BACK ON (THE) TRACK

First there was too much snow, then Hanna was too tired, then the weather was awful, then we were too busy - lots of excuses have been made, but no more. As of today we are officially back on our running track. And it felt fantastic!

Sun in the face, fresh air in the lungs and the perfect running partner - what could be better?


Two bumps ;-)

There is a bench under this pile of snow, really!

HOME IMPROVEMENT ... AGAIN!

While other people spend their winter hibernating, Marko got this huge boost of energy and rearranged half our apartment. Here is (part of) what happened.

First, the old, super-heavy couch was cleaned and transported (through a tiny hallway and around three mean corners) to our office/guestroom/future babyroom.

Fits like a glove ...

Then the new sofa came - wrapped like this:

Marko unwrapped, screwed, hammered, arranged and rearranged for hours - and saved himself a workout at the gym.



And in the end: the well-deserved rest on the brand new sofa. Thank God we didn't get a treadmill ;-) Thank you, Marko!!

COLD + WIND = COSY HOME

Hanna's hopes for an early spring got crushed: It got bitter cold, down to temperatures of -22 °C that felt like -30 and colder because of the windchill - brrrr! (Marko actually enjoys the bitter cold temps. Those Finns...) The good thing about the cold was that it inspired us to do some small home improvement jobs, many of them in preparation for our new expected family member and thus especially fun. :-)) We also had several nice skype sessions with families and friends and a great welcome-back-to-school evening with some lovely friends. Winter can be fun after all!

Going for a long walk every day, or rather every night, even in the cold, is one of our favorite traditions.

Our new cosy rocking chair - heavily used by Hanna

A cosy home smells like ... pulla! Mhmmm!

Rolling rock (a new beer) and rock'n'roll (new speakers)
-> happy Marko

Finally: nightstands - hurray!

Old friends - new games :-)

Making space for baby stuff


Ahhh, to be young again and wear all this fun stuff ...

CURL IT!

When the winter is long, the best you can do is make use of it - for example by discovering new winter sports. While Hanna had to attend a conference, Marko enjoyed the icy adventure and the great company. What a neat idea to try curling! Thank you, Mandy! Thanks for the pictures, Matthew!

WHAT HAPPENS

if you are trying to take it easy for New Year's and "just" hang out with your neighbors: You end up wearing a funny hat, dancing with a princess, having a lot of good food and a lot of fun - thank you! And HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!