The best-est Christmas ever

A week ago today we boarded a (very delayed) flight from Chicago to Amsterdam, and then continued on from there to Stockholm, following an exciting, busy and memorable two-week trip to the States.

Some highlights of our visit:

Watching Nicholas explore his grandparents' house... and letting grandma know that her cabinets were definitely organized incorrectly! Gee, grandma, these lids don't go in this cabinet!!!

Watching Nicholas fall in love with his gorgeous turtle rocking chair, made lovingly for him by his grandpa. I can't imagine how many hours have gone into making this turtle, but it is definitely precious and beautifully built. When he rocks in it now, he's like a crazy, cooky kid, banging his head against the back, swinging his feet wildly and trying to get it to rock at speeds it cannot possible make. Each of the boys have been blessed to have something special in their lives that their grandfather has made for them. Not too many children have presents like that from their grandfathers.... Thank you, dad!

CHRISTMAS -- Definitely the kids' favorite part, from putting out cookies and an apple for Santa and his reindeer to the incredible Christmas dinner! I doubt I have ever seen so many presents piled into one room. We could (I'm serious) not move once the unwrapping had begun. Matthew and Lucas were thrilled with their piles and piles of presents, while Nicholas seemed more interested in ripping the paper to tiny, microscopic shreds and pushing the buttons on his new, personalized Elmo telephone.

Enjoying the water park and good company at Lake Geneva, where we spent a weekend with mom and dad (the hosts and organizers), as well as Tim and Kathi and their kids. The older boys loved the water slides and obstacle course, while Nicholas spent a day in the baby section. I enjoyed the chance to chat with everyone, play cards and to generally have a great time.


New Years in Minnesota -- Yes, we did something totally strange, weird and hard-to-understand. Steen, the boys and I spent two days at the Mall of America and its surroundings over New Years. The boys totally enjoyed the place. After all, what is better in the dead of winter than an indoor amusement park and permission to make mountains of milk bubbles?!

Day out with mom -- Mom and I snuck away for a day of shopping and talking over a nice glass of wine, an amazing lunch, coffee and chocolate fondue. I truly enjoyed the chance to spend some quality time with her.

Morning mass with grandpa -- What can I say? My grandfather is one of my closest friends. Enjoying the peace of church with him, sharing memories of grandma, smiling, laughing and having a great time...

American TV -- Slouching on mom and dad's relaxation-inducing couches, sharing comments with mom and dad about the shows...

And last, but not least, celebrating Matthew's birthday (a bit early, but I'm sure he didn't mind)!