Christmas Memories

This was such a different Christmas for me, very hard to get in the spirit with Mark being gone. I went through the motions of gift gathering, decorating, cookie baking, and enjoyed myself but it didn't feel real.

Thankfully my mom joined us and saved my children from a stoic mother. She helped them make and decorate gingerbread houses, sugar cookies and other fun Christmas projects. We also splurged by going to the spa for manicures and pedicures.

We made it to only 2 Christmas markets this year, the Kaiserslautern one (that really isn't anything to write home about) and Trier, which deserves a few words and photos. We were able to spend our day in Trier with Nina, whose husband is spending Christmas with Mark. As one of my friends stated on Facebook, "We successfully ate our way through the Trier Christmas Market". Lately I have nothing to show for my outings except an empty euro coin purse and a full belly.

Potato pancakes with applesauce:

More poffertjes, this time with cherries and vanilla sauce and powdered sugar with Nutella:

Flamkuchen

Here is McKenna on the carousel. Did anybody else notice how close her feet are to touching the ground?! ARGHHH she is growing too fast. Plus, this is the first year that Bailey declined her carousel token . . . .

Christmas day was different in the Frandsen home because my lovely children woke up at 3:30 AM!! They have never done that before and I was mean and made them go back to bed. They didn't go back to sleep and finally at 5:30 came begging with all their might. I gave in, dragged myself out of bed and joined in the ruckus.
The girls had a lot of gifts to open this year, it was a little ridiculous, and I wonder if I just went a little overboard because I was trying to make up for Mark not being here. Probably . . . who cares . . . not me and definitely not the girls. And of course the presents didn't make up for his absence but we enjoyed the day anyway.

Bailey was thrilled with her new iTouch, set of the Twilight movies (oh brother), and a spa set. Mark and I gave her a sewing machine to encourage her interest in designing and making clothing.

McKenna received a Pet Shop bundle, a wagon for her Barbie dolls and roller skates. It is the day after Christmas as I'm writing this and she has maybe had them off for a total of 2 hours, plus the hours she slept. Good thing I have tile.

McKenna also got this splendid gift from my mother that is just perfect for her imaginative personality:

What did I get you ask? I got 2 naps (yippee) and got to skype with my man. Went to bed with a full belly and happy children. It definitely was a good day. Stay tuned my good friends, we will be getting the best Christmas present of all in the next couple of days . . .