Down-Downs...

It probably comes as little surprise that our family was disproportionately called into the circle for down-downs for various crimes committed on trail.

Veronica was particularly picked on as the youngest participant.

Jimmy and Marc got into the action as well.

Hashing in Amersfoort...

Rather than another day of sightseeing, we took Marc and Emily to the Amsterdam H3 Summer Picnic in Amersfoort. Hare War ‘n Piece gave the most complicated chalk talk any of us had ever seen.

While the rest of us stayed dry by sitting in the boat or going around, Veronica didn‘t hesitate to jump right in during the canal crossing.

Opee couldn‘t resist goofing around with this unusual statue.

There was a good turnout for this fun run.

Marc and Emily Visit...

We were disappointed that we weren’t able to go to Marc’s wedding to Emily, but were thrilled that they could swing by during their belated honeymoon. After a few nights in Amsterdam, they came to our place for a few nights before heading to Italy. The weather cooperated and we took them to Leiden by bike.

We wandered the market and our usual favorite spots including De Burcht.

It was wonderful to see Marc so happy.

After the Show...

It was so fantastic sharing this big moment with such dear friends. It’s great that my friends have been supportive of Ashlynn becoming a model.

 Ashlynn was all smiles after the show.

It’s quite a transformation from the little girl who didn’t know how to smile.

After taking too many photos, we finally walked back towards town and found a Thai restaurant for dinner.

On the Catwalk...

It was so incredible watching Ashlynn walk the catwalk in front of hundreds of people. She was very relieved to be in flat shoes.

The collection combined Dutch and British symbols in mostly blue, red and orange. Ashlynn’s outfit was quite lovely.

Unlike her last fashion show where there were three photographers, Ashlynn faced quite the sea of cameras at end the end of the catwalk. She said she was nervous when she first started to walk, but really enjoyed it.

Here’s the shot by the official photographer of Amsterdam Fashion Week.

The entire group posed at the end of the runway during the finale with designer Aziz Bekkaoui (in the center) and Dutch rapper Yesr (wearing  orange and the Union Jack).

We always think of Ashlynn as tall, but during the finale we noticed that she was likely the shortest model in the show.

Backstage before the Fashion Show...

Ashlynn spent most of the day in Amsterdam being prepped for the show. It’s cool that someone took these behind-the-scenes photos of designer Aziz Bekkaoui (on right) putting finishing touches to Ashlynn’s outfit.

Ashlynn really liked her dresser. She also enjoyed seeing one of the girls she met at Model Camp.

The hair was quite elaborate with netting and an incredible number of pins. The make-up was heavy, but classy.

It’s hard to tell from these photos, but the collar around Ashlynn’s neck was actually a long gold glove.

Heading to the Main Stage...

Ashlynn had three castings for fashion shows for Amsterdam Fashion Week in July and was chosen for two of them. Unfortunately, those two shows were both the same day, so it was only possible to do one; Marjolein from Dune Agency advised doing the Aziz Bekkaoui show as it was paid and on the main stage.

When I was watching a show with Ashlynn in January in the Gashouder, I could only dream that I’d be watching my baby walk down the catwalk in this cool venue.

Was so happy that not only were Jimmy and Veronica able to come along, but Carlin and Sally joined us as well. I got back from Paris with just enough time to change my clothes and meet Carlin and Sally at the train station. Veronica dropped Ashlynn off in the morning and then spent the day in Amsterdam and Jimmy met us after work.