what you learn when you go to a ward party in belgium:

-you learn how to sing happy birthday in french.

-you learn that mormon standard time still applies in a foreign land. we got to the party fourty minutes late, (it is hard to get anywhere on time with no gps, only printed off google maps, and foreign language street signs. we're always getting lost, and our car is gonna be full of pages and pages of google maps) and we didn't even eat for another hour after we arrived.

-you learn that everyone comes to activities, the ward family is that important. a good goal for me when i get back to utah.

-you learn the better name for a stake dance is a ball, but of course. you learn increased love for families, because everyone is invited to these balls: tykes, teens, and old-timers. not sure when i was a teenager if i would have liked that. hopefully we'll get to attend one.

-you learn, or are reaffirmed, that europe is way more healthy than america. they ate salad, salad, and more salad for dinner, plus quiche and quinoa to add variety. while the health was appreciated, they did barbeque some strange meats, and i'm not a big fan of the european meat industry. they said there wasn't dessert. i couldn't have called it a ward party without dessert. i realized i was gullable when they brought out an assortment of faintly sugared things:)

-i learned, yet again, that it's ever so right to always let your conscience be your guide. we almost didn't go, because of our lack of french skills, but thankfully it doesn't take french to circle around a stick 10 times. who else would've run the winning leg of the relay race if devin wasn't there?

look at that smile-nothing better than perfectly capturing a great moment:)