Family from the Forest

Saplaza...You're on a high :)

"That was my first nightmare" said Jackson, after being fearless on his first two goes and just finishing his third and last climb for the day.

He had been watching his three older siblings for the last three years climbing on these high ropes, traversing the four different couses that started at the "easiest" level and working up to the most difficult, always wishing he could be up there himself. Well, this time he got his chance. Jackson's goal: yep, you guessed it. Those poles in the backgroud...the way-up-in-the-sky poles.

Some of the other intrepid climbers. I take my hat off to you all!

Jackson starts out on his first climb...there was no fear and plenty of excitement.

Getting the hang of it now :) Such a determined look on his face.

Accept for the finger nail biting of Jackson's mum standing on solid ground, it was a really fun time for all, cold, but fun.

A note of thanks to Brooke for the photos and Saskia for organising the activity.

Children's News

Our kids keep up with what's happening in Australia thanks to a TV programme called Behind the News (BTN). I think the TV station ABC does a wonderful job on this programme with giving kids--including our own kids--an age appropriate overview of the past week's news issues that are happening nationally within Australia and as well as internationally.

There is a new episode that comes out each week on the ABC website which--over 30 minutes--includes news and sports stories, special features, polls and quizzes. On ABC TV, there is a daily BTN that goes from Monday to Friday which plays for about 5 minutes, I believe.

Over the time we've been keeping up with BTN it's given us some solid topics of discussion. But mostly, it's given the kiddos yet another avenue to stay linked with their other home country and what's happening there!

In the Netherlands, there is a similar programme to BTN called Jeugdjournaal, which is daily news specifically for children, that we've found to be quite beneficial. And just before Jeugdjournaal is a great children's programme called Het Klokhuis that we've so enjoyed with it's fun way of presenting information on how things work. Het Klokhuis covers a myriad of topics from technology to history to current affairs to.... well, just about anything really.

Almost a Two Year Anniversary

[A post I drafted a couple of weeks back]

Do I put this post under the catergory of Celebration or An Update? Well, I believe it will be both! We have been in this apartment now for almost 2 years and today I was remembering all the moves we've done since coming across to The Netherlands: it's worked out to be about one each year before settling into this place, on top of adjusting to a new country and a new culture. Don't get me wrong, we have been so very blessed and enriched in innummerous ways by this adventure. But moving is EXHAUSTING. Setting up house, establishing new routines and new rythyms each time.

Last year we put in a new kitchen. And us being us, we still haven't finished the painting or edging. It was only a few weekends ago that Marcel--and a little helper only just seen here on the other side of him-- installed the above-bench lighting.

We now have snazzy, new blinds for our front window which after living in rented houses belonging to other people--which have mostly been tastefully done--life just feels extra rich in being able to choose our own decor. A place we can call home for now!

 

An occasional day off

On Thursday Marcel said to me "How about a day off for you on Saturday." Oh yeah, not going to say no to that offer!!

And I must say I totally enjoyed it...sleeping in, quiet breakfast with my man, a bike ride into the Haarlem centrum to check out the market there and a clothing material shop for a roll of plastic, on to Douwe Egberts for a coffee, meeting up with friends for lunch, down to a Christian book store for a look, home again to finish my book on the Titanic and an afternoon snooze, and then family dinner and a couple of episodes of an old TV series the kids and I have gotten into.

All in all a good day. Feeling blessed!!

Table time dreaming, discussing and learning

Mission completed.... and in an extremely short period of time. My mission was to buy a sheet of clear plastic to fit over our dining table for a multi-purpose space. Space to eat at and at the same time a space to display various posters for diferent purposes.

The clear plastic protects the posters and other paper-based pictures while still allowing us to get down to the day-to-day business of feeding a family of six. And this sort of learning, I have found, is powerful in a relaxed, informal way.

Nine years ago--has it really been that long now--when we made the decision to try for the Netherlands I had been using clear plastic as a table cloth and displaying this-and-that on the table of the things we were learning. So it seemed a good idea to display maps of Europe and the Netherlands to keep our dream alive of one day living there. Most nights around the table we would talk, pray and dream about what it would be like, what we would see, wondering and hoping that it would become a reality. We wouldn't always talk about this dream but it was there visible on the table, apart of us and tangible.

Last week I picked up a rather large poster of flowers that I was keen to display and displaying it on the wall just didn't seem the best way about it. Anyway, you know where I'm going with this.

So on Saturday, I went a-hunting and found exactly the plastic I was after. Check it out!

A wonderful poster for this Spring time of year where we can so easily be studying all the variety of gorgeous flowers around us! And for the next lot of posters/postcards: I think I feel an artist study coming on....

 

Long Weekend~~Swim Camp and some Socialisation

Over the Easter weekend 50% of the family went to a swim camp and the other half visited with friends and family.

Paaskamp<3

This year's camp was on the theme of Traveling. It was cool to turn up to the swim club house to see it all decked out like an airport departure lounge, the organisers dressed as airhostesses and security guards, and all the kids getting checked-in and "passports" stamped.

Ready for take-off...

Friends and Family

Marcel, Michelle and Jackson had a relaxing afternoon tea with family...

...staying with the lovely Lucinda, Roelof and boys, then later, an Easter egg hunt...

...and we were encouraged to see everyone at church on Sunday.

On Monday afternoon we picked up three very tired, but happy, kids from swim camp!

My Five Sunflowers

Some weekends ago, we headed into the Spaarnwoude Nature Reserve and like sunflowers with their faces to the sun...

Spring Fair 2012

Last week the learners group that we are a part of hosted a Spring Fair. We were invited to an International Playgroup giving us a wonderful venue for the day!

We had a lovely day of mixing with the community and doing some fun activities. With facepainting!

Books, clothes, games table...

A most social, enjoyable day!

Making Memories and a Birthday

Memories are the key not to the past, but to the future.
~~Corrie Ten Boom~~

This year with our birthdays we are making a move away from the material presents and moving more towards giving experiences and memory making.

So with that in mind, our first birthday celebration this year was Sam where Marcel and I thought a trip somewhere would be great for this girl who loves to travel and see different places. Usually we have those on-our-list places we want to go but for this trip we thought it would be fun (and cheaper) if we let the special deals give us that travel experience we were after for Sam. So off we went to the Jetstar website looking at the deal of the day which happened to be: MILANO, Italy!

So after booking some budget accommodation, Sam and I were set to head out on her birthday adventure.

Yes, that's right, a visit to Italy isn't complete without....

 

A visit to see Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper in the Santa Maria delle Grazie.

The Santa Maria in the background on a typically busy street in Milan.

It was a lovely couple of days of hand-holding and chatting while we walked the busy Milan shops and streets, eating gelato, enjoying pizza and Italian bread!

Music in the House

A keyboard piece Sam was learning this week. It's been such a joy to hear her practice this particular piece!