Tuesday 22 March 2011: Heidi opens up a book

Heidi says: There is something so strange about people living in the western world. Or let me say: living in a luxury world. Take me for instance.
I have a great life. On paper. Read it: I am a young woman (32) with two beautiful children, a boy and a girl (one of each!!), who are quite healthy and happy, a partner to die for (ok, I am not married and a little voice in my head keeps on whispering that I would love to get married to him but he's not the wedding-type so have to let it go, I guess), a house that I own in 5 years (yes, you read that well, in FIVE years), a part time job close enough to home so I can bike to work, very good friends, both my parents and parents in law (none of them are divorced), fantastic hobbies. Basically, I have all a person can dream of.
Then why am I struggling everyday with my 'happiness'?
Because that is what people do who have all the luck in the world?
I am overanalysing my life, trying to feel happy but ending up numb. I have to read books from Ekhart Tolle to feel good (or better), am seriously considering to hook me up on some 'V', am nagging to my best friend Katrijn on a daily basis about how bad I feel... I can write all this down, see how great my life is, and still feel like it is not happening to me and go on nagging and overanalysing and pulling my hair out (not literally)... Do I need a slap on the bottom?
Or do I need an earthquake, an explosion or a tornado to show me what I have?

Saturday 12 February 2011: Heidi gets a new colour and wallpaper

Heidi says: a bit more copper and some swans on the wall! A new me in a new house! I love change sometimes.

Friday 4 February 2011: Me and my Matto and Yma (about 3 and a half years ago)

Heidi and Sarah Face The Day here and there! Photos from 05 and 07 January I think? 2011

Sarah says:

We can't keep up like before but every now and then should be possible we think! I saw Heidi a couple of times last week and have photos to show for it like the one above of us and the ones below of us and of our kiddies! Above photo from Friday the 7th of January 2010 with others from Wednesday the 5th.

Matto + chair!

Yma, The Lool and Matto!

Heidi and I strike a couple of poses! It's been a while! (photos from last Wednesday)

Other random shots from the past days and weeks - with and without Heidi! Sorry once again for not posting on here anymore! Will try harder!

Above and below photos are a selection of ones I took with my iPod Touch and camera that I never got around to posting on here because some went straight to Facebook. So here they are now in no particular order but fun to see and to have on here as a record of nice moments and cute people! Above ones are random shots of the times I saw Heidi recently including in the hospital on the 28th of December 2010, the day afte I had my gall bladder removed! And the one of Yma and Matto is from last week when they came over to say hi to my mom!

Above photo is the day my mom arived on the 21st of December 2010 - after 36 hours of travelling and plane cancellations and lost luggage thanks to snow and ice - but she made it!

Above photo is recent from when my friend Tilly's kids came over right before Christmas with their mom and Dirk. The girls with The Lool!

Above photo is Tilly and Dirk with Tilly's kids also here before Christmas!

Me! Yeah - I know, fatter and fatter I become! (thanks to my stupid apps :-)!

Have you noticed The Lool is growing up? Love the above photo as she always hides behind her hair these days but not above!
Above is of my mom and Ayla being silly before Christmas!

The yearly Dirk and Sarah photos - better late then never!

Above photo was taken on the 1st of January 2011 with me and Dirk after eating our annual French Toast. It's a tradition!

Okay - so the above photo is sort of a fake because it wasn't taken on the 1st of January 2010 but on the 27th of December 2009 - all because for the first year in a very long time - Tom's friend Dirk could not come on New Year's so he came the week before. We had to take our yearly photo of course and I am posting it here for consistency-sake! Click here to see what was going on that year!

All the rest that follows below is copied from the last year and the year before...

That's me and Dirk exactly two year ago today on the 1st of January 2009 - you can go back via this link. For the last 7 years he's come to our home on New Year's Eve and for the last 4 years we have taken a photo together on the 1st! First we eat french toast made by my mother and then we take a photo. It's always great to start a new year with Dirk. He's a cheery, fun-loving bloke!

That's me and Dirk above 3 years ago on the 1st of January 2008!

And that above is me and Dirk 4 years ago today on 01 January 2007!

There above you can see Heidi and me on 01 January 2006! Seems like ages ago! I can hardly remember that night anymore. No Dirk!

By the way - 3 years ago on 01 January 2008 I put the below text on Face The Day as a reflection on life at that time and the new year to come. I stand by it and put it here again because it still rings true and I am still trying my best to live a more simple life and a quieter life full of quality, not quantity. I wish everyone a lot of peace and quiet and love and more rushes of joy than flashes of pain in 2011!

Sarah adds: Here's it is from my post from 3 years ago (and re-posted last year):

Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now!~Michael Landon - Pa Ingalls

We who live in quiet places have the opportunity to become acquainted with ourselves, to think our own thoughts, and live our own lives. - Laura Ingalls Wilder

...but, at long last, I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all...I believe we would be happier to go back to simpler living and more direct thinking. It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty, work and rest and living close to nature. There are no hothouse blossoms that can compare in beauty and fragrance with my bouquet of wild flowers. -Laura Ingalls Wilder

I'd add: Live well and be well in 2011 (2010) (2008!) (2009!) people and spend time doing stuff that matters with people that matter and not wasting time and thoughts on all the stuff that doesn't mean squat. Consume less -- because we don't need half the things we think we do.By 2012 (2011, 2010! ), I hope my family life is just like it is now. I hope I am singing again and on stage. I hope my work life is successful and feels good and challenging. I hope health abounds. I hope all the people who mean the world to me have more joy than pain. Simplicity is what I am after this year...

Some photos from Sarah from New Year 2011! Sorry it's been so long since I have posted on here! Facebook has replaced blogging I guess!

Above photo is of me and The Lool right after the clock struck midnight and it turned into 2011!

Above photo if of The Lool and me last year right after it turned into 2010! Via this link you can see what was happening for me and for Heidi last year at this time!

Above photo was just before the clock struck midnight 2010 to 2011 and below one is exactly a year before at the same moment. Go there again via this link.

I had to post the above photo of Ayla from the end of 2010. In 2010, she was playing with some make-up and she was again in 2011! Look how she is growing up! She's really becoming a pre-teen and she cant wait to actually be allowed to wear a little make-up. She's going to have to wait a bit still!

And above is a photo of us from the same exact time two years ago as 2008 was about to become 2009. Via this link you can journey back to a year ago exactly...

My 2010 New Year's Resolution was "More Joie de Vivre - Less Weltschmerz!" This year for 2011 all I hope for is good health for me and for everyone. Fewer hospital visits in 2011 please!

Monday 3 January 2011

Heidi says: We are bad! Sarah, we are bad!! How long has it been since we were on here??? Well, this is the beginning of 2011 and this is the time to make some changes! Here I am, with some pictures of old 2010 and new 2011. How good is that?

Tuesday and Wednesday 02 and 03 November 2010: Sarah forgot to take a photo of Heidi when they met Tuesday so here's Heidi's haircutting work instead!

Sarah says:
Above photo is from this morning - working from home, still trying to rest my back. It's doing okay but not great. It will never do great again. So frustrated.

Above and below photos are from yesterday just after Heidi cut my hair again. This time she went a bit further and it looks even better. I love it and don't miss the old, longer hair at all. This is so much lighter and more stylish. Thanks Heidi! Too bad I forgot to take a photo of us together yesterday! It was fun meeting up. We went out to lunch together with our daughters and had a coffee together - like old times. It was nice to have some time together to catch up again!

Monday 01 November 2010; It's Flashback 1st of the Month at Face The Day! It's been a while!

Sarah says:
Above photo is from today - the 1st of November 2010. It's been a while since I posted on FTD but tomorrow I'll actually see Heidi so we'll even soon have a photo of us together on here again! If you compare today's photo with those below - well, first of all - I have very little eye makeup on in today's photo so that's why I look less vivid. I don't mind. I have come to like my less made up face. It took a while but I got there. It's another look. It's good to have a few different ones!
It's so fun to look back! Above is a photo of me from one year ago today - 01 November 2009. To go back in time, click here!

Above photo of me and below one of Heidi are from two years ago today on 01 November 2008! Click here to go back to that day to see what we were up to...

There above you can see me 3 years ago today on 01 November 2007 with glasses and a red face late at night... Via this link you can see what was happening at this time last year in my and in Heidi's lives.
There I am above 4 whole years ago today with my great mate MS! She was visiting! I wish she were here right now. It was 01 November 2006 above. Here's a link to go back to that day at Face The Day!
There's Heidi above 3 years ago today in 2007 with very short hair!
And there's Heidi four years ago and one day on 02 November 2006 as we had no 01 November 2006 picture of her. She looks different! (Heidi: logic, I just became mother of Yma a month earlier...)
And there above you can see Heidi and me on a very Fall day 5 years ago today on 01 November 2005! We have changed a lot and haven't changed at all in these 5 years! Looking back is fun. Via this link, you can go back with us to 5 years ago today!

16-24 October 2010 - Sarah goes to Sweden and back!

Sarah says:
I haven't had time or means to post on here for a while until now - hence the whole load of photos. The above one, a goody, is from today - the 24th of October. It's been a nice and calm weekend. Making food, seeing some family. Seeing some friends. Seeing my kid happy was the best part as always!

It was a full moon last night - the 23rd of October. Just look at that beauty. It sure made me want to howl!

And look at that lovely sight above! That's from the 22nd I think. She's getting all grown up! That and other photos from a nice expo on beautiful interiors, you can find via this link.

I think the above photo is from the 20th or 21st. I don't know anymore. I was home from Sweden and tired and a bit sick. My gall has really been bothering me. It makes me nervous. I need to get it taken out sooner than later!

Above photo is from the 19th when we were at the airport in Gothenburg waiting to get our flight back to Belgium. I hacked the wifi system and we were all able to get online. This project has turned me into a computer geek of sorts!

The above photo is from just around midnight between the 18th and 19th of October. I had had myself a great big laugh with colleagues and was in my hotel room afterwards still cracking up for about 15 minutes more alone. I don't even know what was so funny but I sure had a good time and it was a great and needed release!

Above photo is from the 18th at a pinball place. Before dinner, we all went to a pinball club of sorts in Boros, Sweden. It was cool! Had a blast after a long day of meetings and presentations.

Above photo is from the 17th when I arrived from Gothenburg, Sweden to Boros, Sweden and was just in my hotel room. It had been a fabulous, sunny weekend and now it was raining and really cold! At least I got to wear my great new coat and hat!

The above and below photos are from the 16th in Gothenburg with my friend Bjorn. I met him 18 years ago during my exchange program in Utrecht and Aarhus. I hadn't seen him since 2003 so it was so great having time to catch up and to see a new city. He was a great host! It made me so happy to have all that time with him after all these years and it reminded me again about that study abroad year, which was the best year of my life and which changed my life completely!

Via this link you can see a bunch of photos from my trip! Also via this link you can find more.

I love the above photo. I was so happy to have time with an old friend!