. . . Liam lately (15 months)

Here we are, another month gone by, and Liam is 15 months old! At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is amazing how much he is growing and learning every day and week! As I did last month, the pictures in this post are some of favorites from the month . . . doesn't he get cuter with each passing day??

Fell asleep in the stroller for the first time in forever -- had to capture it!

Bubbles in the bath!

If it looks like a duck . . .

Considering Halloween isn't widely celebrated around here, it seemed to last all month! We were lucky enough to get Liam a costume ordered and he was his very favorite animal -- a duck! "Duck" was his first real animal word and definitely the first animal sound he made. He loves to tell you that the "duck duck" says "quack quack." I figured he would love to wear the costume, plus I don't know how many more years I'll have a say in dressing him the way I want!

The first event we attended was the Harvest Festival, a fun Halloween party put on by the North American Women's Club of Eindhoven. It was a great turnout and we had fun looking at the animals at the farm next door. Lots of good friends, fun activities, and even a costume parade and contest! Here's a picture of Liam at last year's Harvest Festival (at 2 months old) and another one taken in the exact same spot at this year's Harvest Festival (14 months old).

. . . date night and chocolate pie

October 4th marked the 10th anniversary of my first date with Keith. It's hard to believe we met that long along ago, set up by my stepmom who happened to work with Keith. I remember her telling me not to break his heart because he was like a son to her! Funny how things work out -- now he really is her son!

Flowers from Keith on our anniversary :)

We decided to celebrate by getting a sitter and going out for a nice dinner. It couldn't have been a more wonderful night -- we chose to eat at Mykonos, a Greek restaurant in Son, where the owner remembered me from the one time I was there six months earlier! After perusing the 10 page menu (all in Dutch or Greek) and having a hard time deciding on anything, the owner asked if we would like for him to choose our menu and he would bring out all kinds of good stuff -- um, yes please! He started with hummus, pita bread, and calamari as an appetizer, followed by a perfect Greek salad. He then brought a huge plate full of meats, poultry, and fish, all grilled Greek-style to perfection, accompanied by rice and fries (because, hey, it's the Netherlands). Even after paying for our dinner he insisted on bringing after-dinner drinks, a cognac for Keith and a yummy liqueur for me. The owner is so attentive and every part of the meal was thought-out and personal, besides being delicious! And as if the night couldn't get any better, it absolutely did . . . it was one of those nights were we just talked and talked, all about our past, present, and future, and a few hours just flew by. It was one of those nights where I fell in love again. Ten years after the first time.

Moms' weekend in Barcelona!

I realize this post is a little late, but there's no way I could continue to blog without writing about an incredible trip I took a few months back. Some friends and I were talking about how fun it would be to do a girls trip while we're here, so we pretty quickly decided on a place, a date, and got the ok from the hubbies who would keep the kiddos that weekend! We ended up in Barcelona for three whole nights, leaving behind strollers and pack n' plays and diapers bags . . . we literally did not know what to do with ourselves that first morning! But we quickly settled into our "previous" life, where we could shop, eat, and travel while only having to think about ourselves. Those of you still in this life stage -- SAVOR IT! Our flight leaving Eindhoven was delayed by a few hours, but we didn't let that put a damper on our trip! :)