So I haven't done a “Christmas” post yet…

Well here it is…

I am all about the Christmas holiday normally but I have been “Christmas out” since the start of November. Is that sad? Each year it gets more and more that way and its all because I work at Sears.

Not Sears its self makes me blah on Christmas but the fact that I work in retail and now that I am the Human resource Manager (which I love) I put together a lot of the Holiday events. Which for us as a retail store starts late October early November because we have to be super prepared for Christmas before it arrives.

So by the time everyone else is getting excited about the season I want to pull my hair out and scream horrible things to customers/family but I don't. I still go to the Christmas parties, sing the songs, eat a ton of treats, make a billion more treats and cant wait to wrap presents and see Wyatt on Christmas morning. He is so excited that he is counting down the days which makes me happy.

So far the things we have done so far this holiday season are:

1. Saw the Christmas lights in Christmas village in Ogden
2. Meet Santa and Mrs Clause
3. Made a ginger bread house
4. put up our tree
5. made a ton of cookies
6. ate a ton of cookies
7. went to the Christmas parade
8. saw the Christmas parade fireworks
9. Celebrated Sinter Klaus (since we are Dutch.)
10. Went to my moms annual Christmas party where Santa was invited and showed up
11. Saw Santa again at Cody's work
12. Went and saw the Christmas lights in SLC (or temple square I should say.)
13. Went Christmas Shopping
14. Went Christmas Shopping
15. Wrapped presents
16. Went Christmas Shopping
17. Watch the Polar Express 4000 times
18. Sang a ton of Christmas songs
19. Watch Rudolph the red nose reindeer movie
20. Ate a ton of treats

And when it comes down to it, I’m still excited to celebrate Christmas and really I cant wait to see Wyatt on Christmas morning. That will make all the stress I have had over the last months completely disappear.

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SinterKlaas

My mom's dad my grandpa was Dutch which gives us another holiday to celebrate. now we never did do this as an annual tradition when he was alive but when my Grandma Vander Does lost him we all felt like we needed to keep his memory alive so we started to celebrate SinterKlaas. We gather at my moms on Dec. 5th (this year we were a day late since we all had to work.) to have fondue party plus to eat sausage and sauerkraut. My mom celebrates in style. she always makes sure that she has her tree up Christmas lights everywhere and little knick knacks in every corner.

       

     

Its great to search the Christmas tree to find the hidden treasures which are the ordainments that she has gathered through out her years with my father. which reminds me she will be celebrating her 36th anniversary with my daddy on the 13th of this month. (that's just married years they have been together since they were 14 years old. you cant find love like that.)
     
I always like to get to my moms house before the others arrive. I like to sit in her yellow kitchen and watch her move and cook as we talk about our daily life.
 
as soon as the others arrive the house is again filled with laughter joy bliss... we eat eat and eat some more. we fill our bellies to the point that your not sure if and when you will be able to eat again.
   
How we celebrate Sinterklaas is by making ordainments. now this might not be the proper way but each year we gather at the table with the boxes filled with random crafts glue and sparkles as we sit talk laugh paint glue and eat more until we are satisfied with the result of are newly designed ordainment.

  

  
as the night goes on we start to migrate to the living room where we are served peppermint ice cream with windmill cookies my the young kids...


some with chocolate some with out then my mom will proceed to tell the story of Sinterklaas... as she does this I listen and remember my grandparents and the legacy they have passed down to each of us. this was the first year with out my grandma. she was missed.
  
But as soon as the story ends we get to open the presents. Now how my grandma would do the present was by placing a clue on each wrap of the paper... and before you can open the next layer you had to guess what the present might be. which of course is more fun then the little $5 gift we give.
           
This is only the start of our celebrations we have and each year they are better and better I love spending December gathered in my parents house with my family and each year I look forward to each celebration we have. 

Happy SinterKlaas!

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