Parties, Bike Rides, and Proms In Castles

We had a pretty busy day yesterday. Russ went on a fast paced 50 mile bike ride with a group of guys from Kleine Brogel. I went to a Scrapbook/ Birthday/ Going Away party with the gals from KB. Brandon relaxed at the house and played PS3 games online with his friends. And Jess... she went to the Prom in a castle. Just another typical Saturday in Belgium. OK, maybe not so typical. Let's face it, how many teenagers can say that they went to the Prom...in a castle...in The Netherlands. Very cool.

The party was at Limbricht Castle this year. After all, they had to top last years Prom. It was in a cave. I don't know about you, but our Prom was in the school gym, decorated with crepe paper flowers. These poor kids have it so tough. I almost feel sorry for them. I'm sure you do, too.

*Thanks for the use of these pics. I didn't take them, but I wish I had. :0)

Happy Halloween!

The great thing about an American holiday in a foreign country is that you can celebrate Halloween whenever you like. We did most of our celebrating last night.

Our pumpkin, however, didn't make it to the party. He decided to turn BAD! I guess that's what happens to cannibalistic pumpkins. They grow a thick, furry coat of mold and start to smell a little "ripe". Due to his poor behavior, he was banished to the trash.

His chocolate counterpart, however, was on his best behavior and got to have all kinds of fun. He was invited to a Halloween party in the Netherlands with the teenager! Jess went to a neighboring country for a Halloween party (how crazy does that sound??), and then a sleep-over at a friends house. As a "thank you" gift to the friends parents for putting up with sugar induced teenagers for the night, we sent along this chocolate pumpkin from Leonidas. It's actually hollow, so we had it filled with an assortment of chocolates (pralines) as well. Now the parents are buzzing on a sugar high along with the kids. That's what Halloween is all about!While Jess was off partying in the Netherlands Friday night, we headed off to Russ' work. Everyone decorated the main buildings, and the kids got to trick or treating through all of the offices. After collecting lots of candy, they headed to the Club and had a big party with fun and games. It was a huge success! The big hit of the night was the Haunted House, put on by all of the cops. They had grown men screaming like little girls! (I'm not naming any names, but you know who you are!)This fellow on our hall was a big hit, as well. He was sitting in the dark, and the kids thought the bowl of candy was sitting on a black chair. When they reached for it, he moved and they screamed!

The kids had a blast, and we gave away a ton of candy. We have a lot left, too. We're going to be eating snickers and twizzlers for months to come. There are going to be a lot of busy Belgian dentists near the base! Happy Halloween!

One Rocking Weekend!

This weekend has been VERY busy, to say the least! Friday was Brandon's first day of school, and we had an Open House there at noon with hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch. We met his teacher and the rest of the staff there and had a great meal. Then it was on to KB for more fun. Each year they hold a Friendship Day, where we invite our landlords and other locals who are a part of our lives here in Belgium, and celebrate with great food and fun. It's an awesome way to get to know them better, and everyone has a super time. The fellows at the chow hall put on a great spread. They had barbecue chicken, ribs, potato salad, beans, and the list goes on. Of course, there was lots of beer. It wouldn't be Belgium without it.

There was karaoke, face painting and a bouncy castle for the little ones, and a dunking take full of officers and Senior NCO's. One of the highlights of the evening was the live band made up of our airmen. They were fantastic! We wrapped the evening up with a beautiful fireworks display. (The only one who didn't enjoy it was the poor deer who ran running for his life at the first explosion!) Saturday brought a day of running errands and then another party. Our neighbors put on a great Barbecue Saturday night. More fun and great food! (And yes, beer!) Whew! Is it any wonder that we slept late this morning? I'm tired just writing this all down! It's early yet today, so we might just fit in another adventure. That is, if the boy ever gets out of bed!