Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

We're headed home tomorrow for three weeks...so as we're soaking up time with family and friends (and our favorite shops and restaurants!) I'm hoping to have little to no time to blog...so if you don't hear from me for the next few weeks...don't fret :0) I'll be back. And in the meantime I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2012!! I know we'll have many more amazing adventures in Europe to share soon!

Take Care!

Maureen

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Minus all the rain and nasty weather we've been having here in Brussels that is...ick :o) I just love, love, love this time of year...and it probably helps a little bit that in less than a week we are headed home to spend Christmas with our families! Everyone will be there too (except Jacob's sister Shannon and her husband Kyle and their two little ones Kade and Quinn...boo...we will miss them terribly...but hopefully they'll be coming to Europe soon for a visit...hint-hint :o)). Even my brother Kevin and his family are making the trip in from Seattle! I'm so excited I can hardly wait!! But as I count down the hours I figured I'd fill you in on what we've been up to lately.

Last Saturday was the Christmas party at the American Women's club. I volunteered to help...which entailed cutting out some foam crafts for the kids and helping with a little set up...oh and making a dessert for the event. Nothing too big, but it was a fun way to spend time with some of the lovely ladies at the club. The party went over really well...especially because Santa was there and handed out presents to all the kids! Autumn got a Russian Nesting doll...which has been taken away for awhile because she likes to slam it on the ground and has almost chipped it on more than one occasion :o) So for now it will just be a decoration in her room.

All she really wanted to do during the party though was climb all the staircases in the house (and there are a lot!). Lots of Daddy - Daughter bonding time as he chased her all over the place!

Rice Krispie treat in hand...nice!

She didn't really like to eat them...just carry them around.

Then Sunday we stopped by the Brussels Christmas Market...although somehow we missed half of it as we never saw the ice rink or ferris wheel...maybe we'll head back down there this weekend while Bruce, Jacob friend, is in town. He was working in London this week and was able to make a quick pop over to Brussels for a visit. So we might just have to force him to do some Christmas Marketing with us :o) I wonder if he can be bribed with a nice warm, melt in your mouth, waffle...hehe :o)

And the rest of this week has just flown by...as so many of them do! Monday we did some Christmas shopping, Tuesday we went to our first MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) meeting at our church...where we had a cookie exchange and learned about some wonderful Christmas tradition ideas that help really put the meaning of CHRISTmas back in to the season. Then we stopped over at Ali and Reagan's house to say one final good-bye...sigh! We are really going to miss them...they've been so very helpful in making us feel welcome here and really helping us find our place in this whole crazy adventure...but I guess such is the life of an expat...unfortunately most of us are only here a short time...and although good-byes are hard we are just happy to have this opportunity to spend time with so many new people...even if only for a short time.

Then on Wednesday we went to Galipette for the first time...it's a children's play place of sorts. We are considering taking Autumn there at some point for some fun play time away from me...to give me a few hour break once a week...and to give her the opportunity to spend some time on her own interacting with other kids and adults. And let me tell you...she LOVED it!! She cried when it was time to leave! I haven't decided though if it is going to become part of our weekly routine as it takes at least a half hour to get there by train (when it's gross outside) and is a forty minute walk from here. So by the time I drop off and pick her up I've lost pretty much all the free time. We may just have to try it for awhile though...especially during the winter when we won't be at the parks as often...and because I think she would really enjoy it.

And today we had Liz and her two daughters over for a playdate. It was fun chatting away while the girls played...and even better that we didn't have to leave the house :o) Tomorrow is our last music class of the semester. Despite all our friends taking their kids to Ding Dong music (the English speaking music class) Autumn and I have decided to stay in the French one for now. We really like it...and it's walking distance for us which is great! And even if we don't understand what they are saying most of the time...we can still interact and dance along and be silly as if we do :o) Plus all the Mom's in the class are super nice and speak great English. Hopefully our next class will be equally as welcoming...as we're moving up to Autumn's age group next time....which means all new kids and parents.

I think that's about it for now...I need to finish my online Christmas shopping. And finish preparing my list of ALL the many, many things I need to pick up while we're back home...I think I already have over 20 items on the list...oh my! Mostly things that are just impossible to find here...or way more expensive here...like kids sneakers...they don't seem to exist here! Poor Autumn has totally outgrown all her shoes! We're cramming her feet in to the last few pairs, but I'm sure she will appreciate some that actually fit! Have I mentioned I can't wait to go home...haha...only a few more days!!

German Christmas Markets!!

German Christmas Markets are seriously delightful!! The sights, the smells, the lovely handmade items. It's all overwhelming and all wonderful! As I mentioned before, last weekend we spent two days in Cologne, Germany visiting their various Christmas Markets. I think they have like 5 or 6 in the city!! Cologne is the 4th largest city in Germany so I guess that makes sense. We visited four of these markets last weekend and had a great time. We stayed at the NH hotel along the river...and you could even see one of the markets out our window.


Ok, so the big Total station does take away some of it's charm...ha! But the location was great...we could easily walk to all four markets from the hotel so that was a major plus! As you can see in the pictures it was a nasty cold grey day, but the rain did stay away for the most part (just a few sprinkles now and then)...so it wasn't too bad!

We got to Cologne about 2 PM on Saturday and headed straight for the biggest market under the Cathedral. We did quickly peruse the other two markets we passed through along the way, but when we made it to the big one it was spectacular!! A huge Christmas tree came up out of the center...and there were lights strung all above your head as you meandered amongst the booths. It felt so Christmas-y and just truly magical. Here are some pictures...once again...low light pictures are tough with motion and no tripod...but I did my best to capture it.

Sorry it's so blurry...

here it is again using a flash just so

you can see the men blowing on the long horns...

And check out these wood carvings...amazing...

It was a wonderful weekend and I'm already looking forward to going to more next year! I just wish we had the time to go to more places this year (although I'm guessing many of them have similar items). And we of course at to buy a few small trinkets to commemorate our time at the markets.

It definitely wasn't about the "stuff" though...it was about the memories and the Christmas spirit that I think filled all of us that weekend! It truly was a wonderful weekend!

No nap = Christmas Photo Shoot!!

Every once in a while Autumn decides she doesn't want to take a nap...usually because she slept in the stroller briefly that morning so in her mind she must think that is the same thing as her usual 2 and 1/2 hour nap. Well, when this happens...as it did last week...I decided that it means we get to do something I want to do like a PHOTO SHOOT!! Yeah!! So we did a short impromptu Christmas photo shoot last week...and here are my favorites...

Thanks to Pinterest for the cute

Christmas light photo prop idea...

This one cracks me up...

"hmmm, I bet these lights would fit perfectly up my..."

We were fighting with losing our light, but overall I think they turned out pretty cute :o)

PS...as I was writing this post, there was quite a commotion out front...with fire, police, and an ambulance...my best guess is they thought someone was going to jump off the building next door! A fire man went up and after a bit they lowered the ladder back down with out him...so I'm assuming the fireman and whoever was up there went back in through the building...but it was quite a scene.

Up next...the Fabulous Colonge Christmas Market...