I'm Susan — devout Francophile, mother of twins, writer, creative director, and aspiring author. I've been sharing my life here since 2010...thanks for reading!
It’s become a tradition for us to celebrate our Bastille Day babies in NYC! Henry et Marie were born on the eve of July 13th, which to my delight meant it was already 14 juillet in France. I took that fabulous Francophile fact and ran with it since day one (their first birthday party was pretty epic), and thankfully they have fully embraced the holiday and culture. They requested to attend the FIAF block party again – an amazing event 20+ years strong that is fun for the whole family. The last time we were there was for their fifth birthday…they had so much fun that they never stopped talking about it, so we promised we would return. It’s crazy how much they’ve grown since then…it’s hard to believe it’s been seven years. Bastille Day also happens to be the anniversary of @thefrancophiles, my passion project of three years now!
Our time in England was so special to share as a family, as it was a first for us all! I’m sharing our London recap first before sharing our countryside adventures. I had big plans for London – the essentials (changing of the guard, museums, historic monuments, etc.) as well as some extras, but was quickly humbled as I realized how long it took to navigate the enormous city. On the morning we attempted to see the changing of the guard, we ran late and instead ended up following their trail (IYKYN), unfortunately. Hopefully we can have that iconic experience next time! We ended up strolling through Hyde Park, and the kids really enjoyed getting up close and personal with the swans. Click to see more of our adventures…
We’re back home after our whirlwind adventures in England + France! I’m currently sorting through 1500+ photos and videos on both my Nikon and iPhone (gulp) and can’t wait to share more from our trip. While there were so many special moments, this one was especially poignant. I shared it on Instagram but I’m sharing it again here because I believe the message bears repeating. The kids and I spent most of our time exploring London solo, as we tagged along with my husband on a work trip. He would meet up with us after work or for lunch – whenever possible, of course…but navigating a new to me city with two young children was challenging to say the least. They’re not city kids – we live in a small town outside of Philadelphia. While we go into the city often and they’ve traveled quite a bit, they are still not accustomed to the pace and hustle of a big city. By the end of each day we were so thankful to retreat to our friends’ calm oasis in Shepherd’s Bush (more on that soon). There were quite a few times when the city wore me down and I felt like giving up.
Not long before I took this photo, Marie fell down the stairs of a double decker bus. It wasn’t our first ride, and it wasn’t her fault – the driver was not paying attention (it was during rush hour) and we were getting off at an uncommon stop for that time of day. We were all holding on, but we had barely been stopped for a minute or two when he started to move and the bus lurched forward, tossing Marie down the stairs behind me. She was screaming and seemed to be injured badly – my mama bear instincts kicked in big time, and I screamed at the driver. I’m thankful to the kind strangers who came to our aid, and after making sure she was ok, we all had a good cry on the street after exiting the bus. It was a traumatic event, and we almost gave up on the rest of our plans for the day…we decided to press on after calming down. We were exhausted by the time we reached Tower Bridge, and didn’t have the energy to wait in line for the perfect photo opp. We stepped aside to regroup and there it was…perfectly reflected and framed in the background. The kids were all smiles, despite the stressful day we’d had. That’s when I realized…the sights are exactly that–background to this beautiful life. What I really needed to focus on was right in front of me all day long. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective.
My husband and I said “I do” at this estate ten years ago. We took the kids there in 2015 and were excited to visit again during our last visit. We had intended to say our vows again, privately, in the same spot that we did over a decade ago. Before our visit, we were warned by a family member that the Van Landingham Estate had fallen into disrepair. It had been sold and apparently could even be torn down. I refused to believe it – such a historic gem in Charlotte surely wouldn’t be neglected. However, when we arrived we were met with a serious dose of reality. The once meticulously maintained gardens were overgrown and dying, the house vandalized, with trash strewn about and broken glass…I burst into tears at the sight. It hit us on a deep level – could there be a more obvious metaphor for marriage, and the necessity for care and attention? We stood in awe and in gratitude, thankful that our beautiful garden had been tended to.
