Old People on Bicycles...

...crack me up! And piss me off, but mainly crack me up. Over here it is the preferred mode of transportation for the elderly. It some ways that's great. You don't have to follow so many old people in cars going 50kmh (30mph) in a 70kmh (45mph) zone and you aren't as likely to be hit by one not looking where they are going. On the other hand you have them riding down the middle of the road because they can no longer see the bicycle lane markings to stay inside them. Anyways, you should see the old folks around here. And I really mean old like in their 80's pedalling their little bikes with the basket on the front and metal "luggage" rack on the back. They remind me all to often of the Wizard of Oz. You know when the tornados going on and Dorothy looks out the window to see the old person on the bicycle? I'll try to snap a picture soon and post for all to see. It will put a smile on your face when you see it. At least it does mine.

Holland: Part 2

For all those (namely Valerie) who wanted some European knowledge, here you go. "Holland is the old name of the western provinces North-Holland, South-Holland and the small province of Utrecht. About half of the Dutch population lives in this region, where you can find the "four big cities" Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht." (http://www.cs.ru.nl/~ansgar/voorlichting/foreign/hol.html)

Make any sense? This area is also considered to be mainly Calvanistic or Protestant as opposed to the rest of Europe which is mostly Catholic.

Did you know?

An interesting little fact you guys might not have known: The Netherlands and Holland aren't exactly the same thing. Holland is the name of the Northern region of the Netherlands. Not another name for the whole country. Also, if you've never noticed, the Netherlands is in the shape of a lion.

Man's Best Friend

My first baby will be home Sunday. I can't wait to get him back. He has been with my parents since last July's extended California stay. Isn't he Beautiful!

The Far Side...

I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we ar e moving: To reach the port of Heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.

-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.-

The "spitting" image of her father, don't you think?

Our Orchards

The Far Side...

...of the farm. Hallo on Goede Middag! Hello and Good Afternoon! Belgium is great. A bit cold, but great. Spring is coming but not fast enough. It is still in the mid 30's around here but sunny. Come mid April we will have some of the most beautiful blooms around. All the apple, pear and cherry orchards are around here. I haven't figured out how to insert pics yet but when I do, I will.

David is doing good and in the states at the moment. A friend of ours got married and he was one of the best men. He's currently in NC visiting his family. Brea is growing like a weed. She was 10.03 lbs at her 2 month check up and has her 3 month check up tomorrow. I am betting she's 11.7 lbs now. She has her daddy's beautiful eyes and my monster of a mouth. Nice combination, right? :) I am doing good. Just trying to get back into shape. I have lost all the baby weight and am now working on my extra emily weight I deemed necessary to keep the baby warm in my belly. ;) By summer I should be good as new.

Nothing really new around here. We move back stateside the end of Oct. beginning of Nov. I am excited and sad. I love being over here. The travel opportunities and cultural differences that we get to experience first hand are amazing. We really love being here. We are sad to be leaving but very excited about being only a drive, not a flight or cruise, away from all of you. We won't know where we are moving back too until end of July or August. I'll be sure to keep all of you posted though.

That's all I have for now so let me check on the little one and I'll check back in later.

...of the world. Belgium chiming in. Hello all, I have only recently stumbled upon this site (thanks in large part to Mrs. Muffin's man a.k.a. String Bean). I don't know how good I'll be at posting frequently or interestingly but I love to read yours and wanted a way to comment. :)