At the Beach

Last week was a holiday for those in Belgium, so we made plans to go to the apartment at the beach just over an hour from here. Due to an issue with work, Jan was sent to Rome, so our trip was delayed a couple of days, but we did make it to the beach!

The apartment was very cute, decorated with lots of pictures of the town as it had looked back in the early 1900s and other "beachy" decorations. I had the privilege of sharing a room with the boys, but thankfully had my own bed. The above picture is a view from the window at the end of my bed. The following picture is the boys in their room.


The first evening was a bit chilly, but the boys and I went down to the water to look around.


Afterward we went walking on the boardwalk and got some yummy Australian ice cream.

The following day was a bit warmer for the first two hours we were down at the beach, but then it got cold again and eventually rained us back into the apartment. Sunday, our last day at the beach, was pretty chilly again, but the boys insisted on playing in the water and in the sand. Because it was cold, it didn't even occur to me to put on sunscreen, and I payed for it with a pretty bad, and awkwardly shaped, sunburn on my legs that is now finally starting to fade.

The weekend was short but nice, and we are all excited to go back when it gets warmer!

I Made It!

So, I finally made it! It was a long, frustrating trip and I thought I might not make it all the way here, but I am now in Grembergen, Belgium. It's been a week, and I'm slowly feeling more comfortable here, but it'll take some more getting used to.

When I got here last week, Jan (my mom's cousin, and the wife/mother of the family I'm living with) was on her way back from London. Yvo (pronounced Eevo; the husband/father) picked me up from the Brussels train station, and brought me back here, pointing out sights of interest the whole way back. Jan's mother (my mom's aunt) Wilma was here with the boys, so she made the transition a little smoother for me.

Thankfully I was able to sleep in the first couple of days to get over my jet lag. On Friday of last week, Wilma took me into Brussels for the afternoon where we did some shopping, ate a nice lunch, and took pictures in the Grand Platz. It was all very cool, and I enjoyed her company a lot!



Sunday I was able to attend a Church of Christ in Antwerp (about a 30 minute drive from here), and the whole family joined me. Because of a youth weekend they were having, as well as Good News! from Harding, there were quite a few visitors who only spoke English. The service was done in both English and Dutch so that everyone could benefit from the lesson, however, it lasted 3 hours and we were all starving by the end! Next week I'm hoping to attend a small church in Ghent, located in the minister's house. The minister of the church in Ghent is actually the nephew of the minister at the church in Antwerp and the brother of Karina Brazle. Funny how even in another country the Church of Christ connects people!

Monday started my nannying job. I'm the au pair for two young boys, Nicholas and Christophe, 6 and 8 respectively. Until the end of June they are in school, so my job has been fairly simple thus far. I get them up and ready for school around 7:30, and walk them to the corner at 8:05. Around 4:30 I have to ride my bike over to their "Oma" (grandma) and "Opa" (grandpa)'s house where they go to do homework after school. Yvo usually cooks dinner (a great cook, I might add!) and I get them ready for bed around 7:45. The majority of my day is spent sleeping, working out, watching tv, reading and relaxing. Not bad for free room and board, as well as a nice paycheck every week!

This week there is a holiday on Friday, so the boys are out of school today through the rest of the week. Hopefully this is not a sign of the way July and August will work when they're out of school! Nicholas was quite a load of work this morning. Hopefully things will get better though.

Because of the holiday, we will be going to their apartment at the beach later this week. It's been chilly everyday, so I'm not sure how much swimming we'll be doing, but the boys like to play in the sand, and there are shops nearby. Hopefully it'll be an enjoyable weekend before they go back to school.

Here are some pictures of the house I was able to take:

This is the front of the house. My room is the window at the top.



This is the back of the house. The round part is the dinning room and is all glass so we can look at the beautiful backyard!





This is a picture of my room. Behind me is also a little sink and cabinet so that I can get ready in the mornings in my room instead of sharing the bathroom.

Over already??

I took my last RC final today. Because I have another year of school (at Specs Howard) it hasn't really set in that I'M DONE! For the past 4 years I've worked toward the degree that I just completed today, and it's weird to know that I will never again sit in a class taught by the many professors who helped me reach this point.

To Lora Hutson: Thank you for all your time and support. Your excitement in the classroom as been a great encouragement to me. Your reassuring words have motivated me to excel in the classroom.

To Terrill Hall: The past 4 years of mentoring have got me through a lot of tough times and have been quite entertaining. Thank you for your words of wisdom (though not always what I wanted to hear) and opening your office and home to us.

To each of my roommates (Shantelle, Angela, Katie, Liz, Cami, Jamie and Lindsay): I have enjoyed living with each of you and will cherish the late night conversations, the crazy dance parties and photo shots and nights out on the town.

To my classmates who are graduating tomorrow, I wish each of you well as you start a new beginning. Good luck in the "real world"! Let me know how it is, and don't forget to keep in touch! (With Facebook, there's no good excuse for losing contact ;) )