postcard from monsheim, germany

the past two days handsome and i were in the most charming town ever!  we decided to stop for a few days in monsheim to visit our new family, the hagenlochers.  out of all the cities we are seeing on our trip, this was the one city were the only plans we made were to meet ute’s family, and make spaetzle with oma.

i can’t put in words the unbelievable amount of fun we had in two short days!  we were set up in our own flat above oma and opa’s house with wine (and a lot of it!) water, juice, snacks, fresh linens and towels- everything!  the picture above was the view from our private balcony and the view we woke up to each day.   we spoke the same amount of schwabisch words as oma and opa spoke english so our conversations amounted to large hand gestures and a lot of laughing, but it was still so wonderful!  i did get to make spaetzle with oma while jay and opa drank together in the other room.  i think the only understanding between jay and opa was a nod of the head for more wine. 

when we weren’t with oma and opa we were being toured all around by our new aunt and uncle elke and bernd.  i would spend any day of the week with them- they are the best!  the last day we spent there was by far my favourite as we basically got a private tour of the ludwigsburg palace simply because were the last tour of the day, and the only people who showed for that time slot.  after touring versailles with hundreds of people you can imagine how spectacular it is to walk with just four people through the rooms of a royal palace!  at the end we decided it was no longer the ludwigsburg palace but instead the palace of elke, jay and rachel.

i don’t think any new memory we make on the trip will top our last night there- i really really don’t!  after the palace we went to dinner at a restaurant where the owner invited us back to the kitchen for fresh sausage he had made that day.  afterwards we went back to the main room with him to sing along to german songs while he played the accordion.  not sure exactly what every song was but we knew one line for sure…

überall auf der welt scheint die sonne 

…but i think this is especially true for monsheim.

postcard from paris

handsome and i are finally on vacation!  and a long vacation at that!

we are travelling for a little under three weeks to a few different countries in europe and i could not be more over the moon!  our first stop is the ever lovely paris... ohhh paris....

this is my first time in paris and i am head over heels- really!  i knew i would love this city before even stepping foot in it, but these past three days have made me think i never want to come back- ever!  i love it here, like a lot!  every street we turn down there is something new to swoon over.  first of all, children here dress, ummm easily 100% better then i do.  i love the smell of perfume, the sound of clicking heels on the cobble stone streets and the constant "bonjour!" and "bon soir!" from everyone we have met!

i will have a lot more to post later but for now

bonne nuit paris, je t'aime!

these two...

my dad...my husband...eternal goofs. 

a roomie reunion :: in video

recently i had a little free time to finish up a video i have been trying to put together from my roomie reunion back in july.  i finally did it!  

finally!

...and here it is for you, hope you like it!

a wedding for pops

last tuesday my dad got married to his charming german love, ute.

while both the big sister and i have considered ute family for some time now, it was still really special to see the two tie the knot!  we "legally" welcomed her to the family in a super intimate wedding of about sixteen people from all different parts of the world.  their beautiful costa rican wedding had representation from europe, central america, and north america {a la the big sister, handsome and myself}.

the two have lived in coast rica for a number of years and decided to get married on the anniversary of when the met- which just so happens to be in the rainy season of costa rica.  at the end of the day, the brief bit of rain right before they exchanged vows only lended itself as the clouds rolled in around the venue which was set on top of a hill overlooking san jose- it was like they got married on top of a cloud.

::le sigh::

below are a few pictures from the day

congrats again dad y ute!
.:we love you so:.

nine years ago today...

i snuck onto a helicopter pad with this handsome face at the getty museum in los angeles and lengthily discussed how we would make a relationship work with him in canada and me in LA.  we spent eight hours at the museum that day nervous to hold hands but standing side by side the entire time.  while i don't really remember the exhibits too well, i'll never forget the cloud nine feeling i had all day.

happy dating anniversary handsome man.  i'm happy this day means as much to you as it does to me. 

xoxo 

poker faces

ottawa

another stop on this whirlwind summer tour i have been on lately has been my first trip to ottawa!

a few weekends ago we headed up for a quick jaunt to see our friends nick and sue get married!  sadly, none of my photos of the wedding turned out well.  why?  i don't know, but i am pretty sad about it.  perhaps i was flustered running out of the door to make the shuttle on time {thank god i packed flats as heel alternatives to run in!}  or maybe it was the weird sunburn i got from an afternoon of site seeing?  whatever it may be, it's pretty disappointing i wasn't able to grab a descent shot of the day.  lucky for me, we know their photographer, so at the end of the day, not all is a lost cause.  

the wedding was beautiful- of course!  the bride and groom were stunning-also, of course!  the venue, the attire, the food, all really well done, plus we met new friends who live close by which is always a bonus in my book.

ottawa was...interesting.  for some reason i expected the capital of canada to be this bustling metropolis full of history, old buildings, and red and white ice cream at ever turn.  it's a pretty tiny capital if i do say so myself, but even in size there were still a few fun things to see.  i saw my first lock system...which was neat, really!  it was a pretty big lock too!  if you don't know what a lock is, you should because they are pretty essential for long boat rides.  i also saw a beautiful war memorial dedicated to three past wars and the unknown soldier.  i also somehow managed to be kicked off of american soil at the us embassy which i thought was pretty funny.  thanks for welcoming me back with open arms canada!  and by canada, i mean jay- thanks handsome for the big hug after being kicked off "my" land.

i've been told to head back to ottawa in the winter for winterlude, which is for sure something i want to do!  skating around a city on a frozen canal with giant ice sculptures and hot cocoa- sign me up!   

  

photos from the phone :: august