Catching Up: The Photos

Kate's Birthday, August 15, 2009


She must be related to me, since she obviously loved the books so much she almost didn't want to open anything else.

My eyesight's gotten bad enough that I didn't realize I was photographing the card we picked out until I saw the photo. I really liked that card, too.

Every child needs at least one grandma who knits and crochets.

This was her first sugar overdose. She was fairly ladylike about the whole process.


I wanted to do photos for the first three days in order, so I started with Kate's birthday, the day we arrived, and just hit the high points. Actually, it was really hard to narrow it down, and it took me awhile to figure out how to get them all facing in the correct direction with the PC. I think I'm on a roll now, and will give you a taste of yesterday (Day 2) and today, Day 3 will actually get its own blog with photos, as should be (and hardly ever will while we're away from my laptop.)

Day 2, Zaanse Schans, August 16, 2009

I loved the tour through the windmill. I loved finding out my euro quarters and dimes were really dollars and twos, holding hands with my granddaughter and eating pancakes with strawberries and cream for lunch. (John had pancakes with salami and cheese. I tried them, and they were actually better than they sound.)

Here are some photos. Obviously I had to choose wisely, or you'd be here instead of at your home. I took way too many to put up even a good percentage of them.

Ashley was enjoying the welcome sign of the Dutch girl. I was enjoying Ashley and the sight of the windmills in the distance.

It was culture shock of the most pleasant kind, and a different walk in the park.

The girls are really happy, and so much fun to be around. I guess that's what happens when you're being raised with so much love.


The schooner was a relic I hadn't expected to see.

The windmill we went inside was a working wood mill, and I loved it. We're bringing home a DVD that Ben copied into a format for us that will work in US machines. I didn't realize when we bought it that it would only work in PAL machines, here in Europe. Oops.

The Netherlands are actually below sea level and bridges and locks manage the gates and bridges for sea going craft of all sizes.

Well, it's late here, so I'll do today's post news in a blog tomorrow morning. Hopefully I'll manage to get it up and running just before you all go to bed. For now, good night for me, good morning for you...