Holland

I spent last week in Holland and it was amazing!! Ryan's parents planned a last minute trip and asked us if we wanted to come along. Ryan's passport had expired but he told me that I should go since I have never been to Europe, what an awesome hubby I have! We flew out early Easter morning and landed in Amsterdam at 7 am just as the sun was rising over the city, it was picture perfect. We took the train and tram to our hotel at Leidse Square. I have never seen so many bicycles is all my life, they were zooming everywhere and I almost got ran over a couple of times during our stay. Amsterdam is a city full of canals so getting around on a bike is the easiest mode of transportation. At any given time you will find 9,000 of them rushing around, they even have parking garages for them! Everyone spoke great English (most spoke Dutch, English, Spanish and French or German) and were so nice that it made getting around and asking questions very easy :) We went to the Anne Frank Huse (house), Oude Kerk, Dam Square, Rembrandtplein, Jordaan, Magere Brug, The Rijksmuseum, The Van Gogh Museum, The Red Light District (during the day), Amsterdam Tulip Museum, Nieuwe Kerk and took the canal boats everywhere, it was amazing!! Amsterdam is 12 feet below sea level and is the largest city in Holland. It was established in 1275 and has so much history, it was awesome!!

One night I got antsy and took a canal boat tour of the city, it was so beautiful. The tour went on canals that aren't open during the day and I got to see a whole different side of Amsterdam. All the bridges have lights on them and even some of the buildings so it gives the city a very romantic feel, made me miss my hubby :( It even took us down a canal in the middle of The Red Light District and I saw all the red lights...oh la la ;) It was so much fun!

We also ventured into the waterland (country) to The Keukendorf in Haarlem, Edam, Volendam, Wormer, Hoorn, Den Haag, Broek in Waterland, Marken and Katwoude. We went to a working windmill built in 1672 that was making peanut oil, a cheese farm and clog huse (house) in Wormer. I had so much fun picking out wooden shoes for my boys and tasting all the cheese, yummmm :) The Kenkendorf was an amazing garden in Harrlem that had beautiful gardens and fields full of flowers , I could have stayed there ALL day and been very content. In Den Haag we went to the Madurodam a place that has all of Holland in miniatures, it was so cute! We loved visiting all the waterland towns and seeing all the windmills along the side of the road.

It was a wonderful trip but to be honest I got home sick and missed my boys so much! I look forward to getting over my jet lag... 26 hours of no sleep being on an airplane or in an airport will do that to you ;) Thanks Ryan for being such a wonderful hubby and taking care of the boys so I could go on a great trip, I love you so much!!