A Lady In France

Visiting the US (Part One)

While I was in Chicago at BlogHer, Matthieu and the kids were touring Manhattan. They cruised Times Square.Kids in Times Square

They rode the subway.

triprThey took the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and Downtown Manhattan. (We lived in Staten Island just off the ferry for four months when Juliet was a baby, and Matthieu decided it was time to move to France).

Staten Island FerryThey visited Battery Park City, where we used to live right before S.I.

Battery Park CityThey went to the super fun playground there.

tripuMatthieu earned major daddy points on this trip.

After they picked me up at the airport, we drove to DC where we stayed with friends of ours. Sissi was one of our wedding photographers (and long-time friend), and she’s French-American. They were leaving for France as we were arriving, so we exchanged our GPSs and they took ours to France with them. That way neither of us would have to pay to download international maps. They’re coming to our house in France right before they return to the States and we’ll exchange our GPS back again.

We visited the important American things, like the White House.

Kids in front of White HouseMatthieu had the brilliant idea of having the children run across the grassy field towards the White House so we could capture that historic moment on film. Except that the grass hid large swamps that caused the children to fall.

Gabriel, covered from head to toe in mud, cried, “Why did he make us do that? Why?”

tripo

Moments before …

We visited the Lincoln Memorial, which still had green paint on the base.

tripnI think Gabriel is finally starting to understand that he is half-American, and not half-English, even though English is what we speak at home.

After DC, we headed to North Carolina to visit Grandma and Grandpa (my father and his wife). It was a big reunion because my step-family came and my brother and my sister with baby and husband. (I’ll talk about visiting with my mom and her husband in the next post, because we had that reunion too).

tripfMy dad lives in the mountains of North Carolina.

triphWe hiked trails.

tripa

We sorted big buckets of gems, removing the sand with water.

tripmWe visited waterfalls.

tripiWe went down the waterfalls at “Sliding Rock”

tripjnow known as “Slicing Rock.”

tripdWe ate corn on the cob …

tripgNow we’re in really in America! (to be con’t)

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  1. Mama D says

    Love this!! Glad the kids had such a good time and that Matthieu was such a trouper. 🙂 And what kind of GPS do you have, out of curiosity?
    Mama D recently posted…Male BondingMy Profile

    • ladyjennie says

      I have NO idea. And I don’t have it with me so I can’t check. I do like the US one better though. It has a South African accent.

  3. julie gardner says

    I am in LOVE with your family.

    And I know it’s crazy and selfish, but I loved seeing them here in the U.S.

    Weird, right?

    But I just loved that they were getting a piece of America – even as I wish my own children could get some culture beyond our own.

    Yep.
    I’m officially weird!
    julie gardner recently posted…NinetyMy Profile

  4. Korinthia Klein says

    Lovely photos! (Except, of course, maybe the sliced up knee.) Sounds like they had a good American adventure. We’re hoping to take our kids out to DC on a real family vacation next year. We tend to visit family when we have a small break, but I think it’s good to get out and just see things (besides just grandma) every so often.
    Korinthia Klein recently posted…Watching “TV”My Profile

    • ladyjennie says

      It looks like a knee, but was actually a sliced up butt. Just below the bathing suit line. And it’s true, it’s good to tour places. I really wanted my kids to see the nation’s capital (capitol?).

    • ladyjennie says

      Do you go to the general conference or BH food? I would love to meet you! I can only afford the general one right now, but would do the food one if I could swing it. I did talk about you to two food bloggers, though, one of whom already follows you. 🙂

  7. Ameena says

    Maya would have loved to show the kids around! She knows almost every playground like the back of her hand now. LOL

    Cute pics…sorry about the injury. It’s par for the course, unfortunately.
    Ameena recently posted…questionsMy Profile

  11. Andrea says

    You kind of got America all in on this trip! It looks like everyone had a blast, and how wonderful that you got to see some good friends as well as your family.

    I have a picture of my kids playing on a piece of spinning top playground equipment in Paris that almost matches the one you have of your kids in DC. Further proof that we are twins. 🙂
    Andrea recently posted…On the FridgeMy Profile

  16. Arnebya says

    What makes me smile the most is that you have this beautiful piece to show your children as a reminder, that they will always have this, the photos, your words, if they forget.
    Arnebya recently posted…Just Write: By NowMy Profile

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