I'm an aunt!!!

LUCY ANNE SMITH!

I'm so happy! I'm finally an aunt! today back home in Utah they welcomed my little niece Lucy Anne Smith to the world! After 26 hours of Labor Mallory delivered this little gift at around 8am on Tuesday July 29, 2008! She's 8lbs and 9oz!!! And so beauiful if you ask me!!!! I can't stop crying evertime I look at her pictures!

Proud first time Grandma! My moma!!!

Oh and Mallory also was able to welcome in her first Nephew! On Monday July 28th at around noon! Mallory's sister delivered one day before her! It's quite Funny! Mallory's sister said she was not allowed to have her baby first! She had gotten married first and she was older so she deserved to have a baby first! And she was quite serious too! Well! So Mallory went in to be induced on Monday morning at 6am... Her sisters water broke at 630 am!!! She delivered around noon... and Mallory didn't deliver our Lucy until the next day at 8am! Poor Mallory! But I wont lie! I was really hoping she'd wait a day! Even if it was just a minute past midnight!!!

I can't stop crying EVERYTIME I look at her pics my eyes swell up! And I Bawled the first time I saw them! Then stopped long enough to call my moms cell! And Ben my brother... who's baby she is... He answered so I imeidiantly started to cry! Then he handed the phone to Mallory and I began to cry! Then I stopped and we talked and she handed teh phone to my mom! ANd I cried soem more!!!! I dont knwo what I'll do when I have my own kids! I"m gonna cry sooooo bad!!!

Proud Papa! Ben with Lucy and Dr Stratford!

Well that's it for now! I HAVE to go to sleep!!!!

PIcs and Video of the Ben Folds concert in Amsterdam!

Yes I know... Two days in a row... and now two in one day!

Yes I thought I had to do another little blog for you... about my trip to get the kids... It's been so rainy all day... but of course there have been plenty of rain free hours... I... Did not get one of those hwen I went to get the kids today... I left the house it was nice... but I saw some storm... dark storm clouds... Coming my way... I packed my rain coat and went on my way to the store... Did my shopping and went out... It was still dry... But then by the time I had the food loaded it had started to rain a little bit... So I thought I should just put on my rain coat... good idea... Cause it started raining and pouring! And well I bought a rain coat a couple months ago... for just this occasion.. Well I must tell you my coat wasn't so much of a good water proof rain coat... as just a GIANT wind breaker! So I pedaled on in the rain... The rain then turned to hail! I called Tess to share the news... And the because of teh storm my phone losts its signal! While I was talking to Tess I noticed something odd... My knees... They were... Foaming? Yes indeed they had begun to foam soap! My only conclusion on how this had happened was that I had put too much soap in my last batch... So with the left over soap... and the rain and the constant rubbing of my knees to my jeans... I had managed to... suds up some bubbles... from my pants... in the rain. Well Just as I got to Margots to get the kids... which is at least a 3 mile ride.. in the rain and wind... the rain slowed down... and by the time I took off with the kids it had stoped raining completly... which was nice... as I was riding against the wind to get home... When I got home I took my pants off at the door... Helped the kids get situated then went up to my room...
I had to take EVERYTHING off... due to the fact that EVERYTHING was soaked! I even had to use my towel to dry myself off! All in all it wasn't such a bad experience... My ipod.. though wet seems ok.. My phone however... Well... it wont turn on... I'm hoping it will dry out and be just fine! Haha! I just looked at it! I thought I had ought to put it on the charger... since it wouldn't start... The screen is now fogged up.... Now I dont know so much about electronics... But I think thats a bad sign! Yes... Lets hope it de-fogs and drys up soon enough! I mean hey, even I've managed to dry up.. well mostly!

Things that are... I suppose...

So yeah... I feel so odd right now... neither happy but so not sad... I feel neither good nor bad... I juts am today... That's it... I am.
Well I am happy however... I've lost 32 pounds since I came to Hoofddorp... And I contantly have the urge to just go ride my bike for an hour.. I never do.. .Because the urge rarely comes with much motivation... and is joined by thoughts of the reality of the strong wind and lurking clouds above my head... I suppose it must just be the weather... It has been rather crappy out these last couple of weeks really... It was so nice 3 days last week... but then I was sick... and now I'm not quite so sick... and the weather is poor... Yes... That's it... I feel just like the weather.. neither rainy no sunny... neither bad nor good... The weather can't decide how it feels... and I can only decide that I feel just like the weather... Of course if I was in St George it doesnt mean I would feel hot! hehe...

Yeah... So I just finnished up reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire... The fourth book! I'm so proud of myself for FINALLY finnishing it! I have... well I started to read it last year... and then I got stuck in it! So in April when I got here I picked it back up again... and got stuck again! Then I read Persuasion by Jane Austen and I suppose that put me into a reading mood... So I just forced myself through the middle of the book! And then I had to force myslef to put it down at times! It was so good... once I got through the middle.. hehe! So now I look forward to reading book #5 today! And I have resolved to finnish the whole series by the time Tess gets back.. But then I will have to find something else to read.. But I know that TEss has a few she wants me to read... and I would like to read some more of Jane Austens books...

So I really need to get downstairs and eat and clean up the house a bit! Well ok...

(I accidently just posted this blog on my old blog... oops!)

Well Done...

So this week was as usual and uneventful one... I mean we did do stuff... so that was good...
Thursday I had the kids at home alone... Which I have gotten to really like... It's so strange to me how I can handle being at home and watching these kids all day... I suppose it does help that it's usually only once or twice a week that that happens... But I really don't get to tired of them... and everyday they make me laugh and smile...
And everyday Thijs surprises me with another English word he knows! The other day it was "yesterday" He could just not get enough of saying it... Everything was "Skina skkkina Yesterday" "Skina Skinna" Being his words he uses when he's speaking English.. That's his pretend English! I love it! But I wont lie.. .Some days it does drive me crazy cause if he would speak Dutch I'd have an easier time figuring out what he was saying! Haha! But just the same it's cute!!!
Well Friday we went to the market.. I was quite happy we did.. We usually plan on doing stuff on Friday, that's the day Martine is home too, but we never end up actually doing anything... And I really do like it when we go out and go shopping... Well when we were going to the market, which is at the main shopping center, MArtine decided to park by her old house, which is just done the street from the center. So we parked there went shopping and when we came back we ran into some old neighbors, which was really nice for them all. They invited us in for coffee and so we visited with them for nearly 2 hours I think... It was nice... I like to meet new people and to socialize with them...
Yesterday was Saturday and even though I"ve been sick and trying to get over it all I agreed to go to Amsterdam and go shopping with Tess... She needed to buy some shorts for her trip next week to the South of France... So we met at Schipol and got some Starbucks... so yummy! An went on our way! We shopped all day! We were so tired by the end of the day! I bought a new sweatshirt, some nose spray, body wash, a tin of mints and an umbrella... We had some dinner at our favorite Shorama spot in Amsterdam... We go there at least once a month! HAha! And for once it wasn't me who was really wanting it! It was Tess! But I so enjoyed it just the same! Rachael when you come you must go there too! You'll enjoy it I am sure!
After eating we went to the theater around the corner from the restaurant and saw the new Chronicles of Narnia film! IT was really good!
After the movie we headed to the train station... I missed my train by 2 minutes so I made Tess come down and wait with me... Then I found out I could get another train in like 5 mins... SO I made her run back up to the train... She missed it by seconds... So I had to wait with her.. haha.. It was funny... So I enjoyed my donut and she enjoyed her Oreo's...
All in all it was a great weekend.. Today I feel like a bit of Crap however... so I have decided to hide away in my room and read Harry Potter... it's 3 and about an hour ago I went downstairs for the first time to eat! I love being lazy! So yeah... There you have it! I"m now gonna go read some more Potter!!!

I feel like a quote outta context... With holding the rest... So I can be for you what you wanna see.

'So it's funny... Last night I had a conversation with Tess how I hadn't turned my computer on since Sunday... I figure no big deal,... you all can wait.. plus I've been feeling royally crappy! But then I get my email and I"m being requested to get on more and write more... Tess... Did you say something? Haha! We so I suppose it is time to blog Ben for you... and the rest of my weekend...
Well Saturday and Sunday I spent in my room... on the Internet a little bit... watching a bit of TV and finishing up my book Persuasion by Jane Austen... So good I highly recommend it!
Sunday night I got ready to go to the Ben Folds Concert... Tess and I didn't have tickets... since we went a couple weeks before to buy tickets and the girl at the box office said they were sold out... But we just knew we needed to go... So we showed up 2 hours early and waited outside... But surprisingly we were not alone...
A side note.. I"m talking to my friend Aya and she just pointed out my last blog was June 11th... Sorry! I"ll try to be better! I"m resolved to be better!!!
Anywho
So yes we were not alone sitting on the lonely steps of the Paradiso in Amsterdam... There was another devote Ben fan sitting by... She had her tickets but came early in hopes of getting a great spot on the floor and more I suppose... Well her name was Lise... She is a student from Utrecht... Which is a Little south of Amsterdam.. Her biggest flaw I could find was that Ben Folds... he was only her #2 and Something Corporate was her #1... But she can be excused... as He isn't even Tess or Rachael's top 5.. and they are my besties! So we chatted it up with Lise for a while... and a couple other people showed up to the steps... One was a girl there all by her lonesome as Lise was too... She heard us talking to Lise and asked "Are you guys Au Pairs?" We said yes and then she said she was too! Her name was Blake and she was from San Diego! So we all sat and chatted for the next hour while we waited for the doors to open!
After a few more people showed up I called out... "Does anyone have any extra tickets they need to sell?" Nobody did so we sat a waited... But then about 20 mins later someone in the crowd was asking if anyone needed tickets... and due to my earlier questioning... They sent them to us! And Tess and I were able to get our tickets... with out even having the price marked up! We were very happy!
Well the doors opened... We went in checked our bags and peed waiting for them to open the doors to the stage area... When they did it was a mad dash to the front of the stage! The girls.. being not as experienced... being their first concert of Ben's and my third... they ran right to the center and I hauled my butt right in front on his piano! Then called the girls to join me!
My spot finding paid off as we were only 3 people back... which is pretty perfect... cause right up is too close.. you cant see him.. and this is perfect to see him and get eye contact! Which we did!!! Oh we did!!! He started off with a song form his new album.. coming out in September, "Errant Dog"... fabulous of course! Then "Gone" and third up was "You to Thank" Well this song is great! And in it he says "The hot Nevada sun.." Well the thing is that he says "NeV Ah da" and not well the right way... so when he sang it the first time I said really loudly "NeV AAA da Sun!" And put an emphasis on the "Aaaa!" I wasn't thinking much when doing this... just was.... but as I am quite loud... and we were quite close... He heard me and chuckled.... and gave me a smile! I could have died! It was such fun! Then in another song "Narcolepsy" he sings "I'm not tired... I just sleep." And he repeats it over and over... well Lise... whom I LOVE! the yells "Good NIGHT!" we got another chuckle and smile! IT was great! We had a few other fun eye contact attention moments... Which made my evening fantastic!
But to add a cherry to the top! As they were cleaning up the stage I asked one of the guys for the set list from off of Ben's Piano! Which I got! Such a great souvenir for my scrap book! And Lise got a drum stick!
So we thought that maybe we could get lucky and get our prizes signed... But after waiting for a bit... we were told that Ben had left right away with his wife to go to the hotel!!! So sad day huh? Well oh well... Maybe next time! I must say though... I do feel a bit saddened by this... as this is our second attempt at waiting to meet Ben... And it seems that he is not one to actually meet his waiting fans... It's not like there were too many of us! Same as when we were in LA... But oh well...
I suppose he does have a good excuse... He said on stage that he hurt his back a few nights back while playing... as he rocks harder than anyone has ever rocked on a piano... And throughout the concert you could see him in just plain agony... So I forgive him...
He has a new song called "Hiroshima" which he played for us... It's about when he was playing this festival in Japan... and he walked out onto stage and then walked right off the edge! and crashed down... cutting up his forehead! He then preceded to play the show with blood dripping down his head onto his shirt and the piano! How awesome! haha! Well hmm./.. Long blog! You wanted it so here it is... it's just all about Ben though!!!
Well... so in my head... I thought that my last train came around 1240... so we got there around 1215... I was so wrong! my last train was at 1204! So I had to figure sometghing out! So I opted for going home with Tess... Well the train ran a little late... and we missed the last bus to Tess's house... and not planning on having me come home with her Tess only brought one bike! We looked into a taxi... But it was too much! So after tyring to have my fat butt ride on the back of the bike... and Tess's knee killing her! I pedaled the bike home with Tess straddling me behind... I rode most of the way home... huffing and puffing! Then I finally decided I could no longer ride! So we walked the rest of the way home! It wasn't so bad... it usually takes like 8 minutes to ride home and it took us only like 20 mins... so I thought we did well!
Oh yes.... Some of you might have noticed that i do indeed work on Mondays... and yet I was unable to... Well I have the best boss ever and Martine forgave me for not being at work on Monday morning... since I was back in time to pick up the kids in the afternoon! The concert was sooooo good! And the weekend just turned into one fun thing after another! Can I just say I love Ben Folds!!!
Oh and I will add some video's and pics of the concert later tonight.... or tomorrow... So I hope this was enough entertainment for you Rachael... Sorry if it wasn't! haha!