Through the years I have come up with all kinds of ideas to gather gratitude in November (some of them I shared last year and will hopefully post some more later this week). But for today I want to focus on the ideas I’ve gathered to make the actual Thanksgiving meal more sentimental, with thanks to blog readers and instagram friends, as well as in-person friends.

Here’s the deal: I’m a big sucker for a sentimental Thanksgiving meal. You see, I grew up with incredibly deliberate parents who intentionally built gratitude into Thanksgiving. And something deep in my bones makes me yearn so much to carry that on. There is something so beautiful about building gratitude into your heart. I believe it can quite literally change your life.

I not only want to foster gratitude over a Thanksgiving meal, but how beautiful is Thanksgiving to CONNECT with those you love?

But here’s the problem.

Over the years our Thanksgiving dinners have gone from small sentimental gatherings with one table filled up with family:

To a whole slew of families gathered together as extended family grows and expands.

On top of that, the turkey trot we run every Thanksgiving morning has gone from this little gathering in our retention basin:

To this humongous gathering of humanity:

And boy HOWDY I love it.

I am grateful beyond what words can say for all those people to love.

Can Big Gatherings Be Sentimental?

But back to that sentimental, meaningful yearning on Thanksgiving.

Dave and I have been in a debate about that. Is it even possible to make Thanksgiving dinner meaningful with a big crowd?

Can you even connect and look into the eyes of those you love when you’re scurrying around trying to keep it all together?

Dave said no, but I have been searching high and low for a way to prove him wrong. Ha! (Ok, and to prove my-last-year-self wrong too…I was so overwhelmed last year!)

And after posing this question here on the blog and also on Instagram:

As well as talking deep with some insightful friends:

I think we’ve come up with a great plan to still gather all our loved ones AND make it meaningful.

Our Plan to Truly Connect on Thanksgiving and Make it Meaningful

Start Early

I realized that the gratitude we feel on Thanksgiving doesn’t envelop us if we start on Thanksgiving day. We have to start thinking about it earlier.

Let it wash over us in our daily lives.

Make it a practice.

Incorporate it into what we say and do.

So this is what we’re planning this year. Keep in mind this isn’t tried and true. It may all fail. But at least I have a plan!

Include Everyone In the Plan

I called each family coming for Thanksgiving and let them know the plan. I figured if they know our intentions and the background behind why I want to do things this way they’ll be all over it. Because that’s just how Dave’s family is. They are all-in when they know the plan.

Assign Out the Food

One thing this extended family is so good at is showing up and contributing. Oh I love them! My mother-in-law assigns all the food and it is so true that many hands make light work in that category.

Use Round Tables

There’s something about round tables that, at least in my opinion, helps foster discussions. So we’re sticking to those rather than the big long ones we started doing a few years ago.

Assign “Thankful” Table Decor

What Each Family Brings

I told each family they would be in charge of one table, and as centerpieces I want them to bring objects, symbols, photos of anything their family was grateful for. I was clear to let them know this didn’t mean that they needed to do anything fancy. This isn’t meant to be another task with the already sometimes burdensome tasks. This is just to get us all thinking about what we’re grateful for before the big day.

They can have each family member bring something to add, or they can come up with something as a family. It could be a soccer ball, a medical device (we’ve had a lot of medical problems this year), a photo of a dear friend…you name it, ANYTHING they want to come up with to bring “gratitude” to their assigned table.

A Gratitude Question for Each Table

Along with what they put on the table, they are assigned to print out a gratitude question to put on “their” table. Something that the table can discuss about fostering/practicing/expressing gratitude. For more table conversation ideas, here are some of our favorites.

Sharing Before the Blessing

Before the blessing on the food when we’re all gathered together, each family will have the opportunity to explain why they chose the things they put on “their” table.

Mixing Up the Seating

Then they will sit wherever their name-tag is (most likely at a different table from the one they filled with gratitude).

After all that, hopefully everyone will sit down and have a delightful conversation filled with gratitude and love. And even if they don’t, they’ve all had the chance to think in advance about the things they’re grateful for as they’ve pondered what to bring for the tables. I mean, by then we’ll all be bound to have gratitude running through our veins, am I right? Ha!

Phew! I hope that makes sense. I have a good feeling about this!

A Cornhole Tournament

This may seem insignificant. But we’re stealing this idea from a friend who gathers with 160 family members where they still find ways to forge meaningful connection. Every year they have a cornhole tournament. Each name is randomly picked out of a hat so everyone can be paired up randomly. We’ll round up like ten cornhole rows for the competition. The winners of the first round will play against the other winners each round until we have two winners. What I love about this idea is that it mixes everyone up. We have one extended family with younger kids and I want us all to have the chance to get to know them better, as well as others we don’t naturally gravitate to. I don’t have all the details as to how this will go yet, but I think it will be great because I know Dave’s family.

And they are suckers for any kind of competition:)

Group Games

After the cornhole tournament we’ll have pie and dessert, of course.

And then on to other big group games we’ve fallen in love with over the years.

Usually the game of choice is “One and Done” (which I explained at the end of this “games for a crowd” post). It always makes for a lot of connecting.

Especially since the loser normally has to jump in the pool with all their clothes on.

Ha!

Our Meaningful Thanksgiving Plan at a Glance

Here’s the whole plan in one place, in case it helps you borrow an idea or two:

• Start early. Let gratitude build in our daily lives before the big day.
• Include everyone. Call each family and share the why behind the plan.
• Assign out the food. Many hands make light work.
• Use round tables. They help foster conversation.
• Assign thankful table decor. Each family brings centerpieces of things they’re grateful for, plus a gratitude question for their table.
• Share before the blessing. Each family explains what they chose to display, then everyone sits by name tag at a different table.
• Play a cornhole tournament. Random pairings mix everyone up.
• Finish with pie and group games. Including our favorite, “One and Done.”

Ok, that’s a wrap for today: our big plan for Thanksgiving I’m excited about. Would still love any extra ideas of what you do to really connect and make Thanksgiving sentimental. I’m always collecting new thoughts and evolving with new ideas, and I love all the input I can get.

Happy beginning-of-November, everyone!
XOXO

The post Ideas for Making Thanksgiving Meaningful, Even with a Crowd appeared first on 71toes.

This was the third stop on our MFME women’s trip through four Balkans countries. Read the full overview here, or start with our time in Croatia.

The Little Town of Risan

We stopped at the quaint little town of Risan to explore a bit before Kotor.

We had lunch there on the bay and then headed to Kotor.

The City of Kotor

Kotor was so beautiful sprawling along that bay. We immediately headed to the gondola so we could see it all from a higher vantage point…

…our excitement filling up that gondola to the point of bursting with love for the beauty of the earth.

Even the rock formations were blowing me away.

Then we headed back down to explore the tiny streets of Kotor at dusk, St. Tryphon’s Cathedral looming in the main square.

Marshall’s Gelato didn’t have a line so I was a bit skeptical. But let me tell you, the best gelato experience I have ever experienced!!

Love these women with all my heart.

Back to the Airbnb.

A Boat Tour of the Bay of Kotor

My sister Charity was in charge this day (we all had our own days to lead the pack), and she was extra exuberant which made us all that much more exuberant too. We took a boat out first thing in the morning:

And explored some beautiful caves, including the Blue Cave (it seems there are “Blue Caves” in lots of places, am I right? LOVED the one in Croatia too…as well as similar cave exploration in Portugal…so much beauty in the world!)

This was especially beautiful since my sister Saydi had boat driver blast some of her incredibly beautiful classical music over the speakers.

And also, jumping off a boat into crystal clear water sure makes you feel alive.

We went into this old submarine cave that was pretty interesting too.

Our Lady of the Rocks

That was all fine and good, but our stop at Our Lady of the Rocks was my favorite, nestled on that island in the middle of that magical bay.

I have wanted to get to this spot for a long time so I was pretty giddy to have our boat driver drop us off there.

The legend goes that fishermen found an icon of Mary on the rocks in this spot. They brought it back to the main land, and the next time they were out there, so was the icon. So, they decided that was a sign that they needed to build a church for it right in that spot. Legend says that fishermen dropped rocks in this spot for a long time and finally made an island…and then built a church there for Mary.

I love old legends like that, and this spot lived up to my hype.

We got to go inside the little church.

And do a little exploration. Love.

We took one last little dip in the bay before we got dropped off in a little town called Perast.

The Town of Perast

Our awesome boat captain dropped us off on a little pier…

And Charity had reserved a table overlooking the bay for some lunch.

We loved just relaxing for a little bit there.

Then we climbed the bell tower.

And of course, gelato.

Back to Kotor

We did a bit more Kotor exploration once we figured out a way to finally get back there (taxis are tricky in those parts!)

I’m in love with original art so when I saw this watercolor artist sitting in the main square I had to buy one of her paintings.

I bought the one of that Kotor Cathedral and I love seeing it in our home now (trying to figure out how to frame it, love it so much!).

(Other sentimental things on that shelf are explained over here.)

San Giovanni Fortress

Through a small comedy of errors a group of us found the right stairs to hike up all those steps to the Fortress of San Giovanni…

…with such a beautiful view of the bay in the dwindling light.

There were a LOT of steps, let me tell you!

And also a LOT of beauty.

Hard to pull ourselves away, but we were anxious to get back down to meet the others for our last dinner all together. The city looked so pretty lit up at night from above.

Dinner in those little ancient tangle of streets in town, squished on three different tables, sharing back and forth bowls of delicious pasta and enjoying that unforgettable ambiance.

One last night all together before Julie, Kristi and Anita had to take off, we finished all our life/family updates sitting cozy in our family room and I tried to hold onto the goodness of all those women. Women who strengthen me and make my life better in so many ways.

One last photo early-morning all together on the balcony…

…because even though we had all just rolled out of bed before those girls had to head to the airport, LOOK at that view! And see us down below on the left acting like it’s just no big deal that we were standing there with the BAY OF KOTOR right behind us. Lucky ladies right there.

Also, the pic on the right is because a cat somehow snuck in the van when we were unloading the night before and apparently had a great sleep in there…

Back down to just the five of us, who headed out for our last stop: ALBANIA.

Another road trip to another beautiful spot. Coming soon!

Our Tips for Visiting Montenegro

• Take a boat tour of the bay first thing in the morning. The water is calm, the light is gorgeous, and you can stop at sea caves and swim along the way.
• Make Our Lady of the Rocks a stop. It was my favorite part. Ask your boat captain to drop you off so you can go inside the little church and explore the island.
• Bring a swimsuit. Jumping off the boat into that crystal clear water is the BEST.
• Ride the gondola above Kotor. Go early in your visit so you can see the whole bay spread out below you before you explore the city. Sunrise or sunset is best.
• Wear good shoes for San Giovanni Fortress. There are a LOT of steps, and it helps to look up the right starting point for the stairs before you go. The view of the bay in the evening light is worth it.
• Reserve a lunch table in Perast. Charity booked one overlooking the bay and it was the perfect place to slow down. Then climb the bell tower.
• Plan your ride back to Kotor. Taxis are tricky around the bay, so figure out your transportation before you need it.
• Try Marshall’s Gelato in Kotor. It is the best gelato!

The Full Balkans Series

Read all four country posts from our MFME Balkans trip:

• Croatia: Dubrovnik
• Bosnia: Mostar and Beyond
• Montenegro: Kotor and Our Lady of the Rocks (you are here)
• Albania: The Alps, Blue Eye Spring and Tirana (coming soon)

The post Favorite Things in Montenegro: Kotor, Our Lady of the Rocks and Sea Caves appeared first on 71toes.

Working Together Is a Beautiful Place to Be

Dave was in charge, but all the auxiliaries at church stepped up like nobody’s business and they all worked together to pull off such a great evening. I LOVE that so many neighbors not of our faith came and joined in, and it was the true feel of real neighbors just loving each other. Made me so happy.

Let’s take a look at the fruits of those labors:

We had a real-life magician that was so fun for the kids.

But even more fun for the adults because since the kids were occupied we got to catch up for longer. Man I love my neighbors!

Kudos and a Challenge for Young Moms on Halloween

At that neighborhood party I was reminded how crazy Halloween can be with all the parents working to keep track of kids and get them to all the stations, get them fed, keep them safe on the bounce house…you get it. Fun, yes! (well, most of the time), but also a lot of work. Halloween can be full of traipsing all around creation juggling all the parts of your kids’ costumes they are no longer interested in, their candy bags, the melt-downs following sugar overload. Yes, all of that is mixed in with the magic. And I love you young mamas for doing it. So do your kids.

Seeing all of that reminded me of a challenge I sent out a couple years ago that I wanted to remind readers of: Memorize the Moment this Halloween.

Before you know it those kids will be grown up and gone. And all that craziness gradually morphs into the most beautiful memories.

Also, if you need a reminder that Halloween isn’t all the perfection you see on social media, here you go: Just Keeping It Real This Halloween Season.

Our Favorite Halloween Dinner

Ok, and one more thing…if you’re looking for a good Halloween dinner idea, this soup has been our go-to for years. It is so easy to make before all the chaos hits, always made me feel happy to get some healthy protein in my kids’ bodies before all that sugar, and helped us have even a tiny semblance of family dinner before we all headed out for Trick-or-Treating.

Ok, perhaps that isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing photo in the whole wide world. But take my word for it, this stuff is delectable.

Also, just as a funny side note, we got a kick out of Claire and Sam’s Halloween outfits a few nights ago:

Murphy’s not quite so sure…

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!!
XOXO

The post A Halloween Party, a Dinner Idea, and a Challenge for Young Moms appeared first on 71toes.

This was our second stop on our MFME women’s trip through four Balkans countries — read the full overview here, or start with our time in Croatia.

I thought the cow who “welcomed” us to Bosnia in the middle of the tiny dirt road right across the border from Croatia was pretty awesome.

We also had a pretty hilarious side-adventure trying to find a prescription for my mom en route. Marco, our new friend from Croatia had sent us to meet up with his friend who was able to get that medication for us, and it was a comedy of errors making it there with the descriptions and directions he gave us. But we found these wonderful ladies who took care of us and sent us on our way.

Trebinje

I loved studying a bit more about the Bosnian war en route to the little town of Trebinje: a beautiful sleepy little town we took in to stretch our legs before heading to Mostar.

Went up the hill to the lookout to see this beautiful Gracanica Church at the top of the hill where we had a little cheese and bread lunch.

Mostar, Bosnia

Then on to my favorite new town: Mostar, adorned with my new favorite bridge.

We were greeted by our white-bearded tour guide who told us ALL about the history of this country.

Mostar surprised me with how enchanting it was: the old round cobblestones shining in the streets:

The super thick slate roofs and picturesque restaurants:

And so much history about the Bosnian war (that our tour guide lived through as a teenager) and what was destroyed and also restored.

Crooked Bridge

There are two beautiful (and famous) bridges in Mostar. They were both built by the same Ottoman architect, Ćejvan Kethoda. This one called Crooked Bridge (“crooked” because it is a bit asymmetrical due to the different land heights), was built first, in 1558. Some say that it was built nine years before the more famous bridge (Stari Most) as proof that he could actually build a single-arch stone bridge. I thought it was beautiful.

We wound through those little cobblestone streets and learned so much.

Stari Most (Mostar Bridge)

This bridge was the pièce de résistance of Mostar according to me (and probably a lot of other people). I LOVED it. So you’ll see it from a lot of different vantage points in this post. Both bridges were hit during the Bosnian War…this one was actually destroyed. Which is so sad. Then rebuilt to be as authentic as possible by UNESCO.

The view from the top:

Can you imagine jumping into the river from that height? We’ll get to that soon…

Our tour guide told us so much about the four languages spoken in Bosnia, two of them written with the exact same letters but pronounced a bit different and both needing representation on the signage.

We learned so much under the dusky sky filled with the call to prayer.

One thing that struck me immediately about Bosnia was the minarets dotting every hillside alongside church steeples — a beautiful visual reminder of the country’s complex layered history of Christianity and Islam living side by side.

Then wandered more of the streets.

And a yummy, authentic Bosnian dinner.

Late-night talking in the sister-in-law upper loft room of our Airbnb.

Blagaj Tekija

The next day we hit sites outside of Mostar. We visited this 16th century Sufi monastery built into a cliff:

Loved seeing this special washing room for those who want to go into the monastery to pray, hands and feet clean before God.

They gave us special scarves to wear inside, and there was such a beautiful feeling in there.

Pocitelj

We stopped at the old ruins of Pocitelj: an ancient fortress built into the hillside.

Loved climbing inside the tower and taking in all the autumn Bosnian views hugging into the river below.

I loved having the chance to talk deep with my sister-in-law Anita through all that beauty.

Kravice Waterfalls

The next stop was the Kravice waterfalls spread across that whole mountain cliff. Yow!

Some of us delighted in taking a swim in those falls, and others just basked in the beauty.

Back to Mostar

It was all incredible, but I was pretty excited to get back to that newly beloved Mostar bridge and that charming city I had fallen in love with. Love that we got there at the PERFECT time when that bridge was glowing in the evening sun:

(No filter, isn’t that just incredibly beautiful??) …With a jumper ready to go. Can you see him standing in the middle at the top on the left, then flying down through the air on the right?

Apparently there are contests here all the time. You have to be pretty professional to jump off that height which I think is close to 79 feet.

More bridge-adoring from a little coffee shop above:

And from a trail that led us down below:

The Best Restaurant in Mostar

Saydi and Charity had noticed a delicious looking restaurant the night before and we did our best to get there right at sunset.

Dinner in that delectable restaurant (called Urban) overlooking the bridge was a favorite memory.

The most delicious food!!

Evening Chats with These Women I Love

I also never want to forget sitting in our Airbnb that night laughing until we cried with all our questionnaires from years ago. (My mom had had us fill out questionnaires, some of us twenty years ago, and our answers from way back were honestly so funny.)

Some other things that were brought up in that little Bosnian family room:

Also some photos from the books filled with Bosnian War on the coffee table:

The next morning we bid our cute little airbnb goodbye and headed off on our next adventure: Montenegro.

I love that there was an ancient fortress on the hill next to the gas station. Like, no big deal. Can you see it on the hill below?

And the drives were so entertaining (and scary). We were SURE that motorcycle was going to fall off that trailer in front of us. We honked and honked through those windy streets careful to stay far enough away that it wouldn’t crash into us as it slipped further and further down the trailer. Also, a truck full of sheep. Gotta love those tiny Balkan streets filled with so many things to keep us occupied as we talk, talk, talked.

Our Tips for Visiting Bosnia

• Book a local guide in Mostar — our white-bearded guide helped us understand so much!
• Visit Stari Most at golden hour — the bridge glows. But also visit every other time of day because it looks different from every angle
• Don’t miss Blagaj Tekija — the Sufi monastery built into the cliff is so calm and beautiful
• Kravice Waterfalls are worth the detour — bring a swimsuit and take a swim to make it extra exciting
• Stop in Trebinje on the way in from Croatia — I loved this town largely untouched by tourists
• Get an Airbnb rather than a hotel — so much more “Bosnian” and having a washer and dryer really helps on a long roadtrip

On to Montenegro, coming soon!

The Full Balkans Series

• Croatia — Dubrovnik
• Bosnia — Mostar and beyond (you are here)
• Montenegro — Kotor and Our Lady of the Rocks (coming soon)
• Albania — The Alps, Blue Eye Spring and Tirana (coming soon)

The post Visiting Bosnia: Why Mostar and the Waterfalls Blew Us Away appeared first on 71toes.

We were cracking up about all those expressions on those kids trying their darnedest to pose for me at Halloween.

It reminded me that even though it’s easy to post pictures like this on social media:

Sometimes the reality can be a little different behind the scenes.

Even though life does sometimes look like this:

It also often looks like this:

Family dinner (or breakfast) doesn’t always work all hunky-dory like we may envision it “should.”

Life happens. I love this snippet of “real life” I came across today. And also these confessions. Lots of posts through the years about the nitty-gritties of keeping it real.

Just a little reminder to us all as we head into the holiday season! Even those bawling, fighting memories can turn into the velvet memories once we get a little time under our belts.

Here’s to embracing ALL of it, the beautiful and the chaotic, as we head into the most wonderful and also exhausting time of year.

Happy Halloween prep, everyone!
XOXO

The post Just Keeping It Real This Halloween Season appeared first on 71toes.

Yes, family dinner is placed right smack dab in the middle of the sometimes witching hour when you have kids at home, am I right? But maybe it’s there for a reason. I mean, the best medicine for craziness? Carve out time to sit together and try to “see” each other. Even for fifteen minutes I believe it can work miracles.

Even as empty nesters, when we’re home and we take time to sit down together and talk about our day, it has this way of helping me feel so much more connected to this guy I love most.

(I think I forgot my airpods were in, hmmmm…) Anyway, even with two of us sometimes this sitting down together business doesn’t work. But I believe it’s worth fighting for!

Thinking about the beauty of family dinner even with just me and Dave made me kind of nostalgic about our family dinners growing up. The ones with our kids all home as well as the family dinners when I was growing up in the Eyre family.

Boy, those were special in my book. My parents were pretty intentional about connecting at the dinner table.

Family Dinner Connection Ideas

Here are some of my favorite things we did around the dinner table.

Family Prayer Before Dinner — This practice just made me feel safe. We often prayed kneeling at our chairs, offering up gratitude to God together. There is something so bonding about taking a moment to pray together.

Happies and Sads — This is the one we did the very most often and it is such a simple way to connect at dinner and get a little deeper. All you do is go around the table and everyone tells about their happiest and saddest thing that happened that day. We for sure carried this one on with our kids, and it is SO fun that Murphy has caught on to it and will randomly ask what your happy and sad is for the day when she sees you. (She always says the same thing: when Ada plays with her is her happy, when Ada cries is her sad, ha!)

The Similar Game — My dad would randomly throw out two things. They could be anything from a phone and the moon, Saren’s big toe and a newspaper. You name it, the more random and off-the-wall the two things were, the better. Then we’d come up with things that were similar about those two things. And let me tell you, it was a puzzle and made us think. I mean, thinking about what’s similar between a bridge and a painting by Van Gogh? Tricky. But there’s something about thinking all together that bonds.

Speeches — I really appreciate that we did this practice so much! How cool is it that dinner time can be used to help kids gain confidence in themselves. Not only by feeling connection, but by providing a safe place to practice skills that will help in real life? For speeches, each person would take a turn standing up and giving a one-minute impromptu speech on a randomly assigned topic. We carried this one on in our family as well, but mostly on road trips in the car. Kids, I hope you remember those. Boy I loved them!

Conversation Starters — I love that when we have time at dinner, especially when the kids are home, we pull out our packs of conversation starters to get ideas flowing. We’ve used Table Topics, The Book of Questions, Talking Points, and I have loved using Brooke Romney’s Modern Manners books too (they are all so good!!). Anything that gets everyone talking.

I know one family who always brought the books they were reading to talk about at the table, and another family who was assigned to bring a current event question to the table each night. So many good ways to connect!

Yes, family dinners have gone from being chock full of commotion and craziness (which I have come to regard as incredibly holy), to more and more quiet through the years. But no matter which stage I’m in, I believe it is a gift: TIME to sit down, no phones in sight, and look into the eyes of the people most important to you. Yes, there have been so many years when we were frazzled getting everyone everywhere all at once. There were seasons when family dinner flew out the window. Sometimes for months at a time. But it is always a beacon to come back to.

This week I sent out my last newsletter in my five-week series of tips to help kids know they matter. This last one was about the importance of wrangling technology: one of the biggest confidence-stealers money can buy. Ok, that sounds dramatic, but if you think about it, you may agree. Anyway, I talked about how important it is that if you take something like social media out of the equation, it’s really important to add something back to fill up its spot. I listed several suggestions for this, but I’m realizing I forgot family dinner.

When we add that into our day, it can take away the lure to be on social media all the time. Kids are craving connection. They sometimes have the mistaken notion that it comes through technology. But when they have a chance to have real connection points with people closest to them, in person, it can make such a huge difference!

It’s amazing how family dinner can be used in so many different parenting, love-tethering, and connection capacities.

It really is a gem.

Simple Things That Make Family Dinner Special

It’s important to figure out what works for you in your family to make dinner happen. For me, I think using placemats and using real plates is such a simple thing that elevates family dinner. To others maybe paper plates and fancy cups make a difference. Some people prep a week ahead and make new recipes and others are happy to stick a frozen lasagna in the oven in time to make it to the table…or assign a teenager to make macaroni and cheese. The point is that it doesn’t really matter what’s on the table. It just matters WHO is at the table. And that there’s time together with no technology and an effort to connect.

Together.

And a reminder that family dinner doesn’t have to be fancy. Some of our best family dinner conversations have happened over a simple salad.

Anyway, just a little reminder of the gem of family dinners.

So grateful for the chance to reset and remember the beauty of connection is worth the effort.

For more dinner thoughts, this post shares how I found holiness in the chaos with young kids years ago.

Also, a list of other ideas to foster deeper relationships with your family.

The post Why Family Dinner Is Worth Fighting For: My Favorite Ideas to Make Connection Happen appeared first on 71toes.

So let’s dive into Croatia. That place! I was giddy to fly into all that beauty and to experience it with these women I love.

I had been there before, with Dave as part of our 30 year wedding anniversary celebration:

• One week in my new “thin place”
• Two days in Dubrovnik
• Three days on Hvar, Croatia
• Visiting Split and Trogir

We fell in head over heels in love with that place, so it was so fun to share it with all those fresh eyes.

From the top of Fort Lovrijenac glinting in the sun above the sparkling aqua water below, limestone streets in the city made shiny from thousands of years of use.

Tiny side-alleys filled with life, gelato piled high. Swimming in the bay. It was all just quite magical.

Fort Lovrijenac

We headed up to the top of Fort Lovrijenac first.

Gosh that place is beautiful. I talked all about it in my post when I was there with Dave, but let’s just look at the beauty this time around.

Swimming Below the Fort

After exploring up there we came back down where some of us took a dip in the little bay on the other side of the Fort.

(Not to be confused with the side of the fort we took a dip in the next morning coming up.)
Julie and Char jumped off that little platform down below, can you see it?

We had lunch in such a beautiful spot overlooking the water:

The Old City of Dubrovnik

And then headed into the Old City.

Pile Gate

Franciscan Monastery

Love this beautiful spot with so much light coming through. It has the world’s third oldest functioning pharmacy right there when you walk in, which is pretty cool.

Rectors Palace

This is where the rector lived, overseeing the city all those years ago. The light coming in those windows was so gorgeous.

St. Blasius Church

Walking around town

The Dubrovnik City Walls

I was literally giddy to walk these city walls again. It was my favorite thing we did last time, I LOVE them. Getting to see down into all those little alleyways filled with life below, all the red roofs stretched out as far as the eye can see is fabulous.

Especially during golden hour.

Reunion with the Last Arriving Sisters-in-Law

I loved the grand reunion with Aja and Anita when they arrived (they were the last two to arrive): a meet-up on top of my beloved city wall, the golden sun glowing through our blowing hair and hugs all around.

We made the loop all around the city on those beloved ancient city walls.

Our shadows waving back at us all in a line from our perch, signs of real life living in that magical city from the clothespins stretched from windows holding laundry.

I loved being at this spot at the end of the wall-walk, one that was so special to Dave and me when we explored it together.

An Adventure to See the Sunset

We had a pretty funny race to the sunset from up above. We sprinted to the gondola to take it up the mountain and found a line wrapped all the way around the mountain to get on. So we jumped in a taxi with a man named Gaga, who told us our next stop (Bosnia) was “terrible,” and thought we were completely nutty that we wanted to hike back down the mountain after sunset.

But what he didn’t understand is that we’re kind of crazy like that. Ha! We took in those gorgeous views as the sun faded.

Then ran over to where the gondolas were coming up the mountain and basked in our view.

We met up with the rest of the crew who got a ride up from our Airbnb guy (the NICEST man named Marco).

And then started making our way down the mountain.

Gaga wasn’t wrong that walking down was a bit crazy (it did get dark fast), but he also didn’t see that tangerine line across the horizon and the city lighting up below.

So worth it!

We got back to the city in time for those who wanted to head back into old town to get some dinner and gelato:

If there is coconut gelato, it is a must in my book.

A Morning Swim With Yoga

Loved taking a little swim in the shimmering morning light on the bay right under Fort Lovrijenac, (one of the spots where Game of Thrones was filmed…we hadn’t seen it, but apparently it’s a very big attraction for those who have).

Look how crystal clear that water is!

Of course, when you have any Eyre women in a group, there is most certainly yoga happening in the mornings. Especially when you’re in a gorgeous spot:

I love those women.

That spot was also right around the corner from our Airbnb, which was pretty incredible! See Marco between those women below? He took good care of us.

Especially since my mom was needing some medication and he got us all set to pick some up at a home for the elderly on the other side of the border in Bosnia. Which was an adventure in and of itself…I’ll have to tell more about that in the Bosnia post coming up, but here’s Marco sending us off with our rental van just picked up:

The beginning of our journey in that van with my sister-in-law Aja masterfully maneuvering all those tiny European streets.

We stopped at the grocery store for all kinds of European treats:

And set off on our next adventure: Bosnia.

Our Tips for Visiting Dubrovnik

• Walk the city walls at golden hour. The crowds thin out and the light is so dang magical on those red roofs.
• Skip the gondola line. Hire a taxi up the mountain instead. It’s faster, cheaper, and you might meet someone as entertaining as Gaga:)
• Don’t miss the Franciscan Monastery. It has the world’s third oldest functioning pharmacy right inside the entrance and the light is so beautiful.
• Stay as close to the old city as possible. Our Airbnb with Marco was right around the corner from Fort Lovrijenac and that made everything so easy.
• Swim at the bay beneath Fort Lovrijenac. Early morning is the best time — crystal clear water and almost no one around.
• Get the gelato inside Pile Gate. If there is coconut, get the coconut. You will not regret it.

The Full Balkans Series

Read all four country posts from our MFME Balkans trip:

• Croatia — Dubrovnik (you are here)
• Bosnia — Mostar and beyond
• Montenegro — Kotor and Our Lady of the Rocks (coming soon)
• Albania — The Alps, Blue Eye Spring and Tirana (coming soon)

Can’t wait to share more!

The post Things to Do in Dubrovnik Croatia: Our MFME Women’s Trip appeared first on 71toes.

…after a sweet prayer huddle with my Dad before we left at the airport:

(We met the other three sister-in-laws in route.)

If you’re new here, this was our latest MFME adventure. MFME stands for Mothers and Future Mothers of Eyrealm, the name my mom gave to our family women’s gatherings when we first started them years ago. I know not everyone has sisters or sisters-in-law to travel with, and I don’t take that for granted. Ever. If you do have women in your life like this, family or not, I hope this inspires you to plan something together. Even something as small as dinner together makes a difference. Women need each other!

Anyway, there is just so much to say about this trip. My heart is just filled to overflowing with gratitude for that adventure.

For family.

For my dear mother for sticking with this idea and for her mom, my Grandma Jacobson. She passed away long ago, but left my mom a small amount of money that she invested well, which helps fund things like this.

I’m so grateful for this grand idea to take us, the trouble and vision it took to get us all there.

All nine.

All nine women who teach me through their examples…the easy-going sister-in-laws, the maximizing sisters. Every one ready for an adventure at the drop of a hat.

Yes that photo is blurry, but look how fun those women are!

The open and strong mama who trudged along with a little leg pain here and there (she’s had both full knee replacements the last few years).

Her wisdom and love shining like a halo through all those landscapes.

I’m so thankful to my sister Saren for painstakingly and generously (!) planning everything.

From our giant rental van that fit us PERFECTLY:

To our quaint and authentic (and sometimes adventurous) Airbnbs.

I love Julie, below, proving to us she would be perfect sleeping on the couch when we were short one bed at one place, ha!

To our itinerary all laid out and ready for us to “guide” on our own days.

I’m overwhelmingly astonished with Mother Earth. And the opportunity to “gaze and gaze” and “gaze and gaze” some more (quoting one of the poems Saydi introduced to us) at its glory with people who GET my awe and love it just as much.

(At one point my brothers were asking if we were even taking any photos since we hadn’t sent many. My sister sent this one above to let them know that yes, indeed, photos were being taken. In very large quantities. Another reason this is so dang difficult to document!)

I’m so grateful for the weather after forecasts for lots of rain. How all these almost 3,000 photos are filled with slanty light glowing through our hair and a few moody clouds.

It’s crazy how four sisters and four sisters-in-law can be so similar. Well, yes, crazy how different we can be as well…SO grateful for the sisters-in-law’s examples of being realistic but yet being willing to cram in a lot when needed.

But we all align on so many things. One is that we share a love of foreign grocery stores.

And I LOVE that unbeknownst to each of us, we all found ourselves in the van for a long stretch of travel having chosen cucumbers as a car snack.

(I rarely travel without a cucumber…have you tried those mini ones? Oh yes, those babies are so delicious! And the most perfect travel food.)

We must have looked a bit nutty to the random passer-bys at the airport and at random road stops doing our lymphatic drainage all together. Ha!

My sister-in-law Aja as a driver was a heaven-sent angel who I deeply appreciated, especially when driving on the dirt roads in Bosnia and all those hairpin turns through the Albanian Alps (and everywhere else).

And then added an extra layer of appreciation when I was trying to maneuver the much easier roads of Switzerland for my brother’s Forum that came next.

On top of all that, there is HISTORY. Growing a well of gratitude for the things people have gone through and paved the way in so many brutal and brave ways from what we dove into as far as the history of the Bosnian war as we drove to the sobering Bunk Art museum in Albania.

The history of people.

The history of buildings.

The ones carved with stone. The ones with interesting panes of glass reflecting sparkling beauty into the rooms we explored.

The red roofs of Dubrovnik, the gnarled ancient wood, stone fountains where masses of humanity have gathered for centuries.

I loved going to so many places where I had never been…and one where I had. I have drafts of posts to tell all the details about these four countries we visited, but for now, here’s an overview.

Croatia

My love for Croatia was a given: it’s my newest thin place Dave and I had already explored. I was delighted as could be to experience it with sisters and mama. From walking that entire ancient city wall:

To the view of the sea glistening below us from the top of Lovrjenac Fortress:

To taking a dip in that beautiful bay first thing the next morning…and a little morning yoga on the side:

It was everything I expected: magical. Read all about our time in Croatia here.

Bosnia

But Bosnia? Complete with her dirt roads and cows and magnificent bridge? Spellbinding to me.

And who knew there were these magnificent waterfalls in the middle of Bosnia??

Read all about our time in Bosnia here.

Montenegro

I knew I’d love Montenegro with Our Lady of the Rocks I had been pining away to see.

But exploring the caves on a boat was pretty incredible too:

And climbing to the top of the ancient fort looming above the old city at sunset:

Exploring all those tiny little alleyways through the old town is one of my favorite things as well.

Albania

And Albania: the majesty of the Alps:

That incredible Blue Eye hike where we took a dip in that water behind us (which was like swimming in ice I tell you, but exhilarating!)

All the similarities to Romania (where I served my LDS mission as a young adult) in the capital city of Tirana? It all stole my heart.

All wrapped together it’s been tricky to figure out how to record. Just downloading the photos has taken forever, how am I supposed to capture how my heart feels about all this?? But I’m here to try!

The Full Balkans Series

• Croatia — Dubrovnik
• Bosnia — Mostar and Beyond
• Montenegro — Kotor and Our Lady of the Rocks (coming soon)
• Albania — The Alps, Blue Eye Spring and Tirana (coming soon)

The post Our Mother-Daughter Balkans Trip: Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania appeared first on 71toes.

Anyone who’s been here for a while knows I’m a big fan of putting sentimental things up in our home, (that post includes a whole lotta links to what we’ve added to our home through the years to make it uniquely “ours.”). I’m lucky to have a friend who helped me out with this little spruce up, who is willing to be patient with my always-wanting-more-sentimentality. Thank you Denise!

The Family Room

I already talked about a few things we put in our family room that I love so much in that post, but here are a few photos just to have here too.

Our family went from this, with big black frames and all my own photography:

To this:

It may not look like the hugest difference, but I love these things we added:

That landscape up there reminds me of my grandpa’s farm in Idaho.

My personal favorite:

I’m so fascinated with the beauty of clouds:

Ok, and this is a pretty big favorite too:

Oh and this!

Much more background on those things back here.

One more art piece I love:

I love that it’s filled up with “windows.” Some are wide open, others carefully just cracked. Some are folded and a bit skiwampus. I love to link that to how people are sometimes willing to open up. Some are ready and willing, and others are more guarded. But there is beauty in all of them.

The Game Room

Our game room went from this:

To this:

RIP to that Swedish flag (representing our Swedish ancestry) and hello to “7” which is a special number for our family. And more neutrals.

Of course, “the wall” stayed the same

Added things that represent favorite places:

Gotta talk about these vintage rackets for a second. I found them all on Etsy and love that they make me think of my dad (who is still playing tennis tournaments in his 80s) and my girls on the high school tennis team.

The Kitchen

We didn’t change a whole lot in the kitchen, but I do love these little things:

This tree painting reminds me of Grandfather’s Secrets about “single tree” which I adore:

The Mudroom

Our little mudroom went from this:

To this:

To this:

(Lucy cried when she felt how dark it was in there for her, and we weren’t the hugest fans either so we painted it white again. But these photos make me second guess…ha!)

We did add a “new” old family photo that I love:

Our Bedroom

Our bedroom went from this (a whole lotta color!):

To this and I love it more than I can say!

Especially since my sister and I got busy and added this little piece of artwork:

More neutrals:

Our shelf area went from this (again with so much color):

To this…which I also adore:

So many sentimental things on those shelves that my heart is wrapped around.

Ok, thanks for coming with me through memory lane!

I love to think about all these years of growing and making our home, little by little, more into a representation of “us.” Can’t wait to fill it up with my favorite people over the holidays.

I’m off to figure out whether we can fit in hosting nearly 50 for Thanksgiving again and still make it sentimental and meaningful. Dave and I are actually in a little debate over whether this is even possible. I want it to feel meaningful, not just massive. Have you figured out how to make a big gathering feel intimate? I’d love any ideas on that!

XOXO

For more on what we hang on our walls and why it matters: The Influence of the Things We Hang on Walls, What to Hang on Your Walls, How to Decorate with Pictures, and The Power of Sentimental Art.

The post Our Home Spruce-Up: Making Our Spaces More Sentimental appeared first on 71toes.