Christmas 2012 - Post Celebration: The Elsen Clan

Although, its not that late yet, New Year is still to come!

Since a few years ago when the family's second generation started to populate the clan with the third generation, we celebrate Christmas and New Year with the Elsen Family in Heusden.  Nice place, good food, a lot of run-around space for the kids to play, and enough room to take the Family Picture :-)

And as always, everyone is there, from the oldest to the youngest of the family, sleeping or awake!

Here are some photos to amuse yourself with :-)

The delicious food!

The Oma's and the Opa's: THANK YOU!!!

Tante Mieke and Nonkel Romain

Nonkel Roger and Tante Nicole

Celeste, Nonkel Danny and Meter Vicky

Niels, me, Nico and Nina

Lieke, Joerie, Hannelore and Nina

Liesbeth, Alexander, Wesley and Laurens

Astrid, Fien, Jimmy and Staf

And here the bloopers...

Little Nina talking to Giant Nonkel Nico

HIGH FIVE: Niels and Lieke

Fientje eating the tap of the beer...

Nina has a problem I dont know about

Niels' ice cream smile

Still the same problem???

Nina telling a joke that really sold good!

Seriously playing

What's up kids?

Ah, mini-tv...youth of today

Nina explaining to Staf whats on television

Niels reading his New Year's letter to Meter Vicky

Opa reminiscing???

Nina, practicing to be a babysitter

And here we all are!

Niels is 5!

I made this and surprised Niels with this cute invitation for his birthday party.  He was so proud to give it to the kids he invited...well, he already knew months before we even thought about planning his birthday party who he actually wants to invite.

He just asked me one day, how many kids could he invite and he started counting and informing his invitees that they are welcome to his party...which was not even planned yet!

Anyways, here is his invitation:

The report of his birthday celebration will be posted soon!

Neri

Christmas 2012 - Day itself!

And of course, the Christmas day itself we spent in Balen with Oma, Opa, Moemoe, Meter Vicky, Nonkel Danny and Celeste! 

Oma can cook such delicious food!  And we ALL await for this day to taste once again her famous potato croquettes!

We also had loooots of fun...and Nina looooots of talking!

Oma's tree

Nina playing puzzle with Meter Vicky

Niels and Celeste playing "Who is it?"

Niels opening his gift

Nina hers

And Celeste hers

Oma reading their gift from all of us

And both girls helping out Oma unwrap the other gifts

Cant-get-enough-of-it Cookies

Their artwork together

Nina gossiping with Meter Vicky and Moemoe: Girl Talk ,-)

Christmas 2012 - Noche Buena

From the morning of the day-before-Christmas to Noche Buena's top point...gift opening, Niels and Nina has been a big help to me. 

They helped me prepare the christmas cookies and has both been nice to not disturb Mama while I was preparing the food for the night. They were sooo behaved that I was finished early than planned...never happened before ;-)

Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas tree with all the gifts needed
to survive this year's Yuletide season!

That morning, the first thing in our TO-DO-LIST
was to decorate the Christmas Cookies!

 

Nina just finished decorating her cooky

And Niels had such sugar rush that night.
I have never seen him like that before...
sugar + excitement about the gifts?
NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE!

Our pretty decorated christmas cookies!

Our table for Noche Buena with a centerpiece made by Niels

Cheers!

Again, our cookies!

Niels and Nina attacking the gifts under the Christmas tree

Niels didnt even have time anymore to clean up his face off of the Chocolate ice cream...hahaha

Nina busy opening her first package

And Niels his first too...

and their Nth package

Oma received one...

Opa got something too!

Mama has a package as well under the tree

Another for Nina

and princess Nina

To close Noche Buena, we tried to make a picture of US...
and it was a succes!

And Nina ready to sleep...GOODNIGHT!