There are few things that I enjoy more than traveling internationally with my family. It is so great to see the world through the eyes of our 5 and 8 year old girls. Living in this our sweet, but isolated little valley in Idaho, their world is pretty straightforward. It's so interesting to watch how they react to and experience, new places and new people. There is always so much to do at home that it's hard for me to just sit still and give my husband and kids my full attention all the time. When we are on vacation, the time we spend together as a family is so much more focused. A couple of weeks ago we took a trip with another family to Nicaragua. Another step in our quest to have new adventures with the kids, while also making sure to pick somewhere where we (the adults!) would get some nice rest and relaxation as well. Nicaragua turned out to be a great choice! We spent the first week at an isolated beach called Playa El Coco, not too far south of the busier San Juan del Sur. Then we drove to the colonial city of Granada, where we stayed in a house on top of a steep hill (on which our trusty van got stuck several times) overlooking the isletas of Lake Nicaragua. All in all, the trip was just the adventure we had been looking for. Here are some images from our trip. And the slideshow I just put together: https://vimeo.com/162994389