The Stevenson Ohana

Dec 2024: I really love this blog, it’s so fun to look back at all the memories and see how the kids have grown over the years. I hate being so behind and then only blogging the trips and missing the every day memories.  So trying to catch up and start the year fresh. But also want to share some daily happenings and happy times during these cold semi-mundane dark December days.

Lucy requesting a bowl and blueberries in her bath, she makes me laugh everyday.

My new ski vintage ski suit!! I tried it on, and then Lucy wanted too. It just drowned her. 

Lucy has been a cat a lot of these days,  when I put on makeup she request a little cat face. The other day she did it herself right before church and it was so cute and funny. It took me by surprise when I saw her and scared her and she got upset. Then when I put on my makeup the next day I didn't realize there was black all over my eyeshadow brush and gave myself a nice looking black eye. Not sure if this is making sense. But good times with kitty Lucy. 

One thing I'm proud of myself, I taught myself to embroider this year and made a few things!! Including THIS KIT that is sold at desert book now with the new 2025 youth theme! 

I hosted a little craft night with some friends/birthday party and farewell party. It was really fun and we stayed up crafting and chatting to almost midnight. 

Not everyone in the picture, but love these girls. 

The birthday queen, and a bestie here. 

Every December the school does a Christmas dinner and the kids each bring dinner and sing songs for the parents and the end. 

Candlelight concert with Riley! Date night! 

Dino museum and Christmas Market in Leiden with friends. 

2040 Luke & Sawyer wedding video material :) 

2045 Asa & Lucy Wedding video Material :) 

Saturday December 14, 2024: We had a fun going to the Haarlem Market and ward Christmas Party after!  It was a fun busy day. We loved the Haarlem market, we opted not to travel to other countries for the Christmas Markets this year and do the ones nearby and wasn't disappointed at all.  It was a fun day! 

We had the opportunity to help with the ward program for the Christmas party with the missionaries. 

It's our third year with Sinterklaas visiting us here!! It has been fun living in the Netherlands and getting introduced to new traditions and holidays. Sinterklaas and his Piets are one I want to remember. It is such a fun time. Sinterklaas comes November by boat from Spain and spends the next couple weeks here and has a white horse named Amerigo. His Piets (traditionally black servants that helped him, but not black with chimney soot because racist) to leave things in shoes at night (little gifts, ginger cookies, chocolate coins) into the shoes and the kids wake up with little surprises. It's been fun to see the kids come down and see what is in the shoes. On December 5th he knocks on the door with some presents! I love celebrating with Sinterklaas just because it stretches the holidays out longer and just feels so festive and fun for so long. He isn't the same as Santa Claus, but I feel like is bigger for the kids than Santa Claus and Christmas is celebrating too but Sinterklaas is weeks before. 

He rode up in the dutch school bus bike :)

The kids do a Piets gym, and get diplomas. They do lots of climbing and training to be on top of the roofs like a real Piet.