The problem with breaking your arm in Europe!

I hear people say all the time about how much they love the USA because everything is "easier." And to be honest it is-I mean drive thru's, bulk food shops, stores that are open on Sundays, stores where you can buy more than one type of thing(ie food AND clothing!!)- but to be honest up until now those have been some of the reasons i have loved living in europe. With a broken arm, however, i am missing a few of the "easy" things about the states:

1. Dishwashers- oh the joy of being able to stick those dirty dishes in that machine and let it go after the grime! I was getting so sick of my dishes on Monday that i washed them one handed-try it sometime-its not fun. it took me an hour to wash about 5 bowls, 3 plates and some silverwear. Tuesday night my awesome friend Fiona came and washed my new dirty dishes!! Love you fiona!!

2. Dryers-Haven't had one of those for over 3 years either. wouldn't it be great to throw your clean clothes into a machine and have them come out dry? No- i have been trying to hang them on the rack i have and then once they are dry i cant really fold with one hand so most of my clothes are just in little piles in my closet:) don't look!!

3. Automatic cars-most people in the states have automatic cars so that if you have a broken arm you can still drive with the other one. Not so here in europe-most cars are stick. Which means if one of your arms can't be used you can't really drive-lucky for me Paul has an automatic car so we have swapped for now!

I may add to this list but for now that is all i can handle typing one handed:)!

Garmish adventure/broken bones!!

ok so most of you know by now that while driving to Garmish, Germany to go snowboarding we were involved in a pretty serious car wreck. Thankfully most of the people involved only had very minor injuries but one of the students, Maria, broke her back and had to have surgery and i broke my wrist and had to have surgery. The whole thing was pretty surreal and i think we are all still processing through it. There were some pretty funny moments in it too-like when Paul thought I was bleeding to death cuz of a pool of "blood" by my feet. We found out later it was some fluid from the car but the look on his face was pretty priceless!! We got to meet a lot of great Germans along the way-and so many spoke english which was super! We had the accident in a little town-Fussen- and then headed to Garmish the next day. They are used to broken bones there since it is a ski resort town so i figured it was a great place to have my surgery. I went in last Sunday and they put in a t-plate and seven screws(at least that's what they told me they were going to do-i never saw the after x-rays).
This is us on the way down-before the accident- at a Burger King stop.

This is the morning after the accident. We only had about 40 miles to get to Garmish but because of traffic it took us about 6 hours!!

That same evening showing off my German cast and the facial scratches from the airbag-that thing was powerful!!

Sunday evening after the surgery. The doctors were trying to hold me captive in the hospital but my wonderful friends came and broke me out so I could go back to the hotel with them. When they did the surgery they put a tube in to drain blood-So yes- I am holding a container of blood in my hand

This is Monday morning-we dropped the rest of the group off at the slopes on the way to the hospital to get my tube taken out and cast on. Just showing off my blood again! Lizzy says-yuk!!

This is my arm today. The "cast" they gave me is just one of those wrist guards you would wear skateboaring so I can take it off which is nice when it itches.

and here's a little closer up.

so there you go. I am typing this one handed so sorry for the lack of details.

Traveled much lately?

So last weekend the middle school basketball team I help coach played in Bonn, Germany. My boss was also in town from the states so I decided to drive so that I could get back to Brussels earlier. As I was driving I was reminded of a previous road trip to Germany where we were making a joke about how all roads in Germany lead to "Ausfahrt." On that trip we had traveled about 5 hours when one of the people in the car-I won't mention names KATE- was like- yeah they really do- what's up with that? So to let you in on something - the word for EXIT in German is AUSFAHRT- so yes all roads really do lead there:)
Remember how when you were younger and you went on a road trip it was fun to stop at the state lines and get your picture taken with the state sign? You'd think it might be even more exciting to get your picture taken when entering a new country-right?!! well here is a picture of the sign that tells you that you have entered Belgium. Pretty anti-climactic!!!

SO tomorrow I am off the Germany with some students to go snowboarding in the Alps- pretty fun. Since I don't ski or board it should be pretty interesting. I will take lots of pics and try to come back with all my bones in one piece!

Time in Austria

Yes there are some percs to traveling for work:) For instance- the view out of the front of your hostel! I was in the states for Christmas and new years and then came back to Brussels for about 12 hours before heading off to Austria to help out with a regional conference. We had to be at the airport at 5AM- not nice! then flew to Rome where we had a layover and then flew to Munich where a friend picked us up and we drove the last 2 hours to Mittersill, Austria. I felt like an American tourist for the 1st time in a long time(being in 4 countries in a day!).

I was doing childcare while the region had their meetings. At night we got to hang out with friends and play games like nerts and I even learned some crazy game called the settlers of catane or something. We did have one free day while we were there and so most of us went to the ski slopes- not to skit but to sled down a 14km run! it was awesome. We took the ski lift to the top of the mountain and here's the view!

Then we got on our sleds and tried to get down without killing ourselves. We had a bit of a rough start- several accidents amongst the group-including skiiers being taken out, sleds running off without sledders, and sleds running into innocent Austrian children! But after we got the hang of it we had a blast. it took about an hour to get down the run! It is so fun a bunch of us went back up and did it again after lunch. Here are Ashley and I at the top. Ashley lost her sled the 1st time and had to ride on my sled for a bit- that's when we ran into the poor Austrian/German child who apparently proceeded to curse us out in German-go us:)

all in all a fun trip. Now i am back and settling into Brussels for a another semester at warp speed.

Thanksgiving and beginning of Christmas season

Thanksgiving was a blast. We ended up having 12 adults and the Phipps' kids as well. The girls sat at the table and chatted while the guys sat in front of the TV and watched American football-LIVE!! Here we are at the table. We had Great Britain, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and the US represented. The food was all delicious and since we didn't eat until 7PM we had to make sure to fill up quickly before bed! It was my first year being in charge of making most of the main dishes so I was pretty psyched that everything turned out so great. Liesl's apple pie was definitely the prettiest thing we served!

This past weekend was also the first weekend of Advent so the Christmas markets are now open all over Europe. We have a really nice one right here in Brussels so on the way to church Sunday Liesl and i walked through it. Here we are in the Grand Place where they have a large Christmas tree and a manger scene set up.

After church some of us decided to go ice skating- they set up a rink on one of the place's. Last year I watched people several times but never got out there myself so one of the things I wanted to do this year was actually go! It was so much fun- until is started to rain! Here are me and Reka trying not to fall!

the whole gang! We asked one guy to take our pic but he kept falling down so I didn't trust him with my camera:) then one of the workers came over and took the pic for us!

Fiona, Liesl and I!!

Can't wait to explore some of the other Christmas markets around - I will keep you posted!

Happy Thanksgiving

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving. It is my FAVORITE holiday and I love that by living here in Belgium I get to spend it with people who have never experienced it before. This year I believe we are having 5 thanksgiving newbies! So fun! Mom-you would be proud- I am in charge of the turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin bread and delicious dessert!
Thankful for today: my lovely apartment, Christmas lights, candles that smell like apple pie, a comfy bed that I can fall into, photos, root beer, oven to bake things in, awesome parents who would do anything for me and come across an ocean to see me, sisters who love me even when I don't call, nieces and nephews who are some of the most amazing people in the world, memories, friends who let me stay at their place when I visit, games, sharpie pens, clicky pencils, gloves and hat on a cold day, Johnny Mathis Christmas music, Gram's potato stuffing, heaters, plane tickets, smiles and you-whoever is reading this of course:)
Have a GREAT THANKSGIVING!!

Too early for Christmas music?

This is the question I have had to ask myself over the past few weeks. Thanksgiving is not yet upon us but the weather is cold and dark and gloomy so what better to lift my spirits than a little Johnny Mathis or Bing Crosby? I have given in to the need for spirit lifting and begun to listen to Christmas music nonstop! It started last week when I had the girls over for breakfast-I put on some Johnny Mathis and it has not stopped. The pinacle was this week when the girls came over for breakfast- I not only played Charlie Brown Christmas music but lit lovely smelly candles on my mantle and pretty white ones in my fake fireplace. Made me just want to bake some cookies and hole up for the day!
So bring on the Christmas music!