[Photos taken 24 – 30 December 2021, posted online 01 May 2022. The past week included two 20+ km e-bike rides and two hikes, and I’m still mostly standing, if a bit stiffly.]
Finally, finally (!!!) yule arrived! To lessen tensions while waiting for the clock to strike 6 pm, and the formal start of Christmas, I took Emma out on a walk up to the observation point on a nearby hill. It was a little colder out than we expected, but it was a nice walk.
Mom and baby-bro Bjarni joined us for Christmas dinner, and opening of presents.
The following day we met Finnur’s extended family at his parents’ place for a yule day feast, and celebrated Anna’s 18th birthday! Late the following day one of the guests tested positive for covid, so we went on a self-imposed quarantine, with Finnur and Emma hunkering down at house #2, while the big kids and I whiled away the days in town. (85-ish images total)
Friday 24 December 2021
Kids in front of the tree floating on top of presents.
Emma and I went out for a walk around 2 pm, to get some of the stress and excitement out.
Proof it was us!
The sun slowly setting around 3 pm. That’s Vífilstaðavatn in the distance.
By the lookout-point on the hill. Mount Esja in the distance.
The other direction. The eruption was over there somewhere.
Emma looking at all the mountain names.
On the way back we noticed there were a lot of cars in the cemetery, as people paid their respects to the dearly departed, so we decided to take a look.
Lots of tender love and care on display.
Dinner table decorated.
Mom and two of her kiddos.
Eating time!
The other camera… ok, ok, you can eat now!
Anna kindly played us some festive music between the first and main course.
Finnur cutting the ham.
The two Sólrúns.
Green peas are the best.
Glorious food about to be eaten!
Yum!
After the kitchen had been mostly dealt with, and dessert consumed, it was time to open presents. And there were So. Many. Presents!
The annual calendar got made, just in time, as usual.
A present from Emma to us!
Emma opening the biggest present of them all.
All the presents opened, thanked for, and appreciated.
We survived another yule!
Hope you had a Merry Christmas/Yule/Solstice/Whatever Everyone!
Saturday 25 December 2021
Covid spot checks before a big party.
10 am baking desserts for said party.
Anna opening her presents on her 18th birthday!
Teeheehee!
Birthday girl getting hugs.
Next up: A Christmas Day feast!
Lots of people in one room!
Finnur’s dad was master chef as always.
Photo of our newly minted adult!
A family photo!
Celebrating the mixed style of footwear!
Almost eating time!
Cousins speed-solving Rubik’s cubes.
Cozy times!
Dessert time! We brought an apple cake and an almond cake.
The two Anna’s!
The annual social whist tournament in full swing.
The traveling cup in the process of being cleaned!
Yours truly. One member of the family like to take revenge-photos.
I’ve seen worse!
Steinunn was the winner!
A mom and her ladies.
Sunday 26 December 2021
Feeling spectacularly bloated from all the festive food, and seeing that that the weather was reasonable, I went out before lunch on a slow jog. There are the two most decorated houses in our area!
Snow on the ground, but no ice.
Birds trying to make do.
Quite idyllic.
I found a cafe that was open (most are closed on the second day of Christmas) and was happy to get a seat.
To have something to do, I decided to restart this Lego project that had laid dormant in the closet for a few years…
Disassembly in full swing.
Lamb for dinner.
Bjarki was the formal owner of the Lego kit, so he and I got going on putting it together again.
Monday 27 December 2021
I was off work between yule and new year’s, and used the opportunity to enjoy some quiet morning time at my current favorite café. As I was sitting there, I got an email saying that one of the Christmas Day party attendees had been diagnosed with covid the evening before. Finnur and I decided we’d play it safe: he would take Emma to house #2 to wait a few days, while I would have the big kids in town. As it turned out, nobody got infected, but this was among the quietest yule-breaks ever.
It helped that I had found a few long books to read at one of the libraries, and they kept me plenty occupied!
Tuesday 28 December 2021
Customers patiently waiting in a tree shortly before lunch.
Happy now?
Another slow jog in progress.
Hello, gazebo by lake.
It was a tad cold out.
Fireworks began exploding at random times.
With the fourth Matrix movie in theaters, I dug out our old original Matrix DVD and was happy it was still playable! Bjarki thought the special effects had aged surprisingly well!
Wednesday 29 December 2021
More bird feeding…
I dragged Anna and Bjarki out of the house to go on a walk. Next time I should bring more refreshments!
Trudging up a hill.
By a lookout point.
Contemplating life.
They climbed down into an old war-time lookout post.
We kept on walking, I’d never walked there before, and darn, it was cold!
The route was deemed boring, and Anna was soon playing videos on her phone, and Bjarki complained bitterly.
One kid down…
A horse trotted by…
Pretty sunset in progress.
I rounded up both kids, and told them the bad news, that they would in fact have to walk all the way back to the car because there was no other way to get back.
We spotted people out on the not-quite-frozen lake…
Our route, we didn’t even reach 5 km!
We did make it back home, and there was hot chocolate. I was forgiven for my cruelty around dinner time or so, and Bjarki agreed to a bit more Lego-ing.
Thursday 30 December 2021
We all signed up for PCR tests, as this was day #5 from a possible infection. Happily, all five of us (and everybody that had been at the party) tested negative.
There was a party atmosphere by the testing station, I met at least two people I knew! Finnur and Emma got tested in Borgarnes.
