We're off to The Netherlands and Belgium!

Last July E and I decided to start researching where to use my hard-earned airline miles for another big trip to Europe. We had to book nine months in advance in order to get seats on reward flights, so we went for it!

But then nine months went by really, really fast. April seemed SO far away that we suddenly panicked last month and got to planning. Traveling to Europe is a lot of work! But now we're off tomorrow to The Netherlands and Belgium, with a long weekend trip to see our dear friends in Milan, Italy on the way. My youngest sister and her husband are meeting us in Amsterdam halfway through the trip and we can't wait to see them and show them around Europe on their first trip out of the country.


Bruges, Belgium

I've been so down after our house robbery, but the past three days have been packed with good news after good news and now we're leaving on this trip! (and with our good friends are house-sitting, so I'm much less anxious to the leave the house.)

We would love to hear any suggestions on restaurants or sites off-the-beaten-path in the Netherlands or Belgium (Bruges and Brussels) if you have them.
 (And we just found out we'll be in Amsterdam on Queen's Day!)

theft.

The ironic thing was, E and I have always had this silly habit. Every time we walk into our house, especially if it's dark outside, we slowly unlock and crack open the door and call out "Robber? Are you there?" You know, to give the thief a chance to get away. The goofy little warning to the nonexistent thief makes me laugh away the nerves when arriving home alone.

Little did I know that joke would cease to be funny any more.

I would feel better if a window had been broken, but we still aren't sure where the thief came into our house, just that it was is in the middle of the day. And on April Fool's Day, no less. They made off with pricey, but [eventually] replaceable gadgets. Also, every single piece of my jewelry - except the wedding ring on my finger.

I can't really describe what I'm feeling. A lot of people have said being robbed must have felt violating. And yes, we feel violated, but it's not the most prevalent emotion.

I think what I'm still feeling, is something more like sad disbelief. Every morning I go back to my little bedroom nook by the window where all of my jewelry used to hang and I cannot believe that every last chain, bead, earring, watch is just...gone. I cannot believe someone could take all of those prized possessions (with no resale value!). The beloved things I had spent 10 years collecting - from a 16th birthday gift to my great-grandmother's heirlooms, and my expensive pieces like my mom's gold watch, my pearl necklace, and the earrings and bracelet I wore on my wedding day.

All I could think was: take my camera (they did), take the ps3 (they did), take the laptop (they did) but whhhyyy did you have to take my precious THINGS?

So while I'm still having a pity party, and finding out how emotionally attached I am to forever21 necklaces, I keep reading these verses to remind myself of the important, eternal things.

p.s. I'm grateful to Holley for sharing their house burglary experience and tips so I can feel a little more safe and prepared in the future. We can't replace any of the stolen items because we can't get renter's insurance - our house is apparently in a wildfire hazard zone.:-/