Red Dress Hash...

We were thrilled that Veronica was able to join us at the Red Dress Hash in Amsterdam on September 8 as a pre-lube to Dutch Nash Hash. Knowing we’d have a lot of work ahead that weekend, it was great to just be regular attendees at this fun hash.

Melissa and Pieter were joining us for the big sailing hash weekend and staying with us for the night of the Red Dress. Here are the Whites and Blacks dressed in red...

...and the two Melissas.

Imagine Veronica’s surprise when she found out that Jimmy had given her Year 9 prom dress to Reinhardt. How shocking that he fit in the dress of a 14-year-old girl, although he couldn’t actually zip it all the way so it wasn’t a perfect fit.

We gathered at Vondelpark for the pre-run brief.

Back to School...

On September 7, Ashlynn started 6th Form, the final two years of British high school. After wearing uniforms for nearly 11 years, she was surprisingly unexcited about getting to finally wear her own clothes to school, although she quickly adjusted. Unlike Veronica, who did the International Baccalaureate, Ashlynn chose to follow the British A-Level system. She’s taking just four classes this year: Math, Biology, Geography and Food Technology—three of which she’ll continue next year and then sit exams at the end of the two years.

A Record Number of Visitors...

We had more visitors this summer than ever before. While Ashlynn was in London, Veronica welcomed another visitor: Freya, one of her Ultimate Frisbee teammates. Veronica enjoyed showing her around, including late night clubbing in Amsterdam.

That Saturday, yet another visitor arrived: Allison, one of my childhood friend Holly’s identical twins. She was in Utrecht for a conference and stayed with us for two nights. I last saw her when she was about 10 and she’s now 25; it was so cool seeing my daughter hanging out with my oldest friend’s daughter.

Freya and Veronica split off and I showed Allison around Leiden. Although construction sites aren't usually part of my sightseeing tour, I couldn’t resist seeing the progress on the new underground parking garage that is be to covered with a park.

We went to the De Valk Windmill Museum and De Put Windmill, which is still used to ground whole wheat. 

Always love seeing the views from the windmills.

Last Week of Summer Vacation...

During her last week before school started, Ashlynn met up with fellow IMG and Dune models Alyssa and Stella in The Hague...

Café along Southbank 

 ...and went to London with Sophie and her mother for three nights. Besides doing a lot of shopping for school clothes, Sue took the girls to see the musical The Bodyguard.

Elsa, from Frozen

More Fun by the Water...

As part of Veronica’s research on light pollution in Holland, she and Ashlynn headed out to Wassenaar Beach to have a picnic dinner before capturing some photos of the night sky.

Jimmy and I ran around the canals of Leiden for the August FILTH full moon hash, although we didn’t see the moon as it wouldn’t have risen until long after we’d gone home.

And while Ashlynn usually sunbathed on our couches in the backyard, she occasionally laid down by the canal across the street.

Boating with Kay...

Later in August I got an invite from Kay for a girls’ night on her boat. She picked me up near my house and then picked up Karla, another AWC member that lived nearby but has since moved back to the US. 

The weather was perfect and Kay was a great skipper. We cruised around Vlietland and then into Leiden.

Veronica Turns 19...

Veronica’s photography skills have come a long way since she was little.

She took this self-portrait at Vlietland in a dress she bought in Dublin to wear on her birthday.

Her friend Sam, who she is now sharing a house with, came from England to celebrate her birthday. On her birthday, they went clubbing in Amsterdam. This photo was taken the following day when they went to explore Leiden.

This was actually taken earlier in the week when we went to a restaurant in the village while Ashlynn was off in Belgium camping for several nights with her friends at Pukkelpop, her first musical festival.

To be honest, I can’t remember exactly what Veronica was working on when I took this photo, but I suspect it was part of her research on light pollution for an online infographic class that she took over the summer. Regardless, I thought it was a cool photo as she looks great and very tech savvy.