Our Life in Luxembourg: Month 8 {June 16-July 15}

8 Months. Past the honeymoon period, past the getting settled period, with a few international travels under our belt. We’re starting to feel like we aren’t newbies anymore, mostly in a good way. But we are also starting to feel that time is passing quickly and we need to make the most of it before this little adventure ends! A few highlights from the month:

Our first visitors – Jake and Stacey came to town and we had fun exploring Luxembourg with them for a couple of days.

 

Nate’s trip to Paris for work – there and back in one day.

Trip to Angers, France to visit my parents, along with Mont St. Michel and Chambord Chenonceau châteaux in the Loire Valley.

Dinner with Russ & Star and the Wares, to welcome the Wares to Luxembourg. Grateful for new friends!

BBQ at the Mullins’ with the Oates and Russ and Star. Soccer in the backyard, wonderful weather, yummy food, and good company.

Day trip to Berkastel-Kues, Germany with the Oates and Russ & Star. We went for the lego exhibit (which turned out to be a few lego buildings interspersed with creepy dolls in a museum of old toys), but left loving the scenic little village and the hills full of vineyards.

  

Eliza wanting to wear Bennett’s backpack home from the bus stop every day.

An early July heat wave – 98 with humidity and no A/C is killer! Too bad we can’t all fit in the freezer.

Trying to cool off by swimming in the pools in the Oates’ backyard with the Oates and the Wares.

Picnic at Bambesch Woods Park with the Oates, Russ & Star, the Whites, and the Mullins in an attempt to get out of the heat by hanging out in the shade.

Family bike ride (without me…we only had one working adult bike). We bought a bike seat for Eliza, and the boys were really excited to try it out.

Hearing that Nate’s grandpa had passed away and feeling far away, but also grateful for opportunities to still feel connected and watch the funeral online.

Celebrating the 4th of July in the Luxembourg heat with a party at some ward members’ house, and an after-party in the Oates’ backyard inflatable pools with the Andrews and patriotic music.

Play group at the Castle Park.

 

Trip to the Frankfurt, Germany temple with our ward. Nate and the kids hung out with ward members while I went to a temple session. We stopped at Chipotle in Frankfurt before coming home. It was beyond delicious. Surprisingly, it tasted just like in the U.S. (most things here are just a little bit different).

 

Bike park with the Oates, the Wares, and the Mullins. I loved watching the group of boys huddle up to plan whatever game they were playing.

Going to the swimming pool with the Oates and the Wares.

Going away girls’ dinner for Lori White. Such a fun night. We will miss the Whites!

After 8 months, FINALLY buying a dryer. Couldn’t be more excited to say good-bye to crispy clothes and waiting 2 days for them to dry!

Our Life in Luxembourg: Month 7 {May 16-June15}

The first half of Month 7 was spent back in the U.S. visiting family in Oregon, and then back to Utah. Since I already posted about our trip, I’ll skip repeating that part. But – it was hard to pack up our stuff and get back on that plane. Hard to leave family behind. Hard to not know for sure when we’ll be back again. Hard to leave the land of feeling like a competent adult. Of knowing how things work, what the social customs are, where to find the things I need, and how to take care of my little family. Being home also reminded us what an amazing experience and incredible opportunity this is for our family as we answered countless questions about what life is like and what we have been able to do. We came back at the end of May with 6 weeks left of school, but grateful for warmer weather and looking forward to the summer ahead. A few things to remember about Month 7:

Checking out a new (to us) park, the “Pirate Ship Park” downtown with the Oates. The kids loved reuniting with friends, playing on the giant pirate ship, playing in the water, and especially walking downtown to spoil our dinner with ice cream cones afterwards. Eliza graduating to needing her own cone instead of taking a few licks of mine.

 

Spending 30 minutes finding a parking spot, and walking from said parking spot back to the post office to pick up a package (since they won’t leave them at your front door).

Picnic lunches with Nate down in the Grund.

Meeting the Mullins and Oates at a park that actually had shade, a big grassy area, and bark chips on the playground instead of the usual sand/dirt combo that comes home with us.

Being distracted by police officers in a heated exchange with a woman on the side of the road, and driving the wrong way down a one-way street. We realized it ~100 yards in and backed up right to where the cops were. They happily gave us a ticket for driving the wrong way down a one-way street. And an additional ticket for not having proof of insurance in our car. Then took our keys away and “immobilized” our car for not having proof of insurance. Then, per the officer’s instructions, we drove back down the same one-way street (again the wrong way) to park our car, get out, and walk home with our 3 children.

Taking family pictures for the Oates, whose kids were immune to my Thomas the Train and smarties bribes.

Taking senior pictures for Madi White.

Playing in the backyard pool at the Oates’s house. Wishing we had a yard.

Evening sunset runs.

Wondering what we’re going to hear from Ryan when we take him to the bathroom before we go to bed. One of our favorites: “Dad, are you a monster?”

Luxembourgish Mother’s Day, complete with gifts from Bennett’s and Ryan’s schools, and lots of little notes and cards they made for me all week.

Meeting with Ryan’s teachers, who said that if they had a whole class of Ryans, their job would be easy.

Eliza finding my chocolate chip stash, and helping herself. And yes, that is a giant bag of Belgian chocolate chip goodness.

Bennett and Ryan drawing nonstop, and me attempting to stop Eliza from drawing all over herself and the house.

Attempting to entertain Eliza while I shower and get ready in the morning. That is a urinal in the background. Don’t worry, there’s one in the downstairs bathroom too.

Creative uses of TP: a TP castle.

Angers, France {June 19-23}

My parents were in Angers, France for 3 weeks so we took a long weekend to visit them and see some of the things close to Angers. We arrived late Friday night after a long drive (traffic + crazy weaving drivers causing accidents, which caused more traffic) and settled in with them in their one bedroom apartment.

Mont St. Michel

Saturday morning, after setting off in search of croissants and pain au chocolat for breakfast, we convinced my mom to come with us and drove up to Mont St. Michel. One of my favorite places! Impressive from a distance, plus fun little streets, architecture in the Abbey, and amazing views from all sides. Mom played with Eliza while we took the boys and went in the Abbey at the top.

the post office, a covered walkway over the street, and mom and I with the abbey behind us

eliza looking out the tiny windows; the back of the abbey

A courtyard in the abbey, and mom and Eliza hanging out while we were inside

 

Chambord & Chenonceau

On Monday, we once again found some croissants and pain au chocolat for breakfast, then took another day trip to the Loire Valley to see 2 castles. We stopped at Chambord first and had a picnic lunch, then went through the castle. The furnishings weren’t too exciting, but we had fun walking up the spiral staircase (where you can start out on opposite sides and see each other at various points, but never cross paths) and exploring the roof. It’s amazing how big the “hunting lodge” is!

After Chambord, we drove over to Chenonceau. Smaller, but impressive in different ways. The history of the château was really interesting – especially how it was used as a hospital during WWI, and was on the dividing line between nazi-occupied France and unoccupied France in WWII. The boys loved the maze in the gardens and would raced to the middle and back out multiple times.

           

Angers

We loved the time we had in Angers with my parents. It was fun to have them show us around the city (I visited them there 9 years ago, but it was fun to go back and see it again) and be able to walk everywhere. On Saturday night after Mont St. Michel, my dad took Nate and I on a walk showing us parts of the city. Sunday was the Fête de la Musique – a city festival where they had bands set up all over downtown and tons of people out listening to the music. The boys took advantage of every opportunity to show off their dance moves, and Eliza even joined in a few times. It was a beautiful evening and such a fun atmosphere.

Monday night after our château adventures, Nate and I went to their favorite crèperie with my dad. We loved our galettes bretonnes and of course our delicious dessert crèpes.

   

The Château d’Angers, and Bennett and Ryan attempting to scale its walls

       

We had a great trip – loved spending time in France, seeing Mont St Michel, exploring the châteaux, and hanging out in Angers with my parents. Thanks for letting us take over your little apartment!