Foster Family Reunion at Steig
[Photos taken on 13 May to 14 May 2017, posted online 2 September. I’m in denial about having a nasty head-cold. 27 August 2017. At a cafe, where a girl is doing her math homework, and her (presumably older?) boyfriend is being impatient and a bit obnoxious but still hanging around, occasionally helping. She’s telling him off though so they might make it. ]
Just like three years ago, we attended the family reunion of Finnur’s dad’s foster family. It was held at the Steig Guesthouse, close by the tourist attractions of Reynisfjara, and Dyrhólaey.
We drove there on Saturday, stayed the night at the guesthouse, and then drove back to town the next day, stopping at various places to let the kids out of the car, and, uhm, visit some Ingress locations/tourist traps.
Here are the photos from the family reunion (48 images total).
Saturday 13 May 2017
The view out the car window on the way to Steig. It was a beautiful day! That’s a glacier by the way.
Anna Sólrún’s Confirmation & Party
[Photos taken on 23 April 2017, posted online 30 July 2017. Since the last post we’ve spent 10 days in France, and a week at a summer house!]
Anna’s civil confirmation day was a beautiful one.
The civil confirmation, held by Siðmennt, the secular ethical humanist organization of Iceland, is a version of the religious confirmation/Bar & Bat Mitzvah/Rite of passage concept, and consist of a 12 week course where various topics are covered, while encouraging critical and philosophical thinking.
At the end of the course there is a ceremony where some of the kids perform, a speaker holds forth, and the kids get certificates for completing the course.
Afterwards there is traditionally a celebratory party! (A large majority of kids in Iceland still get religiously confirmed, but the secular group keeps growing every year.) For the kids, it’s all about the gifts, but for the parents it’s a chance to show off their awesome kids, surrounded by friends and family.
Here are 66 photos from the day. Click here to see ALL the 124 photos!
The proud parents outside Salurinn, the auditorium where the ceremony was held. It was the third and last such civil ceremony of the day.
Easter Sunday (aka Chocolate Day) 2017
[Photos taken on Easter Sunday 16 April 2017, posted online on 03 July 2017. At my favorite cafe!]
Yet another year, yet another Easter Sunday, also known as The Day of Chocolate.
Now, because I can, here are links to the Easter Posts/Photos from previous years:
- 2016 – Feast at Finnur’s parents’ house in Iceland (Finnur wins the whist tournament again!),
- 2015 – Feast at Finnur’s parents’ house in Iceland (Finnur wins the whist tournament!),
- 2014 – Feast at Finnur’s parents’ house in Iceland,
- 2013 – Feast at Finnur’s parent’s house in Iceland, and Emma gets her name ,
- 2012 – Feast at Finnur’s parent’s house in Iceland (Google photos),
- 2011 – Feast at Finnur’s parents’ house in Iceland (Google photos),
- 2010 – Feast in our duplex in Mountain View, with August and Sarah (Google photos),
- 2009 – Potluck in our duplex in Mountain View, with the families of Edda, Sigga, Soffía, and Sólveig,
- 2008 – Hidden Villa Easter egg hunt in the woods with Anna’s daycare group, then candy-feast in our Stanford apt.,
- 2007 is missing!,
- 2006 – In Hawaii with Guðrún and Snorri (aka Finnur’s crab feast!),
- 2005 – Hrefna and Anna in Iceland. We ate eggs with Hrefna’s brothers, then visited Finnur’s parents,
- 2004 – Anna’s first Easter feast, held in our Mountain View apartment, with Kerri, Augusto and Sarah,
- 2003 is missing!,
- 2002 – Feast at Gunnhildur and Jón’s í Los Angeles,
- 2001 – Feast in our Stanford high-rise apartment, with Kerri, Todd, Tally, Viola and Carlo.
Good times! And now for some photos from this year! (49 images total!)
The kiddos with their Easter eggs.
Walks, Visits, and a Rock Opera
[Photos taken 04 – 15 April 2017, posted online 01 July 2017. I sure hope the next update isn’t in August!]
The first half of April included Hrefna (me) taking lots of walks, Pétur and Fannar visiting, seeing a rock opera, visiting Finnur’s parents’ summer house, and going swimming, while trying not to freak out about organizing the upcoming confirmation party for Anna. (55 images total )
Tuesday 04 April 2017
Pétur and Fannar came over for dinner and a soak. Fannar turned out to have a small infection by one of his fingernails. so we tried to protect it with a plastic bag. Aaaalmost succeeded!
Hrefna’s 40th Birthday!
[Photos from 01 March 2017, posted online 8 May 2017. Tick, tock, tick, tock!]
I turned 40 years old the other day (ahemm, two months ago!). Let’s all pause to let that sink in.
I’d gone back and forth on the party/no party question and then the “what kind of party”, but as our schedule started lining up (the following weekend got completely filled up!), it became clear that a small gathering at home after work, with ‘bought ready food’ would be ‘it’.
I pat myself on the back for at least celebrating the day, as it was tempting (easier) not to. I’m pretty happy about the age upgrade though, and I expect to become very mature in the coming days/weeks/months/years. Any time now really. (16 images total)
Hrefna, 40 years old, and perhaps missing a few marbles.
Emma Ósk 4 Years Old
[Photos from 12 February 2017, posted online 12 April 2017. On Easter break, at a cafe. Mmmmm.]
After waiting, with varying amounts of patience, for her birthday, Emma’s fourth birthday finally materialized. It happened to fall on a Sunday, so we invited some family over to celebrate. (17 images total)
The formal birthday cake.
New Year’s Eve 2016 – Hello 2017!
[Photos from 31 December 2016, posted online 13 March 2017. Trying not to eavesdrop at a cafe. Some people talk loudly.]
Poor Finnur fell victim to the flu early on the last day of the year. It made the festivities a little different from usual.
After picking up some pre-ordered fireworks, I took the kids to Finnur’s parents’ place, along with their extended family. We stayed until about 9 pm, when we drove off to go see a couple of “proper” firework shows, where they use the “big” bombs.
On our way back home, we stumbled on the third show seemingly being run from an empty lot by our local grocery store. I still don’t know who was behind it, but it was very cool.
We watched the annual comedy hour with a barely-awake Finnur. When that finished at 23:30, I took the kids up to the hill above our house to enjoy the view as the city area went bananas. The kids liked it, except for Emma who lost her mind because I wouldn’t let her climb the tall Buddha stupa like her older siblings.
She apparently has some misconceptions about gravity! (24 images total, and 4 videos in a playlist)
New Year’s Eve from the hill above our house.
Christmas Day 2016 = Anna’s 13th Birthday
[Photos from 25 December 2016, posted online 05 March 2017. At least she’s still a teenager!]
Christmas Day marked Anna becoming a teenager, as she’s now 13 years old! She got presents from us at home, and then we attended the annual Christmas Day party at Finnur’s parent’s place.
This year we broke from tradition and did not play social whist, somehow the time to do it never materialized. But it was a lovely day nonetheless! (42 images total)
Anna, the teenager, with her rapidly aging parents!
Hallgerður Katrín Named
[Photos from 11 September 2016, posted online 22 November 2016. For completeness.]
As I mentioned in my last post, Finnur’s now the brother of a grandmother! Yup, Eyrún’s older daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby girl earlier this year, much to everybody’s joy.
It took the parents a while to settle on a name, but they got there in the end, and invited everybody to a naming party. I took a ton of photos, you can see them here. (Below are 26 of them.)
The star of the day.
Bjarki’s 9th Birthday Celebration
[Photos from Monday 04 July 2016, posted online 23 August 2016. Truly.]
On this gorgeous US Independence Day, we hosted a family birthday celebration in honor of Bjarki turning 9 years old.
It was a pretty standard birthday party except there was a small interruption in the middle as everybody gathered in front of the television to watch the Icelandic national football team drive into downtown on a roofless bus, being greeted as heroes by thousands, after their 2016 Euro Cup performance! (17 images total)
Bjarki’s cake, and some extra items. The sword was there to raise the plate up, because the cake was a bit crooked. It sure tasted good though!