Tis the Season...

What a ride! Sinterklaas and I have been very very busy lately! The history of Santa originated from Saint Nicolas from Turkey! But in The Netherlands he stops by on Dec 5th to bring gifts, a poem and chocolates and leaves other treats in the kids clog, or modern day shoe. He arrives and leaves on a white horse and if you're bad, he'll take you back to Spain. This time of year, with all the rain, I'll be happy to go! Anyways, he has come and gone and left me here in the rainy Hague. So, I'll be content with that as we prepare to buy and decorate our Christmas tree and celebrate the meaning of Christmas. The Dutch do not begin decorating or celebrating Christmas until after Sinterklaas leaves. It's an entirely separate holiday so now that he's gone, the towns are lit brightly with dangling lights and lanterns. It's magical in Europe this time of year.

Last weekend, I went with a group of 10 to Koln, Germany to the Christmas markets. It was wonderful from the lights to the hundreds of stalls filled with holiday trinkets and magical snowmen, nutcrackers, coo coo clocks and tiny lit clay villages. Which yes, I couldn't resist buying! It's our first lit christmas village (small town of 5 - church, train station, school, cafe bistro and house) and not the tacky-type which mystically lights up and transforms into an adorable, quaint town! I can only imagine and hardly wait till it can be united with Scott's fathers train set that we inherited when we married! Whoo to the train and village purchase in Germany!

We started celebrating Christmas a bit early this year when we traveled to the US for Thanksgiving and decided it was best to exchange gifts with family then. We also had great visits with Scott's grandma in West VA and a few visits with Dad who is still in the rehab home hanging in and doing his best to get well and hoping to get on his feet again someday.

We're looking forward to spending Christmas with Scott's mom, "Diane" :) who is traveling all the way here and the 3 of us will make a skip over the North Sea to London! Can't wait to see Big Ben again. He makes a story book come to life.

It's already been a great holiday season and it's only just begun! Tis the season... to rejoice and be glad that Christ Jesus has been born! Merry Christmas from our corner to yours.