WITH LOVE

I spent all last week catching up on summer photo editing, which meant meticulously editing and organizing all my photos from Europe and… I completely forgot we went to Amsterdam. By this point in our trip we were all pretty exhausted so somehow our twenty-four hours in the Netherlands slipped my mind. Here are a few photos from our short visit to one of the coolest cities on the planet…

PIN

PIN

family travel amsterdam

PIN

PIN

Our time in Scotland was spent mostly being cozy. Since Kyle was attending a two week intensive of brewing and distilling courses for his Master’s degree, he was gone most of the time. Gigi and I spent a lot of time with Ryan and a lot of time on our own. A typical day started with a big cup of coffee and a late breakfast at one of the local cafes.

PINPINPIN

Some mornings we’d just stay in and have tea and oatmeal.

PIN

It was pretty rainy and grey most of the time so I would cozy up and read or journal while G took her morning nap. After her morning nap we’d bundle up and head out into the city center for another coffee and lunch.

PIN

Other afternoons I’d bundle up with Gigi and we’d go for a walk around Leith which is where we were staying. I discovered the most beautiful cemetery that became part of our daily walk route.

PIN

Some days, if Kyle was getting done early, Gigi and I would hop on the bus and go meet him for a pint.

PINAfter some wandering, some people watching, or a museum stop, we’d head back to the apartment for afternoon nap time. In the evenings, we’d all go out for a bite. Sometimes it was just Ryan, G and I so we’d cook in or find a local spot to eat at.

PINBasically we read, slept, napped, jumped in puddles, walked, ate, sipped, played and were cozy. It was definitely a stark contrast from sunny, active Sweden but it was lovely and quiet and we really appreciated our time there. Getting to spend three solid weeks with my twin brother meant the world to me.

We are home now and sufficiently recovered from the jet lag. Gigi slept through the night last night for the first time since we returned and we’re feeling back on track today. The weather has been incredibly gorgeous. Kyle’s folks were here over the weekend and they picked us up from the airport. It was so nice having them here to help us get settled back in. We have more friends coming to visit this weekend and our good friends are getting married on Saturday. A busy but wonderful way to reenter the day to day.

Here in Edinburgh, Scotland it’s been pouring rain all day. By pouring I mean…
PIN…really pouring. We went for a long walk during a deceptive sunbreak to my favorite spot in Leith, a beautiful old cemetery in a churchyard. We’d just had breakfast and were admiring the gravestones from the 1800’s when a few drops fell, then more and more and more. Our attempt to hide under the protection of a tree were in vain, I grabbed my muddy baby and walked as quickly as I could, through the sheets of rain back to the flat. By the time we made it to the front door we were drenched down to our knickers/nappy (as they say here). A quick change into mid-day pajamas and we were ready for a cozy afternoon. Gwyn went down for a afternoon nap that was cut short by the thunder and lightning storm that came through, with thunder and hail so aggressive that it set off the car alarms in the small lot below our apartment window.

The past two summers, I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to photograph the most wonderful family who happen to live in Stockholm, Sweden. Just last month they were in Oregon again and I shot their family photos. Upon our mention that we’d be traveling to Sweden, Pauli invited us to stay with them. It was a generous offer and we happily accepted. We spent two very fun, giggle, silly, girly evenings with them.

PIN
PINOne great thing about staying with a family in Stockholm was that we got wonderful recommendations for where to go and (more importantly) where to eat. When Pauli told us about Rosendals Kafé, we knew that was where we needed to go. It’s the most incredible café tucked into the most extraordinary garden! They make food straight from their gardens, it’s always in season, and it was spectacular! The menu changes daily depending on what’s available. It was such an inspirational place. Without intending to we spent nearly our whole day there.

PINPINPINPINPINPINPINPINPINWe ate our wonderful food in the garden where we made new friends and Gigi ran and played. Then we browsed through the shop, I wanted to buy the cookbook for the café but they didn’t have it in English. We picked up a sweet treat for later and then walked the grounds, meandering along paths until we found our way to the ferry.

We took the ferry across to Gamla Stan, or the Old Town area of the city. It was pretty touristy but there was a lot of people watching to do. We wandered and walked until late afternoon when we decided to head back to Pauli’s home to make dinner for her and the girls.

PINStockholm is such a beautiful city. We only got to spend one amazing day there but it’s on my list of places I hope to visit again and again.

Later this week I’ll share some photos and stories from here in Edinburgh, Scotland and I have a new recipe and cooking video to share too!