Category Archives: Uncategorized

The kids had the week off of school, so we had a staycation! On Monday we went to an old Dutch village. We got to learn about the Dutch cocoa industry, windmills, manufacturing, and all sorts of fun Dutch stuff! On Tuesday we went to the coolest zoo ever! It had a drive-through option whereContinue reading “Staycation”

Carnaval is a big deal here. Friday through Tuesday (or even Wednesday), and a whole week off of school for the kids and the university. Evening activities generally consist of drinking, so we made a point to be home by late afternoon (we don’t drink and weren’t excited for that aspect). But, morning stuff wasContinue reading “Carnaval”

Last week was Carnaval in the Netherlands (and lots of the world). I had never experienced Carnaval before, so I did a little research on it. Originally, Carnaval was a prelude to Lent. Lent is a Christian celebration before Easter. Many Christians (especially Catholics) give up meat, dairy, and/or alcohol during Lent (or certain daysContinue reading “A brief history of Carnaval”

The last 7 days have been a whirlwind. It actually started last Wednesday. Something happened to our car, and the alignment was off really bad. So bad that we had to have it towed. Unfortunately, mechanics here are pretty slow. So, they told us it wouldn’t be ready until Tuesday. Now, we only have oneContinue reading “Busy week!”

Linda planned a great date night for us. Dinner for two at De Drive Linden. Unfortunately, Henry had other plans. First, I should point out that date night has been pretty rare in the Netherlands. We’ve had a lot of stay-home dates, but only one go-out date so far. We just don’t have a babysitterContinue reading “Date Night”

I often tell people that I’m not learning Dutch very well because no one lets me practice. They all speak English and immediately switch to English when they hear my miserable attempts at Dutch. Well, Henry (my son) has a friend named Sid. I talk with Sid’s dad a lot when dropping Henry off atContinue reading “Speaking Dutch”

People often ask what I will miss about the Netherlands when I go back to the US. First, the culture. There are a lot of things about the culture here that I am a huge fan of. For one thing, people are straightforward. If you’re busy when someone stops by, you just tell them. NoContinue reading “What I Will Miss”

People often ask what I miss most about the US. So, I thought I’d make a list: First, long, hot showers. I guess more broadly I miss the US energy prices. Gas prices here are so expensive that we take short, infrequent, lukewarm showers. Every time we stay in a hotel, either because ik onContinue reading “What I Miss”

Some friends invited us over for Sunday lunch last week so we could try some authentic Dutch food. It turns out, French Fries are originally Dutch! These friends have this Dutch “snack” food for lunch every Sunday. They have their own electric oil fryer for fries and such. They say a lot of Dutch familiesContinue reading “Dutch Food”

The first temple my church built in Europe was in Bern, Switzerland back in the 1950s. Lucky for me, I happen to be in Switzerland this week, and the temple was right on the train route from the airport to the conference I will be attending. So, I took a brief detour. Now for someContinue reading “Bern, Switzerland Temple”