Quick Update then off to bed

It's 1 am. We got back from The Netherland's (Haarlem to be exact) about 6 this evening. If you're ever in Europe I highly recommend going to Haarlem. It's very close to Amsterdam, but well it's NOT Amsterdam! LOL I haven't been to Amsterdam, but lets just say the ease of drug use there is not to my personal liking, so the desire to go there and the reviews from many, many friends has been "good for a day but that's about it" where Haarlem is full of so much history and beauty all in and of itself and it's VERY close to Keukenhof AND The North Sea! We all went over to the sea and we all stuck our feet in the water. It was soooooo cold! We expected it to be frigid! It took our breath away! We had dinner at a beach restuarant. It was an Australian one. The people there were great, so friendly and a huge perk, they spoke English. We don't speak any Dutch, Chad and I speak a very, very small amount of German so we were a little worried...but The Netherland's everyone speak's English! The hotel was good. I'm planning on next spring going back up there and will most likely stay there again. We had a buffet breakfast at the hotel and well all I can say is, it wasn't worth it. It was already paid for so we ate there, but um lets just say it wasn't my cup of tea so to speak! I think the one thing that could have improved things was to have had at least a mini fridge in the rooms so the turkey and ham we took wouldn't have went bad sitting in our cooler. :( Next time I'll just buy some breakfast items, like donuts or bread for us to eat for breakfast and safe our money).

We're having a good time with my parents. We've been going so much. Tomorrow we decided to not to go to Rothenburg. The boys have spent so much time in the van, as have all of us that we all agreed it would be good to let them have a break! Tuesday we're going to the Black Forest. My parents are going to buy a Coo-coo clock and Chad and I are going to pick out which one we want and then put some money back each pay day for a couple months and go pick it up. We know aprox. what we want, but it's going to really cost us so I'd like to just put money aside and then it gives us another reason to go back! LOL I'm wanting to look at Grandfather Clock's too and we'll probably start saving for that as well. It might be our next deployment buy. At least if we pick it out together if I go and buy it on my own while Chad's deployed next time it'll be a nice thing for him to come home to! :)

Wednesday my mom and I are going to Poland! We're both looking forward to it, although I think both dreading the drive. We're planning on being out of here no later than 6 am. It's a good 5 hour drive. Last time I went was with a friend who got nervous going ovber 65 m/h and it doesn't bother my mom going faster so I'm hoping we can cut the time down at least a little, so we'll see! We should only have to make maybe 2 stops and they will be no more than 10 minute ones (gas and rest) so hopefully we can do it in 4 1/2 hours, but we'll see! I am going to finish up I hope my colection of plates, bowls, and saucers and will be getting my friend some coffee cups and if I can find her one a cake plate and I'd like to find myself one. I'm also going to get the boys a sword and sheild. They have ones from my last trip and they have others as well, but these will be a surprise. Before I give them to the boys I'm going to have Chad paint on the shield a Dragon and going to have him Carve their names into the swords and the shield as well. Chad has a wood burner so they will turn out nice I think! I also want to get my nieces a couple more tea sets and of course our little girl who's cooking still. I am thinking I'll get a friend of mine's little girls a set and my best friends son's swords and shields as well and have Chad paint and burn their names. It'll be good Christmas presents and will put me ahead of that shopping!! :)

I think I'm all caught up on reading journals. I think I might have commented in one or two, but well time's limited and I'm just glad I got read through them all. I still have so many emails it's not funny, but I'm doing what I can.

Oh I've taken tons and tons of pictures. I have read that AOL has changed how pictures go on here so I may be sending out an email and seeing how to deal with that change if I can't figure it out next week when I have time to sit and figure it out!

 

Oh and people...seriously slow down on the journals!

Tags: The Netherland's, Poland, Black Forest, Traveling