Savouring – The Snuggles, The Food, The Family Time

09/26/21

Lake and I had church from the couch on this specific Sunday.

He slept in until 10:30 and was back down for a large nap only an hour and a half later, after only having laid on the floor, or me, during his awake time between. Refusing any food or drink, aside from coffee 🤪

I can’t lie and say I didn’t actually sort of like the snuggles and calmness 🙈
It truly was the first time in his first year of life (aside from the baby days when he didn’t really have any say 🤪) that he willingly clung to me, and wanted to continue doing so 💗

The rest of the family that had attended church, returned with lunch from another Greek restaurant that we had on our ‘to eat’ list 😉

We decided that it did have the better meat compared to the first Greek restaurant we’d went to.
Looks aside 🤪 Why does it seem like some of the tastiest foods, look the least appealing?
So, if you’re ever in the area, make a point to go to ‘Grill Am Bahnhof’ and order Gyros, you can thank us later.

Lake stayed asleep until after lunch, which is always a nice treat 🙈 Once he awoke and seen the kids, he really perked up and seemed to be doing better ☺️

We went for a little visit to some family/friends from church later that afternoon and then popped in to say hello to some more family after that 😅 Mike has no shortage of family, friends and friends like family and so on and so forth, so if we ever had ‘spare’ time, it wasn’t hard to fill 🤪

Originally we’d planned to go back to John and Inge’s that evening, but after learning they’d both be working, we figured we’d might as well stay another night at the sisters, if she’d have us 😉

Once the children were all in bed, we were treated to an evening spread of veggies, sausages and bread with a feta/tomato dip 👌🏼

Untimely Unwellness

09/25/21

Saturday morning began with a family breakfast ☺️🍞🥐🧀🥓

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Afterwords, Mike went to the barber, Tim, our nephew going with for some guy time 😎 They returned with churros 🤪

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During their time away, Lake was entertained by aunty and uncle, and I got to relax.

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Writing and being served coffee 😉

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Judith and I went for a 6 km walk, knowing the rest of our day probably wouldn’t hold much movement, as we were headed to a garden party 🤓

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Walking a new route with a new companion (no offence to my regulars 😉) surely makes the walk go by quicker 😅

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Lake had been fading in the health category for a couple of days, but it was really showing up this day.

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Snuggling with us after his nap instead of jumping up and wanting to be taken out of the room to play, and then slowly becoming more and more clingy as the day went on.
By the time we got to the garden party, he only wanted to be held and didn’t want to play, or eat anything aside from watermelon. All out of the ordinary for him 🤪

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We partook of all the food items available, enjoying the variety of goodies 😉

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We eventually took Lake for a walk in the covered wagon supplied by our hosts, to try to get him to sleep. It worked… for a few minutes.

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He then just lounged in it, as he was gazed up and wheeled around…

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making it really seemed like a pretty luxury accommodation for a special occupant 🤪

Dinner was served, and we happily indulged in that as well, of course, as we’re no strangers to accepting food 😉

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After that, we took Lake inside where it was a cooler and less strenuous for our arms, as we could sit on a big comfy couch with him.  Mike went back out to mingle after Lake settled a bit, and I stayed until he fell asleep… and then I actually fell asleep for 20 minutes too 😅

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I felt bad once I awoke, as they’d put a note in the doorway to be quiet because there was a baby sleeping…but it wasn’t just a baby 🙈

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The guys went to play a game of soccer late that evening, after the party ended. So Lake and I were taken home to go to bed. 
He threw up before bed, and the poor little guy was very warm and having a hard time getting comfortable. 
Making for a pretty restless night, with many wakings due to his cough and phlegm, causing many paci losses and hasty replacements 🤪😞

It was a little disappointing that the day Lake had his first real bought of ‘cuddle inducing, don’t put me down, and comfort me’ sickness happened during a day that held beautiful weather and multiple people I know a bit better than some, and could have really visited with, but that’s life 😉

 

Young At Heart…If Not In Our Senses


09/24/21

Oma Inge took Lake for a bike ride, so that I could have a child free morning to get myself and our things together, as we were once again bound for Germany for the weekend.

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Before heading there though, we were stopping in at a cousin’s home.

And before getting to the cousin’s home, we stopped at one of the few Starbucks scattered across The Netherlands.

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I was so looking forward to a coffee like I’d have at home annnnd they messed it up because I forgot they don’t do cream here 🙄 It’s milk or nothing, so instead they tried a cloud foam on top, and it just turned out to be a very strong, mostly black iced coffee, which had a weird flavour once the foam settled. Needless to say, it was disappointing 🙈

Being served traditional and delicious Norwegian waffles made by our cousins Norwegian wife, lifted my spirits 🤪  (yes it is probably somewhat obvious that she’d be Norwegian, but just in case there was a question as to why the waffles would be ‘authentic’ I thought I’d clarify 😜 ).

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After we’d eaten, we headed to go bowling. 

Which turned into mini golf, some air hockey, and a roller coaster simulator… as well as some bowling 🤪
The glow golf was a bit over stimulating at times and I felt horrible that Lake had to come along on the roller coaster simulator, but he hardly complained and really was a little champ 😉💗👍🏻

We had fun being kids though and truly enjoyed our afternoon together ☺️
Even though all of the noise, dim and or flashing lights, really made us feel a little old, once we excited out into the now, seemingly ‘serene’ out of doors 🤪

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Sadly, Lake had begun to feel a little under the weather the day before and thus, he was pretty subdued for all the above activities, and this is how he sadly looked during the remaining drive to Aunties.

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Judith’s was gotten to nearer bedtime than not, so once the kids had gotten in their hellos, it was also time for them to say goodnight, and we adults followed not long after.

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Grands, Greek And Good Times

09/23/21

A pretty sunrise and macarons for breakfast, meant that the day began on a good note 😉

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We made arrangements to go and visit with Lake’s great Oma and Opa at their home during that afternoon, where Mike and I were served some hot chocolate and Lake was given a cookie to gnaw on for a while, as he’s still only got two teeth 🤪

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The toy trunk was opened and all kinds of goodies were taken out and examined.

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Daddy and Opa had to help show some of the toys and their uses 😉

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Among the things that were brought out for Lake’s entertainment were some traditional Dutch clogs.
We didn’t expect to get as much laughter out of them as we did, but I’m so happy this happened 🙈

Once he realized it was his feet making the noise, he definitely added some extra gusto into his kicks 😂  The other pair of clogs they had, which fit him better, came home with us 😜👌🏼

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Time came for us to end our visit there and drop Lake off at his Aunty’s, so we could go out and enjoy the Greek restaurant in Germany, without him 🤪
Needing to put our full attention on the food 😉
Syrtaki, the place we’d frequent now and then while living in The Netherlands, welcomed us once again.

The complimentary starters of a very heavily dressed yet somehow still tasty salad, little toasted bread slices with two type of butters came out and this time we added a cheese stuffed pepper to go with as well 😅
We got our regular two dishes, planning to share, as we so often tend to do.
It was good, and we overestimated our capabilities as to how much we could eat, but that’s what to go containers are for 🤪

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Taking that route along the Rhine river back to the car, we enjoyed the setting sun and Mike pointed out an overlooking apartment he’d once looked at getting for us before our wedding. Due to how far away it was from work and being in Germany where there’s even less English spoken, it had turned into a no go. But it’s interesting to think how things COULD have been in a way.

Dessert awaited us at the sister-in-law’s and little did I know, but she’d made one especially for me😉

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A lemon meringue tart!

I felt very honoured, and we enjoyed it very much, though we were very, very full at that point 😅
Lake had benefited from some personal bonding and we also, but then came the dessert and visiting with family thrown in, so it was a win-win all around in our books 😉

Where We Once ‘Winkled’

09/21/21

Winkel –  To shop.

A Dutch word that never fails to amuse me 🤪

We’d pre-planned a shopping date with Oma as babysitter for Tuesday, so we readied ourselves and drove to Arnhem.

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That’s the city we’d typically go to for a day of shopping when we lived here. It’s street shopping, meaning in and out of stores, walking down streets and allies, where I’d be completely turned around and lost if not for Mike always seeming to know which way to go, to get to wherever we are headed 🤪

It didn’t take too long until we felt like we needed food, so we went to one of Mikes favourite places to get fries. Spot him ordering below.

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It’s very much a Dutch thing to eat fries, but Mike REALLY loves them. 

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I love the mayo and peanut sauté sauce that covers up that fact that I’m eating fries 🤪

We walked and shopped and didn’t really find much. The stores being on what I consider to be the slightly pricier side and a fair chunk of them currently having very similar styles.

I always enjoy ‘Dille & Kamille’ a shop with a variety of home and gift items.

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Mike gets sick of my picking up all the little cutesy things, wishing I’d just look at something of substance, but I can’t help that A; little things are cuter and B; we have only suitcase room, so that’s what I’m keeping in mind 😏

This adorable wooden seashell hairbrush set was spotted in a children’s shop. I found it to be extremely precious.

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The €60.00 price tag meant it stayed there and wouldn’t be a gift for the newest niece though 🤪  
A follower wisely reminded me though that there aren’t only mermaids but also mermen, so technically it could have been for Lake 😜🙌🏻

There was a ‘pepernoten’ pop up shop due to it being fall and nearing their Sinterklaas season (look it up if you’re curious, I find it confusing 🤪 It’s like a pre Christmas thing, which is very much like Christmas 🤓) so we purchased a bag to take home. I remember mom getting ‘peppernut’ cookies from the farmers market when we were young, so there must have been a seller of European decent 😊

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Back at the house, nearly empty-handed from shopping, it was decided that a calzone, kapsalon and pasta would be ordered in for supper.

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Babysitting had gone well for Oma, and she’d taken Lake on a 20 km bike exploration 😅

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* I ask that you do your best to ignore any spelling mistakes, as on my iPad the set up is different, and I can’t find an easy way to do a spelling / grammar check. Thank you for your understanding 🤪

Meneer En Mevrouw

09/18/21

‘…Going to the chapel, and we’re, gonna get married, going to the chapel …’

… or in this case, not ‘we’, but ‘they’, and in a converted barn and outdoor ceremony space, not a chapel. You get the idea though 😉

Packing and wedding preparing took up the morning, and then we were off on the two some hour drive to the wedding location in Groningen, where our cousin was going to be tying the knot. 
We ended up getting to the area a little earlier than expected, so we found some coffee and a cookie to hold us over until after the ceremony.

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It was humorous to us that the ‘to go’ cup proudly stated ‘I’m a big, hot cup’ when it was very clearly, ‘a small little cup’ in our Canadianized eyes 🤪
But that’s fine, and the white chocolate chip with macadamia nuts was actually really tasty 👌🏻

At the wedding location, Lake was more than ready to be out of his car seat and or stroller, walking with anyone who’d take him. Though going to anyone who’s willing to have him, has NOT been a problem whatsoever this trip 🤪

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He and I watched the groom arrive in a vintage mustang, and the bride exit the building, from a little seating area, away from the actual event.
He finally settled down and stopped his possibly unwelcome noises, once he found a stick to scratch the dirt with 🤪 
Daddy came for us, saying the announcer had said the kids were welcome to be decently free, since it was a smaller, mostly family wedding, with many of whom, had many small children 😅🙈 So, the stick held him over for a while, then his distant cousin the row in front of us and finally, the baby’s breath decorating the chair, is what took over in the area of distraction until the ceremony ended 😬

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‘Meneer en Mevrouw Ezra Hagenouw’, were announced 💗🎶💐 

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We were then dismissed, and the greetings began as everyone slowly made their way into the open courtyard area for the cutting and eating of the cake. 
That is when Lake and I again took our exit, as nap time was due.

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After sometime, the pleasant weather and jostling of the walk had its way, and Lake entered dreamland.
There wasn’t really anywhere to leave him that would be easily accessible/not loud, so I sat with him outside…catching up on blog writing while I had a moment. 
(While also trying to ignore my belly’s disappointment at missing out on the cake 🤪)
45 minutes later, his little nap ended and then his oma took over 😉

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Weddings in Holland generally have servers roaming about, taking drink orders, clearing away old ones. It’s such a nice  feature that makes it feel that extra bit of special. Though that could just be my perception of it since it’s not something I’ve ever experienced at a wedding at home 😋

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Chatting amongst the everyone passed the time until dinner was served, at which time Lake become our charge again, and we happily partook of the meal ☺️
An ice cream cart was presented come dessert time.

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Meanwhile, I’m not sure where Lake really was or what he was doing, but I assume he was for the most part with either his oma or opa 😅🙈 It was a smaller wedding and Mike was related to, or friends with almost all who were in attendance, so it was a nice place for Lake to mingle.

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He is also the one responsible for the destruction of this hay bale…

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These are the only ‘us’ pictures that were captured.

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The wedding moved into the enclosed side of the building as evening came and brought a chill with it.

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The time for speeches, slideshows and games thus began. 
Lake’s patience was waning but another nap via the stroller wasn’t going to be an option, as he knew not to fall for such trickery again 🤪

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Finally, the night drew to an end, and we drove a couple of minutes to the home of some family we’d be staying with over the weekend.

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Lake succumb to sleep the moment we drove out of the parking lot and stayed that way as we deposited him into the crib in our room…

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