Hup, Holland, Hup

Today, Holland is playing! I`m curious how they will do against Japan.. It`s gonna be a tough game..
Also, today, in the pooooring rain, we will go help out Lukas`s youngest sister selling this healthy bioline product (really healthy, fast, just add water, ready to eat in 15 minutes- packages of rice, linzen, corn, etc. spiced really wonderfull and all for 10 frances a package- am I not a good seller?) - at a market (yes outside!) but we are waring our orange t-shirts and we will make the most of it... I will try to make a rainy-goodmooded picture of us!

These last 2 weeks I have been busy doing lots of things but especially filling out the taxes-papers from holland still. Appears if you immigrate there is 96 (PLUS the a, b, c, d, sometimes it goes till j, k and n!!!) questions to fill out. Each with a gigantic `read the instructions before filling out maybe you don`t have to fill it out` explanation to them. It made me really crazy. I made a picture of me after doing this tax-thing the whole day. Yes. Pretty CrAzY!!! BUT, with a little help from Josien and from the tax-phone that I called toooo often (ofcourse there is a loooong waiting time that makes one more frustrated), (not to speak of when the employees that are supposed to KNOW and be able to help you go: `Ohw.. yeah.. that is indeed a very good question.. hmm.. wait a second.. let me read that first..`---- More annoying music!!!!!---- And then when he`s back: `Yes. Its like this...: Then I go: But what if... then he goes.. `Yes.. hmmm. Right.. Wait a second I`not sure.... hmmm good question again`. `I GUESS you`re right.. `I: But what if.. cause it says there.. `Ohw. yeah.. I suppose that.... ` WHAAGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Thanks, that helped a lot.
BUT, it -thank goodness- is really, almost done now. Almost time to celebrate..

Now that the tulip season is almost over, and since doesn`t seem to stop raining today, I thought I`d put some pic`s in that I found and made last year, driving back from work. Pretty close to home, I drove by these amazing tulip fields.
Also, some sunny pic`s of the Magnolia, my favorite tree, and the Iris, my favorite flower. Pretty pretty huh??

I`ll put some Orange T-shirt-pictures and our market-selling-experience-story up next time!

Have a great weekend!

Föhn wind... & APPARTMENT!

Here in Switserland they have something called `Föhn`. Not a blowdryer, because that is exactly the same word, but you will regularly here them say, look, `there`s a Föhn again.`
When that is the case, the mountains surrounding Lucerne appear so close all of a sudden, like they are right there on your doorstep. I always feel like taking a walk and after 100 meter I can step right up to the mountain! (Where for real, they are many km. away).
Anyways, this föne wind brings often very warm temperatures, and it caused last night to be the first `tropical night` in Lucerne. (above 20 degrees celcius)
If I would have know, I would have slept outside.. But maybe that is not such a good idea here.. I remember we used to do it at home, on top of meters of fresh harvested, packed up straw. What a great vieuw we had, stars everywhere...

I am going to miss the mountains here, we have such a beautiful vieuw almost all the time.. But Bern will bring us new adventures.. We actually looked at an appartment we really liked last week (3 rooms, big living room, smaller kitchen, 1st floor, AND... A BALCONY!!! jeaah. A really old building, but the inside renovated 2 years ago. Really pretty. It is a really bad picture, but this is what it looks like from the outside: http://www.immoscout24.ch/IS24Web/_V2/Detail.aspx?cat=1&type=1&realty=1&extended=0&tab=0&city=Aarberg&searchtext=Aarberg&country=1&page=1&total=20&wl=1&lng=de&objectid=1758839&index=9 We have prayed that it will become ours.. Ill keep you posted.

Last saturday Lukas and I had a fun time at the `Sempachersee`. They call it a `sea` here but it is a little.. hmm pond? But bigger than a pond. He rode me there in my wheelchair, and we had a releaxing time and enjoyed the vieuws. We tried to take a picture of a beautiful `duc` that was ducking down, to appear again about 20 meters from where he went down. Each time he was right in front of us, and had my camera in action, he quickly dissapeared again. That happend like 6 or 7 times, it was like he was playing a game with us! Lukas managed to take a pic of him a little farther off.
The weather was really nice, we staied there until about 9 pm, Lukas was studying (that`s his `prüfungsbard or exambeard`, so he calles it:-) and I was embroidering??. That is a new hobby and I`m not sure if I spelled that right! But it has to do with a needle and some cotton threads. :-) It `s really releaxing. All you do is make lots and lots of crosses over and over again:-) May sound boring but to me it is fantasticly therapeutic and releaxing. But I think I already said that. :)

OH MY GOODNESS...
OKEY. That is a prayer answered right there!
The guy we would rent our new appartment from, just called me as I am writing this post. Tells me he has 2 other families wanting our appartment.
He just said: I would like to give it to you guys, and will send you the paperwork.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even though it is free from today on, and even though we need it in 2 months. (So that is 2 months of rent-money gone for him.. Wow.
I can`t believe my ears and am so happy that I am jumping for freude!! But not really cause that would not be good for the meniscus!!!!!!!!! But my heart is!!
Wow. THANK YOU Heavenly Father!!!!

So wanted to share that happy news!!
Pictures asap!

Have a great one!
I sure will!!
:-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)))))))))))))))

The boy who never wanted to get a haircut...

May coming to its end...

I`m probably not the only one finding time racing by, without me half noticing that it is.. It`s crazy how it seems to run even faster `sitting` here at home, not allowed to go to work. Days just dissapear like snow melting in the sun..
I can`t believe June is standing at the door.. Waiting to burst in.
Hopefully with June, a little bit of Summer also.

Tomorrow is an exiting day. Lukas`s last unmarried sister will get married for time and all eternity. We really hope they will have the day of their lifes and that summer will set in a little bit earlier than june for them :-) We have tried to help organize some things for the wedding and hope everything will go smoothly...

My knee is doing better / getting stronger everyday. Twice a week I visit a very good physiotherapist and she is also happy with me, and ofcourse about the way I do my excercises everyday. Ahum. I must say, I can`t wait to get rid of the crutches in about 2 weeks! Even though these stupid crutches are teaching me so much lessons at the moment.. Especially PATIENCE!
Things just go ten times as slow as normally, and I just don`t manage to get everything done that is on my list each day.
But that is one thing that the crutches are trying to teach me. That just that, isn`t so bad. There`s always the next day. And the next. And still nothing bad happens if it takes ANOTHER day!!
I am totally in one huge learning process here (who would have thought a little, tiny, nasty, meniscus would be able to bring that to pass!) but it is showing me things I didn`t know before and I obviously need to learn. I guess we all get our wake up calls once in a while...! Watch out! Especially when we expect it the least!

During the process of helping out with my sister`s in law`s wedding, I found some awesome pictures of Lukas in his younger years.. This was when we made a powerpoint presentation, with pictures of her when she was a kid.
Ofcourse little Lukas was spotted as one of the cuttest little snuggers in the family pictures.. ;-) (But that`s just my coloured opinion)
I did not ask permission to post them.. but I will ;-) Once he get`s home from home teaching:-)

Furthermore, there isn`t a lot of exiting news.. My first check-up after the belly OP was yesterday, and my gynecologist was sufficient happy with me and told me that everything looked allright. Endometriosis/Adenomyosis = gone for now. That sounded pretty good, I think!
I learned that it is pretty exausthing to be traveling with the strength of your arms and one legg, and I underestimated the (travel to the) visit. Even if it was just in Lucerne, partly by bus, partly by `walking`. But I`m glad that my body keeps telling me when I need to slow down. I think I need that, or something!!??!?!

I wish Josien, Richard and Jared all the best moving this weekend. I wish I could be there to do something, anything..! Good luck to all of you saturday... !

I wish everyone a wonderful weekend with lots and lots and lots of sunshine!
Maaike


Showing new haircut
















THE Bracebrace...

Home again...

Roof app. is ours








(right kitchen-and left bedroom windows)

After living at my parents in law`s for two weeks, I returned home last saturday. I have been taking care of fabulously, but are happy to be home again.
We took some pictures of our appartment to show you what `home` looks like.
I am really going to miss this place and the Lucerne area and ward when we leave here in August. It has felt like home since the moment we went looking for appartments (this was the first app. we checked out), and we were so happy we were the lucky ones to become it.
It is not completely sure yet where we will be living in the Bern province, but I`m sure we will find a place that can feel like home once more.. !
It will most probably be in the neighbourhood where Lukas spent the last 15 years of his live, but where exactly we will soon hear. I`ll keep you posted!
I found a picture of when my mom was there to visit me at the hospital. She was there every day, the 5 days that I spend there for my belly surgery. Lukas made me a paper flower (the yellow one) and a nurse had just brought me a warm bag of cherry-pits, which really helps and releaxes when you have belly pains..
I went to the hospital to get something removed from my belly, but with that bag of cherrypits, it sure looks like they put something INTO my belly!
:-) LOL
Right now, there are some heavy thunderstorms outside. I promised Lukas not to go take a walk by myself, because when it`s wet outside the crutches get really slippery and slide away just when you think you need them to support you. Thats when you stand on your leg your not supposed to stand on, yup.. not good. It happened to me last week and it better not happen again...
So I`ll soon write more!


Hospital.. ?!Not what it looks like :-)











Kitchen












Tadaaaa! Kitchen







Bedroom (quilt made by Karin L.)












Bedroom










The living room














Living room other side

It's been a while...

But let's just put it this way; life has been to 'busy' to keep up on blogging.. So let's try again to keep you all updated since I will have more than enough time in the coming weeks to inform you all about our life in Switserland.
Posting pictures will have to wait a while since I am now staying at my parents in law and my camera is back at our house. (But I found some `oldy`s` here in the computer!)
SO.. where to start; February was an 'ups and downs' month where my brother got married and Lukas and I stayed in Holland for a short while, that was ofcourse great. It was still cold there (snow everywhere) but the sun was shining and Michiel and Melina looked beautifull.
March came around and on the 4th we celebrated my birthday, my first as a married woman:) I was spoiled greatly as Lukas took me out for dinner and arranged a real `Birthday-table.` (A tradition in his family). The table wrapped in beautiful shiny wrapping paper, on top the presents also wrapped and spread in between some candy (healthy candy ofcours, dried bananas/apples, healthy bars etc) and even a cake incl. candles! Pictures of the B-day girl:













































April brought some new 'adventures'... Lets just put it this way; I've been drugged enough for a life time and am staying at Lukas parents place for a little while since I have a recovery of 6-8 weeks wherein I am supposed to really not do much else than rest... My knee (outer Meniscus) has been a 'weak spot' since I started playing soccer, and after they operated on it in the Netherlands in 2001 it always kept hurting. Figures that they messed up my knee even more (finally discovered here in Switserland) and now hopefully they fixed it well. It hurt so bad though, when the Meniscus was locked in again. I was glad I wasn`t really awake anymore when the two ambulance brothers carried me down our stairs and (appearantly) I still screamed with every knee movement..
Two operations one the week after the other(together lasting 4 hours), the 1st planned, the 2nd NOT planned, wore me out. I am very grateful we can stay with my inlaws for a while, because doing stairs is not my most stable thing right now with crutches, and since there is 8 big stairs in our appartment in Lucerne... ! I`m glad for the company also. They take me out for walks in my wheelchair like an old old lady:-) and are taking great care of me.
So lets just say that after all these weeks of 'resting' that are in store for me now I hope to become a better blogger ;)
Ohw; and Lukas is great; he works hard on his internships and ofcourse is a little messed up too since he knows how hard his wife can scream (I'm sure he will hire a 'stand-in' if I ever are in labor)



The waters of Amsterdam...


At the beach in Lemmer about a year ago







Engaged (note the RING:-) Autumn 2008
(haha lukas probably told me here: Okay this is the LAST picture where I`ll try to smile!)





In the bijkeuken after church about two years ago?..

Snowbo..-falling

My first snowboard experience!!! Too bad I dont manage to download the film where I keep falling down.. :) Can someone explain to me how that works? Downloading a small movie? Thanks!