Chin Up

"Chin up, Chin up,
Put a little laughter in your eyes.
Brave it, save it,
Even though you're feeling otherwise.
Rise up, wise up,
Make a little smile begin.
You'll be happy hearted
Once you get it started.
Up with your chinny chin chin!"
- Charlotte's Web

You would think that the move to Finland was going to be challenging enough for me. 5230 miles is a long way from my mom, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, best friend, etc...but anyone that has ever met me knows that I love a challenge. Little did I know the dark winter that is slowly approaching would be the last of my worries.

So lets all hope bad things really happen in spurts of 3. Maybe my stretch is over. In less than 5 months of living here I have lost my father, been stuck in an airport where a major terrorist attack was exposed, and miscarried.

My last episode happened this week. Unfortunately, I had to visit the maternity hospital 7 months earlier than planned. Despite the outcome, it was a great experience. The nurses were compassionate and caring, everyone I encountered spoke enough English to communicate, and my doctors were wonderful. The only down side was the hospital still believes in 'visitation hours.' Loved ones are only allowed on the floors from 1400-1900 daily. That left me alone in a white, cold hospital room for 4 hours with another patient I knew nothing about. The time passed quickly along with the tears and I was home in time to enjoy dinner with my family.

Seagull

"Seagull, you fly, across the horizon,
Into the misty morning sun.
Nobody asks you where you are going,
Nobody knows where you are from...
Seagull you fly, seagull you fly away."
- Bad Company

Months ago on the first bearable day for us to venture outside, I took a loaf of bread to feed the ducks. This was something we did quite often back at home. It was nice seeing the boys faces light up as ducks surrounded us at the neighborhood pond.

Toolo Bay is less a few blocks from our home. Through narrow canals it is connected to the Baltic Sea. The path that surrounds it measures a little over a mile and is always busy with pedestrians, cyclers, strollers, etc. That memorable day in April, the boys and I walked to Toolo Bay with our loaf in hand. We found a grassy area where a few ducks were trying to stay warm in a huddle. I decided this would be a great place to let the boys run and crumble the bread. Walkers began to look at me oddly, wondering was I was up to. "Do people not feed the ducks here in Finland?" was on the tip of my tongue...before I realized what was happening.

Within a few seconds, ONE MILLION seagulls surrounded me and my two precious gifts from God. They were only thinking one thing..."Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine"...yes, just like on 'Finding Nemo.' I immediately threw both boys into the stroller, dropped the bread and ran for our lives. I do not think the ducks even got a snack that day.

Needless to say, we do not feed the ducks any more and now I know why everyone was staring at us. I guess we are not the only people who have had that idea because since then, the city has posted this sign. And according to the Helsinki news, the seagulls are a problem everywhere!

Pictures

"Pictures of a life we've made together.
Memories of a love that just gets better with time.
So many good times,
There's no way I will forget.
They've got me thinkin' 'bout pictures,
We haven't taken yet."
- John Michael Montgomery


And I thought I would never share or see them again. Our last piece of luggage was FINALLY delivered to us today...10 days after returning home! Following hours and hours of downloading, I am happy to share some of our vacation memories with you.

I hope you enjoy!

Greece: Family Vacation

Greece: Kos and its history

Greece: the island of Kos

London: Family Vacation

Things I Miss The Most

"Somebody to trust.
The Audi TT.
The house on the Vineyard.
The house on the gulf coast.
These are the things I miss the most."
- Steely Dan

We are quickly approaching our 5 month anniversary of living abroad. That is 5 months to explore the city, 5 months to familiarize ourselves with the Finnish way of life, 5 months to learn our way around, and 5 months to realize this is our "home."

The time has also made me aware of what I miss the most. Top of the list...friends and family of course (which also brought along FREE babysitting). Stores...Target and Costco. Restaurants...Gloria's, Double Daves, and Starbucks (I did get my fix in London). Around the house...ICE MAKER, our Freezerator, garbage disposal, an upright vacuum, a master bath, garage for our strollers, and a yard to play, grill, and work in.

There are some things we do not miss too! Red ozone alert days with temperatures exceeding 100, electric/gas bills that are almost 1/2 your monthly mortgage, owning a car and all the maintenace it requires (gas is 1.52 Euros/liter here = $7.48 a gallon), and daily news that includes the words murder, shooting, homicide, etc.


Comparing the two lists...one must sacrifice but gets rewarded in other ways!

Marathon

"You can do a lot in a lifetime,
If you don't burn out too fast.
You can make the most of the distance,
First you need endurance.
First you've got to last..."
- Rush


I should have been a participant rather than a spectator today at the Helsinki City Marathon. Since I have not been training seriously since I ran The Half last November, I decided to sit out.

The boys enjoyed cheering on the runners in the Olympic Staduim built in 1952. The winner completed the 26.2 mile course in 2 hours 18 minutes...only 18 minutes shy of my final time (for a half marathon that is!)

The First Day Of School

"The first day that I went to school yes, I remember clearly
My mummy made me leave at home the spiders I loved dearly
I felt a little sad as I walked through the classroom door,
But then I saw more children than I'd ever seen before.
'Ah ha!' I cried, 'this new school will be fun
For I can count all of the children one by one'"
- Sesame Street



Today was Big's first day of Preschool! Filled with anticipation and excitement, we could not get there fast enough. He will be going 2 mornings a week until he reaches 3 years of age. How time has flown by. It was just yesterday when I saw his face for the first time, falling in love forever!

Days Are Numbers

"Remember;
Days are numbers.
Count the stars.
We can only go so far.
One day, you'll know where you are."
- The Alan Parson Project



1 - week we planned to be away on vacation.
2 - weeks we were gone total.
3 - countries we have visited this week (Greece, UK, Finland).
4 - different hotel rooms we have slept in the past 2 weeks.
5 - times we had to reschedule our flight from London Heathrow to Helsinki.
6 - and a 1/2 hours at the airport Saturday before going to another hotel.
7 - minutes to run down 27 gates in Heathrow airport to board our plane before it takes off!
8 - minutes past 0200 Monday, we were finally at our door step.
9 - minutes is all it took for the boys to fall asleep.
10 - years until I ever want to think about returning to London.

But we are home and I never thought I would be so glad to return. Unfortunately, none of our luggage, car seat, or stroller made it. That includes both our cameras with over 500 pictures of nothing but 'fun in the sun.' Hopefully it will get delivered to us soon so we can get them posted.

London Homesick Blues

"Well, when you're down on your luck,
and you ain't got a buck,
in London you're a goner...
And I'll substantiate the rumor
that the English sense of humor
is drier than than the Texas sand.
You can put up your dukes,
and you can bet your boots
that I'm leavin' just as fast as I can."
- Jerry Jeff Walker

Another vacation , tied to our first is over! London was a city on our list to visit while living abroad...now been there, done that.

Despite being the most expensive city in Europe, we had a good time. We visited the famous Hamleys and could only exit the store with both boys kicking and screaming, took the Original Tour of London on top of a double decker red bus, and got our daily Starbucks fix. We experienced the London Underground, Heathrow express, and even got our cell phone stolen at McDonald's unitl Daddy realized what the theif was doing and chased after him (the guy dropped it on the last table and ran outside into the busy street...almost getting hit by a 'double decker red bus'...talk about karma!) We shopped and watched the entertainers in Covent Garden and ate ice cream in Leicester Square. On all our excursion we were only hit by a few rain drops.

Delay after delay and cancellation after cancellation, we were lucky to board the Sunday night flight taking us to Helsinki...a city (small town after being in London) I finally feel comfortable calling "home."

England

"Somebody told me the last word they heard her say was England.
Somebody said that she mentioned the airline and the fare.
Now I wonder if's she's there."
- Jimmy Buffett

Yes...until Saturday!

We departed our resort at 1030 Wednesday thinking our flight would be leaving Greece at 1255 as scheduled. Once we arrived to the airport, the flight had been delayed until 1830. We kept our attitudes positive and the boys remained in a good mood the entire time.

We finally landed at London Gatwick at 2305 (2 hour time change) and proceeded to the hotel. Since there was such a long delay, we missed our connecting flight to Helsinki. This morning we turned on CNN to discover that the UK and USA named the terror alert "critical." This is causing major delays if not cancellations at all airports. Not willing to take the risk or put the boys through another long day at any airport, we changed our flight out of London once again, until Saturday.

So now we have 3 days of vacation and are able to tour another European city! Looking forward to see all the sights that London has to offer.

In The Summer Sun of Greece

"In the summer sun of Greece,
Dreaming under orange trees.
In the summer sun of Greece,
Dancing in the cooling breeze.
There's no time for sorrow and for tears."
- A La Carte

Kos is an amazing island caught in between Greek and Turkish cultures. It is not your postcard perfect isle like Mykonos or Santorini covered with hillsides of white painted casas with ocean blue doors. The builing style is more Mediterranean like with butter colored homes topped with a clay tile roof.

Tourism is definitely their top source of income, reminding me a lot of Mexico. Locals will bend over backwards to make sure your stay is perfect and hope for your return next holiday. The streets are busy with rented scooters, bikes, and 4-wheelers who compete with taxis and pedestrians claiming the right-of-way.

The weather is unbeatable reaching the high 80's daily and not a cloud in the sky. Evenings and nights cool off the island with the breeze from the Aegean Sea.

Kos is filled with history, dating back to ages we can only dream about. Hippocrates birth place, the first hospital, Ancient Odeon, Central Therme, and the Asklepion are a few of the main historical attractions. The island also has a few castles, Thermes (a natural sauna), miles of sandy or pebble beaches...your choice, and tons of restaurants and discos to pass the night away.

Vacation

"Vacation,
All I ever wanted.
Vacation,
Had to get away.
Vacation,
Meant to be spent alone."
- The Go-go's


We just completed a 7 night vacation in Kos, Greece...one of my dream destinations. Our family spent the mornings at the pool or beach followed by lunch and a 2-3 hour nap. While the boys napped, Daddy and I would take turns touring the island on our rented scooter or soaking up the Aegean rays without distraction.

We then would all return to the pool for a few more hours then head of to the resorts indoor/outdoor playground, the highlight of Big and Little's day. Finally it would be time for dinner, our nightly milk shake, and bed only to hurry up and fall asleep so we can start the routine over again.

4 bottles of sunscreen and 3 novels later, our vacation "seemed" to be coming to an end. If we only knew at that time we were starting another ...this time in London, England.