Thankful Thursday - 222

Feeling grateful and appreciated this week. In particular, I am thankful for...

1. Chickaletta social distance gathering! FINALLY! We had no idea our last play date in March would be our last play date for the foreseeable future. Or that our last small group on March 11 would be our last one, or that we wouldn't get to see each other at church every week EVER AGAIN (slight dramatization). Last night those who could make it got together in Katrina's back yard for a campfire. We all brought our own snacks and drinks, and talked for what was the fastest 4 hours of my life. It was so amazing to catch up, laugh, share, and see these women again <3. 

So lovely (and less squishy than it looks). I certainly hope we do this again soon!

2. @GoCleanCo. This is an instagram account about deep cleaning hacks for your house. I've randomly done a few of the things, but tried out the Bar Keeper's Friend this week on my pots. Magic! Pure magic.

Before

Two minutes later
(It hurts me to think about all the chemicals that probably went down the drain though... same with the bleach solution she (the instagram account) recommends for everything...)

3. Embracing the messy play room. This is another social media movement from @SimplyOnPurpose. Something about allowing the kids to be deep in play, even if it means the toy room becomes a disaster. The problem here, is that we don't have a toy room, so it's embracing the messy everywhere. The kids played so nicely yesterday morning as I was sitting at the table - I was scared to move. Total disaster-zone, but one of my COVID projects has been organizing so that everything has a spot. It makes clean up much more efficient. 

This doesn't look that bad, but it's zoomed in leaving out piles of things all over the kitchen and the other side of those pillows on the floor :)

Of course the mess is carried outside.

Uncle Adam & Aunty Aly got Emilia a Minnie Mouse tank top & dress for her birthday and it just came in the mail. We let Emilia choose which one to wear that day. She chose both :) She's such a stinker with so much personality.

4. Little bits of history. All of my grandparents came from Holland. We went to visit Holland in 2014 for Tom & Juanita's wedding, and part of our Europe Trip. If I could live anywhere else in the world, Holland would be it for sure! My Oma D (BoBo Moma) has been moved to the Harrison (long-term care) at Elim. Her old apartment now has to be emptied, and she can't take many things with her to the Harrison. It was a little strange since she's still with us, but we were able to go in and take some things of hers that we'd like to keep; like you would after someone passes away. I got lots of crafty things, and these teaspoons that I remember loving as a little girl (and my mom remembers polishing as a little girl), and these salt & pepper shakers. 

Now I know how to spell "spoons" in Dutch.

Love these! They totally bring back memories from our 2014 Europe Trip. 

Here are a few pictures from one day in Leeuwarden, Netherlands (where Oma grew up).

This is the apartment Oma D grew up in, just down the road from the bakery her parents ran (I think, or worked at...).

Most of the de Jong family came for Tom & Juanita's wedding, and we all rented a charter bus and drove to Leeuwarden one day, where Oma spent most of the afternoon walking around and showing us her life and sharing memories with us. Definitely a day to be treasured forever.  

See why the S&P shakers remind me of this trip?