Helping Families to Connect and Thrive

Connecting as a Family Through Walks

06.22.19

Family walks are our FAVORITE way to spend time together. We connect, recharge, and do our very best dreaming/planning when we are meandering through our beautiful neighborhood or sinking our toes into the sand along the shoreline near the cottage. Taking a walk is the first thing we think about when we wake up on a sunny morning or when we return from a long trip (we literally went straight from the car to a walk after our last 6 hour road trip). Family walks are how we celebrate a happy day or try to salvage a tough one.
As we dedicate more of our energy to intentional family time, we are reflecting on the activities that bring us closer. We’re eager to learn what other families do to connect, so please share in the comments!

Come and join our Facebook group! We have started this group as a place to share simple ways to live more creatively, nurture your children’s interests, celebrate the seasons, experience the world through travel, and connect more deeply as a family. We would love to build a community of like-minded parents who are eager to learn and share!

Dubai Family Favorites

06.21.19

After exciting visits to Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire we returned to Dubai. Over the next 2 weeks we enjoyed some focused family time, reconnected with dear friends, and visited some of our favorite places.

We were so excited to treat the kiddos to a fabulous Dubai experience at Al Hadheerah. The restaurant is an extravagant desert camp at Bab Al Shams Resort. It boasts a lavish buffet of regional cuisine, hours of entertainment, and a variety of local activities, such as hennah, sheesha, falconry displays and camel rides!

Isla’s Nana gifted her a little spending money to find a special souvenir from our trip. She had searched diligently for weeks, but nothing had interested her enough to part with her money. Then, as we walked past the little shop at the entrance of Al Hadheerah Restaurant she discovered a belly dancing outfit. We explained it would take all her money to buy it, but her heart was set! She wore it proudly all night… and at every opportunity she could during our stay in Dubai. A solid purchase!

The kids were both captivated by all of the entertainment. Isla was especially excited to see a real belly dancer for the first time. It took only a few moments for her to start trying to replicate the belly dancer’s movements!

I’m not sure who was more excited for the camel ride, Isla or me! The experience immediately got me thinking we need to travel somewhere that we can go on a big camel excursion. Also, don’t let Cole’s expression fool you. He loved the camel ride and giggled the whole time. It was so sweet!

Our hearts nearly burst with pride when we see Isla push herself juuuuuuust outside of her comfort zone to try something new or a little scary. Even though she was nervous, she did such a great job holding and interacting with the falcon.

We visited quite a few of our favorite restaurants in Dubai, including Lime Tree Cafe, where we enjoyed several delicious brunches.

Lime Tree makes THE BEST muffins and Isla was just as crazy about them as we were!

We made sure to enjoy some downtime and snuggly naps in between all our outings.

We made a trip to the Blue Souk in Sharjah- our first time back in 8 years! Despite how quickly everything changes in the UAE, I love that this souk remains (more or less) the same. In fact, it is still pretty much the same from when I lived in Dubai as a baby!

“Hand?”
“Hand?”
Cole started asking for us to hold his hand in the car during our time in Dubai. Sometimes just for a moment, sometimes for a length of time that caused my arm to go numb.

Beach naps are the best naps. Also, one of Cole’s first collections!

This has been our favorite beach since we lived in Dubai a decade ago. At the rate the city is changing we are always thrilled to find this little bay still exists- though sometimes it takes us a while to find it again! It’s the perfect place to wade around in calm water and walk along the shoreline in search of shells. Whenever we are in Dubai Isla asks, “Are we going to our favorite beach?” We love that she is making so many happy memories here too!

Oh, the excitement of finding hermit crabs. These little critters kept Isla entertained all morning!

“I’ve been following your big trip… wow did it look incredible!! I would see a picture of Isla being brave, courageous, curious, etc. and think to myself ‘be like Isla!’“
I received this incredibly thoughtful message from a sweet friend, and my heart was ready to burst! I absolutely love that Isla’s adventurous spirit is so apparent to everyone she meets, and that at the tender age of five she is inspiring others! Her fearlessness amazes us and her zest for life encourages us to live each day with joy and passion. We are beyond grateful we are able to provide her with a life where she can explore, learn from, and connect with the world around her. This kid is magic!

Isla made her first trip to Dubai when she was barely 3, and ever since then she has been absolutely captivated by the Burj Al Arab and the Burj Khalifa. I can’t count the number of times she has startled us by suddenly screaming from her car seat, “I see the Burj Khalifa!!!!!” She has asked about visiting the world’s tallest building for some time now, so we were absolutely thrilled to take her to At The Top. She loved the experience, from learning about the building progress, to riding the elevator, to staring down at the tiny ant-people 124 stories below.
Traveling as a family is such an incredible adventure, and we always try and choose activities we think everyone will enjoy. It’s a whole new experience now that Isla is getting old enough to have her own interests, and we love that she is more involved in helping us plan our itineraries!

Isla observing at how the Burj Khalifa looked when we moved to Dubai in 2007. Amazing to think we lived there long enough to see the construction complete!

Thinking back to the days we took this exit to work and it was just a simple interchange. The only thing that is the same is the “little” Toyota building.

In addition to the time spent as a family, we also had about a dozen family photo shoots in Dubai. The kids were absolutely AMAZING while we worked! They were wonderfully patient, interested in observing our surroundings, and eager to make friends with all of the lovely people we photographed. We were so impressed with our little assistants!

Isla Grace. Often found living in her own little world, her mind joyfully weaving fantastic stories of magic and adventure. I relish the times I can watch her without her knowing I am there. I can see the pure energy and creativity of her amazing imagination hard at work.

One trick to keeping our little assistants happy is bringing a plethora of snacks along with us. Cole’s favorites were mini dill pickles (pick-ohs) and frozen peas.

Isla, age five and a half. It seems she is growing up at lightning pace. Every day she is saying, doing, or accomplishing something new. She learned to blow bubbles with her gum while we were in Africa- an achievement she had been working towards for months! When the first little bubble finally formed I thought she was going to burst with pride! It took me back to when I was five and a half and I learned to blow bubbles with my gum- in Dubai! I value these funny little life parallels. They help me feel even more connected to our sweet girl.

Three cheers for Bubba, our unexpectedly amazing little photo assistant! We really weren’t sure if our busy guy was going to follow in his sister’s footsteps when it came to hanging out quietly and happily while we worked, but he surprised us all by being super patient and content during our photo sessions! All this kiddo needed was a little sand to dig in and a pickle or two to snack on. Well done, little dude!

Oh, Dubai, you are all kinds of crazy, all kinds of magical, and will forever be our beloved home. Until next time…

5 Days in Abidjan

06.06.19

We visited west Africa for the first time and spent 5 incredible days in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire to document the wedding celebrations of our friends, Sara and Bern. Our time in Abidjan was a joyful whirlwind, filled mostly with wedding-related gatherings and festivities, though we were able to catch glimpses of Ivorian life from the backseats of the speeding taxis we found ourselves in each day.

I remember looking through countless N ational Geographic magazines as a child and seeing photos of women in Africa balancing giant baskets of goods on their heads as they traveled from place to place. The women looked so graceful and strong, and made the challenging task seem effortless. I marveled at their balancing skills in those photos and marveled at them even more so in person during our time in Abidjan.

Not only was this trip our first visit to West Africa, it was also our first time doing a home stay with a family we had never met before. Truthfully, we were a little nervous about it, especially with our kids, as we had to rely on this family for help with childcare while we were photographing events surrounding the wedding.
Fortunately for us, the family we stayed with could not have been more wonderful! Gracious, kind, and warm, they invited us into their home with open arms, encouraged us to help ourselves to anything we needed, and stocked the fridge with their very best supply of imported beer for us to enjoy (those living overseas will understand what an especially generous gesture this is!). They asked their sweet nanny, Janine, to help care for Isla and Cole while we were working. They even watched the kids for us when Janine was done with her shift- talk about going above and beyond! And what’s more, their two bright little boys were just around Isla’s age and they welcomed her into their world of imaginative play. They were also wonderfully patient when Cole destroyed their LEGO creations… more than once! Sorry, guys!
Our hearts are filled with immense gratitude for this incredibly positive travel experience, and for our amazing host family, who we now happily call friends.

Clearly feeling right at home in our host family’s house.

We spent three joyful days immersed in Sara and Bern’s non-stop, high energy celebrations, in which we witnessed tribal traditions, a colorful blend of cultures, and a beautiful union between two of the sweetest souls. We are so thankful to have been part of it all, and honored to preserve such special memories for their families! Having our children along with us for this wonderfully crazy ride was absolutely surreal! Throughout our stay I found myself pausing to watch them- in CÔTE D’IVOIRE! I honestly couldn’t believe we were spending that week living life in West Africa together. I felt completely overwhelmed with gratitude that we could provide Isla and Cole with the kinds of experiences that take them to new places, show them diverse ways of living, immerse them in unique cultures, teach them valuable social skills, provide opportunities to practice patience, encourage their empathy, and allow them to build new friendships along the way.

This kid knows how to captivate and audience. We love her fearlessness and socialize with anyone wherever we go!

Speaking of fearless, Isla jumped at the chance to get up on stage in front of hundreds of wedding guests to dance to tribal drumming!

The celebrations continued with a morning in Bern’s church. Family members were dressed in their matching wedding pagne, and the whole congregation dedicated the morning to dancing and celebrating Sara and Bern’s union.

Cole attempting to charm his way into going where he wants. Good try, Bubba!

We absolutely LOVED seeing how social and interactive Cole was with people we met on our travels through Dubai and Africa. Big sister Isla has always been an amazing and friendly little traveler. Perhaps this is because she was born overseas and hopped on her first flight at just 6 weeks. She had been to 3 continents by 3 months, and we lost count of how many flights she had taken by the time she was a toddler. Traveling has shaped so much of who she has become, specifically her ability to meet new people and adapt to diverse situations. International travel is totally new for Cole. Also, he hasn’t always been super flexible (Duh. Strong-willed toddler.) so we were curious as to how he would handle the excitement and stressors of spending weeks abroad. As each day passed, Cole grew more and more comfortable with our new and ever-changing “routine” and we were so pleasantly surprised. He was wonderfully patient, curious, observant, cheerful, adaptable, and he enjoyed making friends everywhere we went. He’s a natural! A wayfarer! We couldn’t be happier!

These curious children were absolutely fascinated by Isla’s hair and were so eager to see how it felt. When I explained this to her, she smiled at me and said, “That’s okay, they can touch it.”
And with her permission, the first hand reached out. Then another. And another. Before we knew it, hands were reaching from everywhere and gently rolling strands of Isla’s blond hair through their fingers. This moment of connective discovery was so innocent and beautiful. It felt as if everyone and everything around us paused to watch, and for these few magical moments only this group of children existed.

After church we took a walk with Sara and Bern around their neighborhood, the very place they first met. Isla and Cole happily collected snail shells along the way. It was a particularly hot and humid day, so we ventured down by the water and had cold drinks at the same restaurant Bern took Sara on their first date. Isla thoroughly enjoyed her inaugural cold soda in a glass bottle (which stands out in my mind as such an “international travel” experience) and Cole did his best to get as dirty and sandy as possible.

We spent our last afternoon in Abidjan searching for Ivorian handicrafts at the Cava Market. What a fabulous place! I easily could have spent half a day looking through everything! This open air arts market was so charming, and filled with beautiful fabrics, carvings, jewelry, and paintings. We are pretty particular about purchasing items when we travel, so it is always exciting to find items that we genuinely love and want to display in our home. We bought a gorgeous new mask, jewelry, brass bottle openers, and my absolute favorite, these gorgeous mud cloths! I love the patterns and colors and wish I could have brought home all the mud cloths in the market!

Our time in Abidjan was brief, but the buzzing energy of the city and the warmth of the Ivorian people captured our hearts. We cannot wait to return to West Africa with more time to explore! I will definitely bring an extra suitcase for all of the art and handicrafts!

Ethical Wildlife Tourism at Lilayi Elephant Nursery

05.23.19

It brings us so much joy that Isla and Cole share our deep fascination with the natural world. They are drawn to wildlife, and we love providing them with opportunities to learn all about other living creatures, great and small. When we travel abroad, we encounter a plethora of unique and breathtaking animals, and we want to ensure that in participating in these experiences we are teaching Isla and Cole to be mindful about wildlife and wildlife tourism. It is never too early to start teaching your children about ethical wildlife tourism and their ability to make positive change in our world.

We do our research before visiting animal sanctuaries and facilities to do our best to ensure we are supporting ethical organizations that truly have the animals’ best interests in mind. We strongly encourage all other travelers to please do the same. National Geographic just published a heartbreaking but necessary article about The Dark Truth Behind Wildlife Tourism, and while it is painful to read, it is so important to be informed!
We were so impressed by the work done at the Lilayi Elephant Nursery. This organization, part of the Elephant Orphanage Project, rescues and cares for orphaned calves. The staff provide round the clock care for these sweet babies until they are weaned off of milk. At that time they are transferred to a release facility at Kafue National Park. There, human interaction is gradually reduced in order to help the elephants learn to care for themselves in preparation for release into the park. The goal is for the elephants to live their lives in safety and freedom.
When visiting the nursery you are able to view the baby elephants during one of their daily feedings. A staff member (in our case, the very knowledgeable veterinarian) shares more about the elephants, the project, and the ways in which the organization also supports and educates different communities that live among elephants (a hugely critical aspect of their work).

Cole was VERY impressed with the baby elephants’ “baba” (which they can guzzle down in mere seconds!)

It can be surprisingly challenging to find truly ethical wildlife organizations to visit and support, and we will readily admit we are continually learning as well! When doing our research for places to visit and support, we look for the following:

Animals do NOT participate in shows or performances of any kind
The organization has a clear mission statement that is centered around the animals’ well-being and conservation
The end goal for the animal is either rehabilitation and release into the wild or into as similar of a scenario, if possible
The organization is focused on providing visitors with education

Fellow travelers, if you have any additional suggestions or reputable wildlife organizations to visit or how you go about researching, please share!

Game Drives with Kids in South Luangwa National Park

05.20.19

We’re SO excited to share our game drive experience with the kids in South Luangwa National Park! We’re going to start with a recap and photos of the experience and will share our favorite tips for game drives with kids at the end of the post.

After several relaxing days at our friends’ lovely home in Lusaka, we all ventured northeast to South Luangwa National Park. Given the distance and space needed to transport our staples for the weekend, we decided to try a “divide and conquer” method. Isaac and Ty packed a truck full with all our luggage and food and set out on the 10 hour drive across the country on Thursday. Frannie and I opted to take the 1 hour morning flight on Friday with the kiddos. Isla would have handled the long drive easily, but we weren’t sure how well Cole and Henry (both 1.5) would do with that much time confined in one vehicle. It turned out to be a great decision for our families and we’ll share more about the flight later in the post.

South Luangwa National Park is one of the only parks in Africa that allows night drives. Even though the evening was drizzly, the guys decided to go for an game drive after they arrived on Thursday, and they were rewarded with some pretty amazing animal sightings- especially for the rainy season! A large male leopard stepped out in front of their vehicle 20 minutes into the drive, a pack of wild dogs lounged out in the grasslands, and a pride of lions shared the road with them!

The flight from Lusaka to Mfuwe (the closest airport to the park) took place in a 30-seater prop plane, and while the idea of being in such a small aircraft got my heart beating pretty fast, it was a very smooth and easy trip. Note to those traveling with active kiddos: the cabin is quite small and cramped, especially when you have an infant in your lap, so we would not recommend this option if your kiddos are unable to sit relatively still for an hour.

The guys were waiting for us at the airport when we landed and they brought us back to our accommodations. We stayed at this gorgeous sprawling private home on the edge of park. There was a huge open living space and wonderfully charming maze of rooms in each wing. Handicrafts and rustic decor gave the space a very eclectic feel. Out back was a pool, a large yard, and a newly constructed hide for watching wildlife. The views were lovely, and the interesting critters were plentiful- many of them even found their way indoors, which was certainly exciting!

Our beautiful room had an en suite bathroom and a smaller attached room for the kids. It was perfect! The first night we were all together a bunch of fireflies got into our room, and we fell asleep to them twinkling overhead.

Isla loved this room, but it was clear across the house from where we were staying, so we didn’t feel comfortable having her sleep there. We compromised, however, by letting her take her naps and enjoy play time in there, and she loved it!

It did not take long for the kids to make their way outside and start exploring. Within minutes we had seen baboons, vervet monkeys, a giant termite mound, countless insects, and frogs. We absolutely loved observing Isla during our time in South Luangwa so much! A serious animal lover, she responded within as much breathless excitement to each butterfly as she did to the mighty elephants. Here she is cheering on a little dung beetle we found working hard in our yard!

Over the next few days we enjoyed morning and afternoon/evening game drives. When we planned this trip we honestly weren’t sure how well Cole would handle the game drives. Hours of sitting in one vehicle, rutted roads jostling us around, needing to keep quiet… thankfully, Cole was absolutely fantastic! Not only was he happy on the long, bumpy rides, he was totally engaged whenever we came across any animals. Within two drives he was properly identifying (and greeting) elephants, impalas, zebras, and baboons- though he sometimes got confused and called the baboons “kitty” when they walked around on all fours!
I often hear people say they want to wait to take their kids on a big adventure until they are old enough to remember or appreciate the experience. It’s totally understandable and I have even echoed these sentiments myself. However, I’m starting to see an even greater value in traveling with children when they are infants and toddlers. While they may not remember every detail, they are gaining so much from exposure to new places, cultures, foods, sights, sounds, smells, etc. These experiences begin to shape our children, and help them become more adventurous, adaptable, curious, empathetic, and social.

South Luangwa National Park is Home to the Burchell’s zebras, whose stripes have no shadows.

Of all the wonderful sights we experienced on our game drives, THIS was my favorite!

Me: Isla, those are impalas. Their bottoms look like they have M’s on them.
Isla: (whispering to me secretively with one hand next to her mouth) Our bottoms look like they have I’s on them.
Me: … that’s true…

African wild dogs are a rarity to spot. We were so excited to see this pack three days in a row!

It’s not really an adventure unless you have to change a tire… or two!

The Thornicroft’s Giraffes that inhabit South Luangwa National Park are geographically isolated from all other species of giraffes and can be found in only this area.

It was really entertaining watching the wild dogs chase a group of vultures away during one game drive. It was clear the dogs were protecting their kill, but it also looked like they were making a game out of the interaction.

Taking a dip in the pool at the house was the perfect way to spend the balmy day between game drives!

You can imagine Isla’s delight when she stepped out of the car at our house in South Luangwa for the first time and noticed the dirt driveway was studded with countless crystals!

Even though we visited South Luangwa in the rainy season when the foliage was overgrown and dense, we were happy to enjoy numerous elephant sightings. What miraculous creatures! Most of the elephants we saw were relatively small and young, as this population is still working to recover from extensive poaching.
Cole was so excited when he’d see them! He’d wave and say, “Hi, el-phant!” And when we’d drive on he’d wave again and shout, “Bye, el-phant!”

Our babies. On a Sunday morning in March. Snuggled up in a safari vehicle. In AFRICA!
There are so many days we struggle with stress and doubt for choosing to live a life outside of the norm. The unknowns of self employment can be really scary, and our hearts are constantly pulled between two lives we have loved.
This moment though. This moment is validation that all the hard times are worth it and we are on the right path for us. We are so, so grateful.

During the final hour of our last game drive we stumbled upon this herd of elephants. The quiet moments we spent with them were among our favorites of the entire trip!

Tips for Game Drives with Kids:

Children aren’t always allowed in the open air vehicles, so check with your safari company BEFORE booking!
Bring layers. The vehicles are open on the sides and front, so there is a lot of air blowing on you. The temperature can drop quite a bit in the evenings. If your kiddos are uncomfortable, everyone will be uncomfortable!
Bring plenty of water
If you are traveling with babies or toddlers, bring at least 2 diapers and wipes on each drive. It’s a good idea to bring wipes on ALL drives for wiping hands, noses, etc.
Bring snacks, but make sure to check with your safari company FIRST to be sure food is allowed and to learn how best to store your snacks (we kept ours in a cooler) to avoid attracting animals.
Apply insect repellent and sunscreen before the drive, and bring it with you, just in case.
Prepare your kids before the drive so they have an idea of what to expect. This varies child by child. Some ideas include showing them photos of animals they might see, talking about what you might to see, letting them know there may be long periods of driving without seeing any animals and the roads might be bumpy, helping them understand why they should stay quiet, discussing strategies for overcoming boredom, should it arise, etc.)
Consider the seasons/weather when booking your trip. We went during the rainy season which meant the foliage was dense and resources were plentiful, so it was harder to see the animals. It was still a great experience, but there was a lot of driving time where we just observed and enjoyed all the greenery.
Allow older kids to bring their own cameras so they can document the experience from their perspective! Binoculars can also be fun!