THE TOWN EVENING WALK

Every night for a week, in September our little town does this walk in the evening ever year. All the kids are excited to do it. They do a treasure hunt as you walk a different path around town each night. It ends up being around 3 to 4 miles each night. These kids love it though. It is so fun to run around with all of there friends and walk in this big mass of people around town. At the end all of the kids get these little medallions for walking. My girls were so excited about theirs. They call them their "gold metals". It was an enjoyable time to share together as a family.

Before we go walking each night they did warm up time for the kids which was done by having

them dance around. It was so fun watching the kids concentrating so hard to do the moves the teacher was doing. They were so into it. The instructer is Brianna's K3 dance teacher. She is

a really fun instructer.

You know I managed to get all the girls friends to look at me and the camera but I never actually got the girls to look at the camera. Natural/thoughtful expressions are good too.

Here we are all together on the last night after everything was done. Everyone brings flowers for everyone. The children are really tired. But it was fun and our friendships are strong. I'm so greatful for the friends I have made here. In the Photo are my friends Erna center and Beate Left with there families. Ulrike is usually with us too. Her kids are in the picture but she had to work this last night. She does guided tours and this was one of the nights she had to giving a tourist group a guided tour of Amsterdam. She knows so many interesting fun facts. Marta is our other friend but she couldn't be there because she just had twin baby girls. We missed you Marta.

Here are the girls with there metals. They are so proud of them. It was so exciting to get these awards for them.

Dad Gets Home!

Brian got home from the confrence and the girls were so excited. They missed Dad so much!

Dad brought them the coolest treats home. He knows his little girls so well.

For Kaitlyn She got Macoroni and Cheese. Kaitlyn has missed this, her favorite meal.

For Brianna she got a box of Ramen Noodles. This was Brianna's favorite meal. She has missed eating it!

Grandma Greer and Grandma Nancy (Ashcroft) were both so thoughtful in sending gifts home for the girls also. Grandma Nancy sent Stuffed Animals for each of the girls and they loved them. Grandma Greer sent Gummy worm sandwiches and pop rocks which the girls loved eating. This was an exciting time for the girls.

Kaitlyn had her friend Nina over and had to share the poprocks with her. They had fun letting them pop in there mouths and wanted me to take lots of pictures of all the popping going on.

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Lets go eat some worms!

We got home from church on Sunday. It was just me and the girls. Brian was in Arizona visiting family after his confrence in California.

I asked Kaitlyn and Brianna to take a few glass jars out to the glass garbage. They return with this. -- They say it is the coolest hugest worm they have ever seen! I say it is worthy of a photo and then it NEEDS to go back out side. Where the worm can be happy of course :-). I was only thinking of the worm.

Neighborhood party!

The Neighborhood had a party today and it was lots of fun for the kids. Our Neighbors do such a great job planning it out and having such great games for the kids. Kaitlyn and Brooke had fun running around and playing and Brianna had one goal and that was to Drink as much soda and eat as much chips as possible. I thought it was so funny! She was in Chip/Soda Heaven.

I just enjoyed being out and talking with our Neighbors. We have some great Neighbors. Last year it was so scarey going to this party and this year it was fun. I love the changes that have occured over this year and being able to see what I have been able to accomplish and what my children have been able to accomplish. They are amazing!

No more sisters!

We live very close to where the sister missionaries live that serve in the area and have enjoyed having them over for dinner and even having them drop by for help to fix there bikes or print off some confrence talk off the internet or to watch a new movie they got that they want to see before they played it for an investigator. I have enjoyed on occation going with them to teach someone they are teaching (in English) and join in the missionary efforts.

I loved that I could have them over for dinner even when Brian was working late. I have just really enjoyed the sister missionaries being close by. They were so much fun to get to know.

We have seen many sisters finish up their missions and go back home from our ward. But when Sister Broadbent was headed home and we had her over for dinner on her last week here, her and Sister Miller told us that they were both being transfered out and that the Elders were going to be taking there place. I was so sad. I liked the sisters and I thought at least Sister Miller would be staying. But that was not the case. We were so sad!

Here is a picture of us and our last evening with the sisters before they left.

Sister Broadbents parents came to visit and I was able to have them over for dinner and see Sister Broadbent one more time before she left for home. Her parents were really wonderful and enjoyable to have over. He father reminded me of my friend Amanda (Cochran)Shabana's dad. I felt like I was at home hanging out at Amanda's house talking with her dad... It was kind of weird how similar they were, they talked a like. What was fun was Amanda's dad served his mission in Ireland and so did Brother Broadbent. He had so many stories about Ireland, just like I had heard from Amanda's dad. (Yea, it was weired the similarties, looked alike, talked alike, told the same storeis :-))

Anyways, it was an enjoyable visit. I was greatful for it and glad that they came for dinner.

So now we have the Elders. You know Elders are different then Sisters. We have them over for dinner and are doing are best to get to know them but Elders are different then sisters, really different.

First Day of School

Yes, I am still over a month behind in my blogging but I'm determined to catch up!

Here are the girls pictures from the first day of school! They were so excited to go to school. A 6 week long summer was enough for them. They wanted to go see all their friends again. So off to school they went so happy to be back!

Kaitlyn's Friend Nina came and ate Lunch with us on the first day of school.

This is a picture of All 3 of them ready to go back to school.

I was trying to take a pictures of the girls infront of school. Although you can see school,

The sun was so bright that my girls look like glowing Angles, which is what they are, right!

Playing outside waiting for the bell to ring.

Brianna with her Teacher Juf Yolanda.

Kaitlyn and Nina walking to class with the rest of the class.

Last weekend before school started!

So the last weekend before school started we had a new family move into the ward from Virgina who has kids the same age as my kids. We had their kids over to play while they unpacked and got settled. The girls were so happy to have some friends to play with who spoke ENGLISH! It was a wonderful day for them!



Here are some pictures of that play day.

catching up

Yes! These are old pictures but I have to post them because I took them and they are part of our memories.

So the week before school started this is how my family looked. ALL 4 of them. I swore they all thought they were dieing. It keeps a mom busy to take care of one sick child but 3 sick throwing up kids and a husband ... That was a really busy week, not to mention what happened to my laundry pile!

I know it was no fun for them running fevers and not felling well. And it was a crummy way to spend the last week of vacation before school started. I did my best to make them feel comfortable and take care of all there needs. Luckly one by one they all got better. That is always a happy day!

Flat Stanley

In the mail Kaitlyn received a little picture called Flat Stanley. ( http://www.flatstanley.com/how.html ) Flat Stanley wanted to know a little more about the Netherlands so we took him to some fun little sights near by and took some Photo's with him to send back to her cousin's Tyler's class in Georgia.

So here are the pictures we took of the things we think are pretty cool around here.

Home

I am having some really problems figuring out how to post my YouTube video but I'll have Brian help when he gets home. For now here is the link.

We purchased our "Stand By" tickets to hopefully get us home at the end of April for Kaitlyns Baptism. I am so excited about it, but it is so far away at the same time. I'm longing to be home for my moms birthday next week and trick-or-treating, for Thanksgiving and of course Christmas. This time of year is so full of family activities and I long to visit for those.

I have my selfish reasons too. For my birthday I started 3 weeks before hand serching for a babysitter so Brian and I could go on a date. We were flexible on the days of the week and flexible on time. The teenagers are just so busy over here with there school and sports that it is impossible to get them to babysit. So inspite of all efforts there was no date. I miss the accessability of Grandma's and nieces and youngwoman in the ward who were out to make money :-)

I am incrediably greatful for this chance to be here and love experiencing the whole adventure. Sometimes I just long to sit in my moms family room and talk. Hopefully as time goes on and our adventures through Brians different work experience occure we will get the chance to visit home more often and for longer periods of time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvEiGgdDRLQ