Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
April Showers bring....Volcanic Dust clouds????
Happy Spring all!!! Today finally feels like it's arrived. I even got to go out and updated my spring wardrobe. Now if only I can find shoes. I may wait until we head home. We are getting ready for lots of exciting things. We have our school musical coming up this week. It has been a big undertaking that both Matt and I have volunteered to help with but it has been really fun. It is called Aesop's Fables and is really cute. The teachers are even singing a song. We are also getting ready to move at the end of the month into a house and we've bought a car to go along with it. It will just be a rented house but it has a garden...a tub... and two bedrooms (guestroom anyone??) I will really miss the city as it is on the outskirts a bit more, but the country will be right across the street. I am really looking forward to this.
We are anticipating two visit home this summer!! We have two weddings and with the second we hope to spend a lot of time at home just enjoying a Michigan summer and friends. Hopefully the Volcanic cloud will have blown away by then.
Our Dutch is continuing to improve. We still can't speak too much but are starting to understand the conversations that are going on around us. We only have four more lessons left and we're done with the entry class!
One really fun thing we've started is cooking date night. This is good because we make a special meal, and save money instead of going out. The rules are it has to be a new recipe we've never tried before, it has to be presented in a special way and we usually make/get a dessert too!!! It's a bit fun because sometimes we feel like we are on one of those cooking shows and it's been a good thing to force us to make more interesting dishes and it allows us to spend quality time together. I highly recommend it if you can find...(which you probably can't so you need to make) the time.
Our congratualtions go out to many families who've had their new babies, Noah Spedding arrived April 9, Issac Andrew Baareman arrived April 5. Both my cousins and Matt's cousins welcomed new babies as well, Madison Orefice and Levi Mast. Happy times.
Hope all is well with everyone around the world! Blessings to all!!!
We are anticipating two visit home this summer!! We have two weddings and with the second we hope to spend a lot of time at home just enjoying a Michigan summer and friends. Hopefully the Volcanic cloud will have blown away by then.
Our Dutch is continuing to improve. We still can't speak too much but are starting to understand the conversations that are going on around us. We only have four more lessons left and we're done with the entry class!
One really fun thing we've started is cooking date night. This is good because we make a special meal, and save money instead of going out. The rules are it has to be a new recipe we've never tried before, it has to be presented in a special way and we usually make/get a dessert too!!! It's a bit fun because sometimes we feel like we are on one of those cooking shows and it's been a good thing to force us to make more interesting dishes and it allows us to spend quality time together. I highly recommend it if you can find...(which you probably can't so you need to make) the time.
Our congratualtions go out to many families who've had their new babies, Noah Spedding arrived April 9, Issac Andrew Baareman arrived April 5. Both my cousins and Matt's cousins welcomed new babies as well, Madison Orefice and Levi Mast. Happy times.
Hope all is well with everyone around the world! Blessings to all!!!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
March Update
Well, well, well....March is here and now I am 26. Yes, that downward slant toward thirty. I feel older but not wiser :) Well...maybe. It was a lovely birthday weekend. Matt provided me with my usual scavanger hunt of birthday clues and goodies followed by the big ending reveal that we were going away to THE SEA!!! We spent the weekend in Oostende, Belgium where I got the best b-day present of all, a sunset. We weren't totally in love with Oostende, espeically since it was Carnaval there. (we didn't know, it was lame and not cool at all like Maastricht's) but I had read about another close by beachy resort town so Sunday we ventured over there! It was AWESOME. Just like being on Mackinaw Island. So cute and quaint. We had gelatto and strolled in the sand. Watched the kites whirl in the wind and the kids in their wellies, kersplash in the puddles/waves. Don't get me wrong. It was indeed bitter cold but the shining sun warmed our hearts and even put a little color back in my face. :) It was great to feel like we were in Michigan because we were surrounded by dunes and beach grass. AHhhhh....
I was also blessed with a great celebration at school. My kids were so sweet and thoughtful and we really have a fun day. I was sung to in English and Polish and got lots of nice messages... and with Dutch tradition kisses from my collegaues. To wish congratualations on a birthday they kiss you on the cheek (three times) and your family members too. So Matt got birthday congratulations kisses for my birthday too. It was really nice. We went to Dutch class the night of my birthday and a collegeaue brough champagne (yes to class) to celebrate and then Matt and I went for a nice dinner at a Greek restaurant. I got a lot of sweets and Matt bought me a piggy bank which is tradition to have in all houses here. They have the coolest ones and I have been wanting one for awhile. Pictures to come via facebook. I also got a few books, tea, chocolate, a nice jacket from my family and some gift cards and lovely pictures of my family back home. Plus a little garden...Two hyacinths and a daffodil. It's like spring in my house!!!! Ahhh....
School continues to go well. My teaching partner had her last day yesterday. I am utterly devestated by this as we have messed into one person and made teaching so organzied and easy. Plus she has become a great friend and it's been fun to go through her pregnancy with her. I know we'll stay in touch but I will really miss her. On a happy note, she has a wonderful replacement who I think I will become good friends with as well! :)
Two weekends ago Matt and I house sat for friends with two teenage boys. It was a fun and enlightening experience. The boys were great. We watched a lot of TV, played a lot of WII and computer. Plus they eat a ton of food!!! The life of boys....
This weekend we are off doing lots of church things and Matt maybe appointed to church council. We are also going house hunitng this week (to rent) as we'd like to move in May out of the city a bit!
Lots of celebrations: Christina got a long term sub job, lots of babies on the way (Julie (best friend/sister due in a few weeks) , Alycia (sister due with a girl in July), Michelle (friend due in August boy), Shawna (cousin having a girl soon), Suzanne (teaching partner due in April) plus many other former collegues and another current collegeuas. We have a few high school graduations coming up to celebrate. We have three weddings coming up this summer/fall and are just extrememly happy. Thanks for all your prayers and support. Lots of love from the Netherlands!!!!!!
I was also blessed with a great celebration at school. My kids were so sweet and thoughtful and we really have a fun day. I was sung to in English and Polish and got lots of nice messages... and with Dutch tradition kisses from my collegaues. To wish congratualations on a birthday they kiss you on the cheek (three times) and your family members too. So Matt got birthday congratulations kisses for my birthday too. It was really nice. We went to Dutch class the night of my birthday and a collegeaue brough champagne (yes to class) to celebrate and then Matt and I went for a nice dinner at a Greek restaurant. I got a lot of sweets and Matt bought me a piggy bank which is tradition to have in all houses here. They have the coolest ones and I have been wanting one for awhile. Pictures to come via facebook. I also got a few books, tea, chocolate, a nice jacket from my family and some gift cards and lovely pictures of my family back home. Plus a little garden...Two hyacinths and a daffodil. It's like spring in my house!!!! Ahhh....
School continues to go well. My teaching partner had her last day yesterday. I am utterly devestated by this as we have messed into one person and made teaching so organzied and easy. Plus she has become a great friend and it's been fun to go through her pregnancy with her. I know we'll stay in touch but I will really miss her. On a happy note, she has a wonderful replacement who I think I will become good friends with as well! :)
Two weekends ago Matt and I house sat for friends with two teenage boys. It was a fun and enlightening experience. The boys were great. We watched a lot of TV, played a lot of WII and computer. Plus they eat a ton of food!!! The life of boys....
This weekend we are off doing lots of church things and Matt maybe appointed to church council. We are also going house hunitng this week (to rent) as we'd like to move in May out of the city a bit!
Lots of celebrations: Christina got a long term sub job, lots of babies on the way (Julie (best friend/sister due in a few weeks) , Alycia (sister due with a girl in July), Michelle (friend due in August boy), Shawna (cousin having a girl soon), Suzanne (teaching partner due in April) plus many other former collegues and another current collegeuas. We have a few high school graduations coming up to celebrate. We have three weddings coming up this summer/fall and are just extrememly happy. Thanks for all your prayers and support. Lots of love from the Netherlands!!!!!!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
International Fair and the start of Carnaval
Alright, well I promised to write about the international fair. It was wonderful. All week at school we had international week. Each class chooses a different country to represent, learns about it and then presents about it to the rest of the school. Our class made a video all about what we learned and South Africa. You can see it on our class website as well as some pictures from the fair. I have shared them on the blog. Anyway, the on Saturday all the families of our school come together to teach others about their home country, share travel info, traditions and the best part... food. YUM. So there are many booths set up and each country of our school is represented. Some examples were: Iceland, Greece, Poland, America, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Africa, Isreal, Italy, Spain, Holland, Germany, Austria, Austrailia, France, and many more. Of course all our students wanted us to try food from their country so we were really full when we were done :). About half way through the day there was a performance and there were songs, dances, and other acts to represent something of the countries that were there. My favorite was some of the Indian kids (who have also lived in Michigan :) ) danced to a song from Slumdog Millionaire. They were all in their traditional dress and it was so beautiful. We walked around some more after the performance and met up with my teaching partner Suzanne and her husband Mathew. We then went out for drinks with them after the fair and it was nice just to chat. Suzanne has three weeks left and then she's off on her materinity leave.
This week was another crazy week of school because it's Carnaval here. We experienced it first on Thursday, dressing up with our kids at school. I also linked the wesite to the blog. The kids looked great and I wore a blue wig :) courtesy of Suzanne. Then, yesterday we had a professional development day and at 5:00 had cultural time and as a staff all went for drinks and dinner in town. It is already really crazy here. Someone said it will be like living inside a night club for a week. All the bars/restaurants have their tables pulled out and no chairs so they can cram more people in and people overflow into the streets even. There's lots of singing of old fashioned Omm Paa Paa songs as Catherine calls it. And lots of clinking of beer glass/mugs. We had dinner at a nice Greek restaurant and by 10;00 Matt and I were exhausted and ready to go home. Even now I can hear the beat of the music playing somewhere nearby and I wonder how we will be able to sleep tonight? I asked my friend Joey what the average person spends on Carnaval and he said about 300 euro, just for food and beer. It offically lasts from Sunday to Tuesday but everyone started drinking last night. Everything is decorated with red, yellow, and green, along with lots of clowns and confetti. The best part, which I can't wait for, is supposed to be the parades. People all belong to a float group and they start working on the float and costumes in October. Some of the things we have seen already are SO beautiful. Our friend Audrey is in a group that walks in a "Light Parade" which we hope to see tomorrow night. Sometimes, it's like we live in Epcot Center at Disney World. So far no plans to go away but we'll see what Tuesday brings. I am off to brave the grocery store since things will be crazy for like the next two days.
Oh and let me tell you, we are offically Dutch now since we rode our bikes to school three days this week.....IN THE SNOW!!!!!
Tot ziens.
This week was another crazy week of school because it's Carnaval here. We experienced it first on Thursday, dressing up with our kids at school. I also linked the wesite to the blog. The kids looked great and I wore a blue wig :) courtesy of Suzanne. Then, yesterday we had a professional development day and at 5:00 had cultural time and as a staff all went for drinks and dinner in town. It is already really crazy here. Someone said it will be like living inside a night club for a week. All the bars/restaurants have their tables pulled out and no chairs so they can cram more people in and people overflow into the streets even. There's lots of singing of old fashioned Omm Paa Paa songs as Catherine calls it. And lots of clinking of beer glass/mugs. We had dinner at a nice Greek restaurant and by 10;00 Matt and I were exhausted and ready to go home. Even now I can hear the beat of the music playing somewhere nearby and I wonder how we will be able to sleep tonight? I asked my friend Joey what the average person spends on Carnaval and he said about 300 euro, just for food and beer. It offically lasts from Sunday to Tuesday but everyone started drinking last night. Everything is decorated with red, yellow, and green, along with lots of clowns and confetti. The best part, which I can't wait for, is supposed to be the parades. People all belong to a float group and they start working on the float and costumes in October. Some of the things we have seen already are SO beautiful. Our friend Audrey is in a group that walks in a "Light Parade" which we hope to see tomorrow night. Sometimes, it's like we live in Epcot Center at Disney World. So far no plans to go away but we'll see what Tuesday brings. I am off to brave the grocery store since things will be crazy for like the next two days.
Oh and let me tell you, we are offically Dutch now since we rode our bikes to school three days this week.....IN THE SNOW!!!!!
Tot ziens.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Ice is not our friend!! The weather here is crazy!!! We had inside recess for the first time today because they playground was TOO ICY to play on, that's a bit weird.
On a happy note, we've made some new friends who are our age. Matt and Sarah are two missionairies here from the states. They just meet each other here and are friends, working with an older couple here. They are seeing what the need is and hope to start a church. We met them at our church and then invited them over for dinner the next day. :) It was a total God thing. I was just telling Matt at church how I wasn't good at making friends and as I was saying this, he was walking towards them and saying hi. Then next thing I knew I was inviting them to dinner. We are excited to see where these friendships will go and how they will fit into our church or we in their church. We are also excited because are going to help start/lead a worship team at our church. We are going to A.dam on Saturday for a worship conference with some people from our church. Yes, I volunteered to get up early. Ugggg..
School continues to improve and we are all getting excited because Carnaval (equvivalent of Mardi Gras) is coming up the week of the 15th. For Dutch people this means loud music, parties in the streets, and beer. Even better for us....a week off!! We are looking at going to a spa hotel somewhere to really relax for a few days and hope to spend a few days with our good friends Suzanne and Mathew before they become parents for the first time in April.
Have no fear... I did teach my kids about Groundhog's Day today and read a cute book I have. Thanks to my wonderful mother, I also have Valentine's decorations up in my classroom and did find some candy hearts with sayings on them here so we can do a candy heart graph. I also read some books in January on MLK Jr. They're learning :) and me too. I'll write about International Week and the amazingness of it next time.... till then!!!
Grace and Peace.
On a happy note, we've made some new friends who are our age. Matt and Sarah are two missionairies here from the states. They just meet each other here and are friends, working with an older couple here. They are seeing what the need is and hope to start a church. We met them at our church and then invited them over for dinner the next day. :) It was a total God thing. I was just telling Matt at church how I wasn't good at making friends and as I was saying this, he was walking towards them and saying hi. Then next thing I knew I was inviting them to dinner. We are excited to see where these friendships will go and how they will fit into our church or we in their church. We are also excited because are going to help start/lead a worship team at our church. We are going to A.dam on Saturday for a worship conference with some people from our church. Yes, I volunteered to get up early. Ugggg..
School continues to improve and we are all getting excited because Carnaval (equvivalent of Mardi Gras) is coming up the week of the 15th. For Dutch people this means loud music, parties in the streets, and beer. Even better for us....a week off!! We are looking at going to a spa hotel somewhere to really relax for a few days and hope to spend a few days with our good friends Suzanne and Mathew before they become parents for the first time in April.
Have no fear... I did teach my kids about Groundhog's Day today and read a cute book I have. Thanks to my wonderful mother, I also have Valentine's decorations up in my classroom and did find some candy hearts with sayings on them here so we can do a candy heart graph. I also read some books in January on MLK Jr. They're learning :) and me too. I'll write about International Week and the amazingness of it next time.... till then!!!
Grace and Peace.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A blog long overdue
Okay,
It's official, I am not a true blogger. I'd really like to be and I hoped/thought I would be but it's just not happening. Perhaps I will try to motivate myself more so I can keep you all informed. Mostly, as my smart husband reminded me tonight, I need to do it for myself and my sanity.
Being back here since Christmas has been great. We really love it here. It was nice to be back in the states. It was definitely a whirlwind though. Our best times were spent with family and friends and a wonderful day spent to ourselves, walking around the farm. It has snowed and was freezing (literally) but the sun was trying to poke out. So we decided to take the new camera out for a few shots. They turned out absolutely beautiful and we feel so blessed to have a place like the farm to travel to and just "be" in.
Another best part about being home was going to Mars Hill. It was one of the things that really felt like coming home. It was awesome just to run into friends and people we see there. To me, there really is something truly special about that place, and no it's not just Rob Bell.
Since we've been back, we finally feel like we live here. It's been about five months and all our paperwork, school stuff, etc. has been settled. We can speak a little Dutch, pay our bills on-line (in google translated Dutch) and we finally figured out how to watch American shows here. Ahhh...the small comforts of home. And just in time for Lost. (Hate to say it, but can't wait!!!)
We love grocery shopping, taking the bus (okay not really) walking around our city and our fabulous church and great church friends. We also finally got bikes, so we are truly Dutch now.
We were blessed two weekends ago to be invited to a friends wedding. She was married in the church we attend and it was gorgeous. She was also a stunning bride. Weddings are mostly the same here, however at the wedding, the bride and groom are already legally married. You have to go to the court and be married before you can have a church wedding. The ceremony was pretty traditional with vows and songs etc. It was cool because the groom's dad married them and the service was in English and Dutch. We also sang Spanish and Portuguese songs. They had a mini reception where they had a sparkler candle on their cake while they cut it. This was really cool. Then they were off to Spain for a honeymoon. For a wedding you get a week off of work no matter what the time and it doesn't count out of your vacation time. (Seriously, in the US we work to hard.)
Segway into maternity leaves...no not for me. My teaching partner is soon leaving me...this deeply saddens me. Her baby is coming the beginning of April and this makes me happy. She however, gets 4 weeks off before the baby comes and 12 weeks after!!!! I also have a Canadian friend who got a whole year off (in Canada) 80% paid. The mom can take half the year and the dad the other half too. What is wrong with the US that we overwork ourselves so much? Sometimes, I think we don't slow down enough to enjoy life.
Being European I can tell you I am looking forward to my next holiday...in 2 weeks!! We were going to go to Iceland and went to book the trip but there were no tickets left for what we wanted to do. :( So we've decided to save up for something a bit bigger during our 2 week spring break and just do something small. We haven't yet decided what we are doing but it's Carnival during the February break so we need to get away. I tell you more about it, after it happens.
At school this week, it has been International Week. SO COOL! Each class studies a different country. (We did South Africa) and Matt's class Hungary. You do activities and learn all about your country and then present it. We are also taking a field trip to the nearby African museum. (Sorry, Chris, it's actually really close to the cemetery too. Next time) On Saturday, the kids and there parents put on a fair and make food and dress up and tell all about their cultures. I am excited and looking forward to this event and all the lovely food. Again, I'll fill you in with more later.
For now, it's up to my snoring husband as it's much to late past my bedtime.
Good night!!!
It's official, I am not a true blogger. I'd really like to be and I hoped/thought I would be but it's just not happening. Perhaps I will try to motivate myself more so I can keep you all informed. Mostly, as my smart husband reminded me tonight, I need to do it for myself and my sanity.
Being back here since Christmas has been great. We really love it here. It was nice to be back in the states. It was definitely a whirlwind though. Our best times were spent with family and friends and a wonderful day spent to ourselves, walking around the farm. It has snowed and was freezing (literally) but the sun was trying to poke out. So we decided to take the new camera out for a few shots. They turned out absolutely beautiful and we feel so blessed to have a place like the farm to travel to and just "be" in.
Another best part about being home was going to Mars Hill. It was one of the things that really felt like coming home. It was awesome just to run into friends and people we see there. To me, there really is something truly special about that place, and no it's not just Rob Bell.
Since we've been back, we finally feel like we live here. It's been about five months and all our paperwork, school stuff, etc. has been settled. We can speak a little Dutch, pay our bills on-line (in google translated Dutch) and we finally figured out how to watch American shows here. Ahhh...the small comforts of home. And just in time for Lost. (Hate to say it, but can't wait!!!)
We love grocery shopping, taking the bus (okay not really) walking around our city and our fabulous church and great church friends. We also finally got bikes, so we are truly Dutch now.
We were blessed two weekends ago to be invited to a friends wedding. She was married in the church we attend and it was gorgeous. She was also a stunning bride. Weddings are mostly the same here, however at the wedding, the bride and groom are already legally married. You have to go to the court and be married before you can have a church wedding. The ceremony was pretty traditional with vows and songs etc. It was cool because the groom's dad married them and the service was in English and Dutch. We also sang Spanish and Portuguese songs. They had a mini reception where they had a sparkler candle on their cake while they cut it. This was really cool. Then they were off to Spain for a honeymoon. For a wedding you get a week off of work no matter what the time and it doesn't count out of your vacation time. (Seriously, in the US we work to hard.)
Segway into maternity leaves...no not for me. My teaching partner is soon leaving me...this deeply saddens me. Her baby is coming the beginning of April and this makes me happy. She however, gets 4 weeks off before the baby comes and 12 weeks after!!!! I also have a Canadian friend who got a whole year off (in Canada) 80% paid. The mom can take half the year and the dad the other half too. What is wrong with the US that we overwork ourselves so much? Sometimes, I think we don't slow down enough to enjoy life.
Being European I can tell you I am looking forward to my next holiday...in 2 weeks!! We were going to go to Iceland and went to book the trip but there were no tickets left for what we wanted to do. :( So we've decided to save up for something a bit bigger during our 2 week spring break and just do something small. We haven't yet decided what we are doing but it's Carnival during the February break so we need to get away. I tell you more about it, after it happens.
At school this week, it has been International Week. SO COOL! Each class studies a different country. (We did South Africa) and Matt's class Hungary. You do activities and learn all about your country and then present it. We are also taking a field trip to the nearby African museum. (Sorry, Chris, it's actually really close to the cemetery too. Next time) On Saturday, the kids and there parents put on a fair and make food and dress up and tell all about their cultures. I am excited and looking forward to this event and all the lovely food. Again, I'll fill you in with more later.
For now, it's up to my snoring husband as it's much to late past my bedtime.
Good night!!!
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