Christmas from Dad!

Got an adorable little card in the mail from my Dad today letting me know that I am going to be receiving a subscription to Our State North Carolina magazine. It has definitely been one of the things that I have missed from home. Dad has a subscription to it and every month he would let my Grandmother and I read it first before reading it himself. So as a Christmas gift from him and Linda, Kai and I are getting the magazine. I can't wait to get my first issue, although I have to admit that my favorite one is ALWAYS the Lighthouse Issue. I really have a thing for Lighthouses.

It's about time...

I have been wanting to buy some plants to put in the apartment for a while now. I have always loved African Violets and my Grandmother always has 10-12 of them in her living room. I would sit in there for hours when I was little (even now if I were home) and read or nap, and just take in the plants and flowers that she has. I love plants. Needless to say, I wasn't sure if I would be able to find too many flowers that I knew here in FI, but I was lucky enough to run across a Blue Violet in a flower shop a few day ago. I know, I know, some people are going to say but it looks purple...well yeah it does, but it is called a Blue Violet. My Violet is also smooth leafed. I didn't see any that had frilly leaves. Oh well, I am just happy that I have a plant. On the way home the hubby and I decided to shop at our street vendor flower box, as I like to refer to it. There we purchased what he refers to as a Christmas flower. It smells really good and make the entire room smell pretty. Yes you did read that right, the room smells pretty! The Christmas flower reminds me of a small Amaryllis, but I am not actually sure what sort of plant this is. Therefore it will continue to be known as the Christmas flower. Hmm...I am thinking that this place could use another plant or five!



She'll be getting repotted sometime this week!


Christmas Flower will also be getting a new home as well!

Until that time though both little plants live on saucers. That isn't any way for a plant to live!!!

Bound and Determined!

The hubby and I plan to be at Helsinki University first thing when registration day rolls around for January classes. We are going to enroll me in the Finnish for Foreigners class. Apparently this class gets filled quickly (we went by the University and asked) so we plan to be there bright and early. I'll camp out if I have to!!! In the meantime, the hubby and I have found a book that he approves of to help me along the way while I am attempting to self-teach myself. It is entitled From Start to Finnish. This by no means will make me fluent in Finnish. However, it is a good start and the hubby thinks that it will be helpful. So far I have gone over the first two lessons in the book. There are forty lessons total. The book has practice work at the end of every lesson which is a plus I think. The hubby seems to like to test me as well by asking me questions about what I have been over. I think with enough drilling some of this information might actually sink in. The author of the book explains things very well, and it actually makes more sense when I can see phrases and how they are put together instead of just listening to them and trying to catch on. I even bought myself a handy-dandy little notebook to practice writing words and phrases in Finnish. My next goal is to purchase some index cards and make myself flashcards. Seriously, I would really like to be able to understand basic questions and phrases while interacting with people in public. I am all for foreigner trying to learn the English language when they move to the U.S., so I expect myself to try and do the same while living abroad. It only seems fair. Besides when I decide to have children there will be no speaking to Mommy in one language and then talking about her in another! Lol!



The new book + my handy, dandy notebook!

Friday Funny!

A minister wound up the services one morning by saying, "Next Sunday I am going to preach on the subject of liars. And in this connection, as a preparation for my discourse, I would like you all to read the seventeenth chapter of Mark".

On the following Sunday, the preacher rose to begin and said, "Now, then, all of you who have done as I requested and read the seventeenth chapter of Mark, please raise your hands."

Nearly every hand in the congregation went up. Then said the preacher, "You are the people I want to talk to. There is no seventeenth chapter of Mark."

Who would've thunk it?

So I am missing Thanksgiving this year. I love Turkey Day! Not only that, but I do not get to meet my "little" brother's girlfriend who came home with him either. No one in our family had met her until either today or yesterday. I believe it was yesterday that they drove down from the mountains where he is in school. Anyway, this is my little brother's first girlfriend from my understanding (or he may not have told me in the past, who knows!), and they have been together for months now. They were dating before I even left to come here to Finland. Being the eldest sibling I feel that I have the "big sister" preogative of sizing this girl up and bestowing my opinion to A., but since I am way on the other side of creation I do not get this privilege. AHHH! Well, I just hope I get an invite to the wedding (j/k, I hope! Boy better not be engaged!!).

Nutella!

The stuff is pure heaven in a jar! I had never ever tried it until yesterday. It just happened to be a spontaneous buy. The hubby happened to mention how much he liked it so I said I would like to try it. Now I am in love! He told me that we can't buy it very often though, sniffle. Anyway, I made some yummy homemade brownies this evening with almonds in them. For our evening snack we ate a couple of them and put nutella on them. I don't think I will ever be able to eat a plain brownie again!!! Yum! If I keep this up I'll have to start exercising like a mad woman.

Aunt Stacy

I'm am so excited! My best friend finally had her baby on Friday after 5pm. So now I am officially Aunt Stacy to an adorable baby boy! He is 7lbs and 21 inches long, and has a head full of brown hair! I can't wait to go home for a visit! I'll have pictures as soon as J can send me some!