Boxing Day

The new year is just around the corner so I thought I would quickly finish off Christmas. Our family opened gifts on boxing day as that was the only day we could all get together. It was wonderful, as always. Hailey was adorable, as always. And we laughed all night long. As always.

Our family picks names for Christmas gifts and we have a long-standing tradition of writing poems. When we were younger we would write poems and send our "person" on a treasure hunt to find their hidden present. Now that we are older we have decided to write poems about the person we have so the family can guess who they are. Many of the poems are inappropriate and cannot be written here.

Erik and I had my mother this year and this is the poem we wrote together. Don't worry, it is entirely g-rated.

Hundred Mile (an hour) Herm 

In the morning she wakes, she’s off in a run

A brand new day with tasks to be done

Groggy we hear in the halls something lurking

But then we figure out it is just her working

“Quietly” in the halls she comes round

And in her own mind she makes not a sound

The blow drier goes off, the vacuum turns on

We lay with one query: is it even dawn?

Then comes the dreaded knock to awake

Sleep in rights in this house we’ve had to forsake

As I get ready an aroma reaches my nose

I’m summoned downstairs, where the tea overflows

Now as I eat her questions keep coming

I ponder how words escape between all the humming

As breakfast winds down the schedule is given

I have no free will; my day is Herm driven

Finish the dishes and pick up the clutter

Such a workload would make any kid stutter

Lunch is at one and don’t you be late

In family events you must participate

And when there is, by chance, a lull in the day

It’s hard for her to just sit and to play

There are meals to make, a house clean,

And children with information to glean

The questions are endless they come in threes…

Well more like 10’s, 20’s or even 50’s

Plans are never certain they change on a dime

Because as we said we’re running Herm time

Now after dinner as the day winds down

Like the energizer bunny she’s going all over town

And I know because of Hony we sometimes call her Sperm

But we prefer the name Hundred Mile (an hour) Herm

Our family used to spend every boxing day tobogganing with our friends, the Donkersloots. They moved to New Mexico when I was in grade 8, but they all happened to be in town this year so they came over in the evening. It was so much fun to see them all again.

It has been many years since we have all been together and it was so nice to see them again. They are a wonderful family and I love them all dearly. I actually don't think I have seen them all since... I guess it has probably been seven or eight years. And that was at a wedding so there wasn't much time to spend together.

And, just because I love her. Here are some more pictures of Hailey Jade, my beautiful niece. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe New Year's celebration!

Christmas Day

I ended up going and sleeping on the couch midway through the night on Christmas eve because I wasn't feeling well and the upstairs bathroom was being renovated and, therefore, could not be used. I ran up and down the stairs two or three times before deciding that was ridiculous so I kissed my husband and went to sleep by the Christmas tree. I love sleeping by the Christmas tree! I turned on all the lights and just stared up at the tree. 

Christmas Day happens to be my mother's birthday. The family came over for breakfast and then we spent the morning and early afternoon playing Wii (her present from my papa), watching Ben Hur, and just hanging out. We spent some of that time giving Mom her presents. This year us girls got her one of those Pandora charm bracelets with three charms to represent us and one to represent my Opa, her dad, who passed away a week before we purchased the bracelet.

Lindsey, my dad, and I started making dinner at 2pm and while we did that the boys began one of many Wii tournaments. I think they mainly stuck to tennis, bowling, and archery. It got pretty intense.

Dinner was delicious! As always. During dinner the boys had a "chin-off". They measured different aspects of their chins to see whose was larger.

 

My family has always played poker to see who has to do dishes. We don't really play, Dad just deals out a poker hand for each of us. We go from oldest to youngest and the highest hands have to do the dishes. It is usually the top three hands, but this can change depending on the amount  of dishes needed to be done.

Erik and I skyped (minus the camera) with his sister and her kidlets. I love hearing them!! They are getting so big and their voices are so cute! I really wish the camera worked though. I still picture the boys as little babies in my head, but they are already three and five! Unreal! Shawna is 39.5 weeks pregnant with their third and we are all so excited about the new baby!

A few of my mom's sisters came in the evening to visit to celebrate my mom. They played "Tante Tennis". It was hilarious to watch them and they were so adorable! I don't even know who won, but we thoroughly enjoyed laughing at/with them.

My brothers were all complaining about sore arms the next morning. They all had Wii injuries from playing tennis all day. Funny, eh?

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Wishing you a reflective weekend!

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Christmas Eve

We usually exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, but this year Lindsey and Adrian weren't coming into town until Christmas day so we left gifts for Boxing day. On Christmas Eve we tried to relax. I say tried because we aren't always the best at relaxing.

Courtney hard at work.

Jonathan and Courtney started a renovation on the upstairs bathroom. It was complete with a new paint job, light fixture, and mirror. The room looks great now! Mom and Dad really should replace the tub and toilet still, but those aren't as simple as a paint job (nor as cheap!).

Not working so well.

I sewed. Or tried to. My mom and I both got frustrated with the project I was working on so it went away for a little while. Well, who knows how long. Could be a long while.

Dad and I went and did all the shopping for Christmas day. We finished in record time which was absolutely wonderful. Then we braved the mall so my dad could get my mama a birthday present. He is always so last minute, but always gets her exactly what she wants. It's nice when she is specific for him. This year she asked for the Wii Fit - we had to go to three stores to find one, but we managed.

We went to the Christmas Eve service at Willoughby CRC. I haven't been to my old church in years! I always go to Fleetwood CRC when I am home because Sharlene is usually playing piano there when I am around and it is much closer to my parent's house. I really enjoy Willoughby though - more than Fleetwood (am I allowed to say that?). It was nice to see all of my old community again. I need to make an effort to go there when I am in town rather than Fleetwood.

Such a big girl! Hailey at 6 months. She's actually tiny - in the 10th percentile for height.

We ended the day by going to Zachary and Heather's house for a games night. Anthony and Jenn came with Hailey. When Hailey is around we all go a bit gaga and can't focus on anything but her. Being an out-of-town Aunt means nothing in my family - everybody fights over the baby. We all vied for her attention until Jenn put her to bed for the evening. Then we played games. Anthony has this pictionary man game that we played. It was hilarious! So much fun.

Anthony is such a pest!

The boys team playing pictionary.

Sleeping Arrangements

My family and I were chatting about sleeping arrangements while I was home this past week. Don't ask me how we get on these topics, but somehow we ended up there.

It came out in conversation that Erik and I don't have "sides of the bed". We switch sides regularly and sleep wherever we climb into bed. We don't even have our own pillows but use whichever one is on the side we crawl into. I know that part is kind of gross, but it's true.

I never thought this was strange until last week. My family informed me that this was far from normal and that most couples have definite sides of the bed. I was told that the side only changes when you are not in your own bed and then it may be due to necessity (closer to the bathroom, further from the window).

Not for us. We share everything! Haha. We have never had sides of the bed. When we lived in my sister's house I more often slept on one side because our bed was pushed against a wall and I went to bed earlier so I slept by the wall. This way Erik didn't wake me up as much because he didn't have to climb over me to get into bed. When I wasn't in bed earlier though it didn't matter where we slept. And now that you can access our bed from both sides it doesn't matter again.

Tell me, do you always sleep on the same side of the bed??

Christmas Round Two - Siebring Gathering.

After lunch with the in-laws, Erik and I went to my extended family Christmas. After our calm lunch we entered into mayhem! Thoroughly enjoyable mayhem full of hugs, laughter, games, food, a small cousin rendition of the nativity and plenty of conversation.

Hailey Jade makes the most hilarious faces! She is such a happy girl. Seriously the most happy baby I have ever met in my entire life. This is her when she's hungry. She just squeals and makes faces that make me laugh hysterically.

Here are my baby cousins acting out the Christmas story for us. Erik made a lovely sheep.

And games. Always games. We played drawing telephone (much more fun than regular telephone) and pictionary. Both had us busting a gut.

Erik had a hard time with some of the Dutch words he came across. 

All in all it was a lovely evening.

Christmas - First Instalment.

There are many parts of Christmas when you come from a large family. And even more parts when you are married into another family altogether.

Our Christmas celebrations started on the 23rd. We drove into Abbotsford after work on the 23rd and slept at my Auntie Ange's house before heading down to have a delicious lunch with Erik's family in Bellingham. We handed out gifts right there in the restaurant - a first for me.

I love Erik's family. I wish Erik and I had two weeks off so we could spend an entire week with each of our families. Our families are so different, and both so wonderful.

There were only seven of us at lunch: mom, dad, three sibs, and two wives. It was much calmer, and quieter than any dinner I have had with my family. I really enjoy being able to participate in one large conversation rather than seven or eight smaller conversations around the table. Don't get me wrong, many small conversations are fun too, but it's refreshing to all be participating at once.

And it isn't just the conversation. I laugh constantly and feel right at home with them. It is a wonderful feeling to be a part of a family. I'm surprised at how effortlessly I fell in love with them, but it was so natural.

I felt like I had a fresh start with the Olson family. I didn't need a fresh start from anything, but when I met Erik's family it was the first time in possibly my entire life that I have been with a group of people who had no idea who I was. They got to know me without knowing anyone else in my family. I love my family, but I like being known for who I am without my identity being wrapped up in them. Everywhere else I go someone knows one of my siblings, or my parents, or aunts or uncles, but with Erik's family I am just me.  And they are interested in getting to know me. I love them for that.

I just love 'em.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Wishing you a merry weekend!

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little nurse

I'm home again. Which means another update from the Jansen Archives. This one brought to you from... the early 90's. That dress is hideous so it must be the early 90's.  I don't ever remember wanting to a nurse as a kid, but I must have played nurse once in a while because I do remember this outfit now that I see it.

This one is even older! Me and little Ben. What a good big sister. 

My First Real Christmas Tree

I think it's love. I love our little Christmas tree. I love how it smells. I love how it looks. I love how it is perfectly imperfect. I think it is absolutely charming. Don't worry, I won't make this an annual post (I posted about our tree last year here), but I thought I would introduce you to our tree. My first deliciously sappy, real tree.

Erik and I don't buy gifts for each other, but I have gotten us each an ornament each year we have been married. I have purchased our ornaments from a store near my in-law's house both Christmases. It's a nursery that turns into Christmas heaven in the fall. It is loaded with trees adorned with more ornaments than you can imagine! We haven't been to visit Erik's family in a while so I did not have a chance to go to this year and have, sadly, not purchased any ornaments this year. I have half a mind to skip it altogether, but I am far to sentimental for that. It's tradition!! Anyway, here is the ornament I got last year. Isn't it lovely??? I did have a picture of Erik's, but took it off because it annoyed me - it was blurry. Just imagine antlers on top.... and a bit of a different stance.

And the year before that it was nutcrackers. I only took a picture of one, but the other is completely red - Erik's favorite color.

My MIL gave us two of these beautiful winter wonderland bulbs (is that what you call them??) a couple years ago and this is the first year we've been able to use them! I am so excited! They didn't fit on our mini tree last year, but they fit now! I think they are dreamy!

I received this little angel in grade 4. My music teacher gave it to me... I think it was a reward for something. At the time I didn't know my music teachers family, but it just so happens that I would meet her daughter four years later and we would become friends. We're still friends, in fact. Lynn's mom was my grade 4 choir teacher and Lynn happens to remain on of my closest friends. Fun, eh?

I made this garland out of felt for the tree too. It took forever!!! It's just felt that I cut into 1 inch squares and threaded in no particular order with wooden beads randomly thrown in just for fun. I got the idea from one of my favorite bloggers Soulemama. I own both of her books and I love them! Some of my Christmas presents were made using her ideas.

And of course, all of our childhood decorations adorn our lovely tree just like last year. Erik insisted. Including this terrifying cat thing. Erik insisted on that too.

I don't have a tree skirt (I think that's what they're called) so I just threw some fabric I have lying around under the tree to hide the thingy. You know, the tree holder thingy! It's paisley and not at all Christmasy, but it works and it works well.

Instead of having an angel or a star on top of our tree I decided to make a bow. This is what my mama has always done so it's all I've known. I didn't know what color to choose so I just grabbed red because I know Erik loves red. I think I would have picked something a little less overpowering if I had been thinking more clearly. I would maybe have gone with a gold or something, but I still like it. Actually, to be perfectly honest, I prefer it with nothing on top... like it was when we first set it up, but Erik assures me that he likes the bow (though he is probably just trying to make me feel better).

And here is my beloved husband, writing our Christmas letter by our finished tree. Yes, we write our Christmas letter the week of Christmas. I hope to send them by January. Fingers crossed!

  And that is a look at our Christmas tree. I wish I could keep it up all year.