The Josh and Dagmar Jewkes Family: Christmas 2010

WOw, It has been more than a year since I blogged. I actually tried several times, but was unable to type anything. Maybe it was just the computer, although that makes little sense to me. As that computer contains all the pictures of 2010 and has some serious issues, I guess I am out of luck (or is it in luck) and will have to skip that year (for now) and will start with Christmas 2010.

Christmas of 2010 was extra super duper special, as we had our new little boy with us: sweet Espen. We were so excited to hang up 6 stockings, wow, who would have ever thought. It was a very special sight to me, and we feel very very blessed and in Heaven when we look at at our four beautiful and spirited children. Espen was born on November 4th, weighing 7#11 oz and at 20 3/4 oz. He has a TON of black hair, and we are all completely overwhelmed with love for him. It always amazes me how much love you can feel for a baby as soon as he/she arrives and feel 'how could we have ever made it without you?'. It is wonderful to see Sofia, Lilian and Jasper giving lots of love to baby Espen.

The girls loved setting up the tree and decorating, and they had me promise last year to get lights on the house and to get some lighted deer in the yard. So that is what we did. I was able to hang up the Christmas outdoor lights in less than an hour (as was visible from the crookedness), using large paperclips! I felt brilliant :) hahahah.

WE celebrated Sinterklaas again, which to me is a special tradition from Holland with many great memories. We celebrated on monday night, and had a few nights of setting up the shoe in front of the fire place several times. The girls and Jasper sang several songs, although Boefje pretty much only sang 'Sinterklaas Kapoentje', so sweet. We had the usual 'pepernoten' and I was able to find some chocolate 'sinterklaas and zwarte pieten', yummy. This year, 'Sinterklaas' felt that the girls were old enough to receive small poems with their presents, in which he put some special sweet messages for them. I love this part of the tradition, and hope to continue it for many more years. Anyway, we were all very very spoiled with many fun cute presents, the girls' favorite was probably a pair of Sketchers twinkle-toes. Sweet ladies.

Our complete family received an early Christmas present: a beautiful swing-set, with everything on it that you can think of: slide, 3 swings, rock-climbing wall, rope-ladder, trapeze, monkey-bars, and favorite tire-swing. The kids (and I) love it, and have ever since played on it a lot. Mini-boefje (Espen) gets to swing in the baby swing, and will slide down the slide without complaining (too much) :)

I made the kids a snow-hat the night before Christmas, as I would like to keep the tradition of giving them one home-made gift. I just had to make it too pretty, that the girls' hats were so little, they barely fit Espen! :) Fortunately, I just realized that I was overdoing it in time to make a normal one for Jasper. It looks pretty cute don't you think?

We all received a special surprise: a White Christmas!!!! It must have been like 100 years since that happened! We all loved it, went sledding, threw some snowballs, and just had a marvelous family time. How fun. I love looking at these pictures, and reliving the happiness I felt playing together as a family. This past year, Josh has been home a lot more, working often about 3 days/week. It has been sucha marvelous blessing to have him home more: greater bonding with the kids, more relaxing time with dad while less time with demanding mom, more overall family time, and for me more help and less late night work hours, and less worry about the kids when I travel (occasionally). I feel very blessed that my husband wants to be home with his family that much and sacrifices money, and possibly even career opportunities, as well as appreciation/admiration for his extra-ordinary work to be able to spend that extra time with us. Thank you Josh, for that choice.