Monday, March 30, 2009

Such a storm











Well, March here is not leaving like a lamb - it entered with a blizzard and is leaving with one. We woke this morning to A LOT of snow and high winds - schools were closed. Harpa said we could bring Zelia, so we did, to keep her schedule in tact. When Jacob picked her up 2 hours later she was laughing and playing which was a big step. Tomorrow she is going for 3 hours!!!!! Progress is sweet.

I walked to school this morning in my full length down coat, snow pants, two hats and boots. It was quiet. Most people did not go to work and the streets were significantly quieter than the last storm when they closed schools after the day began. I got some work done and returned home. Zelia was sleeping in her stroller in the bedroom. She is reading a lot of books these days and goes through them quickly. She stands on the couch asks for the books on the shelf above her, looks at the book and puts it on the floor and asks for the next - a very fast reader. She still loves to walk up and over the couch arm and look out the window and play. She and I ended up taking a nap while Jacob was VERY busy making what smells like a delicious chicken tangine dish with dates. Then we bundled up and went for a walk in the sun at 6:30pm!!!! what fun, the streets were under feet of snow. Here are some pictures from our walk.

Zelia is saying daddy....and she says oooooooh when she pets someone, anyone, as you can see (even her own head)

PS. the dish Jacob made is one of the best dishes I have ever eaten....

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Beginning of March snow
















Just because I never got around to posting these, here they are. We had a TON of snow in the beginning of March and about a week ago I would have written how mild it had become, with temps about 5...but this morning we woke to a blizzard! Oh yes, a total white out. This is actually very good because Easter is coming up and there are many planned ski activities over that weekend and snow is necessary. So, when we actually get out and take pictures of this storm we will post them. The wind is high like it was for the early March storm but from a different direction. The snow drifts are further from the house.... Oh there are also some pictures here of the boat in the harbor that sank, ugh....and a picture of Tanja, not to mention of course the monkey at home and her favorite cat, who lives upstairs.

We are planning Pesach these days and our small gathering has grown as it should and always does:)

Friday, March 27, 2009

more zelia



Here are some videos, the first is Zelia loving her banana and just having fun, the second we were trying to video how she eats with a fork, which she now does all the time...until we filmed her:) Finally, she has decided to floss on her own - good dental hygiene.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Reykjanes





























So what's all the fuss about Reykjanes you ask - one answer, 50 meter hot spring pool!

On Saturday morning we packed our bags and the car and got on the road. It was a difficult morning and we headed back to the house for a few hours as Terri and Jacob were deciding what to do about potentially returning to the US to see his grandmother who got sick quickly. After lengthy conversations it was decided that we would head to Reykjanes with everyone's bags packed for the US and if they needed to return then we would drive to Reykjavik from there. Thankfully, the news continued to get better and better and an emergency trip was not necessary.

We drove for about 2.5 hours, passing beautiful scenery, some windy scary roads, an incredibly bumpy road and seal rock where we saw hundreds of seals and finally arrive at a collection of 3 buildings - Reykjanes. It was an old boarding school, much like Nupur, where we have been in the past. It was pretty run down, chipping on the outside and in need of paint. the 50 meter pool was partially surrounded by an old cement wall and by a new wooden fence. We headed in and got our two rooms - just as you would imagine, small dormitory rooms with beds and a sink, a chair and table. The bathrooms were across the hall and the showers down the hall. On the floor there was a room with a ping pong table and another room with a TV and many couches and chairs. We unpacked and were anxious to get into the pool!

These are pictures of Zelia's new birthday bathing suite from Aunt Angie and Uncle Baki. Wrapped in our towels and in bare feet we walked to the pool. I had been told it was slimy and it certainly was - we weren't sure Terri would get in, woooo, it was green and slippery, but once you got it nothing mattered, it felt SOOOOO good. The website of the place touts skin healing properties to the water....At first Jacob thought the pool was only about 3 feet deep, but, oh no, it got deep! After our swim, we rested and had a nice fish dinner.

The next day, after breakfast we headed out to explore our surroundings a bit. The landscape is totally different from Isafjordur, few mountains, flatter plains and rock outcrops that looked like stacks of pancakes. We headed through very boggy land on a path to the old swimming pool. It had been used by the students for swimming instruction 100 years ago!!!! It was beautiful and we said that if we return in the summer that's where we want to swim - overlooking the ocean. On the way there we walked by bubbling hot springs encircled by bright green moss and steam rising from the ground. The old pool was being fed by hot water, but the entire pool was not hot.
We continued walking and found an airstrip and watched the sea birds and one seal along the shore.

After our walk, we decided to head back into the pool. It was significantly colder than the previous day and even more enjoyable to be in the pool.

The man running the place, Gunnar, has been doing so for a year. He is from the Reykjavik area and was a sip builder, but was looking for a change. We were the only guests in the hotel that weekend but he said that in the summer they host many family reunions. Sounds good to me:)

After hamburgers for lunch we were back in the car heading home with a pit stop at Bonus, of course.