midsommarsafton

cannot believe that it is already midsummers.  time is just flying by.  in preparation of heading to the annermalms, we made a big salad, and our little mini quiches.  eijla was a great help with the quiches.  she was so focused, just check out that tongue!

then of course we had to pick wildflowers.  midsommars is just not midsommars without them, luckily they grow on the side of the road almost everywhere around here, but you had to be quick between the massive downpours, ah swedish midsommars, rain, rain, rain.

the girls hopped into the pool almost as soon as we got there.  good think it is heated, or they would have been icicles. 

after a dip and some food, the girls decided they wanted to go on a wildflower hunt, zoe volunteered me as the adult chaperone, which was my honor.  luckily it had stopped raining but there were plenty of puddles to splash in.

here are the girls with their find,  enough daisies to make daisy chain crowns for everyone.

rebecka found a leash that was small enough for eijla baby puppy, and she had great fun taking it for walks all afternoon.

then it was time to decorate the midsommars stång.  everyone added their own little unique touches.

zoe, our little flower princess, helped to make sure amanda´s crown was just right.  amanda sure was patient with her, i think it took zoe 15 minutes until she was satisfied with her work. :)

due to rain, and food being ready, we missed the dancing around the midsommars stång this year.  though maybe christer and jessica got up in the middle of the night and did is just for fun when the rain stopped!  ha ha.  after a delicious dinner it was snuggles and dessert.  i think eijla wants to go and live with rebecka!

midsommars celebrations!

down to furulund we headed for the festivities.  we were late as per usual, but luckily jessica did not mind!  the lunch was crazy good with salmon pie and sill, and gravad lax, with much, much more...

 so we ate, and then there was swimming...

 and the dressing of the middsommars pole...

 the guys were of course very helpful...

 we were so busy eating all day that we had barely time to sing and dance around the midsommars pole, but the girls made sure it happened...

 rebecka and eijla were tied at the hip.  the two were almost never seen apart.  she even taught eijla to ride a bike!

 the four years olds were adorable, and crazy, running around like maniacs and making everyone laugh.

 the festivities went one well into the night, i think we finally ate dinner around 2230!  there was just so much good food, seemed like we never stopped eating!  but we all crashed, and most of us slept in, though there were a few early risers...thank you family annermalm for a wonderful midsommars.  though i must say it was certainly much like christmas, cuz christer disabled the alarm on our car, and all i can say now is i feel so very happy and so very free!  christer is my hero!  and i think rebecka is eijla's.

 after the annermalms we headed to farmor and farfars to pick up bonita.  they had a bunch of cherries growing on their tree, so zoe and i picked them.  zoe claimed she did not like cherries, and then proceeded to eat about a million of them!

eijla was a bit of a grumpy butt, stayed up way too late the night before.  but farfar is just a stubborn and managed to get some food in that grumpy mouth.

 then there was some farmor snuggles...

 which just made someone else jealous so there were even more farmor snuggles...

 and then we enjoyed a spectacular sunset for a good portion of the drive home.  ah, life IS beautiful.

midsommars day

zoe and maya had a sleepover again in their little tent. the next morning they were ready to play again. before breakfast they were out in the hammock hamming it up.
before the österströms headed home for some peace and quiet, we drove out to humlasjön. the bridge had been put out so the girls risked their lives by running on it, despite us parent types, repeatedly demanding they only walk. ah, kids, they are invincible. it was pretty cold but thomas and the girls waded in, but because of the wind, there were small waves, so it was hard to see if there were any tadpoles this time.
even eijla enjoyed a little stroll on the beach...
after the strenuous walk on the beach, eijla was ready for some food. though this time the spoon ended up being a bit more interesting than the actually food.

middsommars afton

summer is here, and so is midsommars. first on the agenda, picking some flowers. zoe is well trained and picks some beauties...

even pappa gets into the flower feeling.

next on the agenda: good friends, check. good food, check. drinks, check. wonderful summer weather, double check.

then it was time for eijla's very first taste of solid food. what better to start with than a middsommars new potato.
it went well, but seems like the spoon was not the funnest thing in the world. went much better with a "finger spoon". congratulations eijla! welcome to the world of real food, well, kinda.
after a yummy meal, it was time for the pappas to rest and all of us girls when down to the playground in the village. it was great for the girls to burn off some energy, so that we would be able to keep up with them later.
then it was back to the house to dress the middommars pole! which apparently can be a clothes line pole as well! it maybe was not the prettiest of middsommars stång, but it was made with love!

even eijla and monica had turns trying on the daisy chain crowns...
glad midsommars, and thanks to the österströms for sharing it with us!

midsommars day on ivö

so after a lovely midsommars eve with the österstroms, it was time to head out to ivö to visit rita and company. it was a real weekend of parties, made all the more enjoyable by the highly entertaining companionship...
the guilty parties were of course the lovely zoe...the odd man who calls himself "sven, a man who can wear pink, and wear it well"...
elin, a no nonsense kind of gal who kept us all in line...
thomas, yeah, that is the man i married...
eimi, yeah, that is the woman thomas married...
and our lovely hostess with the mostess, rita...

midsommars

midsommars this year was spent with good company, we headed over to maya´s house, where we spent the evening in lovely company. zoe and maya were very happy to see one another again.monica of course looked stunning as per usual, though don´t let the innocent look fool you!
of course swedish midsommars always seems to involve playing kube (no idea how to spell it). which is basically throwing sticks at sticks and trying somewhat to not hit the opposing team. tom and thomas were on the same team, and monica and i were on the other. pretty obviously who won eh?
had to get a shot of emanuel´s near bullseye. he was pretty proud, and we were pretty impressed. his sister ellen got pretty close as well, but i didn´t manage to get a shot of her, a bit camera shy.
and then of course there was the swedish tradition of singing and dancing around the midsommars pole. lina and rikard really shone with their midsommars song and dance talents.
the girls thought all of us were crazy, but they seemed to have fun as well.
all in all it was a lovely evening with wonderful people. thanks tom, monica, and maya.