A new chapter ...

This post was written several weeks ago but never got posted. So here it is (pics to follow):

The guests are gone. Everyone has returned to their normal lives in Chicago and Amarillo. First arrived Rob’s sister and her son, then Rob’s mother, and then later to be here only three full days, came her partner. I hope everyone had a good time, despite minor ailments, being dragged to every church (right Rush!), and the sometimes not so perfect weather (well that is a given when visiting Belgium.) Rachel (Rob’s sister) of course, was not merely here for a family visit but was on a research trip after already having been to England’s main libraries. I refer the interested readers to her blog, as she posted some lengthy ponderings on Belgium. Not the touristy tales one might expect, but musings of someone on a quest to find remnants of the religious devotion that might have been in these environs (a major center of production of Books of Hours) several centuries ago. And yes, something about food too. It is hard to ignore the topic of food when visiting Belgium. Her son (aka as Cousin Rush to Evelina) was a genuine trooper, going to most churches, tours, and museums with her. A big feat for a 12-year old, but then he isn’t a regular kid either. On top of that he was amazing with his little cousin Evelina who now asks about him everyday still. She misses playing and goofing around with him.

Rob’s mom of course, did come to spend time with us and to see the house. She spent a lot of time with Robert and Evelina and that was wonderful. They played, read books, made several daytrips, to Brussels, to Bruges, to the Netherlands, etc. This morning Evelina woke up and asked “Where’s grandma and Dale?” She understands they went on a big airplane to America, but since they very easily (in her mind!) came over a few weeks ago, they ought to be able to show up again today right, to make a puzzle with her? It is confusing for a little kid. She loved having everyone here to play with and now it is back to just mama and papa. Evelina was a trooper too. She visited Brussels, went in the Atomium, showed Belgium’s famous Manneke Pis to everyone, went to Bruges, Veere (in Holland), etc. Unfortunately, I was not able to join them on many of these trips since I was (and still am) teaching in the mornings. But I did see everyone at dinnertime. While it was nice to have everyone here, it is difficult sometimes to combine work and hosting. Robert however, was a wonderful host and drove around, guided, and attended to everyone.

On Saturday morning we dropped off Mom and Dale at the airport and then drove to my parents’ house in Hasselt. There Robert and I took a nap with Evelina. We both woke up from that nap as if we ourselves were jetlagged. We didn’t realize how tired we were until after waking up from that nap. All the months of prepping to get into the house, the move, all the orchestrating of paperwork etc., the various jobs we have done, and then actually having guests and showing off the house and where we are now starting a new life, had obviously left us exhausted. It is as if we, in that one nap, slept it all off. We felt very strange and different after that. Thanks to my parents, who kept Evelina until Sunday evening, we had some time this weekend to catch up with work and be quiet together. We feel as if now, we are for the first time able to truly start living here. That is a weird thought after all these months, I know, but it does feel as such. In addition to that, fall has started. It is probably my favorite season… looking forward to Halloween and Thanksgiving (and yes, my birthday although that day always is accompanied with mixed feelings) and then on towards winter and Christmas. And for the first time in years we will have a real fall in a place that actually has seasons. So we are looking forward to that.