Reminscing

This weekend has been a spectacular weekend and one where I've been thinking of my family quite a bit for multiple reasons.

First, because a year ago today my dear sweet Grams passed away. I still miss her. Loads. I miss her bossing us around. I miss her bazillion phone calls a day. I miss watching my kids squeeze her and I miss her beautiful laugh. My Grams was something special.
(My kids still talk about her weekly, and miss her like crazy too. The other day Sienna was coloring a picture, and told me it was for Grandma Great, and she was going to take it to her when she dies. I didn't have the heart to explain that just isn't going to happen, but it was cute stuff.)

This weekend also happened to be my Grandpa's annual Christmas party in Salt Lake. Now follow along, if you want a little family background...if not, then just browse the cuteness of our family in the photos below.

My Dad's father passed away when my dad was just 12 years old. Years later, after my dad and mom were married, my Grandma married Ate. (Pronounced Art). Ate is who I've always known as Grandpa. He grew up in Holland, and is very, very Dutch. I love my Grandpa. He is one of the funniest, kindest, and most lovable people I know. During the war my Grandpa (I forget how old he was at the time) was taken to Germany to work in a camp. I can't even imagine some of the awful things he saw and faced during that time. When he was released he came home to Holland, completely destroyed. Later, he and his wife at the time and their kids moved to Salt Lake where he became very successful and where he grew to love America. He is now a US citizen, and a very proud one. He makes me so grateful to have been born here. He despises his very thick accent, and hates when we can't understand what he is saying, but I have to tell you, I love his accent. It makes him who he is.

My Dads mom passed away when I was younger, and my grandpa remarried his ex-wife, Johanna. (Pronounced Yohanna). She is now just Grandma to us, and we love her too. Yes, we are one big crazy family.

I love his yearly party. He lives mere blocks away from the 9th and 9th district in Salt Lake, in a house he bought and fixed up with his own hands. I love the warmth of their home. Johanna goes all out and makes delicious food, and it seems like the Holidays can start once this party happens.
I could just browse the walls to their home all day. The walls are covered in needlepoint work with windmills, dutch sayings, and beautiful photos of their many travels together.
So very Dutch.
This is my cute Grandma and Johanna.
Brielle and Sienna enjoying some cousin time at they party. I could nibble them both.
It seems everyone else has had family on the brain. Our gift from my Aunt Sue was some old photos of all the cousins framed. We had so much fun looking at them and reminiscing of old times. They were hilarious pictures and it was so much fun to see. (If your wondering, my bangs were quite literally half of my head.)
And our gift from my Aunt Lois was a CD she composed of slides that my dad's father took from 1951-1962. Because he passed away at such a young age, I haven't seen many pictures of them, and not many of my dad's childhood. It has been so much fun seeing what his life was like growing up, and seeing pictures of my Grandpa and Grandma.

Here is an old family photo. My Grandparents, my Dad and his twin Brother Dave, and Sister Lois.

The party was really such a lovely night, and it was so nice to see my family.

Ads and I.


My cousin Linsey, and her nephew Ender. Both are quite cute and lovable.

Me and T

And as previously mentioned, we've been trying to bring some magic into our house by doing some fun crafty things for the next week. The ladies are digging it! First we made googly eyed snowmen.
And today's craft is a secret craft for Daddy. We've got some fun stuff planned for the next few days. And yes, we are getting REALLY excited for the big day, only 5 days left!