Thanksgiving Dutch Style! Part 1...

So this year Tess ad I decided that since we were in Holland away from our families this Holiday Season, we would do a Thanksgiving dinner ourselves! Well we invited Both our Host family's to join us... Since it was at Tess' house... haha! Well things went so So SOOO well! We made delicious food! Did not argue a bit and everything came out just right! And as you might have guessed we tooksoem pics.. and since I can't get my photobucket to work... I'm going to just load the pics up to this making it an extra long blog! We started off Saturday running some errands after I arrive in Naarden. And around 3pm we actually were able to start the cooking... We thought it, wisely, best to each take on our own assignments in cooking and not help each other unless needed... I started off making the pie crusts! They turned out quite well if I do say so myself!


Tess and I pretending to fight.. There was actually none of that!
My 3 lovely

Pumpkin pie crusts! Aren't you proud mom!?!


Oh and while I made the crust Tess did the filling for the pumpkin pie! So tasty the most important part of the whole day!~ You go Tess!!!



My one crust that did not turn out so well was the lemon mereign pie... but that was a mess in whole... the dish was a bit deep! It tasted sooooo good though!

The combines efforts worked out so well!

I brought some pre-cut and seasoned apples from our apple tree here in Hoofdorp this fall... And I made the apple pie! It was great I hear!!!


Oh yeah so the Lemon pie... Well Its pan was a bit deep... They don't make pies here like they do in the states... So the families didnt have the pans... An dwe had to borrow some from soem american moms tess knows... So I was in charge or the meraigne. I followed the directions perfectly... Though I must say I think the directions and ingridients were crazy! And it came out auful! And I put it ontop the filling and it sank! But I persevered! When I was done I licked my finger to taste it.. And realised it had no sugar it it!!!!!!!!!! See the ingriedients listed it... But the directions did not... So! We scrapped that recipie and callde up my mom and she gave me her's ! So much better! You saved the day mom!



I made the spinach dip and we called it a night! Oh and Tess made some ultra yummy Cranberry sauce!!! Then we called it a night!



Well We called it a night for cooking! Cause after I made the spiniach dip we decided it was WAY too strong on the veggie soup side... So we rode in the bitter cold to town to get some sour cream to calm it down a bit.. It was a nice choice! After we got back Tess' family was in the living room gathered round the fire place getting ready for bed and for Sinter Klaas to visit in the morning. They were so sweet!




Well so that was just Saturday getting ready for Sunday when the real party was! But I'm getting sleepy... So I'm going to Blog Day 2... Tomorrow! I hope you enjoyed this and stay tuned!!!!!!!

Storms a brewing! Ipod Stat!!!

I'm making a valiant effort to, whenever possible, not take my xanax.. Now I know it's always possible... But some days or sometimes.. I'm doing things which do not allow me to relax on my own... I can't seem to find the time to relax yah know.. then I get all stressed out and freak out... So... I have been trying to stop taking... Cause.. yeah I like the chill feel... But... I mean I don't really like it... And I'd like to quit my anxiety meds all together.. But That's not gonna happen for a little while till I'm in a place where I can do that yah know.... It makes me forgetful I think... and if I go two days without it I go through withdraws... But I really hate it when people who need meds are too umm.. proud to take them... They think they can cope without them...Some people can.. And some people are way over medicated... But for me it's not at all that I think... I don't want to be a crazy person on pills! I just have been evaluating myself yah know... and I notice that tarts different... yeah... I"m so forgetful.. and That's something these type of pills do.. So yeah again....
So! Tess and I just spent like 45 mins trying to figure out why my Blogger's spell check doesn't work... Finally figured out what was wrong! The spell check was set to Dutch automatically... Cause the main page auto loaded to the dutch page.. so yeah.. I dunno if that makes sense,..... but if I can't figure out whats wrong again.. that's it! Memo to self! Or Blog to self I suppose!!!!
So anywho... See it's things like that, that distract me and my stress... So with the combo of that lame distraction task... and Motion City Soundtrack... I feel loads better!
So yeah. My brain and my life are too overwhelming some days.. not my life here... its great.. its like a non- life life... but my life in 2 months.. that's too much to think for my brain mostly... Less than 2 months.. January 12th.. it's well.. one minute past the 14th.. making it the 15th... if that makes sense.. so less than two months... I can't wait to see everyone. I just think I'm going home to a whole HELL of a lot worse country and state of life then I left. But W.E. Oh that means Whatever.. I always wanna say that but since it spells yah know we.. as in you and I... It doesn't always work so I refrain.. But now I have announced it to the world... So I'm gonna always say it from here on out! Live with it!
Ummm... oh! I remember I wanted to blog and share the weather here! So this week I was riding back home with the kids.. and since its daylight savings its getting REALLY REALLY dark early! Anywho! So it's also been stormy.. hence the blog title.. Yeah so I was riding home with the kids.. and its getting dark.. And the wind is blowing so so hard! and I was getting tired so I stopped for a min to take a breather yah know... and the wind literally blew the bike with my feet on the pedals and the kids little trailer... backwards!!! Crazy huh? The wind was that strong! So I had to get off the bike and walk! The kids were all yelling and screaming it was really funny! They were just being so silly!!!!!!! Yeah.. so it's been really windy! But it's that wind that's helped me loose... umm.... 43-44 lbs.. so I can't really complain! I love the pain! The pain loves me!!!!!
Well I have comfirmed that my mental xanax has mellowed my brain out... Or the no nap day. and midnight has done it to me. Well I hope you enjoyed my spell checked blog of ramblings! Well mostly spell checked... ;)

Do the hustle!!!

Hello Bloggies! So here I am to blog for you... Sorry to the Nils's out there... I have no future plan of killing people... I suppose that's why I don't blog about doing it either.... So yeah... Well so I had a nice week. The kids have been good as gold! So sweet! And Jetje has been doing a really great job of eating.. Man I need to put my slippers on! My feet are freezing! And I hate to get into bed and have cold feet! Cause it takes forever to warm them!
I"m also quite excited! Today Martine cleaned up the upstairs a bit, since they'lll be starting onstruction on the upstairs... where my room will be.. for two weeks... yes they're starting it i think tomorrow... Yeah so that's exciting! But what realy excites me is that she found the other DVD player.. which plays DVD's from teh US zone! So I can finally watch movies in my room... well and my movies from home..Anywho so I'm happy about that! So what movie shall I watch first I really don't know... but I 'll decide soon enough I suppose...
Oh so I finnish reading Pride and Prejudice today! Definetly... Yeha I think my favrite book ever! I mean I usually like the books that I read... But I really love this book so much! I want to read it over and over agian... The BBC 5 hour long version of the movie has been a favorite of mine for years! So I finally read the book.. and I LOVED it!!! So I recomend it to everyone! Girl or boy!
I went to Tess's agaian this weekend.. I went the last 2 weekends to visit her and help out with babysitting for the family.. plus I made soem extra cash... which was much much needed! SInce I've bought my ticket home.. well I will have bougt it on Tuesday! Yeah... I will leave at like noon I think on January 12th... and be home at... well home in Utah... at around 11 that night. I"m really excited! I can't wait to get home and get my life started.. I think I'm ready for it.. but then again I always think that... and as soon as I'realised nothing is happening I decide to change my plans! SO I hope that this time around something will happen! So I can stay on track.. Though I don't have such a structured track.. I hope it will continue going to I dunno... Einhoven... instead of derailing or going back up north to Alkmaar. Yeha anywho...
So I'm pretty happy about the election.. Though I wont lie.. I'm mostly just glad its over and that Obabma won... only so I don't have to hear how stupid Americans are for the next 2 months! hahaha!
So yeah.... Ummmm... I can't think of too much else to say... tess seems to be recovering nicely after her operation....
And I think thats about it for tonight!
Thanks for reading!
Oh and check out this! My new fave show! I'm addicted!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scissorhands/

Uh huh!

So yeah... So as life ususally is... not to much to report on... LIfe is just geting back to normal... The family is going out of town this weekend... so I had a nice weekend of relaxing to look forward to... But... Hehehe... I sound so mean! Tess got her appendix removed like... I dunno... 2 or so hours ago... so... My plans have chanegd a bit.... Tomorrow after Martine and the kids leave I'm going to Naarden to help out in Tess's neck of the woods! I get to make some extra money by helping Myrium with the kids this weekend.. Plus I get to go see Tess and help take care of her... Though she will be in the hospital for 3 days.. AndI go home on Sunday... She probably will go home on Sunday... So I can at least help her get settled! So yeah! I'll keep everyone up to date as best I can...
In other news... Tanja for the last family contacted me... She wants me to come and see the kids before I leave... Which I totally want to so sounds lke a good idea.. But in the email she said taht what I did was wrong and such... Which I totally agree that I shouldn't have written all taht bad stuff about her and her family... But i just hope taht my going there wont be so she can have a talk with me about it so she can coem to terms with it or whatever.. cause... I pretty much feel like I'm over it... But whatever...
Also.... So when I go home I will no longer be an au pair speaking Dutch... SO I need a new blogspot... So if you have any ideas of what I might have... Be original... And think about Becky... And leave your suggestions!
Hey I lost 3 lbs last month! NOt so bad for all the crap we ate while on vacation...
I'm also sad about Halloween... They don't do it here.. so I wont do anything for it.... Bummer huh?
OK so I can't really think of anything else to write! So yeah! Love ya!!!!

The girls have gone...

Well after 3 ultra fun filled weeks having Rachael and Laura here in Holland they have gone home... I sent them off in the airport this morning at the airport... It's sad to have them go but I think we were all glad to get back to soem normailcy.... But Racahael is right it does make me wannna go home... But still not desperatly.. I'm just excited to go now...
We had so much fun! The first week was my bday... the nest weekend we wnet to Paris and that was great! I think the Eiffel TOwer is so lovely... but I do agree with Rachael that it's all so touristy! But if you look past the crap of Paris you can see all the beauty that made it touristy in the first place! Again we went to Disneyland Paris and I was disapointed by the lack of Disneyness there! I mean it all looks liek it but they just arent teh same kind of people... I know its dumb but I dropped my hat on one of teh rides and I told the ride operater and they tried to find it and when they couldn't they just said sorry someone must have stollen it.. Yes I'm sure that is what happened but in my Disney we would have written soemone a no Strings attached slip to give them a new hat! Then they sent me to city hall... I went there and again the same thing... So I was just so depressed! Then we wnet over to The Walt Disney Studios and we got to take pics with Sulley... so silly enough I felt better after that! We rode Rock and Roller coaster twice and soem other things! Then we headed back to Magic Kingdom... Checked at City Hall again.. They didnt have my hat but they said they did and gave me another lost one... I knew it wasnt mine cause the person had cut the tag off and I hadn't... I wanted to keep the tag that said Disneyland Paris.. Oh well! We had a really great day there!
I had a nice week home with Rachale and then it was off to London! I Love London!! IT's really nice! I feel like everything you want is there... So yeha I really luiked it... We went to saw Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, the London Tower, Tate Modern Art Museum, Shakespears Globe theater, Saw Of MOntreal in concert, went to the musical Avenue Q, Ate fisn and chips, saw a movie, picadilly Square, Camden Market, Ate at Foxtrot Oscar a Gordon Ramsay resurant, and sheesh I know more... Oh Buckingham Palace, teh Queens Gallery, and yeha so much I can't remember...
We really had alot of fun! I also went to meet Edward a friend at Harrods it was really nice to meet him... I dont think he liked the resturant I picked much... but I thought it was great!
So yeah! That's my short story of this month! for more extended versions you can check out rachaels blog at http://lifeisrachael.blogspot.com
I think her blogs are great and she took a daily journal so she might have soem more details yah know!
So yeah now I' m on the downhill stretch to go home! I'm really sad but I'm also excited to see my niece! Martine is working on getting a new au pair so lets hope!!!

Paris!

So I've been extra extra busy with the arrival of Laura and Rachael! Which I love!!! So I'll catch you up real quick!

They arrived on the 2nd of October, to Schipol Airport with Tess and I waiting very impatciently! I seriously got whiplash from waiting for them! It was so funny! Tess had to go back to work and I got to take them and be really really mean and make them stay up! I took them shopping and it was fun! Haha!

Friday October 3rd was my B day... Eeeek! I'm 24!!! The girls had a great day planned! We got up went to the market in Hoofddorp We found a super cute coat for Ms Rachael Pie and headed to Amsterdam! They planned to take the canal cruises which I really wanted to do and really enjoyed! Then we went to the Rijks Museum whihc I also really enjoyed! Tess had gone like twice already and I hadn't gone so I kept bugging her about how I wanted to go! And so we went! It was very nice! Then we had a really Yummy Dinner at "In the Weight" I cant remeber the Ducth name... Anywho it was super duper Yummy! And the day was all a treat for me I realy liked it! The next day we got up and went to Tess and mines favorite market The Noord Market in Amsterdam... It's in Joordan... whih is like the Jewish area in Ams... Very fun area! And we finally got to go to the Anne Frank House.. It was really nice... Yah know... TO see it and feel it all I suppose... We then got some Shorama for dinner and had soem guys who spoke no ducth and little ENglish try to flirt with us... It was quite silly!!!!

Sunday we went to the Royal Palace... At the moment I cant remeber what it was called... But it was really lovely and teh day was really really long!!! Train rides here there and everywhere!!! We then went back to my house... had soem oh so yummy pink birthday cake for me! It was really yummy! And I opened some gifts from the kids, Martine and Margot... So sweet! Then Tess and Rachael went home to Tess's till Wenesday night when they came back to my house to go to Paris! It was really fun! At the moment I havent got anymore time to write about Paris... So youcan read Rachaels Blog or Tess's... Niether of them have posted their blogs... But Rachaels is ready to go she just hasnt posted... I'll see what else I can coem up with to write... ok peace and love everyone!!!

Oh yeah... Rachael and I went to Amsterdam yesterday cause she wanted to go back to the market to get her sis a bag... And it was a fun day! But we were so tired from teh weekend and we rode our bikes to the station which is like a half hour ride... and then we walked all over Amsterdam... then we got a bit lost... yes I got lost... But anywho... so we were late to get the kids... and the wind was blowing like crazy! So the bike ride back was so terrible.. I thought that Rachael was gonna keel over!!! But she was tough and survived!!! hahaha! So sleepy today!

Oh happy day! I"m so so so so so excited for tomorrow morning!!!

Yes it’s finally here! Rachael and Laura are, from what I know, on a plane at this moment flying to Holland! I seriously cannot wait! They'll be here tomorrow morning at 1045! And Tess and I get to pick them up at the airport! They'll be here for 3 weeks! And it’s gonna be loads of fun I think!
My birthday is on Friday and they'll be here for that! Ugh I'm gonna be 24.... Somehow I feel like I'm too young to be 24... and too old, being 24, to be who I am right now... You know... Au pairs should be like 18 right? hahaha! Nah I think older is wiser and better! But then I feel like... crap. I'm 24, shouldn't I be married or something? But I am so far away from any of that! haha! So yeah.... Nun bout that! 6 years... I’ll be 30... I think I should just kill myself off before then... hehe...
Sheesh I can't wait! Last night I couldn't sleep I was so excited! But I really need to be a little more productive! It's nearly 9pm and I haven't done half of what I wanted to do today... I need to finish my room... and I wanted to take a shower... hmmm maybe I'll just do that tomorrow.. hmmm hmmm hmmm....
Well... I think I should go... I've been spending the day watching season 3 of Friends... I'm on the last 5 episodes... so I'm gonna watch as I clean and organise... too bad I cant watch in the shower... I think I would shower more if I had a TV in the shower... or if I could read in the shower... I always get too bored. and feel like its wasted time... haha! But TV watching is not!
Well I'll try to keep you updated to the happenings while the girls are here!!!