Monday, August 30, 2010
His and Hers
There are two sides to every story...The first half of this blog was written by Ben and the second half was written by me. We hope you enjoy every word...and the pictures above.
The Netherlands by bike! What a dream.
Written by Ben
After a week in the Netherlands, I’m getting a better sense of the Dutch character. My initial Dutch education was incomplete because I didn’t know that the Dutch were people in the Netherlands. I also didn’t know that the Netherlands is one of the greatest biking nations in the world.
I finally got my bike and had the opportunity to build it. Yes, I bought a bakfiets (That’s a Dutch Box Bike). It came in a kit, so I had to build it. I could give you the gory details, but building a bike out of a box in another language led to some stress in my life. Rather than being a backyard project that I could enjoy and tinker with. No, this was my freedom; this bike was my ticket to a chance to do something while Lindsey is at work.
I would like for the kids to remember this trip as touring the beautiful Netherlands by bicycle. I think that Ivy will remember some of the experiences we’ve already had. I think riding through fields of lavender and watching the giant white ox might make an impression. Or maybe roaming the streets of Utrecht might spark her interest in history.
I’m certainly looking forward to our bike trip to Lage Vuursche (aka pancake town) as a family. My bakfiets looks like a bicycle pushing a wheelbarrow, or more accurately a unicycle pushing a wheelbarrow. Its front wheel is extended forward and the bike has steering rods that connect the bars to the wheel. It’s really tricky to build (with crappy tools from bakfietsweb.nl), and it’s a little tricky to steer. My practice ride tomorrow will be the perfect opportunity to test it out. Really open her up and see what she can do. Then I’ll decide if she’s a keeper.
The Weather is something I have to bring up. Remember how I complained about not getting a real June or July? Well now you get to hear me complain about not getting an August either. It has been cold and rainy. We’ve had some beautiful weather but nothing warm, nothing that you could call August. I’m resigned to it though. My Bakfiets has a rain tarp, seat belts, and a rain canopy. The bike company also included a rain poncho for me.
Ah the Bakfiets… Gotta love the Dutch bike in a box whose instructions are prefaced with, “we have made a few changes to the bikes so the instructions/pictures might not match exactly”. Um…Lovely!
Anyhoo, we made it through alive…and we live to ride on.
Last weekend was a grand weekend. We spent Saturday morning hiding inside from the horrible thunderstorms that threatened to ruin our day. We loaded up the car around 1 and headed for Utrecht which is a town about 20 km away. It’s larger than Hilversum, but smaller than Amsterdam.
My friend Jami, from work, and her husband Igor live there and their street was having its annual street festival so they invited us to come over. It was fun. When we’d had enough of the festival we walked into Utrecht center. We found a café along the Terrace (Canal) and enjoyed a beer. Then we wandered a bit more. We saw the tower which is part of an old church in Utrecht. The tower and church are beautiful. They were connected at one time, but about 300 years ago a hurricane hit Utrecht and the center part of the church collapsed and was never re-built, so now it’s a church and a tower, separate.
We finished our adventure in Utrecht with Dutch Mexican food. It was pretty good, but left us wanting…so we are still on the hunt for Mexican.
In all, Saturday was a fabulous day with great friends!
Sunday was shopping day for me and Jami. We loaded the babies into the car and headed to Leylstad. It’s a small town about 30km northeast from Hilversum. It’s a gorgeous drive on a windmill lined freeway. Leylstad is home to an outlet mall so I got to do some real shopping. It was glorious to spend the day shopping. The first part of the day was nice…and then it poured. It rained harder than I’ve ever seen. We literally saw a wall of water as we drove into it on the freeway. Talk about stress. J But, we made it home alive with all of our new wares.
Overall, we are still adjusting to life in Europe, but are settling in nicely. We are on the hunt for a babysitter we are comfortable leaving our babies with so we can enjoy a night out once in a while. I found a Tots and Me class at the Nike gym that Ben is going to try out with Ivy next Monday so that should prove exciting.
As for Ivy and Henry, they are growing like weeds. Henry can sit unaided for over 5 minutes now. Ivy is talking more and more each day…and she has added climbing to the mix. If you don’t know where she is, it’s a safe bet to check Henry’s walker or the stroller (if it’s setup). It’s pretty funny to see.
Check out Ivy’s new rain boots and Nikes. She loves them both and regularly sits and practices putting them on herself. It’s super cute!
Hope you enjoyed the stories and the pics.
More to come!
Love, Us.
The Netherlands by bike! What a dream.
Written by Ben
After a week in the Netherlands, I’m getting a better sense of the Dutch character. My initial Dutch education was incomplete because I didn’t know that the Dutch were people in the Netherlands. I also didn’t know that the Netherlands is one of the greatest biking nations in the world.
I finally got my bike and had the opportunity to build it. Yes, I bought a bakfiets (That’s a Dutch Box Bike). It came in a kit, so I had to build it. I could give you the gory details, but building a bike out of a box in another language led to some stress in my life. Rather than being a backyard project that I could enjoy and tinker with. No, this was my freedom; this bike was my ticket to a chance to do something while Lindsey is at work.
I would like for the kids to remember this trip as touring the beautiful Netherlands by bicycle. I think that Ivy will remember some of the experiences we’ve already had. I think riding through fields of lavender and watching the giant white ox might make an impression. Or maybe roaming the streets of Utrecht might spark her interest in history.
I’m certainly looking forward to our bike trip to Lage Vuursche (aka pancake town) as a family. My bakfiets looks like a bicycle pushing a wheelbarrow, or more accurately a unicycle pushing a wheelbarrow. Its front wheel is extended forward and the bike has steering rods that connect the bars to the wheel. It’s really tricky to build (with crappy tools from bakfietsweb.nl), and it’s a little tricky to steer. My practice ride tomorrow will be the perfect opportunity to test it out. Really open her up and see what she can do. Then I’ll decide if she’s a keeper.
The Weather is something I have to bring up. Remember how I complained about not getting a real June or July? Well now you get to hear me complain about not getting an August either. It has been cold and rainy. We’ve had some beautiful weather but nothing warm, nothing that you could call August. I’m resigned to it though. My Bakfiets has a rain tarp, seat belts, and a rain canopy. The bike company also included a rain poncho for me.
Life in General
Written by Lindz
Ah the Bakfiets… Gotta love the Dutch bike in a box whose instructions are prefaced with, “we have made a few changes to the bikes so the instructions/pictures might not match exactly”. Um…Lovely!
Anyhoo, we made it through alive…and we live to ride on.
Last weekend was a grand weekend. We spent Saturday morning hiding inside from the horrible thunderstorms that threatened to ruin our day. We loaded up the car around 1 and headed for Utrecht which is a town about 20 km away. It’s larger than Hilversum, but smaller than Amsterdam.
My friend Jami, from work, and her husband Igor live there and their street was having its annual street festival so they invited us to come over. It was fun. When we’d had enough of the festival we walked into Utrecht center. We found a café along the Terrace (Canal) and enjoyed a beer. Then we wandered a bit more. We saw the tower which is part of an old church in Utrecht. The tower and church are beautiful. They were connected at one time, but about 300 years ago a hurricane hit Utrecht and the center part of the church collapsed and was never re-built, so now it’s a church and a tower, separate.
We finished our adventure in Utrecht with Dutch Mexican food. It was pretty good, but left us wanting…so we are still on the hunt for Mexican.
In all, Saturday was a fabulous day with great friends!
Sunday was shopping day for me and Jami. We loaded the babies into the car and headed to Leylstad. It’s a small town about 30km northeast from Hilversum. It’s a gorgeous drive on a windmill lined freeway. Leylstad is home to an outlet mall so I got to do some real shopping. It was glorious to spend the day shopping. The first part of the day was nice…and then it poured. It rained harder than I’ve ever seen. We literally saw a wall of water as we drove into it on the freeway. Talk about stress. J But, we made it home alive with all of our new wares.
Overall, we are still adjusting to life in Europe, but are settling in nicely. We are on the hunt for a babysitter we are comfortable leaving our babies with so we can enjoy a night out once in a while. I found a Tots and Me class at the Nike gym that Ben is going to try out with Ivy next Monday so that should prove exciting.
As for Ivy and Henry, they are growing like weeds. Henry can sit unaided for over 5 minutes now. Ivy is talking more and more each day…and she has added climbing to the mix. If you don’t know where she is, it’s a safe bet to check Henry’s walker or the stroller (if it’s setup). It’s pretty funny to see.
Check out Ivy’s new rain boots and Nikes. She loves them both and regularly sits and practices putting them on herself. It’s super cute!
Hope you enjoyed the stories and the pics.
More to come!
Love, Us.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Ivy loves sushi: Henry's getting big: Ben's getting a new bike: Banking in Holland SUCKS
Tonight I stopped at Sushi Hilversum (http://www.sushi-hilversum.nl/) for take-out. They don't have tables at that place, so you have to take out. :-) The sushi was pretty good for Hilversum. Ivy liked the salmon and loved the teriyaki chicken and rice I got for her. But the best part of all was when she took Ben's wasabi dish and scraped the edges with her fork and ate it and then smiled and went back for more. Ben was smiling from ear to ear. She is definitely her daddy's girl.
Henry is getting so big!!! He fed himself an entire bottle today. Here's proof.
He is sitting up on his own more and more, and has really started to recognize his mom and need her attention when she comes home from work. His little grin is so precious.
Ben is getting a new bike. It's called a Bakfiet (Bok Feet) and is a bicycle built for 3. Here's a pic. Can't wait til it arrives and we can get some shots of him and the babes on/in the bakfiet.
Banking/purchasing goods in Holland is challenging at times and that can really SUCK. First of all, as a general rule, places here don't take Visa, the most accepted card ANYWHERE. (Except Hilversum and surrounding areas). Visa is a little more accepted in Amsterdam, but I don't live there. The reason this is fast becoming an issue is 2 fold really...- We are only allowed by our bank back home to remove $250 euros daily from the ATM. This is not OUR day in Europe, its the 24 hour period in Oregon...So if I withdraw $250 euros on Monday and need 200 more before 9:30 am on Tues I am SOL! I called the bank and they were no help. That's the limit and it cannot be changed. I realize this is for security purposes, but boy do you look like an ass when you go to buy a bike, they don't take Visa and you tell them (in a foreign language) that you have to come back with the rest of the money because it's being held hostage by a tiny credit union in Portland, Oregon. (WHEW)
- I have to pay the second half of our lease in 7 days. I know you won't be shocked when I tell you that the leasing company doesn't take Visa or Check. They take CASH or Wire Transfer.
I thought I would call the bank to wire the money (3400 euros). They were gracious enough to say that they would make a one time exception for me but the limit of the wire is $3000 usd. Well, that's about $1500 short of what I need transferred.
Their response: "Well, we could do the transfer of $3000 and then you could take 250 euros a day out of the bank. I'm sure it will be a bit in fees, but it's really your only option."
Um, here's a clue. Stop holding my money hostage!!!
Anyhow, that's the happs of the day/night. Despite the banking issues, I love it here!
Hope you enjoyed the stories/ranting. :-) 
Lindz
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Lage Vuursche and more
So Friday I drove Ben to see Pancake Town and we saw a sign that we roughly translated to mean a logging festival was happening on the 21st of Aug. That was YESTERDAY...
So, after I found my way home from the airport via train and by foot, we loaded up the car for the 9km drive to Lage Vuursche. We followed the cars and found parking along the trees. Then we wandered into the festival. It was so cool! Right in the middle of trees and grass there were chainsaw raging and giant logs waiting to be cut.
There were aisles of treasures to be had, and some DELICIOUS food. :-) We walked around, found the 'how long can you hang from a log' competition, a cute little shirt for Ivy, and lunch. We had a braat on a bun and some grilled ham slices on a roll with mustard. It was fabulous...and the best part is that Ivy has almost all of her teeth now, so she just takes bites off of whatever we are eating. She loved it as well.
While we ate, we listened to some really bad American country music and watched a square dance lesson...it was brutal. Then, as we were getting ready to continue wandering, a parade of women dressed as nuns and men dressed as monks found their way to the dance floor. They were introduced as "dancers" from the US performing their routine of Sister Act. UM, what a horrible representation of the US...but oh well...Ivy was dancing right along with their music. :-)
We finished our adventure with some mini pancakes dripping with butter and powdered sugar while we watched Ben see how long he could hang from the log. He broke the initial record of 58 sec with his 1min 15 sec, but couldn't hold on to break the new record of 3min...He did, however, beat the little girl that joined him in the competition. :-) We came home in time for naps and did our grocery shopping later in the evening.
Almost all stores are closed on Sundays, so today we are doing laundry and cleaning the house.
I'm off to work again tomorrow and Ben is solo with the babes. His bakfiets should arrive on Wed and then the real adventures will begin. We've taken Ivy for a couple of short spins on my bike. It has a baby seat on the front. She LOVE, LOVE, LOVES it. She squeels and laughs as the wind blows on her face and through her hair. It's quite a sight and quite a fight when we get home and she learns we have to get off the bike. :-)
2 sets of pics and another blog below.
More to come.... Lindz, Ben, Ivy, Henry
So, after I found my way home from the airport via train and by foot, we loaded up the car for the 9km drive to Lage Vuursche. We followed the cars and found parking along the trees. Then we wandered into the festival. It was so cool! Right in the middle of trees and grass there were chainsaw raging and giant logs waiting to be cut.
There were aisles of treasures to be had, and some DELICIOUS food. :-) We walked around, found the 'how long can you hang from a log' competition, a cute little shirt for Ivy, and lunch. We had a braat on a bun and some grilled ham slices on a roll with mustard. It was fabulous...and the best part is that Ivy has almost all of her teeth now, so she just takes bites off of whatever we are eating. She loved it as well.
While we ate, we listened to some really bad American country music and watched a square dance lesson...it was brutal. Then, as we were getting ready to continue wandering, a parade of women dressed as nuns and men dressed as monks found their way to the dance floor. They were introduced as "dancers" from the US performing their routine of Sister Act. UM, what a horrible representation of the US...but oh well...Ivy was dancing right along with their music. :-)
We finished our adventure with some mini pancakes dripping with butter and powdered sugar while we watched Ben see how long he could hang from the log. He broke the initial record of 58 sec with his 1min 15 sec, but couldn't hold on to break the new record of 3min...He did, however, beat the little girl that joined him in the competition. :-) We came home in time for naps and did our grocery shopping later in the evening.
Almost all stores are closed on Sundays, so today we are doing laundry and cleaning the house.
I'm off to work again tomorrow and Ben is solo with the babes. His bakfiets should arrive on Wed and then the real adventures will begin. We've taken Ivy for a couple of short spins on my bike. It has a baby seat on the front. She LOVE, LOVE, LOVES it. She squeels and laughs as the wind blows on her face and through her hair. It's quite a sight and quite a fight when we get home and she learns we have to get off the bike. :-)
2 sets of pics and another blog below.
More to come.... Lindz, Ben, Ivy, Henry
Amsterdam.
Well, Hello!!!
Ben is here!!! He arrived to joyous squeels and laughter from Ivy. We pulled up outside the house and she saw him through the front window and went running to the front door. It's like they were never apart! Not sure what we were so worried about. :-)
We have be exploring since my last post.
Friday I took the day off so we could take mom to Amsterdam before she headed home.
Like most day trips with babies, it was hectic, but fun. We took the train, which Ivy LOVED. She watched out the window and moo'd at the cows and baa'd at the sheep and laughed at the water. We arrived in Amsterdam not really know what we were going to do/see so we just sort of wandered up the canal and away from the crowd. We found ourselves in part of the Red Light district...very interesting.
We made our way to a pub for a morning beer and a snack while we tried to figure out the best place to catch a canal tour. We got some advice from a local woman and meandered to the boats. Friday was probably the warmest day we've had so far so it was a gorgeous day for a boat ride. However, the boat had a glass roof with a 'moon roof' so it made for a hot, hot ride. Mom got a few god pictures, Henry ate a lunch of carrots while we floated and Ivy tried her best not to lose it. :-)
After the canal tour, we found a great little restaurant with outdoor seating in a dead-end alley. It was great because it was shaded and quiet. PLUS, in the there were 3 different restaurants; Pancakes, Italian, Argentinian. The best part of all...no matter where we sat, we got all THREE menus. It was glorious.
After lunch we wandered a bit more and found our way back to the train station where we caught a ride home. The train was FAR less crowded on the way back which was nice, but we were HOT and there wasn't really any air so when we reached Hilversum Centraal we walked home.
The next morning the driver arrived at 8am and took mom and I to the airport. We checked her in for her flight and off she went. I was sad to see her go, but I know she was excited to get home and see Terry and get back to the comforts of life in the states...movies, popcorn and a clothes dryer. :-)
Thanks for everything mom!!! You made our transition so much easier. We miss you.
Lindz
Ben is here!!! He arrived to joyous squeels and laughter from Ivy. We pulled up outside the house and she saw him through the front window and went running to the front door. It's like they were never apart! Not sure what we were so worried about. :-)
We have be exploring since my last post.
Friday I took the day off so we could take mom to Amsterdam before she headed home.
Like most day trips with babies, it was hectic, but fun. We took the train, which Ivy LOVED. She watched out the window and moo'd at the cows and baa'd at the sheep and laughed at the water. We arrived in Amsterdam not really know what we were going to do/see so we just sort of wandered up the canal and away from the crowd. We found ourselves in part of the Red Light district...very interesting.
We made our way to a pub for a morning beer and a snack while we tried to figure out the best place to catch a canal tour. We got some advice from a local woman and meandered to the boats. Friday was probably the warmest day we've had so far so it was a gorgeous day for a boat ride. However, the boat had a glass roof with a 'moon roof' so it made for a hot, hot ride. Mom got a few god pictures, Henry ate a lunch of carrots while we floated and Ivy tried her best not to lose it. :-)
After the canal tour, we found a great little restaurant with outdoor seating in a dead-end alley. It was great because it was shaded and quiet. PLUS, in the there were 3 different restaurants; Pancakes, Italian, Argentinian. The best part of all...no matter where we sat, we got all THREE menus. It was glorious.
After lunch we wandered a bit more and found our way back to the train station where we caught a ride home. The train was FAR less crowded on the way back which was nice, but we were HOT and there wasn't really any air so when we reached Hilversum Centraal we walked home.
The next morning the driver arrived at 8am and took mom and I to the airport. We checked her in for her flight and off she went. I was sad to see her go, but I know she was excited to get home and see Terry and get back to the comforts of life in the states...movies, popcorn and a clothes dryer. :-)
Thanks for everything mom!!! You made our transition so much easier. We miss you.
Lindz
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Paris
Hello.
We survived our whirlwind trip to Paris.
Don't ever let anyone tell you that Paris can be done in 1.5 days...with 2 babies! It cannot.
Sure, we got there, we saw and we came home...but we didn't step foot into a museum.
The flight to Paris was ok. Although after being told we could keep Henry in his carseat and use the center seat of our row, on a not even half full flight, we were then told that we couldn't because we didn't pay for that seat. So then they took the carrier...that was lovely.
We arrived in Paris, got our luggage and met up with our driver and we were ready to go. He dropped us at the address we gave him...the 2bd/2ba glorious flat that we had rented.
We buzzed the buzzer, we knocked and banged on the door. The guy from the money exchange next door even let us into the building with his code...But it wasn't to be. He said he had never heard of the guy that rented us the place...so there we were, me, mom, the babies in their stroller, a suitcase and the pack-n-play...HOMELESS in Paris...How quaint.
We walked around the block and found our savior, Alexander, at the Hotel Forum Louvre. We were two blocks from the Louvre in a very cute boutique hotel. The rate was only 109.00 euros for the night so we booked the room.
It was the biggest room they had and it was TINY...but we made due. We were just happy to have a home. The pack and play fit nicely at the end of the bed and we made a bed for Henry on the floor under the desk. We contemplated having Ivy sleep in the bed with us, but decided that in order to survive we would need to get some sleep that night.
After getting settled in our room, we went on a hunt for food. We wandered a few blocks, but decided that we would eat at the pizza place across from our hotel. It was DELICIOUS and we were grateful to the owner for staying open for us.
Then we went exploring and found the Louvre. We walked through the courtyard with Ivy squealing at the sight of the fountains. I let her out of the stroller and she ran back and forth between the fountains. She was thrilled...and the breeze in her hair made it all even better.
We found a few little markets near our hotel so we bought some snacks for dinner and headed back to the room. We were all exhausted and asleep by 8:30. The babies did GREAT that night.
The next day we found the world's slowest cab driver who apprently wasn't from Paris because he had no clue where we were going...but we got to our destination with 3 minutes to spare...We took a 3.5 hour walking tour of Paris with the greatest guide, Scott. He's a 25 year-old from South Carolina and was very entertaining.
Our tour took us to many the great sights of Paris. We saw the Eiffel Tower, Napoleon's Tomb, The Dome Church, Pont Nuf, Alexander Bridge, The Louvre, Notre Dame and beautiful gardens. We walked about 10 miles and it was a gorgeous day...Until the end. As we walked from the Louvre to Notre Dame it started to down pour. Despite the rain, we had a great time and wore ourselves out.
We found a cab from Notre Dame back to our hotel to pick up our luggage and then went to our other hotel near the airport.
It was quite a trip...lots of new sights and experiences...
Paris seems like the New York City of Europe...I am sure in another time and place, with a lot more time, I could grow to love this city. But as it is, I am thankful for the time shared with the babies and my mom in Paris, but I am very happy to be back in Holland. A place where the world seems simpler and I have already grown to love.
Enjoy the pics...
Lindz
We survived our whirlwind trip to Paris.
Don't ever let anyone tell you that Paris can be done in 1.5 days...with 2 babies! It cannot.
Sure, we got there, we saw and we came home...but we didn't step foot into a museum.
The flight to Paris was ok. Although after being told we could keep Henry in his carseat and use the center seat of our row, on a not even half full flight, we were then told that we couldn't because we didn't pay for that seat. So then they took the carrier...that was lovely.
We arrived in Paris, got our luggage and met up with our driver and we were ready to go. He dropped us at the address we gave him...the 2bd/2ba glorious flat that we had rented.
We buzzed the buzzer, we knocked and banged on the door. The guy from the money exchange next door even let us into the building with his code...But it wasn't to be. He said he had never heard of the guy that rented us the place...so there we were, me, mom, the babies in their stroller, a suitcase and the pack-n-play...HOMELESS in Paris...How quaint.
We walked around the block and found our savior, Alexander, at the Hotel Forum Louvre. We were two blocks from the Louvre in a very cute boutique hotel. The rate was only 109.00 euros for the night so we booked the room.
It was the biggest room they had and it was TINY...but we made due. We were just happy to have a home. The pack and play fit nicely at the end of the bed and we made a bed for Henry on the floor under the desk. We contemplated having Ivy sleep in the bed with us, but decided that in order to survive we would need to get some sleep that night.
After getting settled in our room, we went on a hunt for food. We wandered a few blocks, but decided that we would eat at the pizza place across from our hotel. It was DELICIOUS and we were grateful to the owner for staying open for us.
Then we went exploring and found the Louvre. We walked through the courtyard with Ivy squealing at the sight of the fountains. I let her out of the stroller and she ran back and forth between the fountains. She was thrilled...and the breeze in her hair made it all even better.
We found a few little markets near our hotel so we bought some snacks for dinner and headed back to the room. We were all exhausted and asleep by 8:30. The babies did GREAT that night.
The next day we found the world's slowest cab driver who apprently wasn't from Paris because he had no clue where we were going...but we got to our destination with 3 minutes to spare...We took a 3.5 hour walking tour of Paris with the greatest guide, Scott. He's a 25 year-old from South Carolina and was very entertaining.
Our tour took us to many the great sights of Paris. We saw the Eiffel Tower, Napoleon's Tomb, The Dome Church, Pont Nuf, Alexander Bridge, The Louvre, Notre Dame and beautiful gardens. We walked about 10 miles and it was a gorgeous day...Until the end. As we walked from the Louvre to Notre Dame it started to down pour. Despite the rain, we had a great time and wore ourselves out.
We found a cab from Notre Dame back to our hotel to pick up our luggage and then went to our other hotel near the airport.
It was quite a trip...lots of new sights and experiences...
Paris seems like the New York City of Europe...I am sure in another time and place, with a lot more time, I could grow to love this city. But as it is, I am thankful for the time shared with the babies and my mom in Paris, but I am very happy to be back in Holland. A place where the world seems simpler and I have already grown to love.
Enjoy the pics...
Lindz
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Lazy Sunday
Hello.
Today we had a glorious breafast of American Pancakes, yogurt, strawberries and honey. It is so funny because you just buy a 6 pack of "American Pancakes" in the cooler aisle at the market. They are pretty good.
After breakfast we walked to Nike cuz we've not done it before and mom wanted to learn the route so she and the babes can walk up and have lunch with me on occasion.
Ivy had fun exploring the Nike campus with grammy and picking up rocks and shells.
Although the weather has been quite rainy lately, we managed to avoid any downpours until just as we arrived on our street. Ivy enjoyed the shower so it was fun. :-)
We had a lovely frenchish lunch when we got home.
I know it seems like I talk about food quite a bit, but the food is delicious and I also want you to know that we eat pretty good at home as well. :-)
The babes are napping and if the skies clear, we make walk to the Center once they are up...Otherwise, it will be a lazy afternoon at the Swinehart house.
Enjoy the pics.
Lindz
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Pancake Town and the Hema
Hello.
We went to Lage Vuursche for lunch today. It was pouring rain much of today so we didn't walk around the village, but we did have lunch. It was DELICIOUS. I had a pancake with apple/raisin compote, whipped cream, amazing syrup that resembled molasses, and powdered sugar. It was RICH...and I did put all of those toppings on at once. I switched every now and then. :-) Ivy loved it too.
Mom had a pancake with ham baked in it. It looked really good.
After lunch we ventured to the Center (Centrum). We went to the Hema (pronounced heyma) which is Holland's version of Target. It was nice to be out and about even though the weather was crappy.
After we got home I went to a local bike shop and ordered my bike for the rest of the time we are here. I will be getting rid of the car after mom leaves, as Ben and I will use bikes and carriers to get around. It's much shorter and easier to negotiate Hilversum and surrounding towns with a bike. In fact, we could have ridden to Pancake Town. It's only 10 km. And the bike trails are SUPER nice.
I pick my bike up on Tues. It will have a seat for Ivy on the front and bags on the back for packing things around. I'm still looking into a Bike Feits for Ben. It has a box on the front that holds babies and baby seats. It is pretty cute and useful.
Enjoy the pics of our day.
More later.
Lindz
Week 1 Complete
Henry loves to look at himself in the oven while I'm cooking. Hi there.
This week was full of settling in.
Work is going well. I have worked with a few people on my team in the past, so it's just a matter of new location for me. :-) The timelines are tight, but I think we can still accomplish our goal of a live system by Nov 4th.
On the homefront. The babies seem to be adjusting better this week. They are back into their US sleeping patterns and having fun with Grammy on a daily basis. We also learned that a side-by-side doublestroller, no matter how small it folds, doesn't work in tiny Hilversum. So I got a very compact folding doublestroller. The babies love it.
This weekend we will be exploring Hilversum on foot, weather permitting...right now, it's cold and looks like it will rain. Maybe it will clear up tomorrow.
Henry loves to watch Monsters Inc. We are also going to have another driving adventure. We are going to Lage Veruusche also known as Pancake Town. We are SO excited to try this little village out and take Ben when he gets here.
Chilling on her playbed.Andrea has added this town to her list as well. :-)
Here are some pics and a video for your viewing pleasure!
Hope all is well in the states.
Love,
Lindz & the babies
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
More videos
I just realized that the other two videos of Ivy did not post to the blog.
I have just finished booking our trip to Paris. Mom and I are taking the babies to Paris Aug 13-15. In doing the travel research I found it's actually cheaper to fly than to train it. IT would be even cheaper is the fees and taxes didn't cost more than the actual tickets. :-)
We arrive in Paris at noon on the 13th and leave at noon on Sunday the 15th.
We will be staying here
http://paris.en.craigslist.org/vac/1872943595.html
and will do a 3.5 hr walking tour of the city on Saturday morning so I am hoping for nice weather. :-)
Enjoy the video.
Love
Lindz
I have just finished booking our trip to Paris. Mom and I are taking the babies to Paris Aug 13-15. In doing the travel research I found it's actually cheaper to fly than to train it. IT would be even cheaper is the fees and taxes didn't cost more than the actual tickets. :-)
We arrive in Paris at noon on the 13th and leave at noon on Sunday the 15th.
We will be staying here
http://paris.en.craigslist.org/vac/1872943595.html
and will do a 3.5 hr walking tour of the city on Saturday morning so I am hoping for nice weather. :-)
Enjoy the video.
Love
Lindz
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Great Ivy Videos
This morning we went exploring to Noorden. It was beautiful. the shops weren't open, as they just aren't on Sundays, but the cafes were. We enjoyed a bit of coffee/tea and some apple pie before exploring the town.
When we got home we had a bit of lunch and then we were entertained by Miss Ivy. I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I enjoyed filming them and watching Ivy.
Lindz
When we got home we had a bit of lunch and then we were entertained by Miss Ivy. I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I enjoyed filming them and watching Ivy.
Lindz
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