Merry Christmas 2008

Santa Conny is visiting us before he takes his reindeer all the way to Sweden!

Today it is the fourth advent. No snow in Cincinnati, but -13 C (wind chill -25 C). In Scandinavia there is a tradition to light a candle for each advent, and in our family we have one more advent tradition: a Christmas carrol sung by each family member, starting from the youngest. Jonatan sang "En sockerbagare", Johanna "Frosty The Snowman", I did "Soihdut sammuu" and Benke "Nu är det jul igen". Maja sang a little bit of everything and danced to all songs.

During this past week we've said so many goodbyes that I've lost the count. last day of school, last soccer game, last training session with Mojo Runners, last, last, last. It's been very hard on everyone. The movers were here and the shipping was sent to Europe. I've been telling people we're practically but not mentally ready to move. However, since about two days we've all felt that we're getting there also emotionally; so, old friends and family, we are good to go and practically on our way!


Half of Julie's 24 cupcakes. Given to me after a hard workout at the gym.

So, a very merry Christmas to all of you around the world from all of us in the empty house in Ohio!




//Hanna

Kids' goodbyes

Johanna and Jonatan had a Going Away Party for their friends on Lucia Night, Dec. 13. Monster Mini Golf was the spooky spot, glowy ghosts and sceletons combined with a round mini golf and tons of other games. Pizza, brownies, cheese curls and soda gave the boost. The kids had a blast, thanks for coming, everyone!

Too many goodbyes to handle

We're getting into a bad and sad period. Leaving our best friends behind is just a miserable, cruel and painful experience. We're trying hard to be happy for what's been and not to be depressed by the fact it's over. We have never had, and probably will never have, as great neighbors as you, the families Aymone Azevedo and Brecht. Have a wonderful Christmas in Brazil and Florida!








Until we meet again.

//Hanna, Benke, Johanna, Jonte and Maja

Thanksgiving 2008

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving at Jonte's school also. The 2nd graders had a very impressive concert making beautiful music with simple methods. I was not able to run my annual Thanksgiving Day Race downtown because of a bad cold. Getting old I guess. In the evening we got together with our neighbors again. Great food, great people.

//Hanna

The West Chester Navy Flash 3rd in State

Johanna's soccer team made it all the way to the State Tournament again, and this time with brilliance. The Navy Flash took the 3rd place after having played 6 games in 3 days. Worth every minute of freezing winds, rain and snow - even today's runny nose and sore throat! Snow, Sommer, Andrea and Ethan came to cheer the girls with us.

Congratulations Johanna!

Greetings from Las Vegas & The Grand Canyon!

We've been out West. It was dry, dusty, sandy, warm days and cool nights, cactuses, palm trees. There were signs of snakes, scorpions, old pioneer routes. Ghost towns, guns for sale, buffalo.. yeah, The Wild West! Cars, trucks, our RV and Route 66! The majestetic Grand Canyon took our breaths and we soon realized it was impossible to catch the true feeling of it on a photograph. But we sure tried, see below. And in the middle of it was this crazy, schitzophrene town called Las Vegas. There's nothing like Vegas and it can only happen in America. Completely insane, but yet fricking awesome, simply great fun! It is not a town for kids, but having spent the Halloween night there we could make the best of it anyway. Observe: we spent ZERO dollars on gambling. By the way, did you know most casinos pump oxygen, usually blended with perfume, in the inside air to keep players awake the whole night?!

We've collected some pictures in our Webalbum, feel free to check them out! http://picasaweb.google.com/Sandelowskyalbum

//Hanna

GO BAMA!

So the Americans got a new President. And the world a new leader. Excitement or uncertainty?
It was a priviledge to be able to see the whole show as closely as we did. Obama was in Cinci (Snow went to see him!) and Sarah Palin was in West Chester (it was a closed event; they wouldn't let me into the area. Maybe I look like a trouble maker..?) Now, with all respect to those who disagree with my views I still allow myself to see, feel and analyze the outcome of this election as me, an outsider, an Europee and a visitor in the USA:

There was a wave of hope, optimism and pure happiness that you could feel blowing through the air almost wherever you went. I know - it's easy to smile when you're a winner, and believe me: I'm enjoying every second of it! The Americans have shown themselves and the rest of the world that there is - despite our doubts sometimes - a great deal of common sense, sanity and sophistication in their thinking. They showed they do want to belong to the modern western world, and that is not only in economical but also in most social matters. They also showed they have a sensible understanding of the tough economical times we're heading to, and that the old economical doctrines of success don't necessarily apply in today's global market. The deep South (read: give racism a face) and a couple a concervative (read: mix religion with politics) states still hang on there in the past, but the vast majority of the country is ready to move on. It's not the 1800's anymore, it's time for a Change. I have noticed that even some people who gave their votes to McCain purely for his economical program didn't, in the end, think this was such a bad outcome, after all. Obama's appreciation speech was phenomenal; he reached his hand out saying he aimed to be everyone's President.

Our family spent this historical moment down in the desert side of California, on an RV-park; the last night of our 5 day long vacation in the Grand Canyon area. This is the season the oldies from upper states move down to the states with more pleasent climate. There was a warm atmosphere of bridge play, pool and bingo, a beer or two, peaceful chatt with these friendly people. Even though we were dramatically age discriminated and obviously the only ones who really appreciated the outcome of the evening we thought it all was really a cult thing to do, "totally cool" as Johanna would say (after having seen High School Musical 3).

We received a few phone calls and emails from our friends around the world. Everyone was pleased, relieved, hopeful for the future. Silly, but it felt almost like we were part of the success! Ohio made the difference! Thanks to people like Snow who volunteered! I'm not taking any credit of it though, except for a couple of bumper stickers and T-shirt purchases I (and my sister Kati!) made to support the campaign. Jonatan had interviewed his classmates on their political views (he is in second grade!) while we ordered him to keep a lower profile and not show how brain washed he was :). Johanna (fifth grader) was more aware of the huge McCain-Palin (McSame Pain) support there is in our town and was simply not taking part in discussions at school; instead she swallowed the shock after hearing one of them, quote a girl in her class: "We don't like Obama because he steals money from the rich and gives it to the poor!" She was silently happy about Obama winning but would not wear the Obama T-shirt to school - just in case. Johanna, Jonte, Jenny and Sommer taught successfully Maja to say "O-ba-ma!" Benke's vibrant (!) political drive at work may have played a role, but who knows - the effect might have been just the opposite, knowing his methods...

//Hanna

Happy Halloween!

A very social October = FUN!

Hey - long time no see on this blog! Have been kind of busy catching up with our friends here in Cinci, and also hosting our Finnish and Swedish friends and family. My sister Kati with her son Nooa came for a week, we had a good time, and what a great kid Nooa is! You all should know that he aims to be the President one day:)
Kati and Nooa arrived on a hot (+30 C) October day, and our first touch of the American culture was on a Pumpkin Patch with a Hay Ride and a Corn Maze. Actually, first time for our family, too!




The next week the Holm family (except Emilia!) honored us with their visit. Loads and loads of Cincinnati sightseeing, which is always a nice change from the everyday routines (as a mad housefwife).
Happy Birthday to Mari! ...was the reason they travelled, and since she wanted it to keep it low key, we only took her to a couple of head shakers at Kings Island on her Big Day.



The same day Jenny's family left we drove to Chicago to see Becky's family who had driven down from MN. We had a nice dinner at the Grand De Luxe Cafe and did the usual tourist stuff (this time we even went to the American Girl Place - see the hairdressers!). Benke and I went for a beautiful Sunday morning run on the Lake Shore.

There is a specially warm place in our hearts for Becky, Brodie, Calder and Quinn and I hope the story is to be continued! I can't stop telling everyone that Becky had just received a grant worth 1 million dollars from the State of MN for the new homeless shelter they are going to build in Bemidji - fully and totally thanks to the hard work, enthusiasm and intelligence she possesses as the director of the shelter and a writer of the grant application. Needless to say, we are very proud of you! (Came to think of Nooa's presidental ambitions - how about Becky??).







Now, I'm back in business doing the laundry, driving the kids to their activities and trying to run some errands and soon start packing for our fall vacation to the Grand Canyon National Park...and the Halloween night in Las Vegas!

//Hanna

Running!

Thanks to my great supporters Maja, Johanna, Jonte and Benke, and my local running group, Mojo Runners, for a good run at the State To State Half Marathon in Oxford, OH, this weekend. My time was 1:35:38 being the 10th overall woman and 2nd in my age group.

And thank you, Benke, for the wonderful evening at downtown Cincinnati, Sept. 27, 2008 - our 11th wedding anniversary. We had a absolutely world class dining experience at Jeff Ruby's. Maybe the three course dinner plus a beer with nachos as starters and a creme brulé at the end was the secret recipe for the running success the day after? Have to try it again!

//Hanna

Ike strikes West Chester

Back in Ohio. Whoooaaa! A pretty windy day this past Sunday, Sept. 14. 35 m/s (80 mph) over our little corner of the world. I don't think anyone really thought Ike would bother to come all the way this North! We'd just arrived on our little field trip with the neighbors when the wind was getting a little bit too heavy; cracking tree branches and your eyes and ears buried in dirt. Half of the corn fields were flying in the air... Benke had the time of his life on the windy patio (there is no bad weather, just bad clothes!).

Besides the damage on the property (The Landings was badly hit!), about 700.000 people in this part of the US was out of electricity for 1-4 (at least) days. We've been very fortunate to only be out of power for 2 days, but the schools are still cancelled to this day, it's hard to find gas, the shells on the grocery stores are half empty, people buy huge sacks of ice and I don't think it's only for the Coke this time. We've had some nice and cozy moments in candle light and neighborhood get-togethers over the barbecue.

See Ike in action: http://picasaweb.google.com/Sandelowskyalbum/Ike#

Summer is over. Ready for school?

What a wonderful summer we've had! A perfect mix of play, work and lazy days; friends, family and own time; sun and rain; city, suburb and country. A little bit of a shock because the prices here - how are we ever going to get used to paying $9 for a gallon of gas, $9-10 for a pound of chicken or $5 for a loaf of bread... Good thing we mainly walked, biked or took the bus to different places. Benke finally came from OH, was happy to see us but also shocked because of the prices and the weather - well, let's just call it a prolonged jet lag with a little touch of culture shock (and forget all about it, shall we, honey?)

Maja was well taken care of by her cousins Helena and Christina while I was working. Johanna celebrated her birthday with the family. Jonte had a fun birthday party for his best friends, Johanna went on a Scout Camp for 9 days, and the last week we managed to fit in Ola & Anna's wedding, sailing outside of Stockholm, a family party and Johanna's Sleep Over Party with 8 girlfriends (wanna see Johanna's party pics? Go to http://picasaweb.google.com/Sandelowskyalbum/JohannasPyjamasParty#). The schools already started in Sweden and Johanna and Jonte visited their old classes. Both kids got to join the classroom activities, the teachers had them do some assignments, they had lunch and PE and recess with their old class mates. A wonderful day for preparing them to get back to their old school later in January 2009. "Welcome back, you're still one of us!" - what a great last day in Sweden. After that we cleaned our house, packed our things, said farewells and left again.

Another ferry over the Baltic Sea, and we're now in my childhood's Finland again. Benke and I are officially on vacation, even though it feels a bit strange when everyone else seems to have gotten back to business, the fall routines with school and work are felt everywhere. It helps to have been able to spend time at Susanna's brand new summer house (beautiful!) in Karelia just a couple of miles from the Russian border. Or at my parents' country house in Somero (precious!), with grandpa and grandma and my sister Minna who is visiting from Nepal. We're having sauna every night, we're fed with sour bread, salmon and potatoes and we've driving small cars again. There will be a Härkönen Family Gettogether later this week - just before Benke and the big kids will return to Ohio, work and school.

Check out the summer pics at: http://picasaweb.google.com/Sandelowskyalbum/FinlandAugust2008#







Maja and I will enjoy another week here visiting friends, family and the surroundings. We're ready to get back to Ohio for antoher fall!


//Hanna

Happy Birthday Jonatan 8 years Aug. 2!

Antoher year has gone - another blog on Jonte's birthday! Have a happy one, darling!!

//Mom and Dad