What we're playing

Christmas means lots of time with the kids. This year, we have spent quite a lot of time in the snow, but we have also played a lot of games. Our four favourites for sure have been Boggle, poker, bop it and chess. I FINALLY learned to play chess since Matias had the patience to teach me (future teacher in the making?).

Matias turns 11!

This cool guy recently turned 11. Matias is so good-natured and smart. He helps a lot with Emmi and is generally fairly willing to help, especially when it comes to cooking dinner.
For his party this year, he wanted to invite a few friends to go swimming and then to our house to watch the Star Wars movie. It was the easiest party ever, mostly because his group of friends from school are a really good group of boys. Yes, they are "normal" boys who are silly and gross and loud. But they are also sweet and thoughtful and polite. I hope that they remain that way forever.
In the evening, when everyone had gone home, Matias asked if he would sleep on our floor on a mattress as part of his birthday celebrations. Aw; I nearly cried. He's so tall and grown up and yet, he's clearly still our little boy.

small changes

I've been doing Peter Walsh's January decluttering again. Sort of. I'm just not that into it this year. But, in the process of trying to get rid of stuff, I have been looking around at spaces that aren't working or need a little change. One such area was in my kitchen. I used to have a big print on this wall, but it was looking tired and I wasn't that keen on it anymore. So, I decided to get a little cupboard and change the look of the space. The cupboard is actually a shoe cupboard from Ikea, but since it's brand new, who says I have to use it for shoes? It's nice and narrow and works perfectly for storing some of my random kitchen stuff. Overall, it's a pretty small change, but it makes me happy every time I go into the kitchen :)

Poker!

Our family's latest favourite leisure activity is playing poker. Emmi goes to bed early, so after that, Pentti, the boys and I play a few hands. Over the holidays, we played A LOT of poker. It's great fun and good for the three out of four of us who hate losing, lol. Ironically, Pentti, who taught all of us to play, is usually out first.

Matias' writing

Have you ever imagined playing in 7 inches of snow for 3 full days, well that's what I did during our winter break with my grandparents and my siblings and my parents.
There was about 7 inches of snow which is about 17 and 1/2 centimeters. I made a snow fort and let it freeze over the night because at night it drops below 0 Celsius. Instead of building we decided to play football in the snow and shoveled snow off the road. We had lots of snowball fights and we roasted marshmallows over smoldering embers of wood. I tried to build a snow man but it was too cold to mold the snow and too little and too much snow in spots to roll the snow. Playing in the snow is so much fun!!!!!
*unedited writing piece Matias did for school

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wow, I went an entire year without blogging?? Hard to believe and yet 2015 seemed to just fly by. Highlights of the year included going to Hawaii, welcoming my niece Miina into the family, a gloriously long summer, starting a Bible study called BSF, Joonas' ball hockey team taking provincial gold and so much more that I have forgotten...
Since the past year was such a busy one, it comes as no surprise that my booklist is shorter than usual, but here it is:

The Nightingale (**this was my favourite read)
My One Word
Lizzy and Jane
The God Who Sees You
Dear Mr. Knightley
Reflections of Yesterday
Between Sisters
Last One Home
The Inn at Rose Harbor
Love Letters
For The Love
Heaven
Silver Linings
Out of the Spin Cycle
Seeing Through The Fog