Daily Life

I’m Blond Again!

I’ve been wanting to go blond for a while now. Well, maybe about a year. And for some reason, I kept listening to other advice (especially by my husband) not to do it! So I stayed with the brown. I’ve been wanting a change and feeling like I’ve been stuck in a rut for so long! Literally wearing the same three pair of pants (one which is completely unwearable now, the other gaining new and bigger holes by the day).  My one pair of “good” jeans is starting to wear thin on the knee and I know it won’t be much longer till there is a nice little hole there. I have two sweatshirts that I trade off every other day. I tell you this not to feel sorry for me as I probably could go out and buy a couple new things, but I am at a fashion crisis…

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Shedding the funky stuff

I usually don’t try to use metaphors or any of that kind of stuff when talking or writing or doing anything really. That’s Justin’s thing. But I needed an excuse to tie in these cute pictures of Maisie in the leaves, so I am going to do it. So yes, it is fall here in Holland!! And as I was pondering these pictures of Maisie in the leaves, it actually did make me think of how this “season” in life has really been about getting rid of the yucky stuff, and praying that good will grow back in place of it. I don’t even know if this works, but just stick with me. As you have maybe read in my previous posts when I was going through my blog crisis (sorry about that by the way, hope I didn’t offend anyone… I’m over it now), I was really coming to…

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Maisie is a helper

Maisie has always loved helping me. When we lived in Portland, one of her favorite things to do was help with the laundry. She actually still loves it and now I find all sorts of things in the washing machine. A lot of the washing machines are front loading in Europe, so they are at just the right height for her! Lately though, laundry hasn’t been enough for little gooby.  She wants to help with MORE! So I have given her the chance to help in the kitchen! She LOVES it! Her “responsibility” has been helping with the salad. At first, I was a little peeved at the size of lettuce bits she was tearing off, but then I thought, “WHO CARES!?!?”  Isn’t it better for her to help and be a part of something then the lettuce bits to be just the right size? So now every time I…

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No Likey Bike Riding in the Rain

Ok, I know Justin has been meaning to write about this, and I hate to steal the topic of his blog post, but too bad because i need to share about my experience as well! Today we had my bike fixed and a baby seat put on it! YAY! Justin and I decided that since it was such a nice sunny day out, that we would take our bikes for a spin! Well, sunny could mean rain within minutes if you are talking Amsterdam weather. Oh yeah. So basically, it starting POURING! Thank the Lord that I had bought a little rain poncho thing for Maisie the day before for a time just like this!  I must admit a few things from my past before I continue. I’ve never really been great at riding bikes. It all started back when I was around four years old and got my leg/foot…

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Fun Day Out

Justin and I had a really fun day out in Amsterdam yesterday! We needed to talk about some things for the future and really just needed some time together, so we just walked across Amsterdam and had a blast together!  Here are a couple pictures from our little outing!

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A dramatic day for me and a cat

There is always excitement at the Graf house! One of the boys found a cat the other day and brought it into the house, asking to keep it.  Of course Laina agreed to this because she knew the cat would probably just run away anyways as cats are always coming in and out of their yard.  Well, Justin and Sydney (one of their daughters) are allergic to cats and began to get really bad allergies.  They weren’t pleased with the cat.   So yesterday Sydney and Maisie and I were doing dishes outside (the kitchen is still in the process of being remodeled) and I spotted the cat going after one of the chickens!  NOOOOOO!  At least it wasn’t the baby chicks, but still.  Once the cat gets a taste for chicken, it will only want more!  This freaked me out, so I took it upon myself to pick up…

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Farm Life and Chicken Update

Would you believe that I am experiencing farm life in the middle of Amsterdam?  How freakin’ bizarre is that?  Chickens, mice, fruit flies (do fruit flies count as farm life???), and then to top it off, I have been washing dishes outside for the last couple days!  Phil and Laina (the people whose home we are staying in) are in the middle of remodeling their kitchen and are without a kitchen sink.  So I have been busy heating up water in the electric water heater, transferring it to a bucket of soapy cold water, and washing dishes for a family of 8 (including us and not counting the visitors).  It has been SO fun though!!  Maisie has LOVED it.  Laina took some pictures of Maisie playing in the soapy water that I will try to get from her.  It has been sort of a fun thing for us to do…

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