All your questions answered!

I've been getting a lot of questions recently about our move back to the States, so I thought it might be easiest to answer them on here. Granted, the answer to some of these may change in the coming months, because as you know, things don't always go according to plan! As of right now, however, this is what we know . . .

Q:   When are you moving back to the States??

A:   As of right now, things are looking towards the end of April (!). That seems SO soon, considering we were contemplating staying through the summer. Keith's contract is up here on April 30th, so all signs point to that date. Can you believe that is in SEVEN WEEKS?!


Q:   What about Barcelona??

A:   Some of you know that our original plan was to have the movers come sometime in June, then spend 6 or so weeks in a furnished apartment in Barcelona while our belongings made the long trip home. We would then come back to Georgia sometime in July to meet our stuff. Now that Keith's job wants him in Georgia sooner rather than later, Barcelona is up in the air. If we do decide to go, it probably won't be for the full 6-8 weeks we were thinking, but rather a few at best. I'm kinda bummed about that part of it. We are still trying to decide what to do in this situation.


Q:   What about your dog?

A:   Our plan is to get Murphy back the same way he came here. There is actually a pet relocation service that will pick Murphy up at our home, take him to the airport and get him safely on a plane to travel back to Georgia. After arriving in Atlanta, they will then also drive him to wherever he will be staying until we arrive. It is much less stress on us to do it this way!


Q:   Will you move back into your old house?

A:   Yes. We have been lucky enough to have the same tenants in our home the entire time we've been in the Netherlands, and they have been fabulous. Keith and I actually talked about letting them continue to rent while we possibly look for another house. In the end, we decided to go back to our house, which also works out for our renters who need to leave in May anyway. God always has a plan!

However, since it takes our belongings anywhere from 6-8 weeks (or longer?!) to arrive, we will likely be in a furnished apartment until then (location: TBD). I'm hoping we can use that time that the house is empty to make a few improvements, like change the carpets, paint, etc. before we move all our things back in.



Q:   Will you go back to teaching?

A:   Not right now. I love staying at home with Liam and this opportunity has allowed me to do it a bit longer. Keith is supportive of whatever I want to do, so right now I plan to focus on my family, and feel so blessed that I have the option to do so. With as much as Liam is learning on a daily basis, it is so awesome that I can use my skills as a teacher to help him grow into the amazing little boy he is!


Q:   What will you miss about the Netherlands?

A:   A lot! One big thing I will miss is all the friends I've made. Joining the International Women's Club and the North American Women's Club have introduced to me to some incredible ladies. It's amazing what a small world it is once you begin talking to people!

I have been SO lucky to be a part of the Baby Toddler Playgroup through the IWCE, and have made some lifelong friends here. I can't say enough about these women. We are mostly all in the same boat -- some here for a short while, others for longer, others indefinitely, but all away from "home." We understand the frustrations and challenges that go along with that. We are all raising kids the same age and are each other's support and listening ear when needed. After meeting on a weekly basis with these women and their children for over a year now, I will definitely miss them when we move.

Besides the friends, there are other things I will miss as well. I love that we can walk or bike almost everywhere. It is not necessary to get Liam in and out of his carseat anytime I want to go to the store or the park or go shopping. I really love just popping him in the stroller and all of us walking somewhere for lunch on a weekday afternoon, getting some fresh air, and enjoying the scenery.

I will miss the slower paced lifestyle here . . . things just seem to be more relaxed and not so stressful for some reason. I will miss the fresh breads, delicious cheeses, and local produce -- groceries don't last as long because there are less (or no) preservatives, which means we eat less junk and processed foods here.

I will miss how close we are to other European cities and countries -- traveling here has been easy and cheap and such an experience. I will definitely miss going away for the weekend to find a completely different county, culture, language, etc.

I will also especially cherish the time that Keith, Liam, and I spent as a little family here . . . it is so bittersweet to think that we are leaving Liam's first home. For the last (almost) two years we have been spoiled by the amount of time the three of us have spent together. It is amazing how much we have grown through this experience.

I could fill up this post with more things, but I'll stop now!


Q:   What things are you looking forward to when you get back?

A:   I cannot wait to see my family and friends! It'll be a wonderful reunion that I am truly looking forward to. I can't wait to hold my nieces and hug my friends and spend some quality time with those I love. It will be awesome for Liam to be around his family and friends, whom he asks for all the time. This is without a doubt numero uno on my list.

I am also ecstatic about going back to our church! We definitely found a home at StoneCreek and I am beyond excited to get back there. I miss our small group, our wonderful pastor, and the many friends we've made there. I always looked forward to Sunday mornings, and that has been a huge part of our lives that we have missed while living here.

Otherwise, the "American" things I'm looking forward to are things like my favorite restaurants (hello Chick-fil-A and yummy Mexican food!), variety in the grocery store, Target, less expensive clothes (goodbye euro, hello dollar!), stores open in the evenings and on Sundays, etc. etc.

Although most Dutch people speak English, almost all written communication is in Dutch. I am excited to be able to clearly understand and communicate back home -- especially in regards to things like calling the doctor's office and understanding the menu options, or reading our mail, or reading labels in the grocery store. I can't wait to read a recipe and be certain I can find everything I need at the store!




Ok, I guess that's it for now! If you have any more questions, let me know and I will try to answer them for you. See everyone on the other side of the pond very soon!

~Jessi

Is it Gent or Ghent?

Our family adventure this weekend was to the city of Ghent, Belgium, a mere 90 minutes away . . . we decided to get an early start and woke Liam up at 7:30 am and threw him in the car in his pjs -- this ended up being a great plan because he was in shock for the first half of the ride and didn't say much, so we were able to make it all the way there without so much as a peep. After finally finding a parking garage we dressed Liam in the car and headed out to explore the town. It was a pretty cold day, but at least it wasn't snowing!

The White City

With a move back to the States on the horizon, Keith and I want to take advantage of our weekends here in Europe and do a little exploring while we still can. This past weekend we decided to go to a little town about 40 minutes away called Thorn. Keith had been there before but this was my first time. Thorn is different than most villages here in that the whole town is white-washed, so it's really neat to walk around the narrow streets surrounded by all white brick buildings, cafes, and antique shops. It is known as The White City, even though it is not exactly a city, but a village. The church is big and beautiful, located right in the center of town, as it is in most villages.

view of the church from the pancake house

However, I think we made a not-so-great decision to go on this particular day because it started snowing on our way out there, and didn't stop until we were back in Eindhoven that afternoon. It was COLD and WINDY and SNOWY and we got there at a time when nothing was open yet. We tried to check out the church but there was a service going on, so we didn't think it would be prudent to bring an energetic 18 month old into the sanctuary. Everyone raved about the pannenkoeken huis (pancake house) so we headed there just as they were opening. I swear y'all . . . best decision we made that day and worth the drive there and back just to eat there!

First of all, they were SO child-friendly (much different than Barcelona, ha!) and Liam was able to play at a Lego table with a bunch of blocks, and even hang out at a touch-screen monitor where he could play games, "color," and be entertained while we waited to get our food. The menu at this place was ridiculous too -- every kind of pancake you can imagine with all kinds of savory or sweet options. Everything on the menu was numbered and it went up to the 800s! They made the typical Dutch pancakes, very thin and big, but these were just a tiny bit thicker than usual and man, were they good! Keith opted for half ham and cheese and half blueberry (kind of like having lunch and dessert on one plate!), I had a cinnamon and sugar pancake, and we got Liam an apple, raisin, cinnamon, and sugar kids pancake -- we all were VERY satisfied with our choices. Liam loved having raisins in his pancakes, so it definitely gave me the idea to try it at home for him.

After lunch we just let Liam walk around a bit on our way back to the car, but it was so cold and snowy that we just decided it was best to head home. I wish we could have enjoyed more time in Thorn, but perhaps we will be able to make it back on a nicer day. I still don't regret it though because those pancakes were to die!

~Jessi

Bien venido a Espana!

You all know that we have loved living abroad and try to take full advantage of our surroundings while we're here. One way we do that is by planning trips to cities we wouldn't normally get to go to. The first week of February Keith had to go to Barcelona for work, so we thought that would be the perfect time for a family weekend away. It happened to coincide with Carnival, which meant that most people had off work in the Netherlands that following Monday and Tuesday, so it was easy for Keith to take off as well. Keith's birthday also happened to be that Friday at the end of his work week, so what better reason to take a trip??

Day 1 - Friday

lunch in the airport

Liam and I flew out Friday afternoon (all on our own, God bless me), and met Keith at his hotel to pick him up and head to our apartment for the next five days. The location was perfect, walking distance to several sites we wanted to see, on a busy shopping street, and close to plenty of restaurants (more on that later . . . ).

I am SO glad Keith got an apartment that was in conjunction with a nice hotel in Barcelona. We had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living / dining room and a full kitchen -- plus maid service every day. It was the perfect arrangement to have with a toddler. Once we got settled at the apartment we walked a block away for dinner at a local tapas restaurant. We all got something delicious for dinner (the chicken and veggie risotto -- OMG), and kept Liam fairly busy while he sat in the booth because there were no high chairs. Turns out, we would come to find that no restaurant had high chairs. Like none. Zero. And we tried, oh did we try! On our very last meal over the course of five days we finally lucked out with a high chair. We figured either there were no toddlers in Barcelona or people just didn't take them out to eat. The latter I suppose . . . sigh.

We put Liam to bed as soon as we got back as it was already getting late, and he went right to sleep, exhausted from the day's events.

home for the holidays . . .

After a busy November, the time finally came for our month-long trip home to Atlanta. We were a little nervous about how the plane trip would go considering how awful it was when we traveled in August! This time however we booked Liam his own seat and brought on his carseat. I also bought Liam some new toys and wrapped them up so that Liam had something new to unwrap throughout the flight when he was getting antsy. These two things SAVED our trip. Liam was a dream during the whole flight! I think having him in his carseat tricked him into thinking he had to stay in it. He only got up twice during the flight to walk around and play in the back with the flight attendants (who loved him of course). Amazingly, he took a one-hour nap at the very beginning of the flight, and was awake for the next eight hours -- no joke. And he STILL was awesome.

However, that lack of sleep came back to bite us . . . we flew in the same night as a birthday dinner for my mom's 50th and we literally went straight to dinner from the airport. We all looked awful and Liam was a pill during most of dinner. He finally started to warm up when we put him and Bailey next to each other -- they kept each other entertained and Bailey would not stop trying to kiss and hug him! She was so excited to see her cousin!

Since I am just now taking time to write this all down, it is amazing how quickly the month flew by! We had play dates with friends, Santa sightings, lots of shopping, road trip to Alabama, a baby shower . . . the list goes on and on! We were also so happy to witness my brother getting married the week after we arrived, and then go to my cousin's wedding right before Christmas. There were so many awesome things to celebrate while we were there!

So here is a picture dump of our time with a few comments here and there . . .

apple pickin' . . .

There happens to be an orchard right down the street from us, and coincidentally it is run by Philips! The Philips Fruittuin is HUGE and allows anyone and everyone to come in and pick apples and pears off their trees -- there is no fee to go and you just pay for what you pick! It was so cheap, only €0.25 a kilo! They give you a canvas sack to collect your apples in, and we got about a bushel for €1.25! There were a TON of people there, but it wasn't crowded because the orchard is so gigantic. Our friends Lindsey and Josh met us there with their son Jackson, and the boys were so funny checking out all the apples on the trees and the ground. The only problem was once Liam figured out we were putting apples in our bag he wanted to put every apple in the bag! We basically walked around the first dozen rows and didn't go much further because we were all ready for lunch!

Celebrating America in The Netherlands

While these pictures may look like something straight out of the history books, they were actually taken last month when we visited a castle to watch a World War II reenactment. September 17th is a day that Eindhoven commemorates the American paratroopers landing in Eindhoven during WWII. The planes missed their original landing site and actually landed at Kasteel Heeswijk, so each year around the anniversary of the landing the Dutch celebrate this turn in the war by doing a reenactment for all to see. Keith, Liam, and I went to see the parachuters drop out of airplanes, which originally was supposed to happen at 2 pm but didn't happen until 4 pm. In the meantime we hung out with friends, walking the grounds around the castle, and then excitedly listened for the plane flying overhead.

See you later, Alligator!

The rest of our week in Georgia was spent with family and friends, enjoying our last few days together. "Lita" (my mom) came to pick us up Monday and Tuesday to hang out with Liam, which was nice. One day we went to the mall and walked around, and let Liam get in some of the rides, which he loved. He also learned to drink from a straw that day, which he found to be so awesome!

Birthday Party #1

Ok, back to catching up on here! While we were in Georgia we had Liam's first 1st Birthday Party, albeit 10 days early. : )

Several months ago I decided I wanted to do a vintage airplane theme for his birthday (since the kid has been on more planes in one year than many people I know!). I enlisted the help of one of my best friends, Jenny, who designs cards and invitations and whatnot. She is super creative, and was able to take examples of things I'd seen (hello, Pinterest!) and turn them into the perfect invitation, decorations, etc. for Liam's party.

After going back and forth on locations for the birthday party, I finally had the brilliant idea late one night to have it at the 57th Fighter Group Restaurant in Atlanta. Keith and I used to go there for their amazing Sunday brunch back when we were dating, and the place is SO cool. It's actually at Peachtree-Dekalb Airport and the restaurant overlooks the airfield and runways. There are also old planes parked around and the inside is decorated with WWII-esque memorabilia, pictures, and style. It was the perfect location for an airplane party!

Bien venido a Espana!

Keith and I decided about a month ago that we wanted to go to Spain for our beach vacation because we had heard great things about Mallorca and how family-friendly it is, with beautiful beaches and delicious foods -- sounded perfect to us! For those who don't know (like me, before we booked this trip), Mallorca is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea (technically the Balearic Sea), off the coast of Spain near Barcelona (and a stones throw from Ibiza). There are many Brits and Germans who live and vacation there, but not many Americans (most people thought we were British, haha!).

Having fun while we wait at the airport

So we booked our holiday just weeks before we left and planned to spend eleven days in Mallorca at the beginning of July. We were lucky enough to have great friends keep Murphy while we were gone, and off we headed to Eindhoven airport (luckily only ten minutes from our house) to catch a two-hour plane ride to Palma, followed by a 45 minute drive to the other side of the island where we were staying, in Playa de Alcudia. Unfortunately the board said our plane was delayed. Indefinitely. Until further notice. Seriously? So we fed Liam and had a drink ourselves, knowing we would eventually make it to the beach that day. And we did. Just two hours later than we thought. Lucky for us, the temperature was perfect the entire time -- in the mid-80s (28-29 C), sunny, breezy, and perfect.

1 year anniversary!

Today marks one year that we've been in the Netherlands. The day we left was one of the hardest days I've ever been through. I'm not gonna lie, there were tears. Lots and lots of tears. And that was even knowing we'd be back soon! I've told many people that I can really enjoy this experience knowing it's not forever -- I can do anything for a short amount of time, including pack up all our belongings and move 4500 miles away! If you want to see how the beginning of our journey started, check back here.

Since that day, there have been 365 more . . . awesome ones, terrible ones, and everything in between. Our global coordinates do not make us immune to bad days, and our joys are not multiplied just because we live in Europe. Life is what you make of it, no matter where you are. So the good days are wonderful because we see them as wonderful, not because of the view out our window (although it is a beautiful view!)

Georgia on my mind . . .

Two weeks ago Liam and I boarded a plane and headed back to Georgia -- just the two of us! I really prayed a lot before the trip about our flight, and specifically the people who I would encounter on our journey. It really couldn't have gone better, thanks be to God. We had a day flight, which meant that I had to feed Liam all his meals (breastfeeding and solids) three times during the flight. Yikes! Out of the nine hour flight, Liam took three thirty minute naps on my lap -- that made for one very long day! Lucky for me, Liam never cried, but just fussed a few times when he would get tired or hungry. We also were fortunate to have the nicest people around us, all young folks who loved to give Liam attention, which let's face it, is what the boy lives on . . .

Liam and Gram Gram : )

Case in point: he loves to be held!

Happy New Year!

Ok, so I know it's January 17th, but I have to share with you about our first New Year's Eve in Eindhoven. We arrived back in the Netherlands on December 30th so that we would have the weekend to recover from our trip, do laundry, unpack, etc. We got home from the airport on Friday afternoon and we immediately noticed all the fireworks going off . . . we couldn't see anything at the time, but we definitely heard nonstop booms and cracks and pops. Apparently fireworks are illegal here -- except for the 24 hours leading up to New Years. That means that people were so excited to kick off 2012 that they started WAY in advance . . . there was literally not even one minute that went by that we did not hear fireworks during the two days leading up to New Year's Eve. It made naps and night-time sleeping rather difficult for Liam those first two nights back because I am dead serious when I say there were fireworks every. single. minute. for. 48. hours.

to make a long story short . . .

We had an awesome time in Georgia . . . four weeks flew by, and it's hard to believe we are back home. Unfortunately I think Liam never really got adjusted to the time change so we had a hard time getting him back on his schedule once we returned. At the end of the trip Liam caught a cold, which didn't help his sleeping AT ALL -- the poor thing couldn't breathe well and it was just pitiful. : (  But we're really close to being back to normal, which is a good thing for all of us.

Here are just a few more pictures from our time in Georgia . . . and what's even crazier is that we'll be back in two months for a friend's wedding! I'll have to think long and hard about whether it's worth it to attempt to change Liam's schedule for those ten days we're back . . . we'll see!

Liam's dedication . . .

A few weeks before heading to Georgia, we found out that Stonecreek, our home church in Alpharetta, was having a baby dedication service the Sunday after we arrived. It was obviously meant to be, and we signed our family up right away! After arriving on Friday and surprising family and friends, I quickly said, "Oh, and by the way, can you come to church with us on Sunday to be a part of Liam's dedication? Pretty please??"

Christmas Day traditions . . .

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Christmas (duh. who doesn't love Christmas??). And one of my favorite things about Christmas is our Christmas traditions. My family does several special things that I absolutely cherish and hold dear to my heart each year. One is the Christmas card. Every year my dad spends pain-staking days finding the perfect Christmas card to give each of us, which are promptly put on the tree the week before Christmas. It is the first thing we open on Christmas morning, and I have been collecting these special cards for years now. What's funny is that you have to be a "member" to get one -- Keith didn't even get one the year we were engaged at Christmas, but got his first Christmas card the following year when he was "official."

sweet home Alabama . . .

The week before Christmas we headed to Alabama to spend time with Keith's mom and family. It was so nice and relaxing, and I love how much going there feels like home to me. I'm one of those lucky few who has a wonderful mother-in-law who never puts any pressure on us and is just happy to see us as much as we can visit. I feel so comfortable there and loved being able to take it easy after two weeks of being crazy and on the go!

She was absolutely ENTHRALLED with Liam and couldn't get enough of him! I was so amazed at how well she did with him considering her youngest grandchild before Liam came along is now in high school! All she wanted to do was hold him and play with him and love on him all day.

Supplies!!

{Sidenote: If you haven't heard the "supplies" joke, ask me sometime : ) }

So it is 6 am in the Netherlands, we have been home one week, and this may be my first opportunity to blog in the last month or so. It's been a crazy December, but one I won't forget for sure. I will try to capture it all, but it's going to take me several posts to get everything in! Let me start at the beginning . . .

. . . thankful

Well today is the traditional American holiday of Thanksgiving. As I type this my family is having their pick of a half dozen desserts, after a meal that was lovingly prepared over several days by a dozen different family members, and probably took about a dozen minutes to consume. ; ) I was able to get in a quick Skype session before putting Liam to bed, and am SO looking forward to seeing them all soon.

There are many things I am thankful for, but none more than being saved by a God who loves me. His grace and mercy are unending, and I am undeserving. Yet he loves every bit of me, the good, the bad, and the worse. He has blessed me with an incredible life, and all the other things I am thankful for come from Him . . .

You've Got Mail!

Well, actually WE got mail . . . two packages arrived from the States yesterday and it was so fun to open them! We got a care package from my stepdad that had a beautiful fleece blanket his wife had made for Liam, complete with his name embroidered on the corner, and lots of American goodies that we can't find here in the Netherlands. We have enough Oreos, taco seasoning, and Texas Pete Buffalo Wing Sauce to last us the winter! I can't wait to make my first batch of buffalo chicken dip for one of our football Saturdays! Thanks guys!