Camping Adventures

Our month long vacation in New York included a three night camping stint. Saying it was great is an understatement. We had a blast! The only thing we regret was not making our camping trip even longer. 

Rainbow Falls on the Gorge Trail in Watkins Glen

Hanging with cousin Joey

My first thought when planning this trip was that it could be really great or the worst idea ever. Turns out, Flora's a nature lover! She was happy as a clam anytime we were outdoors, hiking, roasting marshmallows (WAY past her bedtime), or hanging out in the campsite. She loved it. I'm glad that she is turning into one happy little traveler.

Breakfast at the campsite

I have so many great childhood memories of camping in Watkins Glen. I got a little nostalgic on our picnic lunch break while hiking the gorge trail. My father said it best, "Well, you've come full circle." So true. It's time to share these fun family traditions with our daughter. I already have ideas for next summer's camping adventure...

Wonderful Weekend in Den Haag

Scheveningense bosje

Den Haag

A return to blogging...I was reading through my Croatia posts and started to think about how much I miss this blog. As I reread the posts, I realized there is so much from that trip I forgot about. It got me thinking about how much I miss documenting our lives and adventures. There is so much missing from this blog and I'm sad that I can't go back and read about it again. So enough of that. Back to the blog and Adventures with Jaap.

Binnenhof

Now that we are traveling with little Flora, our family weekend getaways and vacations are slightly less exotic, but just as fun. I knew that once we started a family we would be spending more time exploring The Netherlands and that's what we have been doing a lot this year. We went to Den Haag for the long Pinksteren wekend. I was once briefly in Den Haag for my immigration paperwork, but I have never spent a good amount of time here. This city is great. Very international, full of greenery, and a 20 minute bus ride to the beach. What's not to love?

Fun at the Escher Museum

We had lots of fun at the Escher Museum. (Thanks for the tip, Mom). Here's Flora having some fun with modern art. 

Saturday was our beach day and we went to Kijkduin for the morning. Flora got to touch/feel and explore sand for the first time and we got to stick our feet in the freezing cold water. I love watching her face when she experiences something for the first time...the silent pause and questioning look. Of course she then proceeded to try and eat the sand.

Peace Palace

My favorite part of Den Haag is all the nature. The city is full of parks, "forests", and tiny squares with greenery. It's truly unique and refreshing for city life. We had some beautiful walks with Flora through the Scheveningse Forest and the Clingendael.

A delicious dinner at ZOT!

The Japanese Garden in the Clingendael was a nice treat. It's only open a few weeks every year, so we were lucky to catch the last weekend. 

Our happy little traveler

Traveling is a little different now with a baby. Dinner at 5:00 (!) and some early wake up calls, but these little smiles are worth it. I could just eat these chubby cheeks. 

Mom in Germany

For Mom's last full day in the Netherlands we decided to have a little day trip to Aachen. It was Mom's first visit to Germany and a special day for us. The last outing for the Pardo girls all together. 

Mom in front of the Rathaus

I feel very fortunate to have had all this quality time with my mother. It was the first time that we ever vacationed together without the rest of the family. I thought that adding an extra trip outside Maastricht following Amsterdam would be too much, but Flora was extra cooperative that day. She had a record number of naps and Mom and I got to explore Aachen "peacefully." :)

Aachen Cathedral 

What's cuter than this?

I was really hoping that Mom and I could experience something that was typically "German". Mom had some good German beer at an outdoor cafe and for a nice late lunch we had flammkuchen. This was surprisingly delicious!

Then it was Flora's time to eat, so we headed to Starbucks. Not very German, but I still enjoy drinking coffee in a to-go cup. It's a shame that it's still such a novelty here in Europe. (I sound very American now).

Thanks for a great visit Mom and for passing on all your great Mommy wisdom. These two weeks were very special for us. Flora's already looking forward to her first Christmas in NY!

Mom in Amsterdam

Museumkwartier

Part of Mom's visit to meet Flora included a two night trip to Amsterdam. Mom's trip was full of sunshine, blue skies, and warm weather. I told her this was very "un-Dutch".

Per Mom's request, we visited the Van Gogh Museum. I was happy to see it since it's renovation. Afterwards we enjoyed a sunny walk through the Museumkwartier.

We had lots of time to kill before our visit to the Amsterdam Expo, so we had a very leisurely stroll and rest in the Vondel Park. 

Van Gogh Museum

Flora's first visit to a museum. She was unimpressed.

It was a beautiful, crisp fall day. Perfect for some exercise in the park. After the walk I was craving a nice cup of coffee. As we turn a corner, there it was. My favorite little coffee place, Douwe Egberts. Perfect timing!

Jaap wanted to check out the Pixar exhibit at the Amsterdam Expo. My husband is really just a big kid at heart. I realized this very early in our relationship, since our second date was to a Pixar movie. Here he is with some friends.

On Sunday we went to the Anne Frank Huis (something new for me) and walked around the Negen Straatjes and admired all the beautiful canals. What's not to love about Amsterdam? I love this city.

Flora's favorite hold

Mom in Maastricht

My favorite pic of the week. Lunch at Grand Cafe Maastricht Soiron

I feel like I waited all summer for my Mom to arrive for her official visit with Flora and it's already over. Time really flies when you're having fun (and busy with a newborn). Mom's visit came at the perfect time. Just when I needed a little Mommy confidence boost, my mother arrives to tell me that everything I'm doing is fine and to trust my "Mommy instincts". I needed that extra reassurance.

Long walk in the Stad Park

I'm sure this visit was more special for my Mom than it was for me. Meeting your newest grandchild for the first time is a big deal. We had lots of relaxed quality time together. Our days were full of long walks, frequent trips to cafes all over Maastricht, home cooked meals, and of course, lots of cuddles with Flora. We even made it to Amsterdam for two nights. Our first overnight trip with Flora was a success!

And now I'm settling back into life without having my Mom around all the time. The first few days after saying good bye to my parents are always the hardest and this time it was particularly difficult. The thing I miss the most is the warm, cozy feeling my Mom gives me. Now it's my turn to share it with little Flora. :)

Flora Grows

Two months into parenthood and we're all still alive! Our little Flora is growing and changing everyday. I am with this little person 24/7 and it's so exciting to see how she develops from one day to the next. 

It's hard to believe that she is already eight weeks old. I can't believe it. I sometimes feel that I'm learning more from Flora than perhaps she is learning from us. I'm amazed at how much this little being is teaching us.

I've had overwhelming feelings of love and gratitude these past couple of weeks. We feel so fortunate to have her in our lives. This picture below pretty much sums it up. Could the proud papa be any happier?