rose colored glasses

isn't there a saying about looking through rose colored glasses? well, anyway... the glasses in these photos are anything but rose colored... they are my dad's old safetly glasses and let's just say they have been very "loved" by my kids. my dad gave them to me because i have often been referred to as a nerd (and proud of it!) and had one photo taken as a teenager wearing these glasses (no - i WON'T be posting that photo!!!)

anyway - yesterday my post stated that we have been living in the Netherlands for 1 year. phew! and while the post was very upbeat about our overall experience - i wanted to be honest and say that it has not been all "rosey"... "peachy"... however you want to say it. don't get me wrong - it's been a great overall experience.

.... but there's those times in the last year where i have wondered... when we first moved here - we did not have internet, telephone, bikes, or a car so for almost a week i wondered if ross would come home in the evening to his crazy family? would he bring us some food from the grocery store because we were bored all day and ate all the food? how am i going to keep all 4 kids quiet while we stand before immigration? how many trips will i need to make to the town hall? why do i have to go to the grocery store 3-4 times a week? why do i have to remember to bring my own shopping bags.... or pay 50cents per bag to buy some at the register? why do i have to go to 3 different stores for toilet paper - light bulbs - trash bags? wouldn't it be so much easier to do a 1-stop shop at wal-mart!?! why do i have a flat tire on my bike AGAIN? what in the world is the person yelling at me in dutch when my big van is taking up too much space on the road AGAIN? does that truck need to just randomly stop and unload - right in the middle of traffic? i wonder what that sign says in dutch? is that person staring at me because i have 4 kids or because we are speaking english? why do i have to remember a 50 cent piece to rent a grocery cart EVERY time i go shopping? why ME?

but there is one answer i am sure of - it's a different way of life and different is GOOD! it's a chance for me to look at things in a different way and i'm glad for that opportunity. taking things as they come and surviving day by day is how i've done it!

i still can't stop laughing at the pictures above!!!!! by the way - while capturing these photos - one side arm of the glasses actually broke! will this be the end of the glasses? i hope some tape and glue will keep the glasses alive :)

365days ago....

365 days ago we loaded up the rental van with the last of our belongings....and our 4 children.... and drove to O'Hare

look how tiny jillian is in this picture!

my crazy helen!

..... and here we are today.... 1 year later :)

i have thought about this blog post many times over the last year.... what would i write? - how would i feel?... would i even be here after 365 days?

the many times i've been riding my bike around town or running through the forest.... or lying in bed unable to sleep.... what would i write? - how would i express my feelings?.... oh the stories i could type.... oh the crazy "adventures" we've been on....but as i reflect back on the past year - it's gone by so fast! almost too fast for me, really. maybe it's because it was jillian's first year of life.... such a busy time..... i hold on tight to each of her milestones since she is our last baby....or maybe it's just my life trying to keep up with the other 3 kids too that made the time fly :)

as a result of our experience - my kids know so many things about people from different countries and cultures. jayden even speaks with slight British accent! they've seen the Eiffel Tower, watched Lance Armstrong buzz by in the Tour de France (Helen to this day - when she sees someone on a road bike - says.... "oh - it's a bike racer!!!), made friends and played with children that speak other languages, participated in swimming - dance - and soccer spoken completely in Dutch, visited more museums in 1 year than i have in my entire (almost) 35 years of life (thanks to a special Museumkaart that allows us for one set fee to visit every museum in Holland), seen windmills - tulips - wooden shoes - roundabouts - motorways - the list could go on.....

for me - this experience has taught me a big lesson in patience - or should i say i have learned to be much more patient with life. .... patiently waiting in line at the butcher.... patiently waiting at the local government town hall.... patiently waiting for my flat tire to be fixed..... patiently waiting for a 3 year old to push a small shopping cart around the store for the 3rd time in a week (yes - we go to the grocery store at least 3 times a week!)... patiently waiting for the baby to sleep through the night....patiently trying to figure out if my big van will fit down a street or in a parking garage...

i have learned to live in the moment and not worry (ok - well not worry AS much) about what tomorrow will bring. life is really about the "adventure" - not the destination.

i'm not sure this is the direction i wanted my post to go...... but there you have it! 365 days!!

road-trip to oberhausen

the whole gang!

news articles of the predictions

paul the octopus has predicted the outcome of all of germany's football matches and even the world cup matches. there was a display in the Sea Life Aquarium. pretty cool!

henri is going to touch a starfish

jillian loved seeing the fish!

henri plays outside the Sea Life Aquarium

last sunday we drove to oberhausen, germany to meet our friends - Kai, Anja, Alex and their kiddos. we ate lunch at a brauhaus and then went to the Sea Life aquarium.

we go - van gogh!

people out walking on a path in amsterdam on a sunny, sunday afternoon

the "Rodeo Drive" of amsterdam :) we saw a Tiffany store, Chanel, Polo Ralph Lauren, Coach Stores to name a few and even a Rolls Royce car driving down the street :)

"r" is for Ross!

"s" is for Sara

helen squeezes between the "a" and the "m"

everybody in the "a" - it was the only letter that was not occupied by other people having their picture taken :)

too bad there were so many people in front of the i amsterdam sign

view of museumplein

having lunch at the museum... near a window with the sun shining on us :)

today we visited the van gogh museum in amsterdam. i was a bit nervous about taking the kids to an art museum - but they did great! i hope to visit some more art museums soon!

swim diploma video part 1

first video - graham swimming a portion of his test

second video - jayden swimming a portion of his test

Swim Diploma A

getting their A diploma

jillian watching the test!

jayden 'rounds the corner during his test

graham on his back during a portion of his test

helen holds the flowers to give to the boys

The boys had their final test to earn their A Diploma in swimming today! We are so proud of them for earning this diploma. I am going to try to briefly explain the swimming Diploma system.....as a former swim teacher myself - i think this program is an excellent way to teach kids how to swim. the teachers are great.

here in Holland - swimming is taken very seriously...i think being surrounded by water has something to do with it :) the boys started out in swimming group 1 last May and worked their way up to group 5. after they completed the skills required for group 5 - they were invited to swim for their A diploma. I believe there are A, B, and C diplomas that can be earned by the children for swimming here in Holland. As part of the A diploma test - they were required to swim a portion of the test in shorts, shoes, and a tshirt (I guess to simulate a situation where one might fall into water). In the B and C diploma tests - the children must wear long pants, long sleeves, a rain coat, etc. as well as perform certain types of swimming skills.

i took a TON of video during the test this afternoon and i'm going to try and share a few vidoes! Such a neat experience and I couldn't be more proud of them!

will post the video later - MUST. GET. TO. SOME.SLEEP! :)

lucky 13

she's pointing to her belly

i can't believe it! jillian is 13 months old already! remember 1 month ago? - she barely touched her cupcake on her birthday .... well now all i have to do is bring out a muffin or a cupcake and she starts saying "ME ME ME ME!". this little girl knows EXACTLY what she wants and is not afraid to express it :) could it be possible that she has more spunk that her sister, helen... i think so !

she also loves to stand at the window and look outside at the birds that gather in our backyard - she will point her finger when she sees one. she's not walking yet - but can hang on to just about anything or push whatever she can get her hands on across the floor to get where she needs to go (and i'm certainly not complaining about her walking.... i want her to stay my little baby for a while!)

'round the neighborhood

feeding the deer

helen insisted on riding her bike!

saying hello to the horse

took a walk with the girls this afternoon around our neighborhood. fed the deer and said hello to the horse..... with spring arriving here in holland - we will proably make this walk several times a week.

my biker chic!

pretty picture of the garden

action shot of my girl riding her bike!

my girl ridin' through the forest!

on friday, march 11th - helen decided that she was ready to ride a bike without training wheels. AND she did it! i couldn't believe she was able to ride the bike without training wheels! just proves that the loopfiets (bike without pedals) really does help to teach a child how to ride a bike :) amazing!!!

old maid

last night we played a game of old maid while graham had his piano lesson with ross. i can't help but wonder - why is it so hard to hold in laughter when someone draws the Old Maid card out of your hand :) reminded me of when i used to play Old Maid with my siblings :)