Christmas Day 2010

This Christmas morning did not start as early as some since the kids were up late enjoying Christmas Eve service and celebrations with many family members. Each Christmas, the kids always feel like the wait at the top of the steps is tortuously long--the excitement and energy to come down and open gifts is hard to contain.

Kate is still working on her gift opening skills.

We enjoyed exchanging gifts.

After the reading of the birth of Christ and a lovely breakfast (provided by Mom the night before) of tea, scones and citrus, we went over to Mom and Dad's for Christmas dinner with the family. It was different this year, celebrating without Grandma, but we all had a lovely, relaxing day--the meal included a Christmas cracker next to each plate, which we all enjoyed the contents of (and felt very British opening it).

Uncle Jeff enjoyed the crown from his cracker enough to wear it outside for his smoking time.

It's great to celebrate with family. We look forward to next Christmas when two more little boys will be joining us.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Sunday 2010

My Christmas Sweeties

(minus Jeff.  We didn't get him a Christmas outfit.)

Christmas with the vBs

We celebrated Christmas with Jeff's family a week early this year.  Although a very busy weekend, everyone was able to make it for a Saturday morning brunch at Sean & Jonelle's house.

Here are some pictures from the day (there's too many for me to try and wax eloquent about each one).....

14 cousins (with another to be added very soon.  We're looking forward to the end of January when Sean and Jonelle's 4th will be arriving.)

Kate is in love with purses right now. At times I'll find her walking around the house with six purses stacked up her arm. Needless to say, this was a perfect gift for her.

Joost, following in his father's footsteps, loves Legos. Legos were the theme of his gifts this Christmas season.

Sean & Joost

Joshua & Joost

Sleepy Lucy

20 week ultrasound

Today Jeff and I had the joy of seeing our unborn child up close.  I love the 20 week ultrasound!  It's so amazing to see the tiny body and all its details.  The baby is healthy and all the parts are in the right places.  We are so blessed to have another healthy, well-built child on the way.

We were also excited to find out if we should be expecting a son or a daughter.  I've had a gut feeling about this pregnancy and it ended up being right....

The trimming of the tree

Today we decorated our Christmas tree--and what fun we had.  The kids were excited all afternoon about doing it.  Once the lights were strung and the star officially placed on top by Jeff, the kids went to town. 

Kate was able to take part in the decorating this year.  It's been a joy to see her this Christmas season as the house is decorated.  Every time she spots a Christmas decoration that she hasn't seen yet, she is thrilled over it and points it out to me as if it is the first time I've seen it, as well.

We were all pleased with the end result.  It is a merry start to the Christmas season!

The Christmas Tree hunt

Another Christmas season has officially begun.  Without fail, on either the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving, we always cut down our Christmas tree.  This year, I wasn't feeling very much in the holiday mood.  I was tempted to skimp on holiday traditions, but my good husband wouldn't hear of it.  He insisted we keep with the tree cutting tradition.  I'm glad that he did.  Afterwards, I was feeling much more in the mood to do all that Christmas requires--and enjoy it while doing it. (We even found the radio station that plays continuous Christmas songs until Christmas day.)

We went to a new place this year--Haring Tree Farm--which we were very pleased with.  I was tired of having bloody hands after stringing the lights on the tree and this year we found a farm that offers trees with sturdy branches, but soft needles.  After finding just the right Douglas Fir (or rather, a good enough Douglas Fir, since the temperature was low and the winds gusty), Jeff cut the lovely tree down. 

We were rather amazed at Joost's strength this year.  He's reached that point where he's stronger than he realizes.  (I can attest to that.  The other day he gave me a playful punch in the back and it hurt a lot!)  Joost hulled the tree up the hill from where we cut it to where it would be bagged.  There was not one request for help or complaint about it being too heavy.

And then, to our delight, we saw Mom and Dad coming our way.  They had decided to cut their tree at the same farm at the same time (you can probably tell where the tree cutting tradition began.) 

We then had the tree shaken and bagged.  (The shaking was new to us and such a treat upon bringing the tree home--not a single needle to vacuum after bringing it through the door.)

As we went towards the van with our tree, who else should be seen pulling up to the tree farm but my Aunt Dee, Uncle Frank and cousins (along with husband and kids)!  It was apparently meant to be a family outing without any of us planning it.

After a busy morning of tree hunting, Kate was worn out and fell fast asleep on the ride home.

Thanksgiving season 2010

It's always great to enter into the holiday season. The kids are especially enjoying it with all the extra things they do at school to celebrate Thanksgiving. I forget, sometimes, how wonderful and exciting the holidays are as a child. 

Joost made (all with his own little hands) an Indian headdress as a project in class.

Grace's class, in preparation for the Thanksgiving feast they'd be having at school, made both Pilgrim and Indian head ware.  They could then choose which to be for the feast.  She decided to be an Indian girl named Golden Flower.

After all the different celebrations of Thanksgiving in school happened, the actual day came and we drove to Doylestown to spend the day with Jeff's family.  The children had a wonderful time with all their (eleven--7 years and younger) cousins.  It was sometimes deafening for the adults, but happy memories were made.

 

Dinner was delicious with all the traditional sides. 

And the turkey made all of us a little sleepy, too.

Word Girl, one more time

Gracie had a repeat performance as Word Girl this morning at preschool.  She and all her school cronies were able to parade before parents and grandparents and show off their costumes.

Halloween 2010

So last year, creative juices were flowing all over the place while coming up with costumes for the kids.  This year, it just wasn't there.  There were no unified costumes that strangers from Sweden would comment on.  Alas and alack, despite my inability to think outside the box, the kids had a fun night collecting candy. 

Kate wore the cow costume that both Joost and Grace wore in earlier years.  She was a top notch trick-or-treater, too.  No stroller for her--she went door to door on foot for an hour and a half.  Joost was a knight, but he was not happy substituting some of the musketeer garb from last October in for a knight costume.  No, no.  We needed different colors for the tunic and a dragon instead of a fleur-de-lis on the chest.  Grace decided, very last minute, to be Word Girl (instead of the previously decided princess.  I was hoping for some continuity between Sir Joost and Princess Grace, but who was I kidding?)  So, last night, I amazingly found all the supplies around the house that I needed to come up with a halfway decent imitation of a Word Girl costume.

In the end, we had a fun night and we have bulging bags of candy.  What more could you ask from 3 costumes?

Even we have princesses

I know that everyone has pictures of their daughters in princess attire.  In a house with two girls, you would think that was a daily occurrence.  Not in ours.  Let me tell you how things work in our house.  Grace, besides her love for the colors pink and purple and pretty shoes, would be just fine playing in a house of boys and their toys.  She's very content building Lego castles with Joost.  She's up for a game of baseball in the backyard whenever it's offered.  She builds forts, wields swords and can imitate a scary dragon.  But, when gift list time comes, don't you dare put a doll on that list.  That doll will never be cuddled or even noticed.

But, today, we were thinking through Halloween costumes.  I have a great lack of inspiration for making costumes this year, so I suggested she try on her new princess dress that she received as a birthday gift.  Once on, I suggested she wear the hennin that Jeff and I bought her while in England.  She refused (not surprisingly since we bought the hat in 2007 and it's not been used yet), but when Kate saw the hat, her little eyes lit up.  She ran over and I tied it on--fully expecting it to be pushed off.  Not so.  In fact, I could tell she was hoping to wear a princess dress, as well.  And thus the picture.

Certain grandmothers are happy that there is now a granddaughter who will enjoy putting dolls on her gift list.

Gracie's 5th birthday party

Our Gracie is turning five.  Can you believe it?  She's grown up quite a bit (not just in height) in the past few months, as well.  On Saturday, we had the family over to celebrate another year with her.

Grace had her heart set on a fun activity for her party. At first, she wanted to have an out of season egg hunt...until she saw pinatas in the party store. I, being the cheap mother that I am, could not stand the thought of spending $15 on an empty pinata. So, I decided to make my own.

The cousins enjoyed the pinata, so a week's worth of labor on an item destroyed after five minutes was worth it.

Andrew and Joost looked fashionable as they modeled the pinata after the smashing.

The rest of the day was enjoyed with the family as we ate dinner, cake and opened gifts. The boys had a fun time watching Penn Stave v. Temple--alums from both schools filled the room.

We were also pleased to have my Grandma Bosworth join the party for a bit. Her health is quickly deteriorating and so her activities outside her home are limited. It was special that she could celebrate with Grace.

Happy 5 years, dear Grace! We love you and thank God for you. There's no one else like you and we praise God for giving us a daughter with so much love and beauty in her. May God continue to bless your life and may you follow Him with all your heart for all your days.

Paper Grace, by Grace Elizabeth van Bastelaar

Just as was once created by her brother, so also, Grace has created her own Paper Grace.  We arrived last night at Parent's Night at her preschool and seated in all the classroom seats were paper students.  The resemblance between the paper students and the real students was so striking that it was difficult to tell if it was a room of real children or not.  Since we had left Grace at home, we assumed it was just an amazing replica of her.