I always feel nervous about giving thanks for a bunch of people publicly.
I am afraid I will forget somebody, and then feelings will be hurt.
However, we had such a fun trip to Finland, and so many people contributed to the "fun'ness" that I feel like I should at least give it a try.
So here it goes...
Thank you for the Leppanen family for letting us use their van for the first leg of our trip. Renting a car in Finland is pretty pricey, so we really appreciated it.
Thank you for Nina for organizing, with the help of others, our Jakko Family Reunion. It was amazing! Some of my cousins, I used to be such a good friends with, I had not seen for 15-20 years. It meant a lot for me that people took time to travel with their families and gather together.
So, thank you for all who came to Kotalahti to celebrate our wonderful family.
Thank you for Eila, who came all the way from Australia to see us all...and also for the cake she made for all of us.. almost 120 people!
Thank you for my parents who rented Kotalahti for a whole week.
It made it possible, that all my siblings and their families could fit under a one roof, and spend 24/7 together. For some families this may be a nightmare but for us it was so much fun!
Thank you for my sisters and brothers who all came with their families and spent a week with us in Kotalahti. They cooked all kinds of yummy things, I have never even eaten before, and made sure we all had fun. My kids loved spending all that time with their cousins.
Thank you for my friend, Mervi, who took time to come and visit us in Kotalahti, and she even brought yummy ice cream popsicles with her.
Thank you for my friend, Merja, who organized a get together at her house for all of us ex-youth in Lappeenranta and Mikkeli ward. She made a delicious dinner for us and opened her home for all of us.
Thank you for everybody who came to this event. It was great to see all my old friends, and it was fun to reminiscing the good, old, fun times.
Thank you for the missionaries who came over and gave us a wonderful message about following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
Thank you for all my siblings, Kirsti, Esko, and Timo, and their spouses who opened up their homes and invited us over. They fed us and provided us a places to sleep and entertained us in many different ways.
Thank you for Ville for introducing Niko and Kai to skinny dipping. They will never forget that, and according to Niko that was the best part of our trip.
Thank you also for my cousins Katri and Heidi, and their families for having us over.
Thank you for Arto for taking Jason and the kids to Sarkanniemi.
Thank you for Katri for helping me to learn (with a help of a local ward member) how to make Riisipiirakat, Karelian Rice Pies.
Thank you for Heidi for showing Maija how to milk a goat.
Thank you for Taana, who came to meet us in Helsinki Market Place, and who introduced us to the wonderful restrooms of Helsinki City Hall! We even returned back to those rest rooms in a later time of our trip :)
Thank you for all those who invited us over, but for some reason or other we were not able to visit them....mainly for the lack of time mostly.
The list goes on and on..and I will probably be adding few more thank you's, when I will think of them.
And of course...thank you for our neighbors for watching over our home when we were gone.
And most of all...thank you for Hunter for taking care of Scooby.
