Dear Sinterklaas...

Dear Sinterklaas,

I have been a good girl this year, truly I have. And you were very good to me this year. My wish list last year was "to uncover a few more family secrets in 2007...a few more surprises, a few more times exclaiming 'so THAT'S where they were!' and many more genealogy happy dances to jig!" You granted my wish, dear St. Nick, because I did uncover a few more family secrets (which I can't even reveal on my blog!), and I had many reasons to do the "genealogy happy dance" this year.

You didn't give me new branches for either my hubby's or my own family trees, but that's OK, because you gave me tons and tons of photos, documents, letters, and stories so that our family trees are really leafed out, blooming full, and bearing fruit. In fact, I've got envelopes and packages and totes full of things I need to scan, label, analyze and input into my databases...so much so, that I could have a Scanfest everyday and not be caught up for a while! You even sent me a copy of Elizabeth Shown Mills's new book, Evidence Explained, so that I could do a quality job of citing my sources!

So St. Nicholas, my wish list this year only includes two things: 1) time to get caught up on all these necessary duties; and because I know that as wonderful as you are, you can't control the rotation of the earth and make my days longer, I wish for 2) wisdom to use the time I have more efficiently, so that I can produce some quality family trees to share with my family members.

I'm putting out my klompen with great anticipation and stocking up on olie bollen for you and Zwarte Pieter, and I'm looking for the freshest, crunchiest carrots I can find for your dashing white horse. I'll be looking for what you've left me early on the morning of December 6th.

Sincerely,
Miriam