Amsterdam

After breakfast, we hopped in the car and pointed it toward Amsterdam. We found a place to park and then spent quite some time trying to figure out how to use the public transportation system and eventually made it to our first stop, which was Anne Frank's house, with only a little trial and error. We had been warned the line for the Anne Frank House is sometimes wrapped around the block, and that was certainly true today. But, it moved fairly quickly, and we had a unique standing picnic while we waited. I can tell you this: it was worth the wait. It was a very moving experience for all of us.

From there, we headed over to Vondel Park, named for the famous poet and playwright. It is sort of like the Central Park of Amsterdam, and it was absolutely lovely. There, we played and rested and just enjoyed the beautiful day.

Just across the street from the park, there is an amazing Dutch riding school/museum, which we couldn't leave without seeing. It was so beautiful and full of surprises. Our horse lover was completely mesmerized, and the rest of us were pleased with the stop, as well.

We have enjoyed every moment we have spent in The Netherlands, and this was a very good way to end our time here! Tomorrow, we head back to Germany for a few days.

The bookstore for the Anne Frank House sits at the end of the street,
on the right side of the picture. The entrance to the museum is still a half a block
further up, after you turn the corner.  This is where we started our wait for this amazing experience. 

The lovely canal in front of the Anne Frank House

The front entrance of the Anne Frank House--
this would have been her father's storefront for his jam making business,
if you're familiar with the story. 

My little statue lover at Vondel Park

Iconic Amsterdam photo op
(the kids are huddled up in the "d")

Vondel, the park's namesake

one of the many water areas in the park

fun times, with interesting and new-to-us park toys

Whee!

loving the zip line

This building front, which looks exactly like hundreds of others in the city,
houses the incredible Living Horse Museum. 

The main arena was stunning!

This is the upstairs "foyer," which was gorgeous
 and even contained a full bar and coffee bar in the back.

This girl was in her element!

And, as someone who has sat through a riding lesson or two,
I definitely think this is the way it should be done! 

The gorgeous staircase, leading up to the balcony

The language of play

Adults are complicated. They are critical and suspicious and judgmental and busy. But, kids, despite their loudness and messes, are really quite simple. They just want to have their basic needs met and have a good time. We hung around the campground today, and the boys joined in a hockey game, played in the yard with a new neighbor friend, splashed and laughed in the pool with other kids, mingled with the young campers on the playground, and had the "most fun they've ever had" playing a new game called Cat and Mouse, which was organized by the Kid's Club. The other children at the campground all speak Dutch, though some of them can manage a little English. Our boys pretty much just speak English. But, playing is not complicated, and it was carried out flawlessly by all parties. At some point along our life journeys, we tend to forget this first language that we all know so well, and it's a pity. We would certainly all be better off if we could let go of all the other clutter and just focus on having fun with each other.

The Watts Boys ready to show their stuff

taking it to the goal

Clay never moved from this spot or tried to hit the ball,
but he told me hockey was his favorite part of the day.

the boys and their new neighbor buddy

preparing for the first round of Cat and Mouse

The mice are trying to keep the cats from getting their tails.

This big cat had them on the run.

Rotterdam, Gouda and The Hague

Today's adventures took us south, to Rotterdam (home of Friesian horses), Gouda (home of Gouda cheese), and The Hague (home of the International Criminal Court). It was a great day!

A flock of sheep on the side of a major highway, you know, like you see.

I know I've already posted pictures of the windmills,
but I just think they are so cool, and I can't stop myself.

Our horse lover planned a cool field trip to a Friesian horse stable.

So beautiful!

It's hard to explain how harrowing it was to parallel park our standard right next to this canal,
on a street no wider than our car, but my awesome husband pulled it off flawlessly.

excited to be in Gouda

one of the many canals in Gouda

cheesing it up at the cheese shop

Cheese, glorious cheese!

sampling one of the more uniquely flavored and colored cheeses
(lavender and thyme)

Gouds Kaashuis

Cheese Museum

So much cheese!

giant cheese scale in the cheese museum

A lovely lunch at our first European sidewalk cafe

Ruth's lunch: croquets
She does not know what it was, even after eating it, but she loved it!

My lunch: The Old Gouda
Every bite was a delight!

The cafe sign made us laugh: Eat, Drink & Leave

The church in Gouda's center was our view during lunch.

A huge cow statue that looks like it's made out of legos: win, win!

This alleyway looks like it has a secret.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague

Mother's Day

We slept in this morning, and when I got out of the shower, Jeff and the older boys were just arriving back to the cabin with fresh bread and honey from the market, which made for lovely Mother's Day breakfast.

After breakfast, we rented bikes from the camp and took off on a grand adventure. Biking is the preferred method of translocating here in The Netherlands, and we saw bikers of every age and ability out and about on this absolutely gorgeous day. We rode through farmlands, crossed a major highway without anyone getting run over, and ended up in some tulip fields that were still blooming. (We're nearing the end of the tulip season, so many of the fields have already produced and are being prepared for the next season.) Then, we headed back a different way than the way we came, in order to avoid the major highway (because I don't need that kind of stress in my life), winding around through an industrial area and finally ending up at a lake, before coming back to the campground. Altogether, we estimate it was about 8 or 9 miles roundtrip, all of it so very beautiful and bucolic. But, based on how much my legs hurt, it was possibly a little too ambitious for someone who hasn't really ridden a bike much at all since I was the age of my oldest child. But, even so, if I had it to do over again, I would do it.

After a late lunch, some calls back to the U.S. to visit with moms and grandmothers, and a dip in the pool, Jeff and the kids took me out to the onsite restaurant for a fabulous Mother's Day dinner.

It was really a wonderful day! But my favorite part of all, is getting to be "Mom" to Ruth, Weston, Max and Clay, not just on Mother's Day, but every day! I am thankful and blessed!

ready to ride

bike buddies

a waning, but still pretty, hyacinth field

This scene just doesn't even look real.

We passed this beautiful church and impressive mosaic on our bike ride.

flowers for Mother's Day

Mother's Day dinner at Restaurant Taveerne

So incredibly thankful to be called "Mom" by these special people