Cappucino Alsjeblieft

I have never written a blog before.  I guess I am starting this blog as a way to record all the adventures that we are having and for a sort of expat therapy.  My goal is to be as transparent as possible.   I hope that the people who read this will do so with as little judgement as possible.  These are our truths while living abroad and just as every family is different, so is every experience.  As the old saying goes, until you walk in someone else's shoes…

With that, I hope you enjoy this blog and it gives you an insight into our adventures, a few laughs and of course, maybe you'll learn something.

We landed at 8:30a.m. in Amsterdam on June 18, 2014.  The flight was easy and we were seemingly all excited and ready for our new adventure.

We got off the plane and all I could think of was I need some coffee! I walked up to the counter to get a coffee and suddenly the realization that I was not in the USA anymore hit me.
"Goede Morgan Mevrouw, wat zou u graag?"  Clearly, the look on my face alerted the sweet guy behind the counter to my complete lack of understanding of what he'd just said. He smiled, "Shall I speak Engles to you?"  Oh thank god, i thought, "yes please,  can I get a double cappuccino?"

A very lovely lady approached us and told us to follow her,  We collected all three exhausted kids, 10 suitcases, pocket books, iPads, backpacks, pillows and blankets and followed her through the airport.

We eventually arrived at the van.  Jeff left us at this point to go and pick up the rental car.  Me and the 3 kids and all of our gear loaded up and began the 25 minute drive to the resort.

We were awe struck at all the surroundings.  The kids kept yelling out "windmill!!"  Z kept noticing all the tiny cars.  The sky was blue, so blue.

We arrived at the Resort in Warmond, Netherlands.  Jeff was not at the hotel and my phone was not working in the Netherlands yet.

The driver unloaded all our luggage by the front door of the resort, said thank you and have a great day and quickly left.  The front door of the resort was locked.  Yes, I said locked.

So picture this,  3 kids, 10 suitcases, iPads, pocketbooks, backpacks, pillows and blankets, no phone, in a foreign country where you don't speak the language and its 3 am to you and the resort is closed!

Now, one of Caleb's favorite things to do at this stage of his life was push buttons, I am not taking about the nerve buttons, he did that too, but rather actual buttons.  They can be anywhere and he will find them and push them.  So if you have been doorbell ditched recently, probably Caleb!
Anyway,  he shouts, hey mommy!  Buttons!  and before I could stop him he began pushing every button on the board!  when he got to the last one, someone answered.  Thank God for button pushing!

We were early to arrive, but it did not matter as there was not one other single sole in the entire resort!

Shortly after we were let into the room, Jeff arrived.  Now the true experience can begin.

From this point on, I will try to give a picture of what it is like getting all the necessary items handled to live abroad!