Dutch Tipple Crown...

We were happy that both girls joined us for our first Dutch Hash-a-thon, which was organized by Jimmy as Amsterdam’s Hare Raiser. They were especially excited about the first leg of the day, which was hared by Jimmy...

...and started on the Observation Deck at Schiphol Airport.

Not sure when this photo was taken since Veronica was in running clothes at the start of the trail, but it’s fitting as the first task was to find a clue hidden on the real KLM Fokker 100 on the deck.

Ashlynn found the first clue, hidden underneath the plane.

The Blacks are Back...

When Melissa and Pieter heard about the Dutch Tipple Crown Hash at the end of March (three back-to-back hashes organized by three different hash groups in one day), they couldn’t resist joining us. In addition to being thrilled to see them, we were excited about getting to spend more time with sweet little Norah.

Veronica was also home for Easter weekend, so she and Ashlynn were in charge of dinner for Friday night and decided to make homemade vegan ravioli...

...which were delicious.

At seven months old, Norah still wasn’t doing many tricks, such as rolling around, so she spent a lot of time sitting on the table during mealtimes and countertop when we were in the kitchen.

Gold Award Ceremony...

Like her big sister, Ashlynn had a special role at her International Gold Award Ceremony: she was one of a handful of speakers.

It was awesome to see her join her good friend Max at the podium to talk about their experiences in Kenya.

Ashlynn Receiving Her Gold Award

Ashlynn and Max

BSN Gold Award Recipients

Proud Parents

Jimmy’s Birthday...

After the protest, we went back to Derek and Abbie’s where they presented Jimmy with a birthday surprise. We’d never seen a birthday candle quite like that...

...and what a surprise when it opened up. Even better were the delicious desserts.

Afterwards, Bob and Lisa joined us for a walk along the Ij, where we saw this cool buidling...

...and a nice view of Amsterdam Centraal.

We eventually arrived at our destination: Meneer Nieges, a restaurant with a cool riverfront terrace.

We enjoyed drinking wine outside before heading to our final destination: an Italian restaurant for dinner.

Best Signs from March for Our Lives...

 These signs speak for themselves...

March for Our Lives...

We headed to Amsterdam on Jimmy’s birthday for a nice brunch at Derek and Abbie’s followed by the March for Our Lives, a student-led demonstration for tighter guns controls in the US after another mass school shooting. Derek wore his letterman jacket because there had been a shooting just four days earlier at his high school in Maryland.

While it felt a bit strange protesting about guns in a country that doesn’t have a gun problem, it felt good to participate in a global movement to show solidarity during one of the largest protests in American history.

Ashlynn was happy to meet up with Rebecca, a Brazilian/Italian friend from school who will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall.

The crowd wasn’t as large as the Women’s March the previous year, but it was well organized with both American and Dutch student speakers and musicians.

Veronica couldn’t be with us, but she marched in London. She couldn’t resist posing with a young girl with a matching poster.

Hats...

I was thrilled that Johanna spent a few nights with us in March while in town from Saudi Arabia for a conference. I went along with her when she ran a few errands, including picking up a custom fascinator she had commissioned as a donation for a fundraising night.

 I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the hat atelier in a house in The Hague.

Sadly, the handmade headpiece didn’t bring in the big bucks that Johanna had hoped.

More disappointing was that Johanna would soon be moving back to Houston after Frank received a job offer he couldn’t refuse.