I did it!!! In Finnish!!!

She did fine at the dentist. And so did I!!

Yesterday #5 had a dentist appointment.  Big Guy is working out of town, so this ball was in my court.  Usually when I go places most people understand and speak English with me, so I wasn't worried.  We got to the dentist and waited for a bit, during which time I filled out a form for #5, in Finnish!!  I understood pretty much everything, so I felt good about handling that one unassisted!  Then her turn in the chair came, and the dental hygenist came to get us.  I said a few things in English, so she'd "get it" (Please speak English to me!!")  But she happily yammered away in Finn!  Ok.  Bite the bullet.  At one point she asked me if I understand any Finn, and I replied, "yeah, a little..."  That must have meant Green light!  And she yakked happily ever after.  Actually, she used very basic words, and explained a few things for me, and guess what??? I UNDERSTOOD!!! Like pretty much all of it!  Not before I was walking out to the car did I realized what had just happened.  All that basic stuff that she'd said to me, would have been jibberish just a few moths ago!  I MUST BE LEARNING!!!  I felt SO good about that - I even called BigGuy to share the news! 

Maybe this seems like a minor thing for you guys, but not for me.  I felt like a million bucks.  Even if I didn't say a whole lot, I understood that #5 has crossbite and has to come back in 4 months, and that she had a few very small cavities that I can keep under control with good brushing... I bet most of you would not know that in Finn!!!!  he, he.... So, there, I just had to share that one!!! Oh the joys that makes you happy!

8 months in Finland!!

I'm sure nobody noticed our descreet group at the airport....

Our gang on the plane!!!

Big Guy is prepared, wearing a Finland shirt.  In case he got lost they would know where to send him...

So.  On Saturday it'll be 8 months since we landed in Finland.  Our heads spinning and with clueless expressions plastered on our faces, we stepped out of the plane... 
I had been here before.  Growing up in Sweden, with a Finnish dad, we occationally vacationed here.  This is also the country where I met Big Guy.  He was born here, but moved with his parents, and at the time 2 siblings, to Canada when he was 4½ years old.  He came back here to work many summers for his uncles, and he also came here for a year to go through his army sevice in his early 20-ies. Then he was here to work that magical summer of 1996 when our paths and eyes met... (but that's another story!!) 

For our kids this was their first time here.  And now this was their country to live in... With everything new, new, new... Language, nature, climate, people, food, school, friends.
I felt excited, curious, happy, sad and scrared!!!  I bet the kids felt the same way....

More than ones during the spring before we moved, did I ask myself if I was sanely intact.  Well, I have always asked myself that.  But this was more serious!!!  I just had to trust my instinct and go with that.  We had a baby a few months before Christmas 2009, and he was in and out of the Dr. clinic, and had a few hospital visits due to several intense chest infections... Scary.  At the same time we were preparing our house to be put up for sale.  We rented a storage unit and began declutter our house... One box at the time.  I kept looking for good deals on tickets, and it felt like my days became cookiecutters of the previous one.  Daily chores, baby, homework, pack a box here and there, baby, go through all the closets, do research about Finland, schools there, baby.... On and on.  Every Saturday was dedicated to our house.  Painting, decluttering, construction, or to plan our new house in Finland.  At this time Big Guy and his brothers decided to start at company that they would run in Finland (building ICF homes).  It felt like the timing was perfect.  We had nothing else going on!! (yeah right...)  My hubby worked as an accountant then, and this was the busiest time of the year at the office.

But through it all, it still felt like things went smoothly!!  I prayed a lot, and I felt that I truly got the strength I needed.  At the end of March I found some really good deals on tickets overseas.  I was able to book oneway tickets for half price of round trip ones.  Never used to be able to do that in the past!  So, with 9 people needing a spot on the plane, I went ahead and booked them!!!!!  We didn't even have our house on the market!  We did list our house, privately, in the 3rd week of April...  We were leaving the country in 2 months!!!  Well, things did go our way, and we had an offer that we accepted within a few weeks.  Before it was all officially on paper though, and we were able to put that SOLD sign up front, it was early JUNE!!!  Guess who had to kick into high gear???  Big Guy went overseas at this time as well to prep a few things for us.  I had my hubby's 16 year old cousin staying with us for some weeks then, and she pretty much was my lifesaver...

Somehow it all got done.  Thanks to my hubby's family and other friends. 
I'll spare you the details of our last few days in Kanada.  Let's just say it was busy!!!
It's different than when you move from one city to another, because you can't come back and tie up the loose ends later.  (although we ended up leaving some things behind that did not fit in the container) You have to get it taken care of before you leave.  And also pack for the trip while keeping the kids happy... We sent most of our stuff as well as 2 vehicles in the container.  So for the first month in Finland we only had what we were able to pack in our suitcases.  We couldn't ship it here any sooner either, since we needed our stuff there as long as possible!! 

All in all everything went amazingly well.  Nobody got sick or hurt... 
When we arrived here the kids and I spent the 1st week at friends house a few hours away, while Big Guy helped his brother out on his house.  Then we had a well needed vacation in Sweden.  I hadn't visited my parents for 9 years, so this was very special for us.  Since our stuff was still somewhere on the Atlantic ocean, and we had no place to stay yet, it was a perfect time for a break. Coming back here meant finding an apartment.  We got that taken care of in 2 days, and the day after we got the keys, the container arrived to our city!!
Well folks, now we are here... Next time I'll tell you how it's been going so far!!!

#5 is 5!!!

5 years old today!!

Last night the gifts were being wrapped, and our 5th girl had to keep out of the big girls room.  Today, Monday morning, none of the kids (except the Birthday girl, who luckily stayed asleep) woke up without any help.  We had bought a mini ice-cream cake, and with an added candle on top, we formed a line of 8 people; "From the smallest to the tallest!", everyone carrying something.  We slowly proceeded to the sleeping girl's room, singing "Happy Birthday to Youuuuu!!"  She woke up, blinking and too tired to even smile... But soon enough the candle was blown out, and the unwrapping of the gifts started. 

Our 5th girl is turning 5 today.  She's sweet enough too eat, and spunky enough to cause me many gray hairs...  She looks up to her older sisters, and wants to be just like them.  She's smart and funny, and knows how to tease like a pro... She can drive her little sister bonkers with just one sound or "look".  She knows how to do "eyes", meaning she purposly makes her eyes look in different directions, one up and one down for example... 
She was born 3 days passed her duedate, I had told my Dr. the day before that I WILL NOT wait another week... He asked me to come in early the next day and "pretend" to be in labour, and then he'd come and check me and tell the nurses to get a room ready for me...
OK!!!  I felt a bit dumb about having to "lie" about being in labour, but during the night I had a lot of cantractions, so I figured something was about to happen no matter what.

My husband and I got to the hospital shortly before 7, and I told the lady at the desk that I thought I was in labour. 
"Ok, how close together are your contractions?"
"Eeeeh, well, I don't have them very close or regular, but this being my 5th baby, I didn't want to take any chances..."
I had her at "5th baby".  She was not about to argue with a pro!!
She brought me in to triage, and just about that time my Dr came by to do his rounds.  (very coincidental!!)
He checked me, and I was almost at a 4!, so he said "She's a keeper", and asked the nurses to prep a room for me.  YAY!!!  They broke my water around 8 in the morning, and our little Princess was born at 1:30 pm.  She greeted this world by peeing on the Dr.  He, he...
As they put our little pink bundle all wrapped up in my arms, she looked around with a "Don't try any tricks with me" look, and then she put her tongue between her little lips and blew a raspberry.
Big Guy and I looked at each other and said "We are in trouble!!"
We were not wrong...

Even writing about this makes me so happy to have her, as well as all of our kids.  There's nothing greater in life than those blessings from above...  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, our most precious child!

Oh! The weather outside is frightful!

                                           Our youngest girl in our livingroom....

One thing we have no say about is the weather.  We all get what we get.  Good or bad.  So far I have enjoyed this winter.  I take lots of snow and stable, cold temperatures anytime, over rain, sleet and temperatures hovering around freezing.  Now I'm starting to feel a bit sick of it, as we got served a generous dish with really cold weather.  When you go outside and your face stays in the same expression until you get back inside again, it's too cold.  When you can't pour concrete for our house, for 2 weeks!! then it's too cold!!!  (meaning that it's been colder than -15C the whole time.  Many days quite a bit colder than that.  We hit the -30 C mark the other day)  January came and went with a few days of freezing cold, but most days were really manageble, and the kids were outside a fair amount.  I in my innocence figured we got off the hook pretty easy.  I didn't realize that when they said that February is usually the coldest month, they WERE NOT kidding!!!  (this is my 1st winter here, in case you didn't know)  The kids are still outside at recess thou, and their skiing excercises are still in full swing. 

I admire Big Guy and his brothers for braving this weather, working outside.  They have to get the roof done on his brother's house, and these "6 foot plus" guys, decked out in their winter best, trying to not slide off from up there... Yikes.  Makes me a bit nervous.  Ah well.  It's just weather, and soon the temperatures will drop, and we'll enjoy the marvellous spring here.  That's when you head outside on your skiis, out on the lakes for ice-fishing, getting your face tanned, while the rest of your pale body is safe inside your snowgear...  Can't wait!!!  Well, now I'm gonna enjoy my coffee on this frigid winter morning, and figure out the warmest way to make it to the post office with some packages that need to get out the door. (I wonder if I could build a tunnel through the snow??)

Ta-ta!!!  PS: I'm truly thrilled about all the traffic on my blog!  Thank you guys!  And oh... that's not our livingroom really... That's at the IceHotel in Sweden.  Duh.

That's not funny!!!

What's humor?  I guess it can be many things.  Many times humor is associated with poking fun of someone or something.  As long as both parties laugh and "get it", it's funny.  There's a lot of "so called" humor that I don't find funny.  When you look down at others, and belittle someone who's not at "brilliant" as yourself. 
If one person is feeling worse, how is it funny? 

Kids have humor from the get go.  They smile and laugh already as babies.  A smile I believe is also their way of responding to your love and care.  A way of saying Thank you!  This continues throughout life.  When is a real smile not nice?  Smile, and the world will smile with you!  Right?  Laugh at yourself, and I bet the world will laugh too... Maybe not always with you.  Sometimes AT you.  And that's OK.  Right?  It's really healthy to not take yourself so serious.  "If I laugh first at my own mistakes, it won't hurt as much when others do"  Why do we laugh at eachothers mistakes in the first place?  I like to think that it's from relief.  "Good thing it wasn't me!!"  but also from us seeing the comical in a situation.  If we always took everything at face value, and couldn't make light of things, how miserable we would be. 

There's one thing that ticks me off though.  People who quickly laugh and make fun of others misfortune, especially when it's nothing funny about the situation.  And when they later find themselves in a similar spot, make themselves a victim, and cry about people laughing at them.  I think it's called Karma.  What you do to others usually boomerangs right back at you.  Being able to say "I'm sorry, that was wrong of me, my mistake, I'll try to think about that next time!" And NOT adding BUT at the end of the apology, makes it really hard for others to blast you!!!  What does that have to do with humor?  A lot I think.  It all comes down to not taking yourself so serious.  Being able to look at yourself as a person with strengths and weaknesses.  And chuckle at yourself, saying "Yeah... wasn't that typical of me!"  Then move on and learn something from it.  Good luck making the world smile! 

A little story....

My oldest girl is really good at many things.  She has gotten used to not having to try very hard in school.  This sometimes makes it hard for her to try things that she knows might not be all that easy.  Take crosscountry skiing.  We moved to the land of skiing (well, Norway migh win, but whatever) and she had skied ones in her life before at age 4.  Now at almost 13, it did not feel cool to be the new kid on skis!  At this age it pretty much matters how you breath, or you are not cool....

Well.  She was fretting and worrying about this skiing a lot!  I finally asked her what was so scary about it.  She said she'll be the last one in her class!  I asked why this mattered so much.  Someone has to be the last one.  Why not her?  We chatted about this for a while, and finally I told her that she has a secret weapon that she can pull out.  What?  Laugh! Laugh at yourself!  Don't take it so serious!  Guess what?  She did.  And it worked!  Now she's doing just fine with her skiing.  Maybe she'll never become a pro at that, but who cares, she is able to laugh at herself, and I think that will bring her much further than any skiing trip.  Ever.

And the years went by....

Yesterday was my Birthday... I turned "Twentysixteen" according to my cousin, and my little nephew guessed my age to 27! His mom figured he said that because that's also HER age... But I doubt it...
Righ??  Kids always know the truth!  I did have a great day, and shared it with my gang at home.  Big Guy and I cooked up some tasty dinner, and for dessert we all chomped down lots of cake!!!! Yum.  We are all big fans of marzipane cake, (that's what we had for our wedding too btw) so that one went fast...

 Getting older is not as cool as it used to.  I wonder why!!  Our 5th girl is turning 5 next week! Or "A WHOLE HAND!!" like I say it.  She can't WAIT!  She keeps asking how many more "sleeps" to her birthday, and lots of plans and shopping are under way... She wants to grow up and tries to be like her older sisters.  I tell her, and her sisters, to enjoy being a kid!  Most of your life will be spent being a grownup, so why rush it?  Paying bills and doing laundry is overrated... For some reason I always remember turning 4 the best.  My oldest sister had made me a pillow in sewing class in the shape of a teddybears head, with a pocket on the back of it for secrets... That pillow was the best!!  I aslo got a stuffed Snoopy animal and a fancy mirror with a swirly silver frame... Funny how these things have stuck in my mind all these years!!

Looking forward i sometimes dream of days when our kids will be coming over with our grandkids, and all I have to do is serve them, smile, and wave bye....  All the FUN stuff.  But maybe I then will be looking back with a tear in my eye, wondering what ever happend to all those years.  Wishing I would have seized those precious years and been a better "everything"... So I might as well live in the "Now" and try to create as good memories as possible, so that I one day will look back with a smile on my face, knowing that "I tried my best!"

In The Name of LOVE!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S

I'm not much for these commercial holidays, but I'm all for Love!!

Here are some pictures that show some of that love...

I was sick with the flu a few weeks ago, when my 7 yearold came to my bed with this card.... It sure made me feel better! Love.

Our gang fresh from the sauna. Love.

Me and my Guys = Love!!

At the Ice Hotel that we toured in Northern Sweden

Me and all our kiddos! LOTS of Love!

Reading together, Love...

My dad and my 2nd oldest peeling potatoes for Christmas dinner! Love.

A very special brother learning how to walk! TONS of Love!

The 2 greatest Guys in my life....

SO much Love.....

Do I need to add more?? Have a day full of Love! ... and a piece of chocolate...