Hello World!

   Okay people I have failed with my blogging, but I am doing my best to be better at it. Just to give you a taste of what has been happening I am going to give a quick run through. Upon arrival to the Netherlands I had a day or two to relax, but then the fun began. Jasper and his whole family has been working around the clock the last two months to get the new place ready. I am really impressed with how far they got.  There were still floors and cleaning to be done so I pitched in and tried to help. Jasper and his family put in the floors and I scrapped paint off of all the windows (as much as possible). We had one week to put it all together. On top of all of that we had  an appointment for me at the IND (immigration-Netherlands) and it turned out I needed more paperwork, which had to get resolved back home (thanks ma n'pa). Also, I began a 13hour work day for my first day at DeKas, found a job working as a nanny 2-3 days a week, and did my best to adjust. Meanwhile we were living in Soest in Jaspers old place with his roommates. It was tough living out of a suitcase and running around all day, but we managed. We moved in to the new place one week after my arrival and had all of Jaspers friends and family helping! About the house...

   We are in a fairly large city called Amersfoort. There are the charming old parts of town and the bustling busy city as well. Our place is 5-10 minutes bike ride from the train station and the centrum (shopping) is not much farther beyond the station. It's pretty easy to get around and the location is right in the center of one of the richest areas in the Netherlands. Also, the Dieren Park (Zoo) is within walking distance! The houses around us are big and nice. Our place is a complex that is hidden back a little from the main road. There are trees and lots of forest paths right out our back door. The house itself has 3 bedrooms, shower room, toilet room, kitchen, living room, and dining room area. If I had to guess it is close to 1800 sq.ft, but that's just an estimate. I think it is the perfect size for just two people.
   We have decided to turn the bedrooms into a main bedroom, office, and walk-in closet (for the smallest of the 3 rooms). I have a slide show for you all. keep in mind we need to work on the small things. The flooring is in, but has strips that still need to be finished off against the walls. It will be completed soon along with door knobs (they need to be cleaned up and locks changed), an entertainment center, dryer, and clothes closet are all on the list. Please be aware it is a work in progress, but an amazing change as you will see in the pictures. Let me know what you think, but I am very proud of all of Jasper's hard work! The pictures are all arranged as BEFORE and AFTER shots. I did my best to mimic the original photos that Jasper had taken and describe the rooms above them. I suggest pausing the slide show if it goes too fast to read. I hope you like it. ENJOY!

P.S. I appreciate you all being patient with me disappearing lately. I needed some time to settle in and it was a bit hectic for a while. I was only ever getting online to do my homework back home (yes I am taking online classes as well!) So, bare with me and I promise I will be more in contact in the coming days.