On The Third Day Of Christmas...

We were supposed to be having a Birthday party for one awesome young man, but things don't always work out as planned. Poor Brandon came home with a cold on Friday, and woke up feeling rather icky on Saturday. So, the party was postponed for a little bit, and he decided to eat the cake to console himself. Due to the germified nature of the morning, we decided maybe the candle blowing ceremony should be contained to one small portion of Birthday cake.

I know the next few pictures have you thinking "What the heck? I thought the party was cancelled?!?!?" Yes, it was. But with Brandon under the weather, Russ decided to connect with the KB Go Kart crowd and take part in this weeks competition. Since it was a new track to us, I figured I would tag along and check the place out. We left Brandon happily stationed in front of the PS3 with two new games (Birthday presents) and the company of his lovely sister (also into PS3 games), and went to Maasmechelen. Check out what else we found here... an awesome indoor playground. You can see if through the window at the back of the Go Kart Bar.

They were shutting down for the night, but I snapped a few pics of the place before they turned the lights out.

Brandon and his friends would love this place. Almost as much as they would love the GoKarts on the other side. We will most definitely be back to check it out.

Back to the GoKarting place, here are a few pics of the bar. I was impressed.

It's a great little area where you can get snacks and drinks, and one wall is made of glass, so you can watch all of the action out on the track.

Well, most of the action, because the Maasmechelen track is two stories. And very, very action packed. Just look at all of those curves! Everyone had a super time racing around, and we will definitely be going back here as well. As soon as Brandon is back to health, we'll take him and let him check it out. As you can see from the video, it rocks!

Weekend Go Karting

The menfolk went Go Karting with a group from our base this past weekend. Those blurs in the picture are the go karts. I'm not sure if it was their massive speed or the amount of testosterone that was in the air that made them all blurry. Either way, a good time was had by all. They've decided to make this a weekly event. As with all things that men do, it's turned into a competition. Let the games begin.

Pottery and Sad Goodbyes

Some great friends of ours are heading back to the states. This is one of the only bad things about our nomadic lifestyle. But when you think about it, if it were for the military, we would never have met them to begin with. We decided to spend one of our last nights together doing something that we've had a blast doing in the past...racing at the go kart track. All too soon, the night was over. Next thing you know, and we're taking them to the airport. Sadness. The Smiths are some amazingly awesome people, and it's hard to let them go, but they're ready for the next stage in their life. Retirement. And new adventures on the horizon. They have started On Target Outdoor Ministries, so be sure to check them out. When you do, say Hi for me. I'm sure our last year in Belgium will go just as quickly for us as it did for them, and we will soon meet up with the Smiths at Disney World! It's been a week full of endings, it seems. I had my last pottery class this week. We spent the day glazing our creations and getting them ready for their final firing. I must admit, I'm pretty proud of my work... especially my bowls. I'll post more pics after they are fired, so you can see the final products. Maybe I'll add a pottery room when Russ builds me my castle. Then I can become a famous artist and sell my bowls on the internet. Our retirement is fast approaching, so I need to be thinking about the future. Castles don't build themselves, you know.

Get Your Hunt On This Fall!

Russ keeps telling people that he when he retires from the military, he plans on becoming a Green's Keeper at a nice little golf course somewhere in the south. I don't have aspirations that high. I plan on becoming a Walmart greeter. Luckily, we have a few more years to work out the details. Some friends of ours find themselves a little closer to that decision. They are retiring this summer, and are moving to the lovely state of Alabama. I guess Louisiana and Texas wouldn't let them in. (Sorry, Tim, I couldn't resist.) Anyhoo, they are in the process of setting up On Target Outdoor Ministries, and it will be in full swing in July of this year. It's a hunting lodge with a twist. You get to hunt for trophy deer, turkey, and quail, while learning a little more about God's word. Not to mention the fact that Dawn provides you with some awesome meals. It's a pretty cool setup. Check out their site. And when you head down there for your hunt, be sure to ask Tim for tips on how to drive Go Karts in Belgium. They call one section "Smith Corner" for a reason. I'm just saying.

Go Karts, Part Twee (That Means 2)

The boys decided that they needed some more speed, so we got together with friends and tried out another indoor Go Kart track this weekend. Not only was this one was closer to home, it was very cool. You step up to the bar and sign into one of these touch screen computers. Then it takes a picture of you for your "license". Once you are in the system, then you are assigned a car.

I also liked the fact that this place had more safety gear for Brandon. A harness and neck brace were included in the price for all minors. He quickly suited up and was ready to go. Just like at the other track, there is a sensor in each of the cars. The sensor keeps track of your lap times and where you are on the leader board. It projects all of these stats up on a big screen inside the glassed in bar upstairs, where family and fans gather to watch the race. Each heat (that's race for you regular folks) lasts 12 minutes.

The track is a lot bigger than it appears from outside. On that second level to the right, there is a laser tag section, as well as bumper car soccer. That's right. They use bumper cars to knock soccer balls into several lit up goals. Definitely something to check out in the future.

Go Karts!

This week, the fellas were feeling the need...the need for speed! Unfortunately, everything is covered with a foot or two of snow right now, so we had to be a little creative. Did you know that they have several indoor go kart tracks here in Belgium? We headed over to Lommel with some friends to check one out.Unfortunately, it's really hard to take pictures inside this building. In order to make it light enough to see, the guys are all little go kart blurs on the track. You can get the idea, though. It was a blast! There was a big group of riders finishing up when we got there, and then we had the track to ourselves for over an hour before more people showed up. Apparently going during the middle of the week is the way to go! Each rider is assigned a car, and each car has an electronic device in it that keeps track of your lap times. When you are done with the race, you get a print out of your lap times. It's very cool. There was a nice place for us ladies to hang out in upstairs. We weren't really feeling the need for speed. We were feeling the need to chill, and this was right up our alley. Like every place in Belgium, there's beer available. And coffee. It's a great place to hang out after your race and swap stories.

Don't you love this? Just in case you were missing a little bit of home, you can order a Miller Lite. After all, it's made the American way!