Hokey Pete!!

Ummm excuse me... Does anyone else realize that we are 1/2 way though January already... WHAT!?! Also. Does anyone realize how fast the rest of this year (till august) is going to go.. Well, probably not. But I DO! Oh my heavens! Tonight I was eating dinner with the kids (just us Maarten is gone on business and Maurien is out with friends), which can I say was so fun! Anyway. Pien asked me what I was going to do the rest of the year. Was I going skiing with them, was I going to take summer holiday with them etc.. (which made me feel very loved I might add) but I told her I wasn't sure because I have so many things that I still want to see and do. So she asks me what they are and when I'm going to do them. So I start telling her.. Folks.. this is the next 7 months of my life..

Feb: Plans every weekend. 2 weekends hanging out with Sheila's dog and cats while they are away. 2 weekends hanging out with Bumpy (more excited about Sheila's dog than bumpy but thats ok)

March: Possible Paris or England (p.s. I can fly to England for 50 euro!!!)

April: MOM COMES with Grandma! (we hope. Just add that to your prayer list ok? Thanks) Also Queens day. (A.K.A. Tulip time)

May: Mom and grandma leave. Bike trip to N. Holland and possibly England or Paris (whatever one we didn't do in March)

June: JOSH COMES!!! yayay!! Along with a few weekend trips to meet up with him wherever he is. Hopefully Italy is in the plans..

July: Possibly Normandy, along with a concentration camp. depressing, but I feel like it's something i need to see.

August: Come home.

Oh my gosh. Can you believe it?! I feel like the time is going to get away from me! I also feel like I'm going to travel like crazy and come back with a HUGE travel bug. You know, the one you get once you've been somewhere and then you feel the need to keep traveling. It's an expensive bug, but I think I'm already catching it.. the symptoms are starting to come on.. Constantly looking at airfare and train prices. Looking at hostels. Looking at possible weekends. Feeling like I need to go somewhere all the time. Yep.. I think I've got it. Uh-oh.. Lord.. I sure hope your plans include lots of traveling for me....

I seriously can't believe it. The weather is going to start getting nicer ( i hope. This staying dark till 9 and getting dark at 4:30 and rain everyday is getting really old). And nice weather means funner bike rides. And spring clothes. *sigh* I can't wait.

Prayer request:

1)that God would give me crystal clear direction as to what I need to do when I get back in August.

2) Josh starts his med school classes Monday. Ick ick ick! Pray for him he'll need it!

3) This one is probably the most important.. That God would show me how to really love on this family. And that they would really really see Him in me. That even when I'm super homesick and I just think I can't make it another day that God would show me the good in what I'm doing here, and what HE is doing in me.

Thanks guys! You are the best! Also.. just throwing this out there..I love mail. Just sayin'. If the mood should strike you to send a card to someone.. I would happily volunteer for the card receiver position :o) Heck, you could even use an old wal-mart receipt and write "Hi! How you doin'" on the back of it.. You know, going green or something, then you wouldn't have to throw away a perfectly good piece of receipt paper :o)

Oh.. you need my address? I'll happily supply it :o)

Angie Mitchell (but you already knew that)

Wittenburgerweg 178
2244CJ Wassenaar
The Netherlands

Back again

Hello everyone!

Well, I'm back in the Netherlands after a blissful 3 weeks at home. The time flew by WAY to fast for me. But it's like my dad said. It's better to leave while you are still sad to go, rather than counting the days until you get to go back. I think that is true.

The flight was pretty uneventful. Which was nice. I sat next to a German woman who looked like she could be my mom's sister. It was kind of funny. She was nice. And for the 1st time ever I was actually able to sleep on the flight! It could have something to do with the fact that I woke up at 4:15 on Friday so I could tell my dad goodbye so I didn't get much sleep and then walking around the airport for 4 hrs.. I guess I was just plain exhausted. So I slept for almost 3 hrs and read my book the rest of the time. It was nice. When I landed I was greeted with rain and wind. Good to know the Netherlands didn't decide to change weather patterns while I was gone. I don't know what I would have done if it had been sunny and 70. hah! Sheila picked me up from the airport since Maurien couldn't. That way I didn't have to take a taxi back after traveling for 14 hrs. I thought that was really nice. There is just something about seeing a friendly face after traveling that makes everything well and good. When I got home nobody was home and the house was locked up. Luckily Pien showed up about the same time and she had a cell phone to call Maurien to see when she would be home. And lucky for us the rain held off until Maurien got home.

I just got my stuff in the door when Maurien asked why I didn't bring my key with me to unlock the door. What I wanted to say was... well.. maybe I shouldn't say it.. but instead I said, well I thought I did, it must be in my suitcase somewhere. Then I headed upstairs to clean up my room because she said it was really dirty and then she told me that I had a few days worth of ironing to do starting Monday and that we would be sitting down and reworking my schedule on Monday. Whatever that means. Welcome back huh? Oh well. I'm probably more touchy due to jet lag and already missing home and Josh. Hopefully a good night's rest will make for a much better day tomorrow and by Monday hopefully I'll be all rested up and I really hope God places a guard over my mouth and gives me a spirit of gentleness and understanding and of servanthood before Monday morning as well.

But to end this on a happy note. The kids were all glad to see me and share their stories about Brazil. Pien hasn't left my side for more than 5 min since I got here. I'm so glad to see the kids again! I sure missed them!!

Prayers would be much appreciated over the next few days. Thanks guys! It was so great to see you all over Christmas!

Looking back at 2010

Can you guys believe it's 2011 already? That's just CRAZY and really weird to write/type as well... I don't know how many of you have facebook but if you do you should really go to the "my year in status" link you can find it on my mom's page and make your collage. It's pretty cool to see. What facebook does is, they take a bunch of your status updates from the year and you choose what ones you want to put in your collage. It's kind of fun to look through all those old status' and see what you wrote at that time. My last one from 2009 said something like "2009 held so many blessings I can't wait to see what 2010 holds" and man oh man it held ALOT!!! For starters, here are some highlights..

~ I graduated college mostly debt free with a degree in Elementary Studies

~ I got turned down for a whole lot of jobs just so that God could direct me to Holland

~ I moved to Holland and have had a whole lot of adventures since then

~ Our family welcomed Cameron Reid Mitchell into our family as an official Mitchell member FOR LIFE!

Those are just 4 highlights. There are about a million more. I can't believe the amount of goodness that God saw fit to heap upon me in 2010. And I just can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for me. I mean, I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that I'd be living in Wassenaar, Holland. Ever. Never Ever Ever. I get really excited when I think about what God is going to do this year. I don't know if it involves finding a cool job in the States, or finding a cool job in another country, but whatever it is.. I just can't wait.

I hope you all have a very very Happy and Blessed New Year!