Merry Christmas!

We had a nice time celebrating with Claire and some of Naomi's family. We spent Christmas Eve in Amsterdam and her Grandma was able to come for a nice meal on Christmas Day. She ended up staying much longer than expected.

Still busy with getting this house up on the market and looking into the next one. Two big appointments in that regard coming up this week. A couple of new houses just popped onto the market that are similar to what we are looking at, so that should provide a little negotiation power.

Started on the next woodworking project - a small table for Claire. She has an empty apartment and a few ideas of how she wants it filled, so I should be busy for awhile. We also got some pictures taken for the website, so hopefully that should be up and running before too long.

A hug that knocked them both over.

Merry Christmas! (new jackets from Aunt Claire)

Getting ready for Christmas dinner.

Vacation!

Finally, we have made it! Definitely got a lot done, once again, this week. Time still is pretty blurry. Actually getting a bit of rest this weekend. Strange.

The girls are doing very well. Learning a lot - Abigail especially is picking up new things very quickly. She has even been giving Amélie hugs on command. Very cute.

Our realtor came on Thursday and we got a lot of things cleaned out in preparation. The house is looking so much better. The photographer will come in 10 days so that we can get the house online.

We also have the second visit to the place in Vaassen that we are interested in on the 29th. Hopefully that can move forward quickly as it looks like Naomi won't be the only one commuting to Apeldoorn. Her school wants me to start teaching there in January. Just 6 hours a week, two half days, but it is a foot in the door. Interesting subject too - I can do whatever I want as long as the kids are building things and it is science related. They even have a few tools...

Losing Track of Time

Naomi has been to work every day this week. The girls have missed her. On the one hand I am perfectly accustomed to being at home, and on the other not at all. I wake up on a Thursday and think it is the weekend. Didn't even get a chance to start a woodworking project yet, just laying the ground work for a few.

We are getting the house ready to sell. That is quite the project. Also continuing to look at places in Vaassen, although slowing that part of the process down a bit. Naomi is really ready for the vacation.

I have trouble remembering what happened this week as it all blurs together. The girls were sick, we even had to take them to the doctor after dinner one night. Abigail got some antibiotics for a small lung infection. They were both wheezing a lot. Much better now though.

One week left, and then Naomi gets a much needed break!

Crazy Week One

It has been Naomi's busiest week of the year. She had to work an extra day because of report meetings. We visited two houses in Vaassen (was that really this week??). We had a mortgage appointment with the bank. We officially registered my new business. I even took the girls to daycare with the bike for the first time.

After lots of advice with the houses, we have made our choice, and now it is time to work out the details and get a bit more information. Part of that involves putting our house up for sale. I will be cleaning things out tomorrow...

The girls have been great. They put up with all our appointments and missed nap-times gracefully (with the exception of tonight). Abigail has a molar coming through and seems to have a bit of teething pain. Amélie gave up her lamb which helps her to walk for the first time today. She is really making fast progress with walking on her own. It is great to be home!

Ready for December.

Little people out for a walk.

Spinach does NOT make me stronger.

The End.

My time in the big city has come to a close. Might be back to visit or for my new woodworking business from time to time. I was sad to go. Definitely will need a few days to recover from the exhaustion of this separation.

The last week went really well. Got to play some sports, eat some pizza (instead of turkey and mashed potatoes), finish all the work I needed to do without stress, and had a really nice time wrapping things up. The students were really sweet. Lots of cards and chocolate and well-wishing.

One class even put together a party. They spent weeks on it. Balloons, confetti, cakes, decorations, and they even baked me cookies. They did a nice job of keeping it a surprise (although I figured it out since they don't think I understand Dutch). Perfect way to spend the last lesson of the last day.

After the final report meetings, some colleagues and I went over to an Irish Pub for dinner and drinks. 20 or 25 people showed up and we had a lot of fun. There was even live music which was nice. I will miss the people I work with.

Saturday was spent doing a bit of shopping and traveling back. Naomi was wiped out as both girls picked up something similar to chicken pox. She had to stay home from work on Friday. Things will change rather dramatically now, and right in time. We are worn out!

The farewell party.

One Week

We are down to the last week of separation! It will be a long one though. Naomi leaves tonight for a conference in Haarlem and I will stay an extra day in Rotterdam to do a bit of shopping and have a little going away party.

After about 6 months of ideas and debate, we have finally settled on a name for my business: CookCraft Woodworking. Dad's idea. Had our first website meeting yesterday and will officially register the business in about a week. Still waiting to hear back whether or not my first big project proposal will be accepted - they loved the design but not the price. I think that story will find a way of repeating itself...

We also made appointments to see a couple more houses in Vaassen and to talk with the bank about a mortgage. Just because I won't have to work in Rotterdam anymore doesn't mean things will slow down around here...

It is the 30th wedding anniversary party of Naomi's Aunt and Uncle today, so we will head over there shortly. I have to replace the headlights in the car first though...both of them burned out. By now it must be a bit warmer outside, we had our first real frost last night.

The Tree

I finished up the first official project of my new business this week. It turned out nicely and the teacher who requested it is quite pleased. I also found out that the school has a budget of 5,000 Euros per year for such 'classroom improvements' (which of course nobody knows about so our classrooms certainly don't look nice). Maybe more teachers will want a tree shelf in their rooms...

Tomorrow I will start designing a stereo table in some sort of art deco style for the parents of one of my former students. I hope they go for the design, but it will be expensive to make. We shall see what they say on Thursday...

We visited Vaassen on Saturday to check out a couple of houses. Our desire to move their was confirmed, and we have things narrowed down to a specific neighborhood where there is only one house for sale. Hopefully we will be able to get it. Don't have much time for two weeks though...

Today was the 95th birthday party of Naomi's Grandma. Gerda hosted it and more people gathered than had in many years. It was a nice event and fun to see so many people in the same place. Erna made a really nice photo book as a birthday present and Naomi, along with some others, want a copy too.

Before.

After.

Happy Birthday!

Pictures

It has been awhile since I have taken a picture of anything, so I figured the girls needed a bit of lens time. They have been getting cuter by the day, and I can see their changes more clearly as I am gone for half of the week. Their steps can be hard to put into words, but they always seem a bit older when I get home on Fridays.

Claire has been here for the past week helping out a lot. It has made Naomi's life a lot better, especially because the twins were some extra work with their shot side effects - lots of poopy and pukey messes to clean up. Now we only have three weeks to go! This weekend I was even able to finish up the tree shelf, a bit ahead of schedule, thanks to Claire. I will haul it to school and install it this week.

I had a really nice dinner with the parents of one of my former students on Thursday. They took me out to a fancy Italian place where we enjoyed a delicious 5-course seafood dinner. My woodworking business came up and they said they might like me to make a few things for them, so I will head over to their place on Tuesday to see what they have in mind.

Abigail goes for the camera.

Curious Amélie.

Climbing up Daddy.

Big hug.

Sister sandwich.

Abigail is clean!

Practicing for the Catwalk.

More Hands

Claire had some comp time coming her way, so she decided to come up and help out for a week. Much needed! Naomi is feeling stressed. Lots to do around here.

My new place is working out well in Rotterdam. What a relief to be able to walk to work! I have had more energy this week than expected, so that is a pleasure.

Made good progress on the tree. All the pieces are made, angles cut, and holes drilled. Just have to cut a little groove in the back and sand things down. Since Claire is here I can do a bit tomorrow and will finish it up next weekend. Even managed to squeeze in a bike ride because the weather has been soooo nice!

The Tree

I have spent much of this vacation working on the bookshelf in the shape of a tree. More accurately, two branches that will be attached to a pre-existing concrete column. Progress is, as expected, much slower than expected. It has taken quite awhile to get the workshop in working order and figure out how to use the low-budget machines I have with the high-diameter Meranti I found. Already went through one band saw blade. Luckily it is the low-density variety, otherwise I would be in big trouble.

The deadline will be tight, but I should be able to finish things on time. Now that I know how to proceed (for the most part) the pace should quicken. In spite of the beautiful morning, I will need to get busy here. Luckily we got a free hour today!

The girls had a really nice holiday - they enjoyed having both parents around. They continue to change very quickly and have been working a lot on language lately, trying to say a lot of different words. They are also learning to communicate pretty effectively without words. It will be fun to see what Naomi's family notices today...

Vacation!

Finally. We get a break. Sort of. The list of things to do is longer than our vacation, but at least we get to be together and have a bit of rest. I have a project to work on. One of the teachers at school wants some bookshelves in the shape of a tree, so that is my priority for this week. Nice that the first commission I will make is from my soon to be former employer.

I found some wood for it yesterday - Meranti. It is a bit harder than I would have liked, but it will look really nice and the price was right. Always interesting to work with a new type of wood. Good thing I spent so much time getting the workshop in order. Definitely not ready yet though.

The housing situation is also taken care of. I was offered a room within walking distance of school, so that will make things more relaxing. I will miss being in the Hague, but I won't miss the commute. It is only for half of five weeks, so I am sure it will be fine...

First Steps

Yesterday I saw Amélie walking for the first time. Just the final step before she fell, but there must have been a few more before that one. Both girls are doing well and adjusting to daycare.

I have been given my final working day - the 27th of November. This comes as a big relief to both of us as our current situation is pretty draining. I have been working to find a new place to stay in Rotterdam after our fall vacation that is coming in one week. Should have that sorted out in the next few days.

In spite of the busyness, work on the workshop is coming along. There is still a lot of stuff to sort through and arrange, but I hope to start making some furniture during the fall vacation. Just finished redo-ing part of my 'job application portfolio' for my application for a Dutch passport, so hopefully this time they will accept it...

Another Full House

We are having a nice weekend with the Auntie's squared. Claire and Caryn have been helping out a lot and having fun. We had a bonfire last night - this was the best bit of 'cleaning out' I have done - using scrap wood from the shed. We also grilled out and had a nice dinner on the patio. In t-shirts. In October. What a surprise to have such nice weather!

I had an eventful week. Picked up my new residence permit. Quit my job. Started looking for a new place to stay as my time in The Hague is up in two weeks. Continued with a cold that is getting rather old after a month. Also made more progress on setting up the workshop.

The girls are doing well. They learned their first word awhile ago, 'bye', but in Dutch. Their second word they know pretty well now, 'uh-oh', whenever they drop something. Now Amélie will even say it before she is about to drop something. She still hasn't taken her first step yet, but Abigail is pretty much over crawling. Walking is the way forward for her.

Warmelo

Having Caryn here this week has been a tremendous help. Naomi has been doing much better, and those extra pair of hands go a long way. It was a pleasure coming home from the West to a clean house and a tasty meal. Afterwards we put the girls to bed and got ready for a wedding reception. Naomi's cousin got married, and we had a really nice time.

We had plenty of downtime this weekend but managed to get started on setting up the workshop as I was a bit motivated to start since I finished writing the business plan. It sure is a big job to get all that stuff functioning in such a small space.

Today we had a nice day visiting a couple nearby castles. There was a sand sculpture exhibition in the gardens of one of them and even the weather cooperated. It was a really nice day. Tomorrow Naomi is back to work and I head back to the West. My new residence permit came through so I will need to pick that up and then I can officially quit my job!

Le Petit Dictateur

Mid-Winter Horns.

The Englishman who brought the textile industry to Twente.

The old castle.

Abigail learned to pick her nose...

On Our Own

It has been awhile since I have taken any pictures. Life here has been too hectic. This was the first week that we were on our own, and, thankfully, that will end tomorrow when Caryn comes. Naomi and the girls had a really rough time. Everyone was sick and it was the first week at daycare.

We are really happy with the daycare, but the girls definitely need some time to adjust. When they get home the are crying a lot. Very tired and overwhelmed with all the new impressions. Perhaps that is better than crying a lot at daycare though...

In contrast, I had a nice and relaxing week in the West. Quite a few of my students were at camp, where it rained most of the time, so I didn't have much work to do. I spent some time on the business plan and was able to relax.

The only annoying thing was the trains. I had four major delays in a week. One meant we had to walk from one station to the next as the bus only came once every hour, and another meant I was late for work because some psycho ran onto the Thalys, locked himself in the bathroom, and had to be dragged out by a SWAT team after they shut down the entire station. I don't think I would be happy with taking public transport to work on a permanent basis.

It seems like every Friday when I get home I have to get to know the two little ones again. They change so much even over the course of a few days. We had a nice time yesterday running a few errands in Hengelo - Abigail and Amélie had a blast at the IKEA. This morning Amélie was really grumpy, probably teething, so hopefully when she gets up from her nap we can head over to a pancake house for lunch. Nice to have more of a regular weekend!

Full House

I came back from the West bringing a cold along with me, along with a bad attitude as nearly all the trains from Rotterdam were shut down, so unfortunately I wasn't able to enjoy the full house as much as I was hoping to. Naomi was in similar shape as she was so exhausted from yet another busy week.

We still had a nice visit with Dad and Claire. Ron and Edith also came for the day yesterday and the five of our guests had a nice afternoon at a castle with sand sculptures while we took a nap.

Chinese was ordered for dinner and the portions we got for 7 people were enough for 14, so we also have been enjoying some nice leftovers. Dad and Claire made it to the airport this afternoon and Mom will follow them in the morning. We shall see how we manage without any help...at least we only need to try it out for a week.

Work Week

This was our first full week of work. My mom is still here, so that makes things a lot easier than they would have been otherwise. I almost missed the train on the way to the West and it was really hot, so I spent the first train ride to Hengelo dripping with sweat. After that things went well, and the big rain storm passed over the train and cleared up by the time I was done eating at the station in The Hague.

After the first day of work I showed my hosts how to use their new 'Smokey Joe' and we grilled up some rib-eyes I brought with me. It was a nice dinner. The day after we had some Indonesian take-out after an intense game of squash, and the third night was a bit more relaxed.

The trains were on time after school on Friday and Naomi picked me up at the station in Apeldoorn. Really nice how that timing works out! We both had a good work week and were able to fill each other in on the ride home. This weekend is about finishing more Immigration paperwork and trying to get the upstairs of our house in order.

We also have a new trailer that goes behind the bike, and also acts as a stroller for the girls. I put that together, and if the weather cooperates today we can try it out! The hope is that after this weekend is finished, the only thing that will still have to be done in terms of moving in is the shed - but that will take awhile.

To the West

We had sort of a 'trial week' to get used to being separated. I only had two days of work, but it was nice to figure out what our routine will be like. I will be spending about 15 hours every week just commuting. Naomi will have to deal with traffic jams and being a single mom for much of the time.

Moving in proves to be a long process, one in which the end doesn't really seem to be in sight as we have so many other things to do. We need a trailer for the bike to put the girls in and they need a place to play in the livingroom. They have outgrown their box. Today I will try to turn it into something else.

Hopefully I can make more progress with the kitchen as well. The girls have had their shower and we should be able to get a lot done today since it is a rainy morning anyway. Lots of adjusting and re-adjusting. At least the jet lag has worn off...

Back to the NL

Wednesday Abigail and Amélie turned one year old! We had a day filled with packing but also a really nice birthday dinner. Steaks on the grill with twice-baked potatoes and an apple crisp. They both liked their special cuisine! After opening up a few nice presents they went to bed for their last full night of sleep for awhile.

Our journey back went better than I had feared it would. Didn't start out well though. We got a call a few hours before we left for the airport that our flight out of Detroit had been cancelled. My mom had to spend 45 minutes on the phone trying to get us seats in the same neighborhood. Luckily it worked out, and we even convinced the stewardesses to allow us to use our car seat (in one case appealing to the pilot who overruled her) which is against FAA regulations! Flying with babies is not a good idea...

When we got to Amsterdam the train system was in tatters. It took us an hour to get a train, but we felt fortunate to have one at all given the situation. Still not sure what went wrong. Erna was able to pick us up in Deventer which was a huge help, and Gerda stocked up the fridge so that their was food to eat, and the babies behaved incredibly well through it all. Naomi had to get off one stop before us so that she could make it on time for her first day of work. Ouch. It went well though!

The nights have been a bit rough until about 2am as nobody is inclined to sleep. I am also overwhelmed with all the stuff that needs to be unpacked and sorted from the trip and the move. Definitely won't be ready to head back to the West on Wednesday so I can start working, but at least I don't have Naomi's schedule! Things would be much worse if Mom wasn't here to help us out, so we are really happy with the way things are going.

Here is a video of Amélie's impression of Grandpa Jack.

In the Basement

We have had a busy week of cleaning out the basement, painting the walls, and filling in some holes in the concrete. This will prepare some space for a new bedroom so that my mom can use ours for her stained glass workshop as it has better windows. Progress is slow but we are making a big difference.

Today Naomi noticed our first tooth! Abigail has one coming through on the bottom. No whining or fussiness from her though...and the whole row seems ready to pop! Nothing yet from Amélie. They sure have changed since we have been here!

Today might be the first day at home that I haven't been able to fit in a round of Golf. We were busy taking a truck load to the dump this morning and it just started pouring outside. Perhaps tonight...

Yesterday we got to spend the day up in Marquette. We were scouting it out as the place to move to permanently when we come to the States. We had a great time and were both positively impressed by the town and feel of the community. Seems like the perfect place for us to live!

In a week we will be on an airplane or in an airport. I am dreading that. Good thing mom will come with us! Naomi is feeling ready to head back but I wish we could stay longer. Lots of work left to do in the basement...

On the Road

We did a lot of traveling this past week. First, Naomi and I spent a few days in Central Wisconsin. Without the girls. It was great. Started out at the Pike Lake Cabin for a couple nights. Grandma and Grandpa met us there and left after a nice dinner. This was followed up by a beautiful, relaxing day. The next morning we cleaned things up for the realtor. Unfortunately, the cabin needs to be sold. We were happy to spend a bit of time there before it happens.

We spent another day with family and then headed back to Escanaba. After three days it felt like I almost didn't recognize the girls. Amélie's hair color had changed and Abigail was starting to take steps on her own. They did really well with Grandma and Grandpa - just the routine and peace that they needed after so many visitors.

I was only home for a day before heading down to the Grand Rapids area with Dad for his family reunion. We decided that 7 hours in the car was way too much for the little ones, so just the two of us made the trip. Friday evening we spent in Grand Haven checking out my friend Andrew's new location for his coffee company, Aldea. It is coming together really well. They share a space with a brewery and an art gallery. A food business will be opening up there shortly too. Pretty cool business venture.

Saturday was the reunion and it was a lot of fun to spend the day with family. The food was good and we had a really nice spot at a park. Sunday morning I met Andrew for some disc golf and after lunch we made the drive back to Escanaba, stopping at Kitch-iti-kipi, an incredibly clear, spring fed lake that you can take a raft across on our way home.

Now Naomi's friend Amelia is visiting from Cleveland, and the basement project has begun. We are clearing things out and will be building a new bedroom down there so that Mom can take over ours for her stained glass workshop. We shall see how far we get...wish we had more time here!

Goodbye to the Pike Lake Cabin.

Paula's - a great lunch spot with a strange mix of decor - the owners don't even like tea.

Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven.

The Aldea Coffee Location.

Sunset over Grand Haven's Beach.

Kitch-iti-kipi.

Family Week

This week was a busy one. After all of our visitors from my Mom's side of the family over the weekend went their separate ways, we had a couple days with just my sisters at home, then on Wednesday that changed.

We met some of my Dad's side of the family in a nice park around Green Bay. On the way in, we sure noticed that they are building up the interstate around Green Bay. It is starting to feel like a big city now. The park was really nice and we had fun. It was rare that so many of us could be in the same place at the same time.

Grandma Harriet and my Aunt Caryn came back to Escanaba with us. We had a nice visit with them, and they had a lot of fun with the girls. Went to a great new Mexican restaurant yesterday - what a pleasure to get the real thing!

This coming week will be a traveling week, so I won't get to see much of the girls. Have managed to get in a round of golf pretty much every day so far though!

Kalia going raspberry picking with Amélie.

Playing in the baby kennel.

Grandpa tried to join in, but Abigail got the best of him.

Stateside

Well, we made it. The girls have been incredible. After the morning routine, they got into a strange car, waited at a train station for half an hour, sat in a train for over an hour, spent 3.5 hours in lines at a busy airport, were scrunched into a flying sardine can for 9 hours, barely slept, and they played happily for over three hours at the Detroit airport before falling asleep on the flight to Escanaba. Claire wasn't able to join us as planned for unclear reasons, but enjoyed a big steak paid for by Delta. They said the airspace over Brussels was restricted - as if that has anything to do with a flight from Switzerland to Amsterdam. I think they were just freeing up seats for overbooked flights like ours...

It didn't take them long to adjust to life in Escanaba. They are loving the attention and didn't get too overwhelmed by the family reunion that took place there over the weekend. It was really nice to see everyone, and great that they were willing to come up north so we didn't have to travel!

I got the golf course all set up. Added a couple holes, so not it is up to five. Been golfing every day so far, enjoying the beautiful weather, and plan to continue doing so. Also picked up a set of discs to use on the course as well. Being home is great and I am sure the time will continue to fly by!

Fun in the mushroom pool.

Four generations.