The Stevenson Ohana: October 2022

Monday, October 31, 2022

HALLOWEEN

Halloween this year we celebrated with friends doing a little 'bike tricker-treating' and cupcake decorating and halloween stories on a picnic blanket. It was low-key and really fun! I let the boys choose and help design costumes. Luke decided they wanted to be rockets so we made some jet-packs together and designed some sweaters and the boys picked out their rocket names. . . Luke was "speedy" and Clay was "flash" . . . they were so speedy, the jet-packs didn't last through the party.

Halloween isn't really a dutch holiday, but Nov 11 Sint Martins is a big holiday and very similar. I'm bummed I didn't get many pictures from this day but you decorate lanterns and sing door to door for candy. It was a blast.

Saturday, October 29, 2022

Love Letters to Lucy

Love Letter to Lucy August 7th:

Dear Lucy,

It’s your dad. Just wanted to let you know how much I love you. You’ve made me a girl dad for the first time and I couldn’t be happier. You are so pure and so divine. You already and add such love and grace to this family of boys. I wanted to let you know how much I believe in you and your future. Righteous women have so much potential for good and so much power that men cannot replicate. The combination of pure love and a sound mind will bless those around you. You are so lucky to have your mom as an example. You will be a force for good. You will have such a unique ability to love, to melt anger, contention and conflict that the world will look to you and feel your love. With a quiet confidence behind this love, can be a drive and a knowledge that you can do anything you set your mind too. Your options and your future is limitless. I’m so excited to be your dad together with your angel mother will raise you the best we can so you can go uplift the world with love, compassion & a drive to do anything you set your mind to. The world will need women like Lucy Holland Stevenson.

Love,

Your dad

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Étretat, France

Oct.19-20, 2022: Etretat is a magical place that's been on our bucketlist since seeing a picture of the white cliffs. It was surreal to be there in person seeing these chalk cliffs that arch out overlooking the ocean. This was our first stop during our France road-trip. We started the day early with a morning flight to Paris and then rented a car from airport and took off for the coast.

After we arrived, we set off to see the cliffs and hike around! There's three arches that stretch out and tower over the ocean that you can hike along. We started the hike that went around an entire golf-course to reach the cliffs (which turned out to be the long way but had some nice fields and views that reminded Riley of World War II times). After a long walk we finally came to the sea and were rewarded with views of the cliffs. Luke hiked the whole thing by himself which was even more surprising to us given that we woke up at 4am to the start the day. A big plus of walking around an entire golf course to get to the cliffs is that Luke found a stray golf ball which he had the whole hike, rolling it down the hills and running after it.

Luke's best friend on the hike, the aforementioned golf ball :) which also turned out to be our best friend given the hours of entertainment it provided Luke.

A sneak peak of Etretat the town tucked away in between the cliffs.

Standing on top of one of the cliffs in a crater left over from World War II. Turns out the town was occupied by the Germans and then was taken over by the Allies. Towards the end of the war, Etretat was used a hold-over to house troops on their way home.