We've made it through! Looking back a year....

Expat life is a roller coaster with loads of ups and downs, and coming from someone who has grown over the years less enthused with the idea of plummeting to my death, or getting stuck upside down on a rollercoaster, I do enjoy the rollercoaster of expat life (mostly).

Facebook reminded me today that one year ago we were house hunting in Belgium, literally days after the Paris attacks. Security was increased, we weren't sure we'd be able to cross the border from the Netherlands into Belgium, or if the company was even going to continue with our move at that moment. There was so much uncertainty about the world, about my little family, and about my feelings on moving, again.

Thinking back to one year ago, gets me very emotional. I was literally a wreck. Leaving one of the best communities we have EVER been a part of was hard to imagine and even harder when it became a reality. I didn't want to leave. I was grasping at straws, digging my feet in like a stubborn mule. I cried at night, and put on a brave face for the kids during the day. It was all going to be ok, and we were going to come out on the other side of this dark cloud eventually. I kept telling myself that until it I believed it, and it continued for 3 months after the move. Add into that the dismal weather, 7 hours of daylight, and kids who were clearly distraught, and you may have some clue as to my state of mind. I had the ability to deal with it and get along deep down inside, but while the kids were unhappy and adjusting, I was unhappy. Not even the lure of a new adventure was picking up my spirits. This was one ride, I was not happy to get on.

Grote Markt Antwerp

Fast forward a year, well 9 months since the fog of moving lifted, and we're well through to the other side. I was right. There is always a rainbow after the storm, even if you don't see it. In this case, I saw  it, right when I needed it most. The storm ended. The ride came to a stop, and although I had my eyes closed and screamed the whole way through. The ride stopped and I survived. 

 This photo below was taken from our hotel in Antwerp on our house hunting trip when I was,  to put it nicely, not quite on board with moving to Belgium. The sign of God's promise to His people that everything was going to be OK, was MY sign as well. I often think about this picture, this moment, and remember that no matter what seems so difficult, inconvenient, or heart wrenching, it will all be OK. It won't be the same, but it will be OK.

When the sun came out and the puddles dried up....  Wait, that doesn't happen in Belgium, so I am figuratively speaking here; I have new friends, my kids have new friends, I'm back at my hobby of acting with a new theater group, my international Herbalife business is thriving. We've built a support system that works for us. We have others that have been a blessing to us, and I can only hope we have been able to return the favor. 

We still have plenty of time here in Belgium to learn to love it more and more, and by the end, I'm sure my sentiments will be nearly the same. I won't want to go, change will be hard and uncertain, but eventually, it will all be OK.

Until Next Time, 

L

Farewell Netherlands!

It seems as if, upon every move, I've written some final thoughts. Today is our last day in the Netherlands, and we are officially de registered, cars sold, and homeless. Ok, not really. We are at a Hilton, where we enjoyed a free breakfast, and Mia ate her weight in pineapple and melon.  But we are in limbo between countries. We still have our house here in the Netherlands, but of course it is all boxed up and being loaded into a big truck, for the move to Belgium. We will spend a few nights in a hotel in Belgium until our home there is set up and liveable.  We had a relaxing Christmas at home, and were even able to squeeze in a nice trip to London. 

Great great Aunt Joyce and Mallory outside of London! How cute are they?

So let me rewind a week or so, as it has been quite the whirlwind. 

Back up to the girls' last day at school.  I spent the morning in Mia's class, looking for train track Jack and with the help of the glorious imagination of Mia's preschool teacher, boarded the Polar express and searched for cheeky gingerbread kids that escaped from the oven.  Spoiler alert: we found the gingerbread kids, and ate them. 

We went from being trees in a frozen forest, to parts of the icy igloo, all so we could help train track Jack (Mia's teacher dressed in overalls with a southern accent) find the escaped gingerbread kids! Mia leaned over to me and filled me in that train track Jack, was really Her teacher, Mr. Matthew. Nothing gets past this girl!  After my imagination filled morning, I ran home to make popcorn and a fruit tray for the first grade exsnackaganza and crafty afternoon. I helped Mallory and all of her first grade friends assemble and create a large paper snowman. It was lovely being able to be in her classroom, and field questions about Mallory's move. Multiple parents asked me how I was doing, and really, I was about two seconds away from losing all of my marbles. My eyes filled with tears on multiple occasions. It was a mixture of happiness and sadness.  According to the movie "Inside out" the two go hand in hand.  I was so happy that my girls were so loved and an integral part of their class, and that they were going to be missed, but also sad, that we have to leave this loving and nurturing environment. 

I picked the girls up from school, every day that week, in hopes of seeing friends and saying goodbye, but Friday rolled around and the girls spent so much time saying goodbye to their teachers and friends in their class, that by the time we finished, everyone was gone, well into their Holiday break. And we were off onto our own little trip as well. 

Mallory looking through her goodbye book with friends on the last day of school. 

We jetted off to London, that evening. Spent Saturday in Notting Hill, decorating cookies at Biscuiteers, stumbling upon the Notting Hill Bookshop ( Where the famous movie featuring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts was filmed) strolling through Portobello Market and letting our senses be bombarded with heavenly smells of street food, sounds of street perfomers, and sights of some of the best people watching. We took the girls back to our perfectly located apartment we rented through Airbnb and let them nap, and then it was off to the Theater for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! An early Christmas  present for the girls. 

Sunday we visited Princess Diana memorial playground and then went to visit my English family in Broxbourne. What a blessing to be able to connect with them twice in one year. Considering it had been between 15 and 20 years since I saw some of them, pretty cool.  It was also nice for the girls and Josh to meet them. 

Check out these cookies!

Monday and Tuesday were filled with visits to Hyde Park's WinterWonderland, museums, and a bit of unproductive shopping for me. We had a great trip, but of course traveling with kids, it isn't all smiles and laughter. The girls were coming off a long week at school and I presume dealing with emotions they didn't know they had, so we had some serious meltdowns, and moments I'd rather not remember.  But it was definitely one of those moments where you look at your spouse and think, "what are we doing wrong?" 

We came back, had a nice Christmas, where the big hit was their dolls. They're obsessed with brushing their hair and fighting over each others outfits. We had to take down all of our Christmas decorations on Sunday, because the movers came and finished on Monday.

 I nearly couldn't keep myself composed at the song choices of the middle aged men packing my house up. The play list consisted of "let's talk about sex, baby" "push it" " girl you look good, won't you back that a$$ up" 

"girl your booty is so round, let me lick you up and down" amongst many other 90s rump shaker booty songs! But it wasn't just that the song was playing. These Dutch men were shamelessly singing every word. So glad, my kids were out of the house for this throwback in musical time! I would have been fielding lots of questions about booty, sex, and heaven knows what else! 

Santa came, and mommy and daddy, nana, pappy, Grammie charmaine, Grammie Rose and Papa!

We were blessed to catch up with a few families in the last few days, and the girls squeezed in a few play dates as well.  Thanks to Jessica and Jeni for keeping the girls and letting them squeeze in some last minute friend time and keeping them from boredom, just siting around a house full of boxes. 

After the boxes were removed! Empty :(

Tonight we are in Belgium, and on the way down I  read of two men being arrested outside of Brussels for terrorist activity. Now, don't let this be the only thing you grab onto from this post. I have no fear. Life must go on. I'm more afraid of our things not fitting into the house tomorrow! But really,  my two scents on the matter, be vigilant always, but don't let it stop life. When it's my time to go, I'll go, and I'll be ready for the good Lord to take me. So I won't live my life in fear that some cotton headed ninny muggins is out there lurking in the shadows or planning some unthinkable terror act. No, the show must go on. And it will. Load in tomorrow. 

Thanks for reading! 

Until next time,

L.