Chris And Lindsay's European Adventure - Final Thoughts

So far I haven't mentioned too much about the climate for our trip. Except for the first day and a half in London, it was basically 50 and rainy the whole trip. Everyone kept apologizing to us for the weather, but we were coming from 95 and humid so we honestly didn't mind. Don't get me wrong, we were glad we brought sweaters and raincoats, but we didn't mind the cold. What was a bit harder to get used to was the daylight! It really didn't get dark until almost 11pm, and was light just a few hours later. All of our hotels had blackout curtains! There were a few days we were thrown off on our schedules because of the light. We talked to Tim and Sophie about it and they said it still affects them too - negatively in the winter and positively in the summer. If you aren't careful, you might never sleep in June!

I forgot to include Chris's collection of work-related pictures. Do you think we collected enough of them that we might be able to write-off a portion of the trip? First up: The Garderobe, aka a toilet in the Tower of London. There were channels built into the wall so the waste went directly outside. Second: The Society of Civil Engineers in London. We just spotted this as we were walking down the street one day. Third: Some ancient Roman plumbing in the British Museum. Fourth: And old well at the castle in Oban.

So it was a long trip, and a long time to be away from our boy. I missed him terribly - I really did. By the end of the trip I was ready to come home just because I wanted to see him. I do love technology, though. Thanks to my iPod and our hotel internet, we were able to video chat with Sam several times during our trip. It was so wonderful to see him having a fun time where he was, and reassuring that he didn't flip out when he saw us on Grammy's iPad. He's not great on the phone, but he was happy to run around the house and show us what he'd been playing with since last we'd spoken.

I put a lot of time and energy into planning this trip. I wanted to go, and I knew that it would be good for Chris and I to get away and to get a break. I thought it would be good for us as a couple. What I didn't realize was how good it was going to be for us as a family. Yes, Chris and I enjoyed lots of couple time together. But we also enjoyed 10 days without toddler demands, without work, without laundry, without all the demands of our life, but also without the routine of our everyday life. We both returned revived and ready to attack life head on.

Here was the real surprise - so did Sam! He was at a real low point behavior-wise before our trip. Tantrums and defiance all around. He couldn't entertain himself, barely touched his toys, etc. He's still 2, but he seemed different when we got back, too. Chris and I both noticed right away, and decided that he needed a change in routine and scenery just as much as we did. Maybe he missed us? He definitely missed his house. We've all been getting along so well since we got home!

Or maybe his change in demenor is just a reflection of all the fun he had without us...check it out!So there you go - our trip to Europe in far more detail than you ever cared to read. I hope you enjoyed our trip as much as we did!