The Clanton Family

Mother's Day Brunch

2010-06-08T21:01:00.002+02:00

Bike Race in Amsterdam

2010-06-08T20:58:00.002+02:00

Disney Princess on Ice Show in Amsterdam

2010-06-08T20:48:00.004+02:00

Happy Easter Hat Parade at School

2010-06-08T20:36:00.002+02:00

Tyler's school play

2010-06-08T20:29:00.002+02:00

Family Rock Band

2010-06-08T20:11:00.001+02:00

Trip to NYC and Hoboken

2010-05-03T22:46:00.000+02:00

Wes Birthday Party

2010-05-03T18:20:00.000+02:00

Boat Cruise in Amsterdam

Queen's Day 2010 - Amsterdam

2010-05-03T16:33:00.005+02:00

USA vs Holland Soccer Game

2010-03-17T21:53:00.000+01:00

USA vs Holland Soccer Game

Happy Birthday to Maddie

2010-03-09T16:12:00.003+01:00

Sorry it's sideways - I can't figure out how to get it the right way.

Madison's 3rd Birthday Party

2010-03-09T16:11:00.000+01:00

Madison's Birthday Party

New Years Eve in Amsterdam

2010-01-02T16:36:00.002+01:00

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-01T13:55:00.000+01:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Christmas 2009

2009-12-30T20:57:00.002+01:00

We had a nice Christmas just the 4 of us at a CenterParcs in Holland (but we sure did miss all our family and can't wait to see them in January). It was a nice little vacation for a few days. We brought all the presents with us and celebrated Christmas there Friday morning. Tyler was very excited because we actually had a roof and fireplace so Santa could come down the chimney and bring us presents!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas 2009

More Snow in Amsterdam - lots of it

2009-12-20T15:10:00.001+01:00

Snow in Amsterdam

NHR Christmas Party

2009-12-20T14:55:00.005+01:00

Snow in Amsterdam

2009-12-17T20:37:00.004+01:00

Out and about

2009-12-15T16:18:00.002+01:00

Breakfast with Santa

2009-12-15T16:06:00.005+01:00

St. Martin's Day Lantern Parade

2009-12-13T17:04:00.002+01:00

St. Martin's Day (or Martinstag or Martinmas) is November 11, the feast day of Martin of Tours, who started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized as an adult and became a monk. It is understood that he was a kind man who led a quiet and simple life. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. That night he dreamed that Jesus was wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. Martin heard Jesus say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised; he has clothed me."

Children go through the streets with paper lanterns and candles, and sing songs about St. Martin. Sometimes, a man dressed as St. Martin rides on a horse in front of the procession (though not in the Netherlands). Music is played and fun is had by all. Afterwards the kids go door to door singing songs and receive candy in return (sort of like Halloween in the States).

St. Martin Day Lantern Parade

Start of Christmas 2009

2009-12-11T20:31:00.001+01:00

Start of Christmas 2009

Germany trip - Christmas Markets

2009-12-11T16:41:00.000+01:00

Germany trip - Christmas Markets

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T19:38:00.000+01:00

We hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

NHR Halloween Party

2009-11-01T21:00:00.000+01:00

2009-11-01T00:19:00.000+01:00

More pictures from Halloween Night - Happy Halloween!

Halloween 2009 - Trick-or-Treating

2009-10-31T23:58:00.000+01:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Tyler with the class mascot - Cheeky Monkey

2009-10-21T18:35:00.003+02:00

Playing dress up

2009-10-21T18:33:00.001+02:00

Maddie at preschool

2009-10-19T15:52:00.002+02:00

Doron and Lucie's Wedding

2009-10-19T14:28:00.005+02:00

What a great day! They were beautiful and the wedding was perfect.

Our silly cat

2009-10-19T14:25:00.000+02:00

Ready for Football Season from afar

2009-10-19T14:16:00.003+02:00

A few videos

2009-09-20T10:09:00.002+02:00

Tyler playing soccer

2009-09-20T09:57:00.005+02:00

Maddie just being Cute and Girlie

2009-09-14T14:20:00.002+02:00

Playing dress-up
Wearing big girl shoes

Reading to her doll

First Day at The British School of Amsterdam

2009-09-09T16:18:00.003+02:00

Today was Tyler's first day of school at The British School of Amsterdam. He started in "Reception", which is basically Kindergarten. They start school here at the age of 4 (not 5 like in the States).

First Day of School

Clanton Family at the Zoo

2009-07-29T11:01:00.002+02:00

A day at the Park

2009-07-27T14:04:00.001+02:00

Maddie on a tree swing
Tyler riding a big kid bike with only 2-wheels

Look Mom - I can do it!

July 4th at the beach - Amsterdam

2009-07-13T21:34:00.000+02:00

July 4th was a beautiful day and we spent it at the beach in Amsterdam - American style

4th of July at the Beach - Amsterdam

A little afternoon FUN

2009-07-13T21:17:00.001+02:00

Kids on the plane - Visiting the Pilots

2009-07-13T10:26:00.000+02:00

Trip to CA - June

2009-07-09T23:54:00.000+02:00

At the end of June we went to CA for 10 days. Wes had to work in Santa Barbara for a week so of course I tagged along. We went to Vacaville for a few days and visited family and friends and then went to SB for a week. We had a great time visiting with everyone. The kids enjoyed all their time with family and really got spoiled. I feel a lot of love in these pictures!

Visit to CA - June

Grandma Jackie's visit to Amsterdam - June

2009-07-08T21:34:00.001+02:00

Grandma Jackie's visit to Amsterdam - June

This visit we did lots of new things. We visited a few new parks with lots of fun rides and play areas, a really cool goat petting zoo, toured Alkameer cheese market, old working windmills, the concert hall just down the street, and we hiked up the Westerkerk (West Church) tower bells. We had a great 2-week visit with Grandma. Check out all the wonderful pictures.

Trip to Dublin, Ireland

2009-07-07T23:03:00.001+02:00

We took a trip to Dublin Ireland and I did lots of sightseeing while Wes worked. I visited a number of places including Trinity College, Nassau Street, Temple Bar area, the Dublin Castle, Christ Church, Dublinia, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the outside of the Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainham Goal (jail), and many others places. Dublin was an amazing city with a lot of history. I'd love to go back and visit more of Ireland.

Trip to Dublin

Tyler's 4th Birthday

2009-06-09T19:49:00.002+02:00

Tyler's 4th Birthday

Tyler turned 4 years old on June 3rd. Wow, I cannot believe it. In some ways he seems so old to me and so much like a little boy and at other times he still seems like my baby boy. I'm thinking I'm going to continue to feel like this for years to come. He had a great birthday day celebrating at school with his friends. They shared cupcakes and he got to wear a special lightning birthday hat all day. In the evening we celebrated together as a family and Tyler got to decide what he wanted to eat for dinner. He picked hotdogs, mac-n-cheese and applesauce. Then we opened gifts from family and us. He was so excited; and he was nice enough to let Maddie help with a few. Then a few days later on Saturday we had a birthday party at Tun Fun with 15 of his friends. Tun Fun is a underground indoor playground thats built under an overpass that wasn't being used anymore. They have lots of slides, ball pools, jumpies, trampolines, cars to ride, face painting, and even a soccer ground. It's a very unique and cool place for the kids.

Happy 4th Birthday Tyler!

A Little Weekend Fun

2009-06-05T22:11:00.004+02:00

Weekend Fun

Last weekend the sun was out and we had beautiful weather! We spent the entire weekend outdoors enjoying the rays. On Saturday we went to the beach for the first time in Amsterdam. We have beaches about 30 minutes out of the city, so we took off in the morning and drove there. We went to Zandvoort beach near Harleem. It was very nice with lots of restaurants up and down the beach, food and drinks, lounge chairs, shade...they have it all. We had a great day and the kids really enjoyed it. On Sunday we went to Vondelpark in the morning and played in the kids wadding pool. It was only 10am and it was already hot and starting to get crowded. Of course the kids loved this also. And in the afternoon we took the kids to a baseball game to see the Amsterdam Pirates (like minor league AAA ball) play in the beautiful baseball/softball sportspark they have in Osdorp (near our office). They have 4 fields and it was a happening place on a nice sunny Sunday afternoon. They have a full bar and consession stand. Europeans seems to know how to do it right. They have food and alcohol at almost every public place/event. They even tried recruiting Wes to play and wanted him to go out with them and practice before the game!

Portugal - May 2009

2009-05-27T21:08:00.006+02:00

We finally went on a real vacation! I know, we've been back to the States a few times this last year; but when it's for work, a wedding, a holiday or there's something to do it just doesn't feel like much of a real vacation. Over the past 6 years Wes and I have made lots of little trips but I think the max was 4 days. Our last week long vacation was our 1-year anniversary when we went to Arizona and that was over 6.5 years ago. Wow, how the time flies and I'm not really sure how that happened.

I still didn't get a week in; but Wes missed 3 days of work, plus a holiday, and a weekend...so we were gone for 6 days! We rented a private Villa in Portugal in the Algarve at the Castro Marim Country Club with the 4 of us and 4 great friends; Doron and Lucie from Amsterdam and Brian and Neil from London came with us and we all vacationed together.

The Villa was absolutely beautiful with a BBQ and a private pool, all very modern and new, 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, fully furnished and ready to live in, plus daily maid service. We had a really nice and relaxing time. The kids loved everyone being there and had a great time being spoiled and looked after by 6 adults. We really took advantage of having a house and we cooked delicious home cooked dinners 4 of the 5 nights and only went out to dinner one night. We tried a family-style Portugese restaurant nearby and it was delicious. During the days we mostly hung out by the pool, enjoyed the sun, and just relaxed. Wes played golf 4 times (3 18-holes and 1 9-hole) and truely enjoyed himself (obviously!). They played 3 times at 2 different courses at the Country Club and 1 time at Monte Rei Country Club which is one of the best rated golf courses in the world and it's owned/operated by Jack Nicklaus. The boys said this course was absolutely beautiful and the best they have evern seen. I'm so proud of Tyler; he golfed with Wes 2 of the times. He actually went out with him, helped shag balls and clubs (and I'm sure beer) and putted on the greens with them. He first did the 9-holes with Wes and then two days later did the full 18-holes. He really wanted to go and be "one of the boys". I'm so happy they shared this great bonding experience together but sort of sad that my baby boy is growing up. We took two trips down to the beach, about a 10 minute drive from our Villa. It wasn't as hot as we thought it would be; maybe 80's (with wind); but it was still very nice to actually see the sun and blue skies and white clouds...what a difference from Holland. One day Wes and Neil stayed with the kids while the 4 of us did a little site seeing. We visited a few monuments and beaches and other cute towns. We were planning a horse ride in the countryside but it started to rain so we couldn't do it (what a bummer). Of course by the time we got home the sun was shining again and we hung out by the pool. On our last day we had massages in our villa; which was very nice and a great way to end the trip. Overall it was a fantastic vacation with good food, great friends, lots of relaxing, and fun times at the golf course, pool and beaches.

Portugal - May 2009

School Pictures

2009-05-20T13:10:00.002+02:00

New School Pictures from May 2009.

Mother's Day Boating

2009-05-14T13:39:00.002+02:00

I had a fantastic Mother's Day; spending quality time with Wes and the kids. In the morning we went to the park for a few hours and played in the sand and rode bikes and played soccer. In the afternoon we rented a boat with a few friends and enjoyed a few hours on the water. The kids had a great time and really enjoyed the boat ride.

Mother's Day Boating

A fun pet

2009-05-14T13:33:00.003+02:00

We went over to Eric and Autumn's house last weekend for a BBQ. They recently got a new little pet...a baby bunny who is adorable. Tyler just loved her and and wanted to just sit and watch her the entire time and hold her and feed her treats and carrots and pet her. He was very entertained. The exercise machine also entertained them a bit!

A day at the Park

2009-05-11T14:28:00.004+02:00

When the sun is shining in the morning it's hard not to get up and go to a park. We have so many to pick from and there's always fun stuff to do. This day was a "sports" morning. We played a little baseball, golf with the bat, soccer ball kicking, and even some bird chasing. It was a fun morning at the park.

Day at the park

BBQ Fun

2009-05-11T14:19:00.001+02:00

A few weekends ago we had a BBQ at Doron and Lucie's house on their rooftop terrace. As Holland always is; the weather was unpredictable. It was a nice day with lots of sun but as the BBQ started the wind picked up and it got a little chilly. Luckily we finished before the rain came. It was good fun with good friends!

BBQ at Doron and Lucie's

Friendship

2009-05-11T13:52:00.002+02:00

One of my best friends Sara was in town for a few days for work. We only got to see each other at work and then one night for dinner. It was so nice to see her even if it was for a short time. I miss her so much. We lived in SB together and she now lives in Dallas with her family.

Weekend Fun with Friends

2009-05-11T13:47:00.002+02:00

The weekend Leslie, Nick and Brian were in town we did lots of fun things and had a weekend packed with activities. The weather was fantastic and we had sunshine for over 5 straight days. We enjoyed a night out to dinner and then cruising around the Red Light District and a few bars, a 3-hour boat cruise and the Heineken Experience. It was a great weekend!

A Little Saturday Fun

Keukenhof Flowers - 2009

2009-05-07T13:43:00.002+02:00

"Keukenhof is a historic park covering an area of 32 hectares, full of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and all the other spring bulbs. The floral displays in the park and the unique flower shows in the various pavilions are a glorious visual feast. And in the midst of this magnificent spectacle of colour there are also exquisite works of art. Keukenhof is an unforgettable experience for people of all ages. It has been one of the most popular destinations in the Netherlands for almost 60 years and is famous worldwide. Here you can gain inspiration while you relax in the magnificent surroundings of the park which has no less than 15 kilometres of footpaths. For children there is an exciting playground, a large maze and an animal paddock. Keukenhof is a unique experience and guarantees the most fabulous photos. Come to Keukenhof with your family, friends and associates and enjoy the ultimate spring feeling."

Leslie, Nick and I went to Keukenhof on Friday May 1st, the day after Queen's Day. We had absolutely fantastic weather and the flowers were beautiful.

Keukenhof Flowers

Queens Day 2009

2009-05-05T21:56:00.002+02:00

Queens Day 2009

Queens Day 2009 was a blast. The pictures speak for themselves. We had a fantastic time celebrating the Queen! It started off Wednesday with a party at the kids school and then Thursday morning at Vondelpark as a family and then a party at Neil's on Prinsengracht in the afternoon/evening. We were lucky to have a few friends in town for the holiday. Brian was here from London, Glenn was here from Singapore, and one of my best friends Leslie was here from San Diego, CA with her boyfriend Nick.

Wes' Birthday

2009-05-04T21:34:00.003+02:00

Wes turned the big 31 this year (and it was a Wednesday night), so we didn't plan anything to extravagant. However we were able to get a good group of friends together for some drinks and appetizers at a nice restaurant in the city. We had the entire upstairs for the party so we were able to relax and hang out and socialize for as long as we wanted. After a smaller group of us headed over to La Margarita for some good blended drinks and more food! We had a great time celebrating Wes and the evening was a lot of fun. Happy 31st Birthday Wes!

Wes Birthday

Our Little Golfer

2009-05-04T14:55:00.001+02:00

Kids Helping

2009-05-04T14:48:00.003+02:00

Tyler and Madison switched beds when we moved Maddie out of her crib and we had to move the side sleeping rail from one side to the other. One day I decided to give it a try and let the kids help me. They did such a great job and had fun playing with the tools.

Easter 2009

2009-05-04T14:18:00.007+02:00

Easter 2009

Our Easter this year was pretty mellow; but fun and exciting for the kids. We enjoyed a few different festivities during Easter week. They had a little Easter party at school and enjoyed some goodies and craft making with their friends and teachers. Tyler and I attended a Easter party at The Little Gym were he played games, got his face painted, got to pet a bunny, played in the Gym, made lots of Easter crafts, saw the Easter bunny and had an egg hunt in the gym. On Easter morning we went to the Hard Rock Cafe with some friends for their annual Easter Breakfast Buffet. Here they again enjoyed craft making and egg docorating, face painting, cute little baskets, and the Easter Bunny. Tyler loved the Easter Bunny this year and Madison still wasn't so sure. She got close enough to look at him but no pictures were allowed and she wouldn't touch. At home we had our own little Easter egg hunt with the little chocolate eggs in our garden. Seemed silly and minimal but the kids loved it and had a great time. We did it after their nap so we told them the bunny came when they were sleeping. Of course Tyler believed it and was so happy the bunny brought him "more" chocolate eggs...his favorite. Overall it was a great day and Wes cooked us all dinner that night. We hope everyone had a fantastic 2009 Easter as well. Hope you enjoy our pictures from the holiday.

Broken Computer

2009-04-08T23:13:00.002+02:00

Our laptap got a virus or shorted out or something...and stopped working on April 1st. It's been a rough week without our computer. Of course we have our cell phones with email and internet access and our computers at work; but we don't have all our documents and pictures and music and Skype and Slingbox...hopefully it all can be saved. It's currently being worked on so hopefully we'll be back up soon. I can't download pictures or do anything until I get it back. More pictures will hopefully be coming soon.

The Great Outdoors

2009-04-01T23:05:00.002+02:00

The weather has been absolutely beautiful! We have been so occupied with just being outdoors. We have made lots of trips to all the parks around our house, kicking the ball around in the soccer fields, playing t-ball in the grass area, feeding the ducks and just enjoying the sun. I think we had 10 straight days with no rain! Still a bit chilly but beautiful for Amsterdam...Spring is in the air!

1-Year Anniversary in Holland

2009-03-27T16:33:00.002+01:00

We have been in Holland for 1 year! It's hard to believe; it feels like we are settled here and have been here forever but at the same time the year went by fast. We survived our first Winter and are really looking forward to the Spring! We are hoping to get in a little more traveling this Spring and Summer. Overall things are great and we really enjoy this beautiful city of Amsterdam.

Dutch Health Insurance

2009-03-23T15:06:00.001+01:00

I am so happy...we finally have Dutch Health Insurance! And it's only been almost one year since we moved to Amsterdam. :) Technically our insurance started January 1, 2009 (per our policy and cards), however, we just received our policy last week and our cards yesterday...so it only took 9 months. It's just crazy and insane how long things can take to get done here in Holland, especially things involving paperwork. So now, we are 100% official...oh wait, we still need to get Dutch drivers license. I think we are becoming Dutch!

New Kitten

2009-03-22T18:28:00.004+01:00

We brought home our new kitten this weekend. His name is Holland Elroy Clanton and he is a Siberian cat breed. We already love him. He is great with the kids, plays with them and isn't scared of anything, and sleeps with us in our bed. Tyler picked the name Holland for him and Elroy was his given name from the breeder. We are busy buying lots of things for the kitten and making our house cat friendly. Check out the pictures and video of him.

New Kitten

No More Crib

2009-03-21T17:59:00.000+01:00

Madison no longer sleeps in her crib, so we decided to move it out and get rid of it. We took it out of the room today. So now we have a little more walking area in the bedroom and two big kid beds for Tyler and Madison. It's a little sad to think our baby is gone and we have a little big girl. But she's so proud of her bed and she's sleeps well in it.

Co-worker from SB in town

2009-03-20T17:49:00.001+01:00

Our co-worker Bryan Siever from SB was in town all week from the 15th to the 21st. They had a very productive work week while he was here and Wes did a lot with him. He was able to come over to our house a few times and hang out with us and the kids and we got one night out with him to a nice restaurant and we found a fun bar that makes all different types of margaritas. The week went by fast; but he'll be back soon in April.

Tyler gets a hair cut

2009-03-19T17:43:00.002+01:00

Tyler gets a hair cut! It's a lot shorter all around. It's hard to tell with his stick straight hair that just falls forward no matter what you do to it. And it can't be too short because he has calics in the back that just stick straight up. His surfer dude shaggy hair is gone for a few months.

Ladies Movie Night

2009-03-18T20:41:00.002+01:00

The Pathe movie theaters throughout Holland hold a Ladies Night movie once a month. They show a premiere of a new chic flick that's coming out. Of course our movies are a little later then the premiere dates in the States. This is a fun little event for all Ladies. You can show up early and drink in the theater; yes at the movie theater you can buy wine, beer, hard liquor and even champagne. With the cost of the ticket you get one free drink (of their choice), they do raffles before the movie, and you get a little goodie bag after the movie. We watched the movie at Pathe Tuschinski which is a very old and beautiful movie theater in the heart of the city. I'm sure back in the day this theater was used for stage shows and other productions (not just movies). You can check out pictures of the theater at; http://www.pathe.nl/tuschinski/media.asp. We had front row seats on the 1st level balcony right in the middle so we had a great view of the movie. I went with two great friends Autumn and Alissa who dig chic flicks also. We're already talking about going to next months which is "He's just not that into you."

Kids Growth Status

2009-03-16T13:22:00.001+01:00

Madison at 2 years old:

86.5 cm = 34.1 inches
12.20 kg = 26.8 pounds

The average in the USA is 30 inches and 28 pounds. So she's tall for her age (fits in well with the Dutch kids).

Tyler at almost 4 years old:

100 cm = 39.4 inches
15 kg = 33.1 pounds

The average in the USA is 37 inches and 35-37 pounds. So he's pretty average; a little taller but also a little skinny butt weighing only 33 pounds.

Both kids had to receive a few extra vaccines here in The Netherlands. Tyler is done until he's older and Madison is done until she's 4 years old. Besides the normal colds and sicknesses both kids have been healthy. Tyler hasn't had many ear infections so I'm hoping he has out grown that. We are still following up every year with his ears and hearing tests. Madison had a full eye exam by the pediatric eye doctors here in Amsterdam and everything looks good. All in all they are growing like weeds and both are doing great.

Sibling Love

2009-03-15T15:31:00.004+01:00

Ok, so I need to update this blog more frequently so those of you that actually read it will see new posts when you check in. I'm working hard to catch up. I'm one week behind on pictures and blog posts. That doesn't seem long however I have a lot to say in a weeks time sometimes. So, my new goal will be to try to update the blog at least twice a week. We'll see how well I do. Here's a cute pic of the kids posing for the camera.

Spring is in the air!

2009-03-12T22:01:00.000+01:00

Spring is in the air! The weather is getting nicer by the day and I cannot wait for Spring to come. All over the city the flowers are starting to bloom. Since we arrived at the end of March last year and the flowers were already here, I sort of took the scenery for granted. Now that I've been through a winter....I have realized that I absolutely love everything about the Spring time. The weather, the flowers, the sunlight out until 11pm, and the sun (the little of it we do see). These pictures are from a flower bulb we planted and grew ourselves in the house. It's blossomed 3 different times so far and is so pretty. It's just a tease to what we're about to see during the next few months. Many more flower photos to come.

Wes playing soccer

2009-03-11T21:40:00.003+01:00

NHR has a indoor soccer team and Wes is playing with them. They had their first game tonight; so the kids and I showed up to cheer on Daddy and the team. They lost the game, but it was a lot of fun watching Wes play sports again.

Giving Daddy some LUV

Maddie giving Daddy some support

Watching from the sidelines

Wes in action...he really did play!

NHR Soccer team

Grandma's head home

2009-03-09T21:24:00.002+01:00

Today was a very sad day; because both Grandma Jackie and Grandma Paula had to leave to head back home. They will both be missed a ton! They left in the morning with Wes in a taxi since NHR is on the way to the airport. Tyler kept saying all day that they went to work with Daddy. When Wes got home from work he asked where the Grandma's were? It was cute and he didn't understand why they had to go home or wanted to. We all enjoyed them being here and our time spent with them. It only took a few days to get the kids back on schedule and back to normalcy. Meaning they did have a little freedom and lets just say were spoiled a bit with the Grandma's. When I tried telling them to do something for the first few days Tyler would say, Grandma doesn't make me do that. You know what my answer to that was! :) Even though our house is small; we love visitors and hope more will come during our time here.

Madison's Birthday Party

2009-03-08T15:56:00.001+01:00

We had Madison's 2nd birthday party on Sunday the 8th at The Little Gym in Amsterdam. It was supposed to be a joint birthday party with her friend Kaia but she got sick that day with the stomach flu and could not come. It was a sad day since Kaia couldn't be there. Maddie kept asking for her all day and during the party; she would say "were's Kaia". However, the party was lots of fun at the Gym and all the kids had a great time. They danced around, played on the equipment, played with the parachute, did bubbles and then we ate some food and cake. It's great having a party at a facility because they do all the setting up and cleaning up. Madison absolutely loves the gym and isn't afraid to do anything there. Overall I think she enjoyed her 2nd birthday!

Maddie's Birthday Party

Happy 2nd Birthday to Madison!

2009-03-06T13:56:00.005+01:00

When she was born

At her 1 year old birthday

Today is Maddie's 2nd birthday! Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you! I cannot believe she is already two. She still seems like a baby to me in so many ways; but at the same time she acts like such a little girl. Madison is sweet, sassy, very independent, and thinks she can do anything her brother does. Today she went to school with her brother and they celebrated there during the day with school friends and then that evening we had a mini little celebration at home and opened presents.

Madison's 2nd Birthday

Trip to Ballorig

2009-03-05T13:27:00.000+01:00

While the Grandma's were here we went to Ballorig. This is the indoor place place Wes and I took the kids too a few weeks ago. It's another fun place that you can spend just a few hours at and get your monies worth. Adults are free and kids are only 6 euros each. This place has slides, jumpy things, trampolines, ball pits, big soft building blocks, a little race car track, and much more. The adventure with this trip involved us getting there. It's a little ways out of the city, so we have to drive there. We crammed all 5 of us in our little car. I wish I could have gotten a picture of that!

Quick trip to London

2009-03-03T13:40:00.002+01:00

Wes had to go visit the London office for 2 days so I decided to tag along with him since the Grandma's were in town. I was really spoiled this time with them here! We just went for 1 night and 2 days. It's a quick easy flight and it's really easy to get around over there. Once we arrived Wes went straight to the office and I took the train into London to do a little sightseeing for the day. It's only a 15 minute train ride from Richmond, were the office is located. I did the London Eye and rode the double decker open top red bus tour that goes all over the town and sees all the sights. You can hop on and hop off at any stop. These were the two things I wanted to do last time but I couldn't since I had the kids with me and I was by myself. Since this trip was in March and it's still cold, there weren't many tourists out at all. I just walked right on the London Eye, which unheard off. I was in the capsule with just one other couple, so only 3 of us. That felt a little strange. The weather was actually pretty good. It was clear in the morning and then started to sprinkle a little by the afternoon. I headed back to Richmond and spent a little time at the office. We had a few drinks at a local bar with the boys from the office, and Wes was in heaven because they had Coors Light! We went to dinner with Neil and Bryan and then stayed the night at Neil's house. Wes worked the next day and I did some shopping in Richmond. I was in heaven; it's just like being in the States. They have all the "name brand" stores like Gap, and Gap Kids, Calvin Kein, and lots more. I was in heaven. Good thing we don't live there or we'd be broke!

Trip to London

Visit to the Amsterdam Zoo

2009-03-02T12:45:00.000+01:00

While the Grandma's were here we woke up one morning and decided to take advantage of the nice day and head to the zoo. The weather wasn't that nice, it was still really cold out and required jackets, beanies and gloves...but it wasn't raining! And days like that are a treat. I really like the Amsterdam zoo; they have lots of animals, lots of things indoors, plenty of food and resting places, lots of playgrounds for the kids, and a litte petting zoo. Tyler loves the petting zoo; I think that's his favorite part. Last time we went Madison was really scared to go up and pet the goats but this time she wasn't and she just copied her brother and did what he did. We had a great time. It's a nice trip because it's in the city and easy to get to. It's a good place to go for a few hours in the morning and still be home by early afternoon for nap time.

Visit to the Zoo

NHR President's Trip - Maastricht The Netherlands

2009-03-01T20:44:00.003+01:00

Every January the select few who make it into the NHR President's club get to go on a weekend trip. In SB we always went to Ojai for the weekend, and this year they did the same. We were a little sad to be missing out on the fabulous weekend in Ojai with all our SB friends. However, for the first time we were able to take part in this weekend with the EMEA group. We had a small group; 6 employees from NHR with their significant others. We stayed at a beautiful old castle hotel in Maastricht. The Hotel Chateau St. Gerlach stands in extensive parkland surrounded by the Ingendael wildlife reserve. This historic country estate dates back to the 12th century and provides gourmet cuisine, a superb spa, an inviting pool and beautiful baroque gardens not far from Maastricht. The 18th century Chateau is romantic and grand, filled with characteristic furniture, chandeliers, frescoes and enormous oil paintings. The ambience is one of sophistication but the overall feel is warm and welcoming. Naturally, most of the rooms and suites have glorious pastoral views from terraces or balconies. A group of us took a limo there and back, we had a fun filled morning which included a short walk through the nature reserve “Ingendael”, towards the Limburgian caves, a hike tour in the caves which included a few obstacles, another short walk, and then quad motor rides around a track, and a group dinner that night. The caves were unbelievable! It was such a neat experience to see the old paintings on the lime cave walls and walk around by nothing but candle light. All in all we had a great weekend and it was filled with good company and good fun.

NHR President's Trip - Maastricht The Netherlands

Farewell to Winfried Kramer

2009-02-28T22:06:00.000+01:00

One of our good friends and co-workers Winfried Kramer who has been with NHR Amsterdam for almost 6 years decided it was time to take some time off and do some traveling and something else with his career. We had a fun little farewell get together in his honor. He received this T-shirt as a memory of time spent at NHR. We had a lot of fun with Winfried, he was always the life of the party. We have some great memories of Winfried when he first started and he spent two weeks in Santa Barbara for training, our trip to Cabo in Mexico, many annual company parties in SB, and most recently our time with him during our year in Amsterdam. He will be missed at work and we wish him the best and lots of happiness!

Ice Skating again in Amsterdam

2009-02-27T22:01:00.002+01:00

Ice Skating again in Amsterdam

The day Grandma Paula arrived we decided to go Ice Skating again in Museumplein. This was the last few days it would be here before they closed down until next winter. The kids had a fun time with their Grandma's on the ice. Madison is our little dare devil and will do anything. She loved it! Tyler did it for a few minutes and said it was too hard and he didn't like it. He'd rather just play with the ice and snow. My Mom and I even put on skates and gave it a little try.

Grandma Paula arrives

2009-02-26T21:55:00.002+01:00

As if we were not spoiled enough with one Grandma in town, we got 2! After Grandma Jackie was in town for 4 days Grandma Paula arrived. We were happy to see her and the kids were so happy they didnt know what to think or what was going on. Two Grandma's at our house in Amsterdam, who could ask for more? I'm sure Grandma Jackie was happy to see her as well since we left her with the kids for 3 out of her 4 first days here...who needs time to get over jet lag? it's overrated! :) And we were leaving again for the weekend.

Plane Crash at Schiphol Airport

2009-02-25T21:41:00.002+01:00

This was a scary day...a little too close to home. Schiphol is our home airport in Amsterdam and on this day a plane coming in from Turkey crashed during landing just a few miles away from the airport and our work office. To make things scarier we were flying home from Italy on this morning, we were 10 minutes from landing when we were told the airport was closed and we had to land in Belgium. Of course as soon as we landed we got on our phones to see what was wrong and we learned of the crash. We then had to buy train tickets to get home from Belgium to Amsterdam. It was a long day of traveling, over 12 hours total by the time we got home. Thankfully many people survived the crash!

Trip to Italy - Island of Sardegna

2009-02-24T21:33:00.000+01:00

We took a quick and very last minute trip to Italy, to the Island of Sardegna. We were in the town of Cagliari. Wes had to go for work for 2 days so I tagged along with him while Grandma Jackie was here. We left on a Monday morning and came back on Wednesday. It was quick and last minute because we didn't go anyplace we really want to in Italy, we didn't stay long, and Wes had meetings most of the time. I just hung out, did a little sightseeing, relaxed by reading, sleeping and watching movies. The hotel didn't even have Intenet connection in the rooms so I didn't even get on the computer...so I really relaxed! The weather wasn't that good, it rained the first day and night. The island was pretty slow and dead since it was still winter. But you can tell by pictures, and beaches on the sea that this is a very nice place to be during the summer months when it's nice and hot. My goal is to go back to Italy 2 or 3 more times before we leave! There's so much to see.

Italy - Island of Sardegna

Kids having fun

2009-02-23T15:50:00.000+01:00

After Grandma Jackie arrived we set up an air mattress downstairs and the kids had a fun time pretending it was their bed.

Grandma Jackie brought them a new pop-up tent and for a week they had a great time with it up in the middle of the family room. They even got Grandma to go in it with them!

Grandma Jackie arrives

2009-02-22T16:01:00.000+01:00

Today was a happy day...Grandma Jackie arrived from California and she's here for two weeks to visit. The kids were so happy to see her. She brought lots of goodies with her and Tyler kept saying, "Mom it's like Christmas again." So cute! Let's see what all we can do and plan in the next two weeks. Lots more to follow.

Adding a new addition to the Clanton Family

2009-02-21T15:12:00.000+01:00

We have decided to add a new addition to the Clanton Family in Amsterdam; we are getting a little kitten! We haven't picked him up yet, he's still too little. But we'll have him soon. Here are a few pictures of him. We haven't named him yet; still thinking about that.

Supper Club Restaurant in Amsterdam

2009-02-20T14:15:00.002+01:00

We went to the Supper Club Restaurant in Amsterdam with a great group of friends while Lauren was in town visiting from Singapore. We had a great time. It's a chic fun atmosphere, with a DJ, dancers, entertainment, and a 5-course meal served on little tables or your lap while sitting on couches/beds.

Supper Club Restaurant in Amsterdam

Madison and Kaia Photoshoot

2009-02-19T15:07:00.000+01:00

Madison and Kaia Photoshoot

Madison and her good friend Kaia had two mini photoshoots. We had a good time chasing the girls around and trying to get a good picture of them both. The reason being their 2nd Birthday party. We ordered a cake with a picture of the girls on it; it turned out really cute.

Dinner at the Clanton's

2009-02-19T14:39:00.000+01:00

Home cooked meal at our house for Lauren and Jude and a small group of friends. We always love to have people over...but our little home here in Amsterdam just doesn't compare to what we have back home in the states, however, we find a way to manage. I always say good company with friends is better than none so we deal with what we have. Sometimes just hanging out at home is nicer than going out. We all had a great time with eachother. We had a really fun time with Lauren and Jude while they were here for a week...come back soon!

Dinner at the Clanton's

Weather - A Little Snow

2009-02-18T15:35:00.000+01:00

We still have a little cold weather here in Amsterdam. It didn't seem that cold anymore and then one morning we woke up and there was snow. Not a ton, but enough to stick. These pictures are from work. You can see the parking lot and grass area have snow all over them. I think the winter is almost over...only one month left. I cannot wait for Spring to come!

The Kids having fun dressing in Dad's Clothes

2009-02-17T14:44:00.000+01:00

I love these new pictures of the kids. They were having a fun time dressing up in Dad's clothes. Tyler is wearing Wes' sweater and Madison is wearing his scarve. They were so happy and the pictures are adorable!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T14:58:00.002+01:00

For Valentine's Day we went out to dinner to La Oliva, a great little Spanish tapas restaurant with a group of 10 of us. We had a great time and the food was delicious. After dinner we headed to Werk, a fun club on Prinsengracht. We met up with our great friend Lauren (from Santa Barbara) who is currently living in Singapore and visiting for the week, she arrived that day with her boyfriend. It was so nice to see her and hang out.

Valentine's Day

Ballorig

2009-02-14T14:24:00.006+01:00

We started off Valentine's Day by taking the kids to Ballorig in the morning. It's an indoor playzone...lots of jumpy things, ball pits, rides, etc. It's in Amsterdam, near the Arena about a 15 minute drive from us. The kids had a great time here and Tyler keeps saying how he wants to go back. I'll include some more pictures and a video. In the video Madison is on a giant trampoline and wasn't sure exactly what to do. Tyler and I are in the background, he's riding a police bumber car around a track.

Ballorig

Fort with the Kids

2009-02-13T22:47:00.002+01:00

McDonald's

2009-02-09T22:04:00.007+01:00

Family night eating McDonald's...how special! But I thought it was note worthy because it's the first time we have eaten fast food for dinner since moving here and I never buy it for the kids. But they were in heaven with chicken nuggets and french fries (at least they still had applesauce and milk with it). It was a fun and special treat for them after giving up their pacifier and bottle.

Chicken Pox

2009-02-08T21:51:00.001+01:00

On Sunday Tyler broke out with a very mild case of the Chicken Poxs. He got the vaccine for them in the States, but it's been over 2.5 years and they don't vaccine here in Holland. Everyone still gets them and it's not a big deal. So it's going around his school and he got them. It's really hard to see them in these pictures, I did my best. He only have about 20 poxs total and they stayed fairly small and barely pussed and scabbed over. He really only itched for 2 days and then he was fine. It's been 6 days and they are all just bumps with scabs on them. He did good and was actually sort of proud to say he had the Chicken Pox. He wanted to show everyone them. I think he did better than I did. After 5 days of being stuck in the house with the kids and not going out I was ready to go crazy! Thankfully it was just a mild case. And to top it all off he got the flu on Monday night as well and was throwing up. Fun times.

No More Pacifier and Bottle

2009-02-07T21:41:00.002+01:00

This picture is from the last night with these two little precious items. The kids were sitting together pouting, wondering what they would do without their paci and baba's. Tyler is 3.5 and still slept with is pacifier at naps and night and Madison is almost 2 and still HAD to have her bottle with milk mainly for sleep, but she'd demand it all he time. Demand you say, a 2 year old can't do that...but I beg to differ. They easily control your life. Now I did continue to have lots of excuses; oh he has a new baby sister so he still needs it, we are moving to Amsterdam so they still need them, they are sick so they still need them, we are going on a flight so they still need them...and bottom line is, it just made my life easier. No fighting or crying and an it's always an easy fix. But I knew eventually I had to do the right thing...just take them away! It's like I needed therapy, saying it was much easier to do than doing it. But we were strong and last Saturday night we did it! Yeah for Wes and Heather! :) It's been one week and we have no issues. Ty may ask for it every once in a while and try to get away with it but he's done great. They have both done great. Pacifiers and Bottles are now gone, we freed from them. Now it's on to diapers!