Enjoying Our Last Bits of Time Here

Well, we know that we are going to Wichita Falls, Texas at some point this summer. So, that means that Eileen and I are shopping more and visiting more castles. And if you are planning on visiting, best to let us know soon!!! The hotel is filling up :-). I am still struggling with the lovely flip camera that Eric received for a holiday gift from my folks. I am sure that I will figure it out soon. Meanwhile, all is great. Today we went with friends to shop at a lovely little shop of wood toys. Eileen is soon to receive a wooden toy kitchen. Lucky girl!!!

We're home again

Well friends, we are still trying to convince the toddler that night is really night. But, otherwise, we are really glad that we went and saw family in the States. I can't believe how much family we managed to squeeze into a week. Congratulations to my new sister-in-law and my brother-in-law on their wedding! Yet another super-cool, fun, smart sister-in-law -- Yay for me (and thank you Joanne).

Hopefully, you see a video of Eileen with her second birthday cake. She now equates icing with cake (the other part, as you all know from being a kid yourself, is completely inedible and is solely a vehicle for delivering 'cake'). ****okay, I will need to try this again from Eric's computer, as the video did not upload****

We arrived home at the tail end of Kermis (Carnival or the festival leading into lent). That lead to an amusing train trip from Amsterdam, complete with a large marching band from Utrecht heading to festivities in Den Bosch. And, of course, for new readers, it lead to a repeat of the lovely bar-tractor mobiles!

off for our last long haul before the move (I hope)

Saturday we will dash across the Atlantic (Eileen and I will, anyway) for a quick midwestern February week. Going to see Great-grandma Edie (my grandmother), Grandma and Grandpa Hirsch, and oodles of Aunts and Uncles on the Hirsch side...then rush to Uncle Kirk Jackson's wedding to the future Aunt Kelly. Eileen has never had all the Jackson cousins in one place before. Should be a hoot...though we'll miss Eileen's big sister, brother-in-law, and niece. Sounds like everyone else from the immediate clan will be there!

Sorry for going quiet...and hoping to figure out how to upload video of the birthday girl blowing out her candles.