perfect place...

doesn't this look like the perfect place to be? all bundled up lying in the snow looking like you're having the time of your life?

Resolutions

Ok i'm finally responding to my tag. Here goes, in no particular order...

To get back into my regular eating habits and make lunches for work

To be better about cleaning my apartment on a regular basis

To go some place new this year... oh wait! i'm going to Vegas in March

Pictures

a few random pictures that just have to be shared...

foreign visitors...

This year for Christmas we had some foreign visitors. Tina and Linda. Tina is my friend Anna's sister. Tina's last visit to the states was for Christmas 1993 visiting Anna, who had decided not to go home for the winter break. They flew into the states in time for korv making. Everyone new to my dad's birthday party helps out with the korv. Linda was brave enough to roll up her sleeves and help out. They joined in all our Christmas celebration, including Tina singing at Jullotta. They brought strange gifts, took pictures, ate with us, exercised (at the Museum of Science and Industry), helped prepare dinner and had a jolly time. It was a lot of fun. Hopefully they'll be back.

Traditions

Every year for my dad's birthday party, we gather to make korv. My dad has become quite infamous for his cooking this year. Not only did 14 people want to come to his lutefisk lunch (willingly) but his recipe for korv is being published in a cookbook for WTTW. It's always such a fun gathering. Now that the kids are getting older, they are really getting into it... literally getting in to it. But that's what you have to do to make korv... get into it.

First birthday

December 19th was Axel's first birthday. He's not a baby any more. :(

The Saturday before my sister threw a party of him. It was mostly Ander's friends. Picture 15 kids running around. crazy! but everyone had a great time. Of course aside from opening presents the most fun is eating birthday cake. Axel started off very meticulously. Using his left hand pointer finger picked each of the individual sprinkles off before touching the cake. It did take him a few bites before he shoved the whole cupcake in his mouth destroying it. Before and after pictures.

Traditions

We added a new tradition to our Christmas eve dinner this year. A couple months ago a very good friend of my mom's passed away. My mom and a few other friends got together and decided to carry on a Christmas tradition of her family's in her honor. At the dinner table each person gets a candle. One person starts by taking the candle of the person to the right of them, lighting it, and saying a blessing for the person who the candle belongs. That person in turn takes the candle of the person to their right and repeats this. It goes around the table until all the candles are lite and each person has been blessed. It was a beautiful sight to have all the candles lite and you couldn't help but feel blessed.

counting down...