Family Fun Time.

So, over the holidays, i got to spend time with my family in Toronto, and it was so much fun. I know it was a few weeks ago, but here I am finally posting a few pictures of Christmas time. I don't know how it is with your family, but for me, it was just awesome to hang out together.

Thanks to Michele, our bellies were full of good things to eat (especially the 12 different types of baked goods that we finished off in what, 3 days?) and yummy Christmas dinner with all of the traditional things. We have a Finnish tradition where we eat rice porridge on Christmas morning, and there is an almond hidden in it. Whoever gets the almond is supposed to have good luck for the next year. I have never, ever gotten the almond, but this year I knew it would be different, I was feeling good things for 2008. Guess who got it? Nope, not yours truly, but Meri. Well, at least now I can tease her mercilessly for the full next year about "getting lucky" because of the almond (and no, that joke will never get old).



We have a cat named Molly who hates all people, except for Beni and Jane. I keep thinking that one day we will be friends, but let's be honest, the day I walk by and she doesn't hiss at me will probably not happen in this lifetime.




So, we ate, and slept, and read (oh the glorious Christmas morning books! Nothing is better than curling up and reading a new book all day long and ignoring everyone else), and played who wants to be a Millionare entirely too many times (but we did learn some really useful facts from it at least), and watching movies, and then going out for pieces of fresh air. Can you even imagine a better vacation than that our family? Seriously, we were all so exhausted-- Liina and Jarom just finished up their last intense semester of med school and months of visiting hospitals for residency, meri just finished her first semester at med school, I just finished my first MPA semester, Vilja just came home from a year and a half long mission (waking up at 6:30 am every single day), Jane just finished applying to universities, and Beni, well, Beni at least had plenty of people around to play with. Sampo is in Texas so he wasn't home for Christmas, but I gaurantee he would have been in exactly the same boat. Glorious lazy days.

Sometimes, when there are so many people at home, things can get a little... stressful. My sisters are the only ones who know how to push my buttons and make me mad enough to storm off and raise my voice. I hate getting that way because it seems so childish, but family dynamics are hard to change. But, i think that we really are all growing up (Liina is having her own baby! Weird!), and brining that maturity back home with us. It is great to be with my family and to feel peace. I am a crier, and when I think about my family growing up, i get a little choked up. But, it is also really awesome to see everyone growing up and becoming beautiful, accomplished people by their own merits (Jane getting accepted to UC Fresno, BYU, and U of U!). We are on our way to one day all being grown-ups. But for now... it is good to know that people can still be convinced to dress up in old prom dresses and have a soiree.