Bjarki Turns 14 Years Old!
[Photos taken 28 June – 01 July 2021, posted online 26 September 2021. Elections yesterday, for the first time in Iceland, women hold more than half the seats in parliament.]
Bjarki’s long awaited birthday finally appeared and he’s now officially 14 years old, and busy checking ever more boxes on the “stereotypical-teen checklist”.
We again held two parties, one for each family, a few days apart, in between life as usual. (25-ish images total)
Monday 28 June 2021
Lava-Looking, Tidying & Filling House #2
[Photos taken 23 – 27 June 2021, posted online 12 September 2021. The remnants of hurricane Larry are visiting Iceland.]
I’d been waiting for the weather to be nice enough to warrant a walk to the active volcano eruption, and finally the conditions lined up nicely, weather-and-wind-wise. Bjarki and Anna decided to join me, we ate a fast-food hamburger dinner, and then drove about 40 minutes to the parking lot by the main walking path.
There was no fresh lava flowing, but we enjoyed walking alongside the newly hardened lava, spotting one hole into a red-hot furnace, and had ourselves a small picnic.
The first two weeks of Emma’s horse riding school came to a close with a “show”, Bjarki departed on a two-night gymnastics trip, home-tidying commenced as birthday-celebrations loomed, and we hosted Finnur’s family (adults only) at house #2. (55-ish images total)
Wednesday 23 June 2021
Anniversary, Parties & Family-Meet!
[Photos taken 17 – 20 June 2021, posted online 05 September 2021. Autumn weather is creeping up on us, the leaves have begun turning. Covid-19 cases still being diagnosed at a steady, perhaps diminishing clip, this wave has seen 3 deaths so far. Oh, and our house has a new roof.]
Finnur and I marked 27 (Twenty-Seven!) years of togetherness, then it was back to life as usual…
Well, not quite, as our social calendar just exploded with activity. Over the almost-long-weekend (Thursday was a public holiday), we hosted friends at house #2, I attended a party with my EE undergrad cohort, Finnur took the kids to a family-meet, while I attended a second masters-degree graduation of a friend, and then we celebrated mom’s birthday!
So. Many. People. In. Such. A. Short. Time! (40-ish images)
Independence Day – Thursday 17 June 2021
Plants Grow, Grass Mowed & Horse Camp Begins
[Photos taken 08 – 16 June 2021, posted online 28 August 2021. Anna made it two school days before being put under a ‘be extra covid-cautious’ order due to her sharing a class with, but not sitting next to, a Covid-19-infected student. So far she seems ok…]
Life continued as usual mostly, aside from Emma beginning horse camp at a new horse-camp, as the other one up and moved to the north of the country!
The garden finally decided it was time to flower a bit, and grass needed mowing. A movie was seen in a movie theater, Finnur mastered making and fastening fly-nets, we attended a confirmation party, and I started a new psoriasis treatment. (50-ish images total)
Tuesday 08 June 2021
Garden Works & Cold Gorgeous Weather
[Photos taken 01 – 06 May 2021, posted online 31 July 2021. Close to 20C/68F weather in the capital area for a few days, we are both thrilled and wilting. ]
As May began, Anna got on our case to expand the space for her veggie garden. The weather cooperated and spring-time jobs were the name of the game.
The weather kept being cold, gorgeous, and very very dry. So dry that a big bush-fire erupted close to our house! (30-ish images total)
Saturday 01 May 2021
Gully-Walking, Bowling & Movie-ing
[Photos taken 21 – 30 April 2021, posted online 28 July 2021. The weather is silly gorgeous, and we just had an exterminator over to kill a wasps nest by the BBQ.]
By the end of April, the days had become quite long, and it became a battle to get the kids to sleep. I began having to wake the kids up pretty much every morning… that’s no fun for anybody.
We scored an extra public holiday in the First Day of Summer, and hung out at house #2 with friends (more impromptu planning). The two matriarchs went on a walk, and ended up scrambling down a long gully.
Restrictions were also lifted somewhat, so we went bowling and to the movies! Anna also tended to her plants and baked fancy cookies. (60-ish images total)
Wednesday 22 April 2021
Last-Minute House #2 Trips & Vaccination #1
[Photos taken 06 – 20 April 2021, posted online 27 July 2021. Finally, finally, there is sunshine and/or no rain predicted for five consecutive days in the capital area. Lets go stain some woodwork!]
House #2 kept playing a big part as multiple friends were desperate for human contact and two last-minute weekend trips happened. Aside from that, life chugged along as usual, with the kids returning to school, gyms etc opening up (but not the locker rooms), and winter and spring kept fighting for dominance.
Then, somewhat surprisingly, it was my turn to get the first covid-19 vaccine shot! (55-ish images total)
Tuesday 06 April 2021
Post-Confirmation Errand Runs & YACW (Yet Another Covid-19 Wave)
[Photos taken 23-31 March 2021, posted online 23 July 2021. All eyes on the news as Icelandic Covid-19 cases skyrocket. The capital weather remains gloomy with occasional spurts of sunshine, as the north and east of Iceland bake under a heat-dome. The ministers of Iceland will meet in the east of Iceland today (they’re all traveling and hanging out under the heat-dome) to decide which of the domestic restrictions proposed by our chief epidemiologist to enact.]
Two days post-confirmation-parties I signed myself up for a covid-19 test as my throat was feeling a bit raw, probably post-Talking. So. Much. on Sunday. Happily I tested negative. We also went and deposited Bjarki’s confirmation money-haul into the bank (had to make two attempts, as the banks went into lockdown-mode, and you had to make an appointment!), and researched and purchased a gaming-worthy laptop for Bjarki as our confirmation present to him. We have not seen his face since then 😉
Covid-19 infections began spiking, this time in schools, so mindful of poor outcomes last fall when the infection made its way into a geriatric ward and a lot of old people died, authorities clamped down hard. First through 10th grade kids were essentially sent on Easter vacation two days early, but the junior colleges and workplaces jumped straight to remote teaching/working.
As sanity in general was running rather low, Finnur and I both took three vacation days, which over Easter means a total of 10 vacation days. Yes, official religions are still good for something. 🙂 (50-ish images total)
Tuesday 23 March 2021
Emma’s Birthday #2, Earthquakes Swarm
[Photos taken 24 – 28 February 2021, posted online 26 June 2021. As of today, Icelandic authorities have revoked all domestic Covid-19 restrictions, but border restrictions remain in place. The reason is high vaccination rates, with about 80% of 16+ year-olds having at least begun vaccinations, and 50% being fully vaccinated.]
After our fun ski trip, it was mostly back to life as normal, except for hosting Emma’s birthday party #2, going out to dinner, aaaand a sudden rise in earthquake activity close by (that would culminate in an actual volcanic eruption a month later!). (25-ish images)
Wednesday 24 February 2021
Akureyri Ski Trip
[Photos taken 18 – 22 February 2021, posted online 19 June 2021. These are super social days according to the hair salon ladies and news from the liquor store, they’re both super busy!! First it was the remnants of the confirmations, this weekend marks the end of the graduations, and then we’re moving on to weddings.]
One of the sewing club ladies had the organizational foresight in October 2020 to suggest the club go skiing in the north during the February winter school break. The club was up for it, and lodging was booked with the assumption that Covid-19 would be under control, and before we knew it it was time to go! This was essentially a repeat of the ski-trip we took with the club in 2014, we stayed a the same place, Lamb-Inn.
Covid-19 restrictions meant that the number of available passes was limited, and the ski area split the day into two slots. The demand for passes broke the booking system, but we got what we needed in the end. All in all, a good time was had by all, although it was super weird to be among so many people at the same time! (50-ish images total)
Thursday 18 February 2021
