Especially for Daddy...

It will be almost 2 weeks by the time Matt comes back to GR and sees the kids. They were so cute this morning - jumping in the crib together that I thought I'd put it on video to brighten Matt's day. ... a little love for ya!

Everything's awesome in New York City! ... That's what she said!

As many of you know (last month) Matt and I went to New York - alone, for Fire Research Center's annual Christmas Party.

Even though our time was quite rushed and our stay was too short, we were able to do many cool things. To name a few: brief tour of the city, quick stop (off the tour bus) at Ground Zero, Rockefeller Center, an experience in Chinatown buying our "Coach" purses, excellent meals of dining out (gotta love a huge, diverse city), Broadway show - Mama Mia, and a really fun, amazingly well done Christmas Party (with presents for all the kid's handed out by Santa himself!).

I can't believe I waited til I was 29 to go to the NYC. It was fantastic!!!!!!!

Santa Parade

Saturday morning was the Santa Parade in downtown Rockford. It was freezing cold, windy and there was a continuous abundance of perfect, only-in-the-movies type snow. It really was pretty.

The parade was fun. Addi had a great time watching all the people, seeing the fire trucks, police cars, ambulance and hearing their sirens, watching the floats, band, mascots and other weird 8 ft. tall stuffed creatures and lastly Santa!

Colin and I watch the last half of the parade from inside the doorway of the library. What?! The "baby" was cold.

Vrolijk Kerstfeest

Last night/this morning we celebrated "Dutch Christmas". Well, part of it anyway...

The part where the children fill their wooden shoes with hay and carrots for Sinterklaas' (St. Nick) horses and place them by the door. Only to find in the morning (if they've been good girl's and boy's) that the hay and carrots were replaced with treats, gifts and chocolate gold coins.

Don't worry bad girl's and boy's get a treat too - a lump of coal from Zwarte Piet (Black - as in evil or sinister Peter).

We've decided to carry on this tradition (American-style), in hopes of teaching our children a bit of their Dutch heritage.

Remembering Tanya...

It'll be a year tomorrow that my very first, oldest and best friend was called to Heaven.

Not a day goes by that I don't look at her picture on my dresser and just wish that I could talk to her or even see her for 1 more minute - to give her one last hug (without a pregnant belly getting in the way).

A year has passed, but it hasn't gotten any easier. For any of us.

Joe and the boys are living in Rockford with his parents. The boys have transitioned well to their new school and home environment.

We had Joe and the boys over for dinner this week. It was so great to be able to spend time with them. But so different with out Tan. On the outside; Jacob & Preston are your "normal", typical, loud, active boys - something I'll have to get used to. Since they are young, so you never can tell just how they are doing inside. One can only hope that they've found a (healthy) way to deal with the loss of their Mother.

Please pray for Tanya's Parent's, Sister, Nieces, Joe and the boys (and me too) that healing would continue and that the family would be strengthened thru all of this.