vrijdag 1 januari 2010

Happy New Year!!!

First and formost I wish you all a very Happy New Year. I wish you health, happiness and peace.
A lot of festive days have past since the last time I blogged.
In Belgium we started on the 6th of December with St Nicolas day. The day that all good children get presents and candy.For the first time in years we celebrated this again. With our new granddaughter Anne-Fleur it was the ideal year to do so. She is of course only 7 months old and thus not get the spirit of the day. Chewing presents was the big joy of her day! The typical candy, chocolate, fruit and of course the speculaas went to her mom and dad who accepted it gratefully. I think next year she will have her say about that!For the adults there was of course cake.A very simple chocolate cake adorned with the typical Saint Nicolas candy. Golden coins (with chocolate inside), nic nac's ( the small sugared cookies ) on the side and on top and some lovely little chocolate Saint Nicolas plaques I found at the bakery shop.It was years agoo that we had so much snow. I began snowing the first friday of december. So at Saint Nicolas day we took these pictures of Anne-Fleur. She sits on the sled of her dad and auntie that I kept for more than 30 years. She was a bit afraid. It was bitterly cold and her mom did not take her in to the snow before since she had been in hospital ,two weeks before. But I thought we could not pass up this opportunity to get pictures of her in the first snow of her life.She did not enjoy it that much.I think she was even a bit scared of it.
In each case the snow lasted just until Christmas and we had the first white Christmas since 1986 I believe. The next day it started raining and it was all gone.
In the mean time our little kittens grew up to be little white and blue fluff ball's. You can't contain them in a small area anymore! They want to play! Polar Bear is kissing the Steiff snowman. He has found a good home in Holland.
Sadly we have one handicapt kitten in the litter .You see him at the far left in the picture below.
All four bones in his front legs are bent. He will always be handicaped. But the good news is that if he has a good chance to live a painfree and happy life, he will have a loving home with the parents of our Brandaen of with my daughter.
Aren't they sweet?
Trying to snap a group picture is not that easy as you can see!

Shortly after Saint Nicolas day I set up the Christmas tree.
I try to make a different tree every year. That you can see if you look for the post ' Christmas in July'.
This year I used fresh green, covered with transparent plastic pearls, glass baubles, porcelain balls with flowers. Some metal and glass danglely things, some mirrored snowflakes and the collection of Snowbabie ornaments I started for Anne-Fleur. And of course my favorite ornaments of all could not be left in the cellar. My white glass birds are almost every year in my Christmas tree.
Lily our youngest Maine Coon is facinated with the tree .She had never seen one before. She took out one of my green glass balls in the first days. After that she became a good little girl and only sleeps beneeth the tree on the white fleece blanket that is covering the base.


I did not do a lot of other Christmas decorations this year.I only made place to put my Snowbabies out since this year I bought the nativity set of it.



Even the Christmas dinner table was simple but classy. Floral tablecloth in blue and cream with a simple flower decoration and some candles.
This is it for today. Tomorrow I start preparing the New Year dinner I do for my inlaws. They will come on sunday to celebrate the New Year. Today, the first of january will be a day to start preparing, like ironing the table cloth and preparing the cakes.
Have a happy day and until the next time.

10 opmerkingen:

Joyce zei

Peaking in at your blog and your little GD is adorable in the coat and hat and scarf in her first snow photo. I often wonder what babies think seeing snow for the first time? The chocolate cake looks delicious and your tree is beautiful. Now the cat and kittens are the cutest. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Joyce

Marja Rijnsburger zei

Fijn om terug te kijken op zoveel mooie dagen. De kittens zijn echt snoepies.
Voor 2010 wens ik jou en alle die je lief zijn geluk, gezondheid en heelveel mooie dagen.
hartelijke groetjes Marja

Shellbelle zei

Anne-Fleur looks simply adorable, the kittens are just too cute and your decorations are beautiful. Nicky, you know how much I enjoy learning about the traditions in other countries and you always come through, that cake is fabulous!

LiLi M. zei

Nicky ik wil jou en je familieleden ook een gelukkig, gezond en goed Nieuwjaar toewensen! Wat een schatje is je kleindochter! Ik zie dat het je toch gelukt is om wat foto's van haar op je blog te zetten ;-). De kittens zijn ook lief!
Maak van 2010 een geweldig jaar!

Mieke zei

And why did I not know about this cake?? It looks yummie.

Rachelle @ Olivia's Cottage zei

Thank you for the comment on my blog and the welcome. Your pictures are SO cute. Your granddaughter is so sweet! and the kitches are cute too!

Rattlebridge Farm zei

This was fun--snow, granddaughter, cakes, and kittens. The string of lights with the cats is so cute. Hope you have a delightful 2010!

Unknown zei

KITTENS!... I have to show this to my granddaughter! They are just adorable... Great post!

~Really Rainey~

Lori (All That Splatters) zei

I have to tell you, everything looks wonderful, but... I am totally in love with Anne-Fleur and her scarf & hat! :D

Lovely post!

Sara's Sweet Surprise zei

This is such an adorable post! From your grand daughter in her pretty coat and hat. to the precious kitties. Seeing them brought back such wonderful memories when my kitty was that little. I hand raised my kitten when she was just 24 hours old, weighing in at 4oz's.
I was relieved to read the kitty with the handicap is being adopted.
It is sooo entertaining watching the kitties discovering and playing in the Christmas tree.

Sweet wishes,
Sara