The Dotson Adventure--OLD, GO TO www.thedotsonfam.blogspot.com

New Blog Address

2010-07-20T21:06:00.002+02:00

Hey guys! Since this blog was mainly used for our lives in Europe, we decided to have a new http address with a more family feel, instead of the town we lived in in Belgium.

The old posts are all transferred, all we need is YOU!

So, head on over to www.thedotsonfam.blogspot.com and see the new look. And...PLEASE CHANGE the old address in your blogroll with our NEW ADDRESS!

See you guys over at our new home!

Stephen, Katie and Knox

Morning Smiles

2010-07-16T18:05:00.002+02:00

Knox is happiest in the mornings. Stephen and I love the huge smiles and happy demeanor...we could just eat him up!

Enjoy a little piece of our heaven-

Hopefully you could ignore the sunlight coming in and tune out my obnoxious mommy voice!

Aquarium and DALLAS!!!

2010-07-11T19:30:00.006+02:00

This past week Knox and I had fun visitors from out of town...both named Sarah! Sarah C. flew in from Belgium to visit, and Sarah F. and Dean from Houston. We loved getting to see both ladies, and sweet Dean and Knox loved chillin'. At least we think so.

We decided to hit up the Dallas World Aquarium with the kiddos. It was awesome. Knox slept the entire time, but Dean was in awe of all the new creatures and big fish. The adults enjoyed the sites, too. Too bad we forgot the cameras...iPhone pics will have to do!

Myself, Knox, Dean and Sarah F.
Minimal danger, but notice his eyes opened to be sure

Dean loved the fish

Manatee

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The next afternoon, Sarah C., Knox and I headed out to Southfork Ranch to catch the tour of "Dallas." Sarah had watched the series' re-runs as a kid in Scotland, so she was quite nostalgic. It was before my time here in the states, but our tour guide brought it to life for us...and insisted we take pictures all over the house. I again forgot my camera (won't make it a habit, no worries), so these are "non-iPhone user" quality, i.e. blurry.

outside the mansion

With J.R.

On Lucy's bed

On Lucy's rocking chair

Sarah with the clan

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Stephen and I took some pics for Sarah C. to have when she goes back across the pond, so I thought I'd share.

His shirt says, "Kind of a big deal." Obviously!

Happy 4th!

2010-07-04T09:03:00.001+02:00

Cooler than it typically is at this time of year, we were able to get out and enjoy the neighborhood 4th of July parade. Knox and the girls loved it!!

Great Great Aunt Kisses

2010-07-02T18:19:00.002+02:00

We had the priviledge of taking Knox down to see his Great-Great-Aunt Arjorie last night. He loved getting to meet her, and I think it's safe to say the feeling was mutual!!

Arjorie is a grandmother to me, so it was very special sharing our little man with her. I love her dearly, and it means a lot to have these pictures!!

Picture Chair

2010-07-01T23:01:00.003+02:00

I said earlier that I would be taking his monthly pictures in the moses basket...that was until we went to Wisteria.. They will now be taken in this little gem :) And just for my records, he's 9-weeks in these!

2 Months

2010-06-29T20:05:00.003+02:00

Knox is two months old. Big boy :) We went to the doctor today and he passed with flying colors.

His stats:

11 pounds (48%)
23.25 inches (73%)

We were asking the doctor about his ability to almost roll over already, and last night we were scared to let him stay on his side to sleep. The doctor confirmed that we needed to make sure he was laying on his back, but I think was a little skeptical of his ability to do this already. Then, while checking his strength "standing up," Knox pretty much held his weight for a few seconds and then started taking steps towards the doctor. He picked him up and stood him up further away, and sure enough Knox "walked" all the way to him. He said very few babies do this at his age, so we need to prepare ourselves for an early mover and early walker. He said at his 4-month check up we'll need to talk about baby proofing the house. Holy cow, seriously? I knew he was squirmy, but BABYPROOFING? Already? Geez...figures we'd have the crazy child :)

The shots were a breeze for Mr. Knox. He cried for a few seconds and was over it by the time daddy picked him up. His mom on the other hand...not so much. So sad seeing them hurt!

We're so thankful for a healthy baby. Now we just need to focus on bubble wrapping the house and all will be good!

Those cheeks are starting to fill out!

He's doing better at laying alone and playing on his activity mat or just looking at the ceiling fan (his favorite). He loves to make eye contact with us and smile and coo...adorable!

Loves his daddy!!

See? Told you!

Just happy and content! We love him so much!!

SQUIRMER

2010-06-22T17:05:00.004+02:00

Knox has always been a mover and a shaker. I remember the doctor asking me about his kick count...ha! He moved NON-STOP in the belly, and not much has changed.

He's 8 weeks today. We're going to have our hands full! I put him in his crib straight, and when we go to get him out in the morning this is what we find:

We watch him on the monitor get close to rolling over and then giving up and falling back. It's probably on the brink...

Father's Day

2010-06-22T16:59:00.002+02:00

Stephen had his first Father's Day, and I'm pretty sure it was spent the way he wanted it to be...sleeping in, tennis match and pork chops.

We were able to sleep in because Knox slept from 10pm-8am STRAIGHT. Can I get an amen? It was much needed, and well received. Glorious. I can now say, though, that it was a fluke!

Stephen plays tennis in a league and has matches every Sunday. This Sunday, however, the opponent forfeited (Stephen's a big deal, I would have forfeited, too!) so he just hung out with the guys and had a beer. Knox loved it!

(sorry for the quality..taken on my phone)

That evening Kelly came over and we grilled pork chops and had a nice little family dinner. We were in bed by 10. It was awesome.

Thanks, Stephen, for being the dad and husband I knew you would be! We love you!

Knox's first date

2010-06-17T09:52:00.000+02:00

My friend from college stopped by this weekend so the kids could meet. Trisha and her husband, Russ, live in MO with their adorable little girl Amelia. Mimi and Knox definitely hit it off, and I think he got her number. They'll be going on a second date soon :)

Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen? Knox was impressed!!

He was preparing for impact, but she is a lady. The first kiss will come, Knox. Just wait :)

So cute!

He's trying to play it cool with the nonchalant yawn. She's not fooled, she's got him in the palm of her hand!

She likes him, and his faux-hawk.

Knox wasn't embarrassed his parents were on their first date, mainly because hers were, too! We had a great time catching up, and can't wait until the kiddos can play again!

Lately...

2010-06-14T21:46:00.003+02:00

Having Knox around is amazing. It's hard to think back before him. He's so happy, loving and easy. Until 3am...but that's another story :)

He's started smiling and cooing. It makes my heart smile. I just love him.

My sister and her husband came into town this past weekend for a wedding, and I caught this cute picture of Knox with his Uncle Matt. There were cute moments with Hayley and Knox, but of course I didn't have my camera. Next time skeeter!!

Karim and Sarah's Wedding

2010-06-07T21:40:00.000+02:00

Stephen's childhood friend, Karim, got married this past weekend and Stephen was lucky to be a part of the big day! Karim was in our wedding, and his new wife Sarah has been a great friend since Stephen and I met...because they've been dating longer than I've known Stephen :)

They finally made it official and it was beautiful, much like the bride. Aunt Kelly watched Knox for the first half of the night so we could see the ceremony and eat without disruption, and then he joined us for the dancing. He had a great time!!

Us with the beautiful couple. She looked stunning, and Karim was glowing in her presence!

Our cute family of three!

The groom's cake was a longhorn with a stethoscope. Karim graduated from medical school the following Monday! Congrats Karim, and New Orleans is lucky to have the two of you! Get ready for Europe in April :)

One month...

2010-05-27T21:37:00.000+02:00

I'm going to do the typical "picture chair" picture of Knox in his moses basket. I see the future and know it will be cute when he's sitting up in it like it's a bathtub. We'll see if you agree :)

Here he is at 1 month.

Stats: no idea. But we weighed him at home and think he's around 9 pounds. We also measured him here and think he's 23 inches. We'll get more accurate at his two month appointment.

April showers bring...

2010-05-27T04:16:00.004+02:00

adorable Knox!

Stephen's sister Kelly had a friend that wanted to practice taking pictures of newborns. I, of course, was all about it. Knox wasn't too thrilled about being naked, as seen in the above photo but it turned out to be my favorite picture. I'm assuming this won't be the first time I'm reveling in his misery!

I wasn't exactly prepared to be in the pictures, but Knox wasn't having any part of doing it alone....so we obliged. Ponytails are way cooler in professional pictures than actually showering and getting ready. Oh well, at least she's a pro at Photoshop :)

Recently

2010-05-13T08:00:00.001+02:00

He had his two-week doctor's appointment and passed with FLYING colors. The doc said his main goal should be to have regained his birth weight. He did that at one week, and is now gone from 6lbs. 11oz to 7lbs 7oz (25th percentile)! He's gained 12 oz in two weeks! We're proud of our little eater! He's also grown two inches, from 19.25" to 21.25" (75th percentile). Maybe he'll be tall!!

We're loving every minute of being Knox's parents...here's some recent pics of our little guy!

My first Mother's Day

2010-05-13T00:42:00.002+02:00

My nephew Conner was getting dedicated, so we headed to our first church service with Knox praying he wouldn't disturb the pastor in the middle of his sermon. Thankfully, we're able to see the change in his demeanor and can predict when he's about to blow a gasket. And it happened just after the dedication. so we were lucky! He had a cute little outfit on (and by cute I mean cute for a premie onesie...no adorable button downs yet :( ) and after I fed him, he lost all three bodily functions on his clothes and elsewhere...thus ruining pics for the time being.

Once we got home we forgot all about taking family pictures, and to be honest didn't rememeber until well after 9pm. At this point we all had our PJ's on. I didn't care, it's us!

So, without further adieu...My first Mother's Day!!

He's here...

2010-05-03T23:53:00.005+02:00

I had an appointment (39 weeks) on Monday morning. The doctor checked me out and said I was 3cm and 50% effaced. She told me to go home and walk, and I could either go into labor that night or it might take a few days. Either way, we'd induce on Thursday.

I got home and hit the pavement. About five minutes into the walk the contractions started. I timed them, and towards the end of the walk they were consistently 4 minutes apart. You are to call the doctor and head to the hospital when they are 5 minutes apart for 1 hour. To say I was getting my hopes up is an understatement.

When I got home, the contractions subsided. Stephen and I decided to run some last minute errands, and we of course parked far away so I could walk further!! Once we got home, the contractions started arriving regularly again at 5 minutes apart. I jumped in the shower and got ready, called the doctor once we hit the hour mark and we packed up for the hospital.

Stephen's parents were on their way in, and ironically arrived when we were about to head out. Stephen and I headed to Chick-fil-A to make sure I'd eaten (it was about 6:30pm) and then headed into the hospital. Once we arrived and were in the L&D room, the nurse checked me and found that I hadn't really changed since my morning appointment. I was disappointed, and to make matters worse the nurse said if I didn't change in the next hour they were going to send me home with an Ambien to get some rest. My contractions weren't regular at this point, so I was really nervous.

The nurse came in an hour later and I'd progressed to a 4. She was admitting me. I was ecstatic. I was able to get up and walk around at that point, hoping to move labor along. It was at this point that the labor moved to my back. It was excruciating. I held on as long as I could, and at 6cm I decided to get the epidural (around midnight). It.Changed.My.Life.

My parents arrived soon after, and when the nurse checked me she realized I'd progressed at double the rate she expected and I was now at an 8. She called the doctor in and decided that since my contractions weren't regular (they never were) she wanted to give me pitocin to make sure I kept progressing. Well, I did, and before the doctor could get back in the room I was ready to push. After ten minutes of pushing, he arrived. Full head of hair and a hearty scream. We cried, kissed, loved on our son and became a family!

Now...onto what you came here for :)

Proud Daddy

Proud Mommy

Innocent Little Man

Love this picture, and love him!

He may not be happy, but we were overwhelmed with joy!

So wrinkly!

Full head of brown hair!

Loves being swaddled...

but only if his right hand is free :)

Headed home!

Big yawn after his first night of little sleep

Sweet toes

So tired!

Posed in his moses basket

Loves his hand!!

We're so blessed to have him in our lives. God formed him perfectly, and we couldn't be happier and more lucky to have been chosen to be his parents. He's a cutie!

38 weeks and a little stir crazy...

2010-04-19T18:03:00.002+02:00

Well, I'm full term. I'm ready. He needs to get here.

Blessed with a completely healthy pregnancy and a little boy who loves to stay warm and bundled in my belly? Absolutely! Impatient? Yes!

Last weeks' appointment I was told I was 1cm dilated and doing well. At today's appointment she decided to skip the cervical exam since I haven't (to my knowledge) had any contractions. BOOOO!!!

Tonight's agenda...a long walk and spicy food :)

Knox's Houston Shower

2010-04-04T03:09:00.008+02:00

Some very special friends threw Knox and I an incredible shower in Houston recently. It was located at the St. Regis hotel, and I'm not sure it could have been any more perfect!

The invitations were done by Hayley Hardcastle, and they set the tone for the entire day! She made place cards, guest list paper, and even a beautiful painted canvas for his nursery! Check out her website...you won't be disappointed!

The gorgeous centerpieces matched the invitations perfectly! I brought one home and placed it on my dining room table to savor it a little bit longer!!

The moms and the preggo :)

The beautiful hostesses (L-R, Cindy, preggo, Emily and Kathy)

The Dotson ladies: My Sister-in-Law Kelly and Mother-in-Law Glenda

My sister, Hayley and my mom, Jan

The cake was absolutely delicious, and of course matched the invitations and cookies perfectly!

We sipped Mommy's Mocktails and ice-cold water out of glass bottles!

Loved the added detail of the wire "preggo"

And another adorable detail...our napkins were folded and pinned like cloth diapers! So cute!!

A cute sis shot!

The tables were set perfectly! Loved the orange accent bows!

"For this child I have prayed..." 1 Samuel 1:27

Knox's parents in their prime :)

His bedding was "wrapped" in this adorable monogrammed sack, great for toys and football equipment down the road!!

We lunched on this incredible salad and then had a fantastic chicken and vegetable pasta!

Glenda with her amazing friends and hostesses! Thank you ladies!! It was a shower to remember, and we're definitely grateful!!

The Bears!!

2010-03-28T16:16:00.003+02:00

Stephen and I have been following the Bears Basketball team as they play in the NCAA tournament, and have loved the fact that they're dominating!! Last week our friends Michael & Sarah (and DEAN!!!) called and offered to share some tickets with us...on the 7th row! For the Elite 8 game! Seriously?!? Amazing...

We watched BU roll over St. Mary's and packed our bags! We had dinner with the adorable Feigleson fam last night and we're headed to the game tonight, where we'll have a blast rooting Baylor on to the Final 4!

**Update: We lost, but had a great time anyway!

Knox's room so far...

2010-03-05T00:46:00.001+01:00

We still have a ways to go...but here's his room so far!!

Knox's first shower!

2010-03-05T00:23:00.004+01:00

This past weekend we had Knox's first shower! My sister-in-law Kelly, Aunt Jeanette and cousin Jolene threw me an amazing shower to spoil the little guy! Most of my sweet friends were able to join in the fun as I opened the most adorable clothes and fun accessories!

My mother-in-law made this ADORABLE diaper cake! One of the pacifiers said "Mute Button!" Love it!

We had an amazing spread of fruit, sandwiches, cakeballs, and the best part...Neiman's chicken broth! It was awesome!!!

Kelly made some great blue punch...I'd never seen blue punch, but it was yummy!!

They even had cute take-away gifts for all the guests! It really was so wonderful, albeit surreal to be preparing and spoiling my soon-to-be son! I'm going to have to get used to saying that! We had a great time, lots of ooohs and ahhhs, and plenty of laughs along the way! Thanks everyone for joining in the fun! I'm so thankful for each of you!

30 weeks and SNOW...

2010-02-22T03:47:00.003+01:00

I know I promised a picture last time...I'm mean! But I promise at the bottom of this post you'll get what you've been waiting for, flattering or not :)

Things have been nuts around here lately! We had record breaking snow a week and a half ago...8 inches at our house! It was insane! It was nice to build a snowman for the first time and to see the neighborhood in a blanket of snow. It was not nice, however, to lose power for more than 18 hours. We survived, though, in our little cocoon near the fire all night! The pups loved it!

Last weekend we headed to Houston to see a friend get married. We loved having a weekend away, and of course seeing all of Stephen's high school friends we don't see often. It was fun, but with a few long nights we both ended up with colds the next week. Stephen got over his quickly, but of course the preggo holds on to hers for weeks!!

These next few weeks will be just as busy as the last, but that just brings us closer to our little man! We can't wait!!!

26 weeks!!

2010-01-27T15:56:00.002+01:00

I can't believe it's been 26 weeks, yet at the same time I feel like it's been a year since I told Stephen that morning we were pregnant! Anyone who knows me is WELL aware that I'm not exactly the most patient person. My yoga instructor said that technically you are "full-term" at 37 weeks, so that's just 11 weeks away...AHHHH!! We.Can't.Wait!! These next few months are going to kill me :)

I promise I'll take a belly pic soon, though I hate these! I always feel so silly taking a picture of how BIG I am and posting them for the world to see, but I realize that is all you readers want...so I'll oblige. Just know I hate them, k? Until then...here's some things the little man is doing in utero:

-Kicking like crazy. Really, he's just beating the beat (for all you Jersey Shore fanatics)! It feels like he's rapid fire kicking most evenings!!

-Swishing around in there. It most resembles a water bed motion, freaky and a little cool at the same time.

-Dancing on my bladder. Since the sonogram revealed just how much he likes to jump off my bladder, he's decided to keep it consistent. We'll just say he's like his dad and loves a set routine!

-Disliking cold things. My mom made a comment that when she was pregnant with my oldest brother, Andy, she would place her cold glass on her stomach and he would try and kick it off. We tried this with Knox and within a few seconds he was in hot pursuit of the offending glass. It's pretty cool to watch. This also goes for Stephen's cold hands...loves his Dad's voice, but hates his cold hands!!

Hope this gives you a little insight into little K-dub's world...until you can meet him face-to-face!

Kissing Cousins??

2010-01-04T22:47:00.004+01:00

Avery and Knox got a little cozy at dinner the other night :)

Merry Christmas...

2009-12-25T20:05:00.003+01:00

Stephen and I travelled to Katy, TX on Wednesday afternoon to spend Christmas with his family. Thankfully, our drive was relatively "eventless," and we arrived in a little over 4 hours. We've been eating, drinking and playing games ever since...so much fun! And very relaxing!

This evening we'll head to see "It's Complicated." Seeing a movie on Christmas Day is a Dotson tradition, and I love it. This year, we're going to Alamo Drafthouse, so we'll be able to have an appetizer or two while watching the movie (if we're even hungry after turkey and the fixings!).

Here's a pic of the "kids" before heading to Christmas Eve Mass...please excuse the dots--we'll clean the camera later :) For those of you requesting a bump, this is as close as your getting until I feel brave enough :) Knox is peeking out, though!!

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and Joyous New Year!

Love,

The Dotson Family

It's a...

2009-12-04T00:45:00.002+01:00

HEALTHY BOY!

We're so excited. I was sure it was a boy, I've known since I found out I was pregnant. Not sure why I felt so strongly about it, I just knew. Stephen was iffy as to the gender, but eventually chose girl as his contender. As we watched the sonogram screen, holding our breaths waiting for his cute profile, he waved. How perfect is God's creation, and sense of humor. We continued to watch as he did jumps off of my bladder and twirled as we tried to see him head on...he's a stubborn one! We're a wee bit apprehensive yet EXTREMELY excited to start this journey!

Please keep praying for us, for the sweet yet-to-be-named Dotson, and for a safe pregnancy!

Happy Holidays!!

D-Day

2009-11-30T15:16:00.002+01:00

Today's the day! We find out if we're having a boy or a girl...I can't WAIT :) We'll update of course, so stay tuned!!

Chasing Squirrels

2009-11-21T03:12:00.000+01:00

It's fall around here, and that means more time outside running around in the leaves. Not for me, particularly, but for the dogs.

This also means more time chasing squirrels! Gracie and Bella LOVE to chase squirrels...and this picture captures their typical reaction. Please click on the picture to enlarge, you need to see Bella up close!!

So happy with this fall weather, hopefully it stays!!

Three years...

2009-11-18T14:00:00.000+01:00

Conner William Kampen

2009-11-18T12:00:00.001+01:00

Conner is here...we now have a nephew! Born on Monday morning, November 16th around 4:4oam, he weighed in at 7lbs 14oz. He's adorable, and we love him so much already! Congrats Jeremy, Lindsay and Mackenzie!!

(sorry for some of the blurry pics...as you can imagine, at 12 hours old he was a little squirmy!!)

How we found out...

2009-11-18T02:12:00.004+01:00

A lot of you have been asking for the details on how we found out we were pregnant! I woke up, the Wednesday of the first week of school (yikes!) and felt a little funny. I just had this feeling, and thought that taking a test couldn't hurt anything. I wasn't necessarily late or anything, but just wanted to see if maybe my hunch was correct.

At 6:05am, the first test was a little fuzzy. It took a long time to go either way, but finally a VERY faint line appeared. I about fell over. Literally. I composed myself enough to walk out and wake Stephen up to get his opinion. My entire life I've wanted to be a mom. That's it. And I had dreamed of how I would tell my husband, the little clues I would give through fun gifts to make him guess. It would be so romantic and magical. Well, waking your husband up at 6:07am to look at a wet pregnancy test is not exactly the same. I just needed affirmation. His response? "I'm not going to believe that. I can't really tell one way or another. I'd have to see another one."

Nice...I don't have to pee anymore. How can I take another one. I took his brutal honesty as a sign that I needed to wait. I went about my day, surprisingly if you know me well, not thinking about it much. When I got home that evening, I decided to take another test. I figured if it came back positive at night, it was legit. I took another test, and by "another" I mean 4. They were ALL positive. Stephen was in the other room, so I collected them all and put them under a little note in his bathroom. Looking back, that's really gross. I bunch of pee sticks on his bathroom counter, where his toothbrush is. But I didn't care!

He came to bed a bit after I did, and went directly to take his contacts out. I snickered quietly as I watched him open his card...

He turned around, laughing. "You took 4? These are expensive!" We hugged, laughed and talked about the surreal reality that we were going to be parents. It still hasn't completely sunk in.

We're now 16 weeks (4 months for all of you out there that don't do things in weeks...I was a hater before this, too!) and thriving! Heard little Dotson's heartbeat today, a solid 153. Can't wait to find out what it is...just two short weeks :)

DART

2009-10-14T08:00:00.000+02:00

Stephen and I, along with our "roommate" Brian, decided to take the DART on Wednesday night to have dinner in Uptown. Random, yes, but also very fun! It was full of awkward moments, like when a patron asked me if I "walked barefoot in the Summer," and then proceeded to walk away when I wouldn't give him my name. Would you have? Come on...and of course Stephen and Brian just laughed, leaving me in awkward misery alone.

I digress...the DART! We left at about 6:40 pm from the George Bush Turnpike location and traveled to Cityplace, where Stephen and I had our reception. We surfaced on the West side of 75, so we were able to simply walk to West Village. We had dinner at Village Burger Bar, then decided to hop on the McKinney Avenue Trolley to grab a drink further into Uptown. The trolley ride was awesome, you just have to typically wait 10-15 minutes for pick-up. Good thing for us...we had all the time in the world!! After the guys had a drink (yes, I had water...no judgement) we took the Trolley back to Cityplace and the DART back to Richardson. When we arrived home it was 10:07.

Overall, it was fun! It just took almost 2 hours of travel that we could have done in 30 minutes with a car. It makes you feel very fortunate for having a car, something we take for granted. The train was full of people both times we were on it, so it does make me think that it is useful for some. If you are a fortunate car owner...take your car. It's not terribly convenient.

My Sister's Wedding

2009-10-11T16:44:00.006+02:00

Last weekend was my baby sister's wedding in Austin, TX. We drove down on Thursday night to be there for all of the festivities. It was a blast...though the weather didn't hold up. We didn't let it stop us, though!! Stephen and I love Austin, and being there the whole weekend, able to soak up all the great places the city has to offer was amazing! Here are a few pics from the beautiful wedding, and of the happy couple! Congrats, Hayley and Matt! We love you guys!!

Hayley with my Mom and Dad

My turn

The sisters'-in-law

Oh yeah...SURPRISE! Three preggo's at her wedding :)

My main men

The Happy Couple

Father/Daughter Dance

Sparklers to end the night!!!

It never stops...

2009-10-01T21:00:00.002+02:00

We've been traveling like crazy lately! It's all to see fun people and do fun things, but I feel like we've been going nonstop. Two weekends ago I traveled to Horseshoe Bay for my sisters Bachelorette Party, last weekend we went to see Stephen's parents and this weekend we're heading back to Austin for Hayley's wedding. I'm loving seeing all of the family, but I also look forward to just staying home and laying low for the weekend!

Everyone asks me if I miss Europe. I do...and most of the reason I miss it so much is because we traveled all the time. If we were bored on a Saturday, we could load up the car and spend the afternoon in Paris, or head to Amsterdam for dinner. Here, I feel like our options are Sherman, Hurst/Euless/Bedford, or the occassional Ft. Worth. Not exactly the same. I was always shocked when people in Liege would say they'd never been to Amsterdam, some even Brussels. How could you not travel when you had so many beautiful things to see? Now I'm eating a humble pill, because I think of all the places to see this side of the pond, and I've got some work to do!! Hopefully Stephen and I can get away in the near future and see some sights! Cross your fingers!!

Time flies...

2009-09-22T21:19:00.002+02:00

I'm so sorry, for those of you that read this blog, that I've taken such a hiatus! I have to say with all honesty that it was the farthest thing from my mind the past few weeks. That's not to say I don't miss blogging...it's just been crazy around here! We've had a lot going on--a 90th birthday party, two wedding showers, bachelorette party, a new roomie (for a bit) and WORK! It's been a crazy month or so, but so great as well!

Work is going great for both of us, the house is great, dogs are great...I'm just tired! Getting back in the swing of things was easy over the summer, but now that school is on full force, it's a mess! I've let the house fall to the wayside while I cart myself to class, after school meetings and training sessions, cheerleading practice and football games. You'd think I had two middle school kids and a mini-van...no, it's just my life these days! I love it...I'm just finding it hard to breath sometimes.

I promise I'll make a better effort to blog if you guys will keep reading...and hold me accountable :) Until next time friends...

Handy Manny?

2009-07-21T00:17:00.005+02:00

Stephen and Jesse (Lyon, our neighbor and husband of my HS friend Lorie) decided to install our dishwasher. Gasp! Let me give you a little background first...Sears arrived and inspected our non-working dishwasher and found that they would not be able to install the new one due to 1968 plumbing--I would have to call a plumber out to fix it, then Sears would come back out and install it. I called the plumber and was told I was "on the list" for their services and the plumber would be by today. 7pm, no plumber. Should we wait until tomorrow for them to come and take care of it? Nah. Stephen and Jesse could do it!

8pm: We head over to the Lyon's to talk about the installation. Lorie and I checked out and grabbed dinner while the guys walked to our place to get started.

10pm: Lorie gets tired and heads home with Maddie, their dog. She asks Jesse how long he'll be, and he replies 30 min.

11:30pm: I enter the kitched to check on progress, and Stephen is holding a flashlight for Jesse, who is on the floor with tools I've never seen before.

1:15am: Expletives fly out of the kitchen while Jesse runs to the front door, water splashing all over our kitchen in a hurry to flood it. I freak. Grab towels. Dab. Water is shut off, guys are laughing! I'm not.

1:35am: Stephen and Jesse head to the Lyon household for "more supplies."

2:45am: Smell of fire coming from kitchen. I inspect the smell to find Jesse using a blowtorch to our pipes. Feeling like I'd said enough during our previous fiasco, I shut up and headed to the couch.

3:22am: After awaking to find Stephen and Jesse gone, on another supply run.

4:20am: With sounds of an approaching "Done!" I head to the kitchen to find a 2x4 in our wall charred from the blowtorch. Brings closure to the smell and my thinking the house was burning down.

4:30am: Finished product is running, without leaks. Boys high-five...I mutter something indistinguishable and curl into bed.

Moral of the story...we saved $150 bucks and lost 6 hours of sleep, but we have a perfectly working dishwasher and two guys that think they are something!

Our new house!

2009-07-13T05:34:00.006+02:00

Stephen and I moved into our new house last week! It's been a crazy week so far, but we absolutely love it!! My mom came in town this week to help me paint and set it up...it took us forever, but we feel so at home now! Enjoy the pics, and come see us soon!!

This is our kitchen...i'm standing in the doorway of the study looking towards the breakfast nook:

Now opposite direction:

Breakfast nook--we antiqued the built-ins:

The living room, from the doorway of our bedroom:

Antiqued built-ins in the living room:

Living room from the dining room:

Living room:

Dining room:

Our bedroom, from the door...looking into his/her sinks! Room is empty, however, because our crate from Europe with all of our furniture isn't here yet :)

Bedroom #2:

Bathroom #2:

Bedroom #3:

Bathroom #3:

Bedroom #4, full of our junk :)

Patio view from our backyard:

Backyard:

Patio, looking into the backyard:

So, there you have it! Now...for real, come visit :)

Fourth of July

2009-07-04T06:12:00.000+02:00

Stephen and I went to Austin to visit my family for the fourth! The weekend before we went to see the Dotson's in Houston, but sadly we didn't take any pics. For the holiday weekend, we laid by the pool, ate a LOT, and enjoyed the company of my family...and of course my sweet nieces, Mackenzie and Olivia! We had a great time, but were super annoyed at the 6 hours it took us to get home. Hope all of you enjoyed your 4th!!

Dad bought us a sweet sign to commemorate our return to the states! It's now in our new garage :)

We're alive and kicking...

2009-06-22T16:42:00.003+02:00

It's been a complete whirlwind since we stepped foot on American soil. In a span of two weeks we looked at over 30 homes, and eventually found our diamond in the rough. We close on our house on June 30th...so give us a few weeks before you come visit :)

In the meantime we bought two cars and are knee deep in appliance purchasing and furniture shopping! Things are crazy around here...but everything has worked out so seamlessly and we couldn't have asked for an easier transition!

I'll post a picture of the house as soon as the keys are in my hands--until then I'll do what I can to adjust to the 100 degree weather and apply my sunscreen!

Box it up and ship it out!

2009-06-03T15:25:00.006+02:00

Well, our European Adventure is over. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm excited to be home, with family and friends that I've missed so much, but I'm also sad to leave the friends that I've gotten so close with here. I feel torn. And exhausted. And it's not going to slow down. We'll be busy looking for a house, cars, setting up accounts, etc. in the states the first few weeks, so though I don't see an end in sight...I'm so ready for the next adventure!

I took some pictures today while the movers were here! They use an elevator to send things down after they've got everything boxed up. I thought it was pretty cool! And you can play a little game with these pictures, too! "Where's Gracie!" The first one's a little easy...

I was so intrigued by the moving "elevator" that I had to do a video montage. Not sure why I was so interested...but I was! Wish we could always be this lazy with a move :)

Saying goodbye...

2009-06-03T14:08:00.006+02:00

Stephen's coworkers Ava and Gill threw Stephen and I a "Surprise" going away party last weekend. We knew we were having dinner at Ava's, but had NO IDEA she had planned for other coworkers to be there and to bring gifts...and Ava even made a video!! It was extremely thoughtful, sweet and generous of everyone...not to mention how yummy Ava's Indian cooking was! She's good!!! Both Ava and Gill were instrumental in my success here...I owe them both so much! I'm going to miss them, but they've both planned trips to see us...just have to make sure to have a BBQ so Ava will show up :)

Me with the hostesses, Ava and Gill!

We also had a little going away dinner with the girls from my work the night before. We met up at school and they had a little surprise champagne and some gifts! It was very nice of them, and I think we all had a laugh and enjoyed each others company! We then walked down to Park d'Avroy to have dinner and more laughs. Both Stephen and I are very lucky to have been able to work with such cool people!

Gene 2, Katika, Gene 1, Lisa and I

I drove to Brussels last weekend as well to have dinner with my Bible Study girls. We ate in Hoelaert, near Michelle's place. We had a great time talking, laughing and eating over wine! It wasn't a huge surprise that we got little Bible studying done and a lot of laughter instead, but that's a typical night out with these friends! I'm going to miss our long chats about random (and not always appropriate, ha) things, but I'm so thankful we have become as close as we have! I look forward to many Skype conversations and trips!

Michelle, Myself and Sarah (Shannon is missing)

Our great friend, and Stephen's coworker, Maite had us over on Sunday for a meal and fun with some of her (and no our) friends. Through Maite we've made lifelong friends, and we always have so much fun with them. Hopefully, if they keep their promises, they will all come and visit us in TX! We can't wait to introduce you to them :)

Anneminne, Stephen, Me, Maite, Carole, Virginie, Gregoire

Christophe, Me, Stephen, Maite, Anneminne, Gregoire, Carole

-at dinner my last night in Liege

And finally, knowing how much we LOVE Mexican food, Ava and Paul treated us to a Mexican/Spanish food evening out! We had so much fun...and of course LOVED our share of Mexican food and margaritas! I was so shocked at the quality of Mexican food in Flanders, Belgium. You'd think it wouldn't be very good...you'd be wrong! We ate until we were full, and laughed until our stomachs hurt! Thanks Ava and Paul...again, you're a complete blessing in our lives! We appreciate all you have done and continue to do for us! See you Summer '11!!

We've been SO fortunate for this opportunity, and we did our best to make it worthwhile and cherish every moment and every new adventure, but we'd be lying if we said we did it alone. I remember when Stephen and I first moved, and we were so nervous that we'd never find anyone we'd understand, or better yet understand us. We figured we'd go it alone and not have a social life or any friends. Boy were we wrong! Each and every one of our friends has impacted us in such a different way, and we're so thankful for all of you! Saying goodbye is so bittersweet...but I know for a fact I will see each one of you again, and I can't wait! BISOUS!

Sweet Gracie...

2009-05-29T09:56:00.002+02:00

It's really tough being a Chihuahua, especially in a foreign country! Gracie is getting REALLY excited to go home...to the sun, heat and her sister Bella!! But for now, she's catching up on some much needed rest!

I know I'm biased, but isn't she the cutest dog you've ever seen???

The goings on...

2009-05-28T22:58:00.004+02:00

Things here are moving along far too quickly...but that's what we've been looking forward to, right? We've got most things packed up, and will be sending it on the crate on June 2nd. We had one going away party last weekend and two this weekend...we're VERY blessed! We go to the Commune tomorrow to "sign-out," have a holiday on Monday, the movers on Tuesday, a final dinner in Brussels on Tuesday night and I leave early Thursday morning. Wow...it's flown by!

Thinking back on all of the things we've done up to now is mind-boggling. We've visited 11 countries, eaten amazing food from various cities...and enjoyed all the Belgian beer we can stomach. Ok, that last one might have been an exaggeration. We can always have just one more! We're so grateful for this opportunity, but also so ready to get home and start a new chapter!

Stay tuned...

Faux-hawk?

2009-05-22T18:28:00.002+02:00

I know it's been forever...things are C-R-A-Z-Y around here. We're trying to pack, whilst cramming everything under the sun into the little time we have left here as well! It's a conundrum. I do, however, promise to update soon!

Until then, please see this post by our friend Lisa. It's in Dutch, but you really don't need to read it. Just look at the fantastic hairstyles of our Belgian blokes :) Thanks for the laugh Lisa :)

Antwerp

2009-05-17T10:11:00.007+02:00

Stephen and I went to Antwerp yesterday! Because it was cloudy and windy, we were unable to go on the "tour boats" around the harbor, which I've heard is the best part. Oh well...we enjoyed touring the city and taking in the sites!

View of the Cathedral from the shopping streets!

The Cathedral in the Grand Place!

The Justice Building, with a really cool fountain in the front. Notice there isn't a pool underneath, or barriers for that matter. When the wind blew, you got a little wet...but it was very pretty!

But, the best part of the trip, in my opinion, was the music on the way! See here for why I love the first one! And P.S. This is how Gracie feels about most pictures and videos of her :)

Heaven...

2009-05-09T14:18:00.001+02:00

Dutch Tulips

2009-05-08T11:59:00.006+02:00

Stephen and I traveled last weekend to a town near Amsterdam to see the Tulip exposition. It only lasts for a month, and even though we came in the middle of it's opening days, we were still a little late for some of the tulips. There were hundreds of colors, sizes, shapes and patterns. I have to say it was absolutely beautiful!

**And check out Gracie's Blog for a cute video of Gracie vs. the Swan :)

Bowling in Europe

2009-05-08T11:03:00.000+02:00

Well, it's the same. I know what you were all thinking...would everything be in French? Is it different? Ok, maybe those thoughts never entered your mind, but I'm here to put those of you who were worried at ease! It's the exact same...and still as fun as ever!

We had way too much fun...and I'm happy to say that the Texans beat out the Belgians :) But who's counting.

Afterwards, we went to a local discoteque in the Carre. I'm not going to post pictures of the dancing...I don't want to ruin reputations! But...the barstools were swings, so I had to post a picture of that fun!

Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T09:20:00.000+02:00

Stephen and I decided the people of Liege needed a little "Cinco" in their lives. So, we hosted a party! We did what we could with the ingredients here in Belgium...so let's just say that they received a "Pancho's" experience instead of an "Uncle Julio's or Pappasito's" one...but that's ok. They loved it anyway!

OH, and no margarita mix to be found. Needless to say, these were the only to margaritas made, and only one of them was finished :)

We had ground taco meat and chicken fajitas, with mexican rice, black bean salsa, cheese, onions, and Jelapenos (spelling check...see the wrapper :))

Part of the group...we ended up having around 10 people brave enough for the Mexican meal! And did you know...Cinco de Mayo became a holiday after the Mexicans defeated the French? Oops! Thank you Wikipedia!

Bottled in Brussels...authentic! And Yummy!!

And no Cinco de Mayo party is complete without homemade guacamole! Believe it or not, I found Haas Avocados and the above Japs, so it was incredible. Almost rivaled Andy's, per Stephen!

La Boqueria Market

2009-05-03T19:52:00.006+02:00

Just near our apartment was the Boqueria Market, a famous market that is open everyday for locals and tourists to buy, well, anything. Live or dead, candy or fruit, anything you want! We had a good time walking around. To be honest, though, we were either taking pictures or oogling all of the odd and, to be frank, SCARY things they sold!

Chopping up the fresh salmon

Ok...on the left are skinned goat heads, with eyes and teeth. Next is cow brains, then liver, then the nether region jewels and then tongues. SICK!

Pork legs

And our Starbucks was purchased just around the corner...we've really missed it!

Casa Batllo

2009-05-02T22:46:00.008+02:00

Have I mentioned that I love Gaudi? Well, this was my favorite of his houses, ahem, Casa's. Not only is it completely unique, but also incorporates blues, white and dark wood...my fav's. We toured the house, the back terrace and the rooftop terrace. You can see some similar themes between this Casa and Casa Mila. Here are some of the best...

And of course some pictures of the Casa at night! Isn't it magical looking? I kept thinking we were at some Oompa Loompa convention or something...

And now the interior! He used a lot of wood and mosaic tiles, and the cool thing is that starting at the bottom it was light blue, and as you worked your way to the top, the tiles became darker, leading you to the skylights and rooftop terrace. He thought of everything!

Casa Mila

2009-05-02T10:59:00.007+02:00

One of Gaudi's houses is the Casa Mila. He was commissioned to design this little ditty, and now it houses a few private apartments and offices. The "apartment" that they let you view models decor from the early 20th century. It was cool, and the wrought iron balconies were impressive! It sits on the corner of a major motorway, so the views are really nice as well!

The biggest "must-see" of this house, though, is the rooftop terrace. Gaudi used his mosaic tiles and love of smooth lines to create a strange sand dune feeling on the top of this statuesque building. It was incredible...and I've heard it's even better when it's lit up at night. And as you can see, we could view the Sagrada Familia from afar!

Boom, upside your head!

2009-04-29T22:49:00.002+02:00

If you are singing the little cheer in your head, than you get the title. If not, just ignore my humor and check out this funny story:

We're all walking along the promenade to the beach, excited to see the coast and feel the water. As we're admiring the harbor and chatting a group of young Spanish teens start walking towards us with little clipboards, wanting us to sign petitions. We don't really pay attention until they get really close to us, asking us if we spoke English. Stephen and the girls kind of part ways around them, saying "NO!" and kept walking.

I, unfortunately, was cornered by one of the aggressive little ladies. She pushed her clipboard into my stomach, shouting things in Spanglish, when I felt a little movement in my purse. I pushed her back a bit, saying "No! What are you doing?" when she FREAKED OUT. She walked past me and then HIT ME with her clipboard in the back. It didn't hurt, but I was completely stunned.

Aimee and the others caught on when they heard me yelling at her. They whipped around in time to catch her hit me and just bust out laughing. Well, that's not completely true. They were concerned for a second, but then cracked up. I mean, who gets hit by a pickpocketer? She didn't get anything out of my purse, only unzipped it halfway.

We watched the teenagers reassembling further down the promenade and were able to catch her have a hissy fit at her lack of skills again, throwing her pencil and stomping. Guess I won this round, babe!

The Sagrada Familia and the Jazz night that never was...

2009-04-29T21:09:00.005+02:00

Well, our jazz night was a flop. We arrived at the door to be told it was a 10 euro cover charge "unless you can find the people handing out flyers, then it's free!" Are you kidding? Guess they weren't, and we found a flyer-man rather quickly. We make it inside to be told we were the FIRST people at the club. It was midnight. Ridiculous. So, we tried out the music and decided we should make a move to another location. We ended up at a little Irish club called "Cheers!" and found a back booth to play cards. Though overdressed, we had a great time!!

The next morning we decided to head to the Sagrada Familia. I was VERY excited about seeing this part of Gaudi's works. Unfortunately, the church was mostly in scaffolding. I guess that's pretty typical of our European Adventures. Almost all good things have been under construction or being cleaned. The amazing thing about this structure, though, is that Gaudi died way before it was finished, and they are only finishing it as donations and money is given (and according to his strict plans). So, it's estimated that it will take 30 more years to complete! It was amazing, though...see for yourself!

Park Guell and other Gaudi fun...

2009-04-26T22:32:00.004+02:00

We ventured out today after the morning rain and went on a little Gaudi walking tour. We decided to save the museums for a different day, since Monica is leaving tomorrow morning. We wanted her to be able to see all of the goodness, so we went to the major sights she hadn't already seen, including two of his houses, and the Park Guell.

The park was a bit crowded, but we had a great time and enjoyed seeing all the kitsch designs! After the park, we walked around our neighborhood, the Old town (Barri Gotic), and enjoyed some late afternoon tapas and gelato...perfect!

Stay tuned for the Sagrada Familia and Jazz night!

The beach was a success!!

2009-04-25T22:10:00.007+02:00

This is my favorite city EVER!! We had great weather yesterday-mid 80's and the sun was shining. I'm now a lobster...life goes on! We spent the afternoon walking along the beach, people watching and enjoying a nice cold glass of Sangria. It was fantastic.

The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering the city and enjoying the great company we have here! Monica, a friend of Kelly and Aimee's is here for a few days in between work commitments. It's been so nice having fun friends here on vacation with us!

Today was spent lounging around, and tomorrow will be a full day walking tour, a la Stephen's tours, to see Gaudi's work. I absolutely can't wait! Hope I can sleep :)

Barcelona...

2009-04-24T12:10:00.005+02:00

We're here! That Weather.com is full of crap, it's absolutely beautiful here. Low 80's, sunny and gorgeous! I love Spain!!!

Here are a few pics of our first two days! We walked around the city yesterday...it was their Valentine's Day. The men give women flowers, and the women give men books. It was fun to wander around the markets and people watch...but a little too busy! We're looking forward to a little more space on the roads today!

We're headed this afternoon to the beach. We walked the harbor yesterday, looked at the boats and the coastline, and now we're thinking it's time to get some sun! Wish us luck :)

Normandy...

2009-04-14T20:11:00.009+02:00

We drove to Normandy for the Easter weekend. We had Monday off, so we decided we would do a little "long weekend" trip, and we both wanted to see the sights on the French coast.

We arrived in Caen, France on Friday night, and we were exhausted after working and driving 5 hours. We called it an early night, as we had to be up and at the tour meeting sight at 8:20. We took a tour called "American WWII History," from 8:30-5:30. It was long, but so great. We arrived to find we were taking a bus with another couple from Michigan. We were pretty excited there would only be 5 of us, well six if you include Gracie and the tour guide, Olivier.

We drove around to all of the major WWII sights, including the German gun battery, Omaha and Utah beaches, the Culleville-sur-Mer American cemetary, Pointe du Hoc, Carentan, the 506th Headquarters, Drop Zone D (the paratroopers), Sainte-Mere Eglise (and Museum), Hiesville (General Taylor's HQ), the Pratt Memorial, Marmion Farm, and Brecourt Manor. There were even more little sights along the way that were were able to see as well!

The tour was fantastic, and they had original maps, pictures, and plans to correspond with all of the sights. It really was fascinating. The cemetary was incredible, and we even went to a lot of the "Band of Brothers" filming spots. I was skeptical of the length of the tour, but not once did I feel like it was long...the time actually flew by. The only thing wrong with the trip was the weather...it was cold and rainy. But I hear that this is par for the course in Normandy, so if you are planning a trip, be prepared!

We finished the day with a nice meal and hit the hay...we were exhausted! The next morning we drove to Deauville/Trouville-sur-Mer and stopped to walk around. This area came highly recommended, and I absolutely loved it. The houses were like nothing I'd seen in France, or Europe for that matter, and the area was so cute. The towns are within a stones throw of each other, and they surround a cute harbor and the ocean. It was cold and windy, but very crowded and posh. They had all of the designer stores and fun terraces to eat at, and a casino. Stephen and I played a few slots...of course lost all our money. I shouldn't have even mentioned it...how sacriligious to gamble on Easter.

We decided to forego lunch and head straight to the Palace of Versailles to round out our day. I was disappointed that the flowers weren't planted yet, but the gardens still amazed me. It's incredible how enormous the gardens behind the palace are. What a fun backyard! Stephen and I joked about how amazing that would be, if our backyard was that big...

Now back to reality! We relaxed and did almost nothing yesterday, and it was back to the grind today! It was such a fun weekend, but of course the reason for the season is that HE IS RISEN! I'm such a rhymer :) Hope you all had a great Easter!

Prayers for my Nani...

2009-04-13T21:03:00.004+02:00

Update 2:

My Aunt Julie called and said that Nani is doing MUCH better. After 2 days of little sleep and a lot of tests, it's been diagnosed as a severe case of Diverticulitis. She should be able to go home as early as tomorrow morning! Such an answer to prayer...thank you!!

Update:

She had a rough night last night, still bleeding more than she should...they ran some tests and we'll see what they come up with this afternoon! I'll let you know...until then, keep praying :)

(original post below)

It seems like when it rains it pours. We lost my grandfather just three short months ago, and now my Nani is sick. My sweet Aunts have taken her to the hospital. She's lost a lot of blood and is a bit lethargic. We don't know exactly what the problem is at the moment, but I would covet your prayers for her at this time!

I'll update when I know more...

Merci!!

2009-04-10T14:39:00.003+02:00

It's nice to feel appreciated! As I finished a lesson with one of my students, whom I've been teaching for the past six months, he brandished these beauties from his briefcase. Nice, huh?

He said it was a token of his appreciation. Well actually, no he didn't. He doesn't exactly know those words yet...but you get the idea!

Vindicated!

2009-04-02T21:34:00.003+02:00

This video proves I'm not that crazy for my infatuation with "the Sound of Music." It could be worse, right?

(located in Antwerp, which is in Belgium for those of you that didn't know)

Look out D.C. You've got nothing on Liege :)

2009-04-01T23:05:00.003+02:00

Hello Spring!

Stephen's Birthday Celebrations

2009-03-29T19:20:00.004+02:00

Today is Stephen's 27th birthday!!! We've had so much fun this weekend...on Friday we went out with some co-workers to play pool and darts...and of course ended up at a disco afterwards!

On Saturday we headed to Brussels to spend the night and had dinner with some friends from church. Michelle made "Toad in the Hole," a British specialty! It was delicious!!!

Today at church we had cake and fun fellowship. Yes, we have church in a public place, and yes there's a bar! Unique, and we love it!

Happy Birthday Stephen...I love you MORE!

P.S. Sorry for my voice singing loudly in the video. I always forget it picks up the closest voice...annoying! Sorry :)

Fashion forward?

2009-03-26T22:16:00.003+01:00

When I was 16 I worked at Tommy Hilfiger at the Galleria in Dallas. I had to wear all the preppy clothes and deal with really ridiculous people who just wanted the "label." Case in point: We would wrap all purchases in tissue paper and then seal it with a "Tommy" sticker...well they would BEG for a roll of the stickers. Strange. I digress...

This morning I woke up and it WASN'T RAINING. Do you hear the "hallelujah?" So I decided to forego the living room work out and go for a run. I hadn't eaten breakfast, and this bit of information would be completely asinine if it weren't that I was about 100 feet behind a woman 10-minutes into the run that was wearing copious amounts of "Tommy Girl," and I really felt like if I had eaten I would have chucked right there on the street.

Without warning I was right back in that little store in the Galleria. Busy Saturdays with at least 500 "trial sprays" of Tommy Girl from obnoxious groups of teenage girls on the prowl. I guess this is all to say that not all Europeans are "fashion forward."

Spring?

2009-03-24T21:51:00.003+01:00

Photo by: Grefft

I really wish I could take credit for this photo, but I can't. It's in NYC...and it's amazing! But the rain here isn't so magical!

I rode my bike to work this morning...had to be there at 8. It wasn't raining, but in Belgium (especially in the Spring) there is ALWAYS potential. It didn't rain the entire time. Wow!

I rode home at 9:30 and it rained the whole time. I rode back at 12:30 and the sun was shining. I rode home at 4:45 and it rained the whole time. Do you see a pattern?? NO?

There ISN'T ONE! It's the most random weather right now. I guess you could say that "Spring has Sprung?" I don't know...I don't love it, that's for sure!

Monday night I ran from one class to another and as I arrived, my sweet student looked at my rain-soaked face and hair and said, "Yep, Belgium in March."

Drama Street

2009-03-21T13:44:00.003+01:00

We came home from dinner with friends last night to find this...

And the best part is it was for NO REASON! Just bored I guess. But hey, I'll take it. It's better than this and this!

Zurich, Strausbourg, and a long drive home!

2009-03-19T22:30:00.009+01:00

The Saturday we left Austria we made our way to Zurich. I was so excited to be in Switzerland...not sure why, I guess it just seemed "really far away" when I would think about it from the States. That sounds stupid, appease me!

We arrived, checked in and made our way to the city center. We found about 15 Starbucks in about 3 minutes (which made me happy) and then found the cute shopping streets. We stopped for a little food and wine and then toured the city! The lake, river and beautiful scenery made for a fantastic afternoon.

That evening we had a nice meal and chat, then retired early to prepare for our long drive home on Sunday! We woke up for breakfast with the intention of eating a yummy muffin at one of the aforementioned Starbucks. Well, after two tries and two fails...we finally found the ONE Starbucks open on Sunday and dug in. We decided we should shove off rather soon, since we had about 10 hours of driving ahead of us.

Our first stop after leaving was Basel. We didn't turn off from the highway. So I lied, it wasn't a stop. It was a drive-through. We then headed to Strasbourg. We realized soon after exiting the highway that there was a lot of traffic. Once we arrived in the city center, we were happily met with a CARNAVAL PARADE. Stephen and I have a knack for finding festivals and parades by chance...and this was no exception.

We decided to park and partake, taking as many candid photos (read could have been killed if caught) as we could! It was fantastic! I love random parades, and I really love parades where not only those involved are dressed up, but the crowd as well. Carnaval is a bit like Halloween as far as dressing up...just check out the pics!

After Strasbourg, we headed to Trier, where again we didn't find it necessary to get out of the car, and then made it home. Around 9pm. We were pooped. Maybe that's why it's taken me four days to blog this. Anywho, I'm making ground people! I'm blogging more...get happy :) (all 5 of you that read this :))

Too much...

2009-03-18T11:45:00.002+01:00

My friend Emily posted this on her blog, and I couldn't stop laughing! Seriously???

The hills weren't as "alive" as I'd hoped...

2009-03-13T16:27:00.006+01:00

We arrived in Salzberg after driving for an hour and a half in some serious snow. As we approached the countryside surrounding Salzberg, the snow faded and the sun came out. Spring looked like it was approaching the city...until we parked. Then the snow we had left behind caught up with us! It was snowing so bad, it was vertically hitting us in the face under our umbrellas.

We decided instead of sitting in a packed, hot and sweaty tour bus that seated 10 (and not to mention the sickness that would have ensued after going through the "hills") we decided to do the tour on our own. I'm glad we did...we were able to see the sights I wanted to see, and at our own pace (meaning we would stop in warm shops to heat up).

This first picture is in the Mirabell Gardens, where the Pegasus statue sits. Maria and the Von Trapp children sang "Do-Re-Mi" around the statue and the gardens. You can see in the picture how snowy it was!

The second stop on our tour was the house the Von Trapp family lived in in the movie. We weren't able to get to it, so all of the pictures are from far away. The front side of the castle was used as the Trapp family home, the children were boating on the Leopoldskron Lake and fell into the water. Too bad it was frozen, or I might have tried a re-enactment :)

This picture is of the Nonnberg Abbey. It's the oldest convent in the German speaking part of Europe. Maria was a novice there. The baron and Maria were married here in 1927. The scenes for the movie made here include the opening with the nuns going to Mass and Maria coming too late. I'm behind the gates that they shoot the movie through, where you see Maria running to catch up.

The rest of the pictures are from the other famous sites in Salzberg. The Salzberg Castle, the Dom (Cathedral) and the shopping streets. While at the Castle the weather cleared up, and we were able to get a view of the city from the top. It was fantastic. We ended the night at the Augustiner Brauhaus, supposedly the best beer garden in Austria...we thought Munich was better :)

The hills are alive...

2009-03-10T17:49:00.006+01:00

Stephen, Gracie and I drove from Liege to Munich on Friday. We walked around the city, found a hidden gem for a restaurant, and then made our way to the Hofbrauhaus...home of the Octoberfest festivities and such. It was pretty great, and the people we met were really interesting! Gracie couldn't drive fast enough to get there, but eventually she enjoyed her beer and was happy! :)

On Saturday, we picked up the Dotson's to make our way here, to Kirchberg, Austria! It's absolutely gorgeous, and I am not exaggerating! Look below :)

We've done a lot of skiing, and a lot of falling, but it's been incredible! The weather is so nice, and we have at least 2-4 inches of snow every night to enjoy! The food is as you'd expect, but we haven't had anything disappointing yet!

We close every evening playing a VERY serious game of Spades, and wake up to enjoy the skiing in the morning! Tomorrow, though, we're going to take a day off and head to Salzburg. Not only is it the birthplace of Mozart, it's also the home of the SOUND OF MUSIC TOUR. Can you hear my excitement???? I'm pumped, and Stephen isn't, haha! Good thing my mother-in-law is here to enjoy it with me!

And don't worry, I found that there is a restaurant/bar where you can "sing-a-long" all of the songs from the musical. So, I'm channeling my inner Julie Andrews, and will be belting out some tunes! You're so jealous!!

And, as my mom-in-law gently suggested last night...I need to blog more. I had no idea I had any readers...but apparently I do, and I'm disappointing you all. So...say no more! I'm back in folks :)

Happy Valentine's Day from G-Dog

2009-02-13T16:54:00.002+01:00

Gracie wanted you to know you are all loved...

The Future Mrs. Sorenson

2009-02-08T21:44:00.003+01:00

My sister Hayley said "YES!" She and Matt are very excited, and so are we! Congrats you two!!

Natalie and Andy came to town...

2009-02-03T22:31:00.004+01:00

My brother and sister-in-law left today after a week-long visit. They intended to come into town the week of my Grandfather's funeral. Luckily, they were able to rebook their tickets and come and see us a week later!

On Friday, we met Andy and Natalie in Paris and set out to tour the city. We were able to see the Eiffel Tower, the Arc and of course Champs Elysses...where we spent the majority of the day! That evening we went back to the Arc to capture pictures of the Eiffel tower at night. It was really cold and windy, but we persevered the steps up and the cold and got some great pics!

On Saturday, we toured the city some more, and did some more shopping! We headed back to Liege that afternoon and made it in time to have a typical "Liegeois" dinner. Afterwards we introduced N&A to the local drink, "Peket" and a night on the town in Liege. We were exhausted by Sunday, so we slept in and took our time heading to Amsterdam.

Once in the city, we checked into our hotel and then walked to the Red Light. Didn't waste any time, did we? We then headed to an Australian bar to get a seat for the Superbowl. Yes, we watched the American Superbowl in an Australian bar in the Netherlands. Amazing...ha! We had a great time playing spades and having drinks watching the Superbowl...which ended at 4:30am our time. Again, we were exhausted on Monday and slept in!

We ended their time here by going to Brussels. They were able to see all of the Belgian monuments and landmarks, and most importantly get a waffle! It was sad to see them go, but we had so much fun while they were here! AND...we'll be home shortly enough and have many more fun weekends ahead!

Saying Goodbye

2009-02-03T22:12:00.002+01:00

My grandfather's funeral was amazing. It was full of his life and legacy, friendships and funny stories. We had a great time visiting with his friends and family and honoring his life. At his graveside they had a "Veteran's" service, with a 21-gun salute and then folding of the American Flag for my grandmother. It was very emotional and peaceful.

After the funeral I stayed in Tulsa with my parents, grandmother and Aunts. We had a great time relaxing and celebrating Aunt Pegi's Birthday! I was able to see my sweet nieces in Dallas for a short bit before heading back to Belgium...which was amazing! They grow up so fast!

Since I've been home things haven't slowed down...but I like that it's busy! The time flies by quickly, and before you know it, we'll be back home!

Papa went home...

2009-01-10T17:16:00.003+01:00

Thank you for all of your prayers and kind words leading up to this moment. Last night, my Papa went home. It was peaceful and serene, an answer to prayers. Though we will all miss him terribly, he is finally at rest with our Lord.

Hug each of your family members today. Life is too short!

I'm 27!

2009-01-02T18:48:00.004+01:00

I celebrated my birthday on the 30th, I'm now the big 2-7! It's crazy to think that another year has gone by. I feel like it was just a few months ago I was celebrating my 26th.

This year I woke up to find my sweet husband making me breakfast. He woke up early to get it all done, and it was delicious! I worked until 12 and then came home for lunch. When Stephen got home for lunch, he brought with him a dozen roses, a sweet card with a sweet gift in it for me, and some of my favorite crack (gum...i'm addicted).

Then for dinner, we decided to branch out and make lobster bisque. I found a recipe online, and miraculously found all of the ingredients here, and it was AMAZING! If you want the recipe, let me know! It rivals some of the better ones we've had!

For dessert, we made the Williams & Sonoma Chocolate Molten cakes...again, delicious! All in all, it was a fantastic birthday. And I have a feeling my 27th year might just be my best one yet!

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas...

2008-12-25T10:27:00.003+01:00

We did!!

There are starving Chihuahua's in Belgium...apparently!

2008-12-21T21:23:00.005+01:00

Exhibit A:

Stealing my dinner

Exhibit B:

Edging her way into Stephen's

Exhibit C:

Making it happen...

I promise we feed her!

Kampen's vs. Dotson's

2008-12-19T14:25:00.005+01:00

Mom and Dad

Gracie vs. The Elevator

Kampen's in Europe

2008-12-19T12:33:00.012+01:00

My parents started their vacation in Liege. Stephen picked them up from the airport and they came back to the house to take naps. I came home and we walked into town to view the city. When Stephen came home from work we decided to have an early dinner so that we could get a good night's sleep before Berlin. We had a great dinner, hilarious conversations and even SNOW!!!

The next morning, despite inclement weather, we headed to Berlin. Once in Germany, the roads were a lot more prepared for snow than in Belgium. We sailed through the 5 and a half hours by playing silly car games and laughing and catching up.

Once in Berlin, we headed to Potsdamer Platz and decided to ride the same ride from last year before having a nice dinner in the Sony Center. If you don't remember, the ride was an inner tube careening down an ice/snow hill...and this year they allowed two people to hold hands on the way down, which meant we would be spinning around the whole way down. It was really fun, and mom and dad loved it. Dinner was fabulous, and we went home to get some sleep in preparation for the next day.

We decided to do a walking tour of Berlin that was fabulous. We walked for about 4 hours, stopping for a little snack halfway. With the tour, we were able to see Hitler's bunker, the Jewish Memorial, the art Museums, the various monuments marking the war and Checkpoint Charlie. We really enjoyed the tour, and afterwards decided to tour the German History museum. It was really nice, and interesting to see a lot of Hitler's things, i.e. his GIGANTIC desk.

While in Germany, we enjoyed quite a few sausages, gluhwein, beers and Christmas Markets. We dined in authentic German restaurants and became acquainted with all forms of Public Transport. It was great!

We left Berlin and began our search for Fredrich Karl Kampen...my father's Great-Great-Grandfather. My dad had done some research on his geneaology and had a relatively good idea where his family originated from. On our way to the village, we decided to stop in Celle for a night (halfway). My dad had visited Celle 10 or 15 years before on a work trip, and remembered it being a very "German" town. We were so impressed! Our hotel was GORGEOUS, and the town was very authentic and unique. We shopped around, had a great time, and then spent the rest of the night in the restaurant at the hotel. It was fabulous...definitely a place to recommend if you are going to Germany!

The next morning we headed out in search of Fredrich! At our first stop, we found a cemetary we thought might have some family headstones. We all split up and searched, but came up with nothing. At the last minute, my dad decided to ask the church staff if they had any information. To our astonishment, the lady working in the church knew our last name already...someone (we don't know the person) had requested information 10 or so years ago, and she had helped her. Strange, huh? She had our family tree, marriage certificates from the 1800's, copies of my dad's great-grandfather's passport, etc. It was incredible. What we learned from the information was that his family had left Germany in the early 1900's for America in search of jobs. They were very poor, and were hoping they could find work and a better life is the USA. We also found a few more possible villages to look for Fredrich...so we left and tried to find them. We ended up looking in four or five possible cemetaries, but didn't have any luck. We're thinking that because he would have died in 1896'ish, his gravestone and those of other family members would have been torn up or destroyed in the wars. It was still a very interesting journey, and I think we'll have to do a little more research and go back!

We came back to Liege for a few days, taking day trips to both Maastricht and Bastogne. Maastricht has great Christmas markets and shopping, and Bastogne (where the "Battle of the Bulge" was located) has a great WWII monument and museum, so my dad was in heaven. We went to Brussels on the weekend as well, and my parents were able to go to church with us and meet our friends we talk about so often. They even woke up earlier and walked the market outside our house...we were busy!!!

While we were in Liege "relaxing" we celebrated Thanksgiving as a family. It was really nice to have my parents here for the holiday...not just for their cooking, although I can't say it wasn't a treat!! We couldn't find a turkey small enough for my oven, so we settled on the breast. We roasted it, had stuffing, yams, salad, pumpkin pie...it was fabulous! We're very lucky, and thankful, to have had family here on the holiday!

The last weekend they were here we visited "Kampen" Germany on our way to Amsterdam. It was quite strange to visit a town in Germany that your family is named after/shares the name of. We took some cute pictures near the signs and the Kampen bus stop! We made our way to Amsterdam around lunchtime, and enjoyed a very "Dutch" lunch...Bacon burgers and Club Sandwiches...ha! We walked around Amsterdam, my parents toured the Anne Frank house and we tried to tour the Red Light District, but never really found the heart of it. Better luck next time I guess. :)

The trip was busy, but we enjoyed it so much! It's not very often, as a child with 3 siblings, to get your parents to yourself (does that sound strange?). It was a really nice treat to have them here, to travel with them and experience Europe together! Of course, it was heartbreaking to tell them goodbye, but I cherish the memories we made and look forward to the next Kampen/Dotson vacation :)

Prayers for my Pa Pa

2008-12-14T12:51:00.005+01:00

***UPDATE:

Papa completed his first dialysis yesterday and is feeling better and more comfortable. This is such an answer to prayer, that he will feel well enough to be able to go home. No one knows exactly how long he has left, but we do know that his heart is working at 10% and it's very tired...thank you all for your prayers! It means more than you know!

Katie

----------------
Original post:

Yesterday I received news that my Pa Pa is nearing his last days. He's been in the hospital with heart problems, and we were under the assumption he would be coming home today. Unfortunately, the doctors have told him he will not make it. His response to being resuscitated was "No, I'm ready to go to Heaven." They are in talks today to put a port in to give him dialysis, just to make him feel better until his heart gives out on it's own. It's VERY hard for my family right now, and even harder for me being over here and not able to see him one last time. I was able to talk to him in his hospital room yesterday, which was really difficult. I ask that you lift him and my Nani up in prayer, and also my family driving up to see him and give him their last goodbyes...thank you in advance for keeping my family in your thoughts and prayers...it's a very difficult time!

'Tis the season...

2008-12-12T22:48:00.001+01:00

To GIVE!

Kampen's in Europe

2008-12-02T16:50:00.003+01:00

The past two weeks my parents have been in Belgium (and in Germany and Holland, but more on that later) visiting Stephen and I and touring our neck of the woods. We had such a good time. We saw SNOW, our Kampen family starting point in Germany, Berlin, Amsterdam, Maastricht, Brussels, Celle, and a lot of little villages in between.

You all know by now how much I HATE goodbyes, and I'm feeling a little low. For this reason, and the fact that one of my best friends is coming in on Thursday, I will be delaying the Kampen Family in Europe Blog for a few days! Be patient...it's coming!

Until then, I'll leave you with this picture of my sweet father...immersing himself in Liege culture as much as he can :)

The best 2 years of my LIFE!

2008-11-18T08:19:00.004+01:00

Stephen,

The past two years have been amazing...we've traveled Europe, made wishes that have come true, claimed our identity as a couple in our foreign surroundings, and all of it was done while holding hands! I love you so much, and am looking forward to a lifetime of anniversary's with you!

Your partner in crime,

Katie

Our Dallas Trip

2008-11-04T21:56:00.013+01:00

Dallas was amazing! We were able to see and do a lot of things, and of course it went by too fast. I'll do my best to recount our adventures...in short :)

We flew in on Friday and joined the family for Babe's. Stephen had missed fried chicken and was REALLY excited to eat some tenders. Saturday morning we helped Lindsay and Jeremy get ready for Mackenzie's first birthday party. It was a complete success, and the princess loved all of her toys...and her uncle Stephen! She was attached to him the whole trip! It was really cute...but don't worry-he's got me on lockdown. No funny ideas! That night we met Glenda, RP and Kelly for dinner at Uncle Julio's. 24 hours and I was already having Mexican food! Yummy!

Sunday mom and I headed to the State Fair of Texas. We didn't partake in all things fried (big sigh from all of you haters) but we did get a little taste of the deep fried bacon and it was delightful! We rode a ride (which I hadn't done since HS) and enjoyed our day together!

Monday was a shopping day...did you expect any less?? Lindsay (with Mackenzie) and Natalie (with Olivia) met us up at Northpark, and my mom's friend Lori even had a cameo! We shopped until we dropped and then had a little happy hour treat at Kona like old times. Marc stopped by and the Dotson's joined us as well. Cheap sushi makes me happy!

Tuesday, Stephen went golfing and I went to visit my old school to see my teacher friends I hadn't seen in a while. I miss it!! Afterwards I met my mom, Natalie and Olivia for some more shopping! My mom and I are good, and I missed NorthPark terribly :) We had a great time and then met Andy, Stephen, Lindsay and Mackenzie at Fireside Pies for some grub.

Wednesday my mom and I stopped by Brooke's (my HS friend) house to see her new addition. Addison (her son) is SO tiny and cute. We then made our way to Kelly's house in Highland Park for the remainder of our stay. That night, we went to Sambuca's to meet up with some friends. Catherine, Seychelle, Kat, Lorie & Jesse, Stefani, Aimee, Kelly, Stephen and I enjoyed some wine and talked about the past. It was a blast. Afterwards, we headed to Manny's where we met Derek, Marc, Becca, John and Claire! It was so fun...and great to see everyone!

Thursday Glenda and I headed out to run some errands, stopping for lunch at Cafe Neimans (we thought it was the Zodiac but were corrected) with Jeanette, Jolene and Kelly. Glenda and I continued to shop and then headed back home so we could cook a family meal. It was so good to have a quiet Dotson dinner :)

Friday Kelly, Glenda and I headed out to the Allen Outlet Malls to shop around for a bit...because Kelly was sick, ha! (From work at least!) We enjoyed the day, bought some cute shoes and then headed back to HP. That night we had a spaghetti dinner with the Holmes (our cousins), Jeremy, Lindsay and Mackenzie, and Hayley! We had a great time talking and laughing. Hayley and I had tickets to go see Matt Nathanson at the House of Blues, so we jetted out for that. When we returned, the party was still going...dancing and all!! We then met up with some old Baylor friends at a little party and then ended up playing pool at Corner Bar. Typical Friday night, right?

Saturday we had lunch at Chili's (Stephen made it all week without caving) and then met up with my parents, Natalie and Olivia at the Fox Sports Grill to watch the games. We had a nice dinner that night at Bluefish with all of our family in town and then Stephen, Kelly and I headed to Aimee's 30th birthday party..."Wiggin' Out." It was a blast!

Sunday we woke up, packed, headed to brunch at Blue Mesa and then headed out. We made it back safely and full of excitement for the last leg of our journey! Don't worry that I was a mess...but it's also nice to know that we'll be back for good soon! Until then, we've got a lot to do and see here! You've got about 8 months to come visit us...get on it!!!

*For more pictures, visit www.picasaweb.google.com/katie.dotson

Go NOW and Vote!

2008-11-04T21:54:00.002+01:00

We have a right that a lot of people would kill for...please go and vote! We did...EARLY :)

Fall weather brings Fall bugs!

2008-10-14T23:07:00.004+02:00

Gracie met our first Daddy Long Leg of the season! Check out their encounter...

http://www.graciesbigadventure.blogspot.com/

Uh oh...it's about to get cold!

2008-10-14T22:51:00.003+02:00

That's what goes through my mind the second after I realize how pretty Fall is!

Family Fun Day

2008-10-14T22:21:00.005+02:00

Stephen and I made great use of our past weekend. As most of you know, we were able to catch the TX/OU game in Brussels. It was really nice to be able to see a game, much less the biggest upset this year. You all know that I tend to root for OU, and although I have a lot of friends that went to TX...your Texas Ex's rep in Brussels needs to be fired. She was incredibly annoying, disgustingly vulgar, and her use of the f'bomb and "go back to your Indian Reservation" jargon hit a sensitive chord with me. We'll just say we didn't get along. It really had NOTHING to do with the game or the University, I just hate fans like that, and I really can't stand people that speak about things they know nothing about. Anyhow, I was incredibly embarrassed for her, and embarrassed that everyone around her thinks that is the way Texans act. Oh well, right? Nothing I can do about it. I'm sure there are equally annoying OU fans, and we ALL know that the A&M fans are worse :) I kid, I kid!

The next morning, we decided to spend the day together in Liege. I had to work on Saturday morning and then attend a meeting on Saturday afternoon, so we looked forward to a family day! We started by walking the market in front of our house. We haven't shown recent pictures of this market, so I thought I would inform you guys of the Fall's latest...people and goods!

After we walked the market, we decided to visit the October Fair in Liege. Every October for the entire month the city hosts a fair. Not like the Texas Fair, it only has rides, trashy outfits, sickening food (the pita we ate still hasn't settled) and amazing people watching. I did my best to document some of these things...but again I have to watch out for my safety :)

This guy was on a bumper car, though. Figured it was my window of opportunity!

Stephen loved his day at the fair. Not only did he get a DP, the weather was perfect (in the 70's) and he also got a pita made to order (no vegetables or lettuce). Nice.

My husband is a FINISHER!!!

2008-10-07T17:23:00.007+02:00

Well, it's over! The weather was in the low fifties, high forties...it rained 90% of the time (15% down pour) so it wasn't the best of conditions, we'll put it that way! Things started off great, Stephen and I felt good and were actually feeling the time fly by. Around 12km (sorry, but we've converted to km's to make it easier) my knee started to hurt, but I was able to push through the pain for a while...until 15 km (9 miles). I was running and singing out loud (by no means out of endurance) when my knee just gave out. I asked Stephen to slow down with me to see if I could run through it...but it wasn't going to happen. I couldn't even really walk without pain. This outcome was expected...but it didn't make it any easier to accept. It's very emotional to train for something for that long for something completely out of your hands require you to stop. I had to focus, though, because Stephen needed to finish and bring home a medal.

He carried on...and I was given Richard's (the couple that came with us- Michelle, his wife, ran with Stephen) bike to see Stephen throughout the race, he still had another 27km to go.
After about half an hour, I was absolutely freezing (wet from rain, sweat, and the temperature was really cold when not running) so I stopped in a cafe to warm up so I could get back out and do some supporting. Richard carried on though to support the two runners, and then came back to give me the bike about an hour later. At that point, Stephen was on 25km... past the "threshold" and past his farthest run to date (17km to go.) From that point on, it was all new territory for him, but he continued to press on. The course began to meander away from the city, and away from the spectators. We had already run a stretch away from spectators, but we were together. This one he was alone, but he said he was in a zone and by 30km he realized he was going to finish. The course didn't come back into the city until 37km so Richard rode out to check on him and came back with the goods news that though a small cramp in his left quad had slowed him down he was still running.

I was so emotional watching him. The pride I felt was overwhelming. I rode alongside him from about 37km to 39km (until getting yelled at by a pseudo-drunk German volunteer) and then made my way to the finish to be there for him when he was done! He said that by 35km he had resigned to walk a few minutes every other km. By 40km, the course turned into the shopping streets and went along the gorgeous cathedral (see pic in post below). At one point, he said he needed to walk and only 5 steps into the walk a nice German man came up behind him and encouraged him (in English!) to keep going. They ran together for about 1.5 km and talked about their experience. It helped take his mind off the pain and tiredness. Next came Mt. Everest (or at least that's what it feels like for the runners after 41.5km, and even myself on the bike with a bum knee) which consisted of a climb over the bridge and then a few hundred meters until the finish!

I have to say, for both of us, the finish was the most emotional thing. To watch someone you love so much complete such an arduous task was amazing! HE FINISHED! He hadn't worked out in two years when we started training. The most he ran during training was 23km...and that was over a month ago. It was insane...I'm so proud of him! He's incredible! And the medal is pretty cool, too :)

Thank you so much for all of the prayers and well wishes for the race. We appreciate them so much!

Duh duh duh.....

2008-10-03T21:45:00.005+02:00

The marathon is this weekend. If we survive, we'll tell you all about it. Ha! We're not completely joking, though. To make excuses, we haven't trained like we should have, we've both been plagued with injuries, and it's going to be in the high 40's with HIGH WINDS...what????? The point of doing this race was to get in shape and do something we wouldn't normally do in Texas...goal accomplished. Whether we finish in record time or sideline halfway to the pub, I'm proud of us and our accomplishments! We'll take pictures and give you the play-by-play when we return. Until then, here's a nice shot of the bridge we'll be starting on...

(Cologne, Germany)

If you've visited us here, you know that I require you to see the Cathedral in the background. It's absolutely incredible. You need to see it.

ITALY

2008-09-28T11:36:00.008+02:00

*I apologize in advance for the length of this post...hopefully the pictures will make it worth your while!

ROME

We flew into Rome on Saturday evening. Upon arriving, the baggage workers decided to go on an hour long strike. So typical. We finally got our bags and made our way to our B&B. Once we were settled, we decided to walk around Rome to get our bearings, and then found a pizza place for dinner. It was great, and so was the gelato :)

The next morning we attacked the Forum and the Coliseum, the Pantheon, and also the Spanish steps. They were all incredible, especially for myself because I hadn't seen any of them before. Apparently we missed Justin Timberlake by three days...I'm still sad about that. Can you imagine me running into him (those of you that know me know my affection for JT)? Ha! I digress...The weather was fantastic, so that helped as well. I think my favorite was the Forum. I have no idea how they were able to build such amazing things 2000 years ago. It still baffles me!

Monday morning we headed to the Vatican City. We rolled over and paid for a tour (still not sure if it was completely worth it...but it was informative). We toured the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peters Basilica and we even walked the 400+ steps to view all of Rome from St. Peter's Dome. It was a gorgeous view, completely worth it! Vatican City was truly incredible. The amount of money in that small little city is mind blowing. I took quite a few pictures of all of our adventures in the Vatican...you'll have to check them out here.

FICULLE/MONTEPULCIANO

We rented a car in Rome on Tuesday drove to Ficulle, a town in Umbria near Tuscany. Our friend Ava has a really nice home in this small village, and she was kind enough to let us stay there for a few days. The house had incredible views of the wine country...we spent quite a few nights watching the sun set and fixing homemade Italian food while we were there.

On Wednesday we drove 20 minutes to Montepulciano. This particular "mountain" is really famous for it's wines. We were able to go to a few wine tastings and visit wineries. It was really nice, and the wines were definitely great! We loved the small village feel of this city...but there were a lot of American/English tourists there as well. Can't really escape it in Italy.

While we stayed in Ficulle, we were in close driving distance to a few cool locations:

PISA

On Thursday, we headed to Pisa. This trip was rather comical. It took a little over two hours to get there, and we stayed less than 30 minutes. The leaning tower and duomo are the ONLY things to see in this town. However, I'm glad we went! It's one of those "must-see's" that I can cross off my list.

FLORENCE

After leaving Pisa, we headed an hour to Florence. I have to say this was probably my favorite city. There was a rich Italian culture, it wasn't very crowded (major points), we didn't have to wait hours to see the David, we could tour the Duomo with having to pay, we had a nice dinner with little interruptions, we shopped...it was really nice. The weather was perfect, so we took some great pictures here. I would love to go back and visit Florence for a longer period of time. There were quite a few tourists, but more students doing semesters there, so the University feel was present. I liked the younger crowd. It was refreshing!

VENICE
On Friday, we left Ficulle, drove back to Florence and caught a train to Venice. We arrived in the early evening, so we had time to get settled in our B&B and still have time to tour the city before the sunset. I was so shocked at this city. I think everyone has their preconceived notions about how it will be...and it was really nothing like what I had pictured. It's VERY quaint, the streets are so small and narrow, the water comes right up to the doors of homes, everyone buys into the gondola gimmick :), etc. I loved Venice, I just don't think I could stay there for an extended amount of time. It was too small for me...I felt a little claustrophobic to me.

However, I have some amazing pictures from these "small streets." They were very picturesque. We were able to get some sunset pictures from the Rialto Bridge, cruise around the city on the water bus (the cheap man's gondola ride, ha) and even let Gracie chase some pigeons in St. Mark's square (until we were reprimanded by a cop). We avoided the expensive restaurants like below:

(click picture and read text at the bottom...unreal)

...but we had some romantic meals and strolls along the water while we were there! It's really incredible, the whole idea of Venice...we watched an Ambulance retrieve someone from a house in a boat, the milkmen delivering their milk every morning by boat, a bride and her parents taking a water taxi to the courthouse...it's an interesting way to live. You have to see it once! If you aren't heading there anytime soon, you can live vicariously here.

MILAN

Saturday afternoon we caught a train to Milan. We got settled in our hotel and then made our way to the center of town. We weren't able to tour the duomo here because we both had shorts on (we weren't really thinking about that one), but we did walk the major shopping streets (and drooled at most windows) and had a nice 'final' dinner together. Milan was really nice, but if you aren't a shopper, don't bother! Actually, let me rephrase that. If you don't have the money to spend at designer stores, don't bother. It was nice for an overnight trip, and I was happy to have seen it.

Our flight left Milan Sunday afternoon, and we were back in Brussels and then home by 5:30pm. I had a little "post-vacation depression" this past week...especially having to work on Monday morning. We had a great time, though. And I'm so thankful we live so close to these amazing places that we can visit with relative ease. We're lucky!

The Champion, my dad!

2008-09-25T11:52:00.004+02:00

I would like to take the time to say CONGRATULATIONS to my dad! The 2008 Mens Plus Club Champion at Willow Fork County Club! I'm so proud of him! I know this means a lot to him and he totally deserves it. Unfortunately, he won't be available for a press conference or autographs. SO, please leave your comments of congratulations. AND YES, he has earned a front row parking spot for an entire year, reserved ONLY for THE Champion. Well done, dad! We're proud of you!

White Trash

2008-09-12T22:43:00.005+02:00

A few nights ago we realized our washer/dryer combo wasn't cutting it. In fact, we think it's completely broken. I haven't been the best housewife ever, either, because I've let the laundry kind of pile up. Well, tomorrow we are leaving for Italy...so something had to be done.

We hit up the laundro-mat, four trash bags in hand, and played cards while our clothes were being washed. It was actually kind of fun...if you don't count the fact that the lady kept talking to us in French and we couldn't understand a word she was saying...and that it cost about 20 euros to do three full loads.

Oh, and in response to THOUSANDS of questions concerning Gracie's passport: YES, it's official, NO she didn't have to include a picture (although I considered it), YES she has to have it on all flights/train adventures, and NO it's not like ours...though very similar! See pics above...

Beer Festival in Brussels

2008-09-12T22:29:00.004+02:00

Last weekend our friends Kyle and Emily invited us to Brussels to partake in the Belgian Beer Festival. It was in the center of the Grand Place, and all of the major breweries were in attendance. We stood in line for quite a while for "tokens" and then Stephen went off with the guys to find "quirky" Belgian beers that we could try. The first few ones were nice...but there were some really nasty ones thrown in there as well. As the place got more and more crowded, the lines to get tokens got longer and longer. To make Jeremy and Lindsay proud, Stephen found a kink/weak spot in the line and slipped in...and we were able to enjoy a few more beers before the night ended. As we were walking out to get to our car, we passed a van giving free breath-a-lizers (with no policie I assure you).

Since I've never given one (and have always been curious while I'm drinking) I decided to stop and try it. I had only had 4 beers in about 4 or so hours. Stephen and Kyle had a few more than me. Here are our results. Please notice the legal driving limit. We learned later that if you move the decimal place over to the left one space you will have the TX legal limit. I was the lesser of the evils, so in Texas rules I was ok to drive. We'll leave it at that.* Plus, look at Gracie. She was hammered. Someone had to be responsible!! Afterwards we had Chinese food at Kyle and Emily's while watching College Football. It was nice. Stephen got his fix, I think.

*No, this is not a habit. Please, no lectures.

Sugar Flies 0 - Stephen 125,900

2008-09-12T22:22:00.003+02:00

This summer we've had a problem with sugar flies being in and around our trash. It gets so warm, and without a/c our trash can is extremely warm. (I know, who notices the temperature in your trash can...but believe me, when you close the lid you can feel heat) The sugar flies have gotten ridiculous. They have literally taken over our kitchen...so we decided to clean the trash can, disinfect it, and pray they would leave. No such luck. So, I had an idea. And it worked. Stephen looks so "Ghostbusters" circa 1981!

Last few weeks in a few words...

2008-09-12T21:37:00.006+02:00

The past few weeks have been a little out of control. Not only did I have two weeks of camp with children (I survived...needless to say) but work has been busy and we've had a beer festival, a few doctors/vet appointments, and a few long runs mixed in as well. Oh, and we had two GREAT visits with our cousins (on Stephen's side)...Sadie and Jolene. Sadie came a month or so ago, and Jolene came while I was at the camp. It was so nice to have each of them here...even though I wish I could have spent more time with both of them. I'll be able to see Jolene and the Holmes in August, but Stephen and I will have to plan a trip to Kauai (twist my arm) to see the Phillips again!

I would love to tell you that the long runs are going well...read above "a few doctors appointments" and it pretty much sums it up. My knee has been killing me, and giving out during long runs. We'll see how I fare, but the doctor isn't exactly optimistic for the marathon.

Gracie gave us a little scare after her shots to fulfill her passport. I had her in the car with my 15 minutes from the vet when she had an allergic reaction and went into anaphylactic shock. It was the most frightening evening. The vet wasn't sure she'd make it (and later told us it was the worse case she'd seen). Those that know me know how special Gracie is to us, so it was pretty emotional. The good news is she made it through the night and has made a full recovery...as well as having a full passport :)

The camp went well. The first week we had a younger crew (10-12 years old), and they were mostly amazing. The second week we had an older crew (14-17 years old), and they were a bit of a challenge. In the two weeks, I corrected the usage of most cuss words, intervened on a few "could have been a make out sesh" situations, assisted in taking a student to the doctor after he severely sprained a muscle in his neck, watched another teacher break her foot in three places on the trampoline (and even dared to say that it "didn't look that bad."), went horseback riding, played tug-of-war, rode ATV's in the mud, did a tree-top ropes course twice, shot a rifle (Stephen better watch out...I'm pretty good--see pic) and bow and arrows at a target...and even taught some English in there somewhere. It was a good time...and I got paid!

On the grounds there were 5 or 10 people that lived PERMANENTLY in American Civil War times...and clothes. Why the American Civil War in Belgium, couldn't tell you. They even have an Indian, who has an owl and another hawk'ish bird in captivity. Beyond strange. But great for people watching and picture taking. See pics!

Now Stephen and I are entering "holiday" season...we will be touring Italy for 10 days, then shortly after heading home together for some relaxation! We'll do our best to keep you in the loop! Until then...A Bientot!

I'm a Fan

2008-08-29T18:52:00.005+02:00

of SARAH PALIN.

I was looking forward to Obama's speech last night and even contemplated staying up for it. After watching the speech this morning, I'm glad I didn't. I don't know if I had too high of expectations or what. I was just wanting someone (anyone, really) to inspire and challenge our country collectively. I guess I was hoping Obama would try to appeal to both sides and bridge the party differences and even possibly seal the deal for me. But, as I ate my bowl of Frosties (Frosted Flakes for you Americans) I felt nothing. In fact, his attacks and digs against Bush and Republicans actually frustrated me more than the level of sogginess of my Frosties after a 15 minute speech. Granted, McCain hasn't provided much inspiration either... UNTIL today. I never really gave it much thought so I'm not sure why I was excitedly shocked that McCain picked a woman as his running mate. It makes sense, but I figured he would follow the political safe road and pick a fellow Washington bureacrat, boy was I wrong.

Alright, so, let me give you the laundry list of qaulifications of why I'm a fan of Sarah Palin:

1. She's pretty HOT

And that's all I got...

Ok I'm joking. But you have to admit, she gives a really good first impression.

Needless to say, I'm still no closer to deciding how I'm going to vote... Most people that know me know I'm super conservative, but being in Europe has shown me that not everything is black or white (or in this case red or blue.) The order of "red or blue" in the previous sentence does not apply respectively to "black or white" so get over yourself if you took it that far. In fact, I avoid political conversations at all costs over here, mostly because only one side of the story is shown in the news. Events, situations, or stories are all portrayed with such subjective slants that it taints any objective conversation anyone can have with a Belgian. I don't fault the Belgians for having such disdain for certain aspects of American life, it's all they know. But I do fault the media for only putting out one very slanted side of the story. I'm not just saying this becuase it happens to be the liberal slant, I think I would feel the same way if was only the conservative slant shown. Rather than complain about the lack of objectivism or neutrality in the media, I think it would be more beneficial and possibly even more entertaining if the subjectivism continued but both sides were shown. It would be up to the individual to decide, with the truth being somewhere in the middle. Now, yes I know the possible repricussions that could occur if man were left to his own intellectual devices, and so did our founding fathers, because that is exactly why we have the electoral college. If too many people begin to think for themselves and begin to vote according to their principles and convictions rather than party affiliations or the "hotness" of a candidate, the "leaders" and "priviledged" of our country would be in danger of losing their jobs. Alright, I know that's a bit harsh, but I'm just fed up with politics and the "talk" of change. My cousin was just here last week and we spoke a little about politics and she did mention something that I think is worth repeating. She said "I'm a thinker, not a Republican or Democrat or even Independent." And I completely agree. My challenge to you and mainly myself, is to be a thinker. I don't care who you vote for, I only care if you can tell me why you voted for who you did or even what the key issues were for you in your decision. I'll even accept "Because she's hot." I think that's better than "Because she's Republican." We can even discuss the pros and cons of having an attractive person represent and lead our country. Case in point: recently elected mayor of London, Boris Johnson. (picture below)... Could he be a suitable leader of a country or even an important international city? Forget about his merits and credibility as a person, don't lose focus, judge only on appearance... haha jk. But seriously!

Ok, enough of my political rant. If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. If you don't agree with anything I said, then Katie made me say it. JK. But she did encourage me to make a special appearance on the blog so it's ultimately her fault if I've bored you to death.

Hope all is well and thank you to everyone that has supported us (especially with fun filled care packages). See you in October!

Stephen