Reflections on our 8th Year - Part 2...

As always, we’re happy that our list of highs is considerably longer than our list of lows:

• Family Travel: Aix en Provence - visiting Curt and Vero, meeting little Nils, Veronica showing us around town, the girls watching a movie in French; Croatia - 20th anniversary, walking the wall in Dubrovnik, the Nikola and its crew, jet skiing, Veronica going clubbing with Grace, canyoning, watching shooting stars, renewing wedding vows, Father John, partying on the rooftop, Veronica singing at the big party, adventure race, jumpy castle in the water, swim breaks, kids’ nights out, Ashlynn’s run with Andrew, Pina Coladas, Sladoled (ice cream), Wreck This Journals, Veronica sharing room with Grace and Olivia, Jimmy swimming under the Nikola, watermelon polo, everyone getting along; Garmisch - snowshoeing, Melissa finally discovering a winter sport that she likes, night sledding, Ashlynn flying off sled and doing somersaults but still loving it, skiing in powder, breaking the news to Ashlynn that we’re getting a dog instead of a ferret; London - BBC TV Tour, photo safari, Old Spitalfields Market; Port Grimaud - sunshine, relaxing, breakfast and happy hour on the rooftop terrace, Jimmy and Ashlynn’s killer run, amazing VIP Tour at Marineland including meeting an orca trainer, geocaching in Grimaud and an impromptu hike at the river; Slovenia - day-long adventure in the Alps, car train, water park; US - girls’ two-week trip to California including chilling with Grandma and Grandpa, scrapbooking, watching TV, San Francisco, university tours with Grandpa and Darlene & Mike, IMAX, shopping with Auntie Lee-Lee, sleepover with Monique and Sarah
• Parent/Daughter Travel: Jimmy & Veronica to Belgium - urbexing at Wanson factory near Brussels and in Antwerp; Melissa & Veronica to UK - shopping in Glasgow, train ride to the Highlands of Scotland, seeing the Glenfinnan Viaduct used in Harry Potter, touring University of East Anglia in Norwich
• Jimmy and Melissa Time: Brussels - hanging out, day trip to Ypres to learn about World War I; St. Tropez - amazing parties at Kube Hotel and Pironi for Terri’s 50th; Stockholm - 50th birthday lunch at Hermans, 50-Bun Salute on fancy cruise ship to Helsinki for Eurohash; Tallinn, Estonia - urbex on Eurohash trail, locating outlet store to buy awesome grapefruit chocolate, great party on overnight ferry to Stockholm including woman hitting on Jimmy
• Solo Trips: Ahrweiler, Germany (Ashlynn) - room at youth hostel, bus rides, chocolate factory, Formula One Museum; Ypres, Belgium (Ashlynn) - wreath-laying; Outward Bound Adventure Camp in Highlands of Scotland (Veronica) - gorge walking, expedition, making friends; Silver International Award Expedition in Ardennes, Belgium (Veronica) - team building, ropes course, great friends, kayaking, swimming in river; Bonn, Germany (Jimmy) - hanging out with Jim; US (Jimmy) - visiting with family before going to conference in Orlando, playing Frisbee in the Atlantic with Johnny and Jimmy, spending quality time with Dad, seeing GrandMom
• Kati: we all love our sweet dog; very lucky she adjusted right away to us, coming to our bed for hugs and kisses the first morning; Jimmy built custom-made doggy ramp to Ashlynn’s loft bed; Da Dog Walkahs (Georgia, Liv, Jason, Lucy, James, Ashlynn and Kati); dog training; walks with neighbor Gillian and her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Beauly; first big outing was Queen’s Day in Leiden
• Performances: Fame during school’s International Festival; girls dancing/singing in Cinderella Panto - Thriller was awesome!; Veronica in a scene from Anger Management for GCSE Drama
• Ashlynn Sports: winning €100 for 1st place for girls under 15 in 5K circuit; coming in 6th woman at Amsterdam 8K
• Daughters growing up exactly as we hoped. Our long dinner discussions are great!
• Jim moving back to Europe
• Neighborhood block party
• Family TV Nights: Sherlock, Once Upon a Time, Elementary, Under the Dome
• Veronica: GCSE excitement with fantastic results; hosting end-of-exam and farewell party, photographing Bye Bye Blue without Daddy and Year 13 Reception; Year 11 (10th grade) Ball and photo shoot, boat ride and slumber party; running club and Ultimate Frisbee; hosting Halloween party; IB classes and being a 6th Former; getting a school garden; becoming head of Environmental Committee; being accepted into THIMUN Press and Nepal Gold Award Trip; having first date; Hunger Games Premiere; getting ears pierced; experimenting with HDR photography with Daddy; Queen’s Night in The Hague; Color Run with Daddy
• Ashlynn: being chosen for ISTA (International School’s Theatre Association); new friends in Voorschoten; trick or treating for Halloween; hitchhiking by innertube with Daddy on the Vliet; joining Voorschoten 97 Athletics; getting ears pierced; first kiss