Traveling to Iceland with kids

So you really want to go to Iceland.... but you have kids. Your dream is crushed. But I am here to tell you it's absolutely doable! Levi was 6 months old when I started to research possible vacation spots. Indonesia? Taiwan? Sri Lanka? After much contemplation, I decided on the safest country in the world... Iceland! Levi had already spent 3 months of his life in a 3rd world country (Nicaragua). I was looking forward to first world and clean. 
While researching Iceland with kids, I came upon many negative people saying it wasn't a good idea. Well, after making the trip, I can say it is one of them most kid friendly countries out there. Don't listen to those pessimistic peeps!
It was honestly one of the best vacations I've had. We also visited Norway on this trip as well. It was a dream. 
We went in June of 2016 and the sun was up the entire time. It was amazing. Iceland is so cute and quaint. The people are very respectful. The country is clean. I can't say enough good things about it. Just go, you will see.
Don't worry about the temperature, it's not as cold as you think. If it does get cold, just put on more layers. No biggie. The people of Iceland have babies.... it is possible to bring a baby to Iceland!!
We rented a car, which was definitely the way to go. We brought our own car seat, which wasn't a hassle either. We brought a little fold up stroller, but we actually ended up putting him in the carrier more than anything. He was 11 months old, so he wasn't quite walking yet. 
We hiked with him quite a bit also. It was such a memorable time. 
Food wasn't an issue either. We shopped a lot at the grocery store. He really liked the Skyr, the famous yogurt in Iceland. 
We rented an apartment from Airbnb, which we loved because we were able to experience the local life a little better. 
Here are some pics from the trip....

 We were able to do everything we wanted, including the blue lagoon and hiking. 

 Dinh and I took turns going into the Blue Lagoon. Levi had a fun time watching from the window. It was nice to get a little alone time :)

 In Reykjavik, there is a lake in the middle of the town. Here, you can feed birds. But I'm warning you, there will be a ton of birds, and they are not shy!

 Levi loves the outdoors...

 One day it rained, so we went to the mall. Iceland is so kid friendly, there are plenty of kid play areas and even strollers for you to use!

 Beautiful hikes, a beautiful country...

 Dinh soaking in a hot pot. Again, we just took turns holding Levi when we each went in. No big deal.  

 Enjoying the midnight sun with some yummy ice cream. Sometimes it's worth it to be a little off routine. 

So please, if you're contemplating taking your kids to Iceland, take it from me and just go! You will have the best time ever!

1st comes love, then comes marriage, then.....

First come love, then comes marriage, then comes.....  well you know the rest.....

Yep, that's right, our family is expanding!!!

Just a week after we were married, we found out we were preggers!! We were elated!!
A little new life coming into the world. An absolute miracle.

Here's the belly progression....

13 weeks, I thought my belly was SO big here, hahaha

17 weeks

19 weeks

This is the first photo we saw of our munchkin's face. We found out it was a BOY!!!

3D ultrasounds are so crazy. I can't believe how clear it turned out. This is the cutest face I have EVER seen. EVER.

We were in Nicaragua until I was 19 weeks, then went to Jamaica for a week, then home to California by the time I was 20 weeks.  The original plan was to return to Nicaragua and have the baby down there, BUT, I changed my mind.... I felt much more comfortable with the thought of giving birth in the US.

24 weeks

26 weeks

27 weeks

30 weeks

34 weeks

35 weeks

36 weeks

36 weeks

38 weeks

And then POP!!

This little angel came into our lives and changed everything......

Our Nicaraguan wedding

Our wedding in Nicaragua was very laid back. Dinh and I didn't want anything fancy. It was a ceremony to show our commitment to each other and we didn't need to spend a ton of money for that. 
I really think it's foolish to spend thousands of dollars on a wedding that only lasts half a day. Can you believe some people spend $50,000 on their wedding?! And even more!! That's nuts!!
It's frivolous and, honestly, I would rather spend that money on something more important. Sometimes people lose sight on what's really important in life. 
Our wedding was perfect, in our eyes. We had the ceremony at the resort where we live in Nicaragua. It's a small community and everyone showed up to celebrate with us. 
Now I'm married to my best friend. I know everyone says that, but he REALLY is my best friend. I'm so glad I found him :)
Here's a few pics from the wedding:

Hawaii to California

After soaking up all that Hawaii had to offer, Dinh and I decided to move back to California. We were both getting a twinge of island fever. 
It was time to go. 
Hawaii is an island, it's expensive. What we were paying for a one bedroom cottage, we could pay for our mortgage in our 3 bedroom house in California. Dinh owns 2 homes in Laguna Niguel, California. It made more sense to live in one of them, rather than fork over a ton of cash each month in exchange for a tiny living space. 
So, off we went.... again. We gave the renters in California a couple months notice that we were returning, and we moved into our Orange County home. 

South Orange County beaches

Hawaii is amazing, but it feels SO far away from home. Dinh's parents, brothers and sister all live in Southern California. And my family is only a 3 hour plane ride away in Minnesota. 

 Even though the water is a colder in Southern California, compared to Hawaii, it's still a great place to live. 

After taking a few months to settle into our Cali home, this happened......

 Yep, Dinh asked me to marry him!!!
We decided to get hitched in California and then have the ceremony in Nicaragua. A beach wedding. Couldn't be more perfect....
Wow, I was actually "settling down". But I knew this would not be the end of my vagabonding.....