New family pictures

In November we had our pictures taken by Peekaboo Photos. It was so awesomely awesome! (I'm short on adjectives)

It was supposed to be an all outside shoot but it was so cold that they took us to their studio for some warmer shots.

San Francisco

Last Friday I went for a quick little trip to San Leandro, CA for my brother, Eric's, graduation from chiropractic school. It was so fun to be there for that and I really felt the excitement of all those graduating, especially for Eric, of course! If anyone is interested in an amazing Chiropractor in the SL valley, look him up. Under Dr. Eric. He he.

My mom, Eric, me, and Sini. This is such an awful picture of me but I had to document that I was there! Sini's husband Adam was there too and Tagen's sister and mom. I was expecting it to be warm there since I always hear about California's warmth but it was quite chilly. I couldn't ever warm up! I guess I realize that California is a big state and there are different weather patterns all across it.

Dr. Eric and Tagen

We headed out to downtown San Francisco for a little shopping. Sini and Adam know where all the best places are. I still get a little culture shocked when I go to big towns and San Francisco isn't even as big as some others. I heard several different languages all around me and there were just so many people! Everyone was all bundled up in their cute hats and warm coats, except for us with our light jackets thinking they would even be too warm.

Sisters!

Me riding the trolley. Okay, okay, I wasn't really riding it. I just jumped on one that wasn't being used. I had to have the souvenir trolley picture!

We also went to Berkley for a little shoppin'. Such a cute town of what I saw of it. They had the cutest toy store! I wanted to buy everything!

We came back Sunday night just after the big snow storm on the weekend. It was frigid! Once again, all we had were little jackets cause we didn't want to have to deal with big coats on the airplane. There wasn't a window scraper in my mom's car (that was parked in the airport lot) so we had to try and use an umbrella to scrape the ice off. FREEZING! Our hands were so cold we had to take breaks sitting in the car and putting our hands in our armpits to try to warm them up. The heater took forever to warm up too. We got enough ice off to be able to see the road and I figured that the car warming up would melt the rest. I was wrong. There was still so much ice on it by the time we got home that my mom had to scrape her windows clean in her driveway.

It was a fun little get-away. The kind that gives you a break from the kids and then makes you wonder, why on Earth would I ever want to go on a trip without my little cuties!

They've left :(

My aunts and uncles left early this morning to go back to Finland. I'm so glad they were able to come and visit us.
On Saturday we all went out to breakfast and then all the girls and kids went up American Fork Canyon for a drive. It was so pretty. There was about every shade of yellow and orange. My pictures aren't very good. It was PRETTY.


We stopped by the river for a bit to let the kids play and to smell the fresh mountain air.

Addie did NOT like being in this thing. She told me she was too old for such contraptions.

Ollie, my mom, and Marketta

Elliott, Ollie and Sinika

Ilmi, Essi, and Sini

Now she's happy! She thought the mountains had delicious rocks and dirt.

This was the van my mom rented to drive everyone around in for the 2 weeks. I thought I got a picture of the whole thing but you really can't see all of it. It seated 10 comfortably. It was big.

Marketta and Addie

On Sunday we had a dutch oven dinner at my mom's. It was very yummy. There were just some beautiful moments on our last night that I will always remember: My uncle Seppo playing catch (koppa) with my nephew Ollie; my aunt Marketta teaching Elli the Finnish words of things; everyone laughing at Addie as she babbled and laughed and smiled and marched all over the room; my uncle Kalevi starting to cry when we all were hugging goodbye (that made us all start to cry); my aunt Ilmi telling me "Sina something tule something Suomi." The three words I understood were "you, come, and Finland" and I love that she told me that in Finnish. I could just feel the love from everyone. I LOVE them all! 15 years is WAY too long not to see them. I don't know how my mom does it. Living so far away from her family. She is very strong. We will definitely have to plan a trip to visit them soon.

A family visit

I don't know if I've just been too busy or just super lazy but I haven't felt like journaling lately. My Finnish relatives came late on Friday night. Saturday we went to my mom's and had a dinner with everyone. I got a little choked up when I first saw everyone! I can't believe it has been 15 years since I've seen them. That is WAY too long. I was 16 when I went there last and the last time one of my aunts and uncles came here to America was 20 years ago. (One of my cousins, Maija, who is not here this trip, came for a summer 10 years ago.)

On Sunday we had a mini Thanksgiving dinner to show them what we eat during that holiday.

Here is my cousin Essi and her mom Maarit. Essi was 1 year old when I went to Finland last. Next to them is my American niece Stacey. Essi and Stacey are 1 month apart in age. By the way, Essi speaks English very well and sometimes has to be the interpreter when my mom isn't nearby.

Here are my uncles, Seppo, my moms younger brother and the husband of Maarit, then my mom's sisters husband, Kalevi, and my moms older brother Eero. (pronounced like 'arrow' with a rolled 'r')

Essi, Maarit, me, Stacey, my mom, my 'little' brother Mike in the front, my sister Lisa, her husband Troy, and my brother-in-law Adam. Addie on the floor in front.

Everyone loves Addie because she doesn't know any languages yet so they can just say whatever they want to her and she doesn't understand anyway.

Here is my uncle Eero, his wife Ilmi and my aunt Marketta (my mom's only sister). In the back is my step-dad and my sister Lisa and Troy. Every once in a while everyone pulls out their cameras and we all take pictures of each other.

On Monday all the Finnish girls (Essi, Maarit, Marketta, and Ilmi) and me and my mom and my sister Sinika (and our kids) went to the mall to go shopping. All the guys (Seppo, Eero, Kalevi and my step-dad) went to a tool store and then out to eat lunch at Golden Corral. I would love to have been there and seen how that all went down because all my uncles speak ZERO English and my step-dad speaks ZERO Finnish. Ha ha! I just wonder how he explained to them that you go back again and again to fill up your plate. Hee hee.

Then, Tuesday me and my kids went again to my mom's house after dinner to visit. My sister Lisa was leaving then next day so I wanted to see her one last time before she left.

It's been really fun to hang out with everyone. Essi speaks English very well and my Aunt Ilmi speaks pretty good so we can figure out ways to communicate. I have said anything that I could when I have known the Finnish words for it thanks to my neighbor Jessi who just told me to "DO IT". :) And we always have the 'sanakirja' handy. (dictionary)
Today my mom and all the Finns started driving down to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon and a few southern Utah sites. So my kids can get better sleep for a few days until they get back. Then it's back to visiting every night! I love it!

The race

Well, I did it. And I realize now that I had nothing to be scared about. I don't know why I was so nervous. Even that morning on the way up to Salt Lake I was nervous. So here's the thing: I didn't even actually run it. Well, I walked it. I went with my mom and my sisters Sinika and Michelle and her two daughters and her husband Mike. I pushed Addie in the stroller. I wanted to stay with my mom so she would have some company. As we started going it was so slow at first that I actually felt a little antsy and I wanted to start running but by then I couldn't find Sinika and her running friends and so I just stayed with my mom. (Yes I could have run by myself but it's just funner when your with other people.) There were so many people that you couldn't even walk fast you just had to walk the pace of everyone else. By the time we passed the actual starting line the race had been going for 15 minutes or so and the first (really fast) runners were actually coming back. Every so often there would be an empty pocket with no people and my mom would run up into it and me and Stacey would follow. Anyway, it was fun. Elli really wanted to come but I discouraged her because I thought it would be too hard and long. But now I know that she would have loved it. I guess we'll have to go again next year. Here are Stacey, my mom, and Addie - my walking buddies. No, I don't know that man on the right.

This is just a picture to show how many people there were. As far as you can see - to the skyline - was all people. It looked like that in front of us and in back of us. Sooo many people!

Left to right in the back: Stacey, Michelle, Anikka, Mike, Me, Sinika and my mom in front

After we all went out to breakfast to Mimi's Cafe. It was so yummy! I probably added more calories than I even burned in the race with my cream cheese stuffed french toast. But it was fun to hang out with the fam.

Favorites

These are a few of our favorite things:

BRIAN: college sports * slightly melted ice cream * prime rib * a clean house * Oreos and milk * Arrested Development * bike riding

LINDSEY: fresh strawberry shakes * reading a good book * going out to lunch with my sister * peach yogurt * Reese's Pieces (yes, most of these are food related) * extra $ in my pocket * kids playing nicely together * family walks * mountain scenery

ELLI: animals, esp. horses, dogs, giraffes * lasagna * story time *art projects * back scratches * cookie dough shakes * being the boss * all her animal toys * setting up elaborate playing scenes

BEN: superheros * hugs * playing with friend Jeremy * riding 4-wheeler * grasshopper shakes from Emmett's * Legos * Star Wars * wrestling with Daddy * brand new toys * garlic bread * apricots/peaches * deep thinking

ADDIE: binky * gargling * naps * standing (with help) * Curious George monkey * noisy toys * being held * playing with Benny and Elli * splashing in the bath tub