A big tree, a big rock, and an old building.

The other evening, the Sundströms took the Odoms on a very nice drive around the Pedersöre countryside. One destination was an old, massive pine tree:

The next destination was a HUGE boulder. This is the very pretty hicking trail that led to the boulder:

The white puffy stuff is called "lava". It's a staple in the diet of reindeer:

Close up:

Kristina in awe of the boulder:

Some very unique forest surrounding the boulder:

This picture doesn't really do the size of the boulder justice:

The final stop was a sort of summer grazing farm for cows that's been around since 1825. Notice the traditional fence in the foreground:

An old kitchen:

Two stables:

One of the rooms was plastered with newspapers that were decades old. Here is a clipping from Jakobstads Tidning announcing Kennedy's assassination:

Bellycheck

Sorry this is a couple of weeks late. This was Kristina at 23 weeks; she's bigger now, but we don't have a picture.

Ridlektion

Ellen provar sina nya ridkläder.

En dag på stranden

I måndags hade vi en "tjejdag" och tog Ellen, Hannah o Nadja till stranden i Hästöskata, och hade en trevlig eftermiddag med simning, lek och picknick.

The other day we took three of our nieces, Ellen, Hannah and Nadja, out to the beach for a picnic and some swimming. It was a fun afternoon with the girls.

Kamerareparation

Elis hade förstört Keas o Pattens kamera, så Weslie gjorde ett försök att fixa den. Det gick inte så bra...

Födelsedagskalas

I söndags var vi bjudna på födelsedagskalas hos Kea o Patten. Ellen fyllde nio år i förra veckan och Joas fyller två nästa vecka, så de hade gemensamt kalas.

On Sunday we were invited on Ellen's and Joas' birthday party. Ellen turned 9 last week and Joas will be 2 in a week, so they combined their parties.

Joas förstod nog inte helt vad det var frågan om, men tyckte iaf att det var trevligt att få öppna paket.
Joas opening his presents:

Kea med sex av sina sju barn:
My sister Kea with six of her seven kids. Everyone wants to help little brother out with his presents:

Storasyster Ellen:
Ellen, the oldest of my nieces and nephews:

Sofie, Hannah o Dani:

Ellen provar sina nya ridbyxor:
Ellen trying on her new riding pants. She loves riding horses, and is very happy that her godparents (Dani and Sofie) own four horses:

Mamma, jag o Mirjam:

Hon fick också en säkerhetsväst:
Trying on the safety west:

Aron:

Kea o Joas:

Vårt fadderbarn Ivar:
Our godson Ivar:

Mirjam:

Sofie o Hannes:

Jättegod hemlagad salmiakglass:
Delicious homemade salmiak (salted licorice) ice cream was served:

Och så jordgubbstårta:
Strawberry cake (which for some reason the American at the party liked much better - although he can't say for sure since he didn't try the ice cream):

Hospitalskullen på Korpholmen

Häromdagen besökte vi hospitalskullen på Korpholmen i Kronoby, där man "skötte" spetälskapatienter och mentalvårdspatienter på 1600-1800-talet. En intressant men sorglig del av vår historia...

The other day we visited a an old leprosy colony and hospital close to my parents' house. Here people with leprosy (and later mental illness and other diseases) were sent during 1631-1841. They were treated very harshly, sometimes beaten to get the "evil" out of them. A sad part of our history... Everything was destroyed in the 19th century, but has recently been rebuilt according to old maps by the local historical society.

Kapellet:
The chapel:

En brödstång i taket på ett av husen:
A stick on which the bread was dried and stored (the reason why we still have round bread with holes in the middle):

En isoleringscell:
This is what an isolation cell would look like. Inside it had only a bed to sleep on and a foot chain for the patients:

Insidan av kapellet. De som hade spetälska fick följa med gudstjänsten från ett bakre rum genom en liten glugg:
Inside the chapel. People with leprosy had to follow the service from a room behind the chapel, looking through a small hole in the wall: