HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy new year to all of you near and far :-) The year 2006 is gone in a few hours, wow how fast time flies ! Here is a quick look over the year 2006:

Travels of the year: January: Denmark, visited Herning in Jylland and Copenhagen. March: Prague and Karlsbad (in the Czeck Republic). June: Bulgaria and Romania. July-August: Round-trip of Iceland, stops at Munaðarnes, Akureyri, Vopnafjörður, Laugar, Mývatn,Hallormsstaður, Egilsstaðir, Djúpivogur, Höfn í Hornafirði, Kirkjubæjarklaustur and a couple of other places ! September: Ólafsfjörður, visiting friend María. October: Fljótshlíð, trip with people from work.

Accident of the year: Broke my left ankle on March 31st. Open fracture that cost me 7 weeks in a cast and a long time to recuperate. Now I have a matching pair of broken ankles.

Hilda of the year: Hilda has been doing very well both in school and in athletics this year. Her collection of medal has grown and her grades are top notch. She's grown so big and matured so much in the year, it makes mommy feel a tad ooold. She was an absolute darling helping her mum while she was lying crippled in bed, thank you my honey bun.

Family of the year: Fortunately the year was mostly good for my family. My mother moved to a new apartment in Stigahlíð and is very happy about that :-) My sister Steingerður got a new job as an editor for a new free magazine and my sister Margrét has been busy protecting the rights of foreigners and has been in the media in that connection. My sister Helen tried selling her place but no success (runs in the family) and my sister Svanhildur just keeps raising her lovely little boys while battling arthritis. My nephew Steinar Örn decided to imitate his aunt when he injured his foot in December, breaking bones and tearing ligaments. Still, on the whole, 2006 was a good year for us. My best thanks to my family for all the help they gave me while I was injured !

Friends of the year: My best thanks to my friends for the year 2006 for the great help and support they gave me while I was injured. Muchos grazias ! Babies of the year are Isaac son of Björg, Eyrún daughter of Sif and twins Eyvör Stella and Eyvindur Stefnir children of Þeba. Congratulations to them for producing such cute offsprings :-) My friend Gunnella moved to Japan in October, best of luck with that enterprise :-)

Hero of the year: Is little Steingrímur Páll that has made so much progress in walking this year. He moves about in his stroller without any hesitation and has started climbing stairs, walking along walls and walking while only holding one hand as a support. My prediction is that he will walk on his own in the new year :-) Way to go !

Best of greetings to all of you, I look forward to seeing you in the new year !

Sorry Hilda, it was meant for smaller children :-) 

Feeling comfy, are we ? 

My tiny baby Hilda crammed into a helicopter ride.  

Christmas with a little electrical problem :-)

Christmas was good as always. I arrived at my sister's house just before six and my mother was busy cooking in the kitchen. Everything was going according to plan, then poof ! No electricity ! We had to call out the emergency shift at the electrical company that saved us after half an hour blackout. So, dinner was a little late but tasted great anyway. Then it was time to open the presents. Óli and Steinar really enjoyed that part. They were a bit overwhelmed by all the new toys and stuff but managed to get all the gifts opened. After the presents it was time for the annual hot chocolate party at my mother's place, where the whole family gathers to enjoy real hot chocolate and goodies made by my mum. Mmmmm, really really good. Afterwards I came home and started reading one of the 4 books I got for Christmas. I also got 2 new games, a bathrobe, a necklace, Depeche Mode greatest hits, a Sake set and a buddist deity picture. The rabbit was glad to have me home and I gave him more of his special Chrismas lettuce :-) On Christmas day I went to mother's again for the traditional hangikjöt (smoked lamb). Mmmmm, really really good. Am now lying in bed, trying to digest all of this. I have eaten more than a weeks rations for a poor third world family, I'm afraid. Still more to come !

Grandma reading for her little boys 

But after a short rest he was back in the action :-) 

Some people were rather tired on Christmas day and needed to relax on the sofa with grandma 

Andri looking every inch the gentleman 

Helen and Eva 

Atli relaxing on the sofa during the hot chocolate party on Christmas Eve 

Some were more difficult to get to :-) 

Hilda was happy opening her presents 

Opening presents, very enthusiastically 

Óli wanted to help grandma in the kitchen - grandma really wanted him elsewhere :-)

Big sister Guðlaug holding her shirt-clad younger brothers, everybody dressed up for Christmas :-)

MERRY CHRISTMAS ! GLEÐILEG JÓL ! GLÆDELIG JUL !

Merry Christmas, ho ho ho ! I'll be spending Christmas Eve with my mother and Svanhildur and her family. Later in the evening the whole gang will get together and drink hot chocolate. May you all enjoy the yuletide :-)

My green window 

The highlight of the party 

Hilda and Eyrún sharing a joke :-)

Sif and Eyrún

My two darlings 

Lazy Daisy, lazy lazy...

So, I've been a lazy blogger lately. The stress in december both at work and home has gotten to me and I never give myself time to sit down and write. But now it is night, I am wide awake looking after little Steingrímur so I can hammer down a few words. Christmas shopping about halfway done, Christmas cleaning beginning to shape up, Christmas decorations coming along nicely :-) My bedroom window is now filled with green lights, Hilda's with multi-coloured ones. I must get some for the living room window as well :-) Yesterday some friends came over; Sif, Gunna and Harpa. It was nice to give ourselves some time to chat in the busiest month of the year. Tiny Eyrún came along and I managed to get some smiles from her :-) But now off to sleep again, tomorrow awaits with more shopping !!

The cutest rabbit in the world drinking from a cup :-)  

We went shopping on Sunday. Some people were to tired to participate :-)