Hi everyone,

OMG, I can't believe I haven't posted since August!!! And we are in February... what a shame!!!

Well, time flies away...

I hope you're doing good!

Here are some news since the last ones!!!

School has started begin of September and it has been such a shock change mostly for Manon.

She entered to secondary school, and has to take the bus now so has to get up early. She was disappointed not knowing anybody from her former school. Another place to ajust to... new people, new academic stuffs, new teachers and other ways to teach... and it's a double challenge on this year- well, she decided to go for an immersion programm in Dutch... so she gets half of the classes in French, the other halve in Dutch... double challenge because she never had any Dutch before, in addition of writing again correctly in French... she lost a lot in spelling and grammar just in a year!

The first few weeks were hard, she cried a few times, had a hard time to make friends (unusual for her) and still doesn't like so much the atmospheer of the school... well, it is such a big difference comparing of the culture/mind/system in the US... I really understand her... but she adjusts more and more day by day, and have a few friends for now. She asks a lot about going back to the US one day... she really wishes and plans to live out there in her future.

I totally understand...

Manon's school

Well, Hugo is very happy to be back to his former school, and he is the most happy member of the family to be back.

He had a hard time academically the first few months, but improved a lot his French on the last few months. He works faster and faster and doesn't have to finish his papers after school in addition of his homework, so he has a normal life now. We breathe again!

He was very perseverant, and worked so much everyday! I'm very proud of him! He can be proud of him!

As extra-activities they both go back to the scouts, and enjoy it so much!

We have started zumba Manon and I in September, and Manon goes also to a drawing class. She loves it!

Hugo also does kickboxing, and go to a homework school once a week.

I do zumba, yoga and I do fitness and running.

Didier worked a lot since we are back, more than ever... but it seems things are calming down since a few weeks... fortunately for the whole family!

I just started with working on last week, and only got one client... despite of all the advertisement I put- it's gonna take time again to get clients but I know it is normal.

I can't believe we left DC more than 6 months ago...

I try not to think too much about it... Well, on this time I consider this last year in the US like a gift we got and try to keep all the good memories like something I brought back with me and not like if I let a piece of me over there... I had such a hard time after the year in Alabama just because I was only focused on the things I wasn't enjoying anymore... 

I really feel better on this time, even if I miss a lot the great friends I did in DC... and my sweet Lena in Alabama.

Well, a few months later, things look the same they were before we left, but at the same time they are different... because we have changed, our points of view have changed. We figure out about Belgian behaviors... about Belgian (European) habits, reflexions, mind, culture... ... we have changed, well our position has changed, we see our country from the eyes of an outsider... we see things we couldn't before... good things, bad things...

Winter has arrived in Belgium, not as cold as last year in DC, but we got a few days of snow. Temperatures are warm for a winter- some places are still so green, it looks unusual.

Here are a few pictures of these last few months.

Manon and her Dutch friend Sophie, after a sleepover in the Netherlands

visit of my family

my sister and her husband

my mom

my niece and Manon

my nephew

and the cute little one

my neighbour

A week-end spent at the North Sea

 

A friend of mine and her husband

We slept over

We had a ride on a beachkart

 

In a museum where we had fun with these paintings!

 

 

My mom and my niece came for a sleep over- we did shopping

Manon's best friend came to sleep over as well

Hugo's friend came too

Manon and her best friend

We went for a walk in a former Abbey in my village

I love this place!

Back to the countryside were we live... peaceful and beautiful

Another day spent with friend and for kitesurfing

Halloween season

Pumpkin carving with my goddaughter

Before trick or treating

Trick or Treat

Halloween party, home, with my family

We had so much fun, crafting masks

decorating cookies

playing games

daring to touch terrific spiders, and objects in order to collect clues for the treasure hunt

The day after, we went to the Former Abbey for a picnic

celebrating Christmas just the 4 of us, the day before going to ski

Well, enough pictures for this time, it's getting very late... I will share later the pictures of our stay in the mountains. Promise not as late than the last time!!!

Well, hope you are doing good, and that you will appreciate to get finally news from us!

Have a nice week!