For Christmas this year, we asked our family to send us to Paris for 5 days. Wow, did they do a great job!! Here is a huge “Merci” to our family, for helping us ring in the new year in style!

First, a huge thank you to DARYL and DENISE for the long-distance train tickets. Without you, we would still be sitting on the tracks in Freiburg! (Good news, our train journey was a bit more successful than yours was in September…phew!)

I’m not going to lie. After 16 months, we were more than excited to head to one of only two Chiptoles in Europe. It was, self admittedly, our first stop in Pairs. Thank you, TANK and TAPANGA! You two don’t know what Chipotle is yet, but soon enough Uncle Joe is going to teach you how to do it right!

OK, off we go! Thank you, LAURIE and JIM for the public transit passes. We were all over the Metro, and hence, all over Paris!

The favorite landmark of Paris, the symbol of France, and really, the icon of Europe. Thank you, TAMMY for sending us straight to the top of the Eiffel Tower!

Here is my half-hearted thank you to all the stairs we had to climb, but…

…all the more reason to celebrate with Champagne at the top!

Thanks to the LAUGHLIN family for the souvenirs! Direct from the 2nd floor of the tower.

Leave it to the Grandparents to send us to the oldest topless joint in Paris! No pictures allowed inside the Moulin Rouge, probably because the ladies don’t want their business all over the Internet. Smart ladies. You’ll just have to trust me on the following performance details: 1 almost-completely-naked lady swimming with 4 ten-foot pythons, 6 almost-completely-naked ladies leading 6 miniature horses, and 9 pairs of one-legged pants. Thank you GMA & GPA YAÑEZ and GMA & GPA WALL for the great show!

We couldn’t have had a more perfect day for a bike tour around the city. Blue skies, pleasant temps, and a subtly funny guide. Thank you, MOM for the four-hour tour on wheels!

Our favorite dinner in Paris was at a very authentic hole-in-the wall. No English anywhere, but we managed to order successfully and loved the sangria, wine, and dessert. (Everything was great, especially the dessert!) Thank you, ERIC for the tip! What made this tip particularly serendipitous, was that the restaurant was located at a very important location from one of our favorite movies, Midnight in Paris. Every time the church bells rang, I peaked out the window of the restaurant, waiting for Hemingway to pull up in an old Peugeot and ask us to get in. I got more hopeful with every carafe of wine! Sadly, we must have been dining a bit too early, because Hemingway never showed. Regardless, thank you MIL & FIL STICKFORD for dinner!

Trust me, the sign lit on fire only for a little bit after this pic!

No trip to Paris is complete without a stop at Versailles. Despite the unbelievable crowds…

…we enjoyed touring the Palace and gardens. Thank you, TYLER and REGINA for a great day in Versailles!

In search of Ms. Mona Lisa, we headed to the Louvre. Thank you, TANA and CHIP for the opportunity to enjoy the world’s largest museum.

Us, doing our best “Chip”!

Here she is, with her paparazzi public!

This time, we managed to avoid huge lines. View from inside: the Louvre, the line, the feet.

Finally, time to ring in 2013! With a great view of the tower, we said good bye to an amazing 2012.

Thank you, MOM for the yummy treats and Champagne for our midnight toast! We enjoyed some traditional french papillottes, which have a popper inside to help with the celebrations. If the rest of 2013 is as good as the champagne, chocolate, and mini fireworks, then we are in for a great year!

Again, THANK YOU to our amazing family. We are in Europe because of how loving and supportive you are. We were in Paris because of how awesome you are! We had a great time! MERCI!