Merry Christmas

Christmas has arrived. It is knocking on the door of my heart. I want to wish to all my friends and relatives, closer and far away the most peaceful and joyful Christmas day. May this special day fill you up with happiness to last until the next one. For my Christians friends ( as me ) this is such a very special day, in which we celebrate the birth of our very special friend and the wisest and most loving teacher, Jesus.
Here few pictures from my house, mostly the lights, colourful and so necessary in the darkness of this month.

Merry Christmas !!!

Christmas days

Christmas Eve was a very relaxed day. After dinner as we always do we watched 'Nativity' and talked about the birth of Jesus. After the baby was sleeping and the older children were upstairs me and papaF did some final wrapping and went to bed. Before going to sleep we noticed it was snowing again. We woke up on Christmas day in a fluffy and white world, with a blue sky and beautiful sun and -14 degrees. PERFECT.
After enjoyng surprise on James face and the unwrapping of the presents, we relaxed with a movie and then, while lasagne were cooking we wend out of the door with James to enjoy the beautiful day. We pulled him around in Seba's stiga but after a while he asked us to go back inside because it was so cold. The day passed beetween movies, chatting, playing with the little one and a lot of knitting for me ( I was in need of a new woolen hat and now I have it ! ). A light(er) dinner and another movie after to finish the wonderful day.
This morning it has been snowing again for a while but today we spent the day inside. A lazy morning watching 'The desolation of Smaug' a quick pizza lunch and the afternoon spent chatting with Gaia and trying to figure out what to knit now ( still no idea about that ). Homemade Tacos dinner and Lord of the Rings read aloud while nursing Jimmy to sleep. A very peaceful Christmas indeed.

So this is Christmas,

for once a lovely one,

 ok not for once really,

but indeed a lovely and peaceful one.

 

Outdoor

Yesterday evening it has started snowing, but this morning the sky was blue and the air was crispy. Our garden was full of life, footprints everywhere and birds coming and going and singing. We have spent so much time outside today, finally we could get Jimmy wearing his snowsuit and snow shoes and gloves and we brought him around in Seba's stiga. I took a lot of pictures and we shared laughs and thoughts. I hope in many more days like today :)

I'm not sure if I'll be back before Christmas, just in case my best wishes goes to all the lovely readers who might drop by.

Happy Solstice day !!!!

Finally the solstice has arrived ! This means that the sun is starting a new cycle and day after day we will have longer daylight hours and the darkness will be only a memory for few months. Until I moved here today was just 'the beginning of the winter' but now, after surviving the darkness this day has a whole new meaning, I bet all those who live in the far north ( or south ;) ) can relate.
I spent the day cleaning and decluttering getting ready for Christmas, I guess some more work will be done in the next couple of days and then I want to enjoy a very peaceful joyful and relaxing Christmas.

Laughs

Laughing is a great gift. Today I will share few images that made me laugh out loud or smile very big !!

Our Christmas tree didn't survive at the stove, too hot even if it was of course not so close at it.

I think somehow the tree it was charming isn't it ?

Of course today we replaced it, hopefully the new one will last until the end of the festive season :)

 

Fun with the little one ! 

There's nothing better then let a little one take the lead to experience some big fat fun ;)

 

 

New decoration on the terrace. Looks like a fairy tale. When I went out to take few pics my face opened in a smile without my mind deciding it. I guess my heart took control of all my muscles and acted consequently :)

 

Sunrise 9:23

Sunset 15:07

hours of daylight 5:44

One minute less, one day to go.

 

Unexpected gifts

It happened again. The kindness of strangers. This is the fourth Christmas we spend here, away from our homeland, away from our relatives and longtime friends. It could feel a bit sad and lonely. But every year we've been surprised by unexpected gifts. So after the incredible kindness showed by some of the guests we had during the open house weekends ( four different people, three of whom we didn't know , brought us a present during the visit ) today poured on us so many gifts that it's stll hard to believe ...

 Incredible isn't it ? One present for each child and one for the entire family. We couldn't believe it and we feel so humbled and gratefull for this. And if this wasn't enough for today our friends who own a restaurant in town gave us some freshly made sushi ...

 I have to admit i was very skeptical about sushi, but after tasting it with this yummi ginger and soy sauce ... well I was wrong, it's quite good and more then worth eating ( or over eat as in my case ;) )
Well the miracle of Christmas once again, baby Jesus is about to come and the unexpected kindness remind us what Christmas is all about: LOVE

Here the last two days following the light, then the new moon and the solstice will draw a new start. Light will come back. and no, before you ask I find it perfectly fine loving Jesus and honouring the light and celebrating the solstice. I've come to believe that Jesus' birth is in this period because HE is a light as well so if I was the Almighty and I could chose the perfect moment for my son, the Christ, the Light, to come on earth, I think I'd chose this time of the year as well.

Sunrise at 9:21

Sunset at 15:07

Hours of daylight 5:45

same as yesterday

Almost there

Snow and frost and sun and bright sunset and we're almost there, solstice in two days and Christmas just behind the corner. Excitement and happyness and laughs and shiny things and secret boxes and whatever is yet to come is worth seeing and waiting for :)

Sunrise at 9:21

Sunset at 15:07

Hours of daylight today 5:45

one minute less then yesterday

Snow and guests

Last night we got snow and this morning we woke up in a whitened fairy world. And today we opened with the old house association and got tons of lovely guests ( around 200 people !!! ) We started with a big bus from Russia filled with really nice people :) Now I'm extremily tired but happy. Tomorrow the last opening of the year.

Sunrise at 9:16

Sunset at 15:07

Hours of daylight today 5:50

( two minutes less then yesterday )

Handmade

I love to work with my hands. I love creating beautiful things and I hope that one day I'll make a job out of my passion. For tomorrow's opening I realized many beautiful thing. I smile very big just looking at them ....

I love them all ! 

Everything has been dome using mixed technics and natural fiber, knitting, crocheting, sewing and needle felting.

Sunrise at 9:14

Sunset at 15:07

Hours of deylight 5:52 

(two minutes less then yesterday )

Loviisan Joulu or Christmas chocolate

This coming weekend we'll open again our house. As member of LWT ( Loviisa's old houses association ) ww joined for the first time this year the Christmas opening of the old houses. So I spent the day preparing chocolate and various sweets along with my lovely doughters as well finishing few of my knitted and crocheted creations that I will (hopefully) sell. Open the house is a lot of work but a lot of fun too. You get to know, meet and talk with litterally hundreds of people in two days ( the first weekend at some point there were 72 people in our not-so-big living room and kitchen !!!!!) , some people might think it's a nightmare, but our family loves it, even James ( 2 years and half ) is very pleased of all the coming and going. So the whole family works together to make it a perfect day, I must say we're a very good team now :)
Here some pics of today's sweets ...

Yummi isn't it ?

But let's follow the light now

sunrise at 9:13

sunset at 15:07

hours of daylight 5:54

two minutes less than yesterday

Black-out

Today we had very strong winds, a real storm. If you have ever had a metal roof you know well the very loud noise it makes every time the wind hits it. Scary if you're not used.
This evening we expeienced also several black-outs, dark in the darkness. We experienced the life and total darkness of the former owner of this house back at the beginning of '900. No street lamps or led-lamps to ease the pre-solstice day. Good to be candle lovers ...

Sunrise at 9:12 today

Sunset at 15:08 today

5:56 hours of daylight

2 minutes less than yesterday.

Christmas hints

In the darkest moment of the year we honour the light :)

Sunrise today at 9:09

Sunset today at 15:09

Six hours of daylight