Missing Remmie today...

The hourly tears stopped flowing this week. But I sure miss my sweet little boy.

Wie is Rintje?...

Rintje is een beroemde Nederlander...een hondje uit een series van boeken voor kinderen. Onze buurman, Sieb Posthuma, is schrijver en illustrator van deze boeken.

Remember our friend Rintje who came for a visit last weekend? As it turns out, we had one of Holland's biggest and brightest stars right in our VERY HOME!

Sieb Posthuma - one of his owners - is an extremely talented man who has written and illustrated a popular series of children's books about (you guessed it!)...RINTJE! Our famous house guest. Check out the unauthorized photo of Rintje below to catch a glimpse.

(NOTE: Rintje's publicist wanted to make clear that Rintje has no long-term intentions to continue public displays of affection for Dave. It was merely a gesture of kindness and good cheer. No further comment.)

For those of you across the Pond, there is an American version of the original book ("Rintje") called "Benny."

Great books! SO sweet!

Kids from (especially between the ages of 4 to 8) would LOVE these books.

Getting to know Sieb, Toon, and Rintje has been a wonderful unexpected treat.

That's amore...

Well, Dave completely outdid himself in planning our one-year fete. What a night. Beginning with massages for each of us, followed by an unsuspecting pick up (but of course, entirely pre-planned by my hubby) by a gondola and driver who paddled us around the canals, dropped us off at our dinner (and an extremely tasty dinner it was!), and picked us up again post-dessert, all to be delivered to our front door before midnight.

It was a beautiful, unforgettable evening.

Thank you, sweetie. It was a perfect night. I love you SOOOO much!

Love,
me

365 short days ago...

Dave and I signed the deal. Vows exchanged. Cupcakes eaten. Toasts made.

What a way to start our married life together. A weekend that will live on in infamy.

As the months have passed, I have thought often about how many of you drove and flew to be with us that day. Amazing. And for all of the cards and gifts sent by those of you who couldn't make it. Dave and I are so absolutely blessed to have friends and family like you all.

Love,
Lynn and Dave

p.s. - Hey sweetie, I love you so much. One down...sixty or so to go... Happy Anniversary.

A little canine therapy...

Today we had a wonderful surprise visit from Rintje, the Fox Terrier from across the canal who belongs to our friends Toon and Sieb. Toon stopped by this morning and offered to leave Rintje with us for a few hours, just for some good cheering up...in the way only a dog can do it.

Toon, you knew exactly what would make us smile today. Thank you for lending your dog son to us. He is such a sweet little guy! And he loves basketballs, by the way. :)

Love,
Lynn

Friday night lights...

Dave and I took in a familiar yet utterly alien cultural experience last night. American football - the NFL Europa, to be exact - right here in Amsterdam. Dave, being the football fan that he is, was uber-excited to check it out. And me, being the football neophyte that I am, I was interested in observing the social aspect of what an American-based sport would look like here.

From what Dave told me, the action was pretty slow in the game. But running, catching and kicking aside, we both were perplexed by this strange American-gone-Dutch import. The sounds - thumping music and gregarious announcers (speaking Dutch of course), the cheerleaders (not a Dutch tradition at all - no other sport here has them), and the general sense that you weren't watching a football game, but rather some kind of Machiavelian battle of unprecedented importance. Like two armies coming together to determine their destinies. Very dramatic. Also, not Dutch.

Don't get me wrong...there were a couple thousand people enjoying themselves thoroughly, donning Amsterdam Admirals colors and clothing. The stadium was probably 25% full and those who were there were engaged in it all. But there was still something strange about it. Kind of like wearing white pumps in November.

The NFL Europa league has six teams in it. One in Amsterdam, and five in Germany. The final Super-Bowl-esque match is called the World Bowl (perhaps more appropriately named the North European Bowl?), and that takes place in June. Most of the players are American, recruited from major clubs or scooped up if rejected by one.

In every sense, this is an American product on foreign soil.

All so fascinating. Great to be there, experiencing another facet of Dutch life. However, from the looks of it last night, there might be other American traditions that translate better here...hmmm...maybe Monster Truck rallies or the daily observation of Paris Hilton...(Ha ha.) (Kidding).

There is something so American about what happens at football games. It was funny to see our Dutch comrades putting on the hat (or large foam hand, if you will) of a football fan. But if they enjoy it, then so be it! I say, GO ADMIRALS, GO!!!!

Touching down from Amdam,
Lynn

Left...right...left...right...

Well, friends, this morning I did the bravest thing I've done in a while.

I took myself for a walk.

First morning without Rem, and 7:30 passed without any fanfare. Seemed wrong to me. By 8:30, I had convinced myself to continue the habit Remmie and I had developed and go for a walk. In a melancholic but hopeful attempt at bravery, I thought it might be good to take the first official steps without my canine companion. And to do it sooner than later.

I made a double-pack cup of coffee, poured it in a travel mug and hit the streets.

I traveled the same way Rem and I had for the last two and a half months, stopping - out of habit - at the bushes and lamp posts that seemed to draw him in day after day after day. (Of course, I skipped the territory-marking part that he was so fond of. Even in the deepest of grief, one has to draw the line somewhere.)

It's amazing how much I wanted to do things on my walk that would still connect me to him. Walking at the same pace. Stepping carefully over the same curb. Stopping every once and a while and sniffing the air. Peeking into the window at Piraat's house. It seemed like, if I could do these things the same way, he'd be with me somehow.

I'm going to do my best to keep you all from staying inside the sadness Dave and I are feeling. There will be happier things to report soon. That's the way of life. But for now, you've read my mind and heart.

Continued thanks to all for the blog comments, emails, phone calls, and good thoughts sent our direction. It helps.

Love,
Lynn