A Prayer Request

Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, hug your kids tonight.  Hug them and appreciate them for all their smiles and giggles and whining and crying and flaws.  Life can change in an instant and you never know what tomorrow will bring.  I went to a funeral visitation today for a twenty month old baby boy who passed away suddenly last week.  Even though I hadn't kept in touch with his parents over the years, it was one of the most difficult things I have done in recent memory.  All of the photos, the videos, the toys, books, and baby blankets that were on display at the funeral home today broke my heart.  Many of them were the same toys and books that I have here for Grace and that was really hard to see and realize how much a part of my life she has become in such a short time.  I can't imagine a day without her now and I'm not sure when that changed for me but it did.  At the beginning I loved her yes, I took care of her and enjoyed her and had fun with her yes, but she was like this little extra adventure that was going on in my life.  But now, she is my life.  I couldn't imagine going through what they are experiencing right now.  My heart broke for his parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles that were in such obvious pain.  It's days like this that I waffle in my own beliefs and I question why something like this happens, where is God during this.  I don't have a whole lot more to say about it other than to ask you to say a prayer for this family.  They are going to need strength and courage in the days and weeks to follow.  
 

Happy New Year!

Sorry for the delay in posting but for those of you who know me personally, you know that both Grace and I have been quite sick and there's been a few things going on with my family that have just kept me preoccupied.  However, I'm back but still catching up on posts.  Here are a few pics from New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.  A Dutch tradition for New Year's Eve is to cook Oliebollen, a kind of Dutch pastry.  Delicious!  My dad spent time preparing the batter and cooking them, and we all enjoyed gobbling them up over the course of the evening.  Some of the older kids decorated a ginger bread house.  Not sure how much candy actually got on the house, I think most of it went into their mouths!  On New Year's Day we had our annual family get together, with all the cousins and aunts and uncles.  It's loud and busy and everyone eats a lot and Grace seemed to fit right in, not bothered at all by the big crowd of 40+ people!  I put her to bed after dinner and good for her, she slept right through everyone laughing and carrying on!

Laughing with Grandma

Yes, that really is underwear on their heads!  I picked them out!

                                         One for the house... one for my mouth....

Even when you're dressed in your best dress, a girl's still gotta play right?!?

High intensity game of Jenga between Kristin and niece A

Always trying to help out!

My girl takes her eating seriously!  Sometimes you just gotta get naked!

Christmas 2012

Christmas.  What can I say?  Becoming a mom has been the best gift ever and sharing Christmas with Grace made the holiday even more special this year.  We spent Christmas eve at my parents with Lynda and Eddy and the baby.  My brother Bill and his family came over for a while too and we all sat around and chatted.

Wrapping into the wee hours of the morning!

All for the new babies!!!!!  Except that one Canadian Tire bag which is for my dad who said he didn't care about wrapping paper!LOL

Christmas morning we got the early phone call from my nephew D. meaning it was time to make our usual trek next door to my brother's place where the kids opened their gifts and we all relaxed with coffee.  Grace took it all in watching the kids. She opened her gift with a little help from her cousins.  Grace received a cuddly lady bug pillow toy which Maggie the dog quickly claimed as her own.  I think Grace will have to learn to share!

"I've always wanted a box like this!!  Thanks!"

Hmm, I wonder if Grace would share her milk...

She said no, darn.

We then headed home where baby K opened his gifts.  I'm sure in the near future he will enjoy the toys but on Christmas morning, he mostly just ate the paper!!!  And the toys!!!

Yummy paper....

Yummy book....

Grace was a little more adept at opening the gifts but she too was more interested in the paper and packaging than any particular toy inside the package.

A sleepy morning smile.  Merry Christmas Grace!

As I was searching under the tree for the last few gifts for Grace I noticed a package addressed to Mommy. That Grace is so sneaky sometimes!!!!  She must have gone shopping without me!!

Grace is so thoughtful, she bought a lovely ornament craft for us to do.  I need to take her handprint in plaster and make a tree ornament with it.  How cool!  She also got me a calendar to help me get organized.  She knows me so well already!!!!

How cool that Grace found this calendar for me!

She found her stocking and checked out all the goodies inside.  Apple juice, mum mums crackers, and blueberry puree!  YUM!

We went to church and Grace looked like a princess, dressed in her most special Christmas dress.  I took her up to the crib scene after Mass and got the best photo I could of a little girl who was over-dressed, over-tired and over-excited! LOL!!!

Carolyn and her family arrived in the afternoon and we ended the day with presents, a great dinner and lots of family conversation.  Overall a great time had by all!

17 Months Today

Sorry, but I have a messy kitchen, laundry to fold, a video to watch for public health coming on Thursday and I've been at my parents' place most of the evening.   I won't get a chance to sort through the Christmas photos tonight and post them.  My computer is just too slow.  But, I will give you a sneak peek at my girl in her Christmas dress, a beautiful dress passed down to me from a friend.  My little sweetie is 17 months today!  Yeah for her!

Moonlight Magic in Our Town

This is a post I wrote early in the Christmas season.  I didn't publish it right away because I needed to get the photo from my friend Heather.  I'll give you a chance to see it and then I'll fit it chronologically into its place.  Tomorrow I will hopefully get some time to publish our Christmas photos.  It seems I'm always a week behind in everything I do these days!!! LOL

My town hosted a Moonlight Magic evening recently where they light the tree at the Town Hall and then people wander around to various events.  There are carol singers and hot chocolate.  Marshmallows being toasted on open fires.  Horse-drawn wagon rides and real live reindeer to check out.  They also have a Santa spot outside, where children line up to tell Santa their deepest desires and parents stand around snapping photos of their lovely darlings sitting on Santa's knee.  So I absolutely have to partake of these festivities now that Grace is here!  Even though Grace still has no idea who Santa is, what a reindeer might be capable of on Christmas eve, and can't drink hot chocolate or eat marshmallows, still I have to go.  So I called up my friend Heather and off we went, kids bundled up in strollers.  It was a beautiful evening and we had a good time wandering the streets.  Eventually we get in line for our chance to talk to Santa.  Grace waited as patiently as she could, really she did.  But the wait was long and eventually she started fussing.  Heather kept our spot in line and I started walking Grace in the stroller to keep her occupied.  By the time it was our turn to see Santa, here's what I encountered.  So precious for her first Santa visit!!!

Visiting Santa

We visited Santa twice before Christmas, once on our own and once with my sister and her baby K.  Here is a picture of Grace checking out Santa for the first time.  She's not too sure about the guy!