Terrorist attacks on Brussels

So a lot of people tried to contact us yesterday to see if we were alright. We are, since Brussels is still half an hour drive from were we live.
The mobile network was down most of the day, so we couldn't call.  But I saw some pics of solidarity that I wanted to share

 

 

Only the WTC had a slight problem with the Belgian flag I guess, it looks like the Stars and Stripes or the French flag...

 

Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.

Haai-tech

 

Yesterday we spent the whole day in Antwerp. We left around 8.00 a.m. to have breakfast in the city and then we left for Haai Tech, a talent factory for kids between 10 and 13 to get them to choose for science and math. They boys had a great time and it was very interesting to see them all work on the projects.

 

After lunch we visited friends who celebrated their son's birthday. Great day!

Son #1's birthday

Son # 1 turned 12 today, he wanted hamburgers for his birthday, so I made some. He enjoyed them and he is probably now checking out what game to get for the PS4...
Happy Birthday son!

Sea classes

Son #2 left yesterday for Sea classes. They will spend the week in a hotel at the beach where they will do their school tasks. It is always great fun for the kids, although of course he won't be able to participate in all the activities with his arm...

Hospital, again...

So, yesterday, we spent the morning in hopsital... Peter managed to get his hand beween a ladder while it collapsed with him on top... Result... broken arm, again...
So that is very convenient as he leaves for sea classes tomorrow with school... As this is still the open cast.. It can't get wet, or sand in it or whatever...
So we will see...

Birthday

Yep, another year older...

New belt

 

Son #1 and 3 had to show up to see if they could get a new belt for their jiu jitsu, they did their best and now we have to wait for the result...

Deer in the backyard

 

This afternoon I was informed by our au pair that their was a deer in our backyard. She even took pictures of it. No clue as how the deer got their as our back yard is completely fenced off... But I told her to open the gates and maybe it would walk away. So by the time I got back, she told be it was gone... too bad.

 

It was getting dark and I told son #1 to see if his chickens were inside the hen house, with all the commontion it was possible that they weren't inside yet. SO he walked out in the dark to check and suddenly the deer stood in front of him and ran towards him, give him the scare of his life...

 

 

 

 

SO I took this picture of her, she is still in teh garden and now we have to find a way to get her out of our garden... But that is a problem for tomorrow...

Last day...

Last day of the skiholiday, tomorrow we are going back home. As the weather turned and it was very foggy, we decided not to ski but to have a swim.
And it was time to take our traditional group picture with the home made hats, this years theme was hair...

Wishing you all a wonderful year!

Happy New year

 

Another great day of skiing. Last day of the year. We had a lot of fun today...

 

We are done with dinner and waiting to welcome the New Year.

So frol Austria, we all wish you a very happy and Healthy 2016!

Black slope

The snow canons are working overtime to keep the slopes white, but they do the job.

We also had a very large moon. And I needed to take a picture of it.

 

As you can see, that is the village where we are staying. can you see where the slopes are?

 

DH and I decided to get our first applestrudle with vanillesause, and when we were sitting on the terrace of the slope, we saw our party skiing past us, so we called them to have a break. Wonderful time, the kids did a black slope. We are very proud, it was an accident, but they managed, very well done.

Another day in green Austria

 

As you can see, there is still snow, during the day the temperature is between 10 and 13°C, but at night it freezes, so they can still perpare the pistes. Everybody is enthousiastic, not as good as normal, but still pretty good.

 

We are all having a good time.

 

First day of skiing... yes... there was skiing involved.

 

10°C and a lot of sun... makes for great skiing...

 

 

As you can see, everyone was happy and enjoyed the day.

 

Skiing outside the piste is no problem... But not a lot of people are doing it :-)

Great first day!

We arrived!

 

We never made it this quick, we arrived at the Hotel at 11.30, normally we arrive around 15.00, but as you cane see... snow?

 

 

The village is completely green, the skipiste is closed, but the big one is opne, so tomorrow they can ski.

 

So here we are, enjoying our first beer...

Merry Christmas

A bit early, but the coming days will be a bit hectic and I don't know when I will have the chance to get behind the computer, so from all of us:

A Very Merry Christmas!

Star Wars

 

So last night was the night, to start the boys Christmas holiday, we took them to the new Star Wars Movie. I am not a real fan, but ust admit it was a good movie in its genre.

And the boys enjoyed the stormtroopers and AT-AT at the entrance of the cinema.

The magic flute

Yesterday night we went to see the opera The Magic Flute by Mozart. Great performance. You can more info here.
We definetly brought the average age down by at least two decades. I guess the average age was 70, grin. But we brought some champagne with us and of course red velvet cake... With little silver forks and napkins, all in style.

Today we made some home made Christmas present for the boys to give in school It has to be a home made gift, so we made some Christmas ornaments.

So just a lazy weekend.

Thinking of you, sweetie

...

Sinterklaas

 

So Sinterklaas didnt pass our house this year, so we must have been 'good'.

Son #1 is getting a bit old and in the akward phase, but Sinterklaas is a man of now and he had a fun conversation with all of the boys and us.

One last group picture and he was off again to the next family.



 

But not before leaving a massice amount of presents...

 

And all those presents take a lot of you, because this is how I found the boys on the back seat...