Family Time in Zuidlaren, Nederlands

The view of the backyard from our bedroom.

Herm Jan took us on a walk to an old windmill in their village, which Ben was enamored with, and then we stopped by Agnes’s friend’s 90th birthday party. There, we met Agnes’s mom (so Ben’s great-great aunt), who turns 100 next month. LET ME TELL YOU, the Dutch may be the healthiest, happiest people I’ve ever met. Great-great-aunt Djoe is about the spriteliest, most active, jolly lady ever. She kept grabbing my face and smiling and saying my name over and over.

The birthday lady—90 years young.

Great-great Aunt Djoe.

The next day, Agnes and Herm Jan took us on a little family history tour, and we visited the farms where Ben’s Grandma Tena grew up. We did a lot of driving through Holland’s countryside; so many cows, horses, and sheep, and SO MANY CUTE HOUSES. Took way too many pictures of those. The thing I couldn’t believe was how every single house was adorned with the most beautiful flowers and gardens.

Gma Tena’s second farmhouse she lived in.

Half thatched, half tiled.

Herm Jan having a peek inside.

This was about my fourth attempt to get them to look at the camera for the picture.

Pretty and old things inside the building next door.

They have Nova-everything in The Netherlands, too!

We visited Agnes’s cousin’s farm, too. Their house was really old, and they’ve changed almost nothing about it. Also they only speak Frisian, so that was interesting to listen to.

Agnes and her cousin’s wife, Amy.

One of their cats just had kittens. So precious.

This was not a prop.

Agnes’s cousin Reink.

When we got home, Agnes and Herm Jan led us to drinks and crackers in their garden and then treated us to dinner at a nice restaurant in town. Can’t get any better than that.

If you’re still with me, here’s a small sampling of my Dutch houses/flowers photo collection.