Day 31: The magic of PARIS!! (June 14):

  This morning, we catch up on our journals and plan more of the upcoming trip and places to stay at the hotel, saving energy for a full day and a late night in Paris. 

Just chillin at the hotel.

Doing a little housekeeping and cleaning out the car.

This is how Peyton looked pretty much the entire trip.

We take off for Paris and find parking outside of the Notre Dame. We looked around and went inside the Notre Dame!

 You have to be quiet. It was a cool, big church! Really detailed. 

We also find the center of Paris, a compass rose, where every landmark in Paris is measured from. 

 Afterwards, we meander through some side streets and find a crepe stand! Yum, crepes in Paris! Can life get any better!? I say NO! We got HUGE crepes with hot fudge and bananas in them and they folded them up like a cone to eat them with your hands. It was so Good! 

 Ashy finds her bright blue beret she's been scouring the shops for. 

  We then metro to the Arc de Triumph and climb up the 284 steps to the top. Kennedi climbs all the way up by herself, counting the entire way. She is becoming a great counter this summer. 

 We chill and enjoy the view from the top.

Milk is wonderful over here! You can buy it in small cartons off a shelf and it doesn't even have to be refrigerated until after we open it - a life saver!

  Next, we walk down the famous shopping street, Avenue des Champs-Élysées, where Dallin wants to watch The Avengers in English, but is outvoted by everyone else who wants to climb the Eiffel tower! We take the metro and walk to the Eiffel tower. 

We got in line for like 3 1/2 hours! We made friends with the people in line behind us from New Jersey. Finally, we got to the ticket booth and all of a sudden the Eiffel tower started sparkling! Silver lights were flickering for two minutes! It was amazing!

 We decided just to go up the elevator lift Once we got up, we stopped half way up, and then went up to the top! It was fenced up really well. It was so tall, I could see all of Paris! Paris was beautiful!

 

  This is a magical moment for all of the kids. Ashlynn says, "I can't believe I'm on the Eiffel tower! (complete with her blue beret)"

Here's Dallin, trying not to be afraid of heights.

 Tanner and Kennedi fall asleep on the way down. 

  It took like an hour just to get down in the lift. We said goodbye to the BEAUTIFUL tower.  

By the time we get back to the car, it is 12:30am. Benson pushes Tanner in the stroller, and Talie carries the front of the stroller up and down the stairs in the metro. Dallin carries Kennedi the whole way. They don't even complain. What troopers! I am so proud of them! - this is what makes this trip so great.