Week of 21st of December

We are excited to see the longest night of the year pass and we look forward to more daylight. Right now it is getting dark at 14:30 and is getting light at 8:00. The snow on the ground has made it look lighter.
The temple has been closed this week because of Christmas celebrations. One night we drove into Stockholm with Pre and Sis Oscarson and ended up eating at a cute little Italian restaurant. On the way home we went grocery shopping at MAXI’s. It is almost fun to go shopping because they have so many choices.
I also went with Oscarson’s to get our hair cut. This place was highly recommended and he did speak English, at least we think! My hair cut is so short I will not have to have another one for three months! Oh well! On the way home we again went shopping at MAXI’s for food for our Swedish Christmas Eve Dinner.
One evening we went to dinner at Bruno and Harriet Klarin’s house and it was most enjoyable. The Oscarson’s were also there and two of their daughters and their husbands. We had a wonderful fish dinner and an awesome frozen chocolate cake/pie. The Klarin’s are our Swedish teachers.
The Christmas Eve dinner at the Oscarson’s was super. We went over an hour early to help with last minute things. Sis Oscarson wore a traditional Swedish costume and looked darling.
We ate: ham, meatballs, herring in sour cream sauce, herring in mustard sauce, boiled potatoes, scalloped potatoes, liverwurst, pickled beets, cold beet salad, pickles, 2 kinds of breads and 2 kinds of crackers, 4 different kinds of drinks and rice pudding. We sang Christmas songs and read the birth of Christ from Luke and it was a very fun, uplifting and spiritual night. Jultomten (Santa)...
Because Sweden’s big celebration is the 24th they open all their gifts then. SO we are in Sweden so we opened all our gifts. Wow, thanks for the camera, food, goodies, lip cream, games, socks, money, cards and letters. How blessed we are to be blessed with so many friends and awesome family.
We were able to Skype our family while they were having the family party and it was great to see Kenley and Dante there with the rest of the grandkids and our kids and spouses. It made us happy to see you having fun. We were also able to Skype each family on Christmas Day or the day after. We love Skype!
Christmas Day we went to the Bertilson’s for dinner. He is a doctor (attended BYU before his mission and he was on the track team) and their family and extended family are a big part of the strength of the church here in Sweden. They live in this beautiful house in Handen and it overlooks a lake. We had another Swedish Christmas Dinner plus sang Christmas songs,
told of a special Christmas memory and played a word game. Before we knew it, it was 23:00 and we needed to be to the temple by 6:30. It was a beautiful ride home in the snow.
We wondered if anyone would come to the temple the day after Christmas but we went prepared to serve the Lord and He did provide. We had to have double sessions at 10:00. It was an awesome day. After the temple was closed we all met in the kitchen and ate Christmas Eve left over’s. A great day!
Sunday we had great church services and then we went with Anita and Eric Lindquist to their house out in the country. Chuck had helped train him as the temple engineer once in Sweden and once in Salt Lake when the temple engineers from around the world came for training.
They built their house and have lots of fruit trees and have even rebuilt their Laplander home on their property. Such a cute little couple but hard to follow in Swedish or English. We had a great dinner, met their daughter and family, and rode the train home.
We love it here in Sweden and so grateful for the wonderful friends we are making, being able to serve the Lord together and for the love and support of family and friends. We are so blessed. May each of you have a Happy New year and be blessed in the year 2010.