White Trash

A few nights ago we realized our washer/dryer combo wasn't cutting it. In fact, we think it's completely broken. I haven't been the best housewife ever, either, because I've let the laundry kind of pile up. Well, tomorrow we are leaving for Italy...so something had to be done.




We hit up the laundro-mat, four trash bags in hand, and played cards while our clothes were being washed. It was actually kind of fun...if you don't count the fact that the lady kept talking to us in French and we couldn't understand a word she was saying...and that it cost about 20 euros to do three full loads.




Oh, and in response to THOUSANDS of questions concerning Gracie's passport: YES, it's official, NO she didn't have to include a picture (although I considered it), YES she has to have it on all flights/train adventures, and NO it's not like ours...though very similar! See pics above...

Beer Festival in Brussels

Last weekend our friends Kyle and Emily invited us to Brussels to partake in the Belgian Beer Festival. It was in the center of the Grand Place, and all of the major breweries were in attendance. We stood in line for quite a while for "tokens" and then Stephen went off with the guys to find "quirky" Belgian beers that we could try. The first few ones were nice...but there were some really nasty ones thrown in there as well. As the place got more and more crowded, the lines to get tokens got longer and longer. To make Jeremy and Lindsay proud, Stephen found a kink/weak spot in the line and slipped in...and we were able to enjoy a few more beers before the night ended. As we were walking out to get to our car, we passed a van giving free breath-a-lizers (with no policie I assure you).





Since I've never given one (and have always been curious while I'm drinking) I decided to stop and try it. I had only had 4 beers in about 4 or so hours. Stephen and Kyle had a few more than me. Here are our results. Please notice the legal driving limit. We learned later that if you move the decimal place over to the left one space you will have the TX legal limit. I was the lesser of the evils, so in Texas rules I was ok to drive. We'll leave it at that.* Plus, look at Gracie. She was hammered. Someone had to be responsible!! Afterwards we had Chinese food at Kyle and Emily's while watching College Football. It was nice. Stephen got his fix, I think.



*No, this is not a habit. Please, no lectures.

Sugar Flies 0 - Stephen 125,900

This summer we've had a problem with sugar flies being in and around our trash. It gets so warm, and without a/c our trash can is extremely warm. (I know, who notices the temperature in your trash can...but believe me, when you close the lid you can feel heat) The sugar flies have gotten ridiculous. They have literally taken over our kitchen...so we decided to clean the trash can, disinfect it, and pray they would leave. No such luck. So, I had an idea. And it worked. Stephen looks so "Ghostbusters" circa 1981!

Last few weeks in a few words...

The past few weeks have been a little out of control. Not only did I have two weeks of camp with children (I survived...needless to say) but work has been busy and we've had a beer festival, a few doctors/vet appointments, and a few long runs mixed in as well. Oh, and we had two GREAT visits with our cousins (on Stephen's side)...Sadie and Jolene. Sadie came a month or so ago, and Jolene came while I was at the camp. It was so nice to have each of them here...even though I wish I could have spent more time with both of them. I'll be able to see Jolene and the Holmes in August, but Stephen and I will have to plan a trip to Kauai (twist my arm) to see the Phillips again!




I would love to tell you that the long runs are going well...read above "a few doctors appointments" and it pretty much sums it up. My knee has been killing me, and giving out during long runs. We'll see how I fare, but the doctor isn't exactly optimistic for the marathon.



Gracie gave us a little scare after her shots to fulfill her passport. I had her in the car with my 15 minutes from the vet when she had an allergic reaction and went into anaphylactic shock. It was the most frightening evening. The vet wasn't sure she'd make it (and later told us it was the worse case she'd seen). Those that know me know how special Gracie is to us, so it was pretty emotional. The good news is she made it through the night and has made a full recovery...as well as having a full passport :)



The camp went well. The first week we had a younger crew (10-12 years old), and they were mostly amazing. The second week we had an older crew (14-17 years old), and they were a bit of a challenge. In the two weeks, I corrected the usage of most cuss words, intervened on a few "could have been a make out sesh" situations, assisted in taking a student to the doctor after he severely sprained a muscle in his neck, watched another teacher break her foot in three places on the trampoline (and even dared to say that it "didn't look that bad."), went horseback riding, played tug-of-war, rode ATV's in the mud, did a tree-top ropes course twice, shot a rifle (Stephen better watch out...I'm pretty good--see pic) and bow and arrows at a target...and even taught some English in there somewhere. It was a good time...and I got paid!





On the grounds there were 5 or 10 people that lived PERMANENTLY in American Civil War times...and clothes. Why the American Civil War in Belgium, couldn't tell you. They even have an Indian, who has an owl and another hawk'ish bird in captivity. Beyond strange. But great for people watching and picture taking. See pics!




Now Stephen and I are entering "holiday" season...we will be touring Italy for 10 days, then shortly after heading home together for some relaxation! We'll do our best to keep you in the loop! Until then...A Bientot!

I'm a Fan

of SARAH PALIN.

I was looking forward to Obama's speech last night and even contemplated staying up for it. After watching the speech this morning, I'm glad I didn't. I don't know if I had too high of expectations or what. I was just wanting someone (anyone, really) to inspire and challenge our country collectively. I guess I was hoping Obama would try to appeal to both sides and bridge the party differences and even possibly seal the deal for me. But, as I ate my bowl of Frosties (Frosted Flakes for you Americans) I felt nothing. In fact, his attacks and digs against Bush and Republicans actually frustrated me more than the level of sogginess of my Frosties after a 15 minute speech. Granted, McCain hasn't provided much inspiration either... UNTIL today. I never really gave it much thought so I'm not sure why I was excitedly shocked that McCain picked a woman as his running mate. It makes sense, but I figured he would follow the political safe road and pick a fellow Washington bureacrat, boy was I wrong.

Alright, so, let me give you the laundry list of qaulifications of why I'm a fan of Sarah Palin:

1. She's pretty HOT

And that's all I got...

Ok I'm joking. But you have to admit, she gives a really good first impression.

Needless to say, I'm still no closer to deciding how I'm going to vote... Most people that know me know I'm super conservative, but being in Europe has shown me that not everything is black or white (or in this case red or blue.) The order of "red or blue" in the previous sentence does not apply respectively to "black or white" so get over yourself if you took it that far. In fact, I avoid political conversations at all costs over here, mostly because only one side of the story is shown in the news. Events, situations, or stories are all portrayed with such subjective slants that it taints any objective conversation anyone can have with a Belgian. I don't fault the Belgians for having such disdain for certain aspects of American life, it's all they know. But I do fault the media for only putting out one very slanted side of the story. I'm not just saying this becuase it happens to be the liberal slant, I think I would feel the same way if was only the conservative slant shown. Rather than complain about the lack of objectivism or neutrality in the media, I think it would be more beneficial and possibly even more entertaining if the subjectivism continued but both sides were shown. It would be up to the individual to decide, with the truth being somewhere in the middle. Now, yes I know the possible repricussions that could occur if man were left to his own intellectual devices, and so did our founding fathers, because that is exactly why we have the electoral college. If too many people begin to think for themselves and begin to vote according to their principles and convictions rather than party affiliations or the "hotness" of a candidate, the "leaders" and "priviledged" of our country would be in danger of losing their jobs. Alright, I know that's a bit harsh, but I'm just fed up with politics and the "talk" of change. My cousin was just here last week and we spoke a little about politics and she did mention something that I think is worth repeating. She said "I'm a thinker, not a Republican or Democrat or even Independent." And I completely agree. My challenge to you and mainly myself, is to be a thinker. I don't care who you vote for, I only care if you can tell me why you voted for who you did or even what the key issues were for you in your decision. I'll even accept "Because she's hot." I think that's better than "Because she's Republican." We can even discuss the pros and cons of having an attractive person represent and lead our country. Case in point: recently elected mayor of London, Boris Johnson. (picture below)... Could he be a suitable leader of a country or even an important international city? Forget about his merits and credibility as a person, don't lose focus, judge only on appearance... haha jk. But seriously!

Ok, enough of my political rant. If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. If you don't agree with anything I said, then Katie made me say it. JK. But she did encourage me to make a special appearance on the blog so it's ultimately her fault if I've bored you to death.

Hope all is well and thank you to everyone that has supported us (especially with fun filled care packages). See you in October!

Stephen

M.I.A.

Well, I've signed up to teach an Immersion course for children at a "dude ranch" near Liege. I'll be in charge of 10 kids aged 9-12, and 4 aged 13-15. It should be pretty interesting. I'm very excited, though, I get to do all of the activities with them: horseback riding, zip-lining, archery, ATV's, Sumo-wrestling (those blow up things), etc.

I leave this afternoon, and won't arrive back home until Saturday afternoon...so all prayers are welcome :) I hope to post a little bit and add some pictures of my week then, but I'll be returning again next Sunday...so we'll see what shape I'm in!

Hope everyone is well...talk to you soon!

*Gracie at our friend Maite's stables meeting Magic and his friends.

Flower Carpet

Yesterday, we went to Brussels to see the Flower Carpet that is placed in the Grand Place. It was gorgeous. It only happens every two years, so we've been looking forward to seeing it for quite some time.




The pictures don't really do it justice, but try to imagine 700,000 flowers placed in cool designs...it was awesome. Our good friends Emily and Kyle reminded us that it was this weekend, so we met up with them and the Cross' to see the flower show and then head to dinner. We had such a great time! Enjoy!

Peket Mania

August 15th is a national holiday in Belgium. Not exactly sure what we're celebrating (Assumption Day perhaps), but it was Stephen and I's first "2nd Annual" festival. Can't believe that!

*Apparently, "furries" do exist!

We wandered over to Outremeuse around lunchtime and were able to see the parade and have a little Peket. We've learned that people here party from 1am-5am during these festivals, so we were confident we would beat any crowds. It was nice.

*He got Duncan right, but the colors are a little off!

Of course there were people there who you could assume were still out from the night before...but that's what people watching is all about. Here are some of the random sights we were able to see...and look here for last year's party!

The Art of the Bird

Same dinner as below. Stephen and I discussing "the bird." Don't ask me how this conversation started.

Me: (flipping him the bird, NOT in a mean manner, just showing him I'm capable of being mean)

Stephen: Woah...yours is pretty formal. I mean, you do it with passion. It's legit.

Me: Ha, didn't know I was so good.

Stephen: (trying to do it, with the other fingers half-bent, not all down) This is what happens when I try to do it formally. My other fingers don't know what to do.

Me: (laughing) Your hand looks pained.

Stephen: The lady that did it to me in traffic the other day did it like that. It was premeditated. She waited for me to drive up, and then she just shot it at me.

Me: Yeah, she waited for you. You obviously gave her a few minutes to get it ready...

Stephen: It's just not in my repertoire to do that. That's not something I would just think to do.

Me: (laughing...repertoire?)

Stephen: You know, I don't like repertoire. Arsenal. Yeah, it's not in my ARSENAL to do that.

Me: (dying laughing...who says that?)


*Before you ask...No, Stephen and I don't flip people the bird. Yes, we are dorks. No, we aren't white-trash, at least not completely. Our mothers DID teach us well...

Of all places....

Stephen and I went to a new Italian restaurant that opened up in Liege a few weeks ago. We had Gracie with us, so we sat outside and enjoyed the cooler weather. Our waiter came up shortly after we sat down and brought us our menus. We had pretty much decided what we would have when the chef walked up. He started vomiting French words at us, and we were following pretty well, answering when questions were asked. I guess our non-local accents gave us away because here is what follows:

Chef: Ah, flems or allemagne? (Flemish or German)

Me: No, no, Anglais!

Chef: Oh, veally. Liverpool?

Me: (look of complete confusion...look at Stephen)

Stephen: (look of utter astonishment...why Liverpool, of ALL places)

Me: No, Texas. America.

Chef: Ah, America. Bon Appetit!

So random. Why Liverpool? We laughed so hard, trying to figure out why in the world he would have chosen that city. Then, Stephen looked at me and goes, "Liverpool plays Standard (soccer, Liege team) this weekend don't they?" It all came together...

"These guys whip it out so fast!"

*Said as the Great Britain Men's Rowing Team left the start...

We're deep in the Olympics here at the Dotson house. The problem, unfortunately, is we only get to watch British teams/individuals. With the exception of Michael Phelps. They seem to have an uncanny fascination with him. Guess it's because he's pretty great. So, we'll get to watch him and a lot of people we don't know and don't care about...

RP (Stephen's dad) is in China right now. He was able to see the opening ceremonies, some beach volleyball, and he gets to watch the USA whoop up on China in Basketball. We probably won't get to see it. Sad. I'll let you know how GB does, though :)

How great are the Olympics???

WE DID IT!!

Stephen and I have been in Belgium for ONE YEAR! Can you believe it? In some ways I think it has flown by, and in others it seems like an eternity. I think it's natural to feel that way. In celebration of our anniversary here, I thought I would list a few things we have learned since moving to Europe.

• Personal space is an American thing.
• Deodorant is optional.
• You get over being homesick, but not over missing those you love!
  
• Dreaming of Ranch on fries is not normal.
• The things I miss the most about the US aren't things, but people.
• Driving a standard car in traffic is so annoying.
• Driving a car that you don't pay for is amazing.
• Cabin Fever is very real.
• Cold showers before bed make nights without A/C bearable.
• Public transport is awkward.
• Being in walking distance to the city center is awesome.
• I'm not as independent as I thought I was.
• I'm not as strong as I thought I was.
  
• I can ask for help, even in French :)
• Sitting on terraces in nice weather is something to take advantage of.
  
• Short days in the Winter are depressing.
• Long days in the Summer are incredible.
• Having Gracie over here has enriched our lives more than we admit.
• Having each other is such a blessing.
• Europe has so much to offer, and the festivals are pretty cool, too.
• You can have too many frites.
• Going to a doctor that speaks "pretty good" English is a bad idea...get references.
• As a couple, we can do anything!!!

Thank you for keeping up with us and our past year of adventures...we are so thankful for this opportunity and thank you for your prayers and encouragement along the way!

Bastille Day/Ghent Music Festival

Stephen and I made it out to the Bastille Day Fireworks show here in Liege. It was not bad, actually. We had low expectations, and they were exceeded with flying colors (pun intended!). The weather was great, and getting out amongst our "neighbors" was a nice change.

















The next weekend we had a holiday (Beglium's "4th" if you will) and so we decided to try and make the most of our weekend. We drove to Ghent on Saturday, which we hadn't yet been to. It was gorgeous. We'll have to go back when there isn't a festival in town. They have castles and incredible architecture, all nestled on little waterways. It was really beautiful.

















The music festival was situated in between the major waterway, or canal I guess. In fact, one stage was placed over the river, so the audience was split to either side of the canal. They had decorations to make it seem like we were on a beach in South America, and all of the drinks were your typical island creations. It was very nice. Except that it was 60 degrees and incredibly windy. Not exactly tropical. Of course there was always great people watching, and we were able to get Stephen a sausage! Pretty par for the course concerning European festivals. We danced to a few different salsa bands and had a great time, then decided to try and catch another firework show in Brussels.
















There is a "Mini-Europe" park that has all of the major landmarks/buildings/cities in the E.U. done to 1::25 scale. It was really cool, and very interesting. We have actually added to our list of "destinations before we leave." It's crazy how ornate and grandiose some of these buildings are, and to think that they were built hundreds of years ago. It's mind boggling!



The fireworks show there was also a lot better than we figured it would be. We had a nice time, saw the sights, and then headed home. All of these fireworks shows have to wait until it's dark, so most of them don't start until 11pm or later...so you can imagine how tired we were after they were over!

This week was business as usual, and this Sunday Stephen's cousin Sadie comes in town. She's going to be visiting us for about a week before heading back to Kauai! I'll do my best to keep the blogs and pics coming! Until then...

P.S. Check out Gracie's blog to see her in action at the Salsa concert!! www.graciesbigadventure.blogspot.com

Euro B.O.

I've always noticed it, but I guess we're usually outdoors, so a brisk wind takes it away minutes after contact with my nose. I'm definitely not used to standing in it...submerged in thick, steamy BO like I was today. I take the bus to work. Usually the bus is pretty sparse. It was in the 80's today. Really hot weather when you don't have a cool breeze or air conditioning.

The bus was FULL. Full of large men, wearing jeans and jackets, sweating from the run to catch the bus...permeating the cramped interiors with their full-on stench. Then if it couldn't get any worse, a day-care class decided to make the already full bus their ticket home. We all got out of our seats so that the little tykes could have a place to sit...I mean half of them were in diapers and standing in the aisles while the bus was moving. Tres Belge!

I stood, holding the "Oh Shoot" handle, doing my best to not sway into the open armpits of the man next to me every time the bus driver switched gears.

I made it home without vomiting. Baby steps folks. Baby steps.

There's no place like home...

Being back in the states was a little different this time around. I was overwhelmed with ENGLISH; all of the sudden I could understand all conversations around me. I have to say it was a little annoying. I was unintentionally listening in on everyone around me. I felt like I was being over saturated and I wasn't ready for it. Don't feel too sorry for me, though. I adjusted in a day or so, and I was in HEAVEN.

















I arrived in Austin on July 3rd, and was welcomed at the airport by my entire family...babies included. My mom made some REALLY cute signs that said "Welcome home KT" with little holes cut out for Mackenzie and Olivia's faces...it was adorable! I can't describe how excited I was to see my nieces. Though Mackenzie was a little frightened by my loud entrance and Olivia was asleep, everything mellowed down and the night ended with gelato and an early bedtime, but not before I "re-introduced" myself to Bella. She had a little trouble remembering me at first, but then she fell back into place!

For the 4th, Dad BBQ'd on the "Green Egg" and we hung out by the pool with 'ritas and tunes. My parents house is really nice to lounge and hang out at...it was awesome! Both little ones sported adorable bikinis and swim gear. It's all just so cute! Mackenzie swam with us and hung out in between naps, and miraculously Olivia slept through most of our shenanigans. Little Mackenzie got over her fear of my loud voice and scary faces, and we actually became little besties. I was able to put her to sleep, feed her, and push her around Nordstrom's and Target. Why is it so fun to push a baby around in a cart or stroller? I'm sure it will wear off when it's mine, but it was so fun! Once Olivia get's old enough, we'll have to test out her shopping skills, too :) She's so mellow, I'm sure she'll dig it!

















The rest of the weekend was pretty chill...we relaxed, shopped and ate :) Heaven, right? Mom and I made the trek to Dallas soon after everyone left, and I did almost exactly the same things in Dallas...food, family and shopping! Brooke, who is 6 months pregnant and "glowing," met me for lunch one day, and Lorie and Jesse met me for lunch another day! It was nice to get to see them and catch up! One night Kelly and I went out for dinner and then out on the town! We always have too much fun! Another night we went to a Rangers game with Jeremy and Lindsay, his friends, and Stefani and Jordan met us up there. It was really hot, but I think everyone enjoyed the walk-off home run ending...it was pretty cool! Glenda and RP made a special trip up to see me, too. We went to dinner with Kelly and had a great time talking and catching up as well! It was so nice to be back, to see everyone, and to wear summer clothes in summer weather. (It's been averaging about 60 degrees here and raining here, boo!)

The Friday before I left (Saturday), my Aunt Julie drove my grandparents up to Dallas so they could hang out with me and the babies for the weekend. I was only able to see them for dinner on Friday and breakfast the next morning, but it was so nice!!! I hadn't seen them since the wedding, and the time spent with them was amazing! I miss them a great deal...and how cute are they? We had a great time, and of course they were completely spoiling the babies (and the babies loved it).

















I arrived back in Belgium (to cold weather :( ) on Sunday morning. Stephen and I had some breakfast and headed home so I could take a nap. We then took a late afternoon stroll, had some dinner and caught up. It was so nice to be back in the states and see my family, it was a treat to see some friends I hadn't seen in a while, and it was wonderful to spend time with my grandparents. A very good trip...and now that I'm home I feel equally blessed to have a husband who loves having me home, a job and a life that's full of fun and crazy European adventures. I don't think if you'd asked me 6 months ago I would be ok coming back...but it wasn't a terrible transition. Of course it was really sad to leave, but this isn't permanent, we'll be back before we know it!






















Things are full swing here, I'm busy and enjoying work. Stephen and I are busy booking trips before we come home next summer, and life is good! Thanks for praying for us, loving us, and sharing this adventure with us! A Bientot!