Enjoying Holland

This last week I was expecting cold. With Thanksgiving comes cold. I ran out the door on the morning of the day of thanks with my sweatshirt on and hot chocolate in my hand. I expected to see dew in the grass and feel a chill in the air. I was hoping to put my fuzzy socks to good use but instead I instantly had to rip my clothes off and go drink ice water. Okay maybe it wasn't that bad, but it should have been below 70 degrees. And then I remembered I live in Arizona.

Erik, Jude and I spent the morning laughing and playing until we realized we were running super late.  It is ironic that on the days when love, thanks and family are supposed to mean the most, those are the days we argue and get short with each other (doesn't anyone else do that?).  We weren't even in the car yet when I was yelling at Erik about how we should have left 20 minutes ago and now we were holding the whole family up and in the spirit of thanks, thanks to him Thanksgiving was practically ruined.  Erik is so good to me, he basically just laughs in his mind and pretends he is listening to me when I jump on the crazy train.  As the day went on we listened to Christmas music and Erik sang Anthony Green's voice as I sang Mindy White's in "Baby It's Cold Outside".  We definitely listened to it 6 times, that song never gets old (especially when you are wishing it will get cold outside).

The day was complete with turkey, pie, and pinata.  Random I know but there were many kids there so we all just said "Why not? We have a bounce house, we might as well get a pinata".  We played games, and even a friendly game of 10 on 10 volleyball.  Erik and I were on the same team and for a while I could not figure out why he kept sending me to go check on Jude or to make sure my phone wasn't ringing.  It wasn't until he kicked me to the other team that I realized he thinks I'm terrible at volleyball! The truth is I am royally horrible at volleyball but it was just a fun family game right?  I mean, Erik was the only one that could even hit it over the net anyway. {I had to throw this pic in anywhere I could.  He won't like it, but I just think he's too cute (handsome? manly? macho?) to pass up.}

It quickly turned in to Grammy vs her children and I don't think we have seen moves like that from her in years!  We had the whole family cheering her on.

Can you see how they all stood there in amazement?  I don't think they were expecting it either.  Daaaaaang.

We finished the weekend decorating our Christmas tree.  We had to find a quick hour when Erik wasn't at school, work, studying, or trying to catch up on sleep.  That is pretty much impossible for a biology major at ASU who gets up for work at 4:30 am and doesn't go to bed until about 11 pm.  But we said we would find the hour and we found it dang it.

Jude could not wait to get his hands on to the string of lights.  It was just too shiny to resist and he is just too cute and inquisitive for us to say no.

Of course he thinks he is a big boy now and can take pictures by himself.

He tends to act like I am the boring one and he doesn't even know what smiling is when he's with me...

But is so attentive and intrigued when it's daddy.  Daddy can get him to smile any time, any where! He sat there for the longest time just watching Erik string those lights.  You would have believed he was watching Baby Einstein or something.

In the end our little Christmas tree turned out just right.  Jude's room was the only place it would fit and I don't think we would want it any other way.  Last year it hardly felt like Christmas at all so this year we want to get as much Christmas in as we can.  Jude has already started to love the holiday from the music to the lights to the good food. (Can you believe he will be turning one in a few weeks???)

I have been enjoying every minute of my Holland.  I truly believe this has been the reason why I didn't start school this semester.  I wrote a post months and months ago about how I opened my door and let the Holland air in.  I'm pretty sure the next day I slammed my door in its face and told it to never come back.  I have always accepted Holland, but I needed to appreciate it.  As much as I have admired it and loved it, I have always felt like an outcast in it's presence.  I knew it thought I didn't belong.  I walk clumsily in the wooden shoes, and my tulips seem to die.  My windmill doesn't work, and I can't speak the language.  But what I have been realizing the last few months is that Holland will never ever not accept me.  It is the most accepting of them all!  I know I need my Jude Man more than he needs me.  I am here to tend to him physically.  He is here for me in every other way possible.

So here I am.  Today and forever, enjoying Holland.