A wee hike at Cypress

We headed up to Cypress this afternoon, but instead of taking the skis, we put on our hiking boots, threw Anna in a backpack and hit the hard-packed trails instead. It wasn't too much of a hike - just enough to get the lungs and heart going and find a nice view spot out of the wind. In the wind it was chilly, but at our sheltered spot it was t-shirt weather.





Before we headed up, Fred stopped by and hung with Anna for a bit...

A visit with aunt and uncle

It's Sunday morning, and we have just waved good-bye to Marcus and Suzi who came for dinner yesterday and stayed until this morning. The boys are over in Nanaimo with farmor and farfar, so this was a very rare visit with Marcus and Suzi where we got to sit down and really visit. Although we'd love to see Toby and Lukas, it was nice to be able to have an actual conversation, start to finish.

Patrik is heading off for a couple of hours work, but then we are heading up to the mountain for a bit of a ski in the gorgeous sunshine. Life is good...

Waiting for daddy

It's Friday afternoon, and after a week of late nights at work, Patrik is coming home early today. Yahoo! He and Anna are going to head out and play while I get ready for dinner guests tonight. Welcome weekend :)

Celebrating Patrik

It is Patrik's big day today, which makes him and I the same age for 5 whole months. It's been a fantastic day which started with breakfast in bed.



Then we headed up to Cypress for a few hours of skiing, birthday cake, and sunshine,





followed by apres ski on our back patio,





and finally a birthday dinner at home, with all the fixings. It might be Patrik's birthday today, but Anna and I had a fantastic time too.

Patrik was also very happy that familjen Eriksson have started a blog, and he saw it today for the first time, including a great birthday message for him. It's going to be very fun following their blog :)

The messier, the yummier...

Anna absolutely loves loves loves to eat rice cereal, but she hasn't been very excited about other foods. At all. We've tried bananas, pears, sweet potatoes, carrots - all with the same result. Face screwed up with a look of distaste, followed by confused and sad little eyes that wonder how we could do something like that to her, followed by mouth closed tight and protest noises if we try to give her more. So, today I tried the pears again mixed in with some rice cereal and I let her make all the mess she wanted and hold her own spoon and lick the bowl. She ate it all! Yes!

Lindstrom Visit

All of a sudden the house seems soooo quiet. We had the Lindstrom's over for dinner tonight - Deanna, Anders, Johan, Ben, Niklas and Peter - and they've just headed 'home'. They're in Vancouver for a week staying at a Yaletown condo owned by one of Anders' colleagues. We all managed to cram around our dinner table, and we had a great evening with them. So good to spend some time with just them - we usually see them at family gatherings where there's not all that much time to talk. Deanna thinks that Anna looks like her aunt Malin...

Waiting for news...

Anna and I had a nice morning with morfar yesterday, before he headed back to Nanaimo.

We're both a bit down (but not out!) with a cold, and so we spent the rest of the day nursing each other back to health. We read books in bed, played with toys, talked, and hugged each other a whole lot. Mysigt! Later, Patrik came home and took care of us - we're feeling better already :)

...and we're all waiting with bated breath for news of a little Danielsson arrival. Every time the phone rings I'm hoping it's Sweden ! :)

Visit from Morfar

Anna and I went to pick up morfar from the ferry this afternoon. He's in town to go to his first ever NHL game as the Canucks take on the Avalanche tonight - the game is half way through the first period as I type. And the score is 2:0 for the Canucks - wahoo! Keep it up!


Anna and I will get a little visit in with morfar tomorrow before he heads back to Nanaimo.

Mom, can we go outside?

Anna can now pull herself up on the kitchen sofa, she's even got a bit of a climbers move where she'll pull herself back with her right arm if she comes off with her left and starts to lose her balance. She loves to stand there and look out the window. I imagine that she's daydreaming about the next time she gets to go outside, and the feel of fresh air on her face.

Dear Uncle Tim

A letter from Anna to her Uncle Tim - loosely translated by her mom:

Dear Uncle Tim,

First of all, I want you to know that I love you, and I hope that we can still be friends after you read this. It's just that mom and dad told me something disturbing the other day - something that I can't quite understand. I realize that I'm just a little kid, and maybe when I'm older it will make more sense to me, but for now I'm just confused. They told me that you... well, that you are... oh! this is so hard to say!.... they told me that you are a Flames fan?! Please tell me that they were just playing a joke on me. Please tell me it's not true! You see, I might only be six months old, but even I know that the CANUCKS ROCK!

With love,
Anna

Happy trails, Mimmi and Sid

Mimmi and Sid have been back with us for the past couple of days, and this afternoon they are off to Italy via Öland. Anna and I will drop them off at the airport in a couple of hours. It's been so nice having them, and Anna has bonded particularly well with Mimmi. Her little face lights up when Mimmi walks into the room. Although, she was also pretty impressed with the little dance that Sid performed for her...

Grattis Frans!

Anna sends a big warm birthday hug to Frans today. She can't wait to meet him and Viggo and Hugo in the summer. She wants me to let her type her own birthday wish, so here she goes...

hyhnjhhhb732rewx3

Patrik and I also send lots of love and birthday wishes to both Frans and Daniel.

Go Canucks Go!

What a game! Patrik and I just got home from a hockey game - Canucks vs. San Jose - and we came out on top at 3:1. We haven't beaten San Jose in a couple of years, I think. Östersund should be proud as Alexander Edler scored the first goal and set the stage for the whole game. Such a good time.


Mom and dad are visiting from Nanaimo this weekend and they babysat Anna tonight. I think they were disappointed at how early we got home...

Weeee!

Anna and I went out for a walk today with Christy and Gavin (Gavin was born 4 days after Anna). We stopped by Victoria Park and Anna tried out a swing for the first time - she loved it! I have a feeling that we'll be spending lots of time at the park this spring and summer. Today felt a little like spring, and it just feels so wonderful to get out and feel the sun warming you.

Off to the market we go

Check out what I found today while running my errands... Of course, I scooped her up and brought her home with me. What a priceless find!

An early start on the guitar

'twas a pretty mellow day at home today. I managed to get Anna to take her afternoon nap in the house (for the first time ever!), and so I used the time to do our taxes. Fun! Earlier in the day I sorted through her clothes and pulled out a hat that had been too big for Anna not long ago, but now it fits great - thanks for the present Jocke :)


Anna is in the living room with Patrik right now, helping him play the guitar. I snuck in and took a photo - too cute!

Good times

We've had Mimmi and Sid staying with us for the past couple of days, as they're just about ready to move back to Europe. They moved out of their apartment this weekend and then stayed with us before heading off to Victoria for a few days. They'll be back for one more night before they head to Italy for the next 9 months or so, and then it will be Paris. What a life!


This afternoon Patrik had a guitar lesson from our neighbour Josh. Patrik wants to learn how to play "Daddy's Little Girl", which he already sings to Anna most every day. She had a lovely serenade from the two of them...


And then this evening we headed out to Darren, Carrie and Dylan's place for dinner, where we dreamed up a weekend ski trip to Whistler over a great meal. Sweet.