tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3358825794282966662024-03-21T19:48:06.911+01:00Welcome 2 Our ChaosElise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-30138043711244847992013-08-03T01:43:00.000+02:002013-08-03T01:43:27.767+02:00One Year Down...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is hard to believe that we've already been here in Luxembourg for one year. I don't think E or myself could have ever imagined what this experience would do to us personally as well as a family. I don't think anyone really can going into something like this. Tonight E and I sat down and just looked through all our pictures and blog posts from a year ago, and while we'd like to say it brought back good memories and feelings, it actually did quite the opposite. We both immediately were overwhelmed with the feelings of anxiety and fear that we had as we arrived in Luxembourg.<br />
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We both were never really sure what was "calling" us to Luxembourg, it was something that I had always wanted to do. Living overseas with your family sounded very fun and glamorous, and when the opportunity arose, E was kind enough to say she'd follow me. Having lived overseas on my church mission for 2 years I figured I would be the veteran/pro for the experience, and I would help E through all the problems (homesickness, language barriers, etc...), little did I know that she'd be helping me just as much as I'd be helping her.<br />
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When we first arrived in Luxembourg and walked off the plane, we were absolutely in a different world, while some people were able to speak English, as expected the majority were not able to. Luckily the taxi driver that I found spoke Portuguese so that I could have him help us take our mountain of suitcases to the hotel with Elise in his car alone, while I took our rental car and kids to the hotel separately. Those first few hours really made us question our decision, what were we thinking, why would we do this crazy thing, we had such a good life in Chicago, why did we need to now mess that all up and move to this strange land, that everyone, yes, everyone, intially thinks is a city in Germany... (that is until they Google it and see its a small country that is usually abbreviated on maps as Lux).<br />
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These feelings really did not subside for quite awhile. The culture shock was overwhelming. While western Europe is very similar to the United States, it is also extremely different. Ultimately, we've grown accustomed to taking a number literally everywhere you go, or understanding that there is no grey areas in rules or policies here, a rule is a rule and if you didn't follow it exactly how it was written or meant to be understood, tough, your problem not theirs. Also, probably the most difficult thing has been the language barrier. While the majority of the professional class in Luxembourg speaks pretty decent English, the people you interact with on a regular basis (cashiers, customer service, etc...) usually don't speak English, and if you ask them if they do, don't be surprised if they either just walk away and ignore you, or hang-up the phone and don't answer it again when you try to call back. Both of us have had experiences with the language barrier that have caused us to shed a few tears, or to want to bridge the language barrier by speaking a few universally understood english words :)<br />
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On top of our personal struggles, one of the main worries that we had once we got here was how our kids would respond to such a challenge. We were constantly worried that we were going to be setting them up for failure. I can't imagine being 4 & 6 and being thrown into a classroom surrounded by other kids who you can't talk to, and feeling OK about the overall situation. Layer that on-top of cultural differences, and it seems like a disaster in the making. On the first day of school, we both were just amazed at how different things were. For example, the kids all come in take of their shoes and put on slippers before going into class. Well our kids didn't have slippers, so they immediately felt different than everyone else for the first day.<br />
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Finally the last big struggle was the church. While its true that wherever you go in the world the Mormon church is very similar in how it functions and what it teaches, the one thing that we were not prepared for was the languages and cultures that are present in our ward. It is not uncommon to have the opening prayer in English, a talk in Portuguese, another few talks in French and then the closing prayer in Spanish. It is amazing, and yet also, overwhelming. Don't get us wrong, the church was such a comfort zone for us. We immediately had a family and familiar faces to look forward to seeing each week, but it just felt and definitely sounded different than what we were used to.<br />
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So you may be starting to question why is this post that is supposed to be reflecting back over the past year is so negative. Our overall views on this experience have been very positive. What I want to demonstrate is that even with all this anxiety, pain, worry, stress and add on any other 5 emotions that could potentially drive you into a state of deep depression, we overcame this and we have had such a wonderful and life changing event.<br />
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Over the past year, I have seen my family grow in so many amazing ways. I wanted to speak about each of them just a little because they have impressed me so much.<br />
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<u>My Beautiful Wife E</u><br />
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E never ceases to amaze me. When I asked her dad if I could marry her, he said that she was his only perfect daughter (sorry S, but I think he told J the same thing about you :) )and that I better treat her right. He mentioned how resilient she was and how she was such an independent person. Our time here has done more to prove to me all that he said. E has grown and developed and helped me in so many ways. For those of you who know E, you know she has a huge heart. She is willing to help and serve anyone who needs it. She also is very smart and dedicated to her family. Even with all the challenges and obstacles that she has faced, these attributes and qualities have not faded. She currently serves in the church in the young-women's presidency, and is constantly bombarded with the language barrier that exists between her and some of the girls in the program. Even with this barrier, she has somehow figured out how to create meaningful relationships and more importantly build trust with all the girls in her program.<br />
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Anyone who does an expat experience will always talk about the "trailing spouse". This is the spouse who is not moving overseas because of their job, but because of the job of their spouse. Surprisingly, this is usually the spouse that takes on the majority of the burdens and culture shock that is associated with moving overseas. Generally, they are the ones who don't immediately have a purpose and reason for being in a foreign country, and therefore, generally they are the ones who struggle the most. Also, this spouse deals mainly with the day-to-day routine of life, and as such is faced with more of the interactions with the culture than the spouse who is working.<br />
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E struggled, but when I look at how she was able to look inside herself and figure out how to overcome the difficulties that she encountered, I am amazed. She has adapted like I never could have imagined. Probably the biggest evidence of this would be the fact that she was able to have a baby overseas without even flinching. Watching her figure out how the system here works, and making sure that she did everything exactly as the system asked (which once again is something that is absolutely required here), was amazing. She spoke with different doctors, talked with different people at church, and ultimately found a situation and doctor with whom she was very comfortable with.<br />
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<u>Ms. A</u><br />
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Ms. A has more than knocked our socks off when it comes to how she has grown. A few months back E wrote a post about A and how much she has grown here. In the 6 months following that post, the growth has only continued and A has completely adapted to a new environment. Probably the most impressive example of this relates to her Luxembourgish. If you didn't know that Luxembourg has its own language, well it does, and it is definitely something that sounds different. Its sounds like German and French and Dutch got all together and made a baby! At our final teacher conference for A this year, her teacher had nothing but positive things to report. She said that out of all the non-native speakers that she has ever taught, A was the one who impressed her the most. By the end of the year, they had started to put A into classes that were made for kids struggling to speak Luxembourgish, not because she needed it, but because they identified her as a very good speaker and one that could help the other kids with their vocabulary and pronounciation. Our neighbor a few weeks ago mentioned that A speaks with a better accent than her own brother who was born in Luxembourg. Here is a little clip of her singing one of the songs that they have taught her at school.<br />
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Finally, to top it all off, there is not a day that goes by that we're not walking down the street and a kid yells out "A...!". She has sooo many friends here, and they all love playing with her. It is awesome to see the confidence that she has gained in the last year. Moving into first grade here she now switches from learning Luxembourgish over to learning German. She isn't worried in the slightest, and actually made sure a couple weeks ago that we were infact going to be coming back from our vacation in the US, because she wanted to be sure that she could learn German in 1st grade.<br />
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<u>Mr. L</u><br />
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Mr. L, well where do we start. When we moved here, he was still our little guy. He turned 3 within a few months of us moving here, and he was literally within a few days of being too young to miss the cut-off for school. Ultimately he was the youngest of his class and he was also the only one that did not have any peers who communicated in his mother-tongue. Much like A he adapted and rose above the challenge. In our final parent-teacher conference for him, his teachers mentioned how much he has grown over the past few months/year. <br />
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It is really cool how they do school work here. They don't send home a lot of what the kids do in school, and instead they save it in chronological order in binders at the school so that when you have conferences they can show you the child's development and progress. Seeing L's work at the beginning of the year and comparing it to the end of the year, was like a night and day difference. On top of learning all the normal things that are expected of kids in school, he was also required to learn a completely new language and do all his work in this language. Needless to say, he did that, and his teachers and us were very proud of him at the end of the year.<br />
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<u>Ms. H</u><br />
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Well Ms. H, she's just been our little firecracker. Over the past year, she has learned to be miss independent and she loves the words, "No, I will do it by myself...". She decided that she was ready to be potty trained when she turned 2, and now she is deciding that she wants to learn all the letters in the alphabet and is actually picking up some french along the way. Its pretty funny, but if she does something she is proud of, she will do it and then say, "Mom, Dad, look, voila!", whenever I leave for work she always says goodbye in 3 languages, "Au revior, Tchau, Äddi". We're looking into trying to find a program that will teach her Luxembourgish for the next year, so that she can keep up with A & L, I have no doubt that if we find one, she will excel.<br />
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<u>Ms. E</u><br />
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Well, she is just cute, and she melts our hearts every time she smiles at us.<br />
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Overall, I have come to understand why were were "called" here. We needed to grow. Last week in church we were discussing several topics, and a member of the class said that the Lord doesn't want us in our comfort zones. We don't grow when we're in our comfort zones, so he gives us challenges and opportunities that push us outside our comfort zones so that we can grow and develop into what he needs us to be. Luxembourg has been that experience for our family. I know that we are all better people than we would have been had we stayed in our life as it was in Chicago. We have had experiences, seen places, and interacted with people that we would never have imagined. Thank you everyone for being so supportive and sending us encouraging messages throughout the past year. We're so blessed to have such a wonderful support system, and we can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us!<br />
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<u>Some Changes Over the Year</u><br />
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We thought it would be fun to compare just a few pictures from a year ago, to a few pictures from this year. The changes are pretty crazy. Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Year's Family Photo in July</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Year's Family Photo in July</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Year A & L at the Pirate Ship Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Year A at Pirate Ship Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Year L at Pirate Ship Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Year H at Pirate Ship Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPhyphenhyphenKrxd5ziQhhHMouZtbmAtvmIch6DXadmr4ddYUPe-IM8kqpHpqa-VO4cYBc4v-tO4hiQyx8NH-gnCQ6gCrcGCoDOnpHWe0eY81BPC-A0nJs32p3FjiMexq9I65mMsXye3JXGqTOrI/s1600/DSC_0592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPhyphenhyphenKrxd5ziQhhHMouZtbmAtvmIch6DXadmr4ddYUPe-IM8kqpHpqa-VO4cYBc4v-tO4hiQyx8NH-gnCQ6gCrcGCoDOnpHWe0eY81BPC-A0nJs32p3FjiMexq9I65mMsXye3JXGqTOrI/s1600/DSC_0592.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Year H at Pirate Ship Park, <br />
she has no fears...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Yard Last Year in July</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Yard This Year</td></tr>
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<br />The_Bearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05765107633906664336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-78001737384729275622013-07-24T00:38:00.000+02:002013-07-24T00:38:11.024+02:00Little Miss EThis post is way overdue- my poor little Miss Baby E is already over two months old. I guess that's the sort of thing you have to get used to when you're #4. But, I want to get her story recorded before it gets too buried in my memory. <br />
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Little Miss E's due date was May 11. All my other babies have come at 38 weeks. Here in Luxembourg they are very cautious and (almost overly) careful in their prenatal care. At every one of my doctor appointments in the third trimester I had an ultrasound, a cervical exam, and a 40 minute fetal heart monitoring session. It sure felt like a lot of hassle compared to my other experiences, but I kept assuring myself that it was all for the best, and thankfully, everything appeared to be completely normal. At every appointment, though, my doctor kept telling me that this baby was in no hurry and he would be surprised if she came early. I was having tons of Braxton Hicks contractions the last few months, some of them getting uncomfortable, but they just weren't doing much. So, by the time I got to my 39 week appointment, I felt like I was getting close to my limit. I know it sounds ridiculous- she still wasn't even due for at least a week, but I had never made it to 39 weeks before. Also, by my 38 and 39 week appointments, the ultrasound was starting to show some abnormal calcifications in the placenta, which concerned me, but I tried to be calm about it. Maybe these calcifications have happened in all my pregnancies, I've just never been monitored so closely. Anyway, my dr. told me he didn't want me to go past my due date, so if baby hadn't shown up in the next week, we'd have to get serious about getting her here. I really didn't want to be induced, so I left the office that day determined to find a way to get this baby moving.<br />
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My last pregnant photo- taken about a day and a half before she was born.</div>
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That weekend, I did some house cleaning, cleaned out the garage, mowed the lawn, and went on a couple long, hard walks. By the time I went to bed Sunday night I was starting to feel some pretty strong contractions. I'd had the same thing happen a few other nights, then they died down and nothing happened. So, I was trying not to get my hopes up. After laying in bed for about an hour, I decided to get up and see if anything changed. I got in the bathtub to see if they would die down, but they didn't. After about two hours of consistent contractions in the bathtub, the intensity was really picking up. We started to get nervous because Miss H's delivery was so fast. (Labor only lasted about 3 hours, I got to the hospital fully dilated, and delivered in triage) K decided it was time to go to the hospital so that we didn't risk having this baby somewhere other than the hospital. We called our friend, Christy, who came right over to stay with the kids. She was such a good sport to rush to our house so quickly at 2:30 in the morning!<br />
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We rushed off to the hospital and found our way in to the labor and delivery area, which was no easy task. It was not clearly marked and there was no one around to ask. It was about 3:30 by the time we got there. Contractions were still coming, but were definitely a little less regular and less intense than they had been. After getting checked in at the hospital, I was disappointed to find out I was only at 3 cm. I told my nurse that I was hoping to labor in water for awhile (which I had never done before). She suggested I get up and walk for awhile first since they prefer women only stay in the water for about two hours. We figured I still had quite a bit of time left. The nurse (who is actually a midwife) was really wonderful. Her English was pretty good. We were able to communicate well, though there were a few times that I turned to K after she had left to see if he had understood what she'd said cause I sure hadn't. I have to admit I'm glad that I didn't have this type of experience until we'd been here almost a year because now it doesn't bother me so much to not really know what's being said around me. Earlier in this expat experience it might have bothered me a lot more to not be quite so in control of the situation. Thankfully, though, a few weeks earlier, I'd had a registration appointment with another midwife at the hospital who had created a file for me that included all my wishes concerning my labor and delivery. This hospital was very natural birth friendly. Most of the things I've had to make serious requests for in the U.S. were just standard practice here, so I wasn't too worried. Ok- back to the story- She left the room and things started to pick up pretty quickly after that. Ultimately, due to some complications with the placenta, I wasn't able to get up and walk or get in the tub. But, she was calling the doctor within about an hour. He showed up to check on the situation. He let me know it was okay to start pushing whenever I felt like I needed to. I felt the need pretty quickly after that. It was a unique experience for me to be delivering a baby while the nurse and doctor were chattering away in Luxembourgish. I decided that it was probably good I didn't understand everything they were saying. I think I was able to be more focused on my job and not so worried about trying to hear everything they were saying. <br />
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Our baby girl came at 5:25 am on Monday, May 6, 2013 and weighed 3480 grams (which translates to 7 lbs. 10 oz) and was 54 cm long (21.5 inches). <br />
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Here we are just a couple minutes after she was born. Hospital gowns are only worn by sick patients- and childbirth is not an illness. All the clothes I wore in the hospital were my own (or K's big t-shirts!)<br />
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I just think this little face is so cute! Being born has got to be a pretty rude awakening!</div>
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We spent about two hours in the delivery room before being moved upstairs to our mother/baby room. Here's a funny hormonal/annoying European story I'm willing to share- When we first moved to Europe, I struggled some with the food. Most of it's fine, but I'm not very into the pastries, especially for breakfast. I try to eat some protein and whole grains for breakfast most days. Of course, I have since learned how divine the pastries can be, but that's beside the point :) Anyway, so by the time we were moved to our room upstairs the breakfast trays had already been served. Well I was starving, of course! All I had been saying the last two hours was how hungry I was. In the elevator on the way upstairs I had said to K that they better not try to serve me a European breakfast. A nurse brought me in a tray of food that she had found, I got settled in, and K tried to take a little nap on the chair. I lifted the lid to find a piece of white bread with butter, a croissant, and some coffee. As I looked at the tray, the tears started coming. I knew it was silly- and that it was the hormones crying- but I just couldn't stop. I was so hungry at that point. A few minutes later K opened his eyes, saw what was going on, and jumped up to go find some more food. The cafeteria wasn't open yet so he came back with an apple and yogurt from a vending machine and a promise to find something better later. I got over it quickly and actually really enjoyed the food during the rest of my stay.<br />
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That afternoon, when the kids got out of school, K brought everyone over to hospital to meet the new baby.<br />
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This was Mr. L's reaction the first time Little Miss E started crying at the hospital. Don't worry- he's gotten over that pretty quickly!<br />
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We stayed at the hospital from early Monday morning until Thursday at lunchtime. That's the longest I've ever stayed at the hospital, but it was a pretty short stay by Luxembourgish standards. Everyone kept reminding me that this was my time to rest because it would be a lot harder once I went home. My hospital experience was so different here because they were much more "hands off". The nurses would come in at about 7 pm to check on us and ask if we needed anything, then they'd say, "Good night, see you in the morning!" and that was it. I actually got to sleep pretty well there. And nobody made me fill out any charts about how many minutes I spent nursing and how many diapers I changed, etc. It was a really nice experience overall. And you would have thought I was a celebrity in that hospital once everyone found out this was our fourth baby. That many kids is pretty uncommon here. A few days later, we were ready to go home- at least we hoped we were ready!<br />
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Everyone was very excited for our arrival home! All the kids wanted to hold our sweet baby as much as possible. Miss H still thinks that every time she holds the baby I'm supposed to take her picture. Let's just say I have a lot of pictures that look something like the one above.<br />
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And now, two and a half months later, it's hard to believe how much Little Miss E has grown. K's mom came to visit us when she was just a week old. And then my parents came to visit when she was three weeks old. She started really smiling at about 6 weeks and it still melts my heart every time she does it.<br />
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Since she was born, we have travelled to France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden. She is one well traveled kid! And next month, she gets to make her debut in the good old US of A! Good thing she got her passport paperwork going when she was just 8 days old. The man at the shop where I went to have her photo taken thought I was crazy for trying to get a passport photo for an 8 day old baby. He just shook his head and said, "Well, I guess it's never too early!". Let's just say, we're ALL prepared for our visit home next month. <br />
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Little Miss E is a great eater, entertains everyone with smiles, coos, squeals, and an occasional laugh. She sleeps all night and is such a happy baby, which makes for a VERY happy mommy :) I think she's going to fit in just fine around here!!! And I hope that someday she'll forgive me for taking two and a half months to write a blog post announcing her birth......<br />
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<br />The_Bearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05765107633906664336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-18782409222591795062013-07-23T22:58:00.001+02:002013-07-23T22:58:26.008+02:00Our Big European Road Trip (Part 2)So after spending a couple of fun filled days in Amsterdam, we packed everything up and began the 8 hour drive up to Billund Denmark. If you've never heard of Billund, don't worry we hadn't either until we decided we wanted to take the kiddos to Legoland. Although Billund is a small town, it is the world headquarters for Lego.<br />
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We started the day off early and got to Legoland right before it opened at 10am. One of the most frustrating parts of Denmark was definitely the currency and the taxes. When we arrived we pulled out of an ATM what we felt was a reasonable amount of Danish Krones to get us through our time in Denmark, and we went along our merry way. The only problem was, at the end of the first day we only had a third left of what we had originally pulled out. One of the main reasons that things are so expensive is the VAT (Valued Added Tax). Its basically a national sales tax and here in Denmark it is equal to 25% of the total price of any good purchased. So essentially we had a 25% markup on everything that we were purchasing. Yuck...<br />
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Cost of stuff aside, we had a really fun time. The kids were absolutely wired and couldn't wait until we could get inside to see all the stuff. They were pleasantly surprised when the parking lot had some lego people that were just their size.<br />
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We really like Ms. H's hair in this picture. Needless to say</div>
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its windy in Denmark.</div>
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Once we got into Legoland Mr. L saw the Lego train and of course it was the very first thing that we had to do. We got on the train and took a ride around all of Legoland, it is very impressive to see all the sculptures and statues that they have created out of Legos.</div>
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Once we got off the train, the kids found park maps and took some time trying to figure out the best route to take in order to maximize their time at Legoland. Needless to say in the end they just said that they wanted to do everything and that there was nothing that they wanted to miss.</div>
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So here are some of the pictures we took while we were doing all that we possibly could during the day.</div>
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Ms. H felt the need while driving the boat to wave at all the onlookers.</div>
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Such a diva.</div>
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The next three pictures definitely show off K in an interesting light. Keep in mind that E is holding our nice camera trying to get some pictures of the kids on the pirate squirt boat. K sees E and decides that the camera is not as important as showing off his manly squirt gun skills and begins to drench E while she is trying to be a good mom/wife and get some pictures. His face in the first one cracks us up...<br />
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There were a lot of rides that we did, and Ms. A was tall enough, just barely, to do her first big kid roller coasters. K and her made a special trip over to the roller coasters while Ms. H & Mr. L played in Duplo land with E. Ms. A came back absolutely pumped and way excited about the fact that she was scared, but not too scared.</div>
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After a long day at LegoLand we of course had to buy the kids a set of Legos from the place where they're made, and then we headed off back to the tent. E had the idea to make tie-dye shirts for all the kids before we left so that we could easily identify them whenever they ran off. It worked out really well, and the kids loved the fact that they all matched.</div>
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Once we got back to our camp site, the kids were still high on life, and wanted to play with their newly bought legos. So instead of fighting them in going to bed, we cracked open the boxes and had some fun for an hour or so, just playing and enjoying being together as a family.<br />
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After finally settling down and getting a decent night's sleep, we headed out the next day to explore the rest of Denmark. We wanted to try and head out to find some beaches along the Baltic Sea, so we headed that direction. Along the way we found a few fjords (we had to think way back to geology class to remember what the heck a fjord was...), and finally we found a decent beach for everyone to play on.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Ms. H was not cooperating with the fjord family foto (what alliteration!)</td></tr>
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Overall the west-side of Denmark was very beautiful and picturesque. After playing on the beach for awhile we decided we should find some food and we ended up in a town called Fredericia. It was a very pretty town and had a ton of stores and restaurants. In the middle of the streets were these little streams that the local kids were playing in, so we let our kids play in them as well.</div>
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The only problem arose when Mr. L didn't see a broken glass bottle in the middle of the stream and proceeded to cut open his big and little toe. There was blood everywhere, if sharks lived in the stream they would have been eating Mr. L alive. K ran and grabbed L from the water and was instantly covered in blood. Everyone around us was just staring and then suddenly people started to throw bandaid, wet wipes, and anything that could help at us. It was very helpful and such a nice gesture that you normally wouldn't see from the typical person in Europe. Usually they'd be looking at you like, "Idiot why did you let your kid play in the stream that is meant for kids to play in...". After some minor first aid, we were able to get everything band aided up and we were off again.</div>
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After exploring western Denmark for the day, we headed back to our campsite and slept in a tent for one last night. The next morning we packed everything up AGAIN, and headed off to see Copenhagen and Sweden.</div>
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We were amazed at the number and length of the bridges in Denmark. The two main bridges that we used, took us over 10 minutes to cross completely and were huge. It was definitely cool to see the engineering brainpower that must have gone into creating such major expanses.</div>
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We didn't spend a lot of time in Sweden, mainly because we wanted to check out Copenhagen, but we did drive over the bridge from Copenhagen to Malmö Sweden and checked out that town for about an hour. We also found an Ikea that is actually located in Sweden, imagine that!</div>
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Once we got into Copenhagen, we checked into our hotel, and began to explore the city. We have to say that it was just ok. At least the parts that we saw were mainly shopping areas, and once again EVERYTHING was extremely expensive. We walked around and looked at a lot of things, had a good dinner, and ultimately just had a very chill evening together as a family.</div>
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The good thing is that where ever you are in the world, there is always ice cream to help end a long day, and we found just that in Copenhagen, some good old ice cream for dessert.<br />
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The kids insisted on sleeping in these teeny chairs in our hotel room. We were talking about how there is no way an adult would be able to accomplish such a contortionist feat, at least not without paying for it over the next month...<br />
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The next morning we got up, checked out of our hotel, and made a quick stop over to check out the statue The Little Mermaid. This statue is quite the controversial statue. Check out Wikipedia and you will see what we mean. She is celebrating her 100 year anniversary this year, and was made by a man to memorialize the Hans Christian Andersen story, "The Little Mermaid". There were hundreds of people all around taking pictures and climbing all over her, so we just looked, took a couple of distant photos and ran away.<br />
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Overall, the trip was a huge success. We got to spend such a great amount of time together talking, playing around, and just being a family. We're grateful for the opportunity that we have to be here in Europe and to be able to see such an amazing amount of things together with our kids. Our hope is that in 10 years they can look back and read this blog and see just how much we enjoyed spending time with them.</div>
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The_Bearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05765107633906664336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-58080344365515433162013-07-22T15:25:00.000+02:002013-07-23T00:19:52.322+02:00Umm, where have we been?So we've obviously not been the most diligent bloggers in the past few months. We've had so many things going on that unfortunately we just let the blog slip. BUT, we have committed to catch up the blog and we wanted to start with a few posts about the trip we just finished. So without further ado...<br />
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<u><b>Our Big European Road Trip (part 1)</b></u><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">A map of our 2,400 kilometer journey.</td></tr>
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So a few months ago we decided that we wanted to take a trip in July to see some other sights within Europe. E has always wanted to see Amsterdam/Holland and we wanted to do something fun with the kids, so we decided on doing a few days in the Netherlands and few days in Denmark at Legoland and a day in Copenhagen & Sweden. The only problem was that all these destinations were so far apart. Ultimately after driving over 2,400 kilometers or around 1,5000 miles in a week we had a trip that we will not soon forget (for good reasons, not bad).<br />
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Our trusty "Dory" who took us on the journey.</div>
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We finally understand the need for a rooftop carrier...</div>
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General Motors believes that 7 people can fit in this car, we can definitely fit 7 small bodies in this car, but whether they can move is another question. But we're grateful for the car and for the opportunity it gives us to travel around.<br />
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After researching like only he can, K created a trip that would take 8 days and 7 nights, and that would allow us to do this for a reasonable price. The only issue... we would have to camp everywhere. While E was not thrilled at first at the idea, we finally figured everything out and made all the plans. We left last Sunday and headed-up after church to Amsterdam.<br />
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<b><u>Amsterdam / Holland</u></b><br />
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We stayed at this campsite in Amsterdam called Gasper Camping, it was a very nice campsite and within walking distance of the subway. It was awesome. Our opinion of camping was definitely changed during this trip, at least european camping. We had nice hot showers everyday, toilets were within a minute of our tent, and the kids loved sleeping in a tent. The one interesting element that camping so far up north presented was the fact that it wouldn't get dark until around 11pm and then around 4am it was already light again. We thought that we would have big issues with getting the kids to sleep given the light, but we just ran them around until they were so tired they crashed at night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzIAJ3K5UWDsZlgGB5AgGReCmp0n0OCav8rbk-7Y-PWrjHGrijVEK9DgMmUoADe9codpI8mUoLJ8Yd1_Qf741EUL_uOMigx7cwFGfpx_S3UiD7WzuNRt2YzVihb-CKkYmUEjsG9atoIY/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzIAJ3K5UWDsZlgGB5AgGReCmp0n0OCav8rbk-7Y-PWrjHGrijVEK9DgMmUoADe9codpI8mUoLJ8Yd1_Qf741EUL_uOMigx7cwFGfpx_S3UiD7WzuNRt2YzVihb-CKkYmUEjsG9atoIY/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Outside of the campsite in Amsterdam. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At night the site was completely locked and access was limited.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBj-IGn4pXYMMhISD_DcZTW7zFagemNIu42l35vOxC0mZAuxV19gpg5Wc-VTCFFHe3AwvzcbEFKzRvOm0WQmlpX8bVudcFsEGYc8ozPwbCrJZzGbuTCZIa55kkPLoyxMn3TAImGHUmhg/s1600/IMG_1677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBj-IGn4pXYMMhISD_DcZTW7zFagemNIu42l35vOxC0mZAuxV19gpg5Wc-VTCFFHe3AwvzcbEFKzRvOm0WQmlpX8bVudcFsEGYc8ozPwbCrJZzGbuTCZIa55kkPLoyxMn3TAImGHUmhg/s1600/IMG_1677.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Our home away from home for the week. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We've decided we need a bigger tent!</div>
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We had some friends from church join us for the first part of our trip in Amsterdam. It was great for Ms. A & Mr. L to have some other kids to play with and they all really enjoyed doing the trip together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFunosPH9yQviIYIkyWlx24LLZERlsZsEgn73RgSZBRCPRUEnPU2C5m5V5ELj3ECL9kWV6oYHo91LVIiqxhjRNzaphvk523YyQA2qkpBeHluwhbPsIRDIDUt36aR_4UBIiURhp9n7u2A/s1600/DSC_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFunosPH9yQviIYIkyWlx24LLZERlsZsEgn73RgSZBRCPRUEnPU2C5m5V5ELj3ECL9kWV6oYHo91LVIiqxhjRNzaphvk523YyQA2qkpBeHluwhbPsIRDIDUt36aR_4UBIiURhp9n7u2A/s1600/DSC_0003.jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
At the subway station waiting for the subway to come. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
These were bags made out of cement. The kids loved them.</div>
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On our first day in Amsterdam we rented a boat and drove around the canals looking at all the buildings and architecture that Amsterdam has to offer. It was a very fun experience. We did learn though that to the locals a 10-15 minute walk in Amsterdam is not a 10-15 walk anywhere else. Numerous people told us that the dock for our boat was only a few minutes away from the train station... An hour and 15 minutes later we finally found it. Luckily the kids loved it, and it was a great way to see Amsterdam. It kept the kids occupied "driving" the boat for the whole day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGao3fFKEcFuA-JEVt6VU4Gtp5sWpB7sMVl13OqrK42e4boUcxFQdEmrb1OFXwRvVkvqKJfQysRMmPa3cINeSEq5MPOlMMYsIjTP49Q0IX_NeLkE-X0SUh2ohVJeCPO8RGz4aUVykeec/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGao3fFKEcFuA-JEVt6VU4Gtp5sWpB7sMVl13OqrK42e4boUcxFQdEmrb1OFXwRvVkvqKJfQysRMmPa3cINeSEq5MPOlMMYsIjTP49Q0IX_NeLkE-X0SUh2ohVJeCPO8RGz4aUVykeec/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The family in front of the main channel in Amsterdam city.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKydO8KGmZphKvSFFt4FbeVP83JaJjHswZTeSv5YiDfac8xNOV1Gfc4qocD9uv6AfARcdvsW5Rhs5xLzXj19yStxjb6VaGjo8JnfwMmqnuQdYbM5Hc4k9Zumq5_m87wII-T3IXzlsu_X8/s1600/DSC_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKydO8KGmZphKvSFFt4FbeVP83JaJjHswZTeSv5YiDfac8xNOV1Gfc4qocD9uv6AfARcdvsW5Rhs5xLzXj19yStxjb6VaGjo8JnfwMmqnuQdYbM5Hc4k9Zumq5_m87wII-T3IXzlsu_X8/s1600/DSC_0044.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
One of the fun things about using a boat is that you can stop along the way </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
and look at sites. Unfortunately our stops were mainly focused on going </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
potty. We got to know the location of the neighborhood McDonalds very well.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHa42vgEF4xucEKfIglAiqnxpcxtntYCz1aa9du9LtjgUiYMXBCtk-JdktncFE_RTqMPx5ob3jnH3c8yDrIR91WnzEENgvMEqEaskm3ohfGN66Q027PHULEA0-9GBVFzKmE-DoGvw3CJU/s1600/DSC_0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHa42vgEF4xucEKfIglAiqnxpcxtntYCz1aa9du9LtjgUiYMXBCtk-JdktncFE_RTqMPx5ob3jnH3c8yDrIR91WnzEENgvMEqEaskm3ohfGN66Q027PHULEA0-9GBVFzKmE-DoGvw3CJU/s1600/DSC_0047.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">We ate at the Chinese restaurant that is behind Ms. A. It was really fun.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUeENfZk8lq5kyKJeQrfIHTclggRa2F-8puIfD5QNoDURROMCs_7N_2BLl7nam59QVlB6iHIQzYUP-Sii3pDhqLoCr_J2kuIEGXHs72un8-u0gp8OAhoy1sAqJrl2ZqSEERztTrpRu_M/s1600/DSC_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUeENfZk8lq5kyKJeQrfIHTclggRa2F-8puIfD5QNoDURROMCs_7N_2BLl7nam59QVlB6iHIQzYUP-Sii3pDhqLoCr_J2kuIEGXHs72un8-u0gp8OAhoy1sAqJrl2ZqSEERztTrpRu_M/s1600/DSC_0052.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kMJNGEtc-FpZ9DamP3bBGtWg8mnnuJBz6Sp8ZeyG8id6ow3py64IOmJGYBT-TUECmdptjhonWWHcXJBi27qTf0cmpIUBlq85guNexapsfh-0VjnJx0Y3iLjpAmjzbRXZgXXwC6jsjDU/s1600/DSC_0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kMJNGEtc-FpZ9DamP3bBGtWg8mnnuJBz6Sp8ZeyG8id6ow3py64IOmJGYBT-TUECmdptjhonWWHcXJBi27qTf0cmpIUBlq85guNexapsfh-0VjnJx0Y3iLjpAmjzbRXZgXXwC6jsjDU/s1600/DSC_0017.jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Mr. L was quite disappointed that we didn't have a </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
speedboat, but just a slow touring boat.</div>
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One of the more surprising things that we found in Amsterdam was the biking population. It seriously appeared as if everyone in the city had a bike and used it as their car. Check out the pictures below of the bike racks at the train station.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai_B71_GTgmfXZYuP5kqevKwx-NvYC4jZk90p-4F4jJx8tst5AgOUEaYQmaloJHU1vYLjXrW4MSbWUIvq-C_eiunVcqJfCedH_bjsFR9af7o689i6DNcvr1zt69CwgjmTNoynSazlwAA/s1600/IMG_1686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai_B71_GTgmfXZYuP5kqevKwx-NvYC4jZk90p-4F4jJx8tst5AgOUEaYQmaloJHU1vYLjXrW4MSbWUIvq-C_eiunVcqJfCedH_bjsFR9af7o689i6DNcvr1zt69CwgjmTNoynSazlwAA/s1600/IMG_1686.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Yes, these are all bikes and there is a whole sea of them. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We have no idea how people figure out which bike is theirs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35YykElvVbUFLJrGIaG0l5fDiceH2iDAek-vQIFGxYGP6YS7dMO1UR25tA7gLS-HsjFTuNoZPw5gmAmBurYQ9qeRLL3HbK46LOslwVHQJHhdbkexiE4-wUD17A3_R1QM_dPdiRdC4G_w/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35YykElvVbUFLJrGIaG0l5fDiceH2iDAek-vQIFGxYGP6YS7dMO1UR25tA7gLS-HsjFTuNoZPw5gmAmBurYQ9qeRLL3HbK46LOslwVHQJHhdbkexiE4-wUD17A3_R1QM_dPdiRdC4G_w/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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We saw a lot of fun things in Amsterdam and really enjoyed the city. Here are just a few more random pictures of us out on the town.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKHLNQ90gD0ECuvS9-KFC10my8OIs0ITmJa0ipEyMJiLuFimZDFOhwCiUUeEPCU7pPla9UMAdrRN4W2wQt4IQeuGJ4Pk5xDueeztqPHrjWv8YHk5EeYK2B5_LIj-obhx5rRCA4Nhl0r8/s1600/DSC_0019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKHLNQ90gD0ECuvS9-KFC10my8OIs0ITmJa0ipEyMJiLuFimZDFOhwCiUUeEPCU7pPla9UMAdrRN4W2wQt4IQeuGJ4Pk5xDueeztqPHrjWv8YHk5EeYK2B5_LIj-obhx5rRCA4Nhl0r8/s1600/DSC_0019.jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
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There is a life size replica of an old Dutch East-India ship from the 18th century.</div>
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We floated by it a couple times as the kids liked to look at all the different parts</div>
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of the ship.</div>
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<b><u>The Rest of Holland</u></b><br />
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<b><u><br /></u></b>
The next day of our trip was spent in a town called Zaanse Schans. This town was a very fun town. It is basically the remnants of the old industrial town that used to occupy this area. The town still has a lot of the elements and industries that it had back 100-200 years ago, but now it is for everyone to come and watch how things used to be.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQL2tkdBwCF1568yiVCIOVdeNNt_JM1lWD4IIPuGFydflyLTUtSSwtwQmY2_DQuAa8xgf3F3Hv_DYJYfTWFxMIZ4AF2-htmSNOhxNI0HMaXJMs1lDWXh8cSM_X4mvZ7geqgx-k5T7UwI/s1600/DSC_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQL2tkdBwCF1568yiVCIOVdeNNt_JM1lWD4IIPuGFydflyLTUtSSwtwQmY2_DQuAa8xgf3F3Hv_DYJYfTWFxMIZ4AF2-htmSNOhxNI0HMaXJMs1lDWXh8cSM_X4mvZ7geqgx-k5T7UwI/s1600/DSC_0057.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">This was by far our favorite part of our time in Holland. On a side note, we asked some local people here about what to call The Netherlands, is it The Netherlands, or is it Holland. Ultimately, they all said, it depends as there are 12 provinces with 2 of the being called Holland, these two provinces are the most populated out of the country so that's why a lot of people call The Netherlands, Holland. But either one is fine. The official name is The Netherlands, but a lot of local people call it Holland first, because it is easier to say, second, because they most likely live in the actual Holland provinces, and most importantly because it is easier than the phrase "Netherlands" to chant during soccer games.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Anyways back to our experience in Zaanse Schans. We arrived at the town and started to walk around. It is a very cozy town with a lot of old buildings and a lot of windmills (although far less than the 1,700 that were once all located here!) . We stopped by the clog maker first and the kids loved playing in the big clogs that were made by the clog makers.</span><br />
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This is after Ms. H threw the temper tantrum of the century.</div>
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As she was throwing it and K was trying to calm her down</div>
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a crowd of about 10 asian school girls who were on a school</div>
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trip began to gather around K and Ms. H, and watched the</div>
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spectacle. Tantrums can draw attentions, but this was our</div>
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first crowd gathering experience...</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">It was very interesting to learn about the reasons for the use of wooden clogs. Ultimately they were/are a cheap and effective way to make a very safe and durable shoe. The clogs are generally stronger than steel toed shoes and are still used by some people today in their daily work.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">We also learned about some old traditions associated with the clogs, the one that was the most impressive related to wedding clogs. When a man proposed to a woman, he would create a very intricate pair of clogs to demonstrate his love/dedication to her and their relationship. Emphasis on intricate. Take a look at the example below, it was crazy to see how detailed the clogs were. The clogs were worn once the couple was officially engaged. The tradition really isn't followed anymore, but it is very impressive!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5Bheneng8Oq-BAbDCI3b4tbDfIY2fXfOkb-ZNiTvhOacydq6xOav1LRx-NcfNeG5EN4Pd9sIsbBMON8989mmVChmYc4rZYsizhZx9K_3VakXoaLMYT48Y-ZKKOGJpLhHJ71wCTpBqSY/s1600/DSC_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5Bheneng8Oq-BAbDCI3b4tbDfIY2fXfOkb-ZNiTvhOacydq6xOav1LRx-NcfNeG5EN4Pd9sIsbBMON8989mmVChmYc4rZYsizhZx9K_3VakXoaLMYT48Y-ZKKOGJpLhHJ71wCTpBqSY/s1600/DSC_0135.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">We found a pair of wooden clogs that we liked, they were hand painted and small, but we were ok with that. A lot of the clogs were huge and we would have had no place to display them.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVLLx-k6ipXsYokk8YTGTK4V-aYyK_mFm0WJUWvJQCQ-1_cB0GdzQshTKhqSf7XpEityi94FZL11IorX-l0bZbGYL1YnAeHnZuXgxRVtG4Nh0QrAaxiBEvHglQ6y8bxdQBy5sfaVa_8I/s1600/IMG_1691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVLLx-k6ipXsYokk8YTGTK4V-aYyK_mFm0WJUWvJQCQ-1_cB0GdzQshTKhqSf7XpEityi94FZL11IorX-l0bZbGYL1YnAeHnZuXgxRVtG4Nh0QrAaxiBEvHglQ6y8bxdQBy5sfaVa_8I/s1600/IMG_1691.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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After taking some time to visit the clog maker, we headed down to the cheese shop to check it out. The cheese shop was very cool. Gouda cheese is actually from The Netherlands, and man do they know how to make some good cheese. For lunch we bought some baby gouda, some smoked cheese and some baguettes and just ate cheese sandwiches. It was the best meal of the entire trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRmCUusFAGwKR53lglsdJgvBft8IytvOdjOY-McX7LLkiT2RN_Om3x64kNNEdWa7WxMl-a_nzxx0VU4tjcy4G6erFyoVx-FpVLTnEqRQENOfB3c4QK6-v_p45ky2cZp6hDBW6C5N_02M/s1600/DSC_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRmCUusFAGwKR53lglsdJgvBft8IytvOdjOY-McX7LLkiT2RN_Om3x64kNNEdWa7WxMl-a_nzxx0VU4tjcy4G6erFyoVx-FpVLTnEqRQENOfB3c4QK6-v_p45ky2cZp6hDBW6C5N_02M/s1600/DSC_0082.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">E with our friend C after the cheese fest.</td></tr>
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After the cheese shop we wandered over to the chocolate shop and the girls took a class in how to make chocolate. It was really interesting to learn about how many things are actually made or were created in The Netherlands. For example, did you know that Oreos are actually made of cocoa that is only produced in The Netherlands? The reason is that a man perfected the chocolate "Dutching" technique in The Netherlands, and as Oreos rely upon this technique for their unique flavor, all cocoa used to make Oreos comes straight from The Netherlands. So next time you use Dutch Cocoa, you know why it is called Dutch cocoa...<br />
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Ms. A loved the chocolate class, and she was actually able to make chocolate from start to finish from cocoa beans (well with the help of a wonderful teacher who did a lot of the manual labor).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxp6JjP3xwVS8duHj1zSgGP1ghipYitozV_2cYuKTqi1lISpUli6f12zFILjzTAodVRqpwkywCUiNXptDtk56itWxCdSB7uYWWxdEsrOMsZYheI7yBhgWm_l_azk33bGcHLx9Xleg8Nc/s1600/DSC_0132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxp6JjP3xwVS8duHj1zSgGP1ghipYitozV_2cYuKTqi1lISpUli6f12zFILjzTAodVRqpwkywCUiNXptDtk56itWxCdSB7uYWWxdEsrOMsZYheI7yBhgWm_l_azk33bGcHLx9Xleg8Nc/s1600/DSC_0132.jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
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Ms. A grinding the cocoa beans on the warming </div>
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stone to get them as fine as possible.</div>
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After the Chocolate shop, we headed over to the Windmills and took a tour of the oil mill. Peanut allergy people be aware we're going to talk about peanuts! For whatever reason we never really put together the name Wind-Mill. Wind mills were actually used to mill various items back in the day. For example, paint, wood, oil, clothing, etc... It was very interesting to see a few of them actually in operation and to actually see how ingenious the Dutch people were in creating the mills to do all their work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFcsHMJckwnzpyY4TPbnPskXi4cXEDkjHGAsvi1-PlnbTIjGqIhHBSGx2qOj5D0-rEruhVV97KjrjEVV0wPzq9UmdyvRyXYG2xvb8K_LrQZipkzirvUCAO5BE_lmGdJRaHhQNSGbcZsI/s1600/DSC_0086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFcsHMJckwnzpyY4TPbnPskXi4cXEDkjHGAsvi1-PlnbTIjGqIhHBSGx2qOj5D0-rEruhVV97KjrjEVV0wPzq9UmdyvRyXYG2xvb8K_LrQZipkzirvUCAO5BE_lmGdJRaHhQNSGbcZsI/s1600/DSC_0086.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Here are 4 of the windmills at Zaanse Schans. There were</div>
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a few more, but you get the idea.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1ByBKccOYBgMhU1cf0T8vgDlV56B0XRduQ4XoBM0tdt1VNW4xx7syATERwG9GBoyxVf3uWQfibBscQnVFFnP0R-19uN5kH-Ad8GHJaTj7Rwupmf59Dv_Yu-nqO2onNBJVb-GCiO126s/s1600/DSC_0098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1ByBKccOYBgMhU1cf0T8vgDlV56B0XRduQ4XoBM0tdt1VNW4xx7syATERwG9GBoyxVf3uWQfibBscQnVFFnP0R-19uN5kH-Ad8GHJaTj7Rwupmf59Dv_Yu-nqO2onNBJVb-GCiO126s/s1600/DSC_0098.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Here was the oil mill that we visited. They put large amounts</div>
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of peanuts on the milling stone and extract peanut oil for </div>
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various uses. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CEF2MB72r8N6WG22Gr8ZN_Wx4fnN8IB4vZDyGwL6c-ALb7hgNSojq5iPtJNfbhM_mIE35HUjq2snTxnXFaZwyz70BRLG78sYUJhXP0ToOWdjk67qRwoZ-WCFbTFAs6x5i6rHVjcG1vU/s1600/DSC_0102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CEF2MB72r8N6WG22Gr8ZN_Wx4fnN8IB4vZDyGwL6c-ALb7hgNSojq5iPtJNfbhM_mIE35HUjq2snTxnXFaZwyz70BRLG78sYUJhXP0ToOWdjk67qRwoZ-WCFbTFAs6x5i6rHVjcG1vU/s1600/DSC_0102.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Here is a picture of the gears that are driven by the windmill. All the</div>
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cogs and inner workings are made of wood. It was very impressive.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBPihLsjGLDSiNRqnv3RC8Xwyuwavv25PEOWyjSzdc2rg9ELscMdXwJAs4XhyphenhyphenjUeeDa-e9VOg8BBZAnBbimxM1G1EYvKL8tUrPRGRpwZkIvRPP66ZqQkBOQmrtPHVe37x1wAJThs7ewY/s1600/DSC_0107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBPihLsjGLDSiNRqnv3RC8Xwyuwavv25PEOWyjSzdc2rg9ELscMdXwJAs4XhyphenhyphenjUeeDa-e9VOg8BBZAnBbimxM1G1EYvKL8tUrPRGRpwZkIvRPP66ZqQkBOQmrtPHVe37x1wAJThs7ewY/s1600/DSC_0107.jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
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We all climbed up the ladder to get on top of the mill</div>
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it was very steep and definitely would not exist in the</div>
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USA given the fairly dangerous climb. But we're glad</div>
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we got the opportunity to stand on one and see the</div>
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blades so close up.</div>
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Overall, we really enjoyed The Netherlands and all that it had to offer. We only spent two days there as we needed to take a whole day to drive further up north to Denmark, but we wish we could have stayed a couple more days, because honestly there was so much to see and learn. Who knows we may just take a few more days to go exploring!<br />
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Stay tuned for the part II of our trip where we explore Denmark...<br />
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<br />The_Bearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05765107633906664336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-85961630739245006432013-03-12T18:04:00.001+01:002013-03-12T18:35:33.582+01:00Just stuff....Yes, I've got some serious catch up to do! Geez, we haven't even posted about Christmas yet and here it is almost halfway through March. Oh well- life gets busy, right? I'm looking back through the pictures we've taken over this last few months and will attempt to do a recap through photos. <br />
K's sister, Aunt K, was our first visitor here in Lux! She came to visit us for a week right after Christmas, but that deserves its own post, of course, so I'll hold off on those pics.<br />
This winter has had been filled with lots of snow and sickness. In January, The girls and I each took turns with some kind of nasty sickness that wiped us each out for a few days at a time. When it was my turn to be sick, I could barely get out of bed. When K got home from work, this is how he found us. That's how sick days go for moms! I wonder why this bug spread so quickly through our family?!?!?!<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112155643709255236908/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5854503325026506290"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNgwFnAlDU4s-0I91_h7aSGLUJkC7oO2FqhbVxMvy-2M9zG_LNwpn57S_FWUCESoXtiKRhXMpGVFjz-CQ_r4bQJStP24WtDemWnSrpZOVLASVYd4ZVCGEsPbsENQ_vVcsnz6BhsCqVuw/s288/22.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="225" /></a><br />
We've all spent lots of time playing in the snow. People keep telling us that this has been on of the snowiest winters they can remember here in Lux. They also say that it is believed that the worse the winter, the better the summer. That's ok by me- I CAN'T wait for summer this year. We do so much walking outside that I'm kind of over the hats, coats, and gloves thing for everyone many times every day. At least the snow provides some free entertainment!<br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112155643709255236908/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5854503365756749938"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6Qq_lPe6unFsJ2TCGufM_pLhvhyphenhyphensrs4mPrjfJYDaaugDraPpOp-F5VMUQhvFjlYfn_D_f9Ae4sTkVBcRCgxmYR57S5fWzTwsrzFmlD-loJRgzk4Ao14XPaLgKPmtETZ9pmBdEdRb8LY/s288/35.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="225" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112155643709255236908/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5854503471935942290"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9gsKcu9A6G9KTixAWS0-1FfY8xCMT0wB7DbtmrbJifVxxi_KYcRO8yBmdb36SsoYR3y1fun-OFY6T5Yp73ZoeuSsNDxqnIR4g6BRjxvGKtOnWLzo1hM5uYB07quz2ZFgHfESwjPZeg0/s288/33.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="300" /></a><br />
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Miss A has hit that magical age when all her teeth start falling out! She's loving it except that she hates the actual pulling them out. She doesn't have much of any tolerance for pain! She doesn't like to actually pull them, so K usually ends up helping out there. She left this last one hanging like this for days, but I think she just lost #5 this past week.<br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112155643709255236908/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5854503545307559282"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3N0tABcxtsObIzGaZoQSnyp8J23utfYAcMD9YFpz4MV-FwWKFxMiD4yXUzHadRGDW5wwv0JFH2kxfOIpf9GG2NZUN9dn4RajWmUsYMb8s0IwRrmTb9QdE_qTnU1oL7zTj4EDYl_rlHs/s288/37.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="225" /></a><br />
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There was a holiday here on the 2nd of February called Lichtmessdag, which in Luxembourgish means something about the day of lights. We wouldn't have known anything about it except that Mr. L made a lantern for it at school and his teacher made sure I knew what was going on. There's some history to the holiday that I won't go into (google it if you're curious), but basically the way it works these days is that you buy these light sticks and then each kid makes a lantern to hang on their stick. They learn a little song, then go knocking door to door. When someone opens the door they sing their song and then the person gives them candy. Basically, it seems like Halloween without costumes, but with singing and lights. Our kids will take advantage of any opportunity to get candy! Miss A didn't learn the song in her class (it was probably assumed all the kids knew it already) and she was pretty worried about it, but Mr.L came to the rescue and taught her what he had learned at school.<br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112155643709255236908/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5854503585840278914"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcaO-TdqFPxTkXsmrlZa9RppGitqp_yUBWk_53DQs99CkHUgtIO_poWB-vx66Q6-R43JtsKy_7VdJVNRyD96XV1MffTSDhrQ-mgjvKTy71HS6Zv_-UhnuSJaskUrdd_1_7FyWjFwniy4/s288/38.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="225" /></a><br />
There was a week long school break in the middle of February to celebrate Carnival. On the last day of school before the break the kids had parties and got to wear costumes to school. Miss A wanted to reuse her Rapunzel costume from Halloween a couple years ago (and I thought that was a GREAT idea!) and Mr. L wanted to be a superhero. <br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112155643709255236908/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5854503628914457138"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcNkovY6QkMWM_vYUs32raqChd23tFitNwgEnKAC1gIp2ipGOAFzP30iWvZzkAJhbOWBU1WOkq2z0kyDELqwxa9WXNpaYCCKBV7Eiora742bissse0ELOdyZ5GlS7T-skFEmfbDdlgIM/s288/39.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="225" /></a><br />
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We celebrated a low key Valentine's Day during the school break. We ate lots of heart shaped food and went to an trampoline jumping park in Germany. We drove home in the middle of a nasty snowstorm, made some heart shaped homemade pizza and Dad even came home early from work. <br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112155643709255236908/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5854503711046034722"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirDq7vGmfbn-vtB0hqVpAhNqxTie1ohk2kPzfPJRakU5eenhBWzlHUV_7O45pf9B3OqfullqXv3BIPzUA30dDhBCDWmOA4tzvQqp53y0zxvBgVSfyiqST6Lc6QdMhMrBYjDSVSeHd4pI/s288/41.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="300" /></a><br />
A couple weeks ago I got to practice being a mom of 5.5. Our good friends took a trip to Italy and we kept their kids for the week. Their girls are 2 and 4. I now know what it feels like to be a mom to kids ages 6, 4, 3, 2, and 1 while also being 30 weeks pregnant (at least for a week) and my hat goes off to anyone out there who really lives that life for real. Man, was I tired at the end of every day! And these Europeans already think I'm crazy going for #4- you should seen some of the looks K and I got when we all went to the grocery store together on Saturday afternoon. Seriously, there were some major double takes and you could see people trying to count them all. Our car was full!<br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112155643709255236908/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5854503748413817586"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWx0LFfQEfG5Ypsmd2T2TBdB6bKDPxvwP8voCfomuyJhzPYZQ9MHBUbDf1PhmS1CDIXMD6ti2QpxuSQh18Xs4Syi32YVO_AhvRKnYuUM7kxM_Zo_AqyeJqEUT5inwXJVQugFNKi6WAj6s/s288/42.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="300" /></a><br />
At the end of February we celebrated Mr. L's half birthday, so he is now officially 3.5! We always have a half cake in honor of the half birthday, it's always pretty last minute! The kids try to turn it into more, but I'm just not willing to do more than that! K decorated Mr. L's cake in the few minutes it took me to clear the dinner dishes off the table and he loved it! I don't know why I spend time actually really decorating cakes when you can do something like this and they think its the best thing ever!<br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/112155643709255236908/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5854503792741249666"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_pdhFXzpqsgLmX8jt4RbCnVSl-Ts4lv1aZ6zd1Axl8xpixAsIXh_5M6L1WZywyiy_0RDqzJ_UsVKM73uGFvJ8v0JcvKJlyoAwRKu5hq-y_kXkq426mUP4Y-R__Lzh-UUio0VLnzvjdc/s288/46.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="300" /></a><br />
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The next week we celebrated Miss H's 2nd birthday. Here she is showing us that she's 2. She has an obsession lately with roosters (or at least with the cock-a-doodle-doo sound) lately, so that's what her cake is. <br />
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Last week we had gorgeous weather- upper 50's the whole week- and we took full advantage of it. It definitely didn't last because I was outside shoveling snow again this morning. I knew it was too good to be true in March! We spent lots of time at the park last week though.<br />
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This past Saturday we went grocery shopping at a new store that just opened right across the border in Germany. Afterwards, there was a sausage stand set up outside the grocery store and people were lined up in droves to buy them! This is a completely normal sight- people seem to go crazy over sausages here. We've had our fair share, but not any since last fall, so we figured why not when they're so cheap? And what else do you do after grocery shopping but grab a sausage and sit on the curb?<br />
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This past Sunday in Luxembourg was National Pretzel Day! Who knew, right? I guess the way it works is that on March 10 a boy buys an almond covered pretzel for the girl he likes and gives it to her. She answers him by giving him a chocolate egg on Easter. And supposedly, the roles are reversed on leap year. My boy must like me a lot cause I sure did get a big pretzel!<br />
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I'll have to find a pretty big chocolate egg to keep up with him! I don't think he'll mind ;)<br />
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And finally, we're still trucking along in the pregnancy. I haven't done a very good job taking belly shots this time around but I feel a little bit guilty about that. Here's one of me today at 31 weeks and a few days. <br />
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Thanks for hanging in there with me through this marathon post! <br />
<div class="blogpress_location">
Location:<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Luxembourg,%20Luxembourg&z=10">Luxembourg, Luxembourg</a></div>
Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-59419205495008133072012-12-22T01:27:00.001+01:002012-12-22T01:27:23.521+01:00Schèine Chreschtdaag / Joyeux NoëlSo this is our first Christmas really away, away from our family and well our country... We were expecting it to be a real challenge and something that would make the holidays really hard, but we have been surprised how much we've enjoyed being here for the holiday season. One of the biggest and most surprising thing is how much religion still plays here. The kids come home from school on almost a regular basis with some symbolic art project that they made which somehow ties back to Christ or church.<br /><br />Mr. L with a Kleeschen (St. Nicolas) he made in school and a bunch of treats he got when Kleeschen left all the kids presents for December 6th.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824558573952193986'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi512lVyn-s0qKUVy8UwbJldGQ-jG3y6amOpnF9EaXIqHPfqumYrLtRP3USBngH6G99irl5kYPty5JBiPDZ2hkF2fMW45RKhbXRqXu6bVhhWksjWNxYTxDxWNAfZFzmwHeFrZqPuKySy6M/s288/22.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />K has commented numerous times about how odd it is to actually be able to tell someone at work. "Merry Christmas", nobody really does the "Happy Holidays" thing here. This has definitely been a fun part of Christmas because we get to say what we really feel without worry of offending someone who doesn't believe in the holiday. We found it really odd that in Europe they are more accepting of religion and religious symbols than America.<br /><br />One of the other things that has really helped to get us in the Christmas spirit is the numerous Christmas Markets around the region. These markets are soo cool. Basically the town center just becomes a major attraction for everyone, and vendors come and setup shop and sell anything and everything.<br /><br />A big German Pyramid display at the Trier, Germany Christmas Market.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824558619565812434'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukpCdW4R8hhAyMSycMdDLHheAa1V808bnOXDbPswUY0g53mCDaQthdxNg5MzoQGayRKAB8TJXdb8VCre2JcYVlPxKeDvSCU3LFZL8NXPgL6K7-l0wuucSb_Hu2ws7fkzgMc_mhev8mMw/s288/23.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Some random "Yeast Ball" dessert thing. It was really good...<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824558697170903314'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh6R6ZHL2tbIi-SEo-Ud3g0h0hFo43UFj2MmD8aJCkZ1ay9U0g8OB2m-LBYQMjY3OUOosmh79XfzLYwO_0lSUDYgFijDzXsCnmBuCZQDXvTeGpIYSF6qPtzSgAY7qInIejfuwMjZOaUs/s288/31.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Can you tell it was good by his clean face?<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824558837848080498'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_OhY0Swb-biswAA_g1wxRxjCbwJTwxgyQ9c7PT395l1qUazmkyYyRfrPLqgJkVQu7zDxLP8P2tX3JwUESNr6T0otDNm77Bha3PLMp5g80SddRPxMLS3wS1FtY86fWDa1gwwdHA4OPBY/s288/33.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />E and the kiddos enjoying the Merry-go-Round at the market.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824558966034108866'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEN50lveM_8Wez50ZbkLQ2UNCqNpEzQcPXcSHKW-22pPhbbW7-0ULc5MAc5aYjOCSgZVDXIyzkTAukqCNVyGb5xJSGflWh_ixYKdlxA9CHgR6W-QshPdx-4B_yJgg6AWJuxVqBQNtRtUw/s288/34.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Did we say that it can get crowded?<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824559107080698514'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkJJpGzSqK-nAKY6Gl_bJPEXMce32A9inkBmTIAZdFOL0k_PQcrcTRb8PZhyphenhyphenqXNmp58dusJe3GDb8k4OenQmDbuylNM63iduitYAIXAVviNXpthnG7CyqV3GG4Ws1RvNj7y09QoghHSo/s288/35.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Random things for sale<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824559248835270850'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMGWvcE_yIOivQM2PrE_eCRsa1T4bvKYGceRWoqj9qWUCLZoZOO6J2fQM7sU8XTyErmXndzW_LFLRpSY605OXgjJjcRotsaOrYfgWvrCmYBXZJSaL7ajvQZZPZnF9ylBXiJQuYkXpdrE/s288/36.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Yummy candy<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824559382115501666'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3kX49S4VVHBruYuHX4FJ2m5A06MMP2NquZh4JjRXZiGd2JhaZIToecm-PD0l9ThAxlJnhf04307k3rDW_7z6TFNJLLdjtpGQv5of_xsC0alZGfF-TCEkdpq2mvTqVRkFBFu0LwnWh0c/s288/37.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />German guy rocking Jingle Bells. Oh and behind him is an old ancient church building in Trier very pretty.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824559508891922946'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDqa08Q-O8fQKRXJw0aucxUFbHOkEXH-djD72PYz3f62GCuQ_pfTGziQGeGmc99Bbop9ENA4uB4aCqmLLruCKZCFVSohf1jEi4VouCD0wnZ9moGqEtgZrJSPOIxSEvGa4PLiqLHQCEL4/s288/38.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Since it was so crowded and cold, we went home early and decided that we would find a baby sitter and go just E & K to see the market by ourselves. There was so much yummy food.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824559592654622626'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UHESo-7UYWIuPSClARil4iy6BCKbRah7DwJ4q82B1s_0lNh9tH6VA4q0UXbUwoSOR_D0c163fh-VFYcmqC_47i79mrtqQuZGOB3egjz9gDBfUgxsASH6jn9eiyw9QJigSadQg0GYers/s288/39.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Another thing that really surprised us was the party that K's work threw for all the employees kiddos. The party was amazingly fun/over-the-top. It was set up in huge tents and there were a ton of things to do, the kids really wanted to get their face painted and to get a ballon animal, so we waited in line for awhile for both of those things. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824559646103884914'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8S7SXaOwBXgWIWMhw0ZjdTeXWwSxNhjEP2vXJIITKRwuJrVDyUvpuyn5ZPVH5nJqg516cV_SC5d_xlPjPjNrEimMFE4TnxnCGs29ezyc4NV5CJ9giRT0LbOGCYC86B2WD8NE1L1fBZ-M/s288/41.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Not dandruff, just a sparkly alligator.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824559686979031746'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilurQ5Wuz-7p7uoeMIRmz2NO1-DJGA0VolIdU4vnTK-8E_KiukpoNd6Q1AZ85yfb08kAS0QkwFoR3rIsnt0s5HzLRO8rf-wq9CcZ1mWuOazTp8dxLoG4HACzj_bivwXtPQ0EWM4dqNECA/s288/42.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824559726920918146'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmSPB79u2SdXII7JuwiSojTc-oGrWTFTBhGPlZ3Tl5QzDUo2twOOH42z5jcgS7odsbJvH7VmKtoZw-dFpcRSF4-Xn-S_97fYqCKmefXbunxymQ-LwpGe-jSG4PNadltC-EpcT-DYSmKA/s288/46.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After paint and balloons were applied/received, it was our turn to see St. Nicolas and Black Peter. For those who aren't familiar with Mr. Peter, he is the person dressed in lack behind St. Nicolas. The tradition is that he is the one who keeps the books with all the bad kids' names in it. He also has sticks, whip, and a bag to take naughty kids away with him. But, he does have a soft side and has been know to help St. Nicolas scatter candy for the good children.<br /><br />Ms. H wasn't really into the spirit at the time.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824559890801070338'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUIYWhQlMmrTvWOY9nF_5mJqTXd8O_M-v7MC4XSd633L1eCie2ug6Q_VPhOx60q7Kyr2eUkfMaO-IsKfWs3Mv0fbEE5-fP5ZxvdPogu9NUdESZM7WibZ8axyWtboA5j2JfBrQDSSTbo8/s288/40.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />In the end the kids all got decent present from the company, a ton of,food and candy, really crazy big balloons, and a really good memory. Or as Mr. L put it, "Dad, I am really proud of me coming here!"<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5824559936841003810'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHLxZRm0R4L33_nyqf_iUhCgyTxTYadHwmkttxQ5Yl2qKr69S1PYB2I7mb1tXusYsQmQ0kQFwv4rNh9y-CmombfUzJsBZ1v24ZSMKEjT1tYhzfT2om3QH_TdofDk1ZyMVI6Swux_7Diw/s288/47.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After we got home, we started talking about how in the US a company would never have a Santa Claus come once again for fear of offending someone. It was a great experience for our kids, and one that they still talk about a week later.<br /><br />So while we miss our family and friends, the one thing that helps us to cope and fill the gaping hole in our hearts, is that we've got a great opportunity to really feel and appreciate the spirit and atmosphere of CHRISTMAS and we need to take advantage of it.<br /><br />Well, for everyone who is reading, Merry Christmas, and we hope your have a Happy New Year!<br />Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-39258713188006952342012-12-05T20:02:00.001+01:002012-12-05T20:02:13.803+01:00On Medical Care....<div>
Disclaimer- This post is really loooong and full of details that may be interesting to some, but definitely not to others. I am certainly not offended if you decide to skip over this one!</div>
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After my last blog post I got quite a few questions through Facebook, the blog, emails, messages, etc. asking questions about the differences in medical care between the U.S. and here in Luxembourg. While I am certainly no expert, and don't have tons of experience, I know a little.....<div>
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For starters, Luxembourg is a socialist country. While I, of course, don't support socialism for the U.S., it is really fascinating to see how it works in a country that's already doing it. The government programs are so different. It seems as if we receive money from the government for so many things that I never would have expected, however we also pay sooooo much more in taxes here than we ever paid back in the U.S. I also feel strongly that this form of government works for a country whose entire population is right at 500,000 people (crazy tiny, huh?)</div>
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So, the medical system is called CNS (Caisse National de la Santé). Every resident is issued a card after all the paperwork is cleared that gives you a matricule number (basically, a social security number). The number becomes your identity and you use your card when you go to the doctor. </div>
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So, whenever one of us gets sick- or has another need to go to a doctor- I call to make an appointment. That part is pretty much the same. Unless, you have not yet "established" yourself at the doctor, of course. In late October, our family all took turns having pink eye. Miss H had it the worst by far, and it became pretty clear that it was not going to clear up on its own. She needed antibiotics. So, I called the pediatrician that a couple of my friends had recommended to try to make an appointment. They were happy to see her until they found out that our family was not established at their office. All of the kids needed to come in to be seen before they could have sick visits. And we couldn't have our establishment appointments for almost a month- the last week of November. So, I made my appointments, marked them clearly on the calendar, and made absolutely certain that nothing interfered with getting there on that date and time! In the meantime, poor Miss H really needed to be seen somewhere, so I ended up just having to walk in to the local children's hospital, Kanner Klinik (literally translated "Children's Clinic" in Luxembourgish), and be seen that way. Not a big deal, really, just a little loophole that I didn't know about. </div>
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Whenever you happen to have a need for a prescription medication (which is pretty much all medications), you get the prescription from the doctor, of course. Doctors seem to love prescriptions. K went to the doctor for a nasty cold a few weeks ago and came home with five prescriptions. Then, you take the prescription to the pharmacy (still sounds the same, right?) Pharmacies are a bit different. There is seriously like one on every corner. There are no medications, vitamins, or anything medically related in any regular stores. There's no picking up some Tums at Target while you happen to be there grocery shopping. All drugs have to be purchased at the pharmacy and they are all kept behind the counter. Anything in front of the counter is not medicine- baby formula, beauty products, toothpaste- stuff like that. That means, you have to ASK for anything that you need. And of course, we don't know what any of the medications are called here. </div>
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In the interest of full disclosure, here's my embarrassing story---- earlier on in this pregnancy, I was having tons of nausea, food aversions, ickiness, all the normal stuff. As hard as I try, it's so hard to eat a perfectly balanced diet when you feel so nasty. I noticed one day that my stomach was hurting particularly bad- more than normal. And it wasn't sick, it was hurting. Over the next couple days, it got worse and worse, until finally I decided that I thought I was dealing with constipation. It's common in pregnancy, I know, but I had never dealt with it before. Plus, the prenatal vitamin I've taken with my last three pregnancies has included a stool softener. This time, it definitely does not. I tried to handle it in the best way I could- eating more fiber, drinking more water, etc, but I was so uncomfortable that I thought if I could just get something to help move things along I would feel better. You know, something with fiber, Metamucil, Fiber-One, something- anything. So, finally, out of desperation, I went to the pharmacy, with my three little tag-a-longs, of course. You have to understand that three kids is a pretty large brood by European standards. There are a few families in our ward at church with more kids, but I have never seen any families at the school, at the store, in public anywhere with more than three. Most have two, but there are a couple with three. I went up to the counter and tried to explain to the lady what I was in need of. I started with the nice, medical words, but I was definitely not getting through to her. So, before I knew it, I was resorting to gestures and any way I could to communicate. Finally, I blurt out, "I'm pregnant and I'm having trouble going to the bathroom." Her eyes light up and she understands. She tells me what I'm looking for and asks a few questions about which type of "help" I'd prefer. Then, she makes the connection. She stops and says, "Did you just say you're pregnant?" Then she glances over at the three already I have, obviously thinking I must be a crazy woman. When I responded, she shut down. "I cannot give you anything, Madame. If you are pregnant, I can give you nothing. You must have prescription from the doctor." And that was it, I walked out the door empty handed. All that embarrassment for nothing....</div>
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So, on to the experience of going to the doctor. We've had pretty good experiences, I'd say so far. Different, but not bad. I feel like walking into a doctor's room is like stepping back in time by about thirty years in the U.S. I know the care we receive is fine, but it feels like a bit of a time warp. They all look like old fashioned Dr.'s rooms in movies- with all the drugs lined up in a cabinet and all the medical instruments lined up on the counter. There are old- fashioned looking scales and most things are recorded on paper. My OB/GYN has a computer that she inputs information in at every appointment, but at the pediatrician, everything was done on paper. Some of the "niceties" of going to the dr. like we have in the U.S. are just nonexistent here. All of my kids had to strip down naked for their appointments. I know that's not totally uncommon in the U.S., but Miss A, at age 6, was a bit weirded out by it. Thankfully, the pediatrician speaks great English, and was very "sympathetic" to my situation of moving to a foreign country with three small children. </div>
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At my prenatal appointments, there's no messing around. This Dr. also speaks pretty decent English. Not as good as the pediatrician, but not bad. We've had a few mix-ups with vocabulary- such as a misunderstanding between the word "abortion" and "miscarriage". The thing that amazes me though is that everyone speaks so many languages, so even just being decent in English is impressive. At my first appointment, I walked in the door and she greeted me, "Bonjour, Madame." She continued by asking me which language I'd like her use when speaking to me, French, German, English, or Luxembourgish? That's the part that just floors me. Anyone who has grown up here, particularly anyone who is educated, speaks a minimum of four languages. Sure does make me feel like a really dumb American when all I've got is English. So, she began my appointment in English and before I knew it, she waved her hand and said, "Take away the bottoms!", which means take off your pants and go sit on that table over there. There's no drape or cloth to cover up with. And this happens at every single appointment. The nice thing is I get to have an ultrasound at every appointment too, which has been amazing to see the progress the baby makes in just 2 to 3 weeks (which is how often she wants to see me). Nine weeks gestation looks so drastically different from 12 weeks, and it's so cool to have pictures documenting the progression. Definitely don't have that with any of my other kids. This Dr. is all business, no small talk or jokes. I believe that's partly her personality, but it's also definitely a cultural thing. So, after having the ultrasound, still bare from the waist down, she always tells me to go hop on the scale and report my weight. It's bad enough to have to see it, but there's just something wrong with having to announce it too. The nice thing is that I get weighed in kilograms, so my weight is a much smaller number here than it would be in the U.S. So, even though it means the same thing it sure does feel a lot nicer saying a number out loud that's less than half the number I'm thinking in my head. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">At the end of every appointment, we are handed a bill. Typically, you go to the counter on the way out and pay your bill in full before you leave the office. It's also acceptable though to take the bill with you and pay later with a bank transfer, or virement. You absolutely must keep all these bills, including the stamp from the dr.'s office and your receipt. All bills and receipts are then sent to CNS for reimbursement. Or, if you have over 100 € of expenses, then you can just go to the CNS office, give them your receipts and they'll cut you a check on the spot. I rounded up all our receipts two days ago and we're due over 400 € at this point. I really need to do something about that.... CNS reimburses 80% of most medical expenses, though there are some things that are not covered at all, such as chiropractics. We also opted to buy a private insurance plan though K's firm that allows us to submit the remaining 20% and be reimbursed even further. The private plan also covers things not covered by CNS. Anything purchased at the pharmacy is already subsidized by CNS, so it is already pretty cheap, and does not need to be submitted.</span></div>
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As far as the questions I got about having a baby here, I don't know all the answers yet because I haven't done it yet! Someone asked about the possibility of having a water birth, and I believe that to be a yes. I just learned that piece of information yesterday at my parent teacher conference with A's teacher because I found out at the conference that she is also pregnant (due one day before me) and she was talking about her preference for a particular clinic because it's possible to have a water birth there. I do feel very lost in the decision making process about labor and delivery. There are two main hospitals that are close enough to use to consider. One of them is nice and new, fancy and comfortable, with great food. Everyone always gets this shiny look in their eye when they talk about this clinic. However, from what I can gather, they are also very "clinical". They have a fairly high C-section rate, and are pretty big on interventions. It sounds like they have a hard time just leaving you alone and letting you labor. The other hospital is usually described as being pretty old. However, those that have been there describe a very different experience. They describe being able to write their own birth plan, and being allowed to give birth the way they choose, with minimal intervention- this is more what I prefer. I am surprised, honestly, at how reality on this issue is so much different than what I, as an American, had perceived before I got here. In my mind, I thought of Europe as very natural birth friendly, with most people using a midwife. I'm not really finding that to be the case, at least not here in Luxembourg. All the Luxembourgers I've talked to don't really seem to care, while most of the Americans who have given birth here seem to be able to see my side of the issue more clearly. I don't know what the end of our story will be yet, but I'm learning to be more assertive and ask more questions. </div>
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As far as questions about family coming to visit in the Spring.... K's Mom has a ticket to arrive here on the 12th of May and she will stay for two weeks. Then, my parents are planning to come on the 25th of May. We are planning to bless the baby at church on May 26, while both of our parents are still here. Then my parents will stay as long as they can- not sure how long that will be yet. It seems like we're planning these things so far in advance, but when you're buying international plane tickets plans have to be made with time to spare, so that good deals can be found!</div>
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So, there you have it. More than you probably really wanted to know, but I think everyone's questions have been answered. Keep 'em coming!</div>
Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-11137991202613143192012-12-03T14:42:00.001+01:002012-12-03T14:42:43.056+01:00This Little Bump.........has been busy growing!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817714194885451554'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGSzWtrYpcnvUks1oa5jBMrwJXN6Bg331Rq0OhtLtkygSZ9d75-Tr_7MUSlmruJrInHDLM0AVlUehdXDW_LzYzpIY7m4CBvc3PnOsgO6lYfTZCVojSqroCrnXFLiuUffW8eeYRJToIoo/s288/22.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />We'll have a new baby in our family in early May and we're so excited. This little one will be born here in Lux, of course. The pregnancy experience has already been so different than my experiences in the U.S., but they are very cautious about everything here. At this point, everything appears to be perfect! Here's a profile shot of our little one from this morning. The dr was trying to measure the nasal bone in this pic, so that's why there's a little line over the nose....<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817714233249038114'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOlowK_bVI233Wj2ZLBdFNve9Bu-E6FNdpnV1HFTxAJZ-HZE5finWI1i4CbePCiWwlO6B8sOv-j7kYFpELkYQW7BfjatQO7jw6QBk6fA9ywh3FuUmZwQnvc3xMKawxgGY_ZfszYSVZ3Q/s288/23.jpg' border='0' width='300' height='225' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />So far, my motherly intuition has been three for three- I've felt strongly about the genders of all of our kids long before we were able to "tell"- whether on an ultrasound or when we've waited til delivery. This time around I've felt so strongly that this baby is a boy and we'd be back to even numbers. Well, we had an ultrasound this morning and although the baby wasn't super willing to cooperate, so we never got the "perfect" shot, it appears that this time I am.<br />.<br />.<br />.<br />.<br />.<br />.<br />.<br />.<br />.<br />WRONG! There goes my record;). It looks like we are turning into a family of mostly girls! Again, we're not 100% at this point, but the dr felt pretty confident declaring the baby to be a girl. At my next appointment, we'll get another peek (I have an ultrasound at every appointment here), and hopefully be able to confirm. I'd say we're 90% at this point.....<br /><br />Here's another shot in 3D just cause she played around with it for a little while. This also a profile shot kind of looking from over the shoulder. <br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817714278422680370'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKRpU94vmz8RT2LJBCO45a5ta4Kts4dD5hJIZl37fUEQ-KsHxsFni__5L-IVsKna0Z_2QkvSz2eR4sJVwOWrZVXhvJywJakRPBqMJbc4niwpH5sijlq5x-JC2U7RGisS7tqG2mXZrr0g/s288/31.jpg' border='0' width='300' height='225' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />So far, we feel so blessed to have a healthy baby, regardless of the gender. Miss A is thrilled either way, and Mr. L and Miss H are pretty oblivious. We'll keep you posted.....<br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Luxembourg,%20Luxembourg&z=10'>Luxembourg, Luxembourg</a></p>Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-30002829097684540482012-12-03T14:26:00.001+01:002012-12-03T14:26:42.534+01:00Our Paris Getaway Sans Enfants!Back in early April when we first found to that we had the opportunity to come to Luxembourg we posted the announcement on Facebook. Within a minute a sister missionary from my way back on my mission days messaged us and said that she lived in France, and that we would be in her stake. Well we've done quite a few things with her family and finally we decided that we would take turns watching each other's kids so that we could go to Paris without kiddos. It's not that we don't love them, but The City of Love just isn't very romantic when you're lugging three kids and a stroller. We love taking trips as a whole family, but this one was really nice for just us. <br /><br />We dropped our kids off on Thursday night and stayed overnight at their house, then took the TGV from their house in Metz, France to Paris. The TGV is quite the experience, it starts out just like a normal train but before you know it you're going 320 km/hr or 200mph/hr.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709324796220594'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfw5E0Ch5qSmsbz3KrNLKG9SATOTyhyphenhyphenO-LWV2lPP-mcImLDoWO6A_fciDh3g2Pvba6W8hd0LFpnBwVVa2y69MiucjVBnlQs3Q2IGj_ckXd_JXwwrUap9H0RHTn5Rzj_V7d7WOGDvH5-U/s288/22.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />So going that fast, within an hour and twenty minutes you're in Paris ready to see the sites. Thanks to busy season I had accumulated some hotel points so we were able to stay right in downtown Paris just a few minutes away from everything. We got settled in at the hotel, went and grabbed some lunch, and then headed over to check out the Louvre.<br /><br />We absolutely loved the Louvre. It was HUGE... We totally put our pride aside and decided to rent the audio walking tour which was really nice because it had personal GPS to help guide you through the museum, and we honestly needed it. We looked like tourists, but eh, whatever.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709363415485074'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mzEdFwPC6BvC2vPn1ewGDJB_KNE0otUkA_nyUftMht3ADqqNemSukVUMUMxKofSiDZBXWV5Kk7e3QmYJNEdpvqQbhrjRzEdzwlKDRitpEHo4n05sdyA9HSWqLYILpmVoWceeuWvH70E/s288/23.jpg' border='0' width='300' height='226' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />There she is, the most popular painting in the Lourve - Mrs. Mona Lisa. It was very interesting to hear all the facts about the painting from the audio guide. It took DaVinci quite a few years to actually finish the painting, and the most interesting thing we learned was that it is actually painted on a wood board, not canvas or anything like that. Back in the 50's someone threw a rock at her, and then she was stolen and missing for a few years, so now she's behind bulletproof glass and you really can't get close to her. But even 10 feet away it was really amazing to see it in person. We both agreed that she was prettier in person that any of the pictures or copies of her that we've seen. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709406740362210'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOI7GsC4V6q0xSziEyYOz6O39n0e9eChzT0-zNvn0EbG_kXbBEjGT2-A5-_gbYVqGjbTu3B55ZiF_tk2-UFYVGv6otFhm8mo7kmSvs_Py41VoWPfCTwjAbhqMe2zJ8bXcaVJXqgAVLKY/s288/35.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709437961253010'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_s6SlzVyqHLOOG_sle4kucgsSyX8ZqRsuUHwJu-WhdUsvlZZpaVH2v3LFm9IRTwkEFzzAFN4K8m7F2WULmQlK09UDFM97SgRkLHa_3u8Ylgnnfl7fNikzHxZkaayDWLTkoT24CnrYb8/s288/31.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709491278274162'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqvBzVZNsNoZ-CbXaf4j5E61zM_KJgbXdH9BqGh30zPxTIwdq8kk1zUUKr8njXQCMFPy7Gs6FWRL4JQ-DEJpW25hyphenhyphenFc_Lul59A1ddURii63D9-I1MSFo841kDRv48-wbu-27V96a-6YQ/s288/33.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After visiting the Mona Lisa, we went and saw the Venus De Milo. We had both seen the statue before in books, but never really appreciated all the interesting facts about it. First, it is estimated that she was sculpted between 100 and 130 BC and also she's an original sculpture. We were surprised to learn that a lot of the sculptures in the Louvre are reproductions of sculptures that have been lost or destroyed. And even most of the originals have had missing "body parts" recreated and added back on. Not this lady though- her age alone makes her impressive. It was very amazing to just look at it and see all the different chisel marks and effort that went into making the sculpture. It really made us appreciate how special of a piece it is.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709532075480930'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uWdLQPcpkcNcXc7hhM7HlyG6YJhEbK2qtdRQ-uK1xUQ2kfh5sGirKSDC7Sa815RM_ZtEMkk9E7KaPbIRz1qeT8SCcqZIPu_-U0col0P48m8pPKT1Zn46HuYyEnCFjH36WrpEJG5QYLo/s288/34.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After visiting our friend Venus we went over and visited the other old and famous statue of the Greek Goddess of victory, Nike. She was a gift after a large naval battle. We'd both seen the pictures of her before, but to see it in person was really cool because the whole sculpture is actually three separate pieces of stone and it is incredibly huge. The tour kept discussing how difficult of a task it must have been to have everything end up in perfect balance given the weight of her wings and the large size of the whole statue and base. It was really a neat thing to see.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709564939912786'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfsxv8qSy6LW_SbJJ-zohc_QI2r8lQ6mtsDGSkbTzGPu4KxOw12Gr9z5yvadv6UiEgrgcWEXQ2_x6pRrUfBS9BdBRV4HWA4r1-J61n08en-ODhebFqI9jFXoeZZygDLYmMgjwy3CyDeI/s288/37.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709602349554162'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7uME2_1gyyJMk1NaORMUaGMwQDIj3UGocfRu3pHHCZvGZIVcc5OsalulZuBO4XJqUqXittbgG8rrM-y19cRrjMkQICOSAFgvbBrcEnspuJ74KonwYdRlteuQgB_ClLX9aiF6VEwHHw-E/s288/38.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709638706372946'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-P2j03QLVNv0-B0XRLfmsiCJtEQ1WdFB4abHqpIqgNINMwP1kXB6kr23hI2HpSw0Ldfk1kmHSFaIan7OspMKYUBA-Yy7wvAMnUCC1Cz5_jji8nu8UCM5ddt7nkpswGYfkI8OhxCpN4aU/s288/36.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After Nike we just walked around a little bit more and looked at some other painting and sculptures. There was soo much to look at that there was no way we could have done it in one day. We stopped and looked at the two biggest paintings in the collection and man they were huge! Quite incredible the level of detail involved in making such a large work of art.<br /><br />The Wedding Party<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709680261176866'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CLv4PCIcu9YUJz-7q6F_1fm6nsVXdCf80Zd8UTqAy5VtInwt7DElRBNeWrOEHIwESsKeA3Pr6vdgO4hgiHYvWNRKowyugjrTBbvrB6sprB0oJf4XAWnBNVYnIvjVscAzTHdgtFt34Oc/s288/39.jpg' border='0' width='300' height='225' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />The Coronation of Napoleon. This painting has a lot of family baggage in it. In the end it really isn't a true representation of the actual event, but more so a very rosy picture of how Napoleon would have wanted the event to look like. Basically it was photoshopped but 19th century style.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709723772923538'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4SD3DVL6vaSEs6Qr5ni0I7ynbRF_8wdx9YISPjIwtxDAR4SoiB0zXS3cE9hyphenhyphenMCYu13dv6lSEPC_2O0vmd7R2eKdCb4zFMswb5qVFrawj7RypVgoZ3Vqccj42zlfzVvIrTPj2TlZIPxA/s288/40.jpg' border='0' width='300' height='225' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After taking in about 5% of what the Louvre had to offer we went back to the hotel to get ready for our soirée. We bought tickets on Bateaux Mouches for a dinner cruise on the Seine river. It was an experience that we won't soon forget. The food was great, the views were beautiful, and to have a really nice meal without having to force feed an 18 month-old was priceless.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709761726598530'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kSWSW7er4E8mIDglSnuA9FsgHvmUjhDASPt6pVKQAu0UFzMvYpqnwWjwlngFF4rfVg1DiO5eHtToJMY9f0XHWREPY4HCCHaQlMMj-OUqIAzBU4mvJ4KY88jItNemzgLAWj2TKyLl5Gk/s288/41.jpg' border='0' width='300' height='225' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709799188371234'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfz0dZeyvHbKcVKQEVAY2CVzkWD-waK82NfL1xw2bZh8La1JrdCnSaE6jLnfZxSwzBb9brWqvgN8mmh_k22qnlwKWgrnlP8aqf3zFRxh8Ze7jkB0YAPm1xVSXOAeQ_f6tDXp3WqPpTNao/s288/42.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709842074471346'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1l_bYIbBZt49yLUUUhxMK_YdvAs1fS0wT4ITJ_4HONPTP7FL6lDaqRtKUQbJK1ZZAm2SD9ku540Ek0p-Cgy8GffiPyxroo70284rfea2YRHTHqypIP-WMxbrmnvdEUkmQc2Z7aVCNi5A/s288/46.jpg' border='0' width='300' height='225' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709879564470802'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKR4BB8xKqSlqx81ry29MTOwXrgqzq-_D0S-9OApFjFMA4UPRZUQQ7L7y-UMPbZvcwu9JXuToYOvHHIKtHmj2RDjM6ssz1gMou_ttzRkqn8T40j-WD5cyklcV0Y3aQEg4zJm2UOXGg9EU/s288/47.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709915918500994'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NIKeoCm0cqAUtTFhEVtjFmE2VkwXimIiS5HUu6NQvmcMF4MaC1YtSRuAvCWLV20EzlDLtwMP5LUmSes5rby0aTb1oW0d3fZikWbXfMApr2k2_g8Sy0nF4Q2XFjgazXmWKxAIpmiATPk/s288/48.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After the cruise we called it a night and headed off to bed. We had quite the day and we were looking forward to a full night's rest.<br /><br />Day 2<br /><br />After not rising at the crack of dawn -like little kids love to do- we had a delicious breakfast at our hotel and headed out to visit the Paris Christmas Market. In Europe there are generally Christmas Markets in the majority of all large cities. The markets are set up with lots of little booths and various vendors come and sell food, gifts, Christmas stuff, etc... The Paris Christmas Market was set up all along the Champs-Élysées and it went on forever. A lot of the stuff being sold was definitely made in China, but there was some local artisans and craft makers setup throughout the market. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709957027668962'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC59UGbtSpM-s3D6-aGmDplnuhnlmYVy9u2LHVCXJuYs5AempatTG2UkIAQVxlQIXSRB2FrBRKJLmSVLKIolW6iF5WZbK7bjq33ZBwrxcTr_acsXOtnacs4GG8jd-OfkamLgo34soyRvk/s288/55.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />We bought a few things and headed back to the hotel for a short nap (something that we don't get very often at home). After the nap we went back out and went back to the market for dinner. There were various food vendors and we really were craving some good Thai food. We were not let down and we really enjoyed having authentic curry and pad thai.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817709994104755010'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaAmLumXH8gk4DD25Qk1hOKRD7zGnFHouWUVFR1RdNRCByjQsuUe0arj-jNfoJijCbFLufyonfr_LCXA-EkWBo3A6GFCVR2AS8fEwRkTTcUHQmh10MU0fvE1Dt1Q2lacZ46fm4A3xTD8/s288/50.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />We both have begun to really take notice of how American food and culture is perceived in Europe. If you had to think of how to describe America how would you do it?<br /><br />Well in Europe (at least everywhere we've been) they think all we eat is hamburgers, fries, wear cowboy hats and listen to country music. At this market we laughed at the main food vendor who was showcasing American cuisine.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817710031895184674'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1u8mk7xckR75KFf8royVg-bbVsSttPnvAeh0wlMNhYd8Qv5a35sjzu1vYEaAkcYUfPoSdIohUxdVvDWwlx3J_xrb0DO5xefOl8wYC4DcKWh6GP0n6tIbNnOH_EiR7IcXX-SqyH0X3so/s288/51.jpg' border='0' width='300' height='109' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After dinner we had just enough time to take a walk down to the Eiffel Tower and then it was time to head back to catch our train. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817710074680720642'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzQsWPcOgrORsrhJ2CuxnnXKKNLsbSfp-VR4k6C6nrWFfjUS-l_yJTiwOcmZmFiGgA1rQJDV7GIsl8KTxjeDK0ZLOaeS0gaA84DIOEHdpAN5oMJLyB99Qr2isNbXy-_hx_3sUqpeKN4w/s288/52.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817710108887676130'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_85_-N2oKDp4CrcZWukE2RJRM7DSIIQ6mGsw1NKAeBXe2mK-HPw77bSQ8MNtYA-YaS5eOGwXEAXYNm8a0I45vpxzO6cYE0_yVOoHAFEtg9hQJEhQ9QkMROw6W2sCDTalHlGXaKn93wLk/s288/53.jpg' border='0' width='300' height='225' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />By the end of the trip, we were both glad we had come, but one of us was particularly worn out! Maybe the long stroll over to the Eiffel Tower was just a little too long :)<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5817710144305877506'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QW08Z0v-JkfyqgeSNXAcQsd-x0vyb9vp6ozpXQmElTAZDho7rLuauk87xyHB24uKsscFLTege-X0aguJIVkLENMDldsbzOdwd3Yt10tdgTH0FhYpO0WyUl90iVNlMi3VGddDS76v-MU/s288/54.jpg' border='0' width='225' height='300' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Paris,%20France&z=10'>Paris, France</a></p>Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-64837460060190450422012-11-25T23:27:00.001+01:002012-11-25T23:27:56.084+01:00Joyeux Thanksgiving!Honestly we were extremely bummed this week as we were missing out on one of our favorite holidays. Watching Facebook and seeing all our family and friends enjoy the holiday really made us home sick. The one thing that helped to give us some hope of being happy was that we were going to celebrate our Thanksgiving on Sunday!<br /><br />We were extremely excited about the holiday and somehow in the midst of everything we invited over 23 people (12 adults 11 kids). Needless today we were a full house. This is only half the room, but our whole living room was full of tables and a lot of people. We invited over all our American friends as well as some of our Luxembourgish friends and we had a really great time. It did make us appreciate how difficult it is to do an American holiday outside of America. We had to special order our turkeys from the American Women's Club and trying to figure out how to make traditional dishes here was just a little challenging. But in the end E and her friends made an awesome dinner and it was really nice to sit down and share a Thanksgiving day meal with all our friends.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5814880434762035298'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFT-Pkz7kWUqr6Zruwk4vOyg1SZ8HnGWkbf-53KmiSPaFYIp3c5CqmMDTQuCz-O8w0UdC0ny4O3gEdpdpJyz86XTNwcPvUa5B0UvV7ACYMZL7JwfQan6X9uNaZGLfkrQEWLhh10k8GqUk/s288/22.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /> <br />Mr. L loves the turkey legs and it was really funny this year to watch him share his turkey leg with his other friends at his table. They kept passing the turkey leg around and took turns biting the leg...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5814880502527255858'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RPY_UPf4Jn7TSYfPtxTkhaoJtJpIFu-_enrIDM5hzePdKD9jdWsvldj4bJF3ymh-vFTFEyJECl8-oUEFRPFCCk6oYO3j5qrYY_7olQJ5pK-tnKXTqV7n0FgSTBvT4iHV4-DRCzpCwoc/s288/23.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5814880593711942786'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cPbOpny1iZ4Z0zw3rsoyfY1JUWtLGObd708Vk0rvh4Lu5hMUWmCKfrYw-H3hr80-8-Mwa7KDxidJIHOboeb2NkzIFwaiWHQqzH_fN6XAFGGfkmbDTZVU7OQYWvkAAmGZm_a0MYO4oiY/s288/31.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5814880642806929570'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97w6yo7ukMF4AwbbeR0cYBVINHzDx_TZmMzxjwu_RK4IJHgqmVDqSfdGdZolgBv3FUeTTD9H_fl_TZ5Ay457KTtbqbLhrXlJjL6iRjW_kVe7LWHTZhnMzC3Fx36N28cOfxslRVpR3ofQ/s288/33.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Here's to hoping that none of the kids get sick!<br /><br />So to feed 23 people we needed a ton of food. In the end we ate 3 turkeys, 4 different pots/types of mashed potatoes, 8 different desserts, side dishes as far as your eye could see, and finally drinks in abundance. We all enjoyed ourselves and it was great to have some of the homemade treats that are associated with the holidays.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5814880769057266290'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY44vFe0lCZDJSoniDerfZ_62FKyYFGwk7qmI4v1BuwD-4Oequ-a2MDSYrPwHt2JoKktPt39BpdSs8QT3h5q7opSZ82xAsv2vjdRxCMh92A8RJw0G69ngPwntwsdhU3dF4Oc7GvcKZJSo/s288/34.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5814880823234822402'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2FneaYwDHv8HvXdAhR1bKrwveIPPifZVM7mN6l8F3GQxX9-wLsnKn9uigk_-NsP2ntmtpj_STy3uKLT4_QJTYCGCebbrP_6j7wGCR33ClXw_mVX8s3Vho9_JgM7vSyNRzKpDDH92A8s/s288/35.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Ms. H loved just hanging out and watching what was going on. She didn't eat very much, although she loved the drinks (surprise) and she did seem to be able to muster the ability to down some peanut-butter chocolate pie.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5814880867800103410'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uBmL9r_RyDQ5QCRYP3gzuIWcC7c5mVJxqZu0V_7nJphyphenhyphenwQnWm3J3yzXydKAHXDFaPygC2UY8labeQ5lokI5KLxGw5DDB8sHl815QHZT3FzDnPRB3H7EPD_yopBwaWWn6s-6ejWPOzLM/s288/36.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />E says she looks worried in this picture, actually she is, because she ran out of pie!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5814880903177412786'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA96vXgCRj6BkxA4GZUkOrKt6UampRM36_9RxR1JSUl60b6rvIs9H9FALan8BVHdWKnEowuhr_JaYQPYWCIEcI8t9sCI5HUsiy_2N2-w-EfF_rZmSac0d3dpMI1sMaRGIHKFfKOICqIfM/s288/37.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Of course what is Thanksgiving without a visit from Snow White.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5814880948413493986'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEh6C4moXPJbanh6DEiRo6xE9-qP2r9_aVIPs17nbaiNXzEyLvszo5MjZuvpbNFq492E_b7em5tb1S8Bzt5H_DDQf69_SzpvjN1eNHYSp2FZHJsx57H3joVpMUvCggA0n__9xzZvTlqwM/s288/38.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After all is said and done, while we didn't have Thanksgiving on the exact day, we did learn that it is more about spending the time together than its about what day you spend the time together.<br /><br />Our first four months in Luxembourg have definitely helped us learn and understand how much we love and are appreciative of the life we had back in the USA. Although, the time here so far has really made us come out of our comfort zones and really grow and learn to be grateful for the time that we have here. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!<br /><br /><br />Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-46918950461518839942012-11-22T10:39:00.000+01:002012-11-22T10:39:19.090+01:00Happy Birthday, Miss A!I'm a little behind in getting this written, but I still wanted to do it, so better late than never, right? A couple weeks ago, on Nov. 9, we celebrated Miss A's 6th birthday. Hard to believe it's already been six years since she made us parents, but at the same time, it seems like she's always been here and I can barely even remember what life was like without her. <br />
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Our little family the day after Miss A was born</div>
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K and I have been doing a lot of reflecting and evaluating lately on this whole parenting thing. We've been making some changes around here in the way we're trying to parent and teach our kids. We're trying to be more purposeful and take better advantage of small moments to teach. At the same time, we're really working on trying to teach our kids to be more responsible for themselves and to think about the consequences of their actions- whether they be positive or negative. I know this is something that most all parents are constantly working on, but it's been a big topic of conversation between the two of us lately. And it's it's been on my mind a lot. In talking and thinking about these things, we've also been spending a lot of time talking about each of our kids individually- their strengths and weaknesses, the individual needs that we see in each of them. <br />
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Miss A is our oldest and she shows a lot of qualities of a first born child. She is independent and strong willed and has been from Day 1! Even as a tiny toddler, she was incredibly independent and learned to do things for herself at a young age, just because she wanted to. As time has passed and I have developmental milestones of other children to compare her to, I realize even more how independent she was! <br />
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Miss A at 12 months</div>
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Over the years, she has learned how to make sure she gets what she wants or needs, but she is also learning to look out for her brother and sister. Being the oldest is tough because the expectations are high- be an example to the younger ones, share, give what you have to someone else, and on and on.... It's not always easy, but she's developing the ability to think of others and <i>trying</i> to work on putting others' needs before her own.<br />
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She is a good friend to everyone. I have never heard or seen her be unwilling to share any of her things with anyone we have over at our house, or anywhere else. Although she can be shy around adults, she loves to spend time with other kids and is always wanting to invite someone over to play. This has been a challenge for her since we moved to Lux. In Illinois, we had lots of friends with kids her age and many of them lived very close. She almost always had someone to play with. That's not really the case here. Even at Church, there are very few kids her age. She's in a Primary class with a bunch of boys that are a year or two younger than her, and I still have never heard her complain about it. <br />
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3 1/2 years old</div>
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At school, she is the only kid in her class that speaks English. I can't imagine doing what she does every day. Every day I send her to a classroom where no one, other than her wonderful teacher, speaks her language. She is expected to learn and make friends with a whole classroom of kids that she can't even talk to. Although her teacher is fabulous, her focus is on teaching Miss A the language, so even she speaks very minimal English to her. I think if I had to do that every day I would feel so overwhelmed and just not want to go. We talked to other families about their experiences with their children in the school system here. The other American families told us to expect it to be hard on her for six months. They all told us that their children cried almost every day for six months and then suddenly, it was okay. We anticipated that Miss A would have a really hard time with school past Christmas, at least. She has absolutely amazed us! Her attitude is incredible! She started school in mid-September. The first week was fine, the second week she cried almost every day and I started to get really worried. By the third week, she was fine again and she's never looked back. She tells me about her new friends, points them out to me on the playground, and tells me what languages they know how to speak. And then she tells me that you don't really have to speak the same language as somebody to be friends with them. What an example this child is to me! She has been so strong during this whole experience!<br />
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This morning as I was walking the kids to school, I was telling them that today is Thanksgiving in the United States. I asked if they remembered Thanksgiving last year and what we did to celebrate it. Miss A remembered it all, of course. We'll be having our Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday- the rest of our weekend is pretty packed with Presidency and Bishopric meetings at Church, so we'll be doing it Sunday afternoon. I'm looking forward to spending the time with new friends that we've made here. Miss A got sad for a minute and said she wished we were celebrating Thanksgiving today. I told her I understood and that I was feeling a little sad about it too. Then she said she just wished it was Thanksgiving here so she could have a day off school. We talked about what a good experience we're having and all the things we're learning for a minute and that was it. We walked into school and she was fine. I will linger on my sad feelings all day, but I'll be fine too. I just love her resiliency and wish I could be a little more like her in that regard. <br />
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At six years old, I'm realizing that my little girl is not quite so little anymore. She still likes to snuggle, but she's definitely our big kid. I'm seeing so many grown up, big kid traits in her. In the family I grew up in, we joked about "Mommy Books". My mom's mommy book was <u>Love You Forever</u> by Robert Munsch. Even when we were teenagers, my mom couldn't read that book without crying. I thought it was really sweet at the time, but of course, I didn't really get it. When Miss A was four days old, we had to take her back to hospital for bilirubin testing because of jaundice. There was a big book fair set up in the lobby of the hospital. With my four day old baby sitting in her car seat on the floor beside me, I picked up <u>Just In Case You Ever Wonder</u> by Max Lucado. I started reading it, and I started bawling like a baby. I figured I was just hormonal, but I also knew I'd found my "Mommy Book". Over time, as the hormones have faded (and raged), I still have yet to read this book without crying. And now, I get it. My kids mean everything to me. And there's so much I want them to know. It's a constant struggle, and I feel like I fail miserably some days, but we're all in it together and we're trying every day. Mostly, Miss A, I just want you to know that you're a pretty special kid. We're so grateful that you're in our family. "If you're feeling sad...come to me 'cause I love you. And I always will, just in case you ever wonder."Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-92015471363692256362012-11-08T23:13:00.001+01:002012-11-08T23:13:08.480+01:00Le Mont Saint MichelAfter we spent a day on the D-day beaches, we spent the next day at a town called Le Mont Saint Michel.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568022252625410'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlZcHt_XVVP8kqVcnPUez2QYaLQ2fWZu19PKp1QP-UKDAUDgJhklf2WFEnp6Ur3-MyZs8fSzwJYOeTRGSikk8UbP5PNPBvGQD3XrrSldyXtiV3zghnH0WXQmuPif6BpjTj1YqUz_mZtw/s288/23.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='181' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568075721209506'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kOUIjHot2U9bpRlJ5ME18MidmgcJSF_Ldp343tgzy88ehpJ9VREG8_f72YTNyXJIssiG9wyYTsFl4m5ZOBgsTPzmasHqUynUPw4cRdAPkatjPe0FUG69g9fAHTrQSzc0d66Rqiz6kSo/s288/22.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />If it looks a little familiar, it may be because Disney modeled the castle in Tangled after this village. See...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568106676967554'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlIu2pybuulfBVmtFAMKnaGQwEzXS0BwfM7_uUveAoBXwqIfm3ThCHGjcDADwTfm-z0tJ5R55DPGolUi8wGT4ecFYKFJuoqPa0gWXBo59az57V_OHZcXIZW-kzsPbxt-I7XG8ZaEiffI/s288/46.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='158' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />This place has quite the history. The castle and surround village is actually a monastery and village. The village is situated on an island that during low tide has no water around it, but during high tide is completely surrounded by water. It is very dangerous to go walk around during low tide as there is a lot of quick sand and when the tide does come in it comes in extremely fast. It has been around since the 8th century and has a really interesting history.<br /><br />A pic showing how far out the tide goes, the ocean is way out past that plateau on the left.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568150520741010'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMdIrYzqR9YmB4W4s-SXJDyyE7aHYJ_ka0k82_kBIF4rsLAQJ-TrfMMLU17CC5KjCYGfexGWhzPs-bE8AZGbyrr4LvdBm8UFPL5mrnzXfikaiWHbHe_fY-1OIwAlimF-fD5Yp2A-XBQw/s288/33.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />This is one of the cannons that was used by the English in their failed attempt to overtake the island during the 14th century.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568191267160146'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfbZ_tWrFRxstCicYl008nzWgXv6zeDjiQ2JAgvAzqpC_lYi-jKdWP-TmbFgRRYhs1RoaXcpWIv30KBgwgDysGOnGTKnM_c6EHuP-dAL5k8Atku2Z8lsJi2BZ4WZneuFO4wJshOF1mFM/s288/34.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Inside the walls it really is pretty cool. It has an old castle like feeling and you walk around and around in all these little shops and restaurants.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568222711115138'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxNPEGxcPaGnaydxpmr77ZhD8ULzQ6l2wlPWXqjtIPtg5BEHoPSGJPEquMAvq6ZBVhicLbOFneMJC3QJKt5X5qitWvOsi074KvIKqOFXzMd4q9cuYByIhYjiuUPSyljLYPCSNy1_O4tE/s288/28.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />The kids really had a fun time just wandering around and checking everything out.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568258135116178'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclWqbz-XExKm6boGnWePQyDb7kCpZuNOZtv74YYbRhLppmghdxzyXkZCriy8fCYAdMYRUa4HW76l9CO6OovV3c6aspd9MyyCCNvx_qu-mbRVWmqw7OhyNUzj_2GZyH3fNAc-d7FsuIM8/s288/29.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568311765413778'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVcR_fw1y2Dk0vIbhhsx5P9-_QBKyHb8hhl4A1jQ6ZE_f9gkHuldklgTXt3N2RPGpxowPG8kKyutRVOn9HbR1KXGSYUgi9DVY9CagMQhKjnY5DnB6uERFyVi4NXSeP_7vj3-L942TiAo/s288/31.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568360157577826'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntngdmQfObYxse55XZWiI_VmGKmdSYkU4wdjbG68wL8pMDQGtct8KJthVhs-XoULe8pP1uRepVgsHbJmmzgBq4o3hrxxyMWVebXYPE4_wLh3gizv_l53wnm1D9j-DP5aLWuM6sapVEqg/s288/35.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568400111686690'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUynUYY1TND4q5U9uDcLPr3ddm-ykwG8regS7tIoCNKS9_15-H1DG2GGoSkiwb8y6zxZ6_ix3SXLjYvCBObGaSJuQcyD39LEu0WFlro-NPgo4v11MZlyQXEipmSdbYJhAI3yD_VPBN5MI/s288/36.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568440047353218'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlqEdEjK2k0SW98kbS2CtAKyjMvetT5VHXDWz4jTVay_IMggErcD0wYyCb_UMTkud4FPLEJRFPkjlRHnLKEc3yBSNoN2EbXT8mNfQgoXpBUlqRSZvQFq9NovY0Cs63GRHEAjA1sLiKsc/s288/37.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568484559859122'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbAhjC-OHXmIpNNoy88_rURwqUKld8FVot94hrGWjVjtTckB5eJfUwR5M4gtv2pbWoUP6dWLWFdN6QQpkW4JxOh6fgjqttOJSEzuSVSubyxDU3uCM_iJDZnH-l5-AiCQEWAZSwoen5g4/s288/38.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />The kids were convinced this cat belonged to Rapunzel.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568522725505202'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZHCCIwbzJ55LC1p4itoJyopUZ6HV21vqfBYpud1Y7ECuEo_p0NuU6RxdZHqKYI0zJ-9R8KCLESgxTcDsjtmkfhy17jx0S_Ye3VtZ0tC2Wsa1OTPZw4CWt26vicXg_vkJBJdUsOV1tk8/s288/47.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Did we mention there were stairs... Who needs a stair master! Of course Ms. H had to do all the stairs by herself.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568558062820642'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uH9j7Qr5P41XN1-T7LiA_VRr_Fg2FDHMWndIoa0yZVYjtnK6EUhPSmgzaj324F0h6jgTCRngs87O3kJIWI6OC6_0V4DRTBG2Wm8-H83fIi6T0TYMCUX6_vKkWkKV6XIPRMHzwAg34ng/s288/39.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Here's a picture of the Abby at the top, we asked Ms. A if she'd rather pay 20€ to go in and see it or if she wanted to buy Tangled. She picked Tangled.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568598940544066'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLJPabW8C14G8p8j_YQRJIwzeYzFvyic3BjLBWt_9S2Lm77EKVhSShMkhqdxByBkEECnQPMb4WQtFhihtgyx_-8Ki3tNHGdX7Xajm80aUOj5Puxjll2vGW9-a02B7cFlNChyphenhyphenN51chxMA/s288/40.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />In the end we loved Le Mont Saint Michel, we will definitely go back and visit! One more thing, if you are a rainbow lover, well the Normandy region is for you, we saw rainbows everyday we were there and after talking to some locals it is a very common occurrence.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568635189758562'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-VR-a3EbBHcXpqDStmJjBBIMpglEo9yVXRVZ4TOWaaAOmk_cwGZlqqkWcJtAR3a801XYhKYTra_S5bkte3d7jb0VsLAO-tO6NxP3RM4xCsVVvf9XR_YmdDj4VuGC8FJcji2-CV8XU_4/s288/41.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='170' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Ms. A was dying to run out in the field to find the pot of gold! There were two pots with this double rainbow.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5808568677477401074'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFN1Dsk3oKCY6Bh2NZBoAoZi4gM2q-WuKYME0myoCU_YK1XvzLdIC8JutkCdspfEK2uPoFBh5xvvkebEA1L6c30U6rRho8EmQpZc1OE0CI-WD2TEsSbZnWscKTy-yyBpBs7FIg0z_Igrk/s288/42.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />- K & E<br />Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-2568720325243474292012-11-02T23:31:00.001+01:002012-11-02T23:31:11.965+01:00The Price of Freedom<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3231JzWKEwJ7Aw8olHDOStyB24OX9OyUJ6fk_3uYnXGOfYwc3YRuolX7Tu_ng3kE3wPY-_vbSx1FfnzbR4F80-z4HS8MshfAi8TyFMPYFjtFB3UpyxcAesbmyb2JL97WlPZOPB3E0hcU/s1600/DSC_0284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3231JzWKEwJ7Aw8olHDOStyB24OX9OyUJ6fk_3uYnXGOfYwc3YRuolX7Tu_ng3kE3wPY-_vbSx1FfnzbR4F80-z4HS8MshfAi8TyFMPYFjtFB3UpyxcAesbmyb2JL97WlPZOPB3E0hcU/s320/DSC_0284.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span lang="EN-US">After spending a few days in London, we
continued our week-long adventure in Normandy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We rented a house in a village called Athie and used the home as a base
from which we went and visited numerous sites within the Normandy region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first sites that we visited on Thursday
were all related to D-Day and the various beaches and campaigns launched here
in the Normandy region.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span lang="EN-US">We first made our way over to the
American Cemetery that maintains over 9,300 soldiers’ graves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very overpowering to see all the
headstones and how they just kept going for what seemed like forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The location of the cemetery is such that it
overlooks the Omaha beach that the American troops landed on and fought to take
from the Nazi troops stationed there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is very humbling to think that a lot of the men who are buried here were actually killed trying to take back the very ground that they are now buried in. Both E & myself were quite taken aback by the historic feeling that
was in the air throughout the whole region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was really odd to see all the American flags flying around and see so
many people leave such kind thoughts in the guest book concerning the sacrifices that America made in liberating Europe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span lang="EN-US"> This is a picture of just a section of one of the 10 areas of graves within the cemetery. It was like a sea of headstones...</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHEmctosfUmFezXiwLaXt3rZY6kfuhQAI2UaV06m-He7shNWEtLCkbLoZPVMqkcmTf5FeArayLyuLks3fFrzh-aAfiFuuuEjiScFJPkmqTs05YDQfpVVrEYRR4rYDHzUqmwDJb-v_MZA/s1600/DSC_0273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHEmctosfUmFezXiwLaXt3rZY6kfuhQAI2UaV06m-He7shNWEtLCkbLoZPVMqkcmTf5FeArayLyuLks3fFrzh-aAfiFuuuEjiScFJPkmqTs05YDQfpVVrEYRR4rYDHzUqmwDJb-v_MZA/s320/DSC_0273.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDu0uRQQteGziGgcsk3rig1bQK4fg110v45NE-f0HcrayMrSSHm-i0NiIc3BuhJ_9DvLg1bOnzBMsr8SpmyonI-5YiUW6uiMfoiCrRJukTadPiT-XlOW6DoJyYAqsTbUjIBPZN1gnyQEQ/s1600/DSC_0271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDu0uRQQteGziGgcsk3rig1bQK4fg110v45NE-f0HcrayMrSSHm-i0NiIc3BuhJ_9DvLg1bOnzBMsr8SpmyonI-5YiUW6uiMfoiCrRJukTadPiT-XlOW6DoJyYAqsTbUjIBPZN1gnyQEQ/s320/DSC_0271.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
<br />
The cemetery overlooks a section of Omaha beach and if you look behind the kids you can see just how rough of terrain the soldiers had to face in order to come and attack the Nazis.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesK3QVapsRImBYZTZt16tI6TSx39kVHQXYSwuNB_jL9jrKzJUVyxut96_urPceR4bculdcns1lEFy2GCLfrNY-2K3UA7lHMMSkutJgpynq0dWhaM_RlFhxkbmyHHwEPn_eTLFR39oZWs/s1600/DSC_0267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesK3QVapsRImBYZTZt16tI6TSx39kVHQXYSwuNB_jL9jrKzJUVyxut96_urPceR4bculdcns1lEFy2GCLfrNY-2K3UA7lHMMSkutJgpynq0dWhaM_RlFhxkbmyHHwEPn_eTLFR39oZWs/s320/DSC_0267.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span lang="EN-US">When you compare this terrain to the terrain of the nearby Utah beach you can see how much of a real obstacle the Omaha beach front played for the troops. We took a tour through the nearby visitor center and it was really interesting to see all the various exhibits and the numerous films that discussed the sacrifice made by so many.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span lang="EN-US">Ms. A was very intrigued by the small dummy paratroopers that were dropped by planes prior to the invasion. The dummies helped to confuse the Germans as to where the invasion was really set to occur. When a dummy hit the ground it had a small bomb in it that would go off and it made it sound like it was firing bullets at the German troops. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyjP8m9WnQVU-fK8sl1yuT8crsHks1SXO4lM2_pntPGssaosAwoBWgTnAGpC0ffom_GKPzroqZoWI_lLYy87xrYK2mOp7c6bxMzlEd3TtnbnVtqyirnMgkAFN_n1FrypHhb1VnUVwOlc/s1600/DSC_0287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyjP8m9WnQVU-fK8sl1yuT8crsHks1SXO4lM2_pntPGssaosAwoBWgTnAGpC0ffom_GKPzroqZoWI_lLYy87xrYK2mOp7c6bxMzlEd3TtnbnVtqyirnMgkAFN_n1FrypHhb1VnUVwOlc/s320/DSC_0287.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
<br />
The kids on the beach front of Omaha beach. It was really sad to think of how such a pretty area saw such massive destruction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr1sD8izbH5pLwnENgqXdpQ91MCFW3y2QkW7q-hFuEczSxBULOOieKbCncKI6aPaa6R_Jh7TloOaQkALpxJislve-Mmxt-Qvns7v7u9qnGMt9HwKiovjIQGSoI6_qQYajRfJv11ajsi0/s1600/DSC_0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr1sD8izbH5pLwnENgqXdpQ91MCFW3y2QkW7q-hFuEczSxBULOOieKbCncKI6aPaa6R_Jh7TloOaQkALpxJislve-Mmxt-Qvns7v7u9qnGMt9HwKiovjIQGSoI6_qQYajRfJv11ajsi0/s320/DSC_0302.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This is the Les Braves monument that the French had made to commemorate the sacrifices and efforts made by the soldiers who stormed Omaha beach. There was a quote from the artist who made the monument which explains the three different shapes of the sculptures used.<br />
<br />
<b>
</b>
<b>The Wings of Hope</b><br />
So that the spirit which carried these men on 6th June 1944, continues to
inspire us, reminding us that together it is always possible to change the
future.<br />
<b>Rise of Freedom</b><br />
So that the example of those who rose up against barbarity, helps us remain
standing strong against all forms on inhumanity.<br />
<b>The Wings of Fraternity</b><br />
So that the surge of brotherhood always reminds of our responsibility towards
others as well as ourselves. On 6th June 1944, these men were more than soldiers, they were our brothers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_v7nJjXyBWPfAx0E-XijAA-ifDZ7dozOVzdaX1f0nVbWu7CkK7xDDQ1DJ7uYfOad7ELSwgVIQlIEjkV6AdjCxYRurT7bsEOhZJqvNQ-4LykneVQ9ZyAdjT5-x9uh09PafaA4DPbDfbc/s1600/DSC_0310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_v7nJjXyBWPfAx0E-XijAA-ifDZ7dozOVzdaX1f0nVbWu7CkK7xDDQ1DJ7uYfOad7ELSwgVIQlIEjkV6AdjCxYRurT7bsEOhZJqvNQ-4LykneVQ9ZyAdjT5-x9uh09PafaA4DPbDfbc/s320/DSC_0310.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Once we had finished the tour of the American Cemetery, we headed over to see a site that for the most part has been left untouched since the invasion took place. The site is called Pointe du Hoc and it is situated above the cliffs that were scaled by American Rangers as they attempted to disarm and destroy a pair of very large guns that the Germans had on the beach front. It was really eye-opening to see how deep the craters from the shells and bombs actually were. I don't think that I ever imagined that a shell could do so much damage to the ground, but some of the craters from the shells were literally 20-25 feet deep.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtcNqBXLoXb4NVF9W3HTjl9K2RoY1jlRt6QwIpOU7BUDAJF-NuUdDsVT3LbNXHr5Mk-6E0kwPQltGus1zEaNUicP-TV6NCkM4QFLyAj0KC9ikxjcaPFv_elXqW4SoBWxa1f06Et6IlQQ/s1600/DSC_0314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtcNqBXLoXb4NVF9W3HTjl9K2RoY1jlRt6QwIpOU7BUDAJF-NuUdDsVT3LbNXHr5Mk-6E0kwPQltGus1zEaNUicP-TV6NCkM4QFLyAj0KC9ikxjcaPFv_elXqW4SoBWxa1f06Et6IlQQ/s320/DSC_0314.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span lang="EN-US">Here some pictures the cliffs that were scaled by the Rangers as they fought to overtake the Nazi gun position.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZQFCO9bxBmo2oHJHKaDdzBzB9zpKy5cDVNrwj4Iu5sAVMG8bVqISccL4mfc2dhKPMH6ZFASwEV9mvmABA7q_O2MRsb75MVYY6LR8-LroKAG-dtg4Ka00pB7chnOHuYHsfP2gMaSBdmY/s1600/DSC_0333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZQFCO9bxBmo2oHJHKaDdzBzB9zpKy5cDVNrwj4Iu5sAVMG8bVqISccL4mfc2dhKPMH6ZFASwEV9mvmABA7q_O2MRsb75MVYY6LR8-LroKAG-dtg4Ka00pB7chnOHuYHsfP2gMaSBdmY/s320/DSC_0333.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_egwmDHIP99z2XDaXejXdUFY_tdeCZjGf-6HBei0d2jV2k4XZslFs5FsHRLIUbvf3CDFaGKYL2DNdZH3NVqUyQupM_KKz7gpRwMnX7UrsDcrpz9Sl1Dp9ObeBw1w55RAL7JC9tj3Yo4/s1600/DSC_0317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_egwmDHIP99z2XDaXejXdUFY_tdeCZjGf-6HBei0d2jV2k4XZslFs5FsHRLIUbvf3CDFaGKYL2DNdZH3NVqUyQupM_KKz7gpRwMnX7UrsDcrpz9Sl1Dp9ObeBw1w55RAL7JC9tj3Yo4/s320/DSC_0317.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The monument place at the Pointe du Hoc by the French to commemorate the sacrifice of the Rangers in taking the Pointe.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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Around the whole area there were still the original/intacted Nazi bunkers and gun housings. The walls of concrete on these things were almost 2-3 feet thick, you could tell the Nazis were expecting a big fight!<br />
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Ms. A & Mr. L inside one of the bunkers. It was pitch black and there we no windows anywhere.<br />
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The kids standing on top of one of the many gun housings.<br />
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After all was said and done, it was a very patriotic experience for everyone. I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend the time talking with my kids about how great sacrifices have been made by those before them to ensure that they have the freedoms that they now enjoy. It was also very special to actually be able to walk in the same place where so many brave men/women laid down their lives in the name of freedom. Throughout the whole time I was there, I couldn't help but think about Moroni and The Title of Liberty.<br />
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"In Memory of our God, our religion, our freedom, and our peace, our wives and our children."<br />
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<i>-Alma 46:12 The Book of Mormon</i><br />
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Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-19637661734657972272012-11-01T23:04:00.002+01:002012-11-01T23:24:11.186+01:00"Hey Mom & Dad... They speak english here!"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span lang="EN-US">Ms. A & Mr. L have mid-term break
this week so we decided that we would take the opportunity and see a few
sites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided that we would visit
our cousins who are in London doing a tour much like K.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed out Sunday morning and had a nice
drive up with the kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove through
Belgium and into France and took a ferry from Calais France to Dover England. The ferry ride from Calais to Dover was quite the adventure for the kids and it was fun to see them so excited to be riding on a big boat for the first time. They were especially excited to drive the car inside the boat.</span></div>
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Once we were on the boat we went ahead and ate some dinner and the proceeded to wander around the boat looking for anything to keep the kiddos entertained. We went outside for a little bit, and Ms. H & Mr. L were enthusiastic for about 2 minutes mainly because the wind was CRAZY!!! Ms. A, loved it though.<br />
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She's definitely going for the wind blown look...<br />
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The boat passes right by the cliffs of Dover and if you're not familiar with them, they are very white. Ms. A thought it was very cool...<br />
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Once we got off the boat, we headed to K's cousin's house and needless to say K was very nervous given that everything in the UK that relates to driving is backwards. We had to turn off the radio and keep the kiddos quiet for a few minutes while K's brain switched from right to left...<br />
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The next morning we woke up and headed off to see the sites, it was a very pretty city and Ms. A was always stopping and saying , "Whoa, Mom, look at that...". It was funny, while we were in London Ms. A discovered scarfs, and has become a dedicated scarf enthusiast, what do you think of her new looks!<br />
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As I'm sure you can tell by the fact that we had to wear scarfs and winter coats, it was pretty cold the entire time that we were in London. But that didn't stop of from carting all the kids around the city to make sure that we were able to see all the "Big" things to see in London.<br />
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We really wanted to see the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, but it is funny, for a military group, they sure are not very regular and scheduled. Based on the information posted by the palace, every odd day at 11:30 the guards change, BUT, according to all our friends who live in London, every time that they've tried to watch the changing, the can't see it because it has been cancelled. Of course, as luck would have it, it was cancelled for us as well, but we were still able to watch the 2 guards posted outside the palace march around and make loud banging noises with their guns. Ms. A & Mr. L, thought it was very cool that they actually were guarding a queen. <br />
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We also passed by Mr. Big Ben, it is probably one of the prettiest things in London (in our opinion), and it was really easy to pass the time, no pun intended ;), watching the clock and looking at all the architecture around it. A few random facts about Big Ben 1) It is one of the most accurate large scale tower clocks in the world, 2) Only UK citizens are allowed to go inside the clock and see how it works.<br />
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The Tower Bridge, which both E & K agreed was the prettiest bridge we'd ever seen. Pictures really can't do it any justice.<br />
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Our gaggle of kids posing/playing with the famous red telephone booths.<br />
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We rode around on the Tube quite a bit throughout the day, and this was one of the highlights of the trip for Mr. L. He loved getting on and off the trains and also watching the trains come down the track. We had to constantly remind him though to "Mind the Gap"! <br />
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We took the kids to St. James's Park which is just right across from Buckingham Palace for lunch and there was a great playground right next to where we ate. The kids to advantaged of the playground, and the pigeons definitely took advantaged of the hurried manner in which the kids ate their sandwiches. Anything that dropped on the ground was gone in 5 secs flat... No time for the 10 second rule here!<br />
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After seeing so many things, we finally decided to just hop on a double decker bus and let it take us around the city for awhile. We didn't hear any complaints from the kids. They loved being so high up.<br />
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<br />
We had a very packed full first day so we went home and enjoyed the rest of
the evening and got to bed early because we had another busy day coming up.<br />
<br />
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<br />
The next day we went and visited one of K's friends from BYU who is working
here in London, and after lunch, we took the kids on the London Eye. The
London Eye is a huge ferris wheel that is located on the River Thames.
It's 443 feet high and you can see everything once you get to the top. It
is a 30 minute ride all the way around and we really enjoyed the view.<br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">Where is Ms. H in the picture
above? Well, she was pretty tired so she decided to just sleep off the
entire ride.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-PzklbZw3-hAwBZorMP0gw_LGFZX9BFKeYArjL7hD67MtKVXhSigBFcDaRKkUoNaoLXdAPWuIvsCfMOot1Rganpp7GqM436cSaBsqqULMVK3YheQ2s-eLonNM7IAz9nnDfSPGkDlZnY/s1600/H+sleeping+on+Eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-PzklbZw3-hAwBZorMP0gw_LGFZX9BFKeYArjL7hD67MtKVXhSigBFcDaRKkUoNaoLXdAPWuIvsCfMOot1Rganpp7GqM436cSaBsqqULMVK3YheQ2s-eLonNM7IAz9nnDfSPGkDlZnY/s320/H+sleeping+on+Eye.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Did we mention that the ride is a full 30
mins? Isn't amazing that even when you ask a child 5 times if they need
to go potty and they tell you 5 times (almost ready to scream at you on the 5th
time) that they don't need to go, that as fate always has it, they have to go
with 15 minutes still left on the ride! Mr. L had such an experience
and we are sure that he is one of the few lucky people to have answered the call of nature at the top of the London Eye :) E was thrilled...</span></div>
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We went home after visting the London Eye (the line to buy tickets and then to actually get on the ride is a few hours, so it basically took us the whole day to do it), and had a nice dinner with the kids and went to bed. We were sad because we only had 2 days in such a wonderful city, but here's to hoping we can come back for some more!<br />
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The next morning was actually Halloween, so thanks to our wonderful hosts we had a very festive and fun Halloween breakfast. <br />
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After breakfast we headed out to catch the Euro Tunnel train back to
France so that we could get down to Normandy where we spent the next
three days of our vacation. The kids really liked driving onto the train and seeing the train move. The train actually goes underneath the English Channel and the ride is incredibly quick. It took us approximately 30 mins to cross the channel on the train versus 1.5 hours on the boat. E wasn't so sure about the whole experience and it was quite a claustrophobic feeling at times. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNKXYVeBExEzpWprnYh74Oe91mYPjGJ_PbQSYPDg7q6bS6CLkudxApgbQwCy0CqD6X8E1ExMtUKxYaLbwR6VKuLd0wkNbI1XyAfNZRfc8PAaoduedKI6s5VzFcCRJ8FYeTjBdlTavzPM/s1600/Euro+Tunnel+Train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNKXYVeBExEzpWprnYh74Oe91mYPjGJ_PbQSYPDg7q6bS6CLkudxApgbQwCy0CqD6X8E1ExMtUKxYaLbwR6VKuLd0wkNbI1XyAfNZRfc8PAaoduedKI6s5VzFcCRJ8FYeTjBdlTavzPM/s320/Euro+Tunnel+Train.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We safely arrived in France and were off to Normandy. Our time in London was really nice, and we're very happy to have spent just a few days there just so that we could wet our whistle. In the end we had a lot of great memories, and it was really a nice change of pace to not have to worry about trying to speak French with everyone on the street. It made us definitely appreciate our favorite language English. Cheers!<br />
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--K & EElise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-1905887510816430192012-10-16T21:22:00.000+02:002012-10-16T21:22:01.328+02:00Where Has The Time Gone?So it has been awhile since we last published anything, it seems like life here is for real and now with the kids in school, K at work, callings in the church, etc... life is hectic. That being said, we've been able to squeeze in some fun things. This last week we went to a town called Steinsel. This town has an annual "Fete aux Pommes" a.k.a Apple Festival, at a very large apple orchard and we were there to do some serious apple picking. As usual it was raining, but we're getting used to always being wet so not a huge deal.<br />
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Check out them apples...</div>
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They were making some huge batches of apple cider. It was REALLY expensive stuff, over $3.50 for a 1.5 Liter bottle. No thanks, we'll enjoy our Mott's Apple Juice.</div>
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Mr. L giving a good cheeser. </div>
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Ms. A literally getting into her work.</div>
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Even Ms. H was into the apple festival spirit, although she won the award for most apples consumed on a body/size of apple ratio.</div>
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The apples are almost as big as her head.</div>
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Mr Apple Farmer Himself</div>
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This is our friend's son, it was really interesting/funny to see how each kid attacked the humongous, he decided to eat just around the middle and throw the rest away, ha... </div>
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There were a ton of different varieties of apples that you could pick, but we found a variety named after E herself. Yes that's right there is a new species of Apples with the same name as E that after performing some research are being cultivated for people who are allergic to apples. Who knew... So her is E with her namesake.</div>
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Mr. L decided after awhile he was done and wanted to take a load off, he put his feet up and enjoyed some fresh apples.</div>
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After it was all said and done we had picked over 76 kilos / 167 pounds of apples. We were a little surprised by how much we picked, especially when then handed us the bill :) But overall, we had a great time and we are in the midst of apple sauce / apple cake / dried apple heaven!</div>
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--K & EElise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-2408980797525976432012-09-20T10:13:00.000+02:002012-09-20T13:54:21.140+02:00A Few FirstsWe've been here in Luxembourg for over two months now- my, how the time flies! Overall, we're feeling pretty settled, but we've still got plenty of new things happening all the time! First, a few weeks ago, Miss H finally made it to 18 months, which means she gets to go to nursery at church!!! Hooray! It feels so weird to sit through the second and third meetings in peace. It's been awhile.... Here are a few pictures of her on her first day. <br />
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Next, Monday of this week was Miss A and Mr. L's first day of Luxembourgish school. For breakfast before school we had "Happy Pancakes" as Mr. L called them (pancakes with happy face chocolate chips).<br />
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They were so brave! I think I was waaaay more nervous than they were! They both marched right into their classrooms and never looked back. There was even a mix-up with Miss A's class so she got bumped around a couple times on the first day. She was a champ, even though Mom shed a few tears during all the confusion. We're really proud of the two of them and how well they're adjusting. Mr. L doesn't really seem too bothered by the fact that he can't really communicate with the other kids in his class. His teachers speak English, but mostly he just thinks it's pretty cool to get to go play with new toys every day. Plus, there's this really cool playhouse in his classroom. You can see him in the blue polo shirt. Bye Mom and Dad! <br />
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He has on the red jacket at the end of the line. This is where the teachers walk them out afterwards to be picked up. <br />
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A big hug from Mom after the first day! <br />
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Miss A waiting patiently for all the grown-up talking to be over so she can go play. This isn't actually her classroom, but it's the class she was in for the first day of school. She's been moved to a different room since then, which she says she likes better anyway. <br />
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The school schedule is different here. For the first three years of school- ages 3, 4, and 5- they can arrive at school anytime between 8:00 and 9:00. After that, school starts promptly at 8:00. Anyway, they are at school for the morning, until 11:40. Then I go pick them up and bring them home for lunch. K walks home from work and has lunch with us too. The kiddos go back to school from 2:00 to 4:00 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday there is no afternoon school. It makes a lot of walking back and forth, but we are so grateful that everything is so close together that we do all of these trips on foot. <br />
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K walks the kids to school in the morning, then walks to work. I walk to go pick them up and drop them off. It's so nice to not have to use our car for all these trips! We feel like the location of our house was very inspired. We tried to move into a different house that was much further out of town, but it fell through. I think Heavenly Father really wanted us to live in this house- and we can see why! Also, the first three years of school are taught in Luxembourgish. I bet you never even knew that language existed, huh? Because Miss A and Mr. L don't speak Luxembourgish yet they're being offered extra language support classes. Those start next week, but Miss A is already coming home and telling us the new words she is learning every day. Thankfully, her teacher speaks English pretty well and seems to help her a lot. I can tell she's gonna be a natural. She even says the new words with the right accent. Aren't kids amazing? <br />
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Miss A is also doing swimming this year. She has class on Mondays and Wednesdays from now through next July. She's super excited about it because she really loves swimming. I would love to see her turn into a little swimmer! Here she is all pumped up and excited on her first day of class! <br />
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Part of the curriculum in school is swimming and gymnastics. One day a week they go swimming and another day is gymnastics day. I packed backpacks for each of the kids with the clothes they change into to wear for swimming day and for gymnastics day. Their backpacks of clothes stay at school and then get sent home to be washed. Miss A was in great shape for both classes, but Mr. L needed a little something new. His first European swimsuit! Wowser! Never expected to buy this for my little guy, but hey- when in Rome.... right? <br />
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We are super proud of the kids and how adaptable they've been. No complaints or tears from anyone! Except for last night when it was Mr. L's bedtime. K told him he had to get to bed fast so that he wouldn't be tired for school today. He said, "Dad, I don't want to go to bed. I don't need to go to school tomorrow. Three days of school is enough." You're growing up way too fast, little guy! Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-67139329484694867402012-09-06T01:35:00.001+02:002012-09-06T07:40:22.046+02:00Schueberfouer 2012When we first got here we kept hearing about a fair that was coming to town in September. We didn't think much of it and thought maybe we would swing by when it was here and let the kids ride on some of the rides. Little did we know how the Europeans like to do fairs. Introducing Schueberfouer!<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839152692735202"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmCPv5Yl8_IDzxwU5CJhS1ICJ80wbnDJzcYbcJeZpa65oqA9-VrtmmVNJtHTMIalS0u56GbPq2qlEsAqL7PY1IawkGeE_gIZq9vcI6Bn-WJDFnduWMZY9Z67wPCdb10k6XCndLQTkm_o/s288/20.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="199" /></a></center>
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The fair is overwhelmingly huge. It takes up over 2 city blocks and the amount of rides and the magnitude of the rides is crazy. If that's not enough its a cultural and culinary melting pot. We've gone twice now, once just with the adults and once with kids. The rides they have for adults are really impressive when you consider they pack them up on trucks and move them around the continent.<br />
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These were a couple of rides that we rode, they were pretty fun!<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839188366028994"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj720DuATvvMdXUMAh-78JBN36cMqpVgf0Jyy5wWw7hKM5R8z0Thvc99CsULL4IinjwuI3ddDJUehBG_qKNglvDtTR4y4GB3R2dHZ7f4m7bjsYZ1q4fJGFPxYmjulCqnn9F6AMAqPm0wzk/s288/22.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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The food is also something that is worth your time. Check out all the different types of things you can enjoy!<br />
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This is a traditional Luxembourgish potato food. Like a hash brown but with a lot of yummy seasonings and amazing when you add in a little spicy mustard.<br />
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Our kids loved the mini churros.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839372720822978"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi994vM5-hOs07E8omfgNOR7fpIPOh6uoMXcLwwfrhC_Y6om8JzPnUQ5TX0vhwDXJj_DHXOG7i1Hmoo9fL2JDpOOuKxgdL4XJp7cgMnglKdYvjex1qyzmqQmt6qJ3rJz3B8sxJBO7bocH4/s288/28.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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Handmade Pretzels<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839405423812018"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OkTor5il95PAgysD3QR7V2De3lRuNYJhe6eJkpwKz4dMQ9hHLxtLU4lRKS8rvBNkp3HyCRSgqQuzyD6moXGGAGffP1DZLHEvooJ-x6ATb27f7orVSHlYAaIXDcJ-xd5zgj00xDNvJOc/s288/29.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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Tons of candy!<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839439740994706"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYCMpLvIIa97E05PYm4FQMLEulC-HzUvDsVxzUyWEFPpkfTR10ZcaRyYlWvzuZObimBA0r5gnFBoxDceXWY02Mq-dMPP3dJEURg_1lnLx-AZIiby08nrtmVi-U14Zv5gU4XZT8990xm4/s288/31.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839469400795442"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8IoUEec-l2Kpt5JnQZLGPcK2Sb1ZoQXVZL3oWKcn86UZ7s9u_K7MEMejw5emCvqDkasLUNXspa54YAYnqzJZ_bp_6-18v5lu5IiOvnzumKTSuhINk2p5sPb_-y2dz66-SBhjIJP7WXc/s288/33.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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Chocolate dipped fruits<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839506781308194"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSE-JaYRVLsV2JDFUtwhXXAuekkUdAoOFz_mkC3uvX5N-gqmIJj85ihr2kgM6Kak_knbsybhhI0CYd0G7cVc9zQ3dpFehiw7qC_g-BPC8bRBVfDN6COJbVzP3xU5rasqunXgO9IP9Rpr4/s288/60.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839533685766130"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6SmviVPyHukXjjfOE15TK9NLV8JW7Xm2qvvY4COJhNtd1rzLT7BT00V5oPfPEnIiNVCzXf_BOq1mLhSdPvNTWcCqH4VOJuqKwjzNazI0WURjotBgl6qlXAqREpvF4Bv0-r87wK0NDto/s288/61.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></center>
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Oh yeah and you can't forget the HUGE barbe à papa (Dad's Beard) a.k.a. Cotton Candy. The kids about died when they saw how big the cotton candy was. It was only 5€, in the US this would have been $10-15!<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839569798340802"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIS4cNvfUlN9Hb3PtYpTfrepmDTnLR15QwRmjaKedgJEF2w1MLNuYXJCbKh_JxI28PbHnwYFeSMmIyKkFrHQl-kSGtDchb-CiQGMBW8X3d27CyrAtfGI_ssqwPl6UVjdIyJQoOeZ_YdE/s288/34.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839597886796546"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt-D1WrbKOSvBqedizS38_w91YN4qIwFMk1Q9WgDQRZsbEowxSc2zBEkfOGYwlfy3TEhfV3aiAaBFbzcKDbG9yh3LQq0TjqrFktUYGBeQRRluBAz2u_wwi524vSHTgFLBkcFbzrScTQc/s288/35.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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And of course nothing helps wash down good old junk food better than a sausage and homemade waffles!<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839638130175474"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOtE31UI65uRXU0uCAbFUUd80YZFgNpmAZ3stvhE-ZhkfaxWpSSz_GUTuJSaf_JeM4JJ_kQrp590iX3uKgugVsbCX0onU43WEpjy9mrflYUiA2Y_Ns5sFxvblEnoCDGjHnMjeQCLpUN8/s288/36.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="188" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839672901423330"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPT6KleS5mOar5f_JMEL9B2741Jn3YsRsStzfLAnJYMSf_oujaZ-5vyux1KFmG4C82-k6qMFREZ8aNMs3oFtC4Eqafh1UzWCQXv9-Z32x2wKAwV7DxqXxr6DysO6wTto9rJbsBv65dTYs/s288/37.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="188" /></a></center>
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The kids loved the food and also were crazy for the rides. It's funny here how they just aren't as concerned with lawsuits and liability. You literally just walk up to the ride and there are no fences. The rides go right over the top of your head as you walk along. It is kind of nice to see a culture comfortable with just living life without fear of getting sued. Anyways, so the kids absolutely enjoyed every ride!<br />
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Miss A and her friends on the bumper cars<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839708428806866"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfK0qI3TQIH88Aox41VrDE_POBbFuphdSBu3DAQWKOZFZiDmBE7tDrUnLXIcx_KXuYEQ8njiwlrSh8KbGOl81s1IIiGDYj6ntObnvdl4FPdQf3DURiMLbI2oa3TmoxBmm8GxONEshUHU/s288/38.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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Mr. L and Miss A high-fiving.<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839741922520850"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMQaCby2CsxWX6lQqgQIQrwA1jXeoCTgheFo6h2b1O4evCVF2Tse3CAuzheW19smpITAcqz_VmJmELrLZqAcU73ludcnCn3Q-Q6n182R0BJC5z9sc5lblxdRvl1P6Mx5PhyphenhyphenOBpT74FDE/s288/39.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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A & L on the wild rapids. K wasn't too thrilled about getting wet!<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839777807337650"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqj8ua2uuXOfwjFkVxlPBRj90UVuAe0qXU5Mxyx9aVKhUtLHJO7G3UNjQG4PbQ1ZKHmh8cTrGLwOhXEiaOTmYcFYsSUYR1c5pn-jhwZC6MXFoaoWVUKkCZhGYZyftdx9VlMGB2vArWOgU/s288/40.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839805542667490"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8IvdfHjcTn51EhK8kKg1485WpEdESsSlTOiXpEdUR79781gJpJQylGwGuU5Rb6Fm2al9qWtAL2PlWACqWa4XpBJH-JnsGoRnT4WimaTVr9_464Wm_althiU5ZjnhFXMjK7M5HeOKlnE/s288/41.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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Ms. H had to sit out a lot of the rides given her current height, but she found other ways to entertain herself. Hmm, first the battle axe, now the light saber, I'm beginning to see a theme...<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839835453018162"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1xXR4mknEH7-rJjYz4mK5F5HOf6VNclGMyk8_YfKfBgRYVmo-bwqrJcHGH88UZA00p-s6g909S5HB7g7Xj6VpDmm-uBhMIjGML9X7G8gmCR9_UX1aagW710UJF7zpKFrBLxVy1IMLoo/s288/42.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="188" /></a></center>
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We've become good friends with some members in our ward and it's great because they have kids that are very similar in age to ours. Here is Mr. L with one of their kids.<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839872550697170"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3e5PqCdKpQgSQnaD0zS0vUfkWyX2h-720vCSZNkT_6zW75hzYdFlRE4Xo5SMUQHa4ilPKaZ14zi3rhXjnlj8pSifaUILjaZNmeXbEc_G63Ve2UfxUO01rELm7pJNAkYXVPkk0oVKNDeA/s288/43.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="188" /></a></center>
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Ms. A is obsessed with swings and just HAD to ride the swings here, and to our surprise wanted to do it by herself. The swings were very high and fast, but she had no problems with them whatsoever. <br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839906428803298"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HWDHdxIWcevbnMV2QsX-n04UnY5Y1ZlRK85GACXRyYGz4cdFGjDeiqwPBysugE4PozrczEtSAn-yqR28lXfceH2AQe5nNPicbWWmafLc-d2cEHVBhJw8KgeaIukF6TQgJoBiw5Nh7CA/s288/46.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839938973232050"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtc5AHS0x3E9u2qX67D4wAyKQPXH7Bo2X6z2ocylaghsXhbV0v3K99rRPtgC4LnSciIul0-1ENL4gzFH6O2ZKyhQo8iPq_YGMPLajIKo5wEkFzAxsummBhtc0_eeM2yhZGEz_pG61CnIE/s288/47.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784839971367925522"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnCNX0-2y-QZGcihRCbuFWr7zk7aXPfYD03jsQzrMOfTS0otvZAgcbbn79LesBruhKXW_-N27TX6HqDkhyfQQwp-TKa_gHjVvUaCJKw84IJdXTEXHmc56VaAi7bSlUiHKVSJjF3O-tag/s288/48.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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Even when she got off the ride she was still flying, check out the mad dash she did with the big grin in her face. She was excited she did it all by herself! Her feet aren't touching the ground...<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840002830891058"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1puYoXS5yqu98JN_U3BLwqKar24ZuoKEiY7upJ-tK8pcmAXLcySZNrqw1SOvL15WFTRs5-pbMN4piLA6m2PFakmP-zYNehXFwvHk-cIinAUEYGzcFYvXQHwRKFWY44CctCw2OkSLgfkg/s288/50.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="188" /></a></center>
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Finally probably the biggest and one of the most impressive rides is the ferris wheel. It has to be at least 15-20 stories high.<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840036627435154"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Rha_T-wvlr0nWumuZpeehZzSM3UW6DKSfg80rzYcDVPj9NCM-zESNDyBQpnTHd8Dh2xqypkQR9O55VwLNGUCV-4Gk4OAQX3TGjS9uu7d2y0FTQt-coTnhqa0yJzPkzE7kQ6523swckE/s288/51.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840066725348482"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM97nZhPqlmf6Qxd9cLBdzLUbDp69d9iuDyS4SLuk042WLldwM_EgbAb9Z7zfEXGqMwzDJXCganuGf7vAT8rVEiYRInQsB9RZl9MoqYmw9QyvPi_qhLBSkMaivn_rcFw433Vr8zQgLEbo/s288/52.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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The kids loved riding it and both E and I really liked it too. It was very cool to see the whole city!<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840102985080242"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgbU4Hga76ZjyCz2itdr9T5zf-SJg7f7szbutvJ_52xN6PlCLj74bfQZzhHLQy3ZY13OlSflIfAFk8dYzeVAz1u8TR0JWwi1aBX1XdhB_iKhkPgAx6kF7Di7v890_pWsfv2xgqF-BtkU/s288/53.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="188" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840136020143314"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNggt56ppRFP5-6aW-8tjZZtR9YbibIM8ThRcgYYO97oF282CuQj9NhfpKvqVOBErqoM_JhZTrDAJZY4r4h2WDftPpTqc8z75mk3m0_4lLHpFrooDbGrKUK8heCrtkjUXaCXNNj1W3wy8/s288/54.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840173994709474"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHaq5g_589vTJA2e8mdqy5AOMApcovD4_G9QDDvfWHaoKTyGyNGKdFFs7pumtDdkLM1iqWN4VlcIRPqGwSNXUEIQDfjof1s_msPwZK1XQIRMrRDuP9lwGNAS_nXqRMAk1O1evs96z9rc/s288/55.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840205142303858"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1XFHderngFjVKWn3ML1PbqmPzpbBPtoFeZBNbFRBJDjPEDGm1BhkL5BG2CkgGspqm4jFYHX1x_xfDkESMjCVjmmt-erDKeDu03qyg3U6a7dSeLABkmxRMGIj3Xs2TfynqsEB3MPA8JA/s288/56.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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Our house is close to the red bridge in this picture.<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840237691370626"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jL5O4KScWF1Gagla5wo4sd8rnE-J1trdYDZOh1z9c9usUGygU5-CEol-f-Rhl_lX7ULGEdYLR_6Y4z7Zut4TIHb6wqYes39wRk5ETqKLB7bgqL0xMG_JkkCeVvNNclgj0RNRaeC6YQM/s288/57.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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In the end it was a very fun experience and we all wanted to keep going. But it was getting late so, off we went. But not before Mr. L did a happy dance.<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840267062232402"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BBK3W1Kc1pUV-4q5GUHakGImRRIfR0qGTim5i-tI6eysibv0fUXu-c8Jq5-sFxab6wqDBLfjALewmbLp0xERh7YgyMvHY03xcwWwMrWMLHPg72WmixOSNDHgd0qtB_wvecjHE-xxOl8/s288/59.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="188" /></a></center>
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So long Schueberfouer, see you next year!<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840298623472354"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eoInh-ajTluZwfWACSVjLunzawxA0f6va1hPYzgSVomGqfO7XF2PRzUT_kdaihjSHqswvKsN04JGOz_RBiXFBqi64F-RksoBP4Ab8rm6FKINYY3gfyxUVG7Ff7LIrhpmtbwNPL6R8KQ/s288/58.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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P.S. you like E & A's new haircuts? They do!<br />
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840332374855442"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NydT2HsFmAV04Q4iYx9h53pZ6ZAExjDcYfTxEpPHPcondo30DAf5jxH3dinZLtFIo3Xyp8l3pCWiSYiNk6F9eJQ2YrwroWgQpQKaNphQ319BjE8FdJ8Xs1KTsvRJ8ywyeZW4Q5x0sE0/s288/62.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5784840367281543586"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAd7NHBZ1sFyDcmNQG1k6Q97dSyEDUAplav8EME6Qj5BBAuG2PG7uD6yE7gEaROYhwRBAv7DGWvmE87fDwpU_yKnD5Xy6wFtWGnFqjDho1af_EmxyDs0J_aIfJBNjXoB_3mymoF1liigk/s288/63.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
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<div class="blogpress_location">
Location:<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Luxembourg&z=10">Luxembourg</a></div>
Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-80079502646804875602012-08-15T23:02:00.000+02:002012-08-25T23:40:15.244+02:00Happy Ascension DayOne of the many reasons we decided to come to Luxembourg was that it gave K a few more days off to enjoy time with the family. In total he's got close to 8 weeks of combined holiday/vacation days to take each year. We're still not sure how we will use all that time, but we're sure we will find a way!<br /><br />One of our first opportunities to use a holiday was Ascension day. The holiday fell on a Wednesday so it felt really odd for K to have a break in the middle of the work week, but hey, it's time off...<br /><br />Our newly found Luxembourg friends invited us to celebrate like the locals do and have a barbecue with them. It really felt like Labor day to us. Anyways, we had a great time trying to speak with everyone, unfortunately our French still isn't all there, but hand gestures obviously go a long way. Plus it helps that our friend speaks six languages! Yeah you should hear him in church with all the different members.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728468388503330'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnflgzIppPzQRGYBIdsOQ1x4KEUH4pVyetYx_Z31jUe40tmqtTUJ_WDIXD3v0ZK1D18AIQVgZZ4Gc-8jmYdzhVeqw6h2maZ2O9aWmJduP3-BvnNE3Dj14909wyi-xDXYBf_jaQDKFooSU/s288/35.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Our friend cooking the traditional meats for a barbecue here, sausages, red and white ones. They also cooked some really good marinated pork chops. The barbecue was amazing. One thing that we really like about living here is that there are parks EVERYWHERE! So of course there was a park right next to the place where we were barbecuing. The kids definitely had a great time.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728498397022658'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZX3mRFB6yTZc5MQzff9tJrAahb6DgnF_MBcQjq1hrNdFWvOc9j5__glKau9EmIWNO03uUC_nB-oRs_w8hblZSOK2qSCHuSRdOYuHgwYnkbH3UdVSnRK1qcchk3Z3ODJ7OlX1DpmGa3I8/s288/11.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728529201474482'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTol10OCsm0zyaaK4NvBJDDi43IansIZWScJC4OeruBt0sg4vklzBhJScDR2-FsButgWvxhHR9Lug6DzTgIZAPkZ7YLtTs7AmWuaNGukRFqCD0CEk0t0gk1LXK5pA0dIuM2XZAENZR_Js/s288/12.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728557223892322'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVDYWvoBqYDHvn8_b1Hvm53HS51G_frMT2X9mBuoEckH1Q8cccfoFoXlpL2_Y2Kakfe0qowz2Vt2ubjDiNwok2ugTGPTOO_Trbg8hWSUArIx_KCxAaa8bgWdHgg-WXaoc1FVjk_Lr_W4/s288/19.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />We still haven't got our shipment from the USA although it's supposed to be coming this week, cross our fingers! As such, the kids are dying for every chance they get to play with new toys. Someone brought some little bikes and both A & L jumped all over them, and dominated them until we finally made them get off...<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728585051936658'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Aru1JazSxPvkZaBCE_gUHMIJQHAANbrZVWqNxs9aFpf7RfF0sBlF85HMUhLi4-VattgWhSa0HuFG1Jhrx2-yNlpbepLrR0ejssXr8Scgse1-fTPc-ZKsl1UM82JjsSYQKEM2e9uiPEc/s288/20.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Once we were all full, we went on a walk around the forest we were in. There was a close by farm that the city runs and you are able to just walk through and look at all the animals and equipment. The kids loved playing hide and go seek, and just looking at everything on the farm.<br /><br />Cute way that they had all their gates decorated.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728617068586770'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyD7ATFJzA1uM3ict9uJrUhjr_L7z23Wqr2A68Dv2IW2f2msWUZXfDVvufhbotZsFNPbN7mDJPMPirqyYlnoLwYZYUlX25855PSaJA9CfiJl_9GGsrae61KouBi30m2sd-sjmIJ5F0Go/s288/22.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Miss A, with our friend just checking things out.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728642406613538'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsNB7TE4Y6Tm3LjvG_CAjesgl8zXhj_xKaSZB8ZucDjrgOCN0GwoTHPBlNcYoQfQs2vU7WeHp5J5T1nXW0Dc41KBBOhrpFquGM86SOKk1yYJT6tVXzfp-upd1NAM5aSYj7mWLZBGkWsE/s288/23.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Mr. L was in heaven on the tractor. He said, "I need to go drive some corn dad!"<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728676295772450'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aEPl7iHeV0z6H86qUxIRCpTFFjIOHDrqyKuvmCkvOTZ6otOMKrQKqxD9wMiyNL57pMjQEAz5OBjpLJlTRj00MBlp-92ZoL8xa_1nRREbN5cAODloO6OO9QpHIFneILum6AW5AMl9RyQ/s288/25.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728705514748818'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJuTY9bL3UhIl8EhTtM0yXXsbQV-jUmaiW7DiE5E8EbrxCcZHUK8nORi-fbhNRFup3MenyCqfpLlNEiejiMQsmmzuX9qSpSuQn6i1hTL4bPVjPIFV-jv1wUzTqA09PX5FtY-wNl0UJ9E/s288/28.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Miss H, just took it all in very slowly.<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728734162092178'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwTlnv2Sh48XhZ7kMaF8y9DILnJzwH6yopyh62qArSlGsR0iwU27MlZbvQMQcyvinrnBG_a6N06OtC4X6wI2ncumCvQJ2E2rt2aNgtKjU41tANzW95JdxbO35hyrwxGFy-Og7NZtiSbk/s288/29.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Another fun thing that we've discovered here is that any fruit on public property is up for grabs. There are huge apple trees next to our house, apple sauce anyone? But on the farm there were these wild strawberry plants that of course we all had to stop and enjoy!<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728762149421874'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCqRFXoc00PrxB71dM430GN9rkyqUsxmNOuzByUAgiFxJaY9M0c0YwhzO8cBuJdz0PisORbfaRW0AiZBS92IGop-FVbu-anyJGhJwqrpJUSeSGIh-GKwMSkEJUBEsxeUNWIM5c16l_P4/s288/33.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728797946812850'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAAw0VSKQxOoJv5r3CKqeyISvfDf4FnVY4JHQ8kE4ofXMY3VgwqpbYHFzjPkn1k0eB3DyreLXgpGv0pgoilMIG8kWkkFkjEUjl1nUIl5ycV2lmypkG4ZmKEBKS_mf0AYg6urBOAITGZs/s288/31.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />By the end of the barbecue, park, and farm we were all tired and hot. It was 95 degrees outside! Miss H was letting us know in her own way that she was ready to go :)<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780728823187616770'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1QROI3wwIICPnPd_7JyZXvKAywT3aE1EMsbG3utGB5o664_F7tAAs0ds58DHMIwglyp50OiR11r-KxwiWZiq4t-Ukd64aqafBjFBwcUyKZKLpYQSk4RKIEfNKcqt3jJiRgnOBsg8mSM/s288/34.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />It was a great way to spend the our first Ascension day! We are really surprised how easily accustomed to living here we are becoming. Of course, we miss home, but we're starting to feel comfortable and very happy here. <br /><br />Happy Ascension day everyone!<br /><br />-K & E<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Kockelscheuer,%20Luxembourg&z=10'>Kockelscheuer, Luxembourg</a></p>Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-63160844581860828732012-08-11T22:35:00.000+02:002012-08-24T22:39:20.986+02:00Our Second Day in ParisWell it took awhile to get this post up, but we wanted to conclude on what we did on our second day in Paris. We woke up and were excited to tackle yet again such an awesome city. We had a great breakfast at the hotel, it was like an American buffet, pancakes, waffles, eggs, MAPLE SYRUP! Lots of good stuff :)<br /><br />Once we all had full stomachs we headed out and decided that while we wanted to check out the Louvre we weren't sure if we wanted to risk Mr. L coloring on the Mona Lisa. So we just walked around the outside of the museum and did find the pyramid that was made so famous in The Davinci Code movie.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780341759071322162'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzO_es9TWp_T_w119hRab1ZkBg7BO_iUOZhNRO94unxZgWZChRHyfS5p19jePCsY88mdc3j_fRSgczrULEBEGsB6KcRLTmYg1dKlO3CaaLltHy6WMv_7innbjIF9_svyNrKldDNuDUY8/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780341791563748178'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiu6a2oZN75CSp7D-4ncA00eQn-DfklUr8d7TZTaV3qsU_LXsrWRGexqbkl9LPm27iMWP3yXfwvNB81hKEnlkFiY7cItWnN8pGGKe430mA9vpeiumlshEO5ajCJhTJNKe5LSskdgDGrbE/s288/12.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780341819705661074'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikP4uhGj8laMomH949nj_k4jhK_tMZXrxDB7hZzaC75J9syi4wAu7FdhHJ_DEt_Gf4VpOgQhx12vytsL08WQFD_GN7t4TexFJnKudMdlLPIn2mXho7Lvd6lYOzZx0VR-5phiABfT_-NvI/s288/11.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Pretty decent family picture minus the random girl in the back. She totally looks likes she's resting her head on K's shoulder. Well, Paris is the city of love ;)<br /><br />After seeing the Louvre, we decided we would walk around the Seine River for awhile. We had heard about a certain bridge where couples go to make a romantic pledge of life-long commitment to each other. We found the bridge and as you can see there were a lot of couples committing.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780341844750599250'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JWz1sDSENlLXPI1t8l4dOjRIRRbP9aw0yuYpYqTxTnwPruO-Hb25CfnxbKdtk9uL1TyNgvF1IGkai6_BEkFLyChepz3tKgIutzMOgFdidKP6Qwqk1IhpzdjT_lyjpTgVIgfo68QDEBQ/s288/19.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Each lock is a different couple and there were tens of thousands.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780341870266240450'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3vH5EMYgoeK-mpVRVQA9ogWo7PMUYcCtsMRcMlx66VBCJ0z8lxBO9QWTzI1VkGpm0d4BFaCmVcReOq0TVUyM2nObgrDrkgFqBpv_QY-daDVe2Jrb5aD8OiAxndjAWzxlFJ9A5JdTZg8/s288/20.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />It was a really touristy thing to do, but we figured why not do it so we went and found the guy who must make a killing selling locks and bought on from him.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780341899982598194'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizadfSiBPixEF_G-oRhq9W917RbPgOB6ZehrY6bXqbR5iJ8MsiQW_Q4yrOkr1GfFLD9gKJJdp3K7JwbVp0FXp1Flb5J3fkAG8hrv840b2OeXxRHD3LXi6sLY-TsQfCiqS3aOa680vJ00A/s288/22.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Once you put your lock on the fence you throw away the keys into the river, so that you seal your love forever. Or at least for 2 months because that's about how often they clear off the fence :)<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780341926412478834'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYITNlRBFPWRrk_lIqxmxC83ljwlW6jQe_mN_Iq__JYsOm4nEinW2cPXuVsBV_7YApYyycMML5CinMcQ826mEJ_qJmWacIZUDTLxCX45BkgGetvTyPQYJKZMRHwwMI7An9onZcJKmn8A/s288/23.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />In the end it was something fun to do, K insisted on keeping one of the keys as a souvenir, so I guess we're only partially committed. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780341958832483378'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjyrz-Ib7Xek3UtCbrDutpNBGAlaYU25V4CqRFXX_qObG1hIHZaExOK1daNznSmqpeXtJ6BuBenhEYj6aZBRMuBDyBNQkTFjkMBXEYlMNNWV51kpXC1h9VO7pskZ4V7I2LUCUB7PzEHg/s288/25.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Ms. A really liked the river and it was a pretty nice view. Lots of artists painting the scenes from the bridge.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780341987681697746'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqco-7zs1eTs7MjmK-1sfABGDE9pesHU6bg8cgfAX_0Y4oPg-siwqtBd1wQfR5PdUaZs4gpAUglhbVPABHLh9-tNEMBkp6VY52pldJlgjs-ZwUpP7ow9AqL8JaFkHw75pVnasn3iNFXS0/s288/28.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After that the kids really just wanted to ride the double decker bus for awhile, so we drove around Paris looking at all the sites and just had a really nice time being together. We got off the bus on the opposite side of the Eiffel tower and saw it from a different perspective than the day before. Both of us agreed and so did the kids that the Eiffel tower was the coolest part of the trip.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780342016475445858'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqSWqkgozDuxRBrFNGpW6mSuCDs1ZXaLYCfzEJI-3j_6HhKf7frtsH_zuj_q-l5J_vw6pG9EeJvG8zQU6WgkJkWFZQ1UWiJPlD1syzZwDGsXPCfGzgQpWVBzS7so8fuKofUQYR07W1w8/s288/29.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /> <br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5780342044315046818'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuS0MOvCb7jt1ocTE_1NiaV_59ZzG9nqYRZubw5Qg1ec3opM8yuvensXS8a1u_CJWfTYE8ET5k24uo8dD22ToeS1DI4Ikn_pdpLIukVQloONRRfRqcbGXHjIJsZCEAT_Cqb3RCc-W8SIs/s288/30.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />By this time it was time to go back to the hotel check out and head home. What an awesome experience one that we soon won't forget, and one that the kids can't seem to stop talking about.<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Paris,%20France&z=10'>Paris, France</a></p>Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-19067644718568365702012-08-10T23:50:00.001+02:002012-08-10T23:50:44.231+02:00Paris - Day 1!!!What a great-and long-first day we had here in Paris! Prepare for picture overload!<br /><br />We set our alarm for 5:00 this morning, but neither of us actually woke up to the alarm. We're kind of out of practice. It's been a long summer and K was out of the office for over six weeks. Other than Sundays, we haven't used an alarm for a long time. Anyway, when we actually woke up at a little after 6:00, we got moving fast and were on the road by 7:00. On the way we hit up a cute little French bakery for some croissants and bread for breakfast. I've never been much of a fan of croissants, unless it's got chicken salad in it, but I've got to admit, they're growing on me. And I'm learning that, when in Rome (or France....or Luxembourg), do as the Romans (or Frenchmen....or Luxembourgers....)<br /><br />Anyway, our mini road trip was great. The French highways provided entertainment for us. There were these painted three dimensional shapes for miles along the sides of the road. The kids kept their eyes peeled looking for more shapes- and learned the names of a few three dimensional shapes along the way too. As cool as we thought they were too, we just hope the 22€ toll we had to pay to drive on that highway was not in place to finance the outdoor art project! Seriously, we both about had a heart attack when we saw how steep the toll was. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775162921131496802'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYphp6WyLAKKDRuys8_3LnKvQQgSsiShAnpunhBgzWcZv63allS-k58l3y0SyY0YDRKg-Vjy9iEntbbcUZ9-7MoEpECS2aCumHsKrU1wZl3HkQxEwlkuLfQEAp5FnDo0wffqpFs13qkw/s288/45.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />On the way we listened to the 2012 Primary theme songs sung in French. Our Primary President gave me a cd last week at church because she said Miss A seemed uncomfortable singing in English in Primary when most of the other kids sing in French. Miss A admitted it was true, so we're working on helping her learn. When that got old, we jammed out to the "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" soundtrack. I found an old cd in the car that hadn't been listened to for ages. Some fresh material is a good thing. The trip from our house to the hotel in Paris took about three hours. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775162974908837554'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdgThArA7SfrPB6rg0UVZNhWZzfYAoYrXan2_dhAzQmYu2tiQb5uSo0GcniWL5O81gye3CLfzR5LUFsGbAsX8TZbjG7xqiwQj-pAe5Nhd9riu1yOIFS38uunKR-twPe0G4tn4yLp0O9Y/s288/46.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After checking into the hotel and dropping our bags, we headed out to check out the city. K has been reading Frommer's Paris 2013 guide in preparation for our quick trip and has been giving me daily tips over the last week or so. One of the things he told me several times is that Paris is not safe like sweet little Lux. There are pickpockets everywhere. Don't carry a purse and keep your things close by. I took his advice seriously and locked my purse in the safe at the hotel before we left. We headed out to the subway station and waited in a huge line to buy tickets. While we were waiting, all of a sudden we heard a big commotion behind us. We turned around and saw a guy grabbing another guy's backpack and another guy punching the backpack grabbing guy. Then a whole bunch of guys took off running trying to catch the thieves. And everyone waiting in the ticket line suddenly turned their backpacks around to the front and held on to their bags a little tighter. And we pulled our kids a little closer.... Crazy thing is, a few minutes later, two of the guys came back with one of the wallets that had been stolen. Turns out two of the guys were undercover police officers. Pickpockets picked the wrong guys to mess with today!<br /><br />After we made it on the train, we rode to our first stop-the Eiffel Tower, of course. Miss A has been asking for months to see it and was not disappointed! We were all a but disappointed though that the elevator tickets to ride to the top are sold out online for the next few months and the physical line to buy tickets there was so long it would have taken a few months to get through, so we'll just have to try again for our next visit. Did you know in 2013 they're opening an ice skating rink on the first level? Maybe we'll try back then.<br /><br />Here is Miss A's first reaction to the tower- she's trying to be the tower, of course!<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163022959809298'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtx9ANgZYeV2rgOFZv-rZhH6bg2nLcpMDnZ8zxUaAgbl4-v0R2LY2xMPildjDl6aMRJNMFFHfMG5z0JhO4iSrB7l3ryulHfe3BbeJzT05M74ef09tT4JW26QNE38YIkQ1TLR726uZ5aj0/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163070752448946'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-q-jUt0V8jiPuYcOKwqEEytDUEZqqObsLlwh9qZbM9Jr6LClNEdG0NPi6qx1TI5rfEqrCQmEeCxKBcf0nwC1SyZvZDVuoQl7Ecv8nMyVP-rEBUelfkPt6-h65fYcUA_gYBFVI80UDUE0/s288/4.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163133705950674'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8r8t1a-CiS83XAibK2O5Ig0xxrxSQ7CRQzTTNyHBMp0tGBQbJqATiA9YFrMQWVtg-mcDrr20CRTtYdbF9fmT_PYIy7-e-swU5lo3z5PeEkP2QOel6ixHvZ90H7JPkAre5Q7_4V5BOgY0/s288/11.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163171943412898'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutXSBTFOZTJPrI5oJO5japBGG8wA8UD7omGBwkp7-Q8Mk4tsvVuBar4kcvtAg3zpQivz8NoEI7Iw970gC_CiImArzOPkbdDrivKaiGKug6L3LO7uqYHV4gIYF3NUcrjum0OtKJGkv7is/s288/12.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Have you seen Despicable Me? Our kids watched it recently, and at the beginning there's a part where tourists are visiting the pyramids. The guy says, "Take a picture. I'm holding the pyramid in my hands.". Well, Miss A thinks it's funny and wanted to get a picture holding the Eiffel Tower. It's not perfect, but it's our attempt :)<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163222026258546'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPVL-32Qk1L7pc7a3tkl51KWxrc7E9Qn2x0XsRYb8g2-HBn-yz8PJabhSjoJr6QiQr9KlUonaXGB2bE4vmYh_NYnW8WL3z4A_a3DuqHkLgwQKfSxmX6UVlSFIQIkJzHs2QoJBqFhbD_k/s288/16.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Being goofy and having fun!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163255470329922'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoSkat5G4EexlTm482Jmg9miJAfq2UkA_2tvgA1i_ChG2lrTlTE4wdquzoe4V8b6onM63hBUpksAL5ithuf_Q3dxb_gl6XNgwZeVCnUOnuo0AgiHSan8F20i2v9_ZO__s9wp0gFmNk9w/s288/19.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After checking out the tower, we jumped on one of those double decker sightseeing buses. This was way cool, except that the top deck didn't have any open seats for the first 30 minutes of our ride, which was a major tragedy for the 2 and 5-year-old in our party. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163299161877586'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbXnr6Ojn29C_hKfqJCp4xcIK5W2U_Lznjm3ls_Qk1plDuTYzo5-zBQMmXMRKTRGHq5fpSNJsR6VPUXyg24NlTT1ikdNy8WAFWVoJDtuuagb8IDCxavDGKnjqbs4qS39XulN0ax1M0rE/s288/20.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Thankfully, some seats opened up eventually. We even got a whole row all to ourselves. Totally worth the wait! We saw all kinds of cool things, but I can't really tell you what any of them are because I was too busy trying to keep Miss H from jumping out of the bus to get to wear the headphones. I think K wore them for a few minutes. Maybe he can fill in the holes for me....<br /><br />Here's the evidence. She seriously was trying to climb out. I don't think she has that depth perception thing down yet.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163354350960306'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA7PaCjdog6v4wSYryex9u0_Wje6APrEb-Vi-1o_aZexF9-IyEs2s1SpJ2PF3CJ9hLcnM06QK5OoDxKq8UNCHTOYu4tUE5uoZ9DvvJnWQY6-uEtSdrxRWYbmkOx8Fb0CnlNo7HqdkiYI/s288/22.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163380095364482'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhZxdfG8D3acvoLp9NB-rVHRfI09jbMpwEdqnweJDBUbxGIlCtGJ2kPAHnLvgOqklfJRxmS86zR9uWtPy5RY6qmr_3YpnnX0i94f59003OE6Lb4eq4Vx1oN3y_Cpz4UAxaphQmROjUM8/s288/23.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163412113176802'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIe72WmmfENaCK8AEXXbtA0RJsxpbgKEfCrhiPv_ooV0PY0HXJo8XkvfJ4OmM01ya8BB31CvmPdbZ04JzpFO34pdt17GDAFFgeUYwjJk0GoY6PO0O6rBMgxWVYJmb2o3p0y9bulFDWp5s/s288/24.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163471550955426'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtTcKWFIoa_qO4Y2asb8s_qrDZ4j1mM-_egSmXb_U3nUd0yv6TaKEPJvk0Mvh-dOIPDYWZXCBLwk9N8u4mkvshoZcNAaZ8JG12zLW9DQk5BTYN_D8uuy8C6B1cxl83V3vBge8keLKhmg/s288/25.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Isn't this funny? The Parisians want a beach so they put a strip of sand down the side of the river Seine and call it the seaside. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.....<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163530337466562'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx98ZxSvpm1P0aEbWCF7hI0TMK8CMM_NjfDrtQ0B-DWkXDwSlfSjvV68oOcs6CaVYtAT74E_otTAJ2U5-K7UGA6oaESB8j9NFdgzhlvqxBZXxY9qWjjzD8qRDrw1BCCi-kDbbRWkob0co/s288/34.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163563064277538'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTQvtUX9AbcqT5T-1QUWTNZZNvDiT2M_TJhIMBcf7vCGG5m_PaKbYaJwCnEG_aAuerAj8wqqKhVIPm1GoZtAajKja_foweXNVJdgDbCBCfdfDBA_l-xRpEfkxyry3LRPk7zhg-NIgk9k/s288/29.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163626333605922'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjxnbaS6WmzQWPZUz7ELGy6Zgp5wFdXcJYUs2wt9-hv9L-dEkpB4RbRl_8WMAU8OEG6iKSbDZuj9jCmWCilaakVb2qXvOL7UHeSz5yUXd57z86HaNVzgKBNCZbrmBbzXCVV4uv85_uP0/s288/28.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163761052063362'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1c5wcQfxMqETcEcrbukQ3SEqUg_pNF1mC5QULGcQRhFWxMdsGsEKQS7usAJOtPnMx8vYkmahKLHeyhXH4LlQDIqdg7_rdeOGLz8xZ4Gz2ztxdt10xKrkVwk41fiJ_9Lju-vrSOtZ14h8/s288/30.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After an hour or so of looking at Paris, Mr. L was tuckered out. Being the champ that he is, he decided to make lemonade out of life's lemons and take a Parisian nap...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163807385179074'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsR-RTaqXdcz1gYFkvm9XAvFTYNKW8UuixfnvDlbwqkL7pu3pGwNEKwo2qb1JNnGc8paeDTmUp4iW0l56e5A9j-KM8Vy6NRJi2r0S-uYyyoeDuo2lU7NqKA3GnKhAoT4J4uBJh6iMyUSU/s288/31.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />But it didn't last for long, and seeing how Paris is sooo romantic, Miss H woke Mr. L up with a sweet little kiss. It makes a mama's heart happy to see sibling love. Of course what you don't see is her trying to poke his eyes after the cute kiss.....<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163858440612082'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WlQJKjOQbMtrKFQvefzSSKG8uw7k30KVjOz9gDX7WgP2ZS52kznl0V_5mYiwohMrIUBoqkemGXrGoChrR0d5rP-yn4Bz0s743yNr685XrkzPiiR13JQgVIJdGkQho0cxHlylBiuO-Dc/s288/33.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />We got off the bus at the Arc de Triomph. You have to walk through a tunnel that goes under the ground to get out to the middle. Then, if you want to go to the top, you have to climb hundreds of stairs all the way up there. Unless.....you have little kids and a stroller in tow. Then, the very nice ticket taker escorts you to the elevator and tells you to wait for the attendant. How great is that? We probably wouldn't have all made it otherwise. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163902800704690'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8ldz9gArFMO7zbdhBHPPtCj0hAMeHcRuNYnWZekQ5J15N2njUaFidKIirKXr3U88GrQQpHf_weuJ74lmdJA66xyQ72vr7b73bg8Sxbi0NUZcwxKQQbkT33mmaTtDkGwFAdzvevt3zaw/s288/35.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775163974291596146'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9deGOyM1OZIhlugj-XFcUgE5qdvmrHxqEJymTblOYX-QgfAm8EAqzSlFDtFYqHFYtIu-ARsDOk7v9jMUo2NGqX_paX6i4aJiHUUVe8Z9oIBV8wBQq82gQn3XKBMZBqtYf_hdxjYOeg0/s288/36.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />The view from the top is pretty impressive!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775164031388155778'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswohOotFTbs_XI2MerPCwXacy5vM0yKlxFbXKU_-dzJkbeziFesApWsSZGh5jtQr4E8E3UdJMvxa7vDAKnjvIgeCQqsrrjkbUyBlPDoUBNxlB-NAQvUDudWFU_v2G8FvHCr5GdEHM3Jo/s288/37.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775164113012114098'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0G0WXpGmK-4EKh3i6qjjV4o8IBW9nIB9UU_S_khnpdPw2ayl77LiKGRR2J_QKe0LJ4f-seatJguvw-ia8AUM1YITrQsw4MAKs6_qbsSk1kmhh2ruEJsFZqRteNrSInaDp2b6xC1HWUQ/s288/38.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775164177966061138'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4UTNEsVyS8Wpi3vi0vXm4qoZD1EZpLDQYxI7Hvencxbw6tgc4YAVCfTSxLS0Fh-c955-ptbXJ0wRYr01LQA9IWMquGQgGjA_uz0EG8UdLfWXgRac4WXNwD0g601NAtaGsYhwkBVfKJU/s288/39.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Remember how we were warned about the pickpockets? On top of the Arc, I wasn't watching the stroller very well, so I took my wallet out and was just holding it. Miss H is ticked here because I won't let her play with it, so cooperating for a picture is totally our of the question.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775164230998300514'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHrpn7FCQmrUsnFHpYL0A6xqx3BtV6tGfOlJGUS5E77pxhHxrgWFUFJFQ7RuSNWnQz4n7Ma4nC-RaElVvTvPf9SKXIsJNe1JomXzWzYA89ha3Brv5u-6lXI_Bho5P_tiabku7Ot8_HGg/s288/40.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Miss H had her own triumph while on top, so I had the rare privilege of changing a diaper on top of the Arc. How many people do you think can say they've done that??? I'm telling myself it's a relatively small number ;)<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775164277011939010'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51r2azr54pCppxglU_GYu9BP-6eDm89sctAXm3xP2ei7wAHFVBi5fcA2A5JAusKAuXqI4oo0uqFMYOEWz0-g8V0Fo8LVDsPQww98nNKmPUO9SaNeNR4E11BHTaofssP_r5QzE5abtLms/s288/41.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />After the Arc, we needed some chill time so we headed back to the hotel for a little R&R before dinner. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775164331480753746'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-S-tS1aRgIoJR_aqsrZ0uRy19ovQR737obWlcPaeqKjkvZv7JeU5dB3IYjcDzgcXPFJpFaf24OZaJIsXz507YogpakOKxXGWYHuPNJxfS8UMGyXvp_I5x1XNdoyqgkyoZ_34ADbWfOY/s288/42.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Miss H didn't quite make it all the way back before she crashed. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775164428711881634'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR29Xf4PDmOZuZpQJQlfjeG9tHHDA2WyBjRvtgrVsqjOo5ncEzmT1sIYfYfI6LSlnhidkrukz54hyphenhyphenOhdz6m6uPUMGVK0Eg_ujfMjmNutwRMyaddrgfhidBIi8B9lDlmWouWiIV1eP_EbU/s288/43.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />With our batteries recharged, it was dinner time! We ate at Framboise Creperie. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775164486130014114'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip84Abg-4pKf7g2zCR3N7oj_MW4eQQy1Pbw52E6HgccfVfK8-e9J2bvXJbM7InjeQNGQUPeApivve8Hl9J9ygEM-XuKfQAzQK1HhYuQA_6bKahEZeCc5wEzfh-drOE8tIH7PhYMr52h8k/s288/47.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />We all tried new things, but found it was all pretty tasty! Even picky Miss H liked the crepes (funny though because yesterday I made crepes for breakfast filled with Nutella and banana and she wouldn't touch those!). <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775164571899498242'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuz70qFsF3Ckpn8Xb4WKRqlNFQaMhTmzwzPht65uqPXgQ1mVtu4ZkAz2uIYB7GlMisZvde9Nv3CHx1oDDVM3MPUn_vvkWXdawaajEZfcJMjIOj82lOfzlq3G4p-cpjqOeFDxRmVSZea2U/s288/48.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />We took a leisurely stroll back to the hotel after dinner. And stopped for ice cream, of course. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775164601100035714'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FqkA42_KTQHTRAflfKrd2ELoQuYb_iCy-JVI0y8aO2pepT-Iq2Bat9jthg1svGMyjMOvAAI62bdFcjBn3mhW8YbU6uTtaDaRixK7pCOsoAadtTaOzOD2lF8JmD8jl4mOU6M73-2ucEY/s288/51.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775165151535333618'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNVE1KmLUCrBu8wOPG2YFKnpi_S2fkBlC6bjedmdfRoUIS4JCTZ9w9hoKmBXsSlzgVpeGaVVjA5Hkb5FJS7ku3FQD46WAJ2eRwBhAkTghINtzpYOQdDL4w-oOh8rzo-XM5RT6Fm0p15A/s288/50.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /> <br />And when we got tired of walking we jumped back on the subway. Mr. L told us tonight that one of his favorite things about today was riding on the train with the rainbow seats. It's true, they really are rainbow-see?<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775165186338809906'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRu6ypNrbu4ZcDbSrLZGf2D4jpMXwOk0drSk1tldDOOI9dUw6_hfsYvkRyLUISAVQHwy4LPmPDDMrjdfLVs40BpUwVY4uRKhr4bZF7c1JupWok8637f_GX5cbJPe0M5orqp-WxqElv2lk/s288/52.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5775165246932810674'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5eCjHRFBJFY5tqRIZUC8YcXDU_vY2TH0xfgp1SpWlpBBuPhEzeAnOM3-LM3U7A1UypOoEVrNBQvGQNY3CbvtCmTuVkq2LeD0JV-hPXVeRsfU9KQ2jt7B_FILXE869Ho5UOg3UoM6uEY/s288/53.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />And now it's bedtime. One day down in a crazy big city with three little guys in tow. We had a blast! Tomorrow's a new adventure!<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Paris,%20France%4048.879312%2C2.285337&z=10'>Paris, France</a></p>Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-19720803312281244492012-08-06T20:55:00.001+02:002012-08-06T20:55:24.703+02:00Moving at the speed of EuropeWe've been here now a little over three weeks, and probably the first lesson that we've had to learn is that of patience. So many things here are slower and just take more time, we've got some pretty good examples. Please see below:<br /><br />1. When we arrived we discussed with the relocation consultant various items that we wanted, one of which was the Internet. We actually stunned her when we said we didn't want cable, but we really just wanted the internet to communicate etc... Much to our surprise we were told that it would be a minimum of 3-4 weeks to get the Internet installed in our house. One of my co-workers had it take over 7 weeks because the Internet company wouldn't install their Internet until the phone line was installed, and they refused to do the phone line and the Internet at the same time.<br /><br />2. We also wanted to have cell phone while we're here. We had brought over our iPhone from the US so that we didn't need to sign a contract here, and went into the store to get a phone. Well, after much discussion with the cell phone clerk we were finally able to get a SIM card for K's phone. We installed the card in the store and it said no service. We asked why and we're told that it takes 3-4 days for the paperwork we signed to be mailed to the central office for their review and approval. Wow! We were stunned, it may sound a little crazy, but seriously who mails papers into an office for approval anymore, isn't everything electronic?<br /><br />3. K went to work on the first day and took the usual glamor shot photo ID pictures. He stood at the counter waiting for his ID badge but instead was given this orange color blank badge and was told that he would get his final badge in 3-4 weeks.<br /><br />Overall, we've been able to just sit back and appreciate a different pace of life, its been nice to simply look at each other, laugh and say OK, whenever we're told 3-4 weeks. In the end, we really love the experience so far, and the time that we've spent waiting for all the technology and "necessities" of life, have really given us a chance to take pause and reflect on what is really important in life. We're really grateful for all our family and friends and how we know if in the end we needed you, you wouldn't tell us to wait 3-4 weeks.<br /><br />Love You All!<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Luxembourg,%20Luxembourg&z=10'>Luxembourg, Luxembourg</a></p>Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-79743733197321352192012-08-06T20:54:00.001+02:002012-08-06T20:54:59.001+02:00Miss A & The Tooth FairyA few weeks ago we noticed that Miss A's mouth looked like this...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773635443952128962'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB11__wbmI5fM_HXcb-sUE5hVDbYtpPLDzfxo1gkwRiueODwvlIoRL1k95zMeVyCLyMbcGW7EHELMTkIkYGjbbdZ5k3fL-1GGWRYdFHRzk_X1fju36ebZEfh2Us1y-ByOV2rj-snADwFc/s288/34.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />She had a tooth growing in behind the baby tooth. After much research by a very trusted source - Google, we decided that this is pretty common and that it was nothing to be too concerned about. After a few weeks A's tooth got looser and then...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773635535118358178'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6VpmdPhJeZ3p3upK0LQpY6LO7ofLpg8TtXPAI73T3Sk-iFIPxBzaOdnZVPlHC83vk5nUzrabvG3Gx19T1y0YvUx8C1hQsaw_aTSVlJOUo0IXCphAD5qRo0fVk3m_nDVLjN48e4eSH4M/s288/35.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />As the French say, and they really do say, viola!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773635609647799650'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWN83JzmlAkJK8XESjrKj1r5nMBLYQfN21Bd8WfgVEn0m6Ew_-rmZRR6XAapDYTiNjOT0Xt_dfLreL_X56JnoqqhRL0y74UhjSdmAhTPNOEkwPJZMFiBNEvlqWVnt8dzeIilJhASBo6Y/s288/36.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />A pair of pliers and a few tears later and she had lost her first tooth! She was a trooper and luckily the Tooth Fairy had our forwarding address here in Luxembourg, because she was able to deliver a nice 2€ coin under A's pillow. <br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Luxembourg,%20Luxembourg&z=10'>Luxembourg, Luxembourg</a></p>Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-30157120289920690432012-08-06T20:53:00.001+02:002012-08-06T20:53:22.796+02:00Our First CastleWe felt like we needed to take a break from the stress of moving into the new house, as well as give the kids a break from being dragged everywhere. So, we took a trip to a famous castle here in Luxembourg. It's called Vianden and ironically it's located in the village of Vianden.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773633256838903586'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqCfz9NgwYnELJOXX0ZMNWaIwrjvtTCSAmhY-l7tP1g8WkRkLv6Rox3_klKRSCOctyzl7XduzZfoTUDy0y-xAeQReRxINe6IZDWWHOzcqoNV1kUxaShO3FgAdv-TdgBrT9E1pj-Z8RBY/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />It is the biggest castle in Luxembourg, which we learned this weekend has over 30 castles within its small borders. Anyways, the castle was hosting its annual medieval festival while we were there, so it was a really fun experience to see some other exhibits and demonstrations. For example:<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773633396937481138'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMOm2Z2am8Gu4CobEBYL4w4fzBgEeQ0ZDwRejuuHzpd6WKGTXiTMXWWTB5nnnlt93K1k4FP8cupgfFHaTf3cMk4d7lWJqWGoyktRb_EbmZm94_YwuJZFAu27aRvgzTynkx-3qJp2DXH4/s288/4.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />A drum band made up of really young kids who knew how to do things with flags that we've never dreamed of...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773633450844187970'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zAHN3njkAUaxzOHshWNEmJ4FDGlDOyKbBrpgAQije7u7xRRuIV1gy0DBAHky24OxRP8Mclv6iOH6fKrGQ5Mk8No0q4aMJHzIHo2ukNrNHPpsEJVFNnZVNfflyQ80VDWL_5x9O77V1s8/s288/11.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />A sword fighting play which was pretty comical...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634002309939186'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvXrmCc2EtFnIRtVpmL5Zd1roxOf5yeTGFXM56LOv5oL_LnQ9El3eG-4TuIVn1utZw_kAHUerKUN70j3fkkFzGJGsfBZ8JY-qU0-qMjsnh9EdpgNa68kAUdJVVKS65PgFZGNUKwbdLOM/s288/12.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634086925918514'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUImthcE0N8GvJWkzXliEbZLxeRCAkTh849YHj4qJnGuNv_hJFVO24Y7ZHzPG9MdTTwzPjvFtR1nRw9FQ35LB3QwOYX7poDp3FEoY9ij9z_9qwqG90b8buYAk29xu5-uBSyQrAQ_-apg/s288/16.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />We were pretty amazed at how close they would get to the crowd with their swords and flames. A couple of moms had to leave with their kids because the guys scared them...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634176546202290'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQhq9xZGnekoVVc_B7b1je2JxZ9pSoYTxHZFHyza1Up3zh5eRrj0A6YSlZNLZBF4gwjk6P0c0vKsP7ajSU7v3LXI0rwYAM1P14PP3ZVIyjug_9q-jiL83YS65BEItrP50TzkvG2od1ec/s288/19.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />In the end everyone died, but L really enjoyed it, go figure.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634239198233090'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTa0kWmuikzIabs8Jps36Rsq3KF8yeu-T7DFkV67wS57xKvti6HzOUP0888PH6GK5viTT7z3h87bCk4NzTzEIdBk0orwD_bgZzmgYJLHtyMqbAb2fmSO5MzEU8ZhC5XobHWRArBs2ryc/s288/20.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />They also had a ton of different types of medieval birds on display. The kids felt like they were in Harry Potter...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634357140770882'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPXdo2Foyg5-irIcCHahBTWNBimStmzjO2lis-dGb-hhyphenhyphenY3A7CFVmVyKbtDiOlNYUJq1GsoQLYfB8lrdpZwOW5O1F92ArgT3L6q9UO4OLXJfmPDL4pLFgApSGNd5mBDIcQ_8k91ExZ2g/s288/21.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634478525398994'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPjBWdEfTa1L1hAWDAkj0jZbjkG7_AchWz9_ymE9w49rVwe_uYUin3P7iiUAVkoGAiKoqfCrJ4vAh2S1ymVI2wLUTjn0IbSO2gqRgm1rRAt3rA6eppdt93yQyr6KnhcwWJIKJw37medg/s288/22.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Overall it was just fun to hang out in the castle and it was cool to feel a part of something so old and historic. It was actually occupied by the Nazis during WWII.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634553525974626'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-RaAvWertaMj7uQTyO43OP2ys9ii5j3NQYsA5UffdWIAxZtSGiCrid7OEFqhZvyKnuGrtgEKUdlgtFPg2W-d6O66WyA5NHypFU_cHTivaXUWJke6HkPVxv8kZaLCsEhuv2myclns79U/s288/23.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Miss A getting her medieval pose on.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634658524219074'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXDBu5rHhhWul7F9hJR9BV_nYo_cplBjrYhqK1ciWLJu4b1DN0sSEqYXrOk5r8rOXRQqCI6hVFo5uRF4cF2Dp5o3cXp6K8CO7aM8ByiVUnLPL_Yw_ftkbSK8A-bDrYBZKUwz2QfreZBY/s288/27.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634752230184930'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EN3fg7Ov2YbbG9Frxk8VHXeDwhw1EhDQMkwutPNoZjkDRcopBNHm7jnINb75fpnucpqgv9nY0g7dJDcY7EeVwuWDP1wz5Pb5Ak61x-Vp64a70MXUdW7ADPjM2whjHh2bGfS3kwCDRB4/s288/24.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634844400254274'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Q6dJY_gRSU1V9nBUGDGLSgmYYTVSVUSgqy27xMp4to652YnUi0mCryjfCUbR9I9Gbiod-fHh_dObRAqbkCz6k_X8oTQhtZy3uoBy9fSHVJO8UOXxMYqI4kM09WSR2Yf6ymKWNQYnnjs/s288/25.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />We've come to appreciate that Johnsonville sausage really doesn't have a leg to stand on when compared to sausage here. We had lunch here and then washed down our sausages with some waffles which are kind of a snack food here.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634910400937554'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhTGFepsjenZHnJCHJ5cHKLIyHF0XCF3YUUpfPHaIMsWbI8nno7nmy4wVCR8XSwzWsG0kwdosrGkXdKKWLuiOvaXYxK6ioVLL2knHwtOa_GdX2ti_CjPFliero38vcnOLhTo3qE2ai4k/s288/28.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />L's face in this pic is a good one, he didn't want to share :)<br /><br />At the end of the day we let the kids all pick out a toy to take home, A & L picked out little wooden swords and Miss H, well let's just say the executioner in her came out... Don't worry- it's made out of wood. Not as dangerous as it looks!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773634988340201122'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66MeLDqE-ONjmX7kxIH9nm1J8Z6jvI3PxL2xvm1P5v6OwXf1I415BkG-XI5PXGjCadprKkc2W12ADSyKwqHBpJo8DFtU02Enc9SWldmmFAjQz_5q7qQ4jvfY_JBvCxEjRdrxCET51BxU/s288/29.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />She didn't want to put it down, and fell asleep with it in the car. People were commenting the whole walk down, probably on how bad of parents we are, but hey we couldn't understand them, so no harm no foul.<br /><br />Overall, it was a great experience and a very cool opportunity to see such an old piece of Luxembourgish history.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773635061451370962'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2Y1otE_O95SZjSBwjKdAxrsHhzdZAr81nv6t6VxR9umORNUn4H62vCrhPELW5h6yIA4uWs9WvGmw-V-eE9IjZnbCwIOCs8jxkjLnBHH-ykkK9PLIAT10z2RELYZ92td2IQhjiV6poq0/s288/30.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773635117493562850'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZT1uE7nRL8RiTkFdoga-O0UfpnAhQwQqXyTIDbzmmVopXOPHQ4NfHJEWglPKvJp7pCtknol2XgczhrbR2mJaX_ngIDeEsZYmnvvIcGmK2Ie5MOTPKEck4dtDVZ6DzVEQo46OG52Wd4k/s288/31.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5773635180639247154'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHubJLsbauSlYUj_NzcGpo8uin9DM_hwjbqlhT9H33jbObuX2_I-K-qkT_TbDtkTfa_bULbB54U3FWDxFN_d5ZE1vwaFDn4DBO_xpY_t8RYgG4Ea8QE__B1tBML8pdgsT7QMSGnhUtaQ/s288/33.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />See ya Vianden!<br /><br />-K & E<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Vianden,%20Luxembourg&z=10'>Vianden, Luxembourg</a></p>Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-654637702730834212012-07-24T22:47:00.001+02:002012-07-24T22:47:00.928+02:00Bon Appetit!We've definitely begun to settle in to life here in Luxembourg. Crossing our fingers we sign the lease for our home on Thursday at 1:30pm and we move in on July 31st! We'll write more about our house later, once its official and we've got good pictures!<br /><br />One of the first things that we've really learned to love here is the food! As bad as that may sound, we had to go to a Dr. today for an immigration physical and E and I had lost about 10 pounds each! We've been walking a lot and eating pretty decent meals. But, back to the food...<br /><br />The first Monday that we were here we went grocery shopping and bought some fruits and vegetables from the store. We were somewhat shocked with the price, but had no other choice so we took a bunch home. Man are we glad we did! The produce here is awesome!<br /><br />Check out these raspberries! They were huge and delicious.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5768840134787949970'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOFVPg1Rpbncw75H1EbpaCe7YE9NA9R9j8TR2mWeNOytujL-w9AmTwiXpzNv0l5HacyBkxjnehm_UG16Z_lZXbTYOstTXWeoMwMo_hPzA1ZWqKmlx8XjgjQMHFbo4B9AVXhHPG4OK_to/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /> <br />We also bought some strawberries imported from the Netherlands and they were the best strawberries we've ever had. The cool thing about the produce and other items like honey, milk, etc... is that you know the source of the food. Our honey jar has the phone number and address of the beekeeper who produced the honey.<br /><br />This Saturday on our way into the grocery store, we noticed this shack where everyone was standing ordering stuff. Of course, I wanted whatever they wanted, so we went over and order 3 sausage things. We're not sure what they were made out of, two were brownish pinkish, and the other was white. They were good! Even Miss H got on the sausage train.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5768840169960214002'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhemGH1WxFe83CAuDhFGnnC6Nem5uC7HHgn1bD3lNqbthvMz1ch5Vxz40tm1vem71lh-CXdh7U-6Y8OdTVo1m4jxTGCnQh4TBnx362ei1JAc4SXOD9qNun7YVkdUgj15M_tJ4CsMj_Zc/s288/4.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />For those of you who are familiar with Miss H's feeding habits, or lack thereof, you know how hard it is to get her to eat. The first couple days here were challenging with her, but know she definitely is enjoying the food. Tonight we had spaghetti, broccoli and cantaloupe (from France) and we couldn't give Miss H enough food.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5768840199835606930'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5RN7TlcrdCCz9LLof62xUgeGcpdtRrn8p15IgyybuPhX9WQTcU3VxFp9XbTvwdxGaZ5JQnc5TCxDUR18CDAWjkrmhcKds6uNiehrMg1FbhVvyscxzp58wQZZX1rnNmk_vt1X1c1rb-bo/s288/11.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /> <br />We all agreed that the cantaloupe was the best we've ever had! <br /><br />We've made it a few times a week ritual to walk to a local square nearby and eat ice cream after dinner.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5768840234673873202'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eM_96iaxZueLDfNZCkPkIpqU9o0Tc-f6S8Tb8VZ-ctZe_-bm-X4R-G5rJyx_SvtMTbTI1oAYLcdINAE6Mb_xleumW_fTmFn9UTtIptJJgUbk6i7H2iNgUCgosfKcYNS0SvA9zpfbx78/s288/12.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />The square has a ton of food places, and some awesome ice cream stores. They do a lot of fun things with the ice cream and the kids love it. They made a bumblebee for L and a Pinocchio for A.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5768840271904292162'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-M35sLKiL9Y5KF-cCXMLkSczhemdi2R5g6nYiEgQdbVu0QkPlSq2jtCU_WQW9rFA7f3kU9xCelxFK7l4s4mW8lvIkmU_3Qx3yxA6KbmWxqZ-GTlQWkBiRFhms8ZNtLQq078SXUpe8FrU/s288/14.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5768840304119479282'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhef-bvUPYT3XbXhTbrImZra_f8El7a_dxle6fTKwWfErcEcTV2qQoOShr2jHAPiFhpqH3BtfvjPSPeCV0r3r_xfpU_GhxkTduBoOrnEPtKBJ6gFjiRucHu7kTz6AgTY6IXfrODy1pz9ek/s288/16.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />E and I enjoyed some great sundaes, mine was Kiwi and it was delicious...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5768840344806261730'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUxtxnz5YuoMZmHW70pFqczjKsRe20hY_gCfReCGNUDVOIY2_zQQGlXJSo4zijIJtsph5BgmStKXCvX4tQK3UxZs9qj_vSrssqjCU-oJ3OFQbl1mUDxPRoDNFQtpWtCTlayYccnabl24/s288/17.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Overall, we're loving life here in Luxembourg. It's been an easier transition that we initially expected. We're sure that there will be tough spots ahead of us, but we have each other and that's why we're here, so that we can grow together and grow closer. As you can see below, the kids have begun growing closer, their favorite pastime is now to dump small rocks on each other's heads. Oh well, luckily they've got some pretty hard heads!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5768840377935150866'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3b0YNVQxah_YKf9d_y7wlPQATx0hNJwqq0tVM9ILhC-YahRNYnBaf3iELVJWBzx-9qBYUF69rzlcucZNDuhkBy6a4xQKZNtQoqjTqf3qh2KHRcLvzV77vTXbC2UnimrUQ2cUnegIHYc/s288/19.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Until next time! À bien tôt<br /><br />-K &E<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Luxembourg,%20Luxembourg%4049.606789%2C6.117985&z=10'>Luxembourg, Luxembourg</a></p>Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335882579428296666.post-79862355900135910752012-07-22T00:08:00.001+02:002012-07-22T00:10:53.890+02:00Marvelous ParkAs this was our first Saturday in Luxembourg and we had absolutely nothing planned, we took the advice of our relocation consultant and took the kids to the Marvelous Park (that's it's name, but think French). We didn't quite know what to expect, mainly because we can't read the pamphlet. But the pictures in the pamphlet were pretty and it had free parking so how could we say no...<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767747706468039250'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLHyZ6UqBgeutv4t18Cy7KnAmIxFVtLzVOM6XBfU3nbd-C8Td5L1FR3StSxlFsfWDVsxtOHPakRmz_6enneIVH_LNFVXQd5gymP4haa9JDlnpBOLxMeQj6tMoTWNp7TcqaSjFkHbbIn8/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />We've only been here for a week but, K always seems to find the weird words that are very similar to English words if you just read them as they're pronounced if they were English. Take this sign for example:<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767747735048276994'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cMFaWv3D1BX4QVKdhVqSZnS297BT5wa39slqTTF30eBGz_UZ0bpeomV48J8cJAvyVPGQtKFcH6yYj3J7G6JG6SIpDQ0WjHrB3vvpRZ66Sc972LWtmhtpjg8zfFwBT3nXMUi_c-Px_K8/s288/4.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='172' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Now A & L haven't started school yet, so we're not sure of the exact Luxemborgish (yes, they have they're own language here) pronunciation, but it does take just 1 Fahrt to right the "Poney Express". Yes, K is a child sometimes, but we have to learn to laugh at somethings right now, because there is a whole lot that we could be crying about!<br /><br />Potty humor aside, the park was a nice retreat, as we flew into Luxembourg we were amazed with how green it was, and the park was in the middle of one of the forests, so it was nice to sit in the middle of so many trees.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767747768690359730'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKWHONR0LUHp6tLxZbaef1C9VgM6_aHCDtx9GXKzbiWS0VigBHQtrLV2AmWVzKSvbyn_Q71KJXUtoApuLDe-ooLOcLVzPObiab7jQNGIvxbPXCZJQfxuhKPyEFV4mumkrX3JLtSOsWV4/s288/12.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767747793531362306'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVupm18rIARIXclrv2ZZm1w7UyBgyTZi6wrL7iIZSIkppIJljDYG6qo7c9E4JGrWzexorbICPCN7-aancxGmMR6RzPsdUtJhe9-CnN2_VXHZweCH3YM6plcy1Jrd9uQVxg3MZ3snF-BAs/s288/11.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />The park had a lot of different things for the kids to do, there was a small zoo, a bunch of different play grounds, and a lot of just random things for the kids to climb on. Case in point, Mr. Sleeping Elf:<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767747831035416930'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX72GYt90k5ClUpNyEDiamDO7lDkWWOP6PI1UJmCSEGZQFVSeUkNV0trerVvisvjzG_uzSqx4FIiWSlMRR7Z-eEf477MHwlmTPbbWy9eGbUUV3JqWVBkkc6YJfikA94780KH0pZR2ZYSk/s288/14.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />The kids had a blast on him, and it was fun to see them enjoy something very simple and use their imaginations while running around on him.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767747858733007266'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UdPcVmnAdOFN8Wg7vAnIQa3g2vYvubgU1asEuCXcJUteE1mu4YLCS2xVkkDMVw_7fbnTgG2kWhMi7CJGDfMyAPvIpd4pfkr0k3I8IUEvmPbnva4aFSxmorCSGaIPkhc-X8oaVGk1Ja0/s288/17.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767747897565789954'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GDfWXpRlO3D8MxRQPsPQqE_U7cbIQ7fqu-okfROVm6CuS68oIDTP_QS91pSYnR0iUEH5-Iznyy66XCHIKmFo1YTUbdP1uxHeRdP7ySskQaIvnJi8u-LBGdrDVDHHhvanixcBt87x-dU/s288/16.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Right next to the Elf was this Rooster statue which Miss H kept calling Pee-Wee, (the name of E's parent's dog) "Hi, Wee-wee", and barking at it,we got a kick out of it, and we think a few Luxembourger's suspicions about Americans were further solidified.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767747936660657826'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPlHc3bvozNxXMjZ22ddvyajry1NlGPBXW_DKkm3tY7sFEB3hnmmThwBw2ZNA9czZ-ZmF_D3W1mP5jnX0PYcxi-1CHXLJ9wlKQT5Ftqll2Cj2OO97U_KjECOamLkEaTNjwZWCB-ZVwQw/s288/20.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767747969552872322'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinokIGxwG9DaskxNEGp74NZPHds2cLh2SxYcBz3NfcxumTgIkKlS1gCOZdVPmHJRueeiHjifZIMEJGX90P8F44MCWtUyzfmQPmUWuSB_6EanBGEYexJwnqjfitkvHl6I_utuPhMsxClu8/s288/19.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767748005829054130'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHnUL-YNKeC4Zfa3kZf5WD0UN1uVvIDwVEEpjGgQTsKXA_vutW1_ZetLVjnrsaxmrLE5U9rUJNC6n_Sg8EvxIVsqMSleZONVoepw_2wXB_feragIeC1rywnNjWRXHEEZ0qoI0PYHXnVI/s288/21.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />In the end we enjoyed ourselves and were once again amazed with how all the banned playground toys of our childhood are here in Europe. It was fun to show the kids a merry-go-round, and the kids teeter-totter swings that we used to always play on:<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767748036875693794'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfozSYCnViVNzBrtyKaVC8vDvb9ysPmkRKeRShLiOuOtQ8-JQBvzszyHXoVX47BJw_QcHq5RVgI65NQo31pcUMY35NCLqniHOhmZxRD61biBI4oflkehjmIPr8PsvGemdTCZrCv9TgSCQ/s288/22.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767748059146659202'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcXXSqkTxPKmwGcA_S8FAjj-rx9NpFESxZ8VNLbb9RTLcDI8ke6A4xvX1-l5bWp86_9y8Xl8ANc6id4mxW0-X6prAZETQvedGflDKpUoUC0zjpi7kCZPWcs4hhRDwmiSsiFYkDZ7krpQ/s288/23.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767748092615086962'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSEVvyy2EwEAz2QorRw4GWSthxgAQfE4OS9uT2tfsglDg_vnCY7ro_d6YqaM8x1ILm7K85NxUipYTBMk1TjX5hsGx0ifGk8zbFS3aHkwkBV6wiysVukavlcMN-qXqo84jRa5kHUcDfjc/s288/24.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />So Marvelous park, we bid thee farewell for awhile, and hope to return in the future to further bask in your Marvelous wonders, and hopefully be able to read your pamphlet next time. The only thing that we'd like to have changed next time is the ending, it rained on our parade... But that's how it goes here in Luxembourg, that's why its soo green!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/elisedsmith/WelcomeToOurChaos?authkey=Gv1sRgCOf7z4zKm4KjTw#5767748115657301858'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QsQKQOfCK0cj2s2ODuZj89w3CZaGvoG6I66ooOiytzGQi-KxjcH34GcllU3qklAyf31slJ3Ijb5ht8tUEYVNh6HEurH0qfN1xNzx0O2C67LY2FSubd7dGHmo08t7zwhebwJn1frWYvY/s288/25.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />-K & E<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Bettemburg,%20Luxembourg&z=10'>Bettemburg, Luxembourg</a></p>Elise Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12618457556108722656noreply@blogger.com1