The family are always the last ones at the party

Paola turned 30 and invited 50 people to dinner with (extremely yummy) pulled pork and then dancing until 5 in the morning. She was so pretty and happy and surrounded with friends, family and colleagues. Just like your birthday should be.

 They had put up tables all over the flat and decorated with balloons and lights.

 Plastic cousin Jacke was there. On perfect form.

 And Jossan and Micke. The family sat together in the kitchen. Close to the food. We are smart like that.

 Kisse was there and danced with usw almost to the bitter end. We decided that for next years Christmas we wont go to bed at 11 but keep on dancing.

 Bella and Per sat with us, Family is always best.

 Paola had made an amazing job with the food and it was extremely tasty. This is when sitting in the kitchen becomes genius.

 Full house.

 We were not the only ones coming back for more. I think almost all the food was eaten. How can you not when it pulled pork on sourdough bread. Yum!

 Family table! we singlehandedly drank most of the beers and ended up talking politics and online dating.

 Paola got given some great gifts and just kept on smiling.

 The old crew. Havent seen these girls in maybe 10 years so it was really nice seeing them again.

 Dancing! The floor was literally bulging but kept.

 Kalle was on form and owned the dance floor.

 as well as Paola’s family. What can i say, its in the blood.

 Then the dancing started for real. And kept going for hours and hours. We closed the party at 5.

 (not 100% sure what bella are doing in the background but I see some epic dance moves.)

 As I said, everyone was very happy.

 Paola and Kalle in the middle. That is love! (then Kalle had to go to bed and throw up in a box. Cudos to him for that. Im happy Im not the only one behaving like a teenager)

 Jossan was up there dancing all night even if she is pregnant. I am very proud of my cousins

 Toward the end it was just the family still owning the dance floor. Maybe because we (well I) kept playing Brainpool, Gyllene Tider and Magnus Uggla

You got to smoke inside. That is always the best news.

Horses and mud, who knew that was such a great combination?

Christmas day might have been over but on the 26th the rest of the family came and I got to hang with the worlds best niece and nephew as well as get drunk with my sister and brother and their awesome additions to our family (even if Micke snuck off with the kids and never returned for ‘The Big Red Wine Extravaganza’. Clever guy)

 We did another set of gifts. Whoever said we give to much for Christmas dont know what they are talking about.

 Dad was the one responsible for the gifts.

 One happy Nisse. He got a star gazer,

 Little sister wants to help out.

 

 I got a jewellery box, a book and a robe. Win!

 This little guy might have been even happier than me though.

 Especially when he got ice cream.

Agnes was so proud she wasnt scared of Jacob any longer.

 Family drinking time.

 ❤

 I was also there. Drank beer so didnt suffer that bad the day after,

Clever looking family.

 Agnes couldnt wait to go see the horses.

 Even if they looked slightly morose and lonely in all the grey.

 But Agnes didnt care and gave them sugars. They didnt want them but who cares when you get to pet a horse.

 Little Meja was so happy when she saw some other kids. She followed us around showing us her stables.

 Not too shabby.

 Grey!

 The horses just didnt want to play. It was too miserable even for them.

 Then we met the one horse standing in the stable and he was all friendly.

 One super happy Agnes.

 Then we found the one year olds and that was one friendly bunch.

 After all that horse drama there was time for chilling at home again.

Nisse painted killer zombies and life was pretty perfect.

Flickering lights and stars in my eyes

Christmas 2013 was lovely. Even if it was muddy and rainy and probably the worst weather ever it was also family time and yet another amazing week with all my relatives. Jossan and Annika are pregnant, kids were running around everywhere and we made perfect saffron buns. Cant get better than that!

 Maggie came down for dinner and quality time on the 22nd.

 We ate lojrom and watched Downtown Abbey. Quality time.

 It was grey. Oliver would have loved it. I made myself go out every day to keep the meatball sweats at bay.

 Mum and Dad came with me for most of the time.

 Dad picking moss for mum.

 He slightly overdid it as always.

 Evy and me made saffron buns and decided to start a bakery where we would bake for the whole world.

 Paola and Kalle came down in tome for enjoying our awesome saffron buns.

 As did the Uno and Greta.

 Greta cuddles up with my mum.

 Before the glogg on the 23rd we dressed the tree. Since little brother werent there Dad and me got the honour.

 Tada!

 Mum made her winter wonderland and all the small figures kept falling down.

 Christmas Eve breakfast.

 Most of the time we just chilled on the sofa watching numerous family movies.

 It was pretty cozy inside.

 Christmas dinner at the big house.

 We were 31 this year, new record.

 You are lucky to have a big house to be in then.

 Loads of kids to add to the magic.

 In wait for Santa.

 Some enjoyed the chocolate more than others.

 But all gets excited when Santa turns up.

 All the way from the north pole.

 After singing you win and get your gift! Ted was a bit nervous but did a great job.

 The youngest member. Little Isak wasnt afraid of Santa.

 Evy helped Greta get her gift.

 and Anna helped Michaela play the piano. It was a proper show from the kids.

 Cutie!

 Handing out all the Christmas gifts. It was my job again. People were oddly calm this year and we were all home by 10.30

A little Christmas angel

Family time

Phone is back where it belongs. In my hands! Oliver and me met for lunch, officially for phone delivery but secretly to hold hands and say how much we are going to miss each other. And to share a cinnamon bun at Nordic Bakery of course.

Yesterday we had 3 generations of McInroys in our flat. Olivers gran were down and we cooked her dinner and showed her the flat. She was extra impressed with the coat hanger she helped buying.

Our tree looking proud and dashing with some gifts under it.

Miranda is not poking her nose, she is just trying to hide from the camera (at least that is what I hope)

Sofa cuddle time. We all concluded that for an Ikea sofa our isn’t too bad. (Swedish quality I added smugly to myself)

One of my many gifts from Fiona and Miranda. Arent they amazing?! I get too feel like im in my forest while sitting on the sofa. That is what i call a win.

In my advent calendar this morning. A new bauble, houses to hang in the tree and a gobsmocker (yes, that is a gigantic sweetie that cant even fir in your mouth)

Lunch. Pretty cool for oliver to get to leave my phone when this was the result (at least that is what im telling myself for having him going all over town for my stupidity)

I am such a muppet!

I forgot my phone at home safely tucked away by the bed on charge. Good thing I have a boyfriend that can get it to me before i fly off to Sweden. For ten days.

This post were supposed to show you all the pretty things I got from Ols family yesterday but no phone, no pics. You will have to visualize instead. Pretty dark candle holder with silver trees shining through, fig smelling body wash that make me want to eat me, a bling brollie and some (almost) salty liquorice (it was finnish and more minty)

And this morning my advent calendar had another bauble, some houses for my tree and loads of sweeties.

One spoiled lady.

We also saw Frozen yesterday. Best Disney movie in forever. Even oliver laughed and kind of enjoyed it. I wish I had kids so i had an excuse to see it again. Especially since they did some awesome musical numbers not to mention giving me my much missed snow.

She has taken stick drawings to completely new level

The Hyperbole and a Half is not just writing about depression, it also has some amazing posts about sugar highs, simple minded dogs and power highs in a Dinosaur costume

And this one about being an adult…

It always ends the same way.  Slumped and haggard, I contemplate the seemingly endless tasks ahead of me. 

And then I rebel.  

Depression explained

Sometimes it can be hard to understand what really happens to someone who is depressed. As a friend or family you want to help and you dont understand why you cant. Why that person you know and love have turned into someone you have a hard time to recognize and sometimes even like. Nothing makes sense and even if you try really hard to help nothing seems to work.

Here is 2 links that explains it very well.

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/adventures-in-depression.html

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/depression-part-two.html

A depressed person isnt logical and even if they dont want to be the way they are or do understand that they should change things they cant. Part of the depression is the inability to do anything about your situation.

You need to hit rock bottom before you can start climb up again and even then you will keep on fighting for a long time.

Advent awesomeness

Only one more sleep until I go off to the land of trolls, snow, vodka and my family. Cant wait even if I will miss my Oliver.

He had made today’s advent calendar box extra amazing…

At first I was a bit disappointed. What does he mean by no sweeties. What kind of operation is he running here?

An amazing ‘the baubles of my dream’ operation! Look at this beauty. All of a sudden our tree looks all glamorous and expensive.

And this one. Almost hiding in the tree. They are so fancy they are all heavy. Love my baubles, love my tree and love my Oliver.

Dressed for Success

Found these old pictures on Laxen’s FB and they made me laugh. What a year that was living in West Ken. Parties, hung over days in bed, dancing until the sun went up at Raffles, weird ‘mix all you can find’ dinner with the WKM family, Christmas decorations in form of red underwear in the window, new friends who saw us dancing from the street, drama, tears, heart break, love, friendship, all night dancing and a last refusal to grow up.

Its a bit like University, I dont want to go back to those years but I will always love it for being so much fun. I have definitely out grown it (well, at least the 3 parties a week dressed up i mini skirt’ fiestas) but I wouldn’t have missed them for anything even despite nights of crying on the floor heart broken, fights with friends and a never ending bone weariness.

It was also the place of some of my best memories with Kix, Elin, Tumpen, Laxen, Ben, Tom and everyone else that made that year magic.

Went to the swedish shop and bought this little guy…

as well as a saffron bun. That is one of life’s big problems, no saffron buns in London unless you find yourself a niche Swedish shop. Why?

I also finished the very last bits of my Xmas shopping. I was already more or less done but have a stocking for mum and dad to fill as well as some bits to finish with some of my gifts.

Now, done and dusted. The girls gifts have been sent all over the globe, Olivers family’s is wrapped and ready to go to Rye and my 10kg bag is filled with 7 kg gifts. Who needs clothes anyway?