All week I’ve been recapping our family’s summer vacation to the Netherlands and Norway…and today is my last post on days 8 through 10 (whew!).
It’s always sad to say goodbye to trips but always good to be home.
See the other posts here:
We wrapped up our ports in Norway with a final stop in Oslo.
It was a beautiful day for visiting Oslo. We were so excited!
After a quick morning stroll, we made our way to the Viking Museum. This was something the kids were so excited to see! We saw it featured in a Rick Steves video before we left and they were dying to check it out themselves.
Pretty much my worst nightmare would be to sail across the sea in one of these ships. Those brave Vikings! These boats were so old and it’s so hard to believe that they were able to sail as far as they did in them.
Just two people checking out some boats.
Looking down on a vessel.
Listening about how these boats were uncovered and preserved. My kids love a good museum tour ;).
Hey up there! We thoroughly enjoyed this museum!
Oh the love! We headed from the Viking Museum towards where Parliament and the Royal Palace are in Oslo.
So much love with these two.
Ashby takes any opportunity she can to photo bomb ;).
We had lunch at an outside pub like place right next to Parliament. We walked up, sat down, enjoyed our lunch and then I proceeded to head inside to take Ashby potty when…
…I discovered this entire Norwegian pub was dedicated to Boston sports. Oh blessed! I knew this was the best restaurant in Europe when I sat down ;). The entire place was covered in Boston sports…love!
So, the kids were required to wear wristbands the entire seven night cruise with Holland America life boat info on there…and pretty much the moment they put it on Ashby, she started pretending it was an Apple Watch ;). She answered calls, talked to Bowen, told us we were running late, called Lovie, texted me…she was very busy with her watch. Here she is “talking” to Bowen.
Enjoying Oslo with this boy :).
We even caught a parade while we were there! They marched all the way up to the Royal Palace playing music. It was very festive!
And speaking of the Royal Palace…we walked there too!
Kensington’s proper palace pose makes me laugh!
We stumbled on an old book store…we love collecting books from all over the world. Old books in foreign languages are our favorite :).
Whew! I feel like I missed a bunch of pictures (too busy taking it in and not busy enough snapping pics!). That night, we were back on board. Just two people from Xi’an here!
Lots of card games between these two!
Ashby loves her daddy.
There was a mirror above our table…and we took advantage.
So…the night before, Kensington had wanted girl time with me, so on this night, Smith wanted boy time. And for him, that included all of us going to the late night pizza feed on the Lido Deck. So, first, just Smith and me watched a movie together and then…
…we all got pizza in our pjs together. Please note the look of pain in Smith’s face. While we were getting his pizza, his drinking glass broke in his hands and cut him. Smith doesn’t do blood well. At all. It was quite traumatic for him. But not traumatic enough to forgo pizza at 10:30 at night.
Our ship had one last day at sea before arriving back in Rotterdam. We enjoyed it!
Just a bunch of wild kids on a boat!
Ashby insists on doing everything herself. Like getting herself dressed.
We walked the ship’s deck…with blankets because it was so cold!
And then we all swam!
And ate ice cream!
Ashby has a really long tongue…and she was making it touch her nose. #partytrick
We cleaned ourselves up for our last dinner on the ship!
We woke up early on Saturday, ate breakfast and hopped off the ship!
In the middle of the night, Ashby rolled over and accidentally hit my face with her head. I woke up with a little swollen eye ;).
By 8:45 AM, we had disembarked the ship, taken a car back to Amsterdam, checked back into our hotel there, put our stuff down and were heading out to explore our last day in that great city! Here we are on our way out to explore!
It rained on and off all day, but we didn’t care. We loved our time in Amsterdam!
We bought a bunch of tulip bulbs (TSA approved so we could get them home!) for our yard!
We explored this lovely Dutch Saturday.
We went to the antique market and found a few treasures.
We bought an embarrassing amount of cheese to bring home. It was wrapped so that it would last on the flight home. I mean…we adore our cheese.
We had lunch at the Pancake Bakery! Remember when we ate here way back when…
…ahhh!
Back for more of the world’s best pancakes!
We had a great table in the back so we could check out the action and stay cozy.
I had a Caprese Pancake with salami. Oh my world. It was insane!
After pancakes, we had tickets to visit the Anne Frank House. This was probably the highlight of Kensington’s trip and something the whole family enjoyed. The last two times we went, you had to wait in line, but now, you can buy tickets in advance for specific time slots. We had tickets for 1:15. This was so much better than waiting in line for upwards of two hours! We bought them online about a month before we left for our trip.
We talked a lot about Anne Frank before we left the States. We watched the movie based on her story and talked in great depth about her family and the Holocaust. This is something I know my kids will never forget.
You can’t take pictures inside…so this is us outside after our tour. That right there is the building where she hid for over two years.
Ashby decided to nap.
See my big kids? They’re in the I AMSTERDAM letters :).
We were heading to the children’s museum and stopped in a store for a second…when this happened.
Our last dinner on vacation.
After dinner, we headed over to have Dutch pancakes one last time…with Nutella, of course!
And here we are in the elevator going back up to our room. That’s a wrap on our family summer vacation 2016! The next day, we flew home.
Every time I see the world, I take a little bit back home with me…and this time, I feel positive my big kids did too. We’ve continued to have some excellent conversations about the things they saw/did/experienced while we traveled, and we’re already looking forward to our next adventure later this year. Best part of our trip? The focused time alone. Love this little family of mine more than I could ever say.
On my foodie blog today…
See it all here.
And come back Monday…things are going to get C-R-A-Z-Y around here. I’m bracing myself now ;).
xo
Dustie Day says
Thanks for sharing your trip! What beautiful scenery….a new bucket list item! Such a beautiful family.
Erika Slaughter says
What an amazing family vacation!! A late night pizza party, Anne Frank's house, and a salami pancake all sound awesome to me! I'm sure Smith LOVED that Viking museum!
Talley Family says
Oh your posts make me want to go so bad now! Thank you for sharing!
Kylee R says
Looks like it was a great trip!!! So awesome that you get to travel to such amazing places with your family:)
I do have a question for you (as I'm shopping for a new eyeliner), what eyeliner and shade do you use? Thanks!
Sarah Shaneyfelt says
I really enjoyed the recaps of your vacation! If you can travel the world with 3 small children, anyone can, right?! Can't wait for Monday!
Sarah at MeetTheShaneyfelts
Kathy Olson says
Wow, you guys did and saw so much! Isn't Corrie Ten Boom's house from the book The Hiding Place also there?
The photo of you all with the cheese reminded me of that I Love Lucy episode where Lucy wants to bring that big cheese home with her from Europe:)
So glad you had fun!
Narci says
What a great experience for you and your familly!! I love the way that you travel with your family: what amazing memories for your kids! Also, those pancakes and late night pizza?? I love it!!
Amber says
Such a fun trip!!!
Katie says
I went to that pancake house too! I think I had a panakoeken everyday I was there with my family. Yum! I also Really love Corrie Ten Boom's house from the HIding Place. A Christian family that his Jews in their home. If you haven't yet, read the Hiding Place then after hat, read all of Corrie Ten Boom's books. They are all SO amazing and inspirational!!!
Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says
CAPRESE PANCAKE? SIGN! ME! UP! How lucky your kids are to have such experiences at such a young age. I love that they actually appreciate it!
Katie Dang says
You're trip looks absolutely amazing!
What stroller do you take on international vacations? We are going to Vietnam in December with a 15 month old, so I'm looking for a very lightweight stroller to take through the airports. Thanks you!
Angela Banae says
Loved reading all about your trip!!!! Thank you for sharing, Shay!!!! Looks like it was an awesome time!!!!
kristi Thetford says
I loved reading about your trip! Glad y'all had a fun time. Always get ideas from you.
Tammy N says
I love seeing all the photos from your trip !!
Keisha Dawson says
What an incredible trip! Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with your readers! And… that pancake with the salami looked absolutely AMAZING!
Genevieve Hughes Graham says
I have loved reading through your vacation posts the last few days. Your sweet family pictures makes me so excited to have my own little ones. Especially the mommy time you shared with them separately- warms my heart:)
quick question, would you share the name of your cross body bag? 🙂 thanks! gg
http://www.makinamama.com
Mix and Match Mama says
It's a Michael Kors' hobo bag :).
ProudAuntKaren says
The shoes pictures were my faves!! Thanks for sharing, Shay! 🙂
Amanda @ Cupcake N Dreams says
I love that Ashby thought her wristband was an Apple Watch, too funny! I loved seeing your vacation this week, question do you take all those pictures with your phone or a combo of phone and camera? They turned out awesome!
~princess mommy~ says
If you ever go back to Holland you need to make time to visit http://www.claramaria.nl/en Cheese, clogs, and animals. The owners are amazing!!
Jordyn Kolar says
I have loved spending my mornings seeing the amazing trip your family experienced. What an incredible journey for the kiddies ( and you guys!! As I was reading this week I kept wondering "are they able to find a little time to themselves on their vacations (You & Andrew)- or do you guys do trips on your own strictly for that purpose? "Couple time" is so hard to come by with children- and with limited vacation time we always seem like we are trying to choose family vacay over some "get away" time- maybe you have some tips on how not to have to choose! 🙂 <3 xoxo
Mix and Match Mama says
These trips are typically just about the family. Andrew and I try to get away once a year or so for just a little trip for two.
Corbie Baugh says
Shay, it was so fun to read about all of the days of your trip! Loved it! Thank you for sharing and giving a great idea for a future trip!!
Melanie Smith says
Oh my goodness….I so want to visit now!
Love Ashby's Apple watch. How cute is that! "We're running late." Haha
And Kens's proper pose. Those kids are so cute!
Seri Roth says
I am so glad you had the chance to go to the Anne Frank House. Half of my family on my mother's side perished in the Holocaust, and if my great grandmother did not escape to America with my grandma, I may not be alive today. So it makes me happy that you are educating your children about the Holocaust.
Lindsay at Lindsay'sSweetWorld says
I have enjoyed every single second of your recaps this week. Your kids are going to be so well-rounded and informed of the world around them and that is an amazing thing! Can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve for Monday! Have a great weekend, Shay!
Fecri joyce Koçak says
Im Reading for a long time your blogs and i really enjoy the love i see in your beautiful family! Thanks for sharing all the lovely blogs! Im from Holland, so especially your last blogs i did enjoyed Reading! Greetings and a lots of love from a dutch woman, Joyce ( since 1 month i live in turkey and i will keep reading your blogs)
Ann N says
Your family could not be more adorable. I am traveling vicariously through you thanks to your great pictures. Most of us follow you because of your delicious recipes, so we're also foodies. Could you post more pictures of the delicious foods you eat on these trips & in general? If you feel like they would bore some, could you make a food lover's entry just devoted to that? My favorite part of traveling is the food and that Caprese pancake was insane looking! Maybe you can recreate some of those dishes through your recipes? Thank you for sharing your wonderful family with us.
Megan says
Your trip looks AMAZING!! Thanks for sharing your pictures with us.
Kara Hornung says
I have been following you for some time, but have never commented. I have thoroughly enjoyed the recap of your travels! I only hope that we can have these kinds of exciting adventures with our little family. Speaking of, my daughter is in a contest with Aldi and it would be FABULOUS if you voted for her – http://woobox.com/hpzocp/gallery/eX-1fe5QRhg. Thanks!
Linzee Campbell says
That picture of you and your girls leaving the museum is a framer!! So cute! Thanks for sharing!!!
Jeanie says
What a wonderful trip! The scenery is beautiful, and even seeing a photo of Anne Frank's home made my heart pitter-pat. One question: How many pairs of shoes did Andrew take? I think I counted four.
Lyndsey Parks says
Shay!! Oh my word… this post brought back some memories! My hubby and I (partly) honeymooned in Amsterdam and brought back cheese from the same store! I recognize the layout, packaging and samples of course!! October will be our 2 years and we talk about that cheese all.the.time. We ate it too fast!! After reading this post we googled the company to see how much shipping some would cost… we think it's worth it 😉 We also ate at The Pancake Bakery and met the nicest people while eating the BEST pancakes! Next time you visit try Lombardo's. I'm a Texan but they have by far the best burgers EVER. Hands down. Read their reviews! Anyway, thanks for a nostalgic post 🙂
Victoria says
When my family went to Oslo when I was a child the King waved at me as his car crossed the front of the palace! He was famous for his yellow leather gloves. I still remember that 30 years later
Aubrey says
Woah! Super impressed you shared Anne Frank with your kids. I still haven’t even mentioned anything Holocaust related. (It probably has something to do with the fact that sweet “German” Kate-mo would undoubtedly feel personally responsible and immeasurably guilty.) So bummed that you didn’t have time for the Van Gough museum. It’s quick, small, easy, colorful, and super kid-friendly. That was Ella’s favorite thing about Amsterdam and she still talks about it years later.
Now I’m off to pack for our 15 day road trip vacay and wondering what on EARTH we were thinking when we planned this sucker. It will be fun, right?????
Alyssa says
Looks like an incredible trip! I have to ask–where is your navy jacket from that you wore in Amsterdam? I love it! Thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
I wish it were current, but it’s from J Crew years ago.
Kathleen Dean says
Thanks for taking the time to share so many details of your trip! I think it’s great that you don’t over schedule yourselves and allow time to truly enjoy a city by walking around and exploring on your own – and that your kids play with cards instead of electronic devices for much of their free / waiting time. I’m impressed that your kids get along so well for the duration of the vacation. We’ve got four ranging from age 7-14 and while they get along better on vacation and away from the house, it’s still a struggle. Any tips?
Kaci Drapes says
Before reading these posts, I didn’t even know what a Fjord was! Now Im hooked!! Oooooh my hubby is in trouble with all the travel plans this inspired!