The six weeks of school holidays passed by so quickly! They were filled to bursting with time spent with our families in the UK, in Germany, and here at home in The Netherlands. It couldn’t have been more perfect, family was exactly what my heart needed.

Here’s a little glimpse into our July and August!

[1] Grandad came to stay!
Lea kept going closer and closer asking to be tickled, then trying to get away as fast as she could. Her anticipation of being tickled was just as much fun as her infectious giggle afterwards!

[2] Near St Martin Kirche in Morsum, Insel Sylt
The start of the school holidays took us on a roadtrip through Germany to visit family. We stayed a couple of nights in Hamburg and it was lovely watching all the cousins play together. Rebekka and her cousin Damian became good friends on this trip, so nice to see! After Hamburg, we continued on to the island of Sylt, getting caught with all the holiday traffic which meant we had to wait in a long queue for a place on the car-train to the island. It also meant there was time for currywurst und pommes so no worries! ;-)

We went on a boat trip and Heiko saw a seal – unfortunately, he was the only one to see it though! We also visited the “zoo” which is a small privately owned animal park – no exotic animals like we’re used to but the girls loved feeding the ponies (Rebekka especially!), goats, donkeys and all kinds of ducks and birds. It was lovely. We visited the church and the graves of my parents-in-law as we always do. The girls love to wander (correction: Lea loves to run!) along the small paths there, it’s such a picturesque place. 

[3] Insel Sylt, Germany
We’ve stopped by this field before on a previous visit. It’s just across from Das Dammwärterhaus holiday appartments in Morsum and has a lovely view out to the sea. Rebekka knew exactly why we were there and where to go when we parked the car and off she went! The two beautiful and friendly ponies were far away but they quickly came close when Rebekka called to them. Both girls were happily tugging up handfuls of grass to feed them and didn’t want to leave!

It was so nice to hear the girls speaking so much German! Usually, I am only hearing English and Dutch from them. Their vocabulary improved so quickly over the week or so we were away and they were both confidently chatting away to everyone. 

[4] Cuddles with Eddy
Eddy’s spending more and more time on the sofa lately. Which means he’s in easy reach of Lea, and when Lea gives hugs, she realllllly gives hugs! 

[5] An evening walk in Chorley, UK
Rebekka and I flew to the UK for the second time this Summer! We had already been for a visit in June to stay with my brother’s family and meet my gorgeous new nephew. And in August we returned! Baby’s grow so faaaaaast! So glad we went – next time Lea is coming too! This is one from an evening walk through the neighbourhood to go buy ice cream. Rebekka loves walking their dog, Buttons, so he came too!

[6] An Oak tree in memory of my Grandad, near the Middle Brook, Bolton
There’s an Oak tree close to the Middle Brook river, planted in memory of my Grandad. Once upon a time this area of land was owned by my Grandad and he bred chickens there. I wasn’t able to be there when the tree was planted and have always been curious to know where it was. My Dad used to take my brother and I for bike rides along the Middle Brook when we were younger, so I imagined a tree alongside the path. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Away from the path, the grasses and brambles were as high as our shoulders. It was completely overgrown at this time of year and just like the children’s book “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” we had to go through it! “Swishy swashy, stumble, trip”…. We found it! It had grown tall and was thriving near the river. It was so nice to be there with Dad and remember my Grandad together.

[7] Turbary Woods Owl and Birds of Prey Sanctuary. Whitestake (Preston), England
My Dad took Rebekka, Eva (my niece) and I to see the bird show at Turbary Woods. It’s a small rescue and rehabilitation centre run by volunteers and the flying display they have is brilliant. Since it was the school holidays there were a lot of children watching and everyone got a chance to interact with the birds and have their photo taken with them. Rebekka had two different owls fly and land on her, she loved it! It was a perfect afternoon. We loved the two owls that ‘danced’ by moving their heads around in circular movements too. Rebekka and Eva kept imitating them, so funny! I wish I had made a note of the species but I forgot! Highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area, here’s their website.

[8] Lea’s been warming up for X-Factor!!
Oh gosh, Lea was singing her heart out, prancing about ‘on stage’ (aka our sofa) and even shaking her head for the top notes, the whole works. She put every ounce of energy into her performance and in stolen breaths kept saying “mama dansen, mama dansen” (she wanted me to dance!). We have an amazing video of her too which we’ve watched so many times now! So fun!

‘Impressions‘ is a creative project by an eclectic group of female photographers from around the globe. We aim to share the inspiration behind what we do through our bi-monthly posts.

Every other month, we will be sharing 8 images that tell the story of what inspired us in the previous weeks: our families, nature, weather, or maybe even work itself! We are free to explore the meaning of ‘impressions’, and it is likely to change month to month.

Say hello in the comments below and then hop on over to see what Kim Rogers of Brink Street Photography in Denver Colorado is sharing this month :-) Then continue clicking through the circle till you make it back here. There’s just 3 of us participating this time, I hope you enjoy all our posts!

With love,
~ Natalie