Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all our relatives and friends, all over the world!

Another year over, a new one just begun ... It's amazing how fast the first ten years of the new millennium have past! I still remember the computer-programming related concern around the switch from '99' to '00'. And now we're already ten years further. Seven of which we spent in Asia. It's all reduced to a memory now.

Pieter didn't only make Dutch donuts this year, but also Dutch apple donuts; they were delicious and I ate way too many ...

We spent a simple, rather traditional, and fun New Year's Eve at home, with oma. We ate Dutch donuts, played board games, watched the count down on tv, drank champagne, watched the fire works, drank some more champagne and went to bed. We woke Emma and Janne up at quarter to twelve, so we could say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year together with them. Even though they were tired and half asleep, they enjoyed the special occasion and the fireworks. Maybe next year, we'll let them stay up until midnight. We'll see ...


Champagne in hand, counting down

A bit cold and a bit sleepy; still, enjoying the fireworks

I remember as a child, when we spent New Year's Eve at my sister, with her in-laws. I was always so excited when midnight drew near and also rather emotional when the clock struck twelve en everybody raised their classes, shouting 'happy new year'. Over the years, the excitement has turned into just a little tingle and there're definitely no teary eyes anymore. I wonder what it'll be like, when Emma and Janne are a bit older and more aware of what's going on. I hope we can give them that same special feeling, which I always experienced in connection to New Year's Eve!

I wish everyone good luck in sticking to their new years resolutions. I only have a few, but they are worth sticking to :-)

It was fun having oma there on New Year's Eve!