[Photos taken 24 – 26 December 2024, posted online 01 June 2025. Pouring rain today, and strong chilly winds predicted tomorrow after the absolute beauty of a May weatherwise. All the plants are fully green (way ahead of schedule), and here’s hoping they survive the next few days…]
Christmas Eve passed in a traditional manner… Finnur was in charge of the kitchen, while Emma and I went on a hike up to the overlook point, and mostly everybody stayed out of Finnur’s way.
Similarly, Christmas Day was as tradition dictates with Anna’s 21st birthday, her making “horns” and desserts for Finnur’s family gathering at his parents’ place, us going there, eating and playing the social-whist tournament (I won!!) before preparing for visitors at home.
The second day of Christmas (aka Boxing Day in the UK) saw our US visitors arrive bright and early. They got to sleep for a few hours, and then they got dragged to the outdoors swimming pool/hot-tub/slide-extravaganza up the hill. The five of us went to a lovely late-afternoon family-gathering on my side, before spending the evening playing games, and then some more games!
Christmas Eve – Tuesday 24 December 2024
Happy Yule! About the only time we deck the table for dinner.
The day began with much chillin’. This is Emma juggling three screens…
Finnur prepping the dinner meat, it would get to lounge in warm water for a long time.
Ready for bathing.
Emma dousing gingerbread with some liquid sugar.
Action shot of Emma’s snowball flying into our yard as we set out on our walk/hike.
By the Buddha stupa shortly past 14 (2 pm).
Birds flying between the ready and unready houses.
We appreciate the folks that maintain the paths!
Where one takes a left turn.
We made it!
It was a bit sludgy.
Heading back, just as a dark cloud approached ominously…
I was in much snowball-danger!
The golf course was closed.
The cemetery was lit up like usual at that time of year.
Swinging.
Snow incoming.
The bird feeders as seen from the fence.
Setting the table.
Appertizer.
Candles being lit.
More lit candles.
Hungry ones circling the table.
Sisters by a tree surrounded by gifts.
Time to eat at 18 (6 pm) sharp!
Oh yeah!
Ice-cream and hot chocolate sauce for dessert, yum!
Trash-bag ready for all the wrappings.
Opening of presents, what lucky folks we are!
Anna was head-santa.
Emma was very pleased with her haul! We hope you all had a happy holiday season!
Christmas Day – Wednesday 25 December 2024
The birthday girl was up early to bake for the upcoming party. Muffins had been made the day before.
Opening of birthday-presents, before heading to a party!
Our hosts by the laden table!
Decorations galore!
The social-whist tournament traveling cup in the background. (Wikipedia calls it a “Whist drive” or “Progressive Whist”.)
The ever popular “horns” that we brought.
Cute!
The traditional “hung leg of lamb”.
After feasting, the boys distributed social-whist score-sheets.
Mine!
The tournament was played on five tables!
A table covered every available floor-spot!
Emma taking a breather after we’d finished playing 12 rounds, and dessert was being brought out.
Dessert, yum!
Anna getting an aunt-y birthday hug!
The birthday girl and significant other!
The 12-round tournament results being read out… excitement mounting…
The announcer.
I was the winner, for I think, only the second time ever?!
Such excitement!!
Officially 21 years old!
The rest of the evening was spent setting up beds for our incoming visitors from the US. These self-inflating ones are really cool!
Emma’s room no longer had a floor to speak of…
Our sleeper sofa finally stretching its sleeper legs.
Taking a photo of the street to prep our visitors for the conditions.
The last job of the day was filing the results into the tournament book!
2nd Day of Christmas – Thursday 26 December 2024
The weather as we roused our very tired US visitors, who’d arrived very early that morning.
Thankfully, our local swimming pool was open although the “second day of Christmas” is a public holiday.
Apparently they were surprised the outdoor pool was open, and full of people!
We emerged some two hours later having experienced the wonders of geothermally heated pools and hot tubs, even in winter! It actually wasn’t that cold outside at all… although the guests may have felt otherwise?
We left the tired travelers at home to recuperate in peace and quiet, and hopped on over to a yule-party in my family.
What a feast!
Father and son by beautiful decorations.
Another father-son duo by the tree.
(Great)-grandma looking mighty fine at a whopping 90 years of age!
The couch-potatoes.
Cousins bonding… They actually belong to two different generations, but age matters more!
We arrived back home to find our visitors still awake. Emma ratcheted up the alertness by showing off her Rayman Legends skills before allowing the others to join.
I’m AWAKE!
Never ever have so many games been played over such a short timespan as during this visit. We have sadly not managed to maintain this gaming level on our own… (Come back soon, please!)
