A Day in Ghent

Hello All!

I am still without my Mac, but I am dying to share some new pictures with you.  So, I am using my VERY SLOOOOOW PC to do this post.  It is a dinosaur of a computer and has really decreased in speed since the move, but I'll give it a shot. 

Today after church, we decided to head on up to Ghent for the day. It was less than a 45 minute drive, so we set out to see the Castle of the Counts, climb the Belfry tower, and visit St. Bavo's Cathedral. We accomplished all three, and Ghent did not disappoint. What a beautiful city...and it was beautiful on a very drab and cold Belgian day. I can't imagine what it will look like in the spring and summer. I will have to post pictures from our visits during more colorful times of the year.

Here is a shot of the Castle of the Counts which dates back to 1180.  It is located right in the heart of the city.

This is our view from the top of the castle!

A couple of cuties getting a good look from the top.

A real life guillotine...after a little instruction on how this thing works, the kids realized we really aren't mean parents.  Life could be so much worse...as they continued to find out after visiting the room with all of the methods of torture clearly explained.  Wow!

Oops...out of order...thank you annoying computer.  But, a picture I love of me and my boy.

And, the drama queen checking things out. :)

This was the room where the count worshipped.  Seems kind of funny after seeing all of the torture methods.  I should have looked for the room where they went for confession!

These little candies were recommended on the website I checked out 15 minutes prior to leaving for our excursion.  I am really not a good planner.  And, they were delicious.  There were two flavors...anise and strawberry.  The anise reminds me of a candy our friend Anna makes (remember the pressed cookies...same person.)  I have to admit, we all loved the strawberry...so much so that we went back and bought more before we left.

The most picturesque spot in Ghent.

We found a Starbucks!  Yay!!!

Here is the Belfry.  Yep!  We climbed that!  Just below the clock is where we were able to step outside and walk around the perimeter of the tower.

Here is our view from the top of the belfry.  Can you see the castle? 

This is the drum that controls the bells. This drum is from 1659.  

I got to tell the kids all about gargoyles and flying buttresses.  It was so much fun to finally show them these things in real life and not in pictures!

Next up was St. Bavo's Cathedral.  It was so beautiful.  I can't even put it into words, and I can't show you because no pictures were allowed.  Really?!?!  You expect me to walk through this magnificent building and not take pictures.  So cruel!

Oh okay, so I took two pictures.  But, I didn't use the flash, and I didn't even put the camera up to my face.  I'm that good!  LOL!!!  No harm done.  How was I supposed to skip a picture of my kids lighting candles for their grandpas?  You wouldn't have skipped that either!

Magnificent!  But, doesn't even do it justice.  When I walked in, I actually uttered...wow!  I was completely in awe.

And there you have it...the beautiful Ghent.  I can't wait to return and take a boat ride on the canals, sit outside at the cafes, and see all of the beautiful flowers.  Spring can't get here soon enough!

In case this just wasn't enough for you :)...you can see the entire album at http://www.thevastinefamily.shutterfly.com/. 

Until next time!

Wendy

Crash....

Hello my blog friends!  Unfortunately, my trusted Mac (that I purchased just four short months ago) absolutely died yesterday.  It was NOT a happy day.  I was in such a funk and couldn't even function.  How does a computer do that to someone??  The true root of my depressed state was that I haven't been backing up my pictures.  I have done a few to Shutterfly, but I am most likely going to lose a significant number of pictures.  It's not the end of the world though...my kids are healthy and well adjusted, my husband has a great job, my friend Teri finished her last round of chemo (yay!!!), and I continue to be very happy here.  What's a few pictures and a broken computer, right?  Perspective....

Until next time,

Wendy

Play Date

Not a typical play date...but thank you Steve Jobs....these two enjoyed their play date filled with many giggles and some serious fun on Animal Crossing.  

And the hair...well, I'm just not sure about that. :)

Until next time,

Wendy

I Wonder....

I wonder how many Walmart plastic bags I've saved since moving here?  You won't find plastic bags in grocery stores (or any stores) in Belgium.  You can purchase reusable bags, but my days of leaving the super store with 15 plastic bags that are half full are over!  Taking my own bags took some getting used to in the beginning (I always had good intentions in the states too.)  There have been days I didn't stop at the store because I forgot them, or I just had to carry everything to the car.  So now, I keep a stock in the car.  And there's a positive spin on the bank account too...I think this has helped with frivolous spending.  I only have so much space to take it all home.  Maybe buying some cute bags will inspire you to grab them.  These are just a few that I rotate between.  I realize that black Walmart bag isn't cute, but my stock of those seem to be the ones I carry the most!

So, I challenge you this week....think before you go to the grocery store...and grab those reusable bags.  Just think how many bags we can all save.  Every little bit helps!

Until next time,
Wendy

Little Snow....Big Problems!

Today, was our first experience with a "big" snow in Belgium!  The flakes were huge and just beautiful.  It was so much fun to watch all of the kids coming out of school.  It was the same with each one...they would scream and then stick out their tongues.  It was adorable.  I must admit,  I was pretty excited about it too.  As the evening has progressed though, so has the snow.  We've only gotten a couple of inches, but the traffic is just brutal (or so I've heard!)  I've watched on FB as people are just leaving their cars and walking home.  Commutes are taking 3+ hours, and school buses took two hours to drop kids off.  I'm thanking Him tonight...we made it home in less than 25 minutes, the kids had a blast playing outside, they enjoyed hot chocolate, and now we are watching the episodes of the Brady Bunch.  Safe travels and prayers to those that are still battling the snow and traffic.

These are the 75 steps I climb to pick up the the kids after school.

Home Sweet Home

Big fluffy flakes

This was the snack I had planned for after school.  The beach scene doesn't really go with the snow.  We don't watch Belgium television, so we had no idea the snow was even coming!  But, thank you Pinterest for the cute idea!

Early dinner!  Pardon the glare.  I'm standing in the kitchen with my hot chocolate. :)

Snow angels

Any guesses on who cried first?  Because someone always ends up crying...no surprise...it was Allison!

Feeling very blessed to have this warm and cozy home on a night like this.  Did you notice?...they are still outside.

It's just about dark....

There isn't really that much snow, but they don't care.  They have the sand buckets and sand shovels out there making a snow castle.

Wishing you all an enjoyable and relaxing weekend.  Much love to you all!

Until next time,

Wendy

Mickey D's!!!

The kids finished their homework speedy quick tonight, so we had time to go out for dinner.  We made it a casual affair and headed to my fave...McDonalds!!!  Alright...let's be honest...we were going there no matter what, but it was a bonus that homework didn't take all night.  I didn't lose any weight again this week (Ha!  I wonder why??...although I did lose 9 cm off various places), so what's a cheeseburger and fries going to hurt, right?!?  Of course, a friend from Bootcamp was there...and ordered a salad.  Hey, thanks for making me look bad!  She promised not to tell. :)  

Look at those happy faces.  Sorry Chris.  I'm feeding your babies this unhealthy food while you're away.  This was Thomas' first time ever eating a McDonalds cheeseburger!  I showed him a nasty picture of how chicken nuggets are made (it has been floating around Facebook), and he said he will never ever eat them again.  Nor will I!  Blah!!!

It's so cold here,  I can't even take my hat off to eat!

So, there wasn't a whole lot of conversation going on.  There was a TV in the corner with music videos, and apparently J Lo and Rihanna are far more interesting than Mom.  

Poor Thomas is suffering from "My mom tried to give me a haircut" syndrome.  Oh, it's bad.  I'm going to have to take him to a professional!

The kids like the "McDrive".

Dank U McDonalds for a delicious meal....

and Dank U for reading!

Until next time,

Wendy

Bed Partner

We all miss Daddy, but if Daddy was here in Belgium, Allison and Thomas couldn't do this all week long.

Here is my bed partner for the night.  Isn't he just the sweetest!

Until next time,

Wendy