Somewhere in the Middle

The weekly forecast is looking GOOD!

 

Woke up this morning to the best news... Five days of sunshine! Is it really true? When you go without good weather for so long you truly appreciate a week like this. I'm not sure if we're having a great Spring season or whether this week of sunshine will be the only good weather we see during the summer months. Either way I'll take it!

This morning I went to the gym to lift weights. I'm really trying to make exercise a regular part of my weekly routine. I'll admit my sister's wedding along with bathing suit season is a huge motivation but it really does feel great to workout. I just need to make the time and view it like something that is part of my normal day like eating, bathing, or brushing my teeth. So often I find a million other things to do instead of going to the gym or just taking a walk or even going for a run. This morning when I thought about all the things I could do (working out not being one of them) I reminded myself that there will always be things on my "To Do" list waiting for me whether I make time to work out or not.

I recently read an interview Oprah did with Michelle Obama and something she said really struck me. Michelle Obama said, "I began to prioritize exercise because I realized that my happiness is tied to how I feel about myself." Such a simple statement but one that so many of us forget. I know when I work out I feel better about myself & eat healthier. Michelle Obama also said about her 4:30am work out... "If I had to get up to go to work, I'd get up and go to work. If I had to get up to take care of my kids, I'd get up to do that. But when it comes to yourself, then it's suddenly, Oh, I can't get up at 4:30am." That's so me. I really need to make exercise a priority in my life because when you do it really does make you happier.

A taste of summer

The weather forecast for today was 80 degrees! 80 degrees in Belgium... Can you imagine?  That's like a heatwave! It's funny how your body completely acclimates to a different temperature. I used to have a friend who grew up in Alaska and she used to tell me how people wore shorts when the temperatures reached the mid 60's. I thought she was crazy but now I completely understand. lol!

This morning I was so excited to see the sun shining I didn't know what to wear. With tons of cute summer clothes hidden away I was overwhelmed with choices. Do I wear shorts with a tank top, a skirt, capris, sundress, argh so many choices. How do you chose just the perfect summer outfit when you're not sure when you'll experience another warm day. I had to chose wisely. The winner... a cute linen embroidered lavender J.Crew sundress. The day was going great until I left the doctor's office (more on this later). I looked outside and found gray clouds, wind was kicking up and it began drizzling. I looked ridiculous in a sleeveless sundress and flip flops. lol! I considered going home to change but I made plans to meet a friend. Oh well I thought. But once I picked Lil' C up from school the sun was shining brightly again and it was back to a high of 86 degrees!

Tomorrow is supposed to be in the mid 60's with rain. Good thing I wore something summery today because tomorrow it's back to my old uniform... a turtleneck and jeans. It was good while it lasted. lol!

Celebrating 17

This weekend S & I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary. I still can't believe it... 17 years! lol!  Honestly, the time has flown. Never did I realize the adventure I would be signing up for when I said "Yes".

Shortly after I became engaged to S I remember one of my girlfriends saying, "Are you sure you want to do this? You've only spent a few months together (physically-since it was a long distance relationship)." Not only did I marry S but a few days after the wedding I moved to Germany... thousands of miles from my family & friends and from everything that was familiar to me. Sure, I was crazy. But I suppose love makes you do crazy things. And here we are 17 years later and I love the life we've created together.

This weekend we celebrated our anniversary by traveling to the Black Forest in Germany. We spent the long weekend hiking (well, actually just walking~ lol!) through the Black Forest, exploring Gengenbach, eating fabulous German food, and playing in the pool with Lil' C. It was super relaxing and the weather couldn't have been better. It was really beautiful. To commemorate our anniversary we bought a German cuckoo clock. I love how it's very different from the traditionally known chalet clocks.

Thank you for a wonderful 17 years S and here's to many more years to come. Love you! XOXO

In a flash

I'm still here. Just haven't felt very motivated to write. Not to mention S & I just started watching Dexter & we're completely addicted. We just started Season II.

Lots of fun things happening though. Let's see if I can remember...

Lil' C & I participated in the Make a Wish 24 hour run which was really fun. Lots of energy out on the field with music blaring and families camping out. At the end of the race everyone in the community was encouraged to walk the track. It was cool to see groups of people walking with their nation's flag and supporting a good cause. At the end of the race, two Make a Wish families spoke about the wishes of their children. One little boy's wish was to swim with dolphins and the other child wanted to visit Disney, Paris. Hearing these parents express their appreciation made me well up and feel so very grateful that my family is healthy.

Last week some friends & I went to a Pierre Marcolini event to sample some of his newest chocolates in his Spring collection. I love how they greeted us with a yummy concoction made with hibiscus, strawberries and champagne. They definitely know how to keep me coming back. lol! We also sampled homemade marshmallows dipped in 5 different mixes (nuts with a hint of orange, vanilla sugar, pistachio, coconut & lime, and cocoa powder- this last one was like a cup of chocolate dissolving in your mouth).  And even though I'm not a big fan of marshmallows I had to try them. These marshmallows were definitely a LOT better than the Kraft version I've tasted.

I didn't go home with any marshmallows but I did bring home some of Pierre's newest chocolates.

The weather has been a bit crazy. In fact last week I thought we'd skipped the spring season all together. It was cold and rainy. One of those days where you just want to stay inside, get cozy on the couch with a good movie, and enjoy some comfort food. That day I was at the grocery store and I saw a box of beautiful eggplants. I love eggplant but I've never made it. Don't ask me why. I figured it was just too complicated. Wow, was I wrong. I found a great recipe on Epicurious and followed the short cuts on the reviewer section and within an 1 1/2 hr this hot casserole full of delicious goodness was ready to be shared. S & Lil' C loved it too. I can't wait to make it again. In fact, I'd love to bake the slices of eggplants for appetizers on a Friday movie night. Good stuff.

Lil' C's playing futbol this season. I'm not sure he's really into it though. Up to this point C hasn't shown much of a competitive edge on the field; he mainly likes to run after the ball or with the group that's running after the ball. It's quite cute to watch. I'm beginning to think he may do better with individual sports like track. He blew me away at the Make a Wish run. I couldn't keep up with him! lol! As long as he's having fun I'm happy. But I'll tell you on some days it's hard to watch the game without saying anything as I watch the ball go right pass him. I just have to remember he's playing for fun. I don't want to be one of those crazy soccer Moms.

This past Monday my Spanish friend Inma taught me how to embroider. It was fun learning all these different types of stitches. Now I can embroider some pretty initials on sachets covers. That's one of my many future projects! I also found these cute portrait book markers on Soulemama's blog that I'd love to make.

And yesterday the French conversation group organized a visit to a chocolatier in Tournai. I love chocolate. So how could I possibly pass up this opportunity. It was a fun group.

And the owner gave us a demonstration on making pralines.

He made these cute little hedgehogs with white chocolate and filled them with hazelnuts and rice krispies. I'm not a fan of white chocolate nor the hazelnut cream so I passed on the tasting. But I did bring one home for S to try.

The fun part for me was tasting a variety of dark chocolates from Africa, Peru, and another country I can't seem to remember now. But what I do remember is how fabulous the chocolates was!

I still have so much to share about our Italy trip but I'll have to save it for another day. I'm exhausted and must get some much needed sleep.

Four Day World Wind

It feels good to be home. I'm exhausted but happy to be with S & Lil' C.  Spending three full days in California isn't enough time to adjust to the time difference. And now that I'm in Belgium I still feel a bit off schedule. It's like I'm in between time zones.

I've never been away from Lil' C for this long so I was so excited to see him today. Flying alone felt so odd too. I wasn't responsible for anyone but myself. I'll admit it was really nice. I could sleep, watch any movie, and read whenever I wanted. My flights went by incredibly fast especially with the Movies on Demand service. I loved it! I watched movie after movie. It was really cool. I don't know when they started it but I hope all planes are renovated to include this service. It's a great time killer.

Surprises

Surprising my family by showing up at the wedding shower was priceless. Just seeing my sister & parents so happy was completely worth the long trip. My Mom was actually the first person to see me. As I walked into the house my Mom came out to the front area to take photos of the party sign so she could e-mail it to me later. lol! She yelled out my name but I just put my finger against my lips gesturing to keep my presence a secret.

When my sister did see me she was in complete shock and couldn't believe I was really there. It's funny though because she did tell me the idea of me surprising her did cross her mind but she quickly dismissed it when she considered how far the trip really was.

The wedding shower was a lot of fun and it was so wonderful to finally meet Ted. He's just like my sister described him. I'm thrilled that he is going to be a part of our family!

 
The games we played were a hit too. Everyone had lots of fun. The crowd especially enjoyed seeing the girls dress Gyspy T in a wedding outfit. We made him this crazy kilt. lol! The boys did a fabulous job with Gigi; they even made a little flower bouquet & wedding ring. Who says guys don't pay attention to the little details. lol!

We also played a game of questions to see how well the bride & groom knew each other. It was really funny to hear their responses.

G's other maid of honor did an amazing job planning the party. I love this photo of C. She is so bubbly and fun. This photo is so her.

The theme was Cinco de Mayo so C hired a kid's mariachi band to perform for us. They were so good. It was great seeing them serenade to friends & family. My Dad got a kick out of it too. I'm not sure but I think my Dad might be blushing. lol!

To go along with the Cinco de Mayo theme C & I thought it would be great to give away bottles of salsa to the guests.

When C & I discussed the favors we both agreed that we wanted to give guests a favor they could consume instead of one that collects dust. Plus, you can continue to use the jar once the salsa is gone. I love the home-made salsa idea. And the labels came out really cute too.

It was a great party and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it! Love & Miss you Gigi & Gypsy T.

After 14 hrs... I've finally arrived.

It's been so long since I was last here.

The view from the plane always fascinates me. I love to see the mountains from this point of view.

No one knows I'm here except Gio who picked me up from the airport. I'm so excited to surprise everyone!! It does feel a bit weird knowing I'm in such close proximity to my sister & parents and they have NO IDEA!