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!

FINISH THE WEEK OUT......

SUNDAY

Wayne went out for a snowy walk around the temple grounds today. We did not go to church. I have been in bed the past 3 days feeling very weak and not goo at all. He was so sweet to stay home with me! Bless his heart.

It was such a pretty day and I wanted him to go 'investigate' the beauty of the day and take lots of pictures for me.

He came back with some real beauties! Just sit back and relax and enjoy them as I did.

We keep hearing that the south of Finland (where we are) is going to have a 'warm-up'! I don't think so.......

or maybe the weather people mean in the SPRING!

The asuntola looks a little 'lonely' with all of that snow around doesn't it!

Hopefully this next week will be better because I will feel better and be back in the temple working. It is YOUNG SINGLE ADULT WEEK!

Busy PERJANTAI

With being on the afternoon shift this week, we tried to do a few 'quick' errands before going to the temple. We were off to SELLO early so as to get back. Wayne needed to do some more snow shoveling because it snowed overnight and was still snowing! :-)

We noticed our CHRISTMAS FLOWER from the Michie's was almost in FULL BLOOM and just beautiful!

And in the POSTI today we got a baptism 'invitation' for Porter's baptism on Saturday, December 4, 2010! WOW when did he get so big!!! So wish we could be there. It is times like this that it is so hard to be away from home and family! Wanting so badly to be there to celebrate their 'big' day and wanting to be here on a mission all at the same time! Porter and Claire made grandma and grandpa cute little note that we put up on our door.

SO.....we finally gathered out shopping cart and the empty gas cans (for the snow blower) and were off to Sello...... we seem to always get caught in the 'black hole' of people to talk to and things to do!

We needed to run to the POSTI first to mail a couple of packages....again! We sure won't miss the expensive cost of mailing packages from here when we get home. We have taken countless 'numbers' from the little number machine so Wayne thought we needed a picture of it.

About an hour or so later we made it back home to find a BEEHIVE of ACTIVITY with the Finnish missionaries who had come to the temple to do baptisms. They were now shoveling the snow for us! Bless their hearts! What great troopers.

And I think this is the first time I have seen Joseph and Mary and Baby Jesus being swept off!

What takes forever for Wayne and Veli Peciulius to clear off these elders can do in 30 minutes! What a huge help they were.

Unfortunately, by the time it was time for us to head up to the temple I was feeling rather sick. I had to call Sisar Haikkola and tell her I would not be able to make it. She was very understanding and told me to stay in bed......which is exactly what I did. Wayne was very productive however!

J O U L U K U U

Welcome to December and the tradition of our Advent Christmas Tree here at our apartment! We had two of the young sister missionaries help us out by 'picking an ornament' for December 1st. They are serving in the Haaga Ward.

And...for December 2nd we have two of the young elder missionaries 'pick an ornament'.

This morning, Thursday, us and the Groberg's took our 'annual trip' down to Helsinki to visit the NAISTEN MESSUT. This is a great Christmas Tori held in this old armony building down by the harbor.

Lots of FUN handicrafts to be found....and we sure found a LOT!

We drove past the Russian Orthodox Church not too far away. It looked very pretty with the snowy surroundings.

RELAXING P-DAY CLOSE TO HOME!

The Christmas Tori's will be starting this week so we decided to stay home and take care of a few errands today. We will be 'venturing out' to go to those Tori's! It was a beautiful day.....very frigidly cold weather but no snow. Beautiful blue sky.

The picture above was taken at SUNRISE at about 9:46 a.m. The sun is shining on Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus.

We went to JORVIN HOSPITAL to visit Sisar Olga Roslöf again. Bless her heart. She had to have surgery again this past Saturday. She has had sooooo much trouble when she fell and broke her hip. This was her 3rd surgery in just under 2 months. She did seem in good spirits though.....and she looked really good to.

The trees were just beautiful as we drove home.

As we were pulling into the asuntola we decided to take a picture of the temple at SUNSET. This was taken at 3:54 p.m. The sun these days just barely 'skims' the horizon before it disappears for the long winter days.

SATURDAY NIGHT

at the end of the 'lighting' event for the SEIMI, Wayne borrowed Kent Michie's FUR HAT for a picture by Joseph & Mary statue. He looks like he should be warm huh! Except where is his coat!? Oh, he forgot that inside!

SUNDAY.....

we stayed close to 'home' and did not travel long distances this weekend. That was nice for a change. I took the picture below out across the porch on the back of the asuntola. The sun, at 9:30 a.m., is just beginning to peek it's little head on the horizon. At this time of the year that is about all we get.....a little PEEK!! Better than up in Lapland where they basically don't even get a peek!

SISAR SUONPÄÄ in the librarian in the Haaga Ward. She is a sweetheart. She always makes sure we get our manuals each year....for me in English and Wayne in Finnish. She had seen the cross stitch temple I made for Sisar Roslöf and really wanted one. I made her a bookmark instead of the picture. She was tickled to get it.

After church I made a delicious meatloaf (even if I must say so....found the recipe on allrecipes.com.....great site). Then Wayne and I were able to get the Christmas BOXES finished and ready to take to the POSTI on Monday. And the Christmas cards will be mailed as well. That is a good feeling to have that done.

Hopefully everyone will received them in a TIMELY way and will enjoy a little something from us for Christmas!

THE LIGHTING OF THE

TEMPLE

SEIMI

This has been a tradition at the Helsinki Temple since it was dedicated 4 years ago. Last year it was COLD but we had no snow.

We also got a NEW STABLE because the other one was too big and could not be 'folded' in the off-season.

And this year we had PLENTY OF SNOW AND PLENTY OF COLD WEATHER!!! It was 7 degrees outside. Just LOVE the way these little Finn kids are so cute with their snow suits on.

Members of the Helsinki Stake Choir performed a couple of musical numbers for the program.

It was fun to 'chat' with Sisar Haikkola (matron) and Sisar Vorimo (one of the assistants to the matron) before the event started....heating up the GLÖGI.....sssoooooo good!!

Us Sisar Missionaries made homemade cookies for the 'gathering' inside to warm up after the event was over. We had a nice turnout.

Got to 'grab' our little group pictures when we can......L to R: Sisar Zina Peciuliene (Lithuanian temple missionary), me, Sisar Groberg and Sisar Haikkola.

Barbara Michie (left) missed out on the first picture so we had to take another one!

A FUN evening.....but nice to be inside our apartment with a nice warm thick robe on!!