2025 in review

 

January 2025

We started the year with friends at the Somme Bay in France and we drove back home after a short night. I even had to start working on Jan 2nd already... heavy start of the year. 

A few days later we sledged in the snow in the east of Belgium and I got myself an amazing bruise that lasted for weeks. 

But we got some snow in central Belgium as well

We visited friends and relatives to read our new year's letters and I profited from the last weekend to jump to the exposition of Emile Clause in my home town. 

February 2025

We started February with a beautiful celebration of Candlemass in the abbey with friends. 

The weekend after I combined my high school reunion with a childhood acquantance funeral and some new year's letters at family...and a little stop at the Leie river to let it all sink in with a landscape that was worth a painting by Emile Claus. 

Jan left for a week to the US and when he got back, I had invited a mom and school friends of our boys with us in the east of Belgium. 

In the next couple of weekends we visited 8 high school open doors until we dropped dead and I couldn't keep them apart anymore. 

March 2025

Kabouter went skiing with Kazou and that was very exciting (but also stressful and nostalgic for the mother who stayed behind). 

When he returned he brought fabulous spring weather and we and most of Leuven seemed to get outside and profit from the good weather. 

We treated Beertje to a farm themed birthday party.

Then I travelled to the Somme Bay again, this time for work and upon my return I left my family behind again to spend a girl weekend in Tournai with friends. 

April 2025

I took the boys some days to the east of Belgium during the Easter vacation when Jan was working.  When we returned we had the European Running Championships in front of our door with 180000 runners and supporters around.  Busy busy . 

In the 2nd week of the Easter vacation we went to Geneva in pouring rain and then in sun. We met up with friends.  A short vacation well filled. 

May 2025

After months camping in the little spare bathroom after we had discovered our old shower leaked through the bathroom floor and the living room ceiling, our shower finally got fixed and renewed . Phew. 

It wasn't the only home improvement.  The lamps that we had ordered 1,5 years ago and that we feared wouldn't get delivered anymore without juridical action, all of a sudden arrived and got installed. 

There were busy weekends with judo tournaments and scouting weekends etc but one thing overruled all plans: Kabouter had to be present at his last high school party. The awareness that he was spending his last weeks in elementary school really settled and the class group became much closer.

Behind our door there was a circus festival

At the end of the month we hosted some Swedish Rotarians at our home in some club exchange intiative.

June 2025

We celebrated Kabouter's confirmation

The last weekend of June was hot, so we filled the pool again.  And then we were ready to close off an era for Kabouter with his last days at the elementary school. 

July 2025

The month started hot and we hang out at the scouting festival in the neighbourhood. 

The first couple of weeks of July the boys did some local camps after which they left on their scouting camp.  Jan and I profited from our child-free week with a Michelin star dinner. 

In between the rain showers , we also attended Beleuvenissen again. 

August 2025

Finally our vacation month was there. Boy had I counted down to this month!  

After a few days at the east of Belgium, we went to the Belgian coast via a stop in Ypres.  We explored the city and all the World War I monuments of the region.  Attending the Last Post in Ypres was a highlight to me. 

The week after we were lazy at the beach, making paper flowers, building sand castles and reading books. 

We returned back to the east of Belgium and then back to Leuven to attend Marktrock. 

On the last day of the vacation I fulfilled a promise to go and visit the Atomium. With that we concluded our staycation. 

September 2025

September traditionally starts with the fair in Leuven, the Abraham celebration of the Men of the Year and the parade.  But the most special this year was Kabouter's start of high school which went quite well.  Rather quickly he seems to have made a little group of friends, even though he didn't know anyone beforehand . 

We profited from a late september hot weekend to spend some more time in the pool before it would need to be cleaned for the season.   

We spent a weekend with our friends in Maastricht 

Oktober 2025

At the end of September, several weekends in October and in November too,  Kabouter participated in multiple judo tournaments.  Even grandma could come and watch as we were twice in Deinze.  Most of the time the competition is too hard for him but in Genk he managed to pull out 3 victories. 

While Jan was recovering from jetlag from his week in San Francisco, we gathered with the family. 

And then it was time to enjoy a lazy sunny vacation in Gran Canaria again with many books next to the pool 

November 2025

Upon our return from Gran Canaria we did some trick or treating in the neighbourhood for the first time. 

While Jan was ill and Kabouter in school, I took Beertje hiking to the Baheyon. 

The rest of the month we took it more quiet than anticipated due to the children's busy schedules, scouting and judo but also Jans health that took an unexpected dip to take care off. 

But I walked in the neighbourhood and enjoyed the festive decorations in Leuven being turned on wiht friends. 

December 2025

While Kabouter prepared and took his first exams, we continued to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere. But first it was my turn to go the hospital to get my wisdom teeth removed.  

I used my last vacation days to help at Mobile School for the first edition of Walk for Street children and to help out at the christmast market at Rotary's cocktail booth. 

And then we were ready to close off the year with some family celebrations and quiet time in the east of Belgium.