HYVÄÄ

SUOMEN

ITSENÄISYYSPÄIVÄÄ

Translated, the above means 'GOOD FINNISH INDEPENDENCE DAY'.

It has been a nice and relaxing day (and P-Day) here close to the asuntola. Everything was close today....except the Christmas Tori downtown. We had been there earlier and besides, we were anxious to make FINNISH GINGERBREAD BISCUITS!!! The recipe (below) was given to us by Jenni Massinen.

Wayne did a great job putting the lettering on the cookies.....HYVÄÄ JOULUA.....or Good Christmas.

I baked them and he decorated! I just have to tell you that they sure tasted GREAT. I will definitely be making these again.....even in America!

There had been a very nice, pretty snow coming down ALL DAY LONG......Well over a foot. The Finns just don't measure things like that because, well...it wouldn't do any good. You just DEAL WITH IT and keep going! And that is what we did. Us and the Michie's decided to take a venture down to the ISO (large) War Veteran Cemetery just outside of Helsinki. Barbara and I are standing at one of the entrances. You may notice some 'white things' in my arms. Those are candles that we brought to put on some graves that might look a little lonely!

Wayne found a lonely looking grave right away. Don't know who he is but he got a candle.

This is an area with the servicemen have a lot of graves. The snow is so deep but if you could see better, dug out little holes have candles down inside of them.

Behind me is the 'TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER' with a lot of candles at the base. Wayne put a candle there as well.

As I said earlier, the snow was just beautiful today. We had Kent take a picture of us under one of these trees. The picture turned out horrible because Kent just couldn't keep his hand still enough but we wanted to include the picture anyway! Anteeski!

Walking along one of the many, many paths wandering through the cemetery we happened upon this cute little family out for a walk. Finns LOVE to walk in this kind of weather. They are made for this!! And this is the 'typical' way the children 'ride'.....in their sleds being pulled by a big person. The baby is out on his FIRST adventure at the ripe old age of 4 months! Can you believe that. No wonder the Finns are so tough....they raise the children in the snow.

Just another pretty shot of the walkway just outside of the cemetery headed back to our car.

THIS WEEK AT THE TEMPLE: SINGLE ADULT WEEK.....we have a large group here from Russia, including Moscow. They love to come here even though Kiev is 'their' temple now. And we love to have them here. They are wonderful and we have missed them!