I'm Short!

Right now, my family and civilian friends are saying "No you're not. You're actually pretty tall." My military friends know exactly what I'm talking about. We've all been there. Being short means that you only have a little time left on your current assignment. In fact, we only have around 5 months left in beautiful Belgium. Part of me is very excited, because it's been almost 7 years since we lived in the lower 48, but another part of me is sad. There are so many things that I'll miss about this place...the small town atmosphere, riding bikes along the canal, listening to the church bells ringing out the hours in the centrum of town, fresh flowers at affordable prices, the local bakery, train trips, being so close to amazing cities that I never dreamed I'd be able to visit. The list goes on and on. If I could bundle up Belgium and stick in smack dab in the middle of the United States, I'd do it and live there happily for the rest of my life. On the other hand, I'm so excited to be back in the great US of A. I can't wait to be smart again and understand every sign I look at and everything that they're saying on the radio. I can't wait to be able to walk into a Target or Walmart and find everything I need in one place. (Trust me, it's a modern miracle. If they opened one of those stores here, they would be millionaires over night.) I miss my kids going to a school that isn't an hour away. I miss roads that run North, South, East and West. (Over here they resemble the spokes on a bicycle tire. And they meander. A lot.) I'm sure the next few months will fly by at an amazing rate of speed, and we will soon be on a plane to our next assignment. Wherever our road leads, it will be to yet another amazing adventure. I think that Belgium, like Alaska, will always hold a very special place in my heart. And every day I am grateful that we got the chance to live here and experience it. But I can't wait to see what's next...

New Beginnings

You know what I love best about the New Year? Getting a new calendar. I love opening it up for the first time and seeing all those blank days, just waiting to be filled with adventures and opportunities. I always shop around for a weekly calendar, because that works best with our busy household. You can see the entire weeks activities and appointments at a single glance, so you can prepare for what is to come. And then... I start filling the pages. School. Appointments. TDY's. Vacations. Birthdays. Coffee with friends. Everything goes in my little calendar. In it's own way, it tells the story of our lives. Hope your calendar is filled with endless possibilities for the New Year.

Dragons at Hoensbroek Castle!

This week, Hoensbroek Castle is hosting Drakenkasteel (Dragon Castle). And signs of them are everywhere. You get to go on a treasure hunt to find them, but I'll give you a hint... Look in the attic. They are everywhere up there, and they have nests with baby dragons, too. Peek inside the little school room and you'll find a couple more. Even though we didn't understand enough Nederlands to go on the treasure hunt, we still had tons of fun searching for the mystical creatures. Now... if I can just talk Russ into letting me adopt one. I'm sure they don't eat much and I bet they're a breeze to house train!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas. We had a fantastic day of opening gifts, spending time with and eating with friends, and relaxing with a movie. Hope yours was just as great.

Valkenburg Cave Christmas Market

I hadn't planned on a return visit to the Christmas Markets in the Valkenburg Caves this year, but when a friend called me on the last day they were open, it was too much to resist. And I'm so glad I didn't even bother to try. It was a lot different from my visit with Russ last year. It was misting rain instead of snowing, and the decorations were all completely changed. We checked out the goodies at each booth, talked to the vendors, and had a delicious cup of cappucino and a fresh waffle with warm cherries on top at the cafe in the middle of the cave. I picked up a few last minute Christmas gifts, and Kimberly scored a gorgeous antique rocking horse. And we made a few new friends. But that's another story all together.

Cologne Christmas Market

Russ had to work, so the kids and took off to Cologne, Germany, to go to their Christmas Markets. Cologne has not one, but FIVE different Christmas Markets. The one at the base of the Cathedral is my favorite. This year, we shopped under a canopy of Christmas lights. They did a fantastic job of decorating for the Markets. We spent the day wandering around the city with a fantastic group of people from KB. They had booths full of everything from ornaments and assorted gifts, to delicious food and gluhwein.

And don't forget a visit to the Nativity Scene: Mary and Joseph, pushing baby Jesus in a shopping cart. Hmmmm, something seems a little off about this, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I'm sure it's just me. Merry Christmas!

Hasselt Christmas Market

Proving once again what an awesome person he is, Russ took me to yet another Christmas Market. Although he doesn't share my enthusiam for the markets, he is a really good sport about it and keeps me company any time he can. Today, we went to the market in Hasselt. We went pretty early in the morning, so we beat the crowds. It was great just to walk around and check things out. In case you are wondering, the kids chose to sleep in. The Christmas Break has officially begun, and they wanted to take full advantage of it. It was their loss, because this market had both a roller coaster and a Fun House.

Christmas in Belgium is just a little different from Christmas in America. This is where Santa and Rudolph come to kick off some steam. I'm thinking that Rudy has had one too many frosty mugs of beer. He's getting a little too frisky with Santa.

And is it just me, or is this a Christmas prostitute? She's standing by the lamp post holding her hand out for money. I guess this is how they get the Dads to come to the Christmas Markets with the wives and kids.

In all, Hasselt has a great Christmas Market. They even had Santa's house there. It was a adorable little log cabin, fully furnished and with Santa in residence. Sadly, my camera battery died when I walked in the building, so I don't have any pictures to share. You'll just have to go there and check it out for yourself!