Happy Holidays

It´s all been according to what the kids want this year. For the first time we got our own tree, well actually two, as Julianna got a baby one for free (that stands on the balcony). The larger one is an "american blue" the salesman said and it is darker green and firmer then the normal ones here. I like it and it smells wonderful. After the girls decorated it, it looks like this.

Here Christmas Eve is the day for celebrations. So today we had a nice relaxing day. We stayed inside as Julianna woke up with a fever and a toothache (I actually took her to the dentist and had it pulled, it was a loose one that wouldn´t let go by itself). Julianna is fine now. We had spaghetti and marinara sauce for dinner and lots of homemade holiday candy after that. The girls also got presents and they were both very happy with them. Tomorrow my mother and Janne comes!

Happenings, pictures, and snow

Elena performed with her theatre group. She´s a kitty, can you find her? It was a great production with a large cast.

We went skiing in Idre, 4 hours northwest of where we live. It was gorgeous.


The girls had a lot of fun! It was a great adventure going there with a group of 77 people. We shared an apartment, dinner, bowling and lots of skiing.

Vernissage, art class exhibition. Orange is Julianna´s and white Elena´s.

Julianna with some sketches.

Lucia performance with all the gymnastic groups.

Can you find Julianna?

The girls got new suits.

Sebastian now turned 9 months.

Today he decided not to crawl. He walked and lost balance but kept on standing and walking all over the house. It was great to see such a conscious decision of his. Determined he was, and he kind of ran once too (reminded me of Julianna that tried to climb really early).

At open daycare, a center for moms and young ones to meet. Sebastian enjoyed it very much this time.

He got excited over the slide.

He loved the push cart!

We´ve baked lots of ginger cookies.

He loves the cats, and they are so kind and loving to him.

Had to practice some inside first.

Julianna´s circus school show. They were pirates.

Here Elena baked bullar, a Swedish cinnamon roll.

Bart came home and will now stay for a while. Yes, thanks for the holidays.

Sebastian loves the red suitcase and he always gives it lots of attention and then explores all that is inside. Snowflake too.

Now the snow is here! This is yesterday, Bart went out to clean off our car.

Baking, in her new dress....

Santa by Julianna, with brown beard as the frosting is made with unrefined sugar...

Grateful

I feel so grateful today. So grateful for all the beautiful people in my life and although most of you who are reading this are far away, please know that I love you and I am still so grateful to know you, even if in some cases it is just a little.
I am grateful for that I have a place to live, a warm cozy place that we have made our own. I am grateful that I have a car that runs and takes me where I need to go.
I am grateful for the food and things that I can buy, when the ground outside is frozen and I have nothing growing in my house (although I did got a new sprouting jar and will start soon...).
I am grateful for my lovely children that are so ... just who they are.
Right now Sebastian is yelling out his joy for being alive in the hallway as he is standing with his arms up in the air (like superman about to take off).
We are going to a skiing resort this weekend with the local skiing club that we newly joined. The girls are so looking forward to it and as we prepared some packing last night the girls ran around naked with only their hats and helmets on. Sebastian loves when the girls are active around him, he laughs as soon as someone looks at him and he likes to "chase them" around.
I am grateful for my husband working so I can be here for the children as much as I wish and for everything he gives us.
I am grateful for the holidays that gives us time to be together.
Thank you.

Sebastian is walking

For some weeks now Sebastian has been taking two steps to get to us or a chair but last week he headed straight out in the room and now he practices walking all the time. Until he sees something interesting and then he hurries by crawling over there.
He is now also very clear on what he wants and asks for it and that is so much fun. He asks to bounce on my foot, he´ll ask me to lift him up to look at something the girls are doing on the table, he asks to go to bed or not to be in the bedroom. He asks to sit at the table and eat food. And he makes faces, I managed to get a video of him and a picture of his new funny face.

New funny face!

Sebastian enjoying getting to know our Christmas decorations.

Playing with the girls.

Watch me go video!

It´s great to see him so confident now!

Gymnastic and Dance

Time for dance recitals. Here is Julianna ready for the show.

I do enjoy the show, it´s lovely to watch how they love to dance. The teenagers perform street dance, and hip hop but also salsa and jazz.

Elena is to the left.

Julianna is also to the left, with a red scarf.

Julianna completed level 1 in gymnastic.

Sebastian says hi!

Pictures

I got into the shower. Ha ha. Sebastian laughs a lot and his humor is so lovely.

In the evenings especially he acts like a puppy. He gets all excited and crawls as fast as he can back and forth between us.

Once upon a day in gray November there was a day of sunshine!!! We took the bicycles for a ride. It was beautiful and I soaked up the light like a dry plant soaks up water.

It was noon here. Look above how low the sun is, it does not rise higher.

I love the still water, the reflections are so magical and beautiful.

Julianna and Sebastian playing. He was trying to use the hula hoop like she was doing. Then he ended up with rabbit ears. (Further down.)

Julianna has a lamp with red light and one evening I took some cool pictures as she was writing.

Here is a cool shot from her work in Stockholm. There are more pictures to be found at :
http://www.lindex.com/se/StartPage/StartPage.aspx

Here is the bunny.

Hama beading with Majken. She went home to Norway. Hopefully she´ll be back in the new year.

Julianna went to a bandy game with Bart. It was an invitation for new residents to learn the game etc. She enjoyed it and she got a penguin and a bat painted on her face!

On a walk from when Carin was here, in our town park, ready to feed the ducks.