Life Is Beautiful

"Life is beautiful,
but it's complicated,
we barely make it.
We don't need to understand,
There are miracles, miracles."
- Vega 4





Following a rough year in 2006 with 2 miscarriages, Daddy and I were a little hesitant about sharing the good news we discovered on a day no other than...April Fools Day. We were pretty good keeping it to ourselves in the beginning, but as family members began booking their summer flights to come see us, we had to start sharing the news. After a wonderful confirmation today at the hospital, we are happy to let the entire world know that #3 will be joining our family in late November! And yes...that is a picture of our little angel from today.

I will try not to tie up my blog with the differences in maternity care compared to the US, but here is the general idea. I see a nurse monthly for my basic check ups and a doctor 3 times during my pregnancy if all goes well. My final doctors appt. will be during my 36th week at the hospital I am delivering at to discuss my c-section, or possible VBAC options. I also receive 2 sonograms throughout my pregnancy...first during the 12th week to determine the due date and second during the 20th week to check all organs. Here we go again!

The Race Is On

"Well, the race is on
And here comes pride up the backstretch.
Heartaches are goin' to the inside.
My tears are holdin' back
They're tryin' not to fall."
- Sawyer Brown





Today we all participated in the Naisten Kymppi 10K. It is Finland’s biggest sporting event for women with 15,000 female runners, joggers, walkers and Nordic Walkers of all ages...and 3 strollers this year. With our first truly beautiful day in Helsinki and only the second that I have been outside in a short sleeved shirt, we were able to finish the race with sun kissed arms and cheeks. All the kids were troopers while they rode in the stroller for 2 hours. We were instructed to hang out in the back of all runners and walkers so the strollers would not be a problem for other racers. Our obstacle was the Nordic walkers with their 'clicking' poles that surrounded us.




While we socialized at a steady pace, Daddy met us at the halfway point with fresh McD's french fries for the youngest of racers. He then was able to take some pics of us while we were walking the course. There were many more participants than I expected and very few strollers. Parts of the race narrowed into small trails causing major bottlenecks, but we all survived. After crossing the finish line, we were all given loads of fruit, water, juice, yogurt, and other snacks. What I found most amazing was throughout the course, companies set up booths with free snacks and beverages. In all the races I have ran, I was used to power bars and Gatorade. Here...champagne and strawberries. ONLY IN FINLAND!!!

This Old Town

"This old town was built by hand
In the dust bowl of the Mother land.
There must be rock beneath this sand.
Oh, I'll be damned,
This town still stands."
- Nanci Griffith







With my best friend in town for the week, we took a bus 50 km east of Helsinki to the old town of Porvoo to show her a little bit more of Finland. Known as Finland's second oldest town, settlement began in the 13th and 14th centuries. The streets are made of cobblestone as they zig-zag in and out of the many wooden buildings of various color. The city has burned 4 times in history. The first 2 times by the Russians, third by a Porvoo housewife making fish soup in 1760, and the fourth in 2006 inside the Old Porvoo Cathedral.








The weather was finally on our side as we walked the boys through old town, did some window shopping, enjoyed lunch at a great riverside cafe, ran around in the city's parks, and browsed the open air market.

Get Outta My Dreams

"Hey you, get into my car
Who me? Yes you,
get into my car.

Get outta my dreams.
Get into my car.
Get outta my dreams .
Get in the back seat baby.
Get into my car."
- Billy Ocean






We have seen planes and trains so it was only appropriate to tour the Espoo Auto Museum next. Including anything that has wheels, the museum was stuffed with cars, motorcycles, bicycles, strollers, roller skates, etc. Most of the information on each item was written in Finnish so I was not able to appreciate the antiques to the fullest.




Touching, climbing, and driving was not encouraged either, so the boys had a hard time exploring. They still enjoyed looking at all the wheels and running about freely. The autos dated back to the early 1900's and some of the prized cars in the museum's collection include a Moskvich, Yalta, Volga, Pobeda, IFA, and a Russian Chaika.

Waffle King

"It took a lifetime, but finally found
The perfect waffle recipe.
You'll never find a batter any better in this whole stinkin' town.
One little bite any I'm sure you'll agree."
- Weird Al Yankovic






Another side trip we took this weekend from Bonn was to Liege, Belgium. Just an additional hour train ride from Aachen, Germany we were anxious to visit another country. With the strong French influence, I felt we were walking around a mini-Paris at times. Great shopping, tons of people, and small cafes filled the streets. Of course we had the time to sit outside while we enjoyed a traditional Belgium waffle with a coffee. Small fact for the day: The difference between Belgian waffles and the ones we are more familiar with is the yeast in the batter, which yields a lighter waffle with a fresh-baked bread flavor.







And what is a visit to any European city without touring the cathedrals? Liege's famous church is Saint-Paul cathedral. The cathedral contains St Lambert’s tomb and is one of the original seven collegiate churches.