Back in Action

So, we're back. And it was wonderful. So perfectly fun and full of adventure, we hardly wanted to some home. Of course. Not to mention, full of REAL grocery stores, freedoms of all kinds, great roads to drive on, WEATHER of all kinds, and best of all - our grandma and grandpa!
But don't get jealous yet. If you're thinking, gee, I'd like to go on a trip like that - please see these first few pictures and make sure you're really up for it. And by the way, this is going to be a several day post - I know you're on the edge of your seats.

4 p.m. - driver picks us up in a van, that we packed to the brim
6 p.m. - arrive at airport
11 p.m. - depart (1 hour lay over in Kuwait)
5 a.m. - arrive Amsterdam
7 a.m. - train to Brussels
9 a.m. - arrive Brussels, get mini-bus (oops, they forgot us)
12 p.m. - head to airport to get parents
12:30 p.m. - got 'em
4 p.m. - arrive rental house in Aywaille, Belgium
Yes. A full 24 hour ordeal, and we finally made it. But TOTALLY worth it! We were in (at least stopped or drove through) 9 countries on this trip.

Aaaaaannnnnnnnnd, the waiting begins. Airport fun, in the middle of the night.

Boys playing UNO with mini face cards. If you refuse to sleep, you get very tired. Remember that.

Roo slept perfectly the entire time. As per usual, I nursed the entire time. Hello my dear hider of hooters, how I've missed you.

Train to Belgium. We caught an earlier train than planned, so it was totally full and Peter had to stand with the luggage most of the two hour trip. This picture is of Si: post pant wetting TWICE and pre vomitting at the train station. Mmmmm. Good times.

Tired yet? Here we are waiting for THREE hours for our mini bus (9 seater van). It was worth the wait, but just after this, Si puked all over the floor and then the garbage can. See? When you get so tired it makes you sick, maybe you should listen to your mother and GO TO SLEEP! No one to clean it up but me, so a roll of T.P. and some hand sanitizer did the job.

Here's the Sixt rental lady getting our GPS up and going for us. She was fantastic. (she got me the roll of T.P. for the puke - and she didn't even gag. She just said, "It happens." We loved her) Nice wheels, eh? It's a six speed manual. Needless to say, I didn't drive. Six is too many for me, especially in a big car, on small roads with lots of hills. Peter was AMAZING. I could have never driven like him. It made our trip so great to have a great car and driver.

This is the view of Aywaille (said Ay-why-yuh). Beautiful, huh? Belgium is made up of small villages like this. It was so dreamy and fairly tale like. Heaven.

Roo, who can't just get her picture taken. She HAS to pose.

Belgium is also full of hikes and trails. This was right above the house. It was just the break from here, that we were looking for.

Not to mention. Seeing grandma and grandpa! What a treat. Thanks for coming!

Here is a little shot of the town itself. Sweet. The whole country looked like this. I'll show some more soon.

Sam got to ride in the middle, front seat of the van the entire trip, between Peter and I. I think he'll always remember driving across Europe with his mom and dad. I know I will, it was so fun.

The view from the house.

This is the little cottage we stayed in. It was actually really big. This just shows a little portion of it. It had four bedrooms, a living, dining, and family rooms. A big kitchen, three bathrooms, a sauna, a pool, and a great yard. It was perfect for us. You never know with "sight unseen", but it was wonderful.

More to come soon...