Rothenburg, Germany

We were off on another adventure to Austria and decided to split the 8 hour drive so we stopped off in Rothenburg. Rothenburg is a cute medieval town in Germany. The buildings and narrow streets are right out of a story book. We enjoyed exploring the town and shopping in christmas stores (love the German christmas stuff!). The town is surrounded by a huge wall which was used to protect the town back in the day. We went on the Night Watchman Tour where the Night Watchman took us around the town and explained it's history. It was fantastic!
Later that night we went to a bar/restaurant to watch the Germans compete for 3rd place in the World Cup. It was awesome to be among Germans all celebrating and getting ourselves geared up for the Netherlands to play for the world cup. Germany won and the Germans celebrated way in to the night or should I say early morning. Man, Europeans love their Futbol (soccer!).

The next morning we woke up and decided to go to LegoLand, Germany. Since it was only an hour away and in the same direction we were headed, how could we not! I don't have any pictures of Legoland because I simply did not want to pack my camera around all day but I will say: THE KIDS LOVED IT!!! Talynn is fearless and wanted to ride EVERYTHING! When she was too small she would cry okay bawl her eyes out. It broke my heart because she was truly so sad. Chase loved every ride and Bailee, well, once we got her on the ride she liked it but there was a whole lot of tears getting on the ride! I keep telling Jon we need to throw Bailee and Talynn in a sack and shake them up. We had a great day together as a family!

After LegoLand we drove to Munich, Germany to stay the night. We will need to go back to Munich (Dachau concentration camp is there) because we only did two things: Watch the Netherlands lose to Spain (so sad we won't talk about it!) and sleep. We still had a few hours drive left to our destination in Austria so we didn't have time to mess around in Munich. Which was okay because once we hit the ALPS, holy cow, we were in heaven!!!

Random Thoughts by Allison

I've been wanting to post this for some time but just haven't took the time to sit. So here goes. Jon received information in June that ALL expats are being sent home. I've been saying for the past year that I would go home in heart beat, well, I have to EAT my words! When I was told we might be going home, I have to say it, I was sad. Very, very, very sad. Did I just really say that?! We have adjusted, made friends from all over the world, traveled and just was starting to call the Netherlands home. Yes moving back to Missouri to our beautiful home, fantastic friends, closer to family (okay still not too close), shopping, food choice, etc, etc, etc, sounds amazing. BUT! I still have so much to see here! We haven't even crossed off half the places on my list. I've been hoping and praying that we will be the lucky ones and get to stay in the Netherlands for another 18 months.

As I have reflected on the past 18 months I can truly say our move to the Netherlands was one of the best decisions we've made! (Really, is this me talking?!) It's so hard to explain what life is like outside of your country but it has been great for us. Bailee has grown up so much. She is talking to people and expressing herself more than she ever has. She has made awesome friends in school and has gained so much confidence. If nothing else, this move has been great for her. Chase just rolls with the punches. He is so easy going that we could move him anywhere and he would fit in and be happy. Tally, well, for her she doesn't care where we are as long as we are together. As for Jon and I, we have learned that it is definitely team work to raise our family. Neither one of us could do it without the other. We have learned to appreciate each other and take full advantage of the time we have together.

I love my family! I'm loving this opportunity to be in the Netherlands, learning a different culture, traveling Europe, and spending time with my family. (Really, did someone hack in to my computer and write this?!) Here's hoping for another 18 months!!!!

Chase's BIG Day!

Well, most of you probably celebrated Independance Day on July 4th but we had better things on our agenda. Chase turned 8! With turning 8 that ment he was ready to be baptized!! Chase chose to be baptized on his birthday. It was such an awesome day. He wore his new suit and had a grin on his face all day. The baptism service was held after our regular church service. We invited everyone who goes to church with us but figured only close friends would stay. Well, we were very wrong! The whole congregation stayed to support Chase. We were all crammed in to the Relief Society room but the love we could feel was amazing. Chase asked Bailee to give a talk on Baptism. Bailee wrote the talk herself and did an amazing job. Chase asked me to give a talk on the Holy Ghost, Talynn to give the closing prayer and his father to perform the priesthood ordinances. It was a great day with lots of tears shed from the mother!
Since it was also Chase's birthday we invited some friends over for smores. Chase asked for a Donut Cake (shouldn't surprised anyone!) and for a gift he wanted a fish tank. Since his Birthday was on a Sunday we took him the day before to look at fish and make a purchase. He studied the fish hard but then determined which three he wanted to bring home. He named them Goldie, Prince and Fin. He loves those fish and so far has taken very good care of them. He also received his own set of scriptures and a couple of movies.
Chase is a great son. He loves to play with his sisters. He is very much in to playing the computer and Wii. He also loves to play sports and begs for us to go out and play anything with him. We love Chase and are so glad he took the BIG step to baptism. HAPPY 8 BIRTHDAY CHASE!!!!

Birthday Month

Well, with the month of June comes a whole lot of Birthday wishes to our home. We started off the month with a Birthday party for Talynn. She turned 4! WOW!! We couldn't believe our baby was that old. Tally wanted a Dsi for her birthday. Yes, I know, most 4 year old don't know what a dsi is or want one but when you have two older siblings who love theirs, well, it just kind of comes with the territory. She also requested a pink cake (no cupcakes, I was so sad) with pink frosting. At preschool they had a little party for her and I was able to bring my famous cupcakes. She had a great birthday and has been talking since about how she is going to turn 5 next. My, how time is flying!

The second go around we found ourselves celebrating Jon's birthday. He didn't want anything and didn't request a cake or cupcakes. He just wanted to spend time with the family. So, I purchased him a fire pit and we cooked smores. It was nice to sit around a fire together and enjoy just us. Jon thought he was turning 35 this year so when he saw the 36 on his cake he nearly fainted. He moped around for the rest of the evening complaining how he lost a whole year of his life. (so dramatic!)

The last week of June we found ourselves eating cake once again for Bailee's birthday. She hit double digits and turned the big 1 0. She asked for a cell phone for her birthday. I told her absolutely no! She said if she couldn't have a cell phone she didn't want anything. Easy enough! Of course, she has her dad wrapped around her little finger so he decided to get her a phone. Well, actually I decided if she was getting a phone then we were going to upgrade mine and she could have my old one. We kept teasing her all day that we got her a HUGE barbie house. She was completely discusted with us. When it came time for presents she opened a couple movies and pedicure set. Not very exciting but then she opened her last one that told her to go look on her bed. She ran fast and we could hear a whole lot of screaming and yelling of "YES" as she walked back downstairs. She was so excited! Later that night Jon found a letter she had written to us thanking us for getting her a cell phone. Bailee wanted a brownie cake (again, no cupcakes, what is up with that?!). She designed it herself. She loves to bake so I let her have a go. She did a good job and it was yummy.

Terra and Holly

I had a 24 hour turn around from visitors. My dad left on April 28th and my two great friends from St. Louis came on April 29th. I was so excited to see Terra and Holly. It took them FOREVER to get out of customs but when they finally came through the doors the tears started. It was so good seeing them! I only had 10 days with them so I wanted to make the most of it.

There first day here was Queen's Day! Queen's Day is a day off work so everyone can celebrate the Queen's birthday. Since the royal color is orange, on this day EVERYONE wears orange. Jon wanted to go in to Amsterdam for the celebration but after being their last year I wasn't going anywhere near. So, he took Holly and Terra and I graciously stayed home with the kids. You'll have to ask Holly and Terra what they thought of Queen's Day. I think they have the same impression I have but Terra's story is so much funnier! :)

Day 2 we drove to Germany. We did a little castle hunting and exploring small villages. We didn't know it would be a holiday in Germany so pretty much everything was closed but we still had a good time.

Day 3 was spent at the Kuekenhof. It was so cold and rainy but this was the only chance Terra and Holly would have seeing the beautiful flowers. We managed to get some good pictures before it started to pour. We also had a good chat session in the Cafe drinking hot chocolate and eating dutch apple pie (YUM!).

Day 4 we dropped the kids off at school and headed to see the windmills at Zaanse Schans. The weather just wasn't cooperating with us. It rained and the wind blew (broke all our umbrellas) but we managed to get some cute pictures (Holly's expertise!). I introduced them to dutch pancakes at the Pankoeken House and had them try on clogs. It was a great day with the girls!

Day 5 - 7 Holly and Terra went to London. You will have to ask them about their adventures in England.

Day 8 I met Holly and Terra in Paris. Terra had been to Paris before but this was top on Holly's To Do List. I met them at the airport and road the train in to Paris. (Ask Holly how much she liked me that morning?!) Once we unloaded our luggage we went to the Palace of Versailles. Once again, I loved the Palace just as much the second time as I did the first. From the Palace we went to the Arc de Triomphe and explored the shops on the Champs de Elysees.

Day 9 we started off with a yummy french breakfast. We couldn't get enough Pain Au Chocolates and Crescents. Holly was introduced to Nutella (can't believe she had never had it before) and was in heaven. We ventured to Notre Dame, walked through the Louve, and ate a fabulous dinner at, well, we started to have a fabulous dinner at a french cafe but the service was horrible! We waited for 45 minutes and not one person even asked us what we wanted to drink. By this time we were starving so we left and went next door to Quick. Still can't believe we ate at Quick but we were HUNGRY! (Quick is like a Wendy's) From our fancy dinner we headed to the Eiffel Tower to watch it light up. It started raining on us so we found a place with crepes and sat under the tree eating trying to stay dry.

Day 10 we spent the morning at the Eiffel Tower. We had a great lunch at a cute cafe close by and then catched a plane back to Amsterdam. It was Mother's Day so Jon and the kids bought us each a dozen roses. A great way to end a great weekend!

Day 11 we were going to go in to Amsterdam but the Tour de Italy bike race was here so all roads and public transportation was shut down. After two hours of trying to get to Amsterdam we decided to bag it and go back to my house and play games and chat.

Day 12 I dropped Terra and Holly off at the airport. I was not ready for them to go home. I didn't realize how much I had missed them until they were here. I have been so lucky to have such good friends. It seems no matter where I live I find friends that I will treasure all my life.

As I was looking through my pictures to post I noticed I have NO pictures of Zaanse Schans or Paris. I guess I didn't copy pictures from Terra or Holly. You guys will have to share those! Enjoy the few I do have of their visit!

All Good Things Come To An End

Well, we knew the month of April had to end sometime and it sure did. It actually seemed to fly by. We loved having my parents here and enjoyed showing them a little bit of Europe and where we live. I was also grateful for all their help with the kids while Jon was gone. He did finally make it home two days before my parents left (gone for 17 days, ugh!). Enjoy the slideshow of some random side adventures with Grandpa and Grandma!

Paris

For Spring Break (still in April!) we decided to head to Paris. It was on Dorinda's would like to do list so we jumped in the car and took off. While in Paris we visited the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louve, Arch de Triomphe, and the Palace of Versailles. I had never been to the Palace of Versailles. It was absolutely amazing! A beautiful palace with fabulous gardens. We also ate and ate and ate crepes (because they are the best). One night we waited on the grass by the Eiffel Tower waiting for the magical time when they light it up and let is sparkle for a few minutes. I think this was our favorite part of Paris.
On our drive home we stopped in Antwerp, Belgium. Here we introduced Dorinda to Belgium waffels (yum!) and Belgium chocolate (double yum!). It was a fantastic week except one thing was missing, Jon is still in St. Louis! Seriously, will that ash cloud ever go away!!! The only thing keeping me sane was the thought that if Jon can't come back to the Netherlands then my dad can't leave. So, at least I wasn't going to be alone!

Amsterdam Cruise

You can take a canal cruise through Amsterdam and I've been waiting for someone to come visit before taking the adventure. So, since my dad was here I thought it was as good of time as any. The cruise starts at Central Station and winds through Amsterdam. It was great to be on the water and seeing the city from a different view. I actually love Amsterdam. I love the row houses, architecture, and the beauty of the canals. The cruise is a hop on hop off so you can stop and get off at any of the stops. We decided to get off at Museumplein. At Museumplein you will find the Rijksmuseum (home of Rembrandt painings) and the Van Gogh Museum. There is also a large grass area with a large sign reading "I AMSTERDAM". It's a huge tourist attraction and a fun climbing gym for the kids. We ended the day eating dutch pancakes (yummy, yummy, yummy). As always, FUN TIMES!!!

Enjoying the boat (Chase, maybe not!)

Chase and Talynn

"T" is for Talynn

Bailee relaxing in a "d".

Grandpa Tom and Grandma Dori

Piano Recital

Bailee had her end of year piano recital in April. Last recital she played a duet with one of her friends. This time she played a solo. She did FANTASTIC! She is such a natural and doesn't even get nervous. I was beaming from ear to ear! Some of my friends asked me after how long Bailee has been in lessons. When I said only a year there jaw dropped. She truly is a natural! Grandpa Tom and Grandma Dori even commented on how impressed they were. Good job Bailee!!!

Kuekenhof 2010

Kuekenhof is a huge garden of flowers here in the Netherlands. It is absolutely breathtaking and my pictures don't do it justice. The theme this year was scenes from Russia. My dad and Dorinda were so inspired they bought some flower bulbs to plant in their yard. Can't wait to see how they turn out!
Along with Kuekenhof we also watched the flower parade. Each float is made out of flowers and even the cars are decorated. An awesome sight to see!
P.S. Jon is still in St. Louis!

Flower Fields

Spring finally came to the Netherlands! The flowers took a long time to actually pop out this year. I believe it's because we had such a hard winter. The flowers are beautiful and I'm still in shock when I look at a field covered. The smell is also to die for!
We decided my dad and Dorinda needed to see the flowers in true dutch style. So, we rented bikes and went for a bike ride. It was awesome riding bikes through the fields. The only thing missing was Jon. He ended up staying an extra week in St. Louis due to the ash cloud over Iceland. Thank goodness Grandpa Tom and Grandma Dori were here to relieve me!!!

Luxembourg

One thing on my dad's to do list was Luxembourg. He had been there once before while he was working in Germany for the army, so he really wanted to go back and see if anything had changed. We got up early and dropped Jon off at the airport (on his way to St. Louis for meetings) and drove the 4 hours.
Luxembourg is beautiful. Cute, small city but very picturesque. Kind of reminded me a fairy tale. We walked the city and decided to take the Hop on Hop Off Bus so we could hit the major parts. From being up so early and driving the 4 hours I welcomed the bus and actually fell asleep. Oops! The bus dropped us off at the Palace where we saw the guards and each imitated them, the underground tunnels and the finiancial district. We really enjoyed Luxembourg.
Day 2 we went to a United States War Memorial Cemetery. I've never been to one before so I was in total awe as we walked through the gates. General George Patton is buried here along with hundreds of other soldiers. The Cemetery was beautiful. The USA Flag flies high and we were so proud to see it. Both Bailee and Chase commented on seeing the flag and it reminded me of what a great country we truly come from.
From the Memorial Cemetery we drove in to Germany to a small town called Trier. Dorinda wanted to do some castle hunting and some of the best castles are along the Rhine River. We followed the Rhine and let the GPS take us castles. Along the way the GPS took us though some very cute German villiages. My dad kept teasing me of getting lost but I just kept reminding him I wanted him to see EVERYTHING. We did see some amazing castles. At one castle I actually had to use some dutch. This castle was privately owned and you needed to pay to go inside. Well, we were trying to find out how much it cost plus how long the tour lasted. This lady knew no english and of course we know no german. So I tried using some dutch to see if we could understand each other. We actually did! It was quite the experience. Later, Bailee told me everything the lady was saying but was just too shy to tell me. WHAT?! Seriously, it would of saved us at least 15 minutes but oh well, I got to use my broken dutch.

Berlin, Germany

Easter Weekend we headed out and drove to Berlin. Since my dad and Dorinda had just flown in that morning it was a great way to keep them awake so they could acclamate to our time zone (at least that is what we told them :) ). Berlin was fasinating. The buildings weren't your typical European style. The city was basically destroyed in the war so everything was rebuilt and looks very modern.
Our first day we explored the zoo. We were told Berlin Zoo was the most amazing zoo in Europe. Well, since we've only been to two zoo's since being here we can't say yes or no but we can say the zoo was pretty cool. It's home to a famous polar bear named Knut. There was also a very cute Panda Bear. After the zoo we ventured to an church still standing that was bombed during the war. That was pretty impressive to see. From the Church we headed to see the Berlin Wall. There were sections of it still up around the city so we wanted to see it up close. The history behind the wall still amazes me and I'm glad we got to see it. The section we looked at they had kept exactly how the wall originated. We climbed a tower so we could overlook the wall to see how it all worked.
Our next stop was Check Point Charlie. Check Point Charlie wasn't what I had imagined but still pretty impressive. From Check Point Charlie we were making our way to the Brandenburg Gate when we came across a Holocaust Memorial. That was so neat. It looked like a bunch of cement squares but they were in different heights. The kids enjoyed wondering through them trying to find each other.
The Brandenburg Gate was our last stop for the day. It was very impressive. Along our walk we could see a line of brick going through the street, park, sidewalk really everywhere. Later we read the brick was where the Berlin Wall use to be. They have replaced the outline with brick so we could always remember what happened there. I thought that was a great memorial.
Day 2 in Berlin we hopped on the train and went to a concentration camp called Sachsenhausen. What a solemn experience. It is hard to put in to words the feeling that came over me during our visit. A huge pit was in my stomach the entire time. As we walked around we learned this concentration camp was one of the first and all other concentration camps were patterned after it. We also learned that once the Russians took over that part of Berlin they continued using the concentration camp and killing Germans. Horrible, horrible stuff happened between those walls. Everyone should visit a concentration camp at least one time in their life.
From the concentration camp we headed back to Berlin to see the last thing on our list, the parliament building. It had a huge glass dome on top which you could go up and have a great view of Berlin. It was a fantastic view and you could also look through glass and see where the parliament meet. At the top of the dome was open and rain or snow could come through. We found this very fasinating and the kids loved laying down and looking up to the sky.
Day 3 found us back on the road heading home. We loved Berlin and would place it up pretty high on our must do list.

Grandpa Tom & Grandma Dori

Grandpa Tom and Grandma Dori came to visit for 4 weeks. Yep, 4 weeks. We were so excited for visitors. We picked them up early in the morning (6 AM) on Friday, April 2nd. We gave them an hour to unpack bags and repack for a trip to Berlin, Germany. A trip we had already planned before they decided to come visit (I know what you are thinking :)). Stay tuned for our adventure in Berlin and whole month of April with Grandparents. (Oh, I can feel the excitement building!!!)

P.S. I had a picture of us at the airport but I can't find it. Just picture, us well rested with Grandpa Tom and Grandma Dori just coming off a 14 hour all night flight. Yes, we all look fantastic!!!

Birthday Wishes

For my birthday Jon sent me to London for the weekend with some girlfriends. Can you say BEST GIFT EVER!!!!! I had so much fun. The girls I went with are CRAZY just like me so you could only imagine the laughter. We visited a lot of sights and ate lots of great food. I think Cinnabon and Crispy Creme were some highlights! We also saw two shows, Mamma Mia! and Legally Blonde. Claire and I sang to every song during Mamma Mia! and danced liked we've never danced before at the end. It was GREAT! Legally Blonde was also excellant but after coming off the high of Mamma Mia! it just didn't compare. This trip was a well needed break time for me to rejuvinate myself. Thanks to a great husband who took the day off so I could leave Thursday night and take care of the family for the whole weekend.


P.s. To Claire, Angie and Laura: HEEELLLOOO (with a little wave), a little bit of fire, how many crispy cremes did we eat or how many cinnabons can a person buy?, stretch your legs, where is Kinsington anyway, cauliflower at what time, how big can your flower be on top of your head?! Angie's eyes, how tired is Laura?! Good times Gals, thanks for the laugh!!!!