Retirement Blast Off

View from our first apartment overlooking Menton..  For further info if you plan to go:  Villa Jade managed by Karen Coblen:  karencoblens@hotmail.com

View from our second apartment overlooking Monaco.  I did book it on booking.com, but it was managed by Interhome:  reservations@interhome.com.  (Apartment Parc Massolin Roquebrune Cap Martin)

Notre Dame des Fontaine:  7th Century Murals

Ventimiglia Italy for a market

Perched village:  Peillon

Hillside village: Saorge

Coastal walks:  Cap Ferrat

It's a great start to retirement.  Still feels like a vacation of course.  Great way to start celebrating, I must admit.  This is one of our favorite areas in Europe, so why not spend 3 weeks here?  We will deal with the kidney stones in October!

To my Children, their Spouses, and all 17 Grandchildren

Today is Aug 25th.  A 'normal' day.  And I realized it is the last one.  I am in our apartment with a 'to do' list, and Dad is at work.  His last day to get there on time and leave at the end of the day.  He will box up his office and have farewell drinks (after a total of almost 40 years of employment).

First I wanted you to know how grateful I am to each of you for making the effort to come to Belgium this year.  EVERY single child, EVERY single spouse, EVERY single grandchild.  (at this writing Cora is the youngest).   It is monumental.

I know it took loads of money, all of your leave, most of you had to miss school and do tons of make-up work.  THANK YOU one and all.  Didn't we have a blast though?  We all got to take marvelous family vacations together.   For record keeping:  Egypt, Berlin, Venice, Paris, Sicily, French Riviera, Mosel biking, Peloponnese Greece, Loire biking, Northern Spain, Lake Como:  all the places we either took as a family holiday or as a couple get-away while we babysat.

We had time to chill, to talk, to be together and eat together, to go out for dinner, to be tourists, to visit old haunts and relive memories.  I watched each of you say your 'good-bye' to Belgium, at least for the way we know it now:  home.   I hope we all come back, but as one grandchild aptly put it:  "It won't be the same without Grammie and Pop here."

I know that we might not have been the parents or grandparents around the block, but we have had an amazing journey, this family of ours.  I just wanted you to feel my heartfelt gratitude that we had this opportunity.  The fact that the apartment at 40 Ambiorix Square was available for a 6 month rental does not go unnoticed by me.  The Lord certainly made this past 6 month gathering happen in style.

I am very reflective, and I have to get it out of my system.  What a run.  What a blessing.  Natalie said it best:  "You can take us out of Belgium but you can never get Belgium out of us."  It's part of our family legacy.  As I said, today is really the last of the normal days:  where we have a Belgian ID, where we have our home, where we have employment.  It is all ending.  I can barely hold my emotions together.  After nearly 28 years here, why do we like it so much?  The diversity, the food, the travel, the place where we raised our family, the place where we have served and loved.  It is not easy to say good-bye.  I know that new doors are opening, and I welcome them.  But just for today, just for now, I am very sad to leave and I can't stop the tears.

Okay.  Deep breath.  I'm good.  The Lord is good to us and has much in store for us in the future.  I just had to document this moment in our lives.  Feelings are bursting and I had to share, hoping I could get it out of my system somewhat.

We love you all, so very very dearly.  Each of you are the most important, top priority, never want to lose and always hold sacred and dear to our hearts, people!(to me/Grammie and to Dad/Pop).   We still have you and never have to stay good-bye as long as we all keep our covenants.  Now that is something to make me smile!  xoxo

Natalie's Family July & Aug 2016

The Portugal Family in Oviedo Spain

Bryn and Isa performed their dance all over the city, in many different times and locations.  I can't wait to see the video.

The hotel in Oviedo was a 5-star and it was classy.  The central veranda was enclosed by porticos and balconies.

Cool Lobby Shot

The Hotel de la Reconquista in Ovieda

Next stop was Ribadesella.  Beautiful setting with the Picos de Europa in the background.

Only in Spain can you afford an ocean front room during the peak season.  One morning Tom and I climbed the hill that you can see in the background.  The view was awesome of the mountains and sea.

Santillana del Mar.  Obviously I am getting a kick out of the panoramic feature on my phone.  Early morning is the best time to capture the scenes without tourists clogging it all up.

Pedestrian only, right?  Wrong.  Tom drove the oversized van down this street.  It was a nail biter but he managed (afterwards making it clear that we never do that to him again)

Just beautiful morning sunlight streaming through the old city

The church in Santillana del Mar

We all wish Tori was more amenable to taking pictures.  Luckily Bryn and Isa will accept bribes.

Thank goodness I have children who will humor me with card playing!

The most inviting beach we have ever visited.  Can you get an idea how wide the beach is?  Noja Spain and we stayed at the Maritime Ris Hotel.  Incredible low tide that leaves behind tide pools and seemingly unlimited walking.  We spent 4 glorious days here and wished we had longer.

Playing around in Tervuren Park

Aug 6 (Bryn) and Aug 8 (Tom).  Lucky ducks were able to celebrate BIG b.days together.  Bryn hit double digits and Tom hit retirement and 65!  

Girls Getaway to Budapest Hungary.  Lots of raspberry soup, walking, swimming and lounging at the thermal baths,  biking, and the mandatory non-stop card playing.  Fabulous and too short but grateful to have that time together.  Shout out to Noel and Tom for taking care of the famous 'gals'.
We took an overnight trip to Bonn all together as well.  No pictures but I want to remember that we went to the pool, rented bikes, ate at the Bier Garden, took the ferry to the Drakenburg and Drakenfels and had spaghetti ice cream.  That is Tom's 'happy place' and that is where we spent his 65th birthday!!!

Flower Carpet 2016.  I took this from a cafe.

Dang fabulous shot of the City Hall with the Flower Carpet.  Just sayin'

Last night on the Grand Place.  The end of the family visits for 2016.  "I never can say good-bye, no no no!"

Thank you Portugals for making the trip, for staying as long as you possibly could, for loving Belgium, for hanging out, for making memories!  I truly hated to see you go.

Norby: This is just for me but you can watch if you want to.

The stent

This has to be documented for the 2016 record.  Dad's expression says it all.  Gotta give up that Belgian chocolate, and the delicious butter with salt crystals, the pastries, the ice cream and gelato.  His procedure was July 4th and he was in the hospital for 2 nights. (July 4th was also the change over day when Jake's family flew home and Natalie's family arrived) He got a Dr.'s note for 2 weeks and then we had a week in Northern Spain.  He goes into work tomorrow after having had 3 weeks off.  This procedure has humbled us both.  As we age we are going to have to be more careful with our diet, so moving from Belgium and away from all the deliciousness will probably be a good thing.  Ah well, it was fun while it lasted.

Jake's Family June 2016

"Okay, we'll meet in the lobby."  Off on our adventures for the day.

Gaasbeek Castle.  They humored me and let me 'copy' our 1990 Christmas photo (when Steve was first born).   

Escaping the rain.  The storms never last long and we were quick to find shelter, and then it would pass.

The Parthenon in Athens.  We went from 60F in Brussels to over 100F in Athens.  Meltingly hot.  Heat waves like this don't usually come until August.  Guess we were just 'lucky'.  

"Are we going the wrong direction?"  The crowds were overwhelming.  

Photo credit:  Jake

Mars Hill.  Jake was Paul.  (Acts 17)

Peloponnesian house with lovely pool and sea views.  

So this is how he stays in shape....

Rented a boat and found a great swimming spot for the afternoon.  The water was so clear it spooked Rachel but Lily had no fear at all.

Corinth.  It really impressed me again.  This time I kept thinking about all the people who walked and talked in this city, thinking they would live forever, thinking they had the latest and greatest.  We still do it today.

Tom and Jake feeling the vibes in Corinth.

Last day in Belgium.  We took our walk into town and stopped for a family shot at Mont des Art

Yep, the Grand Place has been a grand place for us.

Our Sunbeams

Tom and I had a blast team teaching the Sunbeams.   It was our first time to have callings to serve together.  What a treat.  We took a photo b/c we didn't want to forget them.  They really were a crack-up.  Mattia (far left) is from Italy.  One Sunday he hit, spit, kicked, bit Tom.  Then waved with a big grin and said 'Chow' upon leaving.  Okaaaay, see you next week.  He only speaks Italian.  Then comes Shota.  Japanese, but goes to school in French and was learning English at church.  He can throw a baseball like no other.  Sweet as they come and smiles constantly.  He always makes presents for us out of colorful paper.   Next is Josephine.  French speaker.  Really good, really sweet.  Missing is Gabriel from Brazil who spoke Portuguese.  Very stubborn and didn't like rules.  He and Mattia would kill each other if we didn't watch them carefully.  (It was tempting sometimes....j/k).  Madsen, an American boy also missing from the picture.  Seemed like there were more, but that was plenty.  We have been released but they still smile and wave to us at church and make us presents.