Dutch-Grootmoeder en grootvader English-Grandma and Grandpa

Part two of the previous post is our visit with Sharon and Cal. I have to start out by saying these two are tough!!!! They made the trip and didn't even skip a beat as far as jet lag!!!! When they arrived on Friday we had about enough time for a hug and a sip of Pepsi before I had to leave to pick Olivia up. So, without second thought Grandma jumped on Matt's bike to join me for the 4 mile ride!Which was a great thing because Olivia ran out of the school, threw her bag to me and jumped into grandma's arms!!! It was too sweet! I took a photo but, it was with Sharon's camera. So, the kodak moment will remain a private one! I'll share some other highlights with pictures.....

Olivia and Grandma going through the "goody bag" that Grandma is well known for!!!! This was not just any goody bag though.... It was a suitcase!!! No, seriously A SUITCASE!!!! Pink, too! Olivia definatly wanted to hog G.&G. to herself for the first twenty four hours!!! She felt pretty good about having some of "her" people around!!!!



Walking in the woods near our house. We were trying to recreate a favorite family photo taken eight or nine years ago in northern Minnesota. The difference is the location and the people!!!! Obviously, Holland is different. Olivia is in this one and Jennifer (Matt's Sis) and Tony are not!!!

We made a pot of steamed mussels. Which we have found to be about as close to "Dutch" cuisine as it gets. They turned out well and proved to be a great appetizer. Fun to put the dutch oven in the middle of the table and "dig in!".

A night of Guesstures with the neighbors, Frank and Jose was very silly and fun. Jose and Olivia were a perfect team!!! Grandama took a liking to thaem and they liked the Wilson's too! Enough that they invited them for a goodbye drink at their home on Sunday night. Some authentic Dutch hospitality!!! Perfected with a live music performance by Frank!!!

Grandpa and Olivia making fresh squeezed orange juice from oranges that we bought at the market, yummy!

Olivia warming up with tomato soup and hot cocoa at the watermill cafe, after a very long, cold bike ride to Valkenswaard!!! and then back!!!

Dinner at a Mexican Tapas restaurant in Eindhoven after a full day of shopping.

Olivia with Grandma and Grandpa in Maastricht, where the three of them and Matt spent the day on Saturday after our early return from Paris. The flowers were Olivia's idea to get for me since I had a bum knee and couldn't be with them. She paid for them and carried them around the whole time! Bless her heart, she's still as sweet as pie in July!!!!
The last day of Wilson's visit Sharon and Matt spent shopping and preparing food. Since we weren't sure how long I would be "off my feet" they made sure we were covered in the food department. The other part of our visit was spent in Paris with Anne and Pete. Stay tuned for part three of the Late October Post!!!!! (Maybe done in time to start a mid November!!!!!)

Love to all and God Bless!

Dutch-Maand English-Month

Welcome to Dutch Word of the Month!!!!! Formerly, Dutch Word of the Day however, that proved to be WAAAYYY too much for me! I think a more "do-able" task is Dutch Word of the Week. Sometimes I may not even include a Dutch word!!!!! That being said, do you think I should change my blog name? If I change it to "month", it could be DWOTM- Dutch Words Olivia Teaches Me!!!!!! Okay, so I think the best way to go about this is to just post some photos of this past month with BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS (a term not typically found in my vocabulary!!!) Maybe just a random list of things we've been up to, highlights of our time with Grandma and Grandpa and our trip to Paris to see Anne and Pete. Ready? Set? GO!!!!

This is one of the stops on the"Lichtsroute Eindhoven". They light up a route about 20 kilometers long, that was the route of the American soldiers when they liberated Eindhoven at the end of World War Two.

Olivia's first ice skating lesson. Tuesday afternoons are International lessons, therefore taught in English!!!

The largest market of the week, 500+ booths, is on Saturdays. There is everything from fresh fish to bicycle parts to gourmet olives to socks!!!! You name it! Fruits, vegetables, flowers, fresh baked goods, Holland souveniers, the list goes on....... Sharon and Cal visited the market with us the first Saturday that they were here.

I'd like to introduce you to our neighbors, Frank and Jose, who live across the carport from us. Also, Len, who lives across the street. One Sunday in October we all rode bikes together. They took us to a watermill cafe where you can take a bus to Belgium and canoe back down the canal to the cafe. Although we didn't do the canal trip, we enjoyed biking and having drinks with our new neighbors. We definately plan to canoe this spring. You're welcome to join us!!!!!

Olivia at her second horseback riding lesson...IN THE RAIN!! The children did not mind because when it rains they go into the woods on a trail ride, for shelter, instead of doing riding drills in the arena.(sorry for the poor photo quality, I was desperatly trying to stay under my umbrella!!!)


Olivia and friends at school during a "farewell party" for Mihir, one of her classmates, who is moving home to India. Top to bottom: Olivia, Jillian, Miss Gootnick (U.S.A.), Alma (Sweden), Katja (Finland).
Olivia and her teacher, Sarah Gootnick. This is her first year teaching independently in her own class. She "interned" here at the international school last year. Sarah is from the U.S.


These are REAL!!!!! In Dutch they are called Vliegzwam, English- Fly Agaric. They are called this because originally they were left out in bowls to kill flies. Apparently, the flies would experience a brief period of disorientation!!! Then, MAGICALLY they would fly away..... Aside from the psychadelic fact and fiction, they are very cute and fun to search the forest floor for!