For the very first time

We had no idea, you had been longing to go on a holiday with a friend for such a long time. You have been working hard in school and you didn't skip any classes. Being a responsible daughter and completing chores without us asking, is a great bonus. So it was pretty obvious we decided to give it a shot and let you book your first vacation without your parents. Despite the fact that Egypt was canceled, we did manage to book another destination. You just texted us that you had landed in Italy. A Jetair hostess would be waiting for you and your friend, to bring you to the hotel. It will be late by the time you get there and you won't have the chance to take a good look around, but I can assure you: it will be wonderful!

Your dad, your sister and I took you and Axelle to the airport. It was as exciting for us as it were for the two of you. We scented that same holiday feeling, although we had to leave you behind and head back to the parking lot to go home. I'm sorry to say so, but I am relieved you're not going to Egypt. I'm sure you understand. It's just not that safe for two young and beautiful ladies. I'm more at ease knowing that you're in Italy now. Too bad Ilaria can't come visit you. Bari is at least 400 km off...

I can only say: enjoy, enjoy, enjoy..

Every now and then

we all need a break. A break from home, a break from reality. For one week, we have had the chance to be no more than just a couple. No work, no children, no pets, no fuss of the daily life. Just the two of us, the sun and nothing to worry about. Of course we talked about home and the girls. Because we will always be parents. We contacted the children every day. How could we not? But still, things were different. We had more time for us as a couple. Every now and then, that's all we need...

Things are coming to an end. It's time to pack our suitcases and say goodbye to Marrakech. It has been a good week. A week to look back to with a smile. We have a photo album full of memories and stories to tell. It'll be good to take the plane home and embrace the girls. They did real well in our absence. We are proud of them.

Quite remarkable

The more reviews I read about La Sultana, the more I long for this trip. It sounds very exciting, relaxing, welcoming, inviting.. So many people that spread the word on their fabulous stay in this hotel. After having read the Wiki information on Marrakech, we could do with some good news. Apparently, the Marrakech locals are not that honest when it comes to money. They like to rip you off and empty your pockets as soon as they get the chance. Offering you the best price ever and then charge you more in the end. I was not looking forward to such a kind of treatment. I don't like it when you pay 480 MAD for something that costs no more than 40 MAD. We are not very good at bargaining, so we'd better not even go there. The locals will immediately know we are tourists and easy targets. But we have done our research and are aware of the prices. We hope to get some help from the hotel management in booking excursions and taxis. That would be very helpful. I'm glad their shuttle service will come pick us up at the airport. The cost is higher than expected, but getting ripped off by a local taxi driver at the arrival is too much. We want to get to La Sultana in one piece, without bargaining or making a fuss. We hear the staff is very helpful and willing to bend backwards if they could. I have seen pictures of the rooms at the hotel and I believe we won't be disappointed..

It's about time to get the suitcases stowed away in the trunk of the car. I hope we have packed whatever we need. It will be hot in Marrakech - 40°C is not a temperature we are used to. Maybe this time I will use sunscreen after all.. Let's keep our fingers crossed that my insulin will survive the heat and that my insulin pump will not refuse action. My nurse provided me with insulin pens, just in case.. but I truly hope I won't need them. Our mini bar will be stacked with diet coke - that's another bonus of this hotel. I'm looking forward to strolling around the Medina, to smell the food and spices, to inspect the leather "maroquinerie", to take as many pictures as possible..

There is free wifi throughout the complete hotel, if you know what I mean. Yes, we'll keep you posted. I hope to upload some pictures every now and then, and let you know about our adventures..

Girls, we will miss you.. you will be in our minds. Hope to talk to you on Skype every now and then. Be good and keep safe...

Good old fashion fun

It's great to have friends over. So I didn't mind the message you sent me: "Mom, is it okay if both my girlfriends stay over tonight? They would bring their tent and we would sleep in the backyard.
P.S. They would love to try out your cooking skills!"

I had to hurry up and get the preps done for dinner. I had something in mind, but as usual my plans changed just a little bit. Adding more and more side dishes to the original plan, I had some more errands to run. Your friends took the bus over to our place and the three of you were so happy to see each other. It had been a while, I must say. There was summer camp for you and then your friends went abroad with their parents. It won't be too long before school starts and both your friends will take different subjects. It's a shame they will no longer be in your class, but that doesn't mean you can no longer be friends.

I loved the smile on all of those faces and the chitchatting in the house. Daddy had to help out with the tent, but he shouldn't have. It started to rain and you stayed in your room. One of the girls fell asleep right away, for she had slept no more than 2 hours the night before, coming home from France. But you and your other friend couldn't stop chatting. I heard it was 4:30 AM before your heads touched your pillows.. zzzzzz

That is totally understandable

Photo Lana Joos

Of course you miss your  friends from boarding school. After all, you have lived with them  for 2 years. Times were different back then. You were in a different school.  You were younger. You were in Highschool for the first time. Making new friends is no problem for you. You are outgoing and sociable and you attract other people easily. Look at the three of you! Best friends and that didn't take you long. But yes, you still miss your old friends.. having shared so many adventures, it must have been hard to leave them behind. Not many remained in boarding school. They chose other schools, just like you. In a couple of weeks, you're going to summer camp and that's when you will meet up with your old friends. That'll be such a fun time for all of you. Time to catch up and tell them all about your new life. It's not easy to be 15, you know. I understand. I really do. I was 15 once, remember? Long time ago, but I remember what it was like to change schools and leave your friends behind. Back in those days, we had no Internet nor a cell phone to keep in touch with your friends. But we managed. Just like you do. I'm happy for you, that you are so good at making friends. It says a lot about you. It's heartwarming to see you get along so well. Hold on to your friends, cupcake, for they will help you grow stronger.

Love

December is a weird and confusing month.. A month of mixed feelings, darkness and bright lights at the same time. I'm no big fan of the holidays. Too much fuss, too much obligations and running around. All of a sudden, people run around like fools, cracking their heads open over presents they are assumed to buy but can't find. It's my least favorite month of the year. It makes me reflect over the past year though. And I must say: it's been a good year. We have done wonderful things in 2011, I have encountered great people and they have left beautiful memories in my heart. I feel loved and it is heartwarming to love back. To me, that's what life's about.. Life is good. If you have the ability to love and be loved, you can conquer anything. Make love your number 1 priority. It will make life so much easier. Maybe that would be the best Christmas present ever.. I'll wrap it up for you..

Photo by Lana Joos

Pretty special

You really are something else..
We went out for lunch together. You always know great places to enjoy a good meal and I truly enjoy your company. We hadn't seen each other for a couple of weeks, so there was some catching up to do. You keep surprising me and I like the way you look at the world. I'm always chipper and happy after a meeting with you.
I don't know how you do it, but you are such a good motivator. You know the right things to say and you are good at discovering the talents in people. What a wise lady you are..

Enjoy your stay in Lissabon. You deserve it..

School's out for summer

Just 2 months ago, school was out for summer. There hasn't been much of a summer though. Temperatures were too low to enjoy the sunbeams. Not warm enough for outside BBQ or puddling in the pool. Only 2 short trips to the beach in Holland..

Nevertheless, the girls had a good time. They enjoyed their time away in summer camp. It was a good opportunity to have fun with their friends, away from home. Mom and dad had a good time too. Top of the bill was our vacation in Florida, where the sun welcomed us and warmed our hearts.

The new books have arrived and school supplies will have to be bought this weekend. Bus routes are being checked, luncheons prepared and closets need to be reorganized and cleaned up. Three members of the family will be in the same school now, since Eva is joining Lana in school and so is one of their cousins. Time just flies by and before we'll know it.. autumn leaves will wave across the pavements..

Take it easy

We won't do much more than chillin' today.. At least, that's what we'd like to do. This morning, we split up to go get the pets. Hubby and Eva drove all the way to Ostend, to go get Arthur and I took Lana to Holland where the dogs were staying. It's good to see they are all doing well and the household is complete again. Arthur looks very fluffy and fat. He didn't go outside for 2 weeks. The whippets though, have lost some weight. There was a bit too much fat on their bones, starting to look like labradors.. I guess we'll have to take another look at their diet.

I've had quite some low blood glucose lately. It's getting to me, I guess. I'm worn out and could use some extra sleep. Maybe I'd just crash on the couch, before I get ready to do some grocery shopping. Looking forward to a home cooked meal tonight..

Let's not fall apart

It was a long flight, a very long flight..

We left for Orlando airport around 9 am. Traffic was cool and we got to the airport in time. Returning the rental car was no big deal. Checking in was a little different this time. Delta Airlines wanted us to use the Self Service check-in, meaning we had to do everything by ourselves. That's okay, if you're not in a hurry and if everything goes by the book. We were first asked to use our credit card to open the computer menu. The card was supposed to stay in the slot during the whole process. We then needed to scan all of the passports in order to be able to print the tickets. This computer we were working on, decided it didn't want to print one of the tickets. It kept spitting out blank forms for Eva. So we tried again.. and again.. until I gave up and asked an attendant to come help me. She couldn't print the tickets either and then the computer gave up as well. So she called another attendant to help out and print the one ticket we were still waiting for. We sighed when we finally got hold of all of our tickets, so we could hand over our luggage and move on to the gate.

We had lunch in the airport (The Outback Steakhouse was phenomenal) before we strolled over to Gate 73, where we had another hour and a half before our plane would start boarding. It was hot and we were thirsty and I got up to go find Starbuck's for another coffee and some soft drinks for the girls. I wanted to use my credit card to pay for the goodies. If I would have had a panic button, I probably would have pushed it right there! My Visa card was in my wallet, but I couldn't find my Master card. Think straight, think straight, was all that crossed my mind. When was the last time I had used my Master card??? I had used it to pay for the rental car, before we went to check in the luggage. Bingo! I had to use my Master card at the self service check-in. I let the process go through my memory and pushed the pause button right there: I used my Master card to print the tickets. When the computer blocked, it didn't give me back my credit card. Shoot.. Darn.. I delivered the coffee, ran over to the Delta customers service and asked for help. The lady present was very helpful. She made a couple of phonecalls and let me know that my credit card had been found. I had to go all the way back through customs to go get it. Orlando airport has a railway system to move around, so I was glad I didn't have to walk all the way back to the check-in point. I had to rush anyway, because there was like half an hour left before boarding. My heart was pounding in my body, but I got there in time. A very helpful assistant was waiting for me to hand over my credit card so I could race back to the gate. That was the intention.. until I saw the crowd waiting in line for customs.. No way I was gonna make it... The place was packed!!! I asked around and people showed me where to go to get into a priority lane. That lane had an X-ray body scan though. That's where they noticed my insulin pump. And they decided they needed to pat me down and perform drug tests on my pump and hands. Hurry up, hurry up! was all I could think of at the time! You have to keep your cool though, to make sure you don't upset security. The rest of the family was waiting for me at gate 73 and I was not prepared to take the next flight! So I put on my shoes while I was running, hopped on that train and made it in time to start boarding. What a relief..

We had a pleasant flight to Atlanta, Georgia and it didn't take long to get the connecting flight home. As I had predicted: I didn't get any sleep on the plane, and neither did the children. Hubby slept for a little while, but not enough to call it a good night. We arrived in Brussels half an hour early, despite the thunderstorms and terrible weather. Due to those weather circumstances, it took us over 45 min to get our luggage. But once we were set to go, we called a cab, picked up our car and drove home..

I hope tonight will be a better night. I hope tomorrow the sun will peep through the clouds. Life will be back to normal pretty soon..

Burst the bubble

This is it.. our vacation has come to an end.. We have a couple of more days before the girls have to go back to school, but nevertheless, the end of August will be there before we know it.

We packed last night and we were sad but happy at the same time. It's been a great vacation and we have had tons of fun. I asked the girls if they wanted to come back here and the smile on their face said it all. Eva hopes to be come back in the Spring of 2012. We'll see..

The apartment looks empty, now everything is cleaned up and packed. It won't be long before our friends will take a plane over here and spend their vacation at the resort. I'm sure they will have a great time too!

I'm not really looking forward to the flight. It's not that I don't like to fly, but once I'm ready to go home, I want to get there as fast as possible. We have a night flight this time, but I already know I won't be able to sleep. There's just not enough space and I'm not even that tall! Airplane seats are not comfortable, period. The staff does their best at serving us goodies and drinks, but there's not much more they can do, is there?

I can't wait to pick up the pets. We did miss them! We were happy our brother-in-law and his girlfriend took care of our house while we were here in Florida. It was too long for the dogs and the cat to stay at home by themselves, so we need to pick them up at their hotels. It's good to hear that they had a good time as well. Little Inthe will jump all over us and probably lick us to death, while Rebba will just crawl up in bed and sleep for days. She'll be worn out from taking care of Inthe. Arthur will look great, since he didn't have the opportunity to play outside in the backyard. His fur will be shiny and dirt free. We'll have to keep a close eye on him in the first days to come, so he doesn't wander off too far.

Grandma and grandpa can't wait to hear from us. We have called them a couple of times so they knew we were okay. They wanted to make sure the girls were not kidnapped and nothing bad had happened to them, and we could reassure them. We'll be home soon. We'll be home..

The lady with the sign

When we were here in January, I saw her for the first time. I believe she's somewhere in her midst 40's. Just the average woman, she could be your next door neighbor. But the job she does, is a little different. Every day, we see her outside, on Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, holding up a sign. Her job is to attract the attention of the passing drivers. If you're interested in buying cheap Disney tickets: she'll tell you to stop right there... You can even pull over to sell your unused Disney tickets - I have no idea why people would have unused tickets?

She's there in the morning, she's still there at night. She's standing there, holding a huge billboard, twirling it around like it doesn't weigh anything. It looks pretty heavy to me though.. Especially if you have to do this all day, in the sun. Respect.. honestly.. I know I wouldn't do it.

I have had the intention to pull over to talk to her. To show her my respect. To ask her why she has chosen this job. I wonder.. She seems pretty fit to me. I can't imagine someone would call this a dream job? There are several other people out there, but this lady has been holding on to this job. Wow..

In the old days..

40 at last.. Does that mean that I'm an adult now? Lol.. Does it feel any different from being 39 or 35? Not to me. Time will tell, I guess. It's not something that bothers me, age I mean. I live day by day and I take the days as they come. The only thing we can change is the day of today. So that's my motto for this year.

I like to celebrate my birthday abroad and mostly that's what we do. Not intentionally, but it works out that way pretty often. Thank you all for texting me, calling me, e-mailing me or leaving me a message on my Facebook wall. It was highly appreciated..

Around 4 PM, we took off to Old Town on W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway. Back in the old days, when popcorn, Elvis and petticoats were hot. It's a little town by itself and the atmosphere is brilliant. People wander around, having their cotton candy and wearing cowboy boots and personalized belt buckles. They drive old timers and treat the ladies with respect and dignity. The girls were impressed and so was hubby. 

There were many rides to enjoy, but one in particular drew our attention. It was called the Sling Shot. Two riders take a seat and buckle up real well. You shouldn't wear sunglasses and you need to empty your pockets so you don't loose your wallet. And then the Sling Shot shoots you all the way up in the air: 111 meter high!! You make several somersaults, you hang upside down for a while and you... scream... loud... Eva wanted to give it a shot. I thought she were crazy. But then again, I remember I went bungee jumping in the first week of my au pair year in the US. Okay, I was a bit older than her, but hey: she's a brave girl! She convinced me to join her. Although my blood glucose reading was way higher than I had thought (I hate pizza for that matter), I took the challenge and off we went. It was just freaking awesome!!! What a thrill!!! Lana said her heart was nearly pounding outside her body just from watching us. And she decided to give it a go too. Eva voluntarily proposed to join her although she screamed like crazy. Lana wasn't too sure   and she was still in doubt when the thing went off and threw them up in the air.. Good grief.. I could feel the sweat in Hubby's hands.. For no money in the world would he strap himself into that Sling Shot.. 

The weather was good enough (29°C isn't bad for a summer's night huh?) to stay for the old timer's ride through   Old Town. It was splendid! It's just something you have to do while you spend time in Kissimmee. Even if you don't take much interest in cars - like me - it is a lot of fun to watch the parade. 

It was a wonderful day.. Thank you Hubby and girls, thank you my friends, for making my 40th birthday a memorable day!

It's too good to be true

It's still hard to believe all four of us are here, in Florida. We are so grateful that we could make this trip together and enjoy a wonderful time. Tomorrow is my 40th birthday. What a strange number.. Am I supposed to feel old now? Because I really don't. I feel younger than ever and life is awesome.

Yesterday, hubby had this bright idea! He wanted to see the other coast line of Florida. In January I had been to Daytona Beach with our friends and the four of us have seen Cocoa Beach this vacation, so the Eastern coast could be checked off of our to do list. But how about the West coast?   The beaches along the Gulf of Mexico must be totally different, right?

We packed some towels and beach wear, put cold drinks in the cooler bag, grabbed some snacks and told the GPS we wanted to go to Clearwater Beach. It was a 2 hour drive, but hey, we were not in a rush or anything. Lana wanted to take a lot of pictures, so wherever she wanted us to pull over the car to stretch our legs: we did.

We thought Cocoa Beach was pretty special. Well, I can tell you: Clearwater Beach is even better... Really! You'll agree once you see the pictures! We had an awesome day, although the weather forecast wasn't with us. They predicted 50% chance of showers and T-storms. All the way down there, the weather was great. But once we reached Clearwater, it was pouring so heavily, I thought we would have to turn around and go back. None of that happened. We parked the Jeep right by the beach, hopped into our little bikinis, spread our towels and ran into the ocean. What a great feeling to be here! The water was warm and so clear! That's probably where Clearwater Beach got its name! It's no lie! You can see your own legs through the sea water. That's so awesome! We saw fish swim around us and floating on our backs, we watched the pelicans dive into the ocean to catch their lunch.

On our way to Sand Key, we made several other stops. Parks, marina's, .. so many beautiful places to visit. The Columbia Restaurant at Sand Key was a superb place to have lunch. Right by the water, Spanish atmosphere and excellent cuisine. We were sitting there, amazed by the luxury of this vacation..

Around 5 PM, we went back to the shore. Near Pier 60, there were activities and people were selling craftwork. Every day, you can hear live music on the beach and on Fridays and Saturdays, you can watch a movie on the beach, on a huge screen, sitting in the sand. Isn't that romantic???

pirate boat at sunset - Clearwater Beach
all pictures taken by Lana Joos

We waited for the sun to set, so Lana could complete her album. We had a 2 hour drive back to Caribe Cove Resort, but it was definitely worth the ride. Worn out and aching from a horrible sun burn, we got back to the apartment, to get that shower we had longed for... I'm off to bed.
Night night..

T.G.I.F.

Most working people will look forward to Fridays, so they can start the weekend. Since I don't work and hubby works weekends as well as weekdays, to us Fridays aren't that different from other days. It is different because the girls are home for the weekend then, but otherwise...

Being in Florida, we have heard the song Thank God It's Friday too many times. Being on the road, we can see the fast food chain T.G.I.F. every 5 min or so... We haven't been there because after all: fastfood will always be fastfood, right? I mean: how different can burgers and fries be? We have been to MacDonald's (just for convenience on our first night here) and to Johnny Rockets (at least they have real burgers - more for the interior and the atmosphere than for the fastfood) and that's plenty. I'm not that much of a fastfood person I guess. I do prefer home cooked meals and more healthy meals. My stomach isn't impressed when I have burgers and fries or other fried products.

I long for vegetables and fresh fruit. Thank God (I wouldn't know who else to thank?) for Europe. I'm glad Europe is still a little behind when it comes to food and going out to eat. I would absolutely not want to live in a culture where hamburgers and fries or pizza are that common. Pizza is great as a treat every once in a while, but shouldn't be on my daily menu. I don't know how you guys and gals feel about that? Could you eat this kind of food every day? I know some of you could be I can't... sorry...

Plunge in

We had a hard time figuring out which park we were going to visit, while being here in Florida. There are so many theme parks and several water parks, that we didn't know where to begin. The girls wanted roller coasters, but also a movie theme park and then again they also wanted to have fun in a water park.. We overlooked all of the parks on the Internet. Distance wasn't a problem, since all the parks are only half an hour from the Caribe Cove Resort where we're staying at. But we had to make up our minds and we decided Aquatica was the park we wanted to go to. And we had a blast!!!

There are several fantastic rides in the park. We particularly liked the Tassie's Twisters, Omaka Rocka, HooRoo Run and Walhalla Wave and Whanau Way and... I guess we liked them all!!!

After 4 PM, a voice announced that we were to get off the rides, because a serious thunderstorm was on its way. They didn't want to take any chances and everybody needed to seek shelter. So we did... Unfortunately, the sun didn't really come back to Aquatica... Even a temperature of 26°C was too cold to remain in the park. But hey: we did all the rides and we were satisfied, so no tears! It was another great day and we had tons of fun!

I was so happy with my Quiksilver waterproof pocket. It kept my insulin pump dry and safe throughout the water rides so I didn't have to miss out on the fun. The people at the first aid station were very helpful and they kept my glucose meter, strips and lancing device within reach, so every now and then I could go over there to have my blood glucose checked and/or corrected. It was good to know I didn't have to worry about my diabetes or my insulin pump getting wet or lost.

Gatorland

Florida is known as Gatorland, since the alligator  is so popular around here. You see them all over the place: lakes, rivers, swamps,.. you just can't miss them. There are some in the lake around the Caribe Cove Resort as well! Lana has spotted them from the pool!

Today we decided to go on an adventure and buy a ticket for an airboat ride. Since the apartment is located so near to everything (you can get like anywhere within an hour drive), we didn't hesitate to hop into the car and drive all the way up to Boggy Creek at Lake Toho. The website sounded promising and we were not disappointed!

On the way over there, we pulled over the car, to see a dozen of black vultures having dinner.. Their pray was laying in the ditch and all vultures were taking turns pulling of pieces of flesh. It was so weird and surreal to watch this! We were impressed and totally excited!

It was a beautiful wildlife tour through the wetlands of Florida. We first had a leisure idle down a natural canal  to watch the exotic birds (I truly enjoy the white and grey herons around here - they are so gracious when they descend), turtles and alligators in their own natural environment. We got headphones and trust me: you need them...  Once the captain speeds up, you fly like the wind into the swamp experiencing the awesome feel of the airboat ride.  We didn't choose to go down to the Southern Everglades as most people would do, but the Central Florida Everglades were pretty nice! Another wonderful day..

Sound of Silence

To be honest: it was awesome.. It was breathtaking. It was phenomenal..

We had been looking into visiting a State Park in the Kissimmee area. Lana wanted to take pictures and train her photographic skills. She's particularly fond of making nice sunset shots.

caterpillar on flower

In the afternoon, we headed towards Clermont, Florida, a half hour ride from the apartment. I had googled the Lake Louise State Park and it sounded promising.  At the cost of only 5 dollars, we spent a wonderful afternoon and evening in the park. It was like we had entered a completely different world. This is the real Florida. This is so different from Disney and the parks, although they have a charm of their own.

A gopher tortoise - the state turtle of both Georgia and Florida - tried to cross the road while we just entered the park. Okay, that was worth a first snapshot. We knew not all wildlife would be that slow..
We stopped at three lakes: Dixie Lake, Hammond Lake and Lake Louisa. At the first stop, we saw this prehistorical looking alligator in the lake. It was really creepy! We intended to rent canoes but we kinda chickened out after we realized there were actually real gators in the lake. What if our canoe tipped over and we fell in? Or what if an alligator came up to our canoe? Would we have to hit it with our paddle? I'm not scared that easily, but I wasn't sure about this idea anymore..

gopher tortoise

alligator in Dixie Lake

There was another alligator prepared to pose for the camera, in Hammond Lake. It was just so surreal but then again it was more real than the rest of Florida we have seen so far. The lake was full of beautiful waterlilies and numerous fish.

We decided to follow the signs so the next stop was a hiking trail. We thought it was going to be a brisk walk through the woods, but in the end, we must have walked for over an hour. Supposedly there were bobcats, rattlesnakes, wild turkey, raccoons, opossums and squirrels around, but we didn't see any - except for a troop of turkeys and 1 squirrel. The walk took a bit longer than expected and my pace was slowing down. Stupid me.. I had not taken my purse.. meaning no glucose meter nor dextrose within reach. I didn't want to hold up the rest, so I kept going and I couldn't do much more than hope we would reach the end of the trail pretty soon. We had followed the blue track, but all at once, there were no more blue signs to follow. We only saw red signs, so we changed tracks. My blood sugar kept dropping and I knew I had to get out of these woods somehow. After at least another 20 min we arrived at the parking lot, where I tested and corrected that 42 mg/dl with half a tin of lukewarm ginger ale and about 8 animal crackers. Man, that felt so good..

hiking trail in the woods to Lake Louisa

mating butterflies

Those are moments I truly despise diabetes. You always have to consider what you bring and how long you will be gone. I know that, but see: every now and then, the excitement wins from the brain and that's when you get in trouble. I'm glad I didn't pass out.. There was nobody to be seen in that forest and we had left the cell phones in the car. We did not even have a clue where we were.. I'm glad that hypoglycaemia got fixed in an instant, because we were ready to visit the third and biggest lake: Lake Louisa. That was too much... so serene, so pure, so untouched.  Lana was over the moon. She said it was her best day in Florida.  And yes: she made extraordinary pictures. We even came back later that night to watch the sunset. We were all quiet... for once, the radio was not turned on while driving back to the apartment. I believe we were all moved by the beauty of this scenery..

Eva and Lana in Lake Louisa

sunset Lake Dixie

Summer has finally come

For the first time this year, we have no use bringing jackets and sweaters when we go out. We slip into skirts and tank tops and sandals can show off our brightly colored toe nails. We have already emptied one bottle of sunscreen in not even one week time. Wow. Although it's a little too hot, we're not complaining. There's air conditioning in all shops - and in the Jeep, don't forget - so we try to keep in the shops as much as possible. Maybe that's the trick!!! Maybe the AC is meant to make people come in to the shops and spend some money? We have definitely seen quite some shops.. Winter Garden Village, Mall at Millenia, Florida Mall, Premium Outlet Stores,.. There's one more to go now: The Loop. Hubby is coping real well, surrounded by his crazy women. I just had this weird idea today: what if he would have had 2 sons instead of 2 girls? Would we have done different things then? Adventure parks or go-karting instead of shopping? Would we have watched something different than cheesy romantic movies at night? Probably. But he said he doesn't mind. He likes his girls..

I'm getting used to driving this Jeep. It's an automat, like most cars over here. It's a joy to drive it and I love driving over here. The streets are avenues! I like the rule that cars may take a right even when the light is a red no-go. It makes traffic a whole lot easier going.

The apartment is air-conditioned too. It feels so good to be here. Although we do miss our pets, we would have no problem staying here for another week. We do have one week to go, but we were already talking about coming back for an even longer vacation. That's how fun it is.. No stress, no rush, just fun, relaxation and family time..

all pictures are taken by Lana Joos

Tall buildings and narrow streets

That's absolutely not what Kissimmee looks like. We are used to going to Tunis, Turkey, Egypt or Morocco and that's where you will find old tall buildings and dark narrow streets. Those are the places where you stroll around and where young children try to sell you souvenirs or freshly picked flowers.

Kissimmee is a bit bigger I must say. It's full of life, but not as brightly colored as Morocco or Egypt. It's totally different and in fact it can't be compared. For instance, the language is so easy. Finally a country where we can make ourselves understood. Here in Florida, we have the warmth we enjoy when we go to Northern Africa. We are used to staying in all inclusive 5* hotels and this time we wanted something different. The girls have grown bigger and we are no longer forced to stay in a hotel where the food comes in buffet form. Because that was easy for the kids: they get to pick whatever they like and as much as they like. Here in Florida, there's an abundance of food to choose from and the products they use look familiar to ours. This time the girls won't have to ask what's on the menu. Their eyes will tell.

We have prepared this holiday for a couple of months now, and there are a few things we would really like to do. We still haven't made up our mind on what Disney Park we would like to visit. We'll see. We can do whatever we want and we will come and go whenever we feel like it.

Kissimmee feels like coming home.. I'm glad to be back here..