It's been very quiet over here... I had my reasons... I've been very busy lately and did not feel like writing on this blog. Anyway, nothing very exciting has happened, except maybe for the big village party we've had on January 17. Elewijt (where we live) had been elected "Village with a future" last year and so they won a price to throw a big party for all the citizens.
It was nice, we had free drinks, free food and rock bands were playing all kinds of music, only negative point was the fact that it was so cold.
By 8.30pm we were frozen and so we went back home although the party was to continue till 2am.
Except for that party, we did nothing special because Axelle had a lot of testing at school and we had to spend a lot of time with her to study.
First results show that she is improving at school, so we're very happy about that.
At work I had my appraisal meeting with my boss. I was so glad to hear that he was very happy with my return and that he values all my efforts at work. Have to say that I went home that evening with a happy feeling.
But, the title of this post says "America here we come!"... Indeed, we booked our flights.
We'll be leaving April 1 by train to Paris and fly with Air France to LAX, where we will be arriving early afternoon. We'll come back to Belgium on April 15.
In the two weeks we'll be visiting our friends and also have a roadtrip with our friends to visit Tamzen, Jeff and Maia in Albuquerque. They moved from Marina del Rey to New Mexico and live in a nice house with pool. So why not go and see them as well?!
Also some shopping has to be put on the agenda, I'm already making up my shopping list... all the things I miss here in the shops... and the stuff that is a lot less expensive in the States...
So my darlings... have some patience, we'll be there in no time!
Love you all
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Living in winter wonderland
A new layer of snow since Sunday night covers the houses, gardens and streets here in Belgium.
Not funny after two weeks at home to go to work in this kind of weather last Monday. But we managed to get there without accidents (and to get back home too).
On top of this snow, we also got very cold weather... freezing during night and day.
I must say that this layer of snow is beautiful, but it does not make me forget the warm winters we had in Marina del Rey.
Even our Niki, the cat, does not feel like exploring outside, she just looks through the window and that's all.
During the winter holiday we tried to get Niki used to our garden, but she was so scared that most of the time she stayed very close to our garden house or would come running up to the door to get back inside. Hope she'll stay this way and that she will never try to explore the road in front of our house.
School started again this Monday and Axelle told me they had a lot of fun playing in the snow during recreation. First day of school they had an electricity problem (actually it was everywhere in the village and other villages close to ours). No electricity means no heating... Lucky this was only a temporary problem that lasted one hour, otherwise all kids would have to return home.
The cold that we're actually experiencing is going to stay here for another few days... good thing is the fact that it will be sunny and not grey.
Now would be the perfect time to have that jacuzzi in our garden... I definitely have to start working on that plan for our garden... Yes I do...
Not funny after two weeks at home to go to work in this kind of weather last Monday. But we managed to get there without accidents (and to get back home too).
On top of this snow, we also got very cold weather... freezing during night and day.
I must say that this layer of snow is beautiful, but it does not make me forget the warm winters we had in Marina del Rey.
Even our Niki, the cat, does not feel like exploring outside, she just looks through the window and that's all.
During the winter holiday we tried to get Niki used to our garden, but she was so scared that most of the time she stayed very close to our garden house or would come running up to the door to get back inside. Hope she'll stay this way and that she will never try to explore the road in front of our house.
School started again this Monday and Axelle told me they had a lot of fun playing in the snow during recreation. First day of school they had an electricity problem (actually it was everywhere in the village and other villages close to ours). No electricity means no heating... Lucky this was only a temporary problem that lasted one hour, otherwise all kids would have to return home.
The cold that we're actually experiencing is going to stay here for another few days... good thing is the fact that it will be sunny and not grey.
Now would be the perfect time to have that jacuzzi in our garden... I definitely have to start working on that plan for our garden... Yes I do...
Friday, January 02, 2009
Few pictures in previous post
As you can see in the post below, I had some trouble with the layout.
I had a lot more pictures on this post, but could not get my layout right, the way I liked it.
Sorry about that!
I had a lot more pictures on this post, but could not get my layout right, the way I liked it.
Sorry about that!
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Sorry it took me such a long time to write another post…
And now it seems I have too much to write about.
What have we been doing lately, since Axelle’s birthday weekend…
Alain and Axelle went on a short ski trip to Les Deux Alpes in France. They left on Friday, December 19 and came back on December 24. They had a great time. Axelle was very proud that she almost did not fall anymore on the slopes. They had a lot of snow and a lot of fun.
On December 20, I went on a day trip with Rosette and my mom and her niece. We went, by coach, to Cologne in Germany to see the famous Cologne Christmas market. I had high expectations and must say that they were not met. We got up early in the morning and only arrived by 11 am in Cologne. The weather was not of any help: rain the entire day and by the end of the day also a lot of wind. Lucky for us the sales had already started in Germany, so we spend some time in the shops. I got myself a nice jacket and a handbag on sale. My other companions also did some shopping. By 9.30 pm I was back home. My conclusion: I will not return to Germany to see a Christmas market, I think our own Christmas markets here in Belgium can compete with what I've seen in Cologne!
Starting December 24, I was also on holiday (till January 5) and so I had enough time to prepare a nice Christmas dinner for December 24. Alain and Axelle came home early that morning and did not feel like staying up too late that evening. On December 25 it was family time… we had dinner with our parents.
On December 26, Axelle had invited the girls from her class to come and celebrate her birthday. We played games, Alain made a big stack of pancakes and at the end of the day 4 kids stayed for a sleepover. They watched a fun movie and went to bed way too late. But they said they had fun and that’s what we wanted to hear the next day.
Last weekend Axelle had a sleepover at my parents and on Sunday, December 28, and we had a “tête à tête” in the sauna. We went to a very big sauna in The Netherlands (Schiedam), Thermen Holiday, were we enjoyed the good life the entire day! This was still a gift we received from our friends when we came home this summer. So thanks guys!
On Monday evening, Nadine and Kris had invited us and Axelle stayed for a sleepover (and she did the same thing on Tuesday). Since we had no kids in the house, we started a big cleaning action. We had been to Ikea to get some chest drawers and started throwing stuff out and filing other things that had been laying around since our move back to Belgium. You can say that we started this new year “clean”…
On Wednesday, December 31, we did some more cleaning during the day and at 5.30 pm we had to be at Nadine and Kris. Kris is member of an organizing committee that organizes a End of the Year party. We were very happy they invited us to go party with them…. Eating, drinking, dancing, having a lot of fun with our good friends… No pictures, sorry… did not feel like taking my camera with me.
And now the new year has started, so let me wish all of you “HAPPY NEW YEAR”, especially “AN EXCELLENT HEALTH” or “A QUICK RECOVERY” (for those who need it right now),
“A FUN YEAR WITH LOTS OF CRAZY MOMENTS, FREE OF WORRIES”, so many things I want to wish all of you, my dear friends, my family…
Here are some pictures…
And now it seems I have too much to write about.
What have we been doing lately, since Axelle’s birthday weekend…
Alain and Axelle went on a short ski trip to Les Deux Alpes in France. They left on Friday, December 19 and came back on December 24. They had a great time. Axelle was very proud that she almost did not fall anymore on the slopes. They had a lot of snow and a lot of fun.
On December 20, I went on a day trip with Rosette and my mom and her niece. We went, by coach, to Cologne in Germany to see the famous Cologne Christmas market. I had high expectations and must say that they were not met. We got up early in the morning and only arrived by 11 am in Cologne. The weather was not of any help: rain the entire day and by the end of the day also a lot of wind. Lucky for us the sales had already started in Germany, so we spend some time in the shops. I got myself a nice jacket and a handbag on sale. My other companions also did some shopping. By 9.30 pm I was back home. My conclusion: I will not return to Germany to see a Christmas market, I think our own Christmas markets here in Belgium can compete with what I've seen in Cologne!
Starting December 24, I was also on holiday (till January 5) and so I had enough time to prepare a nice Christmas dinner for December 24. Alain and Axelle came home early that morning and did not feel like staying up too late that evening. On December 25 it was family time… we had dinner with our parents.
On December 26, Axelle had invited the girls from her class to come and celebrate her birthday. We played games, Alain made a big stack of pancakes and at the end of the day 4 kids stayed for a sleepover. They watched a fun movie and went to bed way too late. But they said they had fun and that’s what we wanted to hear the next day.
Last weekend Axelle had a sleepover at my parents and on Sunday, December 28, and we had a “tête à tête” in the sauna. We went to a very big sauna in The Netherlands (Schiedam), Thermen Holiday, were we enjoyed the good life the entire day! This was still a gift we received from our friends when we came home this summer. So thanks guys!
On Monday evening, Nadine and Kris had invited us and Axelle stayed for a sleepover (and she did the same thing on Tuesday). Since we had no kids in the house, we started a big cleaning action. We had been to Ikea to get some chest drawers and started throwing stuff out and filing other things that had been laying around since our move back to Belgium. You can say that we started this new year “clean”…
On Wednesday, December 31, we did some more cleaning during the day and at 5.30 pm we had to be at Nadine and Kris. Kris is member of an organizing committee that organizes a End of the Year party. We were very happy they invited us to go party with them…. Eating, drinking, dancing, having a lot of fun with our good friends… No pictures, sorry… did not feel like taking my camera with me.
And now the new year has started, so let me wish all of you “HAPPY NEW YEAR”, especially “AN EXCELLENT HEALTH” or “A QUICK RECOVERY” (for those who need it right now),
“A FUN YEAR WITH LOTS OF CRAZY MOMENTS, FREE OF WORRIES”, so many things I want to wish all of you, my dear friends, my family…
Here are some pictures…
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