scared for our lives. Ha!<br />
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<i>a few of the vistas we passed on our way out of town - these photos are so inadequate it hurts to post them!</i><br />
<i>from top: a pretty lot near our cabin in Whitefish (Glacier mountains in the distance), my favorite orange BNSF train on its way through Whitefish, and a view of Flathead lake (from the west side looking east toward the Swan and Mission ranges)</i><br />
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After spending two and a half days in <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2015/08/montana-glacier.html">Whitefish and Glacier</a> (not <i>nearly</i> enough time - what was I thinking with that plan?!?), we packed up the car and headed south through the Flathead Valley. It was a beautiful drive past fields and barns and stunning mountains, the shimmering Flathead Lake, and dozens of cute little cherry orchards on the surrounding hills. I found myself daydreaming about running one of those little cherry farms by the lake - it's hard to imagine a more lovely setting (at least, in the summer time.) We picked up lunch at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/tagliare-delicatessen-missoula">Tagliare</a> in Missoula, and had a picnic in the park so the boys could run. By four that afternoon we were stocking up on groceries in Livingston and headed to the house we had rented in Pray, a teeny town on the Yellowstone River in the heart of the Paradise Valley....</div>
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Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-1556925124923549932015-05-27T16:39:00.001-04:002015-05-27T16:39:35.262-04:00The boys (and an Evie!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Life has changed a bit since <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-boys.html">my last post about the boys</a>. <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2015/05/michael-turned-four.html">Michael turned four</a>, Sam made some invisible leap from toddler to little boy, and <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2015/05/evie-joins-pack.html">we welcomed our pup Evie into the family</a>. Things got really chaotic really fast, but we are so happy to have this little critter! Samuel is unfazed - he is neither afraid of Evie, nor excited about her. He likes her, but he pretty much acts like she has always been here. Michael, on the other hand <i>loves</i> Evie and wants to play with her and hold her and <i>run with her</i> all the time. And the feeling is mutual. Evie is thrilled to chase, lick, be held by, bark at, roll over for, and follow the boys all the time. She is so good-natured and so playful, I sometimes can't believe how well she has fit in with our family. I feel like God hand-picked this girl just for us. There have been messes and chewed up toys (and a disgusting mouse murder just a few feet away from Samuel), but mostly she is pure sweetness in a furry little Muppet-dog body. We call her Evie Girl, and we couldn't love her more.</div>
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Michael - 4 years and 1 month</div>
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Latest skills: drawing his favorite characters, writing simple words without help, zipping up his jacket, helping me wrangle Evie and sometimes Sam, buckling his own car seat</div>
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Loves: playing chase with Evie, wrestling with Dad, playing with friends, playing outside, playing Baymax, pretending, building forts, reading, writing books (with help), having undivided attention, learning about science, movies</div>
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Best way to make him laugh: get Evie to chase him, watching Evie run around really fast, trip over something and fall</div>
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Doesn't love: 4 year old shots, being bugged by Sam, unwanted attention</div>
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Habits we're trying to break: being bossy when playing with other kids, venting frustration by yelling, taking <i>forever</i> to eat </div>
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Words: "You look beautiful, Mom!" </div>
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"My body is made up of cells. That's where my energy comes from."</div>
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Tim told him a riddle (What falls down and never gets back up?), Michael answered correctly (rain), then thought about it for a minute, and said it wasn't right because rain does go back up when it evaportates.</div>
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His spirit: passionate, a dreamer, has strong opinions about almost everything, very sure of himself, persistent, adventurous, thoughtful</div>
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Aspirations: currently doing chores and saving up to buy a Baymax action figure, begs often to return to the Shedd aquarium in Chicago so he can play in the life-sized submarine again, wants to dig up dinosaur bones in Montana this summer</div>
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Samuel - 1 year and 9 months</div>
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Latest skills: singing ABCs, counting to 13, jumping off of furniture and his truck, feeding Evie, dragging the little red chair around the kitchen to access whatever he pleases on the counters</div>
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Loves: doing things himself, being tickled, sitting in our laps to read, playing with Mikey, cantaloupe (cannamope), most foods, playing in the yard, Gigi and Papa, hugs, toys with wheels, going to Bible class</div>
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Best way to make him laugh: tickle him</div>
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Doesn't love: the vacuum cleaner, the lawn mower, sitting still in church, sitting still for movies or TV shows</div>
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Habits we're trying to break: still throwing food and drinks on the floor, disobeying Mom and Dad</div>
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Words: "I do it!" (wants to do everything himself)</div>
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"My turn!"</div>
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"Ready? One, two, fee, four, five, six!" (preparing to jump off of something)</div>
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"Look, Mom, look!" </div>
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"Thank God Daddy and Mikey and Daddy." (saying what he's thankful for before prayers)</div>
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His spirit: thankful and appreciative (almost always says thank you, often thanks us for doing things for Michael too), concerned about others (always says "bless you" when someone sneezes, asks if we're okay when we cough, etc.), friendly, strong-willed</div>
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Aspirations: to do everything Mikey does, to do everything himself</div>
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Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-87223842398628101532015-05-10T16:50:00.001-04:002015-05-10T16:50:32.089-04:00Michael turned four<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Somehow, my baby turned four (<i>almost a month ago!!</i>). I didn't get weepy or long for the baby days or any of that. </div>
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I was able to just enjoy this awesome stage that is four-year-old Mikey. Everything is exciting. Everything is an adventure. It's pretty great.</div>
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Balloons are a good way to start the day :)</div>
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Enjoying his breakfast and decorating his own cupcakes. (He requested that I let him do the cupcakes.)</div>
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In true form he dreamed up an elaborate Wall-E themed pizza party with his friends, so the weekend before his birthday we did our best to make it happen. We played some robot games, ate outside in the sun, enjoyed cake and ice cream, and opened presents (Michael was <i>just barely</i> able to wait for that part. <i>Barely.</i>). It turned out cute and really fun, and Mikey loved it.</div>
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Happy birthday, Michael! It's a joy and blessing to watch you grow. We love you!!!</div>
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(Michael at <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/04/three.html">three</a> (<a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-bug-party-for-michael.html">party</a>), <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2013/04/two.html">two</a> (<a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2013/04/birthday-week.html">birthday week</a>), <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-baby-turned-one.html">one</a>, <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog-post.html">just born</a>, and <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2011/05/michaels-birth.html">birth story</a>. Ok, <i>now</i> I'm a little weepy.)</div>
Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-30212109704104812922015-05-06T15:47:00.003-04:002015-05-06T15:48:31.233-04:00Evie joins the pack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is Evie. She has puppy breath and furry little paws that make the boys (and me) turn to mush. She hops around in the grass and does that adorable thing where she bats at the air with her paws. </div>
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Of course, yesterday she pooped in the playroom and killed a small disgusting rodent of some kind in the yard, but these sweet pictures were taken on day two in our home when she was still all sweetness and submission. One week later and she is 100% rascal. It's okay. We love her anyway.</div>
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<br />Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-31143957514189922372015-05-06T15:21:00.000-04:002015-05-06T15:21:58.253-04:00mud, ball caps, and flowers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our spring looked like this.</div>
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Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-6436318615121581212015-04-02T11:29:00.001-04:002015-05-11T18:32:50.399-04:00On motherhoodBefore and after this, there are accomplishments. Awards. Degrees. Tests passed. Jobs offered. Promotions given. Papers published. Goals reached. Mine for the taking, and keeping.<br />
<br />
But in this strange, sweet stretch of my life there is no credit for my work. There is no public praise. My efforts are sometimes rewarded with hugs from tiny arms. "I love you"s spoken in sweet baby breath. The laughter of little boys. But these treasures are gone like a mist the instant they appear. Poof. No proof. I cannot hold on. Hard as I try, I cannot pile them up and keep them.<br />
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Every day I write an epic story in disappearing ink. Holding. Feeding. Cleaning, diapering and dressing. Encouraging. Drying tears. Instructing. Teaching. Prodding. Planning. Thinking ahead. Anticipating their needs. Teaching them to anticipate their needs. Reading. Pretending. Imagining. Comforting. And feeding and washing and dressing again. When I do my job well, all that's left at the end of the day is two little boys clean, fed, and tucked safely into bed. The work, and their growth, is unseen by everyone but the Lord. It all falls away. The only thing that remains is them and their precious hearts. And the next day we begin again.<br />
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To the casual (ignorant) observer I am losing years, and one day will have nothing to show for this time I spent at home "just raising kids". There will be a yawning gap in my resume and a noticeable lag in my professional skills. Sometimes I worry that playing in the yard or cuddling on the couch, or reading the same book for the fiftieth time is not the best use of my time. And by my old selfish standards it isn't. But it's the best use of <i>their</i> time and reminding myself of that soothes my pride and calms my worries. For the first time in my life I work purely for the good of someone besides myself. Only the Lord is here to witness my work. But He will hold on to them. He will keep them. This is no accomplishment. This is the care of souls.Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-86750896233805321832015-02-22T17:03:00.003-05:002015-05-21T16:18:51.005-04:00the boys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9aCMeNKHMgTyG1k676OBkKxazHcwgBJ5SHSgkrjJN-ffZdlB6DT44Jfiw_D6JbJK-QheJryYFXBJ5pAyyY-0gs7x1auAFsSbJ0p6ZCa943ZTd2WCAS293gGi_8IdTmkR0oheOokfBKg/s1600/DSC00912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9aCMeNKHMgTyG1k676OBkKxazHcwgBJ5SHSgkrjJN-ffZdlB6DT44Jfiw_D6JbJK-QheJryYFXBJ5pAyyY-0gs7x1auAFsSbJ0p6ZCa943ZTd2WCAS293gGi_8IdTmkR0oheOokfBKg/s1600/DSC00912.JPG" width="265" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2yFFzWpHCV7eQBpJ1dMW_2RiA9ydiP1XzhuC8HUN2T1GVKYL8fIwpdGIDSxVfiier9DuyAz7ZfHr_AkO2ud5ODsmP0kBda70iaLbbcIH7kgGHSIn8mqWTTjNqW7MXx4MjwC4BHO1l6A/s1600/DSC00911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2yFFzWpHCV7eQBpJ1dMW_2RiA9ydiP1XzhuC8HUN2T1GVKYL8fIwpdGIDSxVfiier9DuyAz7ZfHr_AkO2ud5ODsmP0kBda70iaLbbcIH7kgGHSIn8mqWTTjNqW7MXx4MjwC4BHO1l6A/s1600/DSC00911.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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I can't believe it's been three months since <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-boys.html">my last post about the boys</a>! In some ways they have changed so much in that time, but a lot of that change is sort of intangible. Let's see if I can put some of that into words....<br />
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They've become more like peers in the last few months. Each one wants the other as soon as he wakes up. Sometimes they play so well together and can't stop laughing with each other (usually over something naughty like Sam picking his nose or somebody acting up during a prayer). Of course, they've also started bickering quite a bit too, and sometimes I have to separate them or command them to ignore each other - didn't expect to arrive at <i>this</i> stage so quickly.<br />
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Michael continues to grow up before our eyes. He becomes more confident all the time, easily navigating social situations that would have sent him running for our arms just six months ago. He used to shy away from attempting new things in school for fear that he wouldn't get it right on the first try. He still struggles with this from time to time, but a little encouragement and the successes he's had over the last several months have done wonders for him. He loves to write, read (sounds out many words on his own), loves to count and do his preschool math workbook, and he's really proud of his hard work when he's finished. It makes us so happy to see that seed taking root in him. He has a couple of good buddies at church, and it's so precious to see them hugging and talking and playing. He also notices the girls and occasionally talks about which one he will marry (he thinks giving a girl flowers is how you marry her - <i>oh, my heart</i>.) Lately he's wrestling with some very heavy stuff like growing up, death, and heaven. We try our best to give him gentle, direct answers, but it's heartbreaking to see his innocence slipping away. On the other hand, the other night he smiled and said "after my life I'm going to fly up to heaven with God" and it was all I could do to choke out an "amen". This is a whole new level of joy, seeing him develop faith.<br />
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Sammy has changed so much in the last few months, too. Right after Christmas he decided to stop nursing. He was already falling asleep on his own, and he has continued to be a good sleeper (except for a few <i>very</i> rough patches with teething and sickness.) He's at that cute stage where he'll rattle off an entire story complete with facial expressions and hand gestures, but we'll only catch some of the words. He's a good communicator, though, and he's assertive about making sure he is heard. He answers most questions with a firm "no" and it's safe to say that he has entered the "terrible twos" phase.<br />
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Here's a little more about them:<br />
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Michael - 3 years and 10 months<br />
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Latest skills: snapping, blows his own nose, does simple addition, sounds out words, wants to do most things without help<br />
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His spirit: thoughtful, careful, independent, tender-hearted, imaginative, adventurous<br />
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Words: "I'm thinking about being a deep sea diver when I grow up."<br />
"You're my best mom I've ever had."<br />
"Why did the tissue dance around? Because somebody put a boogie in it!"<br />
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Loves: playing with his friends, school, Bible class, reading, making up stories, running, playing tag, books, movies, painting, playing outside, gardening, Ralph the Mouse (the books and his stuffed mouse), talking<br />
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Best way to make him laugh: slapstick, funny voices and faces, tickling, running from Sam<br />
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Doesn't love: being put on the spot, chaos, lots of noise<br />
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Habits we're trying to break: losing his temper, throwing things when he's mad<br />
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Aspirations: to go to Paris (he actually talks about this a lot)<br />
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Samuel - 1 year and 6 months<br />
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Latest skills: running smoothly, going up and down stairs, using a fork and spoon, gargling and spitting after he brushes his teeth<br />
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His spirit: happy, content, sweet, likes to share (most of the time), likes to play rough, gets a kick out of annoying Michael sometimes<br />
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New words: thinks it's funny to call me "Meemaw" (Mommy inverted), dee-don (donkey), nack (snack), more please, poopie, hold you, boom (to describe any type of injury), tee-go (tickle), prayer, yellow (usually used in the right context), flower, car, truck, Dear God (with hands folded to pray), excuse me, yeah, okay, all gone, sit down, sings some ABCs, crocodile, "cuggle" (cuddle/snuggle and read a book)<br />
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Loves: playing with Michael and Daddy (running, wrestling, laughing), dancing to music, hearing Daddy play guitar, his cowboy boots, wearing hats, running around naked after his bath, eating, playing outside, reading books, snuggling, being hugged and kissed<br />
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Best way to make him laugh: tickle him, nibble his cheeks<br />
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Doesn't love: the vacuum cleaner, visiting new Bible classes, sitting still or being quiet in church<br />
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Habits we're trying to break: throwing toys at Michael, hitting Michael, high-pitched shriek that annoys Michael<br />
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Aspirations: to climb onto every flat surface in the houseChristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-56773928095839866042014-12-02T16:58:00.002-05:002016-05-27T17:52:58.607-04:00Jet lag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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waking up from a nap in Rome</div>
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One last post about <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/search/label/europe%202014">our trip</a>, because I haven't quite beat this horse to death yet. Ha! But this is kind of important stuff, particularly when traveling with kids. And I need to write it down because ever since I had my kids my memory doesn't function anymore.</div>
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So, jet lag. (Or is it jetlag?) I was prepared for jet lag to <i>ruin</i> the first several days of our trip (our precious few days in <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/10/rome.html">Rome</a>.) I spoke to our pediatrician about giving the boys melatonin on the flight to ease the transition, and he didn't recommend it, so we had a drug-free flight and jet lag experience. And it wasn't quite as bad as I expected! Here's how it broke down: we left the states around 7pm and it got dark shortly after we took off. We fed the boys dinner, changed diapers/went potty, and had them both dressed in soft comfy clothes they could sleep in so as soon as the cabin lights were turned off they could go to sleep. It took a while for Michael to settle down, but eventually he fell asleep in his chair. Sam had a more difficult time, mostly, I think, because he didn't have his own chair and couldn't get horizontal. As soon as the sky started to brighten, Michael woke up (he got about 3 hours sleep) and Sam was already awake (having slept about 2 hours.) For the record, I got none. Sam demanded constant bouncing/rocking/holding and Tim was not feeling well. So, the boys got some sleep, and we parents had a rough time. Was it a fun flight? No. But my imagination had me prepared for much worse. No one got airsick, no one cried incessantly, there were no loud tantrums, and the boys woke up happy and ready to take Rome, so overall I think it went pretty well!</div>
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We arrived in Rome around 10, and we were checked into our rental by 12 (boys still awake, and a little cranky). We walked to a pizzeria in our neighborhood and had lunch. It was delicious but the boys made it hard to enjoy. They were tired and not really hungry, so Tim and I ate fast, then got the boys home and right down for naps. We all napped for a couple of hours, but at 4 we opened up the shutters, let the sun flood in, and forced ourselves to get up. This was key! Especially in those first few days, we tried to be in the sunshine as much as possible to help re-set our clocks, and it really helped. Anyway, we all woke up pretty sluggish that first afternoon, but we had a snack, got out and started walking and had a really great evening.</div>
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The first night did not go as well. Both boys were awakened by a loud thunderstorm around 11 (just about the time they would wake up from naps at home) and had a hard time going back to sleep. Sam had an especially hard time, but after a couple hours of nursing, bouncing, and patting he finally went back to sleep. The next night (and for the rest of the trip!) Michael slept like a champ. Sam had trouble sleeping through the night, though, during the entire trip. During those first few days I think he woke up hungry in the middle of the night, and I always nursed him, and Tim spent hours rocking and patting him, but as the trip went on I think he was just scared about being in unfamiliar places and he got dependent on us snuggling him back to sleep. (It was <i>exhausting</i>. Luckily, as soon as we got home he went back to sleeping through the night again.) So, there wasn't much quality sleep for Tim and me, and that was a bummer, but it didn't ruin the trip. We got busy making memories, and that distracted us from our weariness (<i>most</i> of the time). </div>
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The flight home was a little trickier because it was a day flight and the boys were awake and bouncing around the entire time, except for one quick cat nap for Sam. (At one point, I felt sure we had been flying for like six hours, so I checked the flight tracker and we had been flying for less than two hours and Sam was already stirring from his one and only nap. <i>That</i> was a sinking feeling.) But, with a whole lot of snacks and iPad and laps around the airplane, we made it home and had a very smooth transition back to Texas time. Both times we flew, we tried to stick to these rules:</div>
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1) start eating and sleeping in the new time zone as soon as you get on the plane</div>
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2) if it's day time, get out in the sun as much as possible and <i>be active</i> (as if kids give you any choice about that)</div>
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3) nap at naptime, but then get up and do something</div>
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4) if you or your offspring wake up in the middle of the night, keep it dark and quiet </div>
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Jet lag resources we used: <a href="http://www.deliciousbaby.com/travel/family-travel-tips/jet-lag-and-babies-toddlers-and-kids/">here</a>, <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/12/jet_lag_and_kids_how_to_avoid_the_4_a_m_wake_ups_when_you_re_on_vacation.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://babyccinokids.com/blog/2008/07/14/kids-and-jet-lag/">here</a>.</div>
Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-33467687421168135422014-11-24T11:40:00.001-05:002014-11-24T11:40:21.106-05:00family photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple weeks ago we had family photos taken and I'm <i>so</i> thrilled with how they turned out! Our friend <a href="http://www.lovelylightphoto.com/">Erin</a> took the pictures (<a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2012/11/family-pictures.html">she took these too</a>!) and she did such an awesome job. The boys were so happy and comfortable with her, and she recommended the most fun, gorgeous <a href="http://www.discoverygreen.com/">location in downtown Houston</a>. She really captured us! Thank you so much, Erin!</div>
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I <i>love</i> the portraits we got, but I love these precious candid moments too. Precious memories. </div>
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I'm so thankful to have these.</div>
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Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-22847516844953862732014-11-22T14:55:00.000-05:002014-11-22T14:57:11.272-05:00the boys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A quick update on the boys. They're best buddies and most of the time they play together so sweetly. Each one asks for the other as soon as he wakes up. Recently, when they've been playing with other kids, I've caught Michael protectively putting his arm around Samuel and "helping" him play with the big kids - made my heart burst with love and pride. More than ever they keep us laughing (and our hearts breaking) with their precious sweetness.</div>
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<b>Michael - 3 years and 7 months</b><br />
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<b>Latest skills:</b> Reads some words (the, boy, zoo, box, fox, toy, it), can sound out most short words with some help, cuts with safety scissors, clears and scrapes his plate after dinner, writes his name clearly without help<br />
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<b>His spirit:</b> sensitive, kind, cautious, imaginative and thoughtful<br />
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<b>Words:</b> "I'll pretend my pee is fire retardant."<br />
"I can't watch what I say. I don't have eyes like a chameleon."<br />
"I'm getting a signal. (pause) It's Jesus. (pause) He says I should eat my dinner."<br />
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<b>Loves:</b> school (most days), Bible class, doing projects of any kind (building, crafting, taking pictures, making little videos), playing with kids his age (especially in small groups), Gigi and Papa, facetiming with cousins, running, pretending, traveling, any kind of adventure, praying and saying what he's thankful for, Ralph the mouse, Sammy, laughing at physical comedy and Sammy's antics<br />
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<b>Doesn't love:</b> loud hand dryers, loud/pushy people, being hurried to do anything<br />
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<b>Habits we're trying to break:</b> being a perfectionist, being rude to strangers that talk to him<br />
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<b>Samuel - 1 year and 3 months</b><br />
<br />
<b>Latest skills:</b> speed walking (it's <i>almost</i> a run), climbing, naming body parts, imitating Michael<br />
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<b>His spirit:</b> joyful, playful, patient<br />
<br />
<b>Words:</b> hello, bye, please, thank you, eat, hat, book, milk (sounds like "buk"), dog ("gog"), tickle, blanket ("bee"), banana ("blabla"), get down, all done, bath, baby, diaper ("biper"), apple ("bapple"), bible (he prefers to yell this one really loud during prayers at church), amen, round and round, no, bubble, makes animal sounds, sometimes strings a couple words together like "bubble again"<br />
<br />
<b>Loves:</b> when Dada comes home in the evenings, reading short books, wearing ball caps, carrying my old baby doll, his blanket, copying Michael, eating, chasing Michael, doing "cheers" with his drink, giving fist bumps, tickles, being held and snuggled (especially when I'm making dinner), Michael, Daddy<br />
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<b>Doesn't love:</b> being told no, the vacuum cleaner<br />
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<b>Habits we're trying to break:</b> throwing food, throwing toys at people, throwing tantrums (they've started already!), nursing (down to twice a day)Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-15689053031420945582014-11-12T16:32:00.000-05:002016-05-27T17:53:27.297-04:00Packing for Europe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jnNWL8tEIvobg7kdUs4tum3OwFsQKMAEOuAmfrTAPApFulvD7An3EuB6477aX0oXPzeROBk3czER_DvPdGzqIHxMEf6XsmSx1uEQRJa8r2j0VQC35tmCDRIPvf92Q3120rMgYCh8_so/s1600/unnamed-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jnNWL8tEIvobg7kdUs4tum3OwFsQKMAEOuAmfrTAPApFulvD7An3EuB6477aX0oXPzeROBk3czER_DvPdGzqIHxMEf6XsmSx1uEQRJa8r2j0VQC35tmCDRIPvf92Q3120rMgYCh8_so/s200/unnamed-16.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ki36U4n2gtwyMfPBEUfrd3szuLt_YLsTh3V7Hr7aamlj1A8wSjgZ8u2abN113Q8khhmd9lD1eiqf6dYhEDl-n01h8krd3mZnmMbpZpwpBsg5UO97Af0kcFuqoDW7r_n9hyyYM3j9XEQ/s1600/unnamed-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ki36U4n2gtwyMfPBEUfrd3szuLt_YLsTh3V7Hr7aamlj1A8wSjgZ8u2abN113Q8khhmd9lD1eiqf6dYhEDl-n01h8krd3mZnmMbpZpwpBsg5UO97Af0kcFuqoDW7r_n9hyyYM3j9XEQ/s200/unnamed-9.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirX8s1pgj3V-11d2gkGVPWmZUtF0Kv1Bb_3DU8QAWElNNVgncmPB6FvvOYulnNhPNx1brgLz4eEEaPdLQfgKwtHW3pK-ESsRgyK24rsGXqWvau8idgGUFKr3cMKSNAZmh7fNaawFstUTs/s1600/unnamed-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirX8s1pgj3V-11d2gkGVPWmZUtF0Kv1Bb_3DU8QAWElNNVgncmPB6FvvOYulnNhPNx1brgLz4eEEaPdLQfgKwtHW3pK-ESsRgyK24rsGXqWvau8idgGUFKr3cMKSNAZmh7fNaawFstUTs/s200/unnamed-10.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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boarding for Italy / catching a train in Milan / <i>almost</i> back home to Texas</div>
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When I was a little girl, before every family camping trip my dad would pull out a packing checklist he'd made - stakes, mallet, plastic bags, matches, propane, flashlights, batteries, etc. - and carefully make sure we packed everything we needed. At the time I thought his meticulous checklist was silly - "<i>Is it really the end of the world if we forget something</i>?" But then I had kids. And I still wanted to travel. And I learned that a beloved blankie, or a much-needed plastic bag <i>can</i> make all the difference when you're far from home. So I have put together my own traveling list, and if I do say so myself, it makes traveling with the family 1000% better. With good preparation I don't feel as anxious and I have a much better shot at enjoying myself. (You totally knew what you were doing, Dad!) A couple of friends have asked about how we packed for <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/search/label/europe%202014">the trip</a>, so I thought I'd share some of my list here.<br />
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The first thing I did was pack a carry-on bag. My rule of thumb, when packing a carry-on, is to imagine the worst case scenario and pack accordingly. I imagine the airline loses our checked bags, we all come down with sickness during the 9 hour flight, there are multiple diaper blow-outs, the food on the plane is inedible, and everyone needs a change of clothes. This might sound excessive, but it covers the bases and it works! And even after the flight, this bag continues to function as command central - whenever we went on a day trip this bag came along. We changed locations multiple times during our trip and we didn't lose anything because everything important had a specific place in the carry-on bag! And it all fits in one <b>backpack</b>. Here's what I packed:<br />
<br />
- one change of clothing for everyone, rolled up tightly in the bottom of the bag<br />
- ziploc "first-aid kit" (tylenol, pepto, teething tablets, bandaids, any prescription meds, retainers, etc.)<br />
- ziploc "snack kit" (nuts, raisins, apples, granola bars, peanut butter crackers, etc.)<br />
- "diaper kit" (changing pad, diapers, wipes, and plastic bags)<br />
- "electronics kit" (chargers for phones, iPad, and camera, adapters if traveling abroad)<br />
- water bottles for the boys<br />
- a light layer for everybody (jackets for boys, sweater and scarf for me)<br />
- several extra plastic bags because they're small, light, and they really save the day when you need one<br />
- travel packs of lysol wipes and hand wipes<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa0_vjBJtf89ak5MIQ6fxPBP3SDhDRIizaQJubXHxFFmVpJupg-O2AJuPln5rnEynvK4BWePCfWqrqhgsRg0wfj5IajFSaKiCLPbbRuqsaOaFm6NxCTzASi48vGgvjqUVYZuHo_4XM1E/s1600/unnamed-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa0_vjBJtf89ak5MIQ6fxPBP3SDhDRIizaQJubXHxFFmVpJupg-O2AJuPln5rnEynvK4BWePCfWqrqhgsRg0wfj5IajFSaKiCLPbbRuqsaOaFm6NxCTzASi48vGgvjqUVYZuHo_4XM1E/s200/unnamed-15.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVtecRVyVatLE4e-2Uq0RuPH5AHq8rGnOtbfATVMgilwGBT0FI6NR0oS95IxAfGbTnUdSxnSg15-qMWGMIB5phn_8zE3VnlKpTcikGmjvqtFtPwoP3SEhD-dYgtv1cL4ODms42WFPCCQ/s1600/unnamed-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVtecRVyVatLE4e-2Uq0RuPH5AHq8rGnOtbfATVMgilwGBT0FI6NR0oS95IxAfGbTnUdSxnSg15-qMWGMIB5phn_8zE3VnlKpTcikGmjvqtFtPwoP3SEhD-dYgtv1cL4ODms42WFPCCQ/s200/unnamed-14.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfw3_xGHVHZsts4LrgaJaXvcXPGnrOiuMZifWO7szvujtQwVQrUtve1MDcwpT_eW7vTeowJ2koGHO4qUqfnUWNwKNeuZyPlcZU3fyAxEx97AmIig-eJv3KIvOWglpzvUGzMTz19Q_jdfE/s1600/unnamed-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfw3_xGHVHZsts4LrgaJaXvcXPGnrOiuMZifWO7szvujtQwVQrUtve1MDcwpT_eW7vTeowJ2koGHO4qUqfnUWNwKNeuZyPlcZU3fyAxEx97AmIig-eJv3KIvOWglpzvUGzMTz19Q_jdfE/s200/unnamed-7.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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the boy knows how to relax on a flight / playing on the people-mover / watching the sun rise over Europe</div>
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We also brought <b>Michael's small backpack</b>. This enabled him to carry part of the load (sometimes), but even more importantly, he had a consistent place to keep his books, toys and found treasures on the trip so nothing got lost. I packed small toys and activities that I knew would inspire play in any setting. Here's what we brought for Michael:<br />
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- a dry-erase activity book and marker<br />
- a small, flat tin full of letter and picture magnets<br />
- several new small books (from the dollar bin at Target)<br />
- his favorite "adventure gear" that also happens to be small (compass, binoculars, laser)<br />
- crayons, stickers, a couple of activity packs from the dollar bin<br />
- a couple of his favorite cars<br />
- <a href="http://instagram.com/p/o3w5zMrhUD/?modal=true">Ralph</a> and his motorcycle<br />
- a small matching game<br />
- his two small blankets that he likes to sleep with<br />
- the iPad (loaded with favorite movies and games)<br />
- headphones<br />
- along the way we also added an Italy cap, a slingshot, some rocks, and gladiator gear<br />
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Finally, I carried <b>my purse</b> (wallet, keys, passports, sunglasses, iPhone, camera) and pushed a single stroller with the Ergo stashed in the basket underneath. Most of the time Sam rode in the stroller and Michael walked, but when Michael got tired he would ride in the stroller and we put Sam in the Ergo. We also kept a hook on the stroller so we could hang bags from it whenever possible. This was a really good balance for us. We had everything we needed and it was manageable getting around in airports, train stations, and even walking through cities.<br />
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We checked <b>two medium-sized suitcases </b>and a<b> <a href="http://www.guavafamily.com/products/lotus-everywhere-travel-crib?gclid=CI_1-e_t9cECFc1zMgodEDgAYg&kpid=2131000G">travel crib</a></b> (which can be worn as a backpack). Looking back, I think we probably could have packed a little less clothing (and put everything in one very large suitcase) but we expected cold, wet autumn weather and we ended up having warm temps instead. So, we were prepared, but in the end we didn't need some of the things we brought. My packing goals were pretty simple: I packed one week's worth of clothes for each of us (plus a little extra for the boys), planned to re-wear clothes when needed, and wash clothes when possible. I tried to make sure everyone looked nice while still being comfortable, everything was layerable, and I tried to keep most of our clothes within the same color palette (because you never know when you'll get the perfect framer of a picture!) All of this took some thought and careful planning, but it was really worth it! I won't go into detail here, since this will vary so much by season, but here is a <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/286189751296539883/">perfect (and realistic) example of a travel capsule wardrobe. </a>I followed this almost exactly and it was just right.<br />
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Tim and Tiny Tim / making our way through Zurich airport / Sammy in his "highchair"</div>
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Finally, a few quick words about baby gear. We brought as little as we possibly could, and I'm so glad! As I mentioned above, we brought our <a href="http://www.target.com/p/baby-jogger-city-mini-single-stroller/-/A-15044844?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=15044844&CPNG=Baby&kpid=15044844&LID=9pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=15044844&kpid=15044844&gclid=CLT7uqXx9cECFUqCMgod0EUAtg">favorite stroller</a> and kept the Ergo stashed in the basket underneath. We debated a lot over what type of stroller to bring, and I'm so glad we settled on this one - it's old but it has never failed us! Sam spent a lot of time riding (and occasionally napping) in it, and it served as his high-chair during most of the trip, and a few times as a changing table on the go. I worried that it might be too big or bulky in tiny European streets, but it was fine and it handled cobblestones much better than an umbrella stroller would have! The only other equipment we brought was the travel crib and, again, we debated this one quite a bit. And, again, I'm so glad we brought it! Sam struggled with sleep on this trip, so I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for him to sleep in strange/uncomfortable beds along the way. It gave me huge peace of mind knowing he would have his own familiar, clean bed wherever we went. The iPad functioned as white noise and/or night light when needed. We brought about a week's worth of diapers and wipes, and when those ran out we just bought more. And that's about it!<br />
<br />Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-44481606147107196842014-11-07T16:29:00.000-05:002014-11-11T15:42:51.733-05:00Switzerland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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train from Milan to Zurich</div>
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running through Milan train station / so happy to be in Zurich!</div>
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When Tim and I took <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2012/07/for-love-of-france.html">our lovely trip to France</a>, so long ago, we really enjoyed traveling by train. It was so quiet and peaceful to relax into our chairs and watch the scenery slip by. Maybe have a snack or a nap. Nothing but enjoyment. </div>
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The same does not hold true for train travel with 3 and 1 year old boys. I assumed they would love the trains (and they did!), but they didn't want to be stuck on the trains all day (and they were!) We also found out that it wasn't as efficient or easy a means of travel as we remembered. We had to drive from <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/10/tuscany-pienza.html">Pienza</a> to Florence, drop off the car, walk with all of our gear to the train station, ride one train to Milan, change trains (we almost missed this one), and ride another to Zurich. By the time we got to Zurich it was dark, we hadn't had dinner, and we still had to pick up a rental car and find our way to the Zurich house. Not ideal. In hindsight, it would have been much easier (and quicker, and even less expensive!) to have kept our car rental and just driven from <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/10/tuscany-pienza.html">Pienza</a> to Zurich. I wanted the boys to experience traveling by train in Europe, and I'm glad they did but I'm not sure we'd do it over again with little ones. </div>
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the cows (and their bells) were my favorite / pretty wildflowers everywhere</div>
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the neighbor's woodpile / pretty scene in Appenzell</div>
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One way or another, we made it to beautiful Switzerland. It surpassed all of my expectations! <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/search/label/italy">Italy</a> has a history, a patina, that makes everything beautiful - the buildings, the land, the food, the people - and I was sad to leave it behind. But Switzerland appealed to another side of me with its neat little farmsteads, bright painted houses and velvety green fields. I wanted to roll in those fields and hug those beautiful cows and gather all the wildflowers. Everything just seemed so fresh and <i>tidy</i>. It was lovely in a very different way than <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/search/label/italy">Italy</a>.</div>
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Appenzell</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaMzPIyYE1CQkDqtdHKQQYRP_us7rC5LkO9pPvpliCVPcKCjndOOr_tnHCaRP8yeuSVcPz4UE7yH6519cWrM1-XIDRC2JeOy0z7As9Se-lOQnCCbBaiqLKL7K1E9-ON_FtblLk9SiG6Y/s1600/DSC00745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaMzPIyYE1CQkDqtdHKQQYRP_us7rC5LkO9pPvpliCVPcKCjndOOr_tnHCaRP8yeuSVcPz4UE7yH6519cWrM1-XIDRC2JeOy0z7As9Se-lOQnCCbBaiqLKL7K1E9-ON_FtblLk9SiG6Y/s1600/DSC00745.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQToum4hGMZDb0fwFv5Vw0LeXjUJtwivWLCiIzK2HWwHD15T_gInGoMt_QeGIpqk6MrTR4cNz_-TD0fFNBPtLp4OFfqmQyIORYB2Rs-FLdrwnP9nVRs3WviThAJ1lPwlJZDtrXgyaPkQ/s1600/DSC00747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQToum4hGMZDb0fwFv5Vw0LeXjUJtwivWLCiIzK2HWwHD15T_gInGoMt_QeGIpqk6MrTR4cNz_-TD0fFNBPtLp4OFfqmQyIORYB2Rs-FLdrwnP9nVRs3WviThAJ1lPwlJZDtrXgyaPkQ/s1600/DSC00747.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
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Appenzell</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pDTKruJsCvIKgHROFRlovKga-yTjTNhncrwoHOCyOVJPPPRdVXd7TPq5M_pdaFBw6NOlz628DWx4XKdFjsaHlkMluy0ONxI4NI1cF21eUqkhmNRfAn5ujainj-ixG87o-r3D0gzVqTY/s1600/DSC00778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pDTKruJsCvIKgHROFRlovKga-yTjTNhncrwoHOCyOVJPPPRdVXd7TPq5M_pdaFBw6NOlz628DWx4XKdFjsaHlkMluy0ONxI4NI1cF21eUqkhmNRfAn5ujainj-ixG87o-r3D0gzVqTY/s1600/DSC00778.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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boat ride on Zurichsee with Gigi and Papa</div>
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<i>AND</i>, we got to meet up with my parents in Zurich, which was so fun! The boys love their Gigi and Papa so much, and they were thrilled to share this part of the adventure with them. We all were. We rented a little house in the country (in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetzikon">Wetzikon</a>) about 20 minutes outside of Zurich, and from there we made excursions around the area. On the first day we stayed close to home, gathered some groceries, and hosted my cousin and her family for dinner! The next day we drove East into the Appenzell region to the town of Appenzell. It was a beautiful drive through dramatic green hills with tiny little towns nestled in the valleys, like pictures in a fairy tale. In town we walked, lunched, took lots of pictures, and let the boys play in the park. The next day we went into Zurich and took a boat ride on the lake, walked around a bit, and had lunch. Like always, we tried to combine some sight-seeing for the adults with a fun adventure for the boys, and this was really great! We all loved the boat ride, and it was a beautiful way to see the city. It was a chilly, drizzly day and I'll never forget how cozy it was, sipping hot tea in our seats and watching the boys play with the mountains going by in the distance.</div>
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boat ride on Zurichsee with Gigi and Papa</div>
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Zurichsee / Dad: "stop looking at me, swan"</div>
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out on a date in the neighborhood / some of our neighbors</div>
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On our last full day in Switzerland my parents made a day trip over to Lucerne. Tim and I would have loved to go on this excursion, but we knew we had a long trip back to the states ahead of us the following day. So, we chose to stay in Wetzikon to allow the boys to nap when needed, and spend their waking time being as active as possible, rather than sitting in a car. Tim found a local <a href="http://en.juckerfarm.ch/">farm</a> where we could pick out some (tiny) pumpkins, have lunch, and let the boys play. This turned out to be one of the highlights of our time in Switzerland, in my opinion. The farm was just beautiful and the boys had a blast climbing hay bales, petting goats, running in the orchard, and of course, picking out a pumpkin. (Michael named his "Scary Harry".) It was a perfect, crisp fall day. I'll always remember it.</div>
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running around the orchard at <a href="http://en.juckerfarm.ch/">Jucker Farm</a></div>
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It was so special, getting to share this trip with you, Mom and Dad! We have such happy memories of our time together in Switzerland! A few more photos...</div>
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out the front door / Michael meets one of the locals</div>
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dinner at our swiss house / playing with Papa</div>
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our last night at the swiss house / saying goodbye to Switzerland</div>
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<br />Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8914945971733440316.post-15873925222567828862014-11-05T15:34:00.000-05:002014-11-11T15:43:02.922-05:00Tuscany - Castiglion Fiorentino and the Pienza house<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While we were staying in <a href="http://sweetgrass-christi.blogspot.com/2014/10/tuscany-pienza.html">Pienza</a> we took a day trip to <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Castiglion_Fiorentino">Castiglion Fiorentino</a>, the town where Tim studied abroad during college. We hiked around town (those hills are no joke!), played in a park, stopped for lunch, and took pictures. It was a sweet trip down memory lane for us, remembering that semester apart fifteen years ago, and all the letters we wrote to each other. It was especially sweet to return together with our boys. </div>
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We spent our last two days in Tuscany just hanging around Pienza. We knew we had a very long day of train travel ahead (Pienza to Florence by car, Florence to Milan by train, and Milan to Zurich by train), and we wanted to give the boys as much play and nap time as they could get before traveling again. That was hard. For the first time on the trip Tim and I felt like we were missing out a little bit. I have wanted to visit <a href="http://lavventura-garcia.blogspot.com/2010/01/chiappas-from-lucca.html">Lucca</a> for years, and Tim would have loved to spend time in Montepulciano and some of the other hill towns in our area. But in the interest of well-rested, happy children we chose to stay put in Pienza, and in the end I think that was the best choice. </div>
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For the last two days we re-visited our favorite restaurants and shops, picked up a few souvenirs, savored the food, and took lots of pictures. I found myself getting nostalgic before we'd even left. I had looked forward to this trip for <i>so</i> long, I hated the thought of leaving. Luckily, we could look forward to our next adventure, in Switzerland, to distract us...</div>
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Christihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463437824815076291noreply@blogger.com0