GRANDMA'S HALLOWEEN PARTY

Last night we had grandma's annual Halloween Party.

 

According to Maija the party was WICKED!

 

Lots of good food, fun games and good company.

 

These are the best parties ever.

 

We missed Markus who was in California in the Marching Band competition, but what can I say...the party must go on.

 

 

Niko and Kai playing the Halloween Bingo

 

 

Maija

 

 

 

Kai and Maija with their dessert creations

 

 

 

Niko in his a Angry Bird - Hawkeye costume

 

 

Maija with her cousin

 

 

Kai checking out his Halloween candy bag from grandmother

 

 

Maija with her massive candy pile

 

 

 

 

FOOTBALL AND BAND NIGHT

Foothill High had a football game last Thursday night,

and two local middle schools joined the Foothill marching band to cheer

our football team to victory.

 

And victory it was...the score was something around 40 - 17.

 

And the music was phenomenal with around 550 kids in the band!

 

Kai playing trombone.

 

Markus somewhere there with his trumpet.

BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL

We have quite a morning routine.

 

Markus gets up around 5:15, and I make him usually a smoothis and eggs (omelette, egg burrito, or scrambled eggs), and then he leaves few minutes before 6 am to get to early morning seminary before school starts.

 

Kai will wake up around 6:30, and he usually has pancakes with syrup and a strawberry-orange-banana smoothie, before rushing to his school around 7:35.

 

Maija and Niko get up around 7:30 and their breakfast of choice is either cereal or waffles, and then it is off to school for them as well.

 

So if you are in mood for eggs, pancakes, waffles or smoothies...our house is a place to be in any given morning.

 

 

FRIENDS

Today I feel grateful for all the wonderful people I have met, and will meet throughout my life.

 

I read an article recently from the October 2012 Ensign Magazine titled

Good Things Keep on Coming

 

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/10/good-things-keep-on-coming?lang=eng

 

My favorite paragraph said:

 

"Sitting quietly, surrounded by people I loved,

I knew that even though some good things must naturally come to an end and that there would undoubtedly be many hard things in the future,

the good things would keep on coming.

And they always would—as long as I let them.

Even as those I love moved on,

voids would be filled with new and amazing people and experiences

I had never even imagined."

 

And so tonight I want to thank everybody who has shared some happy times and some sad times with me.  My life has been and continues to be wonderful because of the family, friends, and even acquaintances,

crossing paths with me. 

 

 This is for you

 

I VOTED

This is not a first time I have voted since becoming a citizen of United States,

 

but this is the first time

I felt a special tug in my heart when I pushed the button "Cast Your Vote".

 

This time around I feel so strongly about the candidate I am voting for.

Voting made me feel so powerful.

 

I can make a difference with my vote, (especially living in a swing state, where every vote counts)

 

It made me feel grateful to be living in a free country,

 

in a country where I can voice my opinion,

 

where I can be friends with people who have an opposing opinion.

 

I will always be a Finn in my heart, but there is also room to be a proud American.

NIKO ON LEGOS

I made legos!

Episode 2 i make weird little alien!

Okie... its a guy playing piano thats about to get killed by a solder with a spear!

 

ps.I think the warrior is from my lord of the rings playset   O_O

 

 

SERVICE DAY

Yesterday our local church (lds church) held a day of service. 

We got up early, ate some breakfast with our family and headed to the service location to meet with other members from our congregation. 

We helped some struggling home owners to clean up their yards. 

 

It felt good to be working side by side with our family and friends, doing good, meeting some nice, greatful people along the way. 

Nothing unites families and friends quite like working hard together for a good cause.

 

Maija

 

Markus

 

Kai

 

Jason

 

P.S. Niko did some work but decided that it was quite tireing, and snuck into a car to take a rest...