tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18899165324128175942024-03-19T09:48:34.792+01:00New Adventures in BelgiumAli Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-17417306957261942492011-03-10T21:36:00.042+01:002011-03-11T01:53:52.131+01:00A sunny winter day at the Abbaye du Rouge Cloitre (Red Cloister Abbey) playgrounds and surrounding area (Mar 8)This past Tuesday the weather was so nice in Brussels that I decided to take Reagan to the Abbaye du Rouge Cloitre (aka Red Abbey) to explore the grounds and most importantly the playground, Reagan would say! The area around the Abbey is very pretty with a few ponds where people can fish or watch the ducks and geese swim by. However, Reagan found it more fun to throw sticks in the water. The Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-76372537670086934872011-02-08T21:17:00.018+01:002011-02-11T10:39:40.388+01:00Children's Science Center (Technopolis) and a few recent playdatesLast week Reagan and I, along with two of my girlfriends, Melanie and Dana, and their toddlers, Lincoln and Finley, decided to venture out to Technopolis. It's an incredible science center in Mechelen just outside of Brussels and caters to almost all age groups, with an emphasis on preschool through high school students depending on which area of the facility you visit. Though, anyone would Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-21981270101495398282010-06-12T20:05:00.024+02:002010-10-16T00:38:56.946+02:00Celebrating end of Tax Season with a trip to The Netherlands: Amsterdam, Gouda and Kinderdijk (Days 2 & 3)We stayed in a cute Bed and Breakfast in Reeuwijk called Pax Tibi for 2 nights while we toured around mostly the western region of the Netherlands. It was pretty neat to see canals everywhere in this area. We even had to cross over a mini canal to get to our B&B. Anyway, the owners, Marian and her husband, were very kind and extremely helpful. They even were able to provide a baby cot for Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-65297182270628641042010-04-25T10:20:00.020+02:002010-06-12T02:51:29.830+02:00Celebrating end of Tax Season with a weekend trip to The Netherlands: Keukenhof Flower Garden (Day 1)I was counting down the days until the big April 15th tax deadline, so Reagan and I could spend more time with Shannon (aka Daddy)! We had planned a little get away in The Netherlands to celebrate this occasion. First we went to Keukenhof Gardens which is located near Lisse and only open from mid March – mid May every year. It’s an amazing garden displaying beautiful Spring flowers. We’ve Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-54402885126103436302010-04-19T15:07:00.023+02:002010-04-19T22:44:46.196+02:00Reagan's 1st EasterOur Easter was pretty low key. We got up fairly late, well as late as Reagan would let us, and went to the St Andrews Church of Scotland. It's only a 10-15 min walk from our apartment and one of the few English speaking churches in Brussels. Reagan wore a cute flowery Tommy Hilfiger dress that one of my neighbors sold me from her little girl when her family moved back to Italy this past November.Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-31518508880648684622009-12-02T23:27:00.012+01:002009-12-03T23:42:51.537+01:00Playdates (Oct and Nov)Over the last few months I've tried to bring Reagan to as many playdates as possible so she realizes there's other people out there besides her mom! Luckily, she loves these gatherings, not only because she gets to see other babies, but she gets to play with new toys, as I think she's getting bored with the ones we have at home. I also enjoy chatting with all the mothers and bouncing ideas off ofAli Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-3849841560727986662009-11-16T11:37:00.012+01:002009-11-19T23:49:09.558+01:00Halloween Party at our friends' apt (Oct 31)For Halloween we attended a party at one of our friends' apartments, Leah and Nathan's (Nathan works with Shannon at Deloitte). It was nice that they also included children though Reagan was the only one who came. Luckily, she was a little angel and slept over three quarters of the night in their spare bedroom in her cozy car seat. Thus, Mom and Dad were able to enjoy a few drinks and yummy Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-69248641627585525212009-11-16T11:35:00.021+01:002009-11-24T21:39:32.998+01:00'Kasteel de Haar' in The Netherlands after another outing to the Polish Pottery Outlet! (Oct 30)One Friday I convinced Shannon to take off work and head up to the Polish Pottery Outlet in The Netherlands. I've been itching to go back ever since I went there in April. They have such a great selection and I always have fun rummaging through the aisles. Reagan was very patient with my indecisiveness, but after 2 hours, I think I was wearing on both her and Shannon! Below you'll see pictures ofAli Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-16526781258642190092009-11-05T23:02:00.024+01:002009-11-24T12:42:48.740+01:00Photos of Reagan taken at 1, 2 and 3 months oldHere are a few shots of Reagan when she was 1, 2 and 3 months old. Shannon and I set up photo shoots for her the first 2 months, but had some of our friends take some more professional like pictures for her 3rd month. We were so happy that they were able to drop by our apartment one weekend and capture some great shots of not only Reagan but the whole family. A BIG thanks goes out to our friends Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-47821739618752045842009-10-29T22:51:00.014+01:002009-11-04T23:18:12.367+01:00American Women's Club Halloween Party (Oct 18)About two weeks before Halloween we attended the American Women's Club of Brussels Halloween party organized by the Mothers of Young Children group. Even though Reagan was too young too participate in the activities, we thought it would still be fun to acknowledge her first Halloween. Reagan was a little pumpkin thanks to one of my friends in the States (Charity) who mailed me a cute Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-54412460462859075462009-10-29T22:49:00.014+01:002009-11-02T00:58:57.482+01:00Traveling Textile Market in Hasselt, Belgium (Oct 14)I've always wanted to check out one of these traveling textile markets, so one of my friends, Leah, and I, along with Reagan, headed to Hasselt, Belgium, to see what they were all about. I think we were probably some of the youngest people there, but it was still a lot of fun. I'm not sure Leah was too thrilled but am fortunate she came along as she was a big help with Reagan and even hauled her Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-5712856191372731842009-10-29T22:46:00.009+01:002009-11-05T22:56:26.812+01:00US Ambassador Gala Dinner (Oct 5)Earlier in October Shannon and I had the opportunity to attend the US Ambassador Gala Dinner organized by The American Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and the The American Club of Brussels. This event was to welcome the newly appointed US Ambassador, Howard W. Gutman, to Belgium. Deloitte, being the good employer they are, sponsored a table, and luckily one of Shannon's clients couldn't come so I Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-21876905242948936042009-10-29T22:44:00.007+01:002009-10-30T01:15:16.399+01:00Europe's Heaviest Pumpkin Contest (Oct 3)Thanks to one of my friends, Marcie, I heard about this interesting event in Belgium: Europe's Heaviest Pumpkin Contest. Another friend of mine, Dallas, and I, along with Reagan, decided to head to Pachthof Stroykens in Duisburg (about 20-30 minutes from Brussels) to check it out one lazy Sunday afternoon. I miss going to pumpkin patches and other Autumn outings back in the US; and I thought it Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-68968849472456994112009-10-01T01:08:00.019+02:002009-10-16T00:24:30.988+02:00Golf Tournament hosted by the American Club of Brussels & Reagan's day at the Babysitter's (Sept 27)When Shannon asked me if I wanted to play in the annual American Club of Brussels golf tournament at the prestigious course, Golf Château de la Tournette, I was ecstatic! Only a few questions ran across my mind...would it be possible to find a babysitter for Reagan and would I be able to handle leaving her for the first time; oh and would I actually be able to swing a club?!? Luckily we found a Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-22200921768276957522009-09-30T21:58:00.011+02:002009-10-06T21:42:37.833+02:00Prenatal class reunion with our new additions (Sept 6)At our last prenatal class in May, we planned a reunion with all of our newest additions for September. One of the couples, Joe and Etain, offered their place and we all brought snacks while they provided refreshments. I attempted a speculoos cheesecake which turned out pretty good. Anyway, it was fun to see all the cute little babies and their tired, yet delighted new parents! We shared stories Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-30139738971253899062009-09-30T21:57:00.015+02:002009-10-10T23:08:55.757+02:00Largest Flea Market in Europe located in Lille, France (Sept 5)Every first weekend of September, Lille is the capital of bargain-hunting! The Braderie de Lille is Europe’s largest flea market, and certainly one of the most well-known events in France and abroad. Between one and two million visitors stroll up and down the city streets, entertained by music and the numerous performances that take place from Saturday to Sunday. Also you will see many people Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-38121660806944676432009-09-30T20:36:00.018+02:002009-10-01T00:35:37.635+02:00Some of Reagan's first visitorsAfter settling in back at home, we had a steady stream of visitors for the first few weeks. It was fun introducing our little one to all our friends and most importantly to her Grandmother (my mom) who flew all the way from Nebraska to see her newest grandchild.We tried to take pictures of all of Reagan's visitors, but we missed a few here and there. For instance, Shannon's coworker, Sara, Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-77620367249175842362009-09-01T23:23:00.013+02:002009-09-02T15:02:25.286+02:00Annevoie Gardens: "Les Jardins d'Annevoie", Belgium (July 26)At 1 week old we thought we should integrate Reagan into our desire to travel about every weekend. Thus, we loaded up the baby gear and headed to The Annevoie Gardens, just a little over an hour away between Namur and Dinant. Some of our friends, Stephanie and Rick Cohan, went to them earlier in the Summer and said they were pretty neat. We agreed after seeing the beautifully groomed gardens and Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-24610200661590917552009-07-26T08:31:00.052+02:002009-08-10T01:20:01.453+02:00Our sweet precious bundle of joy has arrived: Reagan Marie Meyer! (July 19)Below is Shannon's email that he sent out to our family and friends after our precious baby girl arrived. Go down further to read a little extra on our 1st week as new parents."Sunday (July 19) was a long day for the Meyer family (Ali more so than Shannon), but everything turned out wonderful in the end. Let's step back and give a little history first though (condensed version).Ali was four days Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-12096246878686967932009-07-25T08:50:00.041+02:002009-07-26T23:01:06.502+02:00Week before the arrival of our daughter (Jul 11 - 18)Even though my due date was July 13, I figured I'd go late especially since my mother was 1-2 weeks late with all of us children. Shannon and I had a pretty laid back weekend where we ended up doing some shopping, going on a few walks, eating at a Thai restaurant and watching a movie (Wild Hogs, I believe). I also made it to my weekly Wednesday Farmer's Market at Chatelain with some of my friendsAli Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-23623129360196520512009-07-01T00:01:00.011+02:002009-10-01T16:52:52.970+02:00Brussels Childbirth Trust Organization Prenatal Classes (Apr & May)During April and May we had a series of eight prenatal classes to help us prepare for the arrival of our little one. These classes were offered through the BCT (Brussels Childbirth Trust Organization). I definitely thought the classes were beneficial as you touch on a variety of topics from CPR, breastfeeding, breathing, pain medications, stages of pregnancy, diaper changing, bathing, crying babyAli Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-54924744386453569842009-06-30T23:59:00.047+02:002009-07-08T13:59:45.743+02:00Baby Showers hosted by AWCB and Friends in Belgium as well as Online Baby Shower by friends back home (May 26 & June 7)After returning from our Norway trip on Monday, I was a bit exhausted and didn't know if I'd be able to make it down to the American Women's Club on Tuesday (May 26) for a 'supposedly' important meeting as one of the volunteers had stated. Thankfully, I ended up taking the Waterloo bus down to the club and to my shock, my fellow Gift Boutique volunteers had actually planned a Surprise Baby ShowerAli Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-20473985863825611772009-06-30T18:07:00.015+02:002009-06-30T23:21:26.605+02:00Hallerbos, Belgium's Blue Forest (Apr 19) After the Waterloo Antique Market, we went to the Hallerbos Forest to enjoy the carpet of blue flowers that covers the forest floor for a few weeks each Spring. They are referred to as bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) which are spring-flowering bulbous perennial plants with flowers shaped like tiny bells. They thrive under the beech trees of the Hallerbos in late April.We, along with Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-76799313957062706932009-05-27T07:59:00.014+02:002009-06-30T22:57:26.052+02:00Sunday Morning Antique Market in Waterloo, Belgium (Apr 19 & May 17)Shannon and I have ventured down to the town of Waterloo a few times before realizing that they have a great Sunday morning antique market. Being antique buffs, we were excited to hear about this market from the American Women's Club of Brussels and even more thrilled that it's only around 30 minutes away. You can find a bit of everything here from tables, old coffee grinders, hardware (old Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1889916532412817594.post-60038957448541333342009-05-16T07:41:00.038+02:002009-05-27T07:58:15.965+02:00"Spring in Groot-Bijgaarden" Flower Show (Apr 18)After Shannon had dropped off his cousin, Christine, and her friends at the airport, we decided to head to the annual Flower Show: Spring in Groot-Bijgaarden (aka 'Floralies: Printemps à Château de Grand-Bigard' in French). It's basically an amazing flower exhibition which goes on for one month (Apr 9 - May 7) at the castle of Groot-Bijgaarden where over one million bulbs of tulips, hyacinths, Ali Meyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12831214745689600278noreply@blogger.com2