My brother and his bride

Yeah! They did it!

The beaming couple.

The blessing.

The whole "Viss"clan

Arriving at the party.

The cakes.

Ramona & Nathaniel

Saturday was a beautiful day. After a night of fierce winds and rain the day dawned sunny and bright. The church was bedecked for a romantic evening wedding with flickering candlelight and Christmas lights. Ramona's beauty would take your breath away. Ben's smile was a mile wide and lit up the room. A short and simple ceremony officiated by my father reminded us that outside of God it is impossible to love the way we are called to love. The vows written and recited by the couple were sweet and moving. A poignent moment when my brother Will joined dad on the stage to bless the couple. The party afterward was a swinging time of celebration and joy. It was a truly memorable day.

Catching Up

I have been MIA from the blog for all kinds of reasons, mostly just because it has been busy with a house full of people, Christmas, and wedding preparations. On top of it all some of us have been sick with a nasty cold. Ben was sick on Christmas, Mariana and I have spent the past 2 days hibernating in our respective beds, and last night Jeremiah woke up with a horrible cough. So we are all taking lots of vitamins, eating lots of healthy food, and praying that those who are not sick will not catch this thing.
Jeremiah has been having a blast with all the extra attention. He is always asking someone to play with him. He enthusiastically greeted everyone with a `Merry Christmas`on Christmas morning, and has been picking up more and more dutch words. He enjoys walks and recently went on a fun trip to the local petting zoo with Oma.
Nathaniel has grown so much since we have been here. He is practically sitting on his own, he recognizes people, and we have started him on solid food.

I have put some pictures up from the past few days so keep scrolling and enjoy.

Papa is here!
Jeremiah was thrilled to have his papa join us.

One day we woke to a beautiful sight, fog had frozen on every surface creating a world that looked like it had been dipped in frosting. It was so beautiful our eyes could hardly take it in and our camera´s did not do it justice.

Jeremiah enjoys playing with `Buddy`a doll that used to belong to my brother Will.

Aunt Mariana finally gets Nathaniel loving.

Jeremiah gets a Christmas present from Oma and Opa.
It was a Thomas set.

Merry Christmas!





Oma and Nathaniel laugh together.
Nathaniel definitely recognizes his oma and smiles and laughs when he sees her.



Nathaniel finally seems to be enjoying tummy time more.

Nathaniel gets solid food for the first time.
He seemed to enjoy it and we have moved past the rice cereal to carrots.
Despite all the medical advice saying that solid food doesn´t help baby´s sleep through the night longer, he has in fact been sleeping 8 to 10 hours per night.

Let it snow!

We awoke this morning to snow! Not lots of it but just enough sifting through the air to cover everything in a light powdery dusting. It was a cold day, but beautiful in the way that only winter can be. Jeremiah took a cold wintery walk in the woods with oma and came back with a red nose. The way he tells it they ran and danced and climbed on fallen trees. Sounds like fun.

This past monday night one of my very good friends came to dinner with her 2 girls Josephine and Melissa. We had a good visit catching up and Jeremiah loved playing with the girls. Melissa especially loves children and babies and spent a lot of time with both the boys.

Jeremiah likes to color. He has started to really really like it and we usually color at least one time per day. I have decided that Color Wonder markers and paper are one of the greatest inventions ever!

Nathaniel has found the satin edge of his blanket. You can hear his sucking noises in the next room when he is really going to town! He is such a cutie pie.

Tomorrow morning we go to pick up Aaron. Jeremiah is stoked. So am I. Will and Mariana will arrive tomorrow too. The fun is really about to begin!

Eagerly Awaiting Papa

Most kids this week are counting down the days until Christmas and watching the gifts pile up under the tree. Jeremiah is counting the days until his papa comes. We are down to 2! Every morning now Jeremiah heads to the front door and exclaims, `We go get papa now!` Then I do the whole explanation of how many days we still have to go. I can´t wait until Friday morning when I can say, `That´s right! Get your hat and coat!`
It is cold, cold, cold here in Holland. But I don´t mind too much. I think it adds to the Christmas spirit. This morning the ground was covered with white frost, as were the orange roof shingles of all the houses. It was as pretty as a postcard. At the market our cheeks and noses were rosy from the cold.
My mom and I are going to be busy the next few days preparing the house for Aaron and Will and Mariana´s arrival. We are all in a fun state of anticipation.
I like the feeling of anticipating Christmas without gifts. Instead of thinking about gifts we are eagerly anticipating being with the people we love, yummy food, the live nativity scene on Christmas Eve, the wedding to come soon after Christmas. I haven´t given a single thought to what to get for who, how to wrap it, how much to spend etc. etc. It´s kinda nice. I like giving and receiving gifts as much as the next person but I think I much prefer to keep the gift giving seperate from Christmas Day. I think I will talk to Aaron about adapting the Dutch Sinterklaas traditions in our family. That way the gift giving, done on December 6, will be finished before Christmas arrives.
It would definitely be countercultural in the US. Something for our family to consider.

Random Images

Jeremiah loves to play upstairs.
Here he is in oma´s study.
Today, opa left him alone in oma´s study and he took the pen on oma´s desk and drew on her computer screen. Yep, now there are permanent scratches in the screen. We had to have a talk about how you treat other people´s things. Still a difficult concept for and almost 3 year old.

Jeremiah reads Nathaniel a book.

Can you tell how much Nathaniel hates being bundled up.
Oh, and by the way, he out growing his 6 to 9 month size onesies.
He´s got the longest torso and arms ever! Apperantly he comes by those honestly as they are in the Rapier and the Viss family.

Advent III

What Did Mary Ponder?

So the shepherds got up and ran as fast as they could to the city of Bethlehem, to a particular stable in that city, and in that stable they gazed on one particular baby, lying in a manger.

Then, in that moment, everything was fixed in a lambent, memorial light.

For there was the infant, just waking, just lifting his arms to the air and making sucking motions with his mouth. The holy child was hungry. And there was his mother, lying on the straw as lovely as the lily and listening to the noises of her child. “Joseph?” she murmured. And there was Joseph, as sturdy as a bard, just bending toward his Mary. “What?” he whispered.

And the shepherds’ eyes were shining for what they saw.

Exactly as though it were morning and not the night, the shepherds when out into the city and began immediately to tell everyone what the angel had said about this child. They left a trail of startled people behind them, as on they went, both glorifying and praising God.

But Mary did not so much as rise that night. She received the baby from Joseph’s hands, then placed him down at her breast while she lay on her side on straw. With one arm she cradled the infant against her body. On the other arm, bent at the elbow, she rested her head; and she gazed at her small son sucking. Mary lowered her long, black lashes and watched him and loved him and murmured, “Jesus, Jesus,” for the baby’s name was Jesus.

“Joseph?” she said without glancing up.

And Joseph said, “What?”

But Mary felt silent and said no more. She was keeping all these things – all that had happened between the darkness and the light – and pondering them in her heart.
From Walter Wangerin´s The Manger is Empty

Ever since I became a mother I have wondered about Mary. What were her thoughts and feelings as she carried Jesus in her womb. As she went through her first birth alone and in a stable. As she saw her son for the first time. As shepherds and wisemen came to visit. As she experienced each new phase of Jesus´growth and development. I remember the moment of my first son´s birth. I remember the first minutes and days of being a mother being filled with pure wonder at this new life and pure fear at my responsibility to care for it. And of course the primal, overwhelming, all encompassing love that blossomed in my heart the minute I laid my eyes on him. My emotions and concerns as a mother are deep and complex, how much more so must Mary´s have been as she knew she was the mother of God´s son.
One of our little familys Christmas traditions is to read the Christmas story as told by Walter Wangerin in The Manger is Empty. It is a beautiful telling of a story I have heard my whole life. It moves me deeply and there are always tears in my eyes at the end. I am reminded through the telling that this story is true. It happened to real people. And it is amazing!

We are here!

We are here safe and sound. If you prayed for us then you did a good job! He blessed us above and beyond expectations and the trip really was a breeze. When we arrived at the Atlanta airport they gave Aaron a special security pass so that he could come with us all the way to the gate. That made life so much easier! He stayed with us until we boarded the plane. Once on the plane we settled, ate dinner, and Jeremiah was actually asking to lay down and go to sleep. He had not had a nap so he was one tired fellow. He slept almost the whole flight. So did Nathaniel! Wonder of wonders Nathaniel actually snuggled up and slept in the bassinet that hooked onto the wall in front of me. I had a quiet and relaxing flight! I was so proud of my boys!
We are tired today and will try and keep to as normal a schedule as possible. Jeremiah is loving exploring oma and opa´s house. We have been up and down both flights of stairs more times than I can count. He has gone to the store with opa and been on a walk with oma. Friends of my parents have lent us all kinds of toys for Jeremiah and a crib and seat for Nathaniel so we are all set!
We miss Aaron.
Let´s pray that their adjustment to Dutch time will be as easy as the flight.

In the subway at Atlanta airport.
`This is fun!

Jeremiah loved watching all the goings on at the airport.

Proof that I can and will nurse almost anywhere now!
It´s so much easier with child #2.

Jeremiah asleep on the airplane.
below, Nathaniel snuggled in the bassinet.

Nathaniel asleep at opa and oma´s house.
He has been sleeping alot today so we will see how tonight goes.

Opa and the boys!