Roots and Time: Finland

The kids and I traveled to Finland last week. We met all my family except for Minna who's still in Nepal. Happy Birthday Mika, Susanna and Mom! Little cousins Sampo and Nooa, bigger ones Marc, Jan, Tuomas, Antti, Tanja - everyone was there. On Sunday we saw my beautiful God daughter Laura's Confirmation. Just like her mom, my friend Susanna, I, too, after having met all these youngsters have a bit confusing feelings of sadness and excitement over how fast time goes. And still she and I feel just the same as before: two girls hungry for life! This year we've known each other for 30 years. We just got to celebrate that - maybe a trip somewhere?!








I left the kids at Grandma's. They are having a blast at the summer place where my awesome mom and my sister in law Sirpa will take care of them and four more cousins, for one whole week. I heard Maja was lost for a while today and all the seven kids, two ladies and probably even grandpa went crazy looking after her. She then chose to make a grand appearance - from underneath a berry bush she was hiding in, happy as ever!

So hey, here I am, sitting in our quiet house, probably just as lonely as Benke over in Cincinnati. I went back to work today. The Doc is on duty again! Fun, of course, like I'd never been gone. I've been looking forward to this week for months - and still, I feel kind of empty. I miss my family.

//Hanna