Christmas Break

We had a marvelous 2.5 weeks off of school for Christmas Break.  It was also a time when both Josh and I had little work to do, so we got to spend some extra special time together as a family. My favorite thing to do!

WE played many games, like spot-it, clue, scooby-doo game, buzzword etc. We went to the playpark to meet with some visiting teachers and simply for fun outdoors, we went to jump-2-it, we went to the zoo for almost 4 hours (we love the zoo membership, have had it probably for 5 years, yeah!). We made some really fun crafts: we made snowglobes from jam jars and small toy animals, fuzzballs and pipecleaners. We also made the cutest napkin rings for Christmas dinner with some family and friends, using cut-off toilet-roll covered in aluminum foil or other pretty paper,then using pipecleaners, cotton-balls, glitter, other paper to cover the pretty napkin rings with a Christmas tree (Sofia), Santa-face (Lilian), snowflakes (Boefje and mini-boefje), and gingerbread-men (mama). I love making crafts with them, and they really enjoyed these ones. Making crafts always gives me a aspecial sense of being close to my kids, doing something fun, creative, and feeling that we accomplish something. I love to stare at their faces when they are concentrated on making these things. I love it!

We started running with the girls, just to our playpark and back, which is just over a mile total. We take a break at the playpark to play, and then run back. Mini-boefje comes along in the stroller ofcourse, and Boefje's first tiem went on his 'motor-cycle' (a balancing bike), later on his little bike with training wheels. Lilian looks like an antilope whne she runs and ran all the way without stopping without even being tired. Sofia can run very fast with her strong legs, just wants to learn to 'build up her race'. They both love running and now want to join Cross Country running!

We also had a lot of relaxing time, where we left the kids to play by themselves, which is a little different for me. I always felt like the one thing that made me a 'good' mom was the (extreme) amount of time I spent with them, playing/teaching/laughing/building special bonds of love. I realize now though that continuing that amount of time with them and not letting them do their own thing may in fact turn me into a 'bad' mom. I find it a little hard to let go, and let them be responsible, independent and creative in that way.

We had a special time watching Christmas movies togetehr, listening to Christmas music, and the girls playing a LOT of Christmas songs on the piano (they still do, and I love it). We enjoed the tree with the lights, Josh had made it look so beautiful again, the scented candles, all reminders of the special feeling for this special season. We loved reading stories of Jesus, every day of December, as instigated by the Primary Presidency, and on Christmas Eve , reading the fukll Christmas story together. We also read from a cute children's book that explains 'the real reason for Christmas joy', lots of special fun, with the special Christmas Spirit in our hearst.

Christmas day was extra special this year, as it was ona  SUnday. We went to church, only for the one Sacrament hour, then went home to unwrap our presents. We were sure spoiled with many clothes, shoes and race-cars, and especially with a beautiful digital piano, we LOVE it! Josh' parents gave us some precious photobooks of the cousins camp and family reunion this year, made by Emily, they are wonderful and we look at them very often!!! Jasper and Espen got the most beautiful LDS quiet book I have ever seen, with which both of them play every week, they love it, thank you oma BEcky!!!

We had fun preparing a special Christmas dinner that we were having with Jana and Wayne, and with the Mahes. The kids all played very well together, not even sure if they even ate anything.! They did love the cake-pops we made as well as the ham. Apetizer not so much (made with cooked shrimp, I think I ate about 90% of it! yum!). Anyway, the napkin rings we made were a success, yeah! The recipes were all nice and simple, thanks to Kraft recipes.

And then Christmas was over :( That didn't keep us from watching Christmas shows and from Christmas music, we like to stretch this out as long as we can! Unfortunately, we ended up taking down the tree after the New Year, which definitely makes me feel like Connie in 'The Forgotten Carols' when she sings 'I cry the day that I take the tree down, I want the season to last all year round'.

After all this fun, relaxed, special time with the family, it was time to return to reality, including school, work, and crazy busy schedules. I must admit I was sobbing when it was that time. I always miss the kids when they are in school, but after these 2 marvelous weeks, I did not want to let them go! Of course they were smewhat sad, but also so excited to see some of their friends again, the way it should be!

During the first week of Christmas break, we also started 'renovating' our house. We really only painted, but the result is in my mind so amazing that it seems like a full renovation! Josh and I painted our kitchen cabinets: top ones white, bottom ones black, while we replaced the range hood from the dark wooded box (beast, looking more like a semi tractor trailer) to a smaller stainless steel one. Wow, that sure changed the look of our kitchen LOOOOOOOOVE it!. We painted the walls in the kitchen and tv-room a very very pale lightbluish-grayish color, and put a humongous picture of our family on the fire-place mantle (thanks to Wayne, picture is included below and also currently my facebook profile-picture). LOOOOOOOVE it. We then asked some painters to do the rest of our home, as the living room has very high ceilings, and because it is quite challenging to paint when you have 4 little children running and crawling around! The rest of the main floor ended up a very very pale yellow, with a little darker version in the dining room and powder room. With the black dining table set, coffee-table it looks super duper awesome, especially after Josh (with a little help from me) painted the teal cabinets (which I did NOT like at all) black also! I love it all so much, and am so grateful Josh was open for this change. Yeeehaaaw! :)

Anyway, we are still listening to Christmas music, the girls are still playing 'the first noel', 'what child is this', 'we wish you a merry christmas', ... etc, and I love it!

PICTURES TO COME LATER