Happy New Year!

We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2012...

... full of fun...

...and tons of smiles!

The last week in review!

Monday December 26: Having sushi! This was one of Eva's wishes while she was here, and since we all LOVE sushi we were more than happy to take her to one of our favorite sushi places: Bistro Ka.

Ennio for the first time in a high chair in a restaurant! I was shocked! My baby is growing up!!!
Lily is all over her bowl of edamame. She loves edamame!

Ennio is sticking to his baby mum-mums.

After lunch, Lily enjoyed a ride on the carrousel.


Tuesday December 27: Strolling around Pasadena

Wednesday December 28: Enjoying the Snow Days at the Kidspace Children's Museum. It felt a bit strange, as it was a really hot day! The weather this December has been really warm so far, some days it even feels like summer! We didn't spend that much time in the snow (too mushy), so no pics... We did hang out a long time at Reese's Retreat, the playground just next to the Children's Museum. Ennio had his first swing experience! And Lily... napped!

Fooling around with Ennio

Ennio for the first time on the swing... Oh-oh...

I like it!

Come on, papa, push me!

High in the air!

That was fun!

Sleeping Beauty!

Thursday Dec. 29 + Friday Dec. 30: Tobi and Eva leave :-(

Thank you, Oma, for all the fun!

Thank you, Tobi, for all the pictures!

Goodbye!

What fun times we had with Tobi and Eva here! The days flew by and time to say goodbye came way to soon...

Lily, Marcus and Eva

Ennio and Tobi

Tobi left yesterday and Eva today. Tobi left me with over 1500 pictures!!! Great memories, but what a difficult task to make a selection! I know what to do in the next couple of days! Stay tuned!

December activities

I love December! People are usually very cheerful and happy (if you avoid the holiday shopping craziness, that is!). There are holiday parties, everyone is wishing you well, and is looking forward to celebrating the season and the new year. The air is filled with good vibrations. (At least, that is how I feel it). (note the use of the words "holiday" and "season"... you're not supposed to say "Christmas" because this would exclude other holidays such as Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, and thus would not be politically correct to use... We use "Christmas" among us & family & friends, but not on our "holiday cards")

We went out quite a bit in December.

• We went to see a special screening at Paramount Studios of the Tintin movie (Lily drove Kayleen, our babysitter, crazy by not wanting to go to bed).

• We went to the holiday party of James Newton Howard (great party, and luckily for the babysitter, a much better babysitting experience!)

• Dec. 22: Holiday potluck lunch at Lily's preschool. I made a quiche with Belgian endives and ham. (de quiche-versie dus van witloof met hesp :-)) This is where Tobi had just arrived and started taking about 200 pictures per day... So, here are some of his shots.
  

Lily on the school playground.

That afternoon, Barbara came by with her girls Martha (22 months) and Louisa (7 months).

Martha

Louisa

Ennio and Louisa

• Dec. 23: Christmas Brunch in Newport Beach with the Grubb & Goodnoe families
  

After the brunch, we drove to Santa Monica and had fun at Pacific Park (an entertainment park) on the Pier. It took us a while to get there, because we hit the worst traffic on the 405! But... once there, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset!

Ocean Boulevard

Malibu in the far distance

Santa Monica Pier

Another one of the Pier

Marcus & Ennio

Is it a Panda or is it Lily? It's Panda Lily!

We had dinner in a Mexican restaurant at the far end of the Pier.

View from the restaurant

• Dec. 24: Christmas Eve with Rainer & Kathryn, Lucy & Karl! The pictures tell all, we had a great time!
  

Group picture: Rainer, Marcus, Kathryn, Lucy with Ennio, Ilse, Eva, and Lily & Karl hand in hand!

Marcus and Ennio!

Lily on the tricycle...

... she preferred though to go out with Karl in the car!!!

Playing playing playing:

In the tunnel

Jumping in the couch (the one in the kitchen, so it was OK)!

Portraits:

Kathryn & Ennio

Lucy

Karl

Activities of the night:

Eating and drinking!

Opening presents!

Having fun!

• Dec. 25: Christmas at home

Santa Claus was here!

We did lots of fun stuff over the last couple of days (more in my next post) but Christmas day was spent at home, opening presents from Santa Claus...

Lily and Ennio got books, DVD's (Prinzessin Lillifee!), yummy chocolate and cool clothes which Santa Claus had dropped off at Oma Eva's in Germany and which she'd brought with her... How nice!

Ennio loved unwrapping his presents and playing with the ribbons and wrapping paper!

Lily enjoyed distributing every single present under the Christmas tree. The highlight of the evening was her getting a Cinderella princess dress. She put it on immediately and did not want to take it off. The dress is very sparkly and leaves glitters everywhere! Our whole house is one glittery palace right now!

I am the proud and excited owner of an iPad!!! Woohoo!

Most of all though, we feel lucky to have been able to spend the holidays with (part of) our family. To our family members in Belgium and Germany who are not here with us: merry Christmas, we are thinking of you and looking forward to seeing you again in 2012!

Lily is distributing Santa's presents (wearing her Belle nightgown).

Uncle Tobi helps Ennio unwrap his presents...

... although he did a fine job opening them himself!!!

A princess in heaven...

Merry Christmas! Zalig Kerstfeest! Frohe Weihnachten!

Happy Holidays!

Het zijn drukke, maar leuke kerstdagen. Oma Eva is op bezoek en nonkel Tobi is er ook voor het eerst bij! Fotografie is één van zijn grote hobby's, dus in een volgende blog publiceer ik enkele van mijn favorieten! Ondertussen staat het bloggen op een laag pitje en genieten we zoveel mogelijk van onze tijd samen.

Prettige feestdagen, iedereen!

Ennio's first picture with Santa Claus!

Ennio ontmoet de Kerstman voor het eerst...

Ennio loves Santa!

Redelijk geslaagd, zou ik durven zeggen!!!

Lily daarentegen liep weg en barstte in tranen uit toen we vroegen of ze niet bij Santa op de schoot wou. "I'm scared!!!", huilde ze. Waarop Santa naar ons keek en zei: "I also take pictures with crying kids..." We hebben het haar maar niet aangedaan, ik wou haar niet met een trauma opzadelen...