Merilee's Wedding

I love telling Merilee and Kennedy's engagement story, because it is just the best.  Ever.  First off, Merilee loves Paris and she has always wanted to go there.  Well, she came out to visit us and see Europe with her friend Laura.  Guess who was waiting at the Eiffel Tower on one knee to surprise her?  That's right, Kennedy.  And they lived happily ever after.

Merilee & Kennedy were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake temple on December 20, 2013.

Anderson Siblings

Couples

The Stylish Sisters

Aren't these ladies gorgeous?

At the reception

Robyn & Robert & their 11 grandchildren (they have 1 more now, and another on the way).  So many blessings!

We were so grateful to be a part of this special day.  It took some serious planning to get us there, but we wouldn't have missed it.  Sometimes you just gotta throw caution to the wind, fly over from Holland, hop in your minivan, drive for 2 days, and be there for a family wedding.  Congrats to the happy couple!

Frankfurt & Fulda - the best of Christmas markets 2013

Stephen, Afton, & fam hopped a flight from Ireland to do some Christmas marketing with us.  So we loaded up the Peugeot and made the four hour drive to Frankfurt for some strolling, browsing, and eating.

These are deceiving - they look awesome but they are actually filled with marshmallow.  It's like stuffing a chocolate covered peep in your mouth.  No thanks.

We did some good eatin' in this area here!

This was a cute antique shop.  Not for kids, but look at that window filled with old fashioned nutcrackers.  Fun window shopping.

We needed a break from the cold, so we took a fun tram ride around the city. 

The littles - throwin' back a few cold ones (apple ciders, of course).

Frankfurt is such a modern and interesting looking city.

Feeding the lego Chima obsession at the lego store.

Shoppin till we're droppin

Elsie - about 5 min before her nuclear meltdown.

The next day we visited the Frankfurt LDS Temple complex.

love this picture

and this one

and this one

We let them roll down the hill and play on the temple grounds a little bit before we got in the car for more driving.  A little irreverent, you say?  Well YOU pile into the car for hours with these animals then.  Go ahead, I dare ya. 

This very German looking building is the mission office (if I'm remembering correctly).  They also have a hotel like building that houses families who travel from far away to attend the temple.

For a long time, we have been meaning to make a trip out to Fulda, the town where my dad lived for 3 years from ages 6-9.  After we parted ways with the cousins, we finally made the detour to Fulda.  I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was a surprisingly charming town with lots to see.  The Christmas market had a lot to see too.

The kids found some locals to play with.  That device makes music when you jump on it.

The highlight of Fulda was this massive cathedral.  My dad had described it to me before we saw it, and it was nice to put a visual with the description.

We felt like family historians wandering around Fulda retracing the steps that my dad and his family might have taken.  It was awesome.  We bought my dad a bunch of stuff from the tourist info office so he could reminisce.  Fun with family and family history - this was an unforgettable trip for sure.

sinterklaas 2013

Sinterklaas was as magical this year as it was last year.  It was maybe even more exciting, since the kids can understand a lot more Dutch and have a better idea of what to expect.  We kicked off the holiday by going with friends to the "intocht" at the foggy Rotterdam harbor, to welcome Sinterklaas here to the NL after his long journey on his "stoomboot" from Spain. 

First off, they are much cuter in person.  Second, if these two happened to reunite at BYU in about 12 - 15 years and decided they were a match made in heaven, neither set of parents would complain.

He's here!

The controversial zwarte pieten.  Those dudes are just jolly candy throwin' party animals.

Sinterklaas - surrounded by his entourage.

We also hit up the annual Pwc Sinterklaas Party and loaded up on sugary sweets, toys, and face paint or "schmink" in Dutch.  Side note - I will never forget the day Carver came home from preschool and was trying to tell me that he got his face painted at school, but he couldn't think of the english word for it.  He was getting so frustrated trying to describe it in English, and he kept slipping into Dutch rants a la Ricky Ricardo...come to think of it we don't have a special word for it in English and I think "schmink" is a pretty good one, so maybe we should borrow it.

Cookie Decorating - a serious business for K

Ava's "vlinder" face (butterfly)

New toys from Sint!

 This year, Kaydree didn't get a special visit from Sinterklaas at school like the younger kids do.  Instead, she made a "surprise" for one of her fellow classmates.  They each write down their interests and favorites, and you make something special that represents the person whose name you drew.  Then you fill the inside with an inexpensive gift.  At school, everyone tries to guess who their "surprise" was from.  Kaydree drew Manas's name (a boy in her class from Egypt).  He likes pizza, obviously.  Inside the pizza, among other things, is a whoopee cushion, per his request.

 Here they all are ready for school to take part in some more Sinterklaas fun.  Behind them is a paper fire place that we put together one day (wish I had gotten a better picture of it).  They set their shoes down in front of it each night hoping they would be filled with treats in the morning.  It brought me back to my crafty elementary ed days.

 Finally, a blurry picture of Sinterklaas visiting Elsie and Ava's school.  I love how this city school playground is surrounded by Dutch houses all the way around - you can't even detect it from the street.  This is how many of our favorite parks look, you feel like you're in on a big secret heading back there to play.

Another successful year of Sinterklaas.  We love being Dutch, or trying our best anyway.