New Years 2011

Matt and Lazer hanging out, New Year's Eve!

Zelia and Stephanie playing
check out the feast

Stephanie getting the fondu ready
Zelia's french braids...she kept them in for 3 days! She said they are like Lucy's.

Of course Jack was enjoying the festivities.
Uma and Zelia, a sweet sweet friendship
Melody is back with her friend Joan
Roland, Elinborg and Stefan


I get the feeling that ALL kids LOVE Stephanie
Here is the little man who was not interested in sleeping with all the excitement.



It was the best new years yet, seriously, I am not the biggest fan of the evening, but this one was great.

On Thursday night, Stephanie and Matt arrived, on their way back from France to the US, just before 10pm. Zelia was so excited for their visit that she couldn't sleep. We were able to give them some good dinner and we all headed to bed. On Friday morning, bot Zelia and Jacob were home and we began to get ready for the evening. We were having 15 people and lots of delicious food. Plus it was Shabbat, so besides the English muffins and sour dough there was hallah to make. We also made it out for a nice walk in the VERY cold wind and tucked in the stroller both Lazer and Zelia fell fast asleep.

By 6:30 some people were beginning to arrive...the menu: cheese, crackers salami, smoked goose - which was delicious, wild game pate, cheese fondu with sour dough and fruit, herring, hard boiled eggs, rye bread, raisin and pine nut saltfish, salads, roasted potatoes, nut pate with curry sauce....it was a feast.
At about 9pm Zelia came to Jacob and me and said, "Daddy there are lights in the sky and they are sprinkling!" the town bonfire had been lit and the fireworks display had begun. It was really a good one and the kids LOVED them. We kneeled on Zelia's bed and others gathered in the kitchen to watch. At different times some people walked down to see the fire and then returned. When everyone came back we had ponche crema (Panamanian eggnog), and dessert including plum pudding, pineapple fromage (Icelandic dessert with pineapple, whipped cream and some gelatin) apple crisp, and little squares with chocolate.
Olafia, who often thinks of everything, brought sparklers AND safety goggles for the girls. You can see just how much they love her!
We had the computer open to a skycam of Reykjavik and waitedd for the midnight fireworks to begin. All of a sudden people came out of their houses and began shooting the fireworks that they had bought that week. A fireworks store opened in town and the search and Rescue teams run the whole operation. Apparently it is their biggest fundraiser all year! No joke the fireworks people were setting off were are as big and grand as the ones the town had set off. Most of the guests began their walk ohme to enjoy the show, the kids were asleep and we watched outside and from the kitchen window and cleaned up.

The next morning we all slept late, even Zelia until about 10. At 11 Uma, Shiloh and Roland came back and we had a feast of homemade eggs florentine and potatoes. While cleaning up we thought to go to the pool which was closed so we piled into the cars and headed to Grettislaug...our favorite hot pot about an hour away. We packed some cookies, fruit and mulled wine and headed out. Lazer ended up sleeping for most and then woke just in time for a dip and nurse and a return home. It was beautiful outside and mild, lots of browns on the mountains, Jacob, Shiloh, Matt and Stephanie all took a polar plunge in the North Sea!

We returned home, ate left overs and made a whale steak for Stephanie and Matt to try. We all slept well!

After a good breakfast Matt and Stephanie began their drive south to eat some sheep's head and then head to the airport.

Happy 2011 everyone!