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This year i got my christmaspresent early, on the 23th december. Around 9 in the morning we were sitting in a landrover, dressed in enourmous(/-ly warm) jumpsuits and riding direction darkness with Svalbard Husky, which was recomended by a finnish friend and everything she said to be pleasant, was indeed so. We arrived in a dogyard like so many here. There was a reindeer outside the fence, my first one to see.

The alaskan husky is so very friendly: our guide told us, that these dogs were historically the ones who would keep the babies warm during colder days, meaning that only the friendly, calm ones could survive.

As the dogs were chosen, we had to get them ourselves and put them infront of the sledge.It was not easy in the cold and we had to take our gloves off in this freezing weather to attach everything safetly. The leading dogs were the first. We had a boy and a girl in the front, and this guy was trying to pee on me, when that didn't work out, he thought he'll just lean on the lady instead. But it was so much fun. We got to know the names of the dogs and a bit about their charakter. And then ... into the darkness we went!

The dogs were so beautiful, it's sad i can't photograph in the dark yet and the flashlight kind of makes everythig fall flat. 

After we got back we got every dog back to its place and feed all the 50 dogs, then enjoyed some aurora lights, that were unusally red and yellow on tuesday. And after that we were again in the landrover driving back to town, where we were still in deep awe for the whole day. 

There was this momend during the ride, when we switched our headlamps off. We were moving through time and space and yet it felt we were not moving at all, everything just felt like a blanket was being laid over us. Forgetting the existance of time and only taking in this enourmous space of endlessness. Scary and majestic. 

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Today is the last day of the sun. The last glimpse of light. The weather is nice, it's soft and snowy. The kids have a big fest in the kindergarden, with lights and music. I wish i had also a place to got to.... does sushi in the Arktic sound weird? I really don't know anymore :)

 

 Photos from August 2014 in Karula nationalpark

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 Under strict supervision..

a cake was promised to be made. it did.

A present for dad: local handmade chocolate 

the heart in the middle said: verdens beste pappa. true-true.

I guess this is it with the nice outdoor photos for a while... for a couple of months, unless we get to see some aurora action, but exept for that... some moonlight maybe too ... if i can figure out how on earth this camera should work in complete darkness, yes, other than that, it's indoor only, and on auto-mode and fuzzy. Yey! 

Good monday and drink less coffee :)

Bisous!

♥

August '14 @karula

Some photos from August. Recently the camera is something that is just weight in my bag, since i hardly get the chance to take it out.

We've been out there for five weeks before coming back for two weeks for Martins job. He's working and me and the boys hang out with friends and family. It's been pretty nice, exept that im down with a cold, but i keep up, no matter :)

Now, thinking: five weeks. When we arrived it was amazement, we walked around eyes wide open and a grin. The first week the mountains looked two dimensional, and i felt not really there yet, as if they had forgotten some of my mind in Tromso while getting off and on the same plane. Thats when i learned that having less handluggage (items) is a lot better, when with kids.

The second week i remember walking down the road and calling my friend and being utterly saticfied. Im in the freaking Artic and im having a conversation with someone close - how cool is that.

On the third one Martin was on sea and that was a hard week. As it was my first time with two kids alone, it came too quikcly in an unknown environment. The weather played a role, as going outside was  tricky, because of the storm. And here i do have a elaborate supportsystem of people and places. There it was just the livingroom for most of the time. But it was tough on Martin too, i think. We did our best. Therefore the fourth week we just recovered and then started kindergarten... 

... and as soon as we arrived in Tallinn my body said: dear, we're home, let it all out. Thus soar throat and a blocked nose.

When we go back it'll be the beginning of the dark season. Interesting. How will we manage? But in other aspects we are kind of returning home. It's an interesting flip i didn't think of. I'm with the kids on vacation, as strange as it sounds. 

We're like crazy here with food, eating at least one red onion a day and  greens, reds, yellow in between!

Have a good week! See you around!

♥

 We went up..

 and came down :)

 "This is too small"

 yum-yum-yum

 The cakes were super delicious

Little firefighter!

uhm, why do photos get so fuzzy here??
Have a good sunday!
Bisous!

♥

 Have you ever seen a streetlight wave like a birch tree-top in the wind?

Martin was at sea from Monday morning until Sunday afternoon. With no phoneconnection or internet. "No news - good news". It was a rough week. My first time being alone with two. The boys got sick just before the trip and we had some real windstorm in the middle of the week and were therefore trapped indoors for days. Luckly there were good moments, conversations too. Im amazed how good people cook here. Lifesavers.

Last week i got a new habbit. After the boys are asleep i usually wake up, since i must fall asleep in the most uncomfortable position, sneak upstairs and make some good night tea that was amongst the stuff we got from someone who just moved away from here last week. It reminded me of the stuff we left behind and gave away, from cocoa to salt and everything in between. Some of the things were even exactly the same. It really is "what goes around, comes around". So i'd be siting on the couch, dinrking tea, reading something in the internet, because a book would have made me too lonely. And the feeling of being somewhat connected to the world was essential. The wind was scary. Scary as in "this house is going to be blown off this island" and "will the ship be okay?". While the day was just managing emotions and being strong, capable, doing what has to be done, the nights were to be: freaking frightened (:

I can laugh abou it now, since my seaman is home, safe and sound.

 I think if you, in this blog: me, are in a new environment alone you first take it in. Im not sure how to explane it. It's like you are a tape on pause, because different music is playing. Or better, you are the new bassist of a band, first you listen, catch the beat and then later, you open up and improvise, your color comes out. The beginning is a great bit timid. Because there are too many jokes about bassist anyway.

I'm just not that person to walk in a room and dance a solo, while sparkling confetti falls from the ceiling. But i wish i was. 

I do confetti, but it's in my pocket.

:) 

Have a colorful week!

♥

This guy is awesome. And the stories he tells. You're an awesome dude, Juss!

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Last Sunday we didn't really get to the top of Sugartop-mountain Sukkertoppen, but almost. Sometimes I still can't believe, that the view outside isn't a wallpaper. Our gaze is drawn to every white, blue mountain on the horizon. 
Im yet too tired to write, but i'll get around to it. There's just been too much hassle about sending stuff from home, that it's exhausting. Oh, well, just baked some white bread and head to sleep. Good night!

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Hi!

I haven't updated my blog for so long, that i don't even know how to start now. As usual, it's best to start with the weather: the snow is gone now. There have been even sunny days accompanied with bird twitter all around, but spring in February seems more like a cruel joke, where the punch-line could be a surprise winter in April. On the 4th march there's this celebration of (the translator said:) Shrovetide. The last big feast before fasting, with traditional sledge rides, (this year in the mud i suppose,) and pea-soup and salted beans. And buns with whipped cream. It's a moving holiday and last year we were out on our skies at that time.

My driving lessons are almost finished and it's soon time to take the exams. I have this "let's get it over with" feeling. Don't really know if it's good or not, but i really would like to spend my own time in a different way already.

Juss is nowadays totally into birds. We have two books: European mammals and European birds, and the last one is a clear winner. From last week we've been listening to a bird twitter CD non-stop. I wish I could preserve this interest and nourish it, or else it'll move on like the muumins- facination, which i'm glad is not so strongly present any more. Altho' every nap starts with the request of the moomin-song. But birds are even cooler; it's an interest in nature and life, with many questions and fascinating answers, when found.

Miki woke up, so this is it for today.

I'll write to you soon again!

 Bisous!

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Oh, i love days which start with good news. :) Greetings to new parents!

This weekend we realized our Christmas-present: a weekend at Värska spa. Värska is known for it's sparkling springwater, sanatorium and (healing) mud-baths. The sanatorium was established in the 70es and it still carries that vibe (building, food, interior), but feels probably comfortable for the older generation, who otherwise in too fancy lounge-rooms with white couches would feel awkward and out-of-place. Since 2009 a water-centre joined the sanatorium and formed Värska spa. It's the only one in Estonia where you can swim in springwater. The water-center has various swimmingpools and is .. well, more modern. It's also a popular dating-place for the local youth.  :))

Martin wanted to give the family a present, that would make each member happy and it was a success: he got to swim every day, the boys enjoyed the water and the salt-chamber, i got a massage and was freed from cooking and cleaning for the weekend. Perfect.

Now it's back to house-chores and drving-school. Can do it!

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There was a post intended in September with pictures of an old farm, a barn with no roof, old trees and plenty of space. The words under it: we bought a farm. For months i was exited and happy about it, but then it didn't work out. One of last years most tough lessons. Seems that in these two years i aged ten. It's great to be able to know what you want, but when it becomes too difficult to achieve... then what? I start to question myself, and the confidence of living on a farm is shaken hard. Would i even fit in the village atmosphere? What was the big plan anyway?
Well, for my family it would be great. Growing up in small and safe community, spending time outside and doing things hand in hand with nature. It's a world very unfamiliar to me, but it exits me to try to stretch out my limits and face some of my fears. I am not even thinking that it'll be isolating or lonely, because that can happen easy in big cities too. We've been saving up first to have a wedding, then the idea of the farm came and now we're too stingy to use that money "just" for celebrating something, but there's no farm, no house, not even an apartment at sight as well. Nothing is decided yet. But it feels a bit like having two empty hands.

Anyway, i hope this year we can figure some of it out. 
Sitting here with an ear-infection, writing about limits and fears, having this or that... unsure is the word i guess i was looking for. All i want is to get better and to my family to stay healthy. Everything else comes after that. But it still comes, right?

♥

 outside

 warm and fuzzy inside

 a little walk in the dark woods on the 24th

 25th

bad hair day: 26th

Christmas... done. It was dark and snow-less, so everyone struggled to get into the holiday spirit. But it was fun, and sometimes awkward, heart-warming and a bit tiring. Maybe all kind and sorts of family-dinners should happen more often, to make it pressure less. There were events i really looked forward to, but ended up somehow outside the merry crowd. I guess it's kind of how it is. Someone always is in need of holding, and then other times i need some holding as well. Our hands are full :)

Guillaume, i just realized that you poked me on facebook...  8 months ago! I'll be better next year! Promise!

Maybe that would be my new years wish: to become more efficient in time-managing. Adding that to my "should figure out life already"-task.

Hope you had a satisfying holiday and are ready for the new year. Sorry about the low-quality photos, i need a course, i know. Working on it... next year :) Love this... pushing everything to the next year at the moment is hilarious!

Wish you all the best!

♥

  

 

Have a great weekend!

(being a bit busy at the moment, but will find some time soon to do some updates)

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One month. The first clothes, that are already too small. Time does seem like a fleeting river as you try to hold on to it. Miky is awesome, as Juss, who adores him. Soon they'll be up to things together. Like eating soap. But after Monday, Juss can already explain you, little Miky, that it' doesn't taste that good.

This first month has been a joy as it has been a learning experience again on how to live without sleeping :)) I got to bed once at 3.30 in the morning, and Martin was woken up at 4. But we're good.  Looking like a pair of old slippers, but really really happy ones.

♥

The fog in the late morning.

It'll be a warm weekend, hence the fog, that stayed almost until noon. I went or a bike-ride to the supermarket and it felt nice. On Monday it'll be two weeks as a family of four. We're still looking for the rhythm: one day it goes smooth, the next one, not so much. There are moments when i feel like a diplomat in a crisis situation. I can handle it, i was surprised. These difficult and hard moments pass. They always do. There's always a solution.

Our neighbors, who have two a bit older kids themselves, have helped a lot this week. When it gets too loud here, i pack my kiddos and knock on their door :) I'm glad to have friends like that close by.

On the downside: Juss got a cold. It's been a while, it seems. The big question: parents, who let their kids go out on play-dates with a running nose, and parents, who don't  - is there any right answer, since every occasion is different?

Well, i decided, we drop out of social life, until our running nose doesn't go running around to other noses :)) ( but i feel a bit frustrated, since we're been on the receiving end of these bacillary for a while now  -_-)

We hope to have a healingly mellow weekend, with lots of sleep and being relaxed.

Wish you the same! ;)

♥

Guess i have reached the point of parenting where sacrificing a roll of toilet-paper transforming into snow in the living-room, or the sock-drawer being reorganized with toy-cars and a dozen socks are lying around the floor for the sake of 10 minutes peace and quiet, have become everyday norm. Well, you'll kind of still feel the embarrassment, when sudden guests pop by, (like the landlord-lady), but porbably i'll get used to that as well. 

We got a running nose from a playmate last week and it's still stuck with us, now including me. And thus i'm dreaming of cheesy noodles or sushi or anything a bit fancy (read:something i didn't have to make myself)... and a vacation on a tropical island with seafood and a lot of sleep. Or a cleaning-lady for the weekend. Or a Mary Poppins. Dreams have become different now days, i've noticed ;)

 Have a great weekend! 

Don't let anyone sneeze on you!

Put a shiny chestnut in your pocket!