Today was an important day for the Netherlands (also known as Holland). Not only was it Queen's Day (a holiday for the country) but Queen Beatrix, who has been queen over the Netherlands for 33 years, abdicated her throne. Her son, Willem-Alexander took over as king. He's the first king Holland has had in a century!
In honor of this, I've been wearing an orange ribbon in my hair all day (you can also see my new glasses!):
I've been decorating everyone in the house with pieces of orange yarn as well (because orange is Holland's color. The royal family is "the House of Oranje" (the House of Orange).
Rosey was not very happy that I tied so many things onto her fur. But they are all still in and it has been a few hours... she must have forgotten about them.
I was also inspired to do a Holland-themed photoshoot with Kirsten.... but more on that at the end of the blog post.
First, my top nine things that come from Holland!
8. Hans Brinker (or the Silver Skates).
A children's book about Hans and his sister who skate in a contest to win a pair of silver skates. I read a condensed version of this a few years ago (I didn't know that it was a condensed version) and need to pick up the adult version, which is sitting on the bookshelf.
7. Stroopwafels (and other delicious goodies).
6. Windmills!
Such as Jaap, Engalina, Luitzen, Jan, Pieter, etc...
4. Tulips!
My favorite flower.
3. Corrie Ten Boom and her book The Hiding Place.
This is a wonderful book. It tells all about how Corrie trusted God when she was brought to a concentration camp during WW2. A true story and a wonderful, wonderful read. I highly recommend this book.
2. GOUDA!!!!!! (Pronounced gow-da not goo-da. Or, if you want to say it in Dutch, how-da.)
1. My Grandparents and all my other family members/ancestors that have come from Holland.
So there you have it! Now a few of my favorite pictures from the photoshoot I did with Kirsten. Her dress is from a second hand American Girl store which I think is in Iowa.... It is a traditional Dutch dress from either Gelderland (where my Grama is from) or Groningin (where my Grandpa is from).
(Reading from the Dutch cookbook... which is in Dutch.... therefore, we can't actually cook out of it. Maybe someday.)
(With a book of Psalms - in Dutch!)
(Dolls in Trees! And Rosey all ribboned up.)
In other news, I finished Camp NaNoWriMo last night! I wrote 4,500 words last night just to finish... I hit the 50k mark just before 10:00 and then spent the next hour writing the ending - which was only 800 words. Hip hip! I'm finished! Now I don't have to look at it again for 10 years.
And finally some exciting breaking news.... Next jaar sometime mijn oma, mijn vader, mijn moeder, en Ik, zal bezoek het Nederland! (next year sometime my grama, my dad, my mom, and I, will visit the Netherlands! I only had to look up one word. =D)
Lang zal ze leven! Hiep hiep hoera! (Long may she live. Hip hip hurrah!)
Oh, I loved Corrie Ten Boom's "The Hiding Place!" I did it for my book report in sixth grade, when we had to choose a book about the second World War. I wanted to be original, and do a book other than Number the Stars or Anne Frank's Diary. It was very good.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to go to Holland. It is such a pretty country and I love their windmills. I've also always wanted to wear a pair of wooden shoes all day, painful or not.
ReplyDeleteRosey doesn't look overly amused about the yarn, she must not be very Dutch.
HURRAY for finishing!!!!! Way to go!!!! You need chocolate!!!!!!!!
You and your grama are both beautiful!
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