Paris

Paris in the Spring

our little super models

Alex's grumpy face

Montmartre

croque monsieur

camembert salad

Lori in front of Moulin Rouge

Versailles chateau

Versailles gardens

B and one of her many poses:)

napping in versailles

Lori's visit

Lori arrived on Thursday and has not stopped moving since. She visited a cathedral and the castle, climbed the belfry, drank Belgian beer, ate a waffle, and tried the regional dish, gentse stoverij and that was just day one. The next day we drove through Holland to Monschau, Germany then drove to London for 2 nights and today we went to Brugge. She's been here 6 days and seen 5 countries. Thursday we are off to Paris for 2 nights and then Lori will fly solo to Amsterdam for one night before leaving us on Weds. Whew! She's going to need a vacation from her vacation!

We are all loving having her here...

Look hard...Thats steve and Lori in the Belfry

Happened upon a culinary festival in our neighborhood.  This is a beer and cheese tasting

Lori and her first Belgian beer...Kriek

dinner and champagne at the veuve clicquot booth

Monschau

Big Ben clock tower

Lori with the parliment building and Big Ben clock tower behind her

london bridge...After walking for 4 hours around london we both decided to skip walking any further to see the tower of London.  We agreed we could just "google it"

Westminster Abbey

view from our room...Steve and his two Irish mates went to the Heinekin cup final (rugby with two Irish rival teams).  Needless to say, they had a BLAST!  We already bought tickets for the next cup in Dublin!

Bronwen this afternoon in Brugge (she played hookie from school and had a girls trip to Brugge with Lori and I)

Lunch with Lori today in Brugge...Beautiful day!

4

Mother's day picnic and Alex's birthday!!!

Bronwen & Minka in "Fairy field" hunting for fairies

Minka, Bronwen, Zoe, & Alex (who gagged on an onion and vomited all over himself hence the missing shirt)

kid-pile on steve

Alex poking the horse's eye (not really)



cool old farm house

singing "happy birthday" to Alex

blowing out his candles

enjoying his chocolade cupcake

the party

dirt & worms cupcakes (worms kept falling out but they tasted good)

my ideal garden...some day

Bronwen & Minka doubling up on the slide

Courtney's baby shower

My friend and fellow American expat, Courtney is expecting her first baby (a boy) this June and in Belgium it is tradition to have a “baby borrel” which is similar to a baby shower but it takes place after the baby is born.  So… our friend Robyn and I through an American style baby shower for her this weekend.  We had all the good old school food that comes to my mind when I think "baby shower"--- chicken salad on croissants, pasta salad, veggie plate with RANCH (thank you Gloria for the ranch packets!)  Lemon bars, cupcakes, strawberry shortcakes (no bisquick here),  sherbert (or sherbet) punch made with sorbet since sherbert doesn’t exist here either.   It was a really fun mix of Belgian and expat ladies, games, food, drinks, and lots-o-chocolate!

The spread

Bronnie and Steve made these fruit salad cups

strawberry shortcakes

chocolate cupcakes (Mom's recipe)

A gnome themed party...

A wish tree for people to write wishes for the parents, the baby, or both.

The wishes on the tree in this shot are from Courtney's friends and family back in the states, Surprise!!!

Courtney opening the baby sling Sofie sewed herself!

Two game winners, Sofie & Kim

Robyn & Mila

Diana, Emilio, & Angela

Yes, wine through a straw-I'm so classy! but check out the cute personalized drink tags Courtney made...

Courtney made kiddie favors too, marshmallows!