Life as I know it…

 I can not believe it is already the end of May 2017! This month I celebrate the Anniversary of my blog! I actually kept it going for a whole year – Yay me!  If you know anything about me, you would know that I usually start a new hobby or project and get bored after a month or so. But not this time! I am really enjoying blogging about my journey. It is such a great outlet of emotion and a way to express myself. It really doesn’t matter if nobody ever reads it, what matters is that I really love it. In saying that, please do share this blog with your friends 😉

I read my previous post about how I need to do the things I love etc etc. And, to be brutally honest, I have done no such thing! I have not picked up a paintbrush or craft glue and I have not been cooking as much as I would have liked to. It is really scary how easily we can forget our promises to ourselves.

Anyway, this is what I have been up to:

 

We went to Switzerland!!

We were invited to attend the ICS Chaplains and Families Conference held in Beatenberg, near Interlaken in Switzerland. I had never been to Switzerland before, and let me tell you, it is Beautiful! When we arrived it was really sunny and the mountains were just breathtaking, but on the 2nd day, it was snowing! It snowed for the rest of our time there and I had never seen such thick snow before! It was really special! We had snowball fights and went for walks in the snow. Such fun. The conference was really helpful and informative. We also met some really great people who are all church-minded and have a passion for ministry. Plus, I got to pump my own gas for the first time, so that was exciting!

 

Summer is on the way!

I have forgotten how happy the sun can make you! I woke up one morning and when I walked outside, I felt this weird sensation on my skin….sunshine! Summer is here and it has arrived in full force. It is technically still Spring, but the weather has been really great. we are experiencing highs of about 32 degrees.  Another great thing about the heat is all the tropical fruits…water melon, mango, nectarines, Love it! We went down to the beach last week and it was such a great vibe and really relaxed. They had music playing and people lazing around on couches. Scheveningen is really a great beach and it is only 10min away from our house, so we are really lucky.

We started hosting the Marriage Course

Matt and I have hosted a few Marriage Courses back home, but this was our first one in The Hague. We have got 7 couples signed up and so far it seems to be going very well. I cooked the first night and made WAY too much food, but so you learn. We have found some volunteers who have helped out since then, and we are really grateful to them. We did the course when we first got married, and it was so helpful and we really learnt so much. We decided to continue this ministry to help other couples just as the course has helped us. It is not only for couples who are struggling, but also for those who want to invest  in a great marriage. Please pray for the course, for us, and for all the couples involved.

A little bit of Julia

I said I would do it! I vowed to make a recipe out of Julia Child’s famous ‘Mastering the Art of French cooking” once a month, and so far so good. I made Julia’s famous chocolate mousse. It was rich, oh so rich! There was an illegal amount of butter and cream and chocolate in it, but it was all worth it.

I spent at least 3 hours in the kitchen and Matt even came to check up on me to see if I was still alive. I had to really use old school methods, because, as Julia says, you can whisk it with a machine or microwave it till it melts, but then it won’t be the real thing. And when Julia speaks, we listen! Did I mention that I absolutely love cooking?? Wonder what it’ll be next?

 

Paw Patrol

Jackson is doing really well and has such an amazing little character.  He is so funny and super social. He loves other dogs and people, especially babies! Matt and i just adore him and he makes us laugh all the time. He is loving the sun and enjoys a good drink of milk every now and again – see the white lips in the pic? He is nearly three years old! Time flies!

In other news

I will not be blogging next month, because we are fulfilling one of my dreams – we are holidaying in Greece! We leave on the 21st June until the 1st of July, and I really want to blog about our trip. So I will take some nice pics and share them when we get back. Looking forward to a romantic trip on an island with my gorgeous man by my side.

My friend Michelle, aka fellow wine connoisseur is coming to visit on the 3rd of July. We are very  excited and can’t wait to show her around!

I am working really hard at the British School of the Netherlands. It is such a dynamic place with really amazing staff. Lots to take in and learn. I hope to further my career through them. I am so blessed to be a part of this school. They really are one of the best in Holland. I get a chance to work with older kids, which is what I wanted to do, but sometimes miss the little ones. The children are reading and writing at 4 years old and they have iPads and interactive white boards in every class. I am really enjoying it.

Well, that is all from me for now. Hope to hear from you in the comments!

Dutch Diva signing off

Liz xx