More Changes to Come

More news from the Cooper family.  We are moving to the Netherlands by May 1st!  Campbell has accepted a job with his current employer for a position there.  We are in the process of getting our lives sorted to make the journey across the pond.  It is exciting but also sad as we are leaving a wonderful life here in Seattle.  We will miss so much but most of all our friends and family.

The baby gates are up and Archie loves to try to shake them off the wall.

We made a trip the first week in March to visit Breda.  This is the city we will be moving too.  It is a medieval city with old stone buildings and charm.  The weather is just like Seattle - cold, gray, and rainy.  We checked out neighborhoods and potential rental houses.  Campbell will be back in Breda the first week in April to (hopefully) finalize a new home for us.

At a cafe in the town square.  Archie was loving it despite being sick and the jet lag.  I think he knew he would get some good cheese.

Breda city center and square

Amsterdam tour

Once home again, Grandma Jane came fore a visit.  Archie had a great time with all the extra love and attention.  He is just at the stage that he can pull himself up (on EVERYTHING) but doesn't always remember to hang on.  So we have a lot of tumbles and crashes.  So extra arms are welcome to catch him.

Playtime at U-village.....another great place we will miss for our playtime, walks, shopping, and coffee.

And we will sorely miss our dear friends Robyn, Chris, and their son Isaac.  They are also the family we share our awesome nanny, Anna, with.  We will miss her too!  She is so great with the boys and they love her.  This is the start of one day at Robyn & Chris's house.  Note the gated area......to keep Archie from everything. :)  It is fantastic.

This is what happens when Archie's hair is really long, I give him a bath, and decide to use the blow dryer to style it out of his eyes......results are wild funny hair.  But he is still the cutest.

The perfect handles at the windows to hang on to.  He has discovered that he can look at the windows and check out the world.

But he likes to live life on the edge.  Why not just use one hand?

And this is after I gave Archie a haircut.....the photos make it look better.  I will be getting professional help next time and asking them to show me how to do it when we are in Holland.

He loves his books!

See you next time.  I will try and get a couple more posts before we leave.  Things are a little easier now that we know what is happening and we have a plan.  There is a lot to do but Campbell and I are slowly working our way through our lists.  Oh, and we have that other project: Baby #2, still projected for July 20th.  Another citizen of the world.  Another great thing is how nice it will be to share what is going on in our lives with this blog.  So even if we don't speak regularly, you can see what is going on.

Surprise and Surprise!

Surprise!  We went to New Zealand and surprised Campbell's family and friends with our visit.  It was Archie's first visit to New Zealand and it was a a great time.  We started our trip with a stop at Campbell's parents' house.  Campbell's sister Jane and her family were there for a preplanned trip.  From there we all went to a lake house at Lake Taupo.  

Archie and Jim Bob

Campbell and Margaret

All the cousins with Paul and Campbell going for a ride on the tractor with Jim Bob

(Eve, Greta, Theodore, Archie)

Lake Taupo

Archie playing with his new best friend Greta

She taught him so many new tricks!

Bonfire on the beach with smores

Family photo at the lake

The Grandparents and grandkids

After our trip up on the North Island the three of us went to the South Island to explore. Our first stop was Arrow Town, an old mining town with lots of charm and Queenstown.  Then onto Lake Wanaka and a drive up the west coast.  

Mmmm, coffee

Drive to the west coast

We saw a few sheep along the way

West Coast Beach

Our hotel just next to the rain forest on the west coast.  Beautiful, hot, and mosquitos.  We heard lots of native birds in the trees around us.

Fraz Joseph Glacier and our walk up the river valley to it.

Beach art with driftwood at Hokita

After the drive up the west coast, we drove across the mountains and headed to Campbell's Uncle Doug and Auntie Daph's house.  We had a great evening with them and their son Richard, his girlfriend Sarah, and her mother.  Even though we didn't stay up until 4am dancing and drinking wine like last time, we had a wonderful time again.

Auntie Daph

Uncle Doug 

Our next and last stop was Auckland to visit our good friends Caroline and Alan and their son Joseph.  The boys had a great time together!

And then we were home again.  Archie is back to his normal routine which includes our fun and messy dinners (note the food on the door behind him).  He is now eating sausage, vegies, fruit, and lots more.

He loves eating good all by himself!

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He is too cute!

 And our final surprise.....we are having another baby!  Our new addition will arrive in late July.  It is another fun surprise to our exciting year.  All is going well and I am feeling fine.  We can't wait for the baby and Archie will love having a little buddy to play with.  They will be 15  months apart.  We will wait to find out what we are having again.  

We love surprises!