Easter 2016

We kicked off our Easter celebrations dyeing eggs on Saturday afternoon. Last year, I had an egg dye kit I had brought from the US and found white eggs at the store to dye, but this year we went full European and used brown eggs with food coloring (since I couldn’t find a dye kit at the store). A couple of the colors didn’t work great on the brown eggs (the yellow and orange didn’t change the brown much) but the blue and red turned out really rich. The kids didn’t seem to care and had fun decorating, managing to make minimal messes.

   

  

 

 

   

Saturday evening, we went to the Oateses’ for a BBQ and Easter Egg Hunt. While the kids ate their hot dogs, the dads went to the park across the street and hid the eggs. The kids were really excited to start their hunt and even willingly sat on the porch for a group photo before heading over. We ate a delicious dinner with the Oateses, Wares, and Russ and Star, and enjoying talking while the kids ate their weight in candy.

  

  

On Sunday, the kids woke up and checked out their Easter baskets and searched for the dyed eggs the Easter Bunny hid. The kids each had about 5 plastic eggs filled with candy in their baskets, and as she opened each one, Eliza would show it to me and say “look mom! Treats!”. She was pretty excited about them. I convinced the kids to pose for the traditional Easter Sunday picture after Church. We put Eliza down for a nap, then I took the boys to the airport to pick up my mom. We were really excited to have her arrive! The boys have been talking about her coming for weeks and all the things they wanted to do when she got here. We enjoyed a yummy dinner with my mom and the Oates family to finish off the day.

 

Easter Monday is a National Holiday in Luxembourg, so we enjoyed having Nate home from work. Each year, on the day after Easter, Luxembourg celebrates “Emaischen”, an Easter Monday pottery market that features thousands of “peckvillercher”, little handmade bird-shaped whistles that were traditionally exchanged between lovers. Since we went last year and let each of the kids pick out a bird, we were mostly going for fun and to look around. Unfortunately, it rained off and on all morning, but we still had fun looking at all the birds, watching the singing and dancing groups, and picking out a peckvillercher for the baby (who was due on Easter Sunday but still hadn’t arrived).
 

 

Month 16 {February 16-March 15}

We started off Month 16 with Bennett’s birthday celebrations. I felt like I was in baby prep mode now that all of our trips had passed (Vienna and Paris) and worked on crossing things off of my to-do list. Our winter-y weather continued with lots of cold, rainy days, so we tried to make the most of our time inside. Some of the highlights of the month:

Bennett’s 7th Birthday. Swimming as a family, opening presents, and a minion cake.

 

Nate’s guys’ trip to Stuttgart and Heidelberg, Germany (separate post to come…if Nate gets around to writing it).

Feb 23 Tasha & her kids came over so I could do a mini photo shoot of the kids. We played for the afternoon and had pizza. Apparently the pictures traumatized Ingrid, who now, every time they come to our house, says “no pictures”.

Feb 25 Fun dinner / baby shower at “Come à la maison”, an Italian restaurant with yummy food, an attached home décor store, and pasta and sauces lining the walls. It made me really grateful for their friendship and the support of good friends to make me feel a little less nervous about having a baby in a foreign country.

 

A sunny Saturday (although still cold!) at the Bike Park with the Oates. Bennett got to try out the new bike he got for his bday, and Ryan got used to his “new” hand-me-down-from-Bennett bike.

 

Nate’s work trip to Munich for a couple of days.

Birthday Brunch at Tasha’s with the “Lux Ladies” to celebrate Martha’s birthday. We went European with delicious crèpes with all sorts of toppings.

Sunday Pot Roast dinner at the Oates’ with delicious food, kids having fun, and Easter videos. The Oates recently found out they will be heading back to the US soon and we are trying not to get too depressed about it! We’re excited for them but sad to see them go, and trying to make the most of the times we get to hang out.

Meeting friends down by the “Gare” (train station) for some shopping at Hema (the closest thing we can find to Target) and Ben & Pepper, a little home décor boutique. I told my friends afterwards that it filled a retail-therapy hole in my heart that is rarely filled in Luxembourg :)

Afternoon at the Jardin de Circulation with the Mackays, Mullins, Oateses and Wares. The kids all played really well together and the roundabout was the popular gathering place – the boys (and Eliza on the outskirts) had a conference there deciding who would play policeman, and later the girls all hung out doing who-knows-what.

  

Date night game night at the Mullins’. We beat the Mullinses, Wares, and Andrewses to take the Foosball championship title, and Nate won in the singles division. I think our attire gave us an edge – Nate was in complete athletic apparel, and we were decked out with sweat bands and arm bands. We followed up the foosball with some delicious snacks and games.

Nate’s friend Preston from the MBA program came into town for about 24 hours on his way to Cologne. Nate took the boys and gave him the grand tour of Luxembourg – the American cemetery, the casemates, and downtown. That night, we got a babysitter and went with Preston to dinner in the Grund and attempted a walk around downtown, but ended up going home not long after because it was freezing cold and really windy. He came to church with us the next day, then Nate dropped him off at the train station. It was fun to catch up with him over the weekend.

 

Maternity pictures with my friend Martha. I wasn’t good at taking bump pictures throughout the pregnancy, and decided it would be nice to have some evidence that I was pregnant. I had her take some with Eliza too, and actually liked how those turned out a little better, mostly because I look less awkward than posing by myself.

 

 

Eliza alternating between 3 strollers, her balance bike, her trike, and her scooter for trips to the bus stop
 

And a few random pictures from the month:

 

  

Bennett holding Eliza’s hand on the way home from the bus stop, Eliza putting her leg through the armhole of her PJs, and Eliza and Ingrid holding hands while I walked them to nursery.
  
A Saturday morning game of Twister, Ryan the King Superhero, and morning walks to the bus stop.