A little bit of this and that...

Finished the first Christmas LO of this year! Just love this picture of Marlijn. Thank you Anita for giving her the lovely rosy cheeks!
Behind the picture is a tag with Marlijn's wishes.

About a hamster and a bunny...

Anne's hamster died. A few days ago she came home from school, she went upstairs to her room and found him dead... She was a little sad, but not upset really. Although she had always taken good care of him she didn't really think he was a lot of fun. He slept all day, kept her awake at night and didn't want to be hold at all. So for an 11 year old girl that isn't too much fun I guess.

Now she has always wanted to have a little bunny but before we got the hamster we didn't think she was able to take really good care of it. She proofed though she can so we decided she could have her bunny now the hamster was gone. When we told her she acted like crazy, jumped up and down the room, screamed, kissed us... totaly excited. Her friend who was here too had never seen her like this before :)

Yesterday we heard there were new baby bunnies at the pet store so we went to pick one up. And it is soooo adorable. Only 6 weeks old and just too cute. She called him Mellow and carries him around the whole day long. And if she isn't Lennart or Marlijn is and Mellow seems to be just fine with it. I just hope the fun is to stay. One thing is for sure... in this 1 and a half day that he is here Mellow brought LOTS of happiness and joy into this house. To see the look on my childrens faces is just priceless!!!



Isn't he cute?

I finally did the Holiday Quiz I saw on so many blogs already, here are my answers:

Holiday Quiz:
1. Holiday: Christmas or New Years? Christmas
2. Cookies: Sugar or Gingerbread? Gingerbread
3. Decorations: Santa or Snowmen? Santa
4. Decorations: Reindeer or Elves? Reindeer
5. Colors: Red or Green? Red
6. Colors: Gold or Silver? Silver
7. Tree Topper: Star or Angel? No topper at all...
8. Stocking Stuffer: we don't do stockings here in the Netherlands, but I guess it would be candy!
9. Tree: Real or Artificial? Real and alive
10. Cartoons: Charlie Brown or Rudolph? Rudolph
11. Movie: It's a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Carol? I wouldn't know, haven't seen either one of them :)
12. Stocking Stuffer: Jewelry or Gift Card? see 8, would be jewlery!!!
13. Christmas List: Naughty or Nice? Nice
14. Drink: Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate (definitly! with whiped cream please!)
15. Holiday Ghost: Past, Present, or Future? Present
16. Vacation Spot: North Pole or Winter Wonderland? Winter Wonderland
17. Holiday Song: Jingle Bells or Silver Bells? Jingle Bells
18. Holiday Song: Silent Night or O' Holy Night? Silent Night
19. More Fun: Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Both, we celebrate Christmas Eve with my parents and sister with her family and that's when we open the presents that are under the tree! Christmas day we go to my family in law and when we're all together we are 19 people of wich 8 are children and we just have a nice day together!
20. Lights: Clear or Multi-Colored? Clear, I would prefer real candles but with the children that's a bit dangerous, so I have to wait until they are a little older...
21. Ornaments: Bulbs or Bows? Bulbs... I guess....
22. Tree Decor: Ribbon, Popcorn, or Garland? Popcorn??? *LOL* that must be typical American, hmmm guess ribbon then...
23. Gifts: Wrapping Paper or Gift Bags? Gift Bags
24. Better To: Give or Receive? Both (sorry, love getting presents :))

Santa Girls

Just want to share some pictures today...



When the boys were out yesterday afternoon we girls had a little photo shoot. Never really did something like this before and the darkest piece of fabric I could find to use as a background was a dark blue blanket. I thought I could change the background color afterwards but actually like the blue as it is... I know the first picture is a little out of focus but I love it anyway and is sure to be scrapped!

I got flowers!

No, dear husband didn't take the hint in my blog... The flowers came from a very unexpected side!
Yesterday late in the afternoon the doorbell rang, I wasn't expecting anybody but there was Anita standing on my doorstep with a bunch of flowers. She said: "I was just passing by, I have an appointment in the neigbourhood. I know you where a little disappointed that you didn't winn in the Junkitz International Contest, so I brought you some flowers in the colors of your LO to cheer you up!" What a sweet surprise!!! It's true, I was a bit dissapointed, just for a moment... but I had fun joining the contest and I have a LO I really like myself and as Anita said it: ...Junkitz lost out, not me :) Thanks for the lovely flowers Anita, when I look at them they bring a smile to my face!

My unwanted Junkitz LO (journaling is my blog entry of november 17th. isn't she lovely, isn't she beautiful?):

My Nephew Daan is celebrating his 6th. birthday today! Happy birthday Daan!!!

This morning I made some Christmas "cards". I made a little card using a picture I made of my decorations this week and added some text. Then I hung it on a christmas ball together with a piece of ribbon. I thought I'd do something different then a "normal" card this year, but only for those I see IRL before Christmas. All the others will have to do with "just" a card I'm afraid :)

And for all of you that don't get a card from me at all:

Starting to get in the X-mas mood -finally-

It took us a long time this year to get in the Christmas mood. Well, me actually... because if I don't bring the Christmas mood into our house, nobody does! Not that they don't like Christmas, and the decorations, and the candles, and the tree... they love it, but I'm the one that gets it started. So, it took me a long time. On tuesday I thought it was about time to get a tree so I did. I bought us a tiny little tree and I think it's cute! Yesterday morning when all the kids were in school Erik and I got down the boxes with the decorations from the loft and I put the lights in the tree. When we were having lunch Anne and Lennart told me that I didn't have to wait untill they would be back from school in the afternoon before decorating 'cause they weren't really interrested... ok, so much for my tradition of watching the kids decorate! Marlijn however could hardly wait so after Anne and Lennart left for school again the 2 of us decorated the tree and the rest of the room. She loved the balls and the lights and especially the little Christmas musical boxes.

She didn't even tell me to turn off the Christmas CD like Anne did earlier.
We had a lot of fun together even though there was so much to clean up after we were finished.
After school we drank tea and when I brought in the Christmas cookies and chocolate Anne and Lennart were suddenly VERY interrested :)
Now I sit in my room watching the lovely tree and all the beautiful decorations and I'm starting to get in the Christmas mood
-finally-

The love of my life...

Last week Wendy challenged us to do an AAM blog entry and so I did. When my dear husband was reading it the other day he said: "OK, and where am I in all of this? You talk about yourself, our children and even say something about your parents but I'm not there." And he was right!
I just answered all the questions but there wasn't a question like: Are you married? Who's the love of your life? Do you have a prince on a white horse? or anything like that.
So that's why I want you to meet the love of my life! His name is Erik and he's 38 years old. We started dating in 1986 so we're together for almost 20 years now and still happy to have each other! We married in 1993 after we'd been living together for 5 years. He is sweet, caring, neatly, handsome, humorous and the best father in the world! Also he's not very romantic, selfwilled and a little stubborn sometimes and he never brings me flowers... but that's ok, I love him anyway!!!
Well Erik, I hope you're satisfied now :) xoxox

Welcome sweet Guusje!!!

A BIG welcome to our new beautiful, sweet family member, our little niece Guusje!
Daughter of my brother in law Allard and sister in law Julia, and little sister of Twan!
Born sunday, december 11 at 12.12 p.m., weight 3340 gram, 51 cm tall.
Sweet Guusje, I wish for you that you grow up to be a healthy, happy girl and that all your dreams may come true! You are lucky to be born in such a great family, with such loving parents and a great big brother!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LENNART!!!

Today is Lennart's birthday! He turned 10! It feels like yesterday that he was born. It took him only 3 hours to get into this world and he is still as fast as he was then... He can't sit still for a minute except when me or his dad ask him to do something, then there's always something else that needs to be done first ;)
I can't believe he's so big already, almost to big for toys... We gave him an mp3-player and he was sooo excited about it! He took it to school to show his friends. Because it's wednesday he only has school in the morning so he can celebrate all afternoon.
Friday he will have a party for his friends and even though he acts like a tough guy most of the time he also invited 2 girls! I think that's great and I hope he keeps doing that even though his big sister giggles a little about that!
So happy birthday sweetheart, I hope, in your heart, you'll always stay the boy you are today!

Sinterklaas went home today...

Sinterklaas went home today... He took his horse and Zwarte Pieten and all his empty sacks on his steamer and is now on his way back to Spain where he will hide in his secret castle for the coming year... especially in summer he is very careful that Dutch children on vacation in Spain don't find out where he lives!

Last night we celebrated his birthday. Because Anne and Lennart don't believe anymore they were responsable of thinking of a way to let Marlijn know that Sinterklaas brought the presents to our house. At the end of our dinner Anne went outside, Marlijn didn't even notice it... Suddenly we heard a loud knocking on the front window, shortly followed by the sound of something thrown into the mailbox. Marlijn's eyes turned big and we went to get the letter. It was a poem saying that Sinterklaas was so busy he couldn't stay but he left the presents in the house and we just had to go and find them.
We found them upstairs in a closet and the kids were soooo excited!!! Of course there were way to much presents, it took ages to unwrap them all and read all the poems. But we had fun and the kids loved every single present they got... it was a great Sinterklaas evening.
It was after 10.30p.m. that they were all a sleep...
So that was Sinterklaas, but who thinks that party time is over now is wrong - tomorrow is Lennart's birthday!!!

About me challenge

Wendy (wishin4moretime on 2Peas) challenged us to do an About Me entry on december 5th. showing 3 pictures and answering specific questions. So here it is:

My name is Birgit, I don't really have nicknames except for the short version Bir. My name seems to be a little difficult for a lot of people though, if been called Brigitte, Brigit, Bridget, Birgitta and much more... but Birgit it is!

I just turned 38 last week and I'm quit happy with this age!

I was born in Bremen, Germany, having a Dutch mother and a German father.

We moved to the Netherlands when I was about half a year old. I now live in a little village called Winsum in the North of the Netherlands.

I have 3 beautiful kids, Anne (girl, 11 years old), Lennart (boy, 10 in 2 days) and Marlijn (girl, just 3)

About my favorite holiday tradition, hhmmm...I guess that must be right after I 've put the lights in the Christmas tree, Christmas music is filling the room and my kids decorate the tree and I watch them hanging all the balls and ornaments on just one branch :)

I started scrapping a little more than 2 years ago after my SIL who lived in the States for a year told me about it and I can't imagine ever to stop doing it.


I was a few times published in Dutch magazines and was a co-writer for 2 Dutch scrapbooking books. My first American publication was in Memory Makers Scrapbook Idea Gallery 6, oct. 05 and there will be a LO of me in Cantata Books Sensational Seasonal Pages (coming out spring 2006)
I would LOVE to get published in CK., I submit a lot but no results so far, except that my name was mentioned in CK's december issue (yippie!).

My favorite food is for sure Italian and my favorite snack chips.



I love to go on vacation with my family, most of all to France where we spent almost every summervacation. Besides scrapbooking I like to read, watch CSI, sleep in and eat out!

I also copied the A~Z about me from Karen´s blog;
A-Age: 38
B-Bed size: Lits-jumeaux
C-Chore you hate: Ironing!!!
D-Dessert you love: fresh fruit cocktail with whipped cream or chocolate mousse also with whipped cream
E-Essential start your day item: toasted cheese sandwich with tea
F-Favorite actor(s): I don´t really have favorites, don´t see much movies...
G-Gold or Silver:Gold

H-Height: 1.73m
I-Instruments you play: none
J-Job title: SAHM
L-Living arrangements: Me, husband Erik, daughters Anne and Marlijn, son Lennart, a few birds and a gold fish
M-Mom's name: Ina
O-Overnight hospital stay other than birth: got my tonsils taken out when I was 20
P-Phobia: spiders, fire
Q-Quote you like: Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future.
R-Right or left handed: right
S-Siblings: I´m the oldest of 2 girls
T-Time you woke up today: 7:49 am
U-Unique habit: I always clean up my scrap place before I start a new LO
V-Vegetable you hate: spinach
W-Worst habit: Always waiting until the last moment to do things that really need to be done, let´s say I do best under pressure...
X-X-rays you've had: foot
Y-Yummy food you can make: pizza, spaggethi sauce, tuna and chicken salad.
Z- Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Have a great week!

(Thanks Wendy for the challenge!)

Santa's little helper

Yesterday i did some Sinterklaas (Santa) shopping. It was terrible. The city was crowded with thousands of Sinterklaas shoppers and of course I couldn't find what I wanted or it was sold out!
Because Sinterklaas is a typical Dutch tradition I will try to explain how it works...

About 700 years ago there was a man called Nicolas living in Mira, Turkey. He was a good man and one day he heard about three sister who wanted to marry but their parents didn't have the money for the dowry so they couldn't. One evening Nicolas (Klaas in Dutch) went to their home and when everyone was a sleep he threw 3 sacs of money through the chimney and made the girls very happy.
After he died he became a Saint, so Saint Nicolas or Sinterklaas.


These days children are told that Sinterklaas lives in Spain with his helpers in a secret castle. He's more than 700 years old. His helpers are called Zwarte Pieten (Black Pete's) and they bring all the presents to the children. They are black as soot because they climb through chimneys all the time to get the presents in the houses.
On december 5th. we celebrate Sinterklaas birthday and all children (and a lot of adults :)) get presents. Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands about 3 weeks before his birthday on a steamer all the way from Spain together with his helpers. In the weeks before december 5. the children can put their shoes at the fireplace, or chimney (or if they don't have one at the front door) every couple of days. They have to sing some Sinterklaas songs and in the nights Sinterklaas rides on his white horse over the roofs of the houses with his helpers and leaves a little present in the shoe. Sometimes the children leave a drawing, a wishlist or carrots for Sinterklaas' horse in their shoes and of course this is gone in the morning.
The helpers always carry a big sac along that is filled with tiny little cookies and candies of wich they trhow a handful on the floor when they enter a room.
At Sinterklaas evening the families sit together singing Sinterklaas songs, drinking hot chocolate and eating traditonal pastry and candy, like pepernoten, speculaas and banket (yummy). They wait for Sinterklaas or Zwarte Piet to come and bring a sac filled with presents. To make it complete every single present should have a poem going along telling something about the receiver of the present. On the 6th. of december Sinterklaas leaves back home to Spain to hide in his castle until next year...



Ok, hope it was an understandable story, it's hard to explain in english because there are so many typical Sinterklaas words that don't have an english translation.

Anyway... today Marlijn is one of Sinterklaas little helpers.
I bought her Zwarte Pieten cloth and she carries a sac with pepernoten, the cd-player is filling the house with Sinterklaas music...

Doesn't she look adorable and aren't these kind of holidays fun???

Have a great Sinterklaas weekend!!