Lilacs

Lilacs, Lilacs...What a wonderful summer beauty, right here in our back yard!

(My mom's back yard.)

I just had to go and get some for inside too!

This is the kitchen window. 

The smell of Lilacs is stunning. So sweet, so beautiful!

My parents have three Lilac bushes/trees in the yard.  The smallest was blooming already, two bigger ones are just starting.  I cannot wait to see them in full bloom.  I surely will take lots of pictures and will post them here.  

We just got a Lilac tree into our yard in Central Asia.  I hope it survives the hot summer!

If you cut a branch of your Lilac tree, remember to put it in HOT water (my mom's tip; she used to work in a flower shop for years).  I used cool water, and after only one day these wonderful blooms were drooping sadly. 

I'm glad I did not cut more!

Lovely Finland

We have been traveling!

I am happy to tell that we are in my native Finland.

I lived here for the first 19 and half years.  Then I lived abroad for a while, here and there, but always returned back to Finland.

I studied here.

I got married here (but not to a Finn).

I gave birth to all of our children here.

All of my family still lives in Finland. 

Now, living in Central Asia, Finland has gotten really nostalgically beautiful and amazing in my mind. 

I fondly remember the light summer nights and shining snow in the winter.

It might be that our family cannot sleep in Finland anymore...we harness our eyes with coverings and tightly close the shades for the night. 

But we still love Finland.

This summer I want to look at Finland with the eyes of someone who does not live there.

And I want to share it with you!  That is why I will write in English... so that my friends abroad will get the chance to enjoy this Northern European country with me.

I will post irregularly about wonderful Finnish things...food, nature, people, happenings and stuff.

And if there is something you would like me to post about, please let me know in the comments! I will happily tell you and show you everything I can!

These pictures are from Vaskikello.  It is a restaurant and the name means 'Brass Bell'.  When they started they had one little bell made of brass and never dreamed of the restaurant expanding into the largest collection of bells in the world. They also have a foundry where you can order a unique bell for yourself!  We took a break there while driving last weekend and enjoyed the old buildings on the site. In this bad quality, dark picture you can see some of the bells they have.  My kids are on the second floor, trying to make the heavy bells ring. 

Leikkikahvilassa

Minut kutsuttiin viime viikolla leikkitreffeille. 

Olin juuri hakemassa lapsia jumpasta, ja piti ehtiä kotiin ruoanlaittoon.  

Mutta lupasin tulla heti kun seuraavan kerran oltaisiin menossa. 

Lapsille leikkipaikka + äitille juttuseuraa = varma meno!

Kuopuksen jätin kotiin nuhaisen nenän ja väsyneen isän kanssa. 

Esikoinen toukan kidassa. 

 Tämä oli vähän niinkuin ne HopLopit siellä Suomessa.  Vähän niinkuin. 

 Toukan viemää. 

Siellä oli kiipeilytelinettä, trampoliinia, liukumäkiä, pieni junarata, keinuja, ja muuta puuhaa. (Haisulipaitapoika on minun.) 

Äitit sai jutella keskenään ja lapset laukkasivat ympäriinsä.  

 Vessa oli vähän pelottava, joten äiti tuli seuraksi. Kyykkymallia. 

 Pallomeri on suosikki. 

Kaikki sisältyi 1 e pääsymaksuun. 

Ruokaa tai terveellisiä välipaloja siellä ei saa, mutta herkkuja on myytävänä senkin edestä.

Tänne taidetaan tulla juhlimaan pojan syntymäpäiviä kavereiden kanssa!