What has been happening and what is to come

It has been pointed out to me numerous times that I haven't blogged in a few days. Things here have been kind of quiet.  Lars has gone back to work and when he is gone I have been reading (the Game of Thrones set) or watching tv.  We have mostly gone to the grocery store when he is off work...which has been treacherous thanks to the snow.

These photos were from the first day it snowed...and most of that snow is still on the ground now, even though its been a week or more.  The sidewalks (most of them) are not cleared off and walking is a bit scary at times.  I'm glad I have Lars to hang onto.
The cold here is different than in Missouri. Its such a bitter cold that even with no wind I walk outside and immediately my hands hurt and my nose and ears are numb.  When the wind blows it just takes your breath away. 

My wedding dress arrived the other day.  No pictures until the wedding day...I don't want to ruin the surprise for Lars :).  Its beautiful though and I'm really excited to wear it.
The other day Lars took me to a new mall.  Its near the outdoor mall that was in a previous post...like a mall within a mall.  The price tags of most of the items scared the living daylights out of me, but they really had some beautiful things. I found a few scarves that I liked :). Before we left we found some cute little things I'm going to get for souvenirs for friends.  They had this tin filled with cookies that had paintings by Vincent  van Gogh (my favorite).  Lars got it for me and had them wrap it.  He also bought us these sausage filled pastries.  He was talking to the women behind the counter, in Dutch.  I asked what the pastry had in it and he wouldn't tell me...I may have called him a brat...and the woman behind the register told me what it was.  I thanked her and she said that "us women have to stick together".  Turns out she was English and her parents live in the States.
Outside the mall was a jewelry store that we stopped at after we got off the subway.  I had a look around while Lars was checking on getting a ring of his fixed.  I spied a cute little ring that he forced me to show him and I bought Isaac a little present there.  Lars bought me the pretty ring and didn't let me have it until we got home.  He was very sweet though and said now I have a proper engagement ring and he asked me again to marry him...of course I said yes.

(wow my hand looks weird in this pic :p)

I have a few other pics to show...the first is just an online example of the brat that Lars can be.  We went to the store and got some candy bars.  Mine mysteriously found its way into a strange place...7 feet off the ground...

What you don't see pictured here is me using my brains and grabbing one of Lars wooden swords to knock it down....I caught it perfectly by the way.  I calmly put back the sword and found my way to the couch where I devoured the bar before it could run away again.

Lars also bought me these beautiful tulips...you can't really tell from the photo but they are white and orange :D.  I didn't get any pics when they were opening up, but they were so beautiful.

Lars' parents bought us a travel card as an engagement present.  For one day we can travel anywhere in Holland for free.  We plan to use the card to go to the south of Holland to Maastricht.  I've looked it up online and there some amazing old buildings there.  Its also on the edge of Belgium and Germany.  I told him that we should really go somewhere extreme...meaning the farthest edge of the country...somewhere we may not have had the chance to go. So Maastricht it is :D. 
We also have plans to go to Amsterdam.  I'd really like to see the Anne Frank museum while we are there...visit the Vincent van Gogh Museum....go to the Hard Rock Cafe....we will see what we actually get to do :).  Its gonna be a fun trip no matter what.

Here are a few pics that Lars took that I needed to add in :)

 I'm not really sure why I have my hat on in the kitchen.  It can get cold in there...but we probably had just gotten home from the grocery store and it was the last thing to come off.  The pic below is of me and how I normally look when we go out.