For my family, the past year has been a dramatic one. One of our children was diagnosed with a permanent illness at the end of summer, and though the worst of the crisis is over, every family member is still reacting in their own way to the changes in our everyday life. In the autumn we also celebrated a 10th birthday, and discovered that there will be yet another, new birthday in the family next spring! The cherry on top (or sugar at the bottom, as they say in Finnish) is that our due date shares its place in the calendar with our 5th wedding anniversary!
At the Christmas festivities of my daughter's school the principal, whom I happen to really like, gave a speech on the theme of gifts. He reminded us that at the beginning of the new year we all receive 365 new gifts, and that the most valuable gift each of us can give is time. There's a thought to hang on to!
These pictures were taken here and there during Christmastime. I suspect some non-Finnish readers may need an explanation for the last picture: these are gingerbread versions of some of the inhabitants of Moominvalley.
All December we had the privilege of snow (a quite ridiculous amount of it really, with periods of almost nonstop snowfall for days on end). Between Christmas and New Year it changed into rain, so now our beautiful scenery is gone. But for once we were able to enjoy the confidence of a white Christmas!
May I wish you peace and love in 2013!
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