Friday, November 30, 2012

Tot ziens, November!

November was a busy, eventful month for our family.  Although I originally planned to blog daily in November (to usher in my new attempt at a year long blogging), I had to postpone, reconsider and simplify.

Our youngest turned 5, mijn liefste P turned 55 and I finally ran the 15K race, which  I have been intimidated of (more than running the two full marathons I did this year!) ever since I come across it  last year, when I started planning to run a race in the Netherlands every month.

Littlest, 5 y.o. and still crazy over McQueen

It took me 5 and a half years, but I finally fulfilled my promise of baking mijn liefste P his favourite Black Forest Cake

Me before the 10K mark @ Zevenheuvelenloop

This month went by so fast like all the previous months of this year, and I have to simply record in this blog how very proud P and I of the girls, how well they are doing well not only at school but at home.

Eldest is now in her first year of what is equivalent of high school here in the Netherlands.  I still am getting myself acquainted with the school's system here, and will dedicate a blog about how I understand the system here in comparison to what I grew up with in the Philippines, and what I got to know in Germany.

P and I have always admired J's self-reliance, independance, and her generosity towards her younger sisters.   We know that a lot was asked of her when we moved here;  she had to take responsibilities to help out, and it was a much different life than in Germany at the beginning.

Eldest at Keukenhof, 2010
Seeing how she blossomed in her old school, and how well she has adjusted to her new school makes us feel very confident, that  she would overcome challenges in the future with strength of character. 

Eldest by her first horse-riding holiday - August, 2011
Middle daughter K on a special day, which I blogged last year in April: Kermis, Kerk and Kindness

K posing with her communion dress: First Holy Communion blogged, May, 2011
K and J - sisters having fun while I did a training run for the first time in Kinderdijk, blogged June,2012
Middle daughter  K has in a way taken the role of bigger sister to Littlest, now that J is in another school. Like J, K is very dependable.  We can count on her to help out at home and watch out after her little sister.  School for her, just like with both her sisters is a fun place to be - they truly enjoy being there and being a part of their school, which is like a second home for them.

With such an eventful month (heck, year!), almost sprinting towards the end of 2012, I had to eventually slow down my pace.. Specifically in the last week of November to have enough reserve energy for the month of December.

I thought I could completely do without the internet for an entire week, but it's hard when you still check your electronic mails for messages from family and friends - you do end up peeking here and there!

But nonetheless, I've reduced my time considerably online for at least a week.

image first published at The Lightness of Being on the Bike: Where I Cyled To, blogged June, 2012
It was a rejuvenating week, and I am now ready to say, "Hello, December!"