Cool Night Shots...

Jimmy had a lot of fun playing professional photographer. We both loved how the glass on this ostrich sculpture sparkled in the moonlight.

The moon was nearly full, the sky was nice and clear, and it wasn’t too windy--the perfect night to party outside until nearly 4 a.m.

Jimmy loved the light set-up that the band brought along. What an awesome setting for a fantastic night!

We Partied for Hours...

Chris and Lauren

About 10 p.m., the band got started. As we walked up the steps from the pool, Jimmy asked if we were hearing Coldplay. Of course, he was wrong, but Niels Geusebroek, the lead singer of the Dutch band Silkstone, did have an awesome voice.

Terri and Max

A Group Sing-Along

Between sets, we went up to the house for dinner. The kitchen was fun of a team of chefs; I especially loved the sautéd scallops and asparagus and the dessert buffet was amazing. There was another champagne bar set up on the deck and a vodka bar that was very busy with Chris’ Russian colleagues. Terri got very good at pretending to drink shots of vodka, but actually downing water.

Appetizers by the Pool...

We spent the first two hours of the evening by the pool. There was a sashimi bar, an oyster bar and a champagne bar. I’m not a fan of raw oysters, but Jimmy said they were the best that he’d ever had. Lauren was talked into trying one for the first time.

Her reaction was priceless.

Let the Party Begin...

It was a bit like herding cats, but Jimmy managed to get a group posed at the end of the pool just before the sun dipped down.

It was difficult for Terri to hold the 50 open roses that one of Chris’ colleagues gave her.

Chris gave a great speech honoring Terri, which was the perfect mix of tenderness and humor.

Jimmy was determined to take at least one photo of the full group of 100 and the stairs up to the house was the best setting.

Terri’s 50th Party...

Saturday evening, vans took us from the hotel to Pironi. Terri looked beautiful and the house looked amazing.

Of course, we couldn’t resist getting a few photos of ourselves in this lovely setting.

Friday’s Party...

Friday night Terri and Chris hosted a dinner on the hotel’s rooftop. The food was delicious and the champagne was flowing. Lauren looked adorable with her new haircut and a glass of bubbly in her hand.

We managed to pull Terri away from her hostess duties just long enough to grab a quick photo. It was a pleasure meeting her parents. Her father is quite a Photoshop guru and vowed to help Jimmy who explained that I keep catching him when he tries to hide things on the cover of Going Dutch, like a spaceship or an alien.

The views were amazing during the entire evening.

Back to St. Tropez...

Terri doesn’t turn fifty until November, but that didn’t stop her and Chris from throwing her big celebration at their house in Southern France during the summer. They invited family from the US and UK and friends from all aspects of their lives, including a large group of us from Holland. They took over the entire Kube Hotel just outside of St. Tropez. This was the beautiful view from our room.

And here’s the pool at the front of the hotel, which overlooks the Mediterranean.

We flew down with Frank and Johanna early Friday morning so we could maximize our weekend away. After checking into the hotel, we set off on a walk along the beach towards town.

Jimmy opted to walk in the sea, while the rest of us managed to keep our feet dry. We had a nice lunch overlooking the water. The following day we headed back into town to visit the market. Jimmy and I bought some lovely tableclothes for our extra-long dining table.