Vacation with Lynda and Josh

When Lynda and Josh arrived I ended up not being the best host and said , "Welcome to our home.  I need to clear the laundry off the guest room bed and make it, I'm hoping you don't need a nap yet.  Just leave your suitcases in the hall for now."  Luckily they had no other place to stay and I'm hoping they have forgiven my lack or preparation for their visit.  We'll see if it comes up again 20 years from now.

They came bearing gifts of hair care products and nail polish.  14 bottles of nail polish!  We won't run out any time soon.  While we can buy those things here she brings the good stuff.  Maybe that's why we always look so good.  (insert laughter here)

Lynda wanted to spend some time in the Netherlands, so I found a place on a farm for us to stay for a few days.  For me the best vacations are the ones where I'm not surrounded by lots of people, have a place to run around uninhibited and a good dose of sunshine.  We found the right spot, complete with evening sunsets.  I don't see those very often.

Everyone enjoyed riding around on the bikes that were there.  Nicholas was in heaven being able to spend so much time outside. 

One of my favorite things about The Netherlands are the bike paths everywhere.  And open space, and windmills, and houses with thatched roofs.

Since we were staying on a farm, complete with cows, the girls were put to work.  And don't they look thrilled?  Can you believe Nicholas passed up this opportunity?

When they were done it was pointed out how nice it was that the girls wore borrowed clothes and rubber boots since they had cow poop on them.  Sabrina was very adamant that it was mud.  Sometimes it's better to live in denial. 

While they were busy working we were busy playing with kittens and watching the chicken/cat dynamic.  Every time a cat would get close to the milk a chicken would shoo it away.  This cat waited patiently for the chickens to have their fill before moving in.

I'm easily entertained but it is pretty funny to watch chickens chasing cats.

And nothing completes a farm stay like a swim in a canal.  

We also went on a day trip from Brussels to Venlo, which is also in the Netherlands in a completely different area.  Why two trips to The Netherlands?  To go to Floriade 2012 - The World Horticultural Expo - it happens only once every 10 years.  It happened to be nowhere near the farm where we stayed and was closer to our house.

We almost didn't make it there as I had to get gas before we left and with my awesome sense of direction I had us going in circles to the gas station before we even left town.  Which is not good for our visitor who gets car sick very easily.  It was questionable whether or not she could survive the drive, and even questionable when were were in the parking lot in Venlo but after a break from the car we went and had a great time.  

There was a section in the forest with willow art.  The kids could make their own work of art and attach it to the tunnel.

This is a cage for rabbits with planters made out of stockings.  Nicholas and Lindsay loved all of the animals and their creative cages.

Back in Belgium we took a trip to Gent to go on a boat ride and visit a castle.

And last but not least, since Lynda and Josh were already in Europe, they decided to take a day and visit Paris.  I hear Sabrina made a great tour guide.

Their visit went by way too fast as all visits do, but we didn't have time to get lonely as I had another sister and her family come to visit the next day.