New Year’s Eve: When 2017 Became 2018
[Photos taken on 31 December 2017 – 01 January 2018, posted on 31 July 2018. Back at Norðurbakkinn, and it’s rainy outside.]
This past New Year’s Eve was special, in that it was announced beforehand that this would be the last grand family party hosted by Finnur’s uncle and his wife. (The party hosting has alternated between the two brothers through the years). As a result I think pretty much everybody showed up, and had a great time as always. (49 images total and 1 video)
Welcome to 2018!!! (Many thanks to Anna for being patient and writing into thin air more than once as we tuned the camera settings!)
The day started out innocently enough, with the kids running to the window every time somebody decided to test a firework a little early.
They were super excited about the family package Finnur had bought, mostly because Bjarki knows few things as fun as exploding things.
At the party, looking into the living room.
The kids entertained themselves in the sun-room.
Out in the garage, fireworks waited patiently.
Happy chatter as more people arrive.
Bjarki and Finnur. Bjarki was quite happy with his mufflers.
Slowly but surely, the table filled up with delicious food.
The hostess is a decorator par excellence.
Two Annas and Finnur’s cousin.
I think New Year’s Eve may also be Finnur’s favorite night of the year.
Emma checking out the fireplace.
Before long the table was full, and time to feast!
Our gracious hosts barely had time to slow down enough for me to take a photo of them!
Soon it was time to go outside and start shooting things up into the air!
Emma slightly nervous with a star-light.
Finnur on lighting duty.
Anna and I went for a short walk up to the top of the hill, and saw as Kópavogur lit their bonfire down in the valley.
We walked along the ridge a bit until we saw Garðabær’s bonfire as well on the other side of the hill.
Anna, as we waited for the epic fireworks display to begin.
Kópavogur’s Search and Rescue squad put on a fiiiine show!
Always a favorite firework, but hard to photograph handheld.
Under normal circumstances, the Garðabær show should have started as the Kópavogur one finished but something went wrong on the Garðabær side, and only four fireworks flew up, a minute apart. We thus hung around for a while…
Garðabær finally decided to start for real, but the first few big fireworks exploded on the ground! I didn’t hear of any injuries, but it was a bit scary.
At long last, they got the show up and running, and it was cool as always.
Anna with her long long hair!
After the two shows were over, we walked back, happy that we didn’t bring any young kids along, as they wouldn’t have liked the long wait.
When we got back, everybody was busy filling out answers in a game of Vignir’s design.
Finnur filling out his sheet.
Dessert time!
My camera was all foggy on the inside, so I took a candle photo.
Soon it was time for the annual sketch comedy hour recapping the year, and this time around it was actually pretty enjoyable!
Quick family selfie!
After the comedy hour was over at 11:30 pm (30 minutes before midnight!), we all crowded outside to shoot up fireworks, and watch the crazy fireworks going up all around us!
Boom, boom, boom!
Siblings taking a selfie!
Finnur!
More intense star-light gazing.
Boom, boom, boom!
… on, and on, and on the fireworks went.
Short video from midnight looking at the madness surrounding the house!
Animated gif of fireworks!! (wait for it to load…)
Happy New Year everybody!!
Me and Emma.
Two of my pretties.
Typical Icelandic yule-window-decoration.
Back inside we cheered for the new year!
… and kept on eating!
Emma decided she needed to vacuum the confetti off the floor before we could leave! Once that was done, we headed home, and tried to fall asleep even though a few jerks kept shooting up fireworks long into the night! Happy New Year everybody! 🙂
p.s. I took a lot of images, message me if you’d like a link to them.
