thankfulness

This is the time of year we proclaim the things we are thankful for, so here it goes

Category 1 > the things that most people (including me) list when they mention things to be thankful for:

• My savior Jesus Christ
  
• My children
• My husband
• My family in general
• The relative good health of most of my family
• The (general) happiness of my children
• A warm house to live in
• A job
• Food to eat

Category 2 > other, very random things I thankful for:

• The shipment of our stuff that arrived
• Toilet paper
• Indoor plumming (who wants to visit an outhouse in the winter?)
• Chocolate
• Sturdy, comfortable shoes
• Central heating
• Naps
• The book of Job
• Trees
• Days without back pain
• Bicycle lights
• The power of prayer
• Blue skies
• My children's laughter
• Birds singing at daybreak or sunset
• Days that the kids do not wet their beds

On a completly different note: We got the first snow of the year. In the morning before school, the boys dashed out into the yard to 'experience the snow'. They intended to make a snowman, never mind there was barely enough snow to make snow balls...

Shipment of Stuff

It's finally here. After we have been living in Belgium for over three years a lot of our belongings that were still in the US have finally arrived. (not that the shipment took three years, we didn't get it shipped till a couple of months ago - long story.
So now our house looks like this:




It's a disaster, but for once i do not care and am a happy camper even though everything is out of place. We have our pictures, our books, some kids' toys, The desk chiar that Leland says will be passed down in his 'last will and testament', my grandma's carved trunk, the beautiful dresser my parents bought for us, Leland's swords.... Wait, wait back up. Swords? Yes indeed. Leland collects swords. He doesn't have a ton. Only about seven or eight, but they are cool to have. The boys just think their dad is the coolest ever with his sword collection. But, got to say, had a heck of a time explaining it to the costom's officials in England where the shipment first came into Europe.
One of the swords was actually my grandfather's. He was an officer in the Dutch-East-Indies army, a long, long time ago.
The boys had to pose with his officer's hat and sword.






Now we will have to see how long it will take to sort this all out.

Puke

It was fall break for the boys, and they went to their Oma and Opa's house for a couple of days. And Oma, kind soul that she is, has had to deal with many things in the category "gross" in the past. there has been puking in the car do to car sickness, there have been multiple poopy pants... This time Stoney pulled a new one. (well, a variation of an old theme really) Oma took the kids to the movie theater to watch this cute kids movie of a little girl who is a witch. Well, just when the little witch accidently transformed a cloud into a dragon, Stoney suddenly started puking his guts out. He was covered from head to toe (and got part of Oma too) No one in the theater noticed somehow, and Oma wanted to take Stoney out to clean him up and probably go home, but no. Stoney didn't want to miss any part of the movie and refused to go to the bathrooms to get cleaned up. Oma resorted to get a bundle of paper towels and cleaned up as good as she could in the dark. The plan was to take the bus home from the theater, but since Stoney was covered in puke, she opted to call opa who came to get them by car. Unfortunately Stoney got sick in the car again and threw up again...

After this minor glitch the rest of the stay went well. They spend some time with cousin Thijmen.



They also made bird feeders (that is probably not the right word, what do you call the greasy balls you hang in the tree for birds to eat in winter time? ) with aunt Nicky. I know it looks like an icecream cone - it's not. Stoney does not look like he is enjoying it too much, but at least he didn't throw up again. And he liked the end result.

Monty's mind

So i have this cute six year old who is a real thinker. Also a drama queen at times (and needs anger management at times)
A glimpse.

Monty says:

• "I am actually looking for a really pretty girl to marry"
• "I had a nightmare! I dreamed that i wasn't getting any dessert!"
• "If I wish upon this medallion, it will come true and i wished for a mummie on accident so now a mummie will come to me and i am afraid to go to sleep." (cryingand screaming follows, many hours of not going to sleep and many weeks of him being afraid to up the stairs by himself to use the bathroom)
• "When you die you have to choose HOW you die right? (err...not really) You have to decide if you want to be burned or if you want to be put in a coffin. (ah... talking about buriel - why though?) "Do you want to be burned or be put in a coffin mom? I think i want to be put in a coffin. Being burned is just not good for me."
• "Can i take these comic books with me when I go to heaven?"

There are bound to be more of these. To be continued....