Sunday, 5 September 2010

5 Sep -- Chateau de Franchimont, Belgium

We again drove to Belgium, this time to see the Chateau de Franchimont.  It was about a 1 hour 20 minute drive.
Crossing the bridge to get in.

There were a bunch of cool bunkers to explore.


Charlie hiding.





Jane "taking a picture."


Inside the castle.


Everybody wave!











The stairs were very treacherous, but we survived.


Seirously, I (Dan) offered to carry Jane but Anna claimed "she helped balance things out."  Crazy.



Snack after we explored the inside.

Today Dan drew a castle piece on Henry's headwrap...or at least I tried to.

Sherpa on!


Action sherpa!

Sometimes sherpas need a bit of help getting up a steep hill.

Too cute.

Saturday, 4 September 2010

4 Sep -- La Roche en Ardenne, Belgium

We drove to Belgium today to see the castle ruins of La Roche en Ardenne.  It was about a 1 hour 30 minute drive.

We had a few minutes before the doors open so it was time to carbo-load.
The grounds were really nice.

"Man, castles make me EXCITED!"


There was a great view from the top.




"Apple apple...cookie cookie..."


We had our hands full.


In the basement.





EVERYBODY together now!






 


The town was super nice...and they had doner kebabs!





Nothing beats throwing rocks on a nice day.


The castle ruins we saw are in the top left of the background.





My turn!

We...okay...Dan drew a Belgian flag on his headwrap.


Onto the calisthenics...





We admit...this one is simply ridiculous.  Anna just said, "Are you ready?"  I am glad I was.







Thursday, 2 September 2010

2 Sep -- Henry Update

We went to Wurzburg on Sunday August 19th for Henry's surgery.  This was our third attempt after having the original surgery date of August 16th.  But it all worked out well in the end.

Henry in his new home for the next 9 days.
During the surgery we were told by the surgeon that we should get out and see Wurzburg or "the roof will cave in" if you wait here as the German saying goes.  It was raining a little while we walked around so Anna dried off...

 ...me too.
Henry after the surgery, all plugged in.

But he would still "hold" our hands as he slept.



The day after the surgery they let us hold him.

"He carries the light."  The Road.  Great book Luke, just probably not the best time to read such a heavy story.





He got a little swollen the next day.



A little less puffy.

We spent most of the 9 days walking up and down the hall.  By carrying him upright, the swelling in the his head never got too bad.



He hasn't lost his goofy face.

After a couple days they would let us walk outside for 30 minutes.

True love.

So sweet!

So literally sweet...

And giving him some chocolate was the key to getting the head dressing off.

So cute!

"And you think THIS hurts!?"



They do the zig-zag cut so the hair will lay naturally and cover the scar.

First solid meal.  He also got his first tooth in!

Snuggly soft.  You can almost make this 20lb butterball look small if you squeeze him enough!

Second from the left is the doctor who did the surgery.  Very nice man.

This headband is for "Rudy" Hext who started a small headband craze in Kandahar before I left.