Everything In Order

Well, it's 11:53 PM here so I have officially 7 minutes left before Christmas. To keep my mind from wandering too much to the sadness of missing my family I decided to write a quick post and give you a glimpse into my last 7 minutes of Christmas Eve. Enjoy...

I've been admiring my cute little tree and the presents underneath. Just looking at the presents remind me of how every year my dad would tell us kids that Christmas was going to be small that year and to not be disappointed. Every year we woke up to a room packed with presents and were never in the least bit disappointed!
The stockings are placed and stuffed to the brim. I think mine may be the fullest. What can I say, it pays to be Santa's helper! :)
Little boys are tucked in snug in their beds with dreams of sugarplums dancing in their heads.
What the? I snuck into Jimmy's room to take a picture of him snoozing. The little stink is too excited to sleep. Can't say I blame him. Isn't that part of the fun of being a kid on Christmas Eve? I remember sharing a room with my sisters and giggling and having THE hardest time going to sleep because we were just too anxious...and then waking up at 3:00 am to see what the jolly man brought. Oh to be a kid!
My kitchen is a mess from the 73 pancakes I made for tomorrow's church breakfast. It will stay a mess until tomorrow. I chose to blog to you instead...good choice, eh?
And here I am in my pjs, wishing you a Merry Christmas.
And blowing kisses just for you...
Okay, let me go to bed already.
And now it is officially Christmas here in Holland. I love you all. I miss you like crazy.

2 Videos For You

Is this too cute, or what? Don't you wish you were his puppy dog?

I love this song...the holidays are sort of bitter-sweet for me this year.

Blogger for Hire

I am looking to hire a blogger. Someone willing to come live with me and document my life - complete with pictures, witty comments, wonderful memories, and funny videos. Your compensation = you get to live with me and my cute boys and follow us around everywhere we go. I know, it's too good to be true. Any takers? I just have no time for blogging!

Here's what I do have time for:

1. Teaching early morning Seminary. It's held at my house 4 days a week. I am loving it. The youth are wonderful. Just like Bishop said they are. It takes me about 4 hours to prepare each lesson...I know, I'm slow! I'm learning so much and growing closer to my Savior. It's been such a huge blessing in my life already. That being said, I have to be honest and say that Thursday morning feels AMAZING when I've finished giving my last lesson of the week! I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. Too bad that will be countered with the effects of staying up late blogging.

2. Getting my little boys excited for Christmas. So fun! Jimmy doesn't know who Santa Claus is but he does know Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). The children here receive the majority of their gifts on December 5th or Sinterklaas day. Sinterklaas and his helpers (the Zwarte Pieten) arrive by steamboat from Spain in November. Some time between when Sinterklaas arrives and December 5th the kids put their shoes out before they go to bed. Sint and Piet leave them little candies. Dec 25th and 26th are mainly days to visit family and friends. You can read more about Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet here...like why are the little helpers called black pete? And what happens to the naughty children...it doesn't seem like a punishment to me!

3. Stopping to smell the 18 long stemmed roses on my dining room table. My husband is the best. He's so good to me. I'm a lucky girl.

4. Learning to ride a bike - again. Apparently I still need practice with this one. I swear it's the bike but Bishop said he could ride my bike blindfolded so it must be the rider! I bought a secondhand old fashioned Dutch Batavus bike. It is green. I love it. Except for the fact that it feels shaky to me. I know I already said this but, I swear it's the bike! It already has one child seat on the back so I just need to add one more. Jimmy and I took it for a test ride tonight and he loved it! I've only riden it in the dark so far...too afraid my wobbly self will be seen. :) Here's a sneak peek: 5. Trying to get a cute picture with both my boys in it. Seems impossible. Still trying. These are cute...but not Christmas card cute. As you can see, their plans were different than mine.
6. Watching my baby grow. He's walking you know?! Yep. And clapping. And biting (just me). And blowing kisses. And hiting. And growing more hair. And waking up 4 times every night. And dancing. Oh little boy, slow down. PS - These onesies are from Onesie Twosie. Aren't they adorable? You should check out how many designs she has. I love this one.

Okay bloggers, who wants the job? I could've been in bed two hours ago if you were already here. Please come soon. Bonus: I'll even let you cuddle up to "the biter" every morning at 3 am! Now you're sold, eh?! And there's a Lovelace forehead for you! :)