Back to Normal

We are gradually getting back into our Amsterdam daily lives after 3 weeks of traveling and visitors. We loved it all, but there is also something nice about home and routine.

Monday was Moms and Tots. The host Mom had 2 kittens which Ben loved chasing around. It made me miss our sweet Peanut back home. Although, we hear that she is adjusting nicely at the Zabikow Zoo. :)

Tuesday was swim lessons, and Ben is doing really well. He loves the water and likes floating on his back. He's going under the water now too, which from his facial expressions after coming up, is a bit fun and scary all at the same time. This next Tuesday we are supposed to wear our pj's??? I still haven't figured out the why or how this makes any sense to come and get all wet in our clothes, but I'll be sure to report the outcome of this crazy Dutch idea next week. After lunch that day, Ben started looking through a magazine that was on the table. I came back around the corner, and he was playing 'peek-a-boo' with the lady in the magazine. Hee hee, what a silly goose!
Tuesday was also the celebration of our 8th wedding anniversary. I had yet to make lasagna here in Amsterdam, and Greg loves my homemade lasagna. So, I ventured out in search of all the ingredients. I was able to get very close - crushed tomatoes were a no-go, but I did find this 'tomato concentrate' stuff that worked pretty well. Ah, the continued challenge of adapting recipes to what's available. Greg was very pleased and gave the effort an A, so I'm sure I'll be making it again. After putting Ben to bed, we celebrated with the wine and Sacher torte we had brought back from Vienna. A very nice evening of spending time together - and of putting off all the blogging, cleaning, and laundry to be done. :)

Thursday was Little Gym class and Friday was the monthly general meeting for the American Women's Club. The weather since we have been back from Vienna has been cold and wet, so I was elated to see sunshine and clear skies on Friday. Greg made it home from work a bit early that night, so we bundled up and went for a walk. It's starting to get dark earlier again, so it was nice to be out with the city lights. About 5 minutes from home, it started raining...of course! But, what a great excuse to come in, get cozy, and share some hot chocolate. I love autumn!

Saturday morning was a make-up class for Little Gym. I was glad we could find a Saturday that worked so Greg could join us and see in person how much Ben loves to be there. Greg got such a kick out of watching Ben follow directions, interact with the other kids, and just laugh and explore the gym. There was a huge bouncer this week, and Ben really loved jumping! He's getting really close to jumping on his own. Got back home and went to the market, got a haircut, did some shopping...typical weekend fare.

As for today, it has been a hard one. It was 5 years ago today (and also on a Sunday) that Mom passed away. I still wrestle sometimes with trying to understand why she had to go…putting the pieces together of how God is using this for good. God led me to some words during my quiet time on Friday that reminded me that I don’t need to understand, He does. What a perfect and powerful promise!

“We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 (The Message)

So, I’ll end this short entry by encouraging those of you reading to simply...LOVE.

Have a great week!