There Has Been a Change in the Weather

Goodbye good friend...

2010-07-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I suppose you could say that this current weather pattern is here to stay. As such, "Change in the Weather" is now officially ending with the post of my parent's last days here. We wanted a place online that felt a bit more like it belonged to both of us. So, if weeks and months go by with no updates, everyone can blame me AND Kristina equally!

From now on, we'll be over at "Two Capstan Row", So, update your bookmarks, RSS feeds, etc.

-Weslie + Kristina

Midsommar food, final round

2010-07-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

In addition to the beef and fish, there was some of this:

But mainly, lots of this...

and this....

and this! A great time was had by all!

Midsommar food, round two: Smoked whitefish

2010-07-14T05:24:00.001-07:00

The next big thing was smoked fish.

Here is the fire going in the bottom of the fish tower to get it extremely hot.

The salt-cured whitefish on the rack, ready to go!

Said fish being lowered into the "oven" with smoking, fresh juniper branches and alder wood chips.

Now, we wait...

20 minutes later, you get this! Yum!

Midsommar food, round one: Beef Loin, part II

2010-07-14T05:20:00.001-07:00

Here, Kika and I are carefully (for all parties involved) unwrapping the beef.

The final product.

Cutting with an invisible knife? I have no idea what's going on in this shot.

Midsommar food, round one: Beef Loin, part I

2010-07-14T05:04:00.001-07:00

The night before we went to the cabin, Kristina and I prepared a beef loin with olive oil, salt, pepper, Southern Flavor (!), and various fresh herbs.

Early the next morning, Tage and Sara went to the cabin to dig a small hole and start a fire on a collection of rocks to heat them. The fire went for about 4 hours or so to get the rock at the right temperature.

Here is the beef being lowered into the ground with a layer of heated rocks underneath.

More rocks are placed on top of the beef with a final layer of sand to seal everything in. Another fire is started so the oven effect can really work its magic.

Here is the beef after 2 1/2 hours...

Midsommar at the cabin

2010-07-14T04:58:00.000-07:00

For midsummer, the entire family headed out to the cabin for some relaxing fun in the sun.

Some tried fishing...

Others tried fishing...

Still others tried fishing...

And finally had a "little" success!

Boating, II

2010-07-14T04:51:00.001-07:00

Our true destination was Tankar, a nice little island that is the midsummer place to be if you've got a boat. People have been living off the waters surrounding the island for many, many years, so the village also acts as a sort of heritage destination as well.

There is also a functioning lighthouse on the island.

The landscape sort of reminded me of southwest Ireland.

Neat little chapel on Tankar. Some of Kristina's friends were married here not too long ago.

On the way back...a little romance. Or maybe he's trying to convince her to get a boat like this?

A-boating we will go...

2010-07-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

Just before Midsummer, Kristina's uncle Hans offered to take us for a nice trip on his little boat (sarcasm intended).

Two First Mates, Kristina and momma bear.

Owning a cabin on the sea or a lake is a very big part of living in this part of Finland. Here is a rather large, but interesting one we saw.

Capitan Hans pulling into port for lunch. You see what I mean by "small" boat...

The Capitan training the next generation, Lukas.

Wayne takes a turn navigating for the Capitan.

Edgar Sundström

2010-07-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

Kristina's brother Patrik and his wife, Martina had a son just before we returned from the north:

Heading north, II

2010-07-14T04:33:00.000-07:00

Once we saw the midnight sun, we had to head a bit further north to pass the Arctic Circle. The circular stone in the ground is a marker for the line of the Circle.

The other reason for heading up north was to actually see reindeer. We had plans of heading to a reindeer farm, but were hoping to see some in the wild. We topped a hill in the road, and this is what we saw! Pretty exciting!

We headed on to the farm which was operated by a family, and as no one else was there, we were able to feed the reindeer and interact a bit with the owner, who was a very nice man.

Kristina takes her turn...

And then everyone joins in the fun!

Heading north

2010-07-14T04:24:00.000-07:00

You'll have to excuse the long delay in updates. Before my parents went back to the good 'ole U.S. of A., we decided to take a trip north...way north...as in above the Arctic Circle. One purpose was that it just sounded good. The other was to see the famed "midnight sun".

Here we all are in a nice, tall tower just after midnight. The sun was out all evening, but clouds rolled in just before midnight, so we experienced, but did not technically see the sun above the horizon at midnight.

This is what I mean by "experiencing" the midnight sun. This is a shot from the tower of the surrounding countryside after midnight.

Picture of one of the oldest churches in Finland (I think) taken around 11:45 pm.

Grill-masters trying to beat the wind at the cabin.

Kristina and I at the river that separates Sweden (on the far bank) from Finland. This is a sort of salmon fishing bridge.

Blog updates

2010-07-02T10:41:00.001-07:00

Well...we're in England and having a blast! Unfortunately, I left the transfer cable for the camera in Finland, so there won't be any blog updates until the middle of next week. Also, we decided to bring Kristina's laptop with us since it's smaller, but we forgot that all of the Finland photos were on my computer. So no Finland photos until next week either! Maybe you'll get some wedding pictures since not everyone is on Facebook.

W+K

Video of the ceremony

2010-06-26T03:01:00.000-07:00

It's all in Swedish except the homily.

Weslie + Kristina's blessing of union from Wk Odom on Vimeo.

Plättkalas

2010-06-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a "plättkalas" (sort of a "crepe" party). Here is the master chef and the supervisor:

Aubri and Sylvia in line for plättas:

Phil and Aubri talking to Carina, Kristina's sister:

Wayne's new best friend, Esther:

Weslie, Jonathan and Travis:

Boys with toys.

2010-06-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Lukas had his own excavator...

Phil and Wayne talking shop:

Wayne receiving instructions:

Phil lining it up...

Wayne checking out his options with Tage, the expert:

Odoms arrive in Finland (finally)

2010-06-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well, they had a wild, strange trip, but they finally arrived. There they are way in the back realizing that they have gotten off at the correct stop.

Reception hall

2010-06-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

Last night, Kristina and I finished as much of the preparation at the reception hall as we could.

Coffee cups with Marimekko napkins in the "ears."

Close-up

Our seat at the main table with nice candlesticks lent from Sara.

Here is the nearly finished setup. There will be little tea candles on the tables and birch branches, and probably something else I've forgotten about or am not aware of.

Here is one of the settings:

Proof

2010-06-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

Here is proof that kids all over the world are the same:

Yogurt by Esther

Fresh whipped cream by Hannes

Smoked fish

2010-06-16T08:10:00.001-07:00

The other night we had smoked white fish like Kristina's grandfather used to make. It was really amazing:

Close-up:

Fiskets natt

2010-06-12T08:36:00.002-07:00

Last night we all went to the all night fishing fest in Kållby. It was pretty fun, except for the mosquitos, which, according to Dani, "destroy summer."

En häst att rida

2010-06-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Kristina and I took two of her nephews, Aron and Ivar, for a ride on Sofie's horse, Bear Dancer:

Aron was up first.

Then Ivar...

Kristina took a shot.

Then the Lone Range himself. Hi-o Silver, away!

I was not thrilled with the mosquitos...

June 19th Preparations

2010-06-12T08:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the first stage of preparations for the 19th began. Kristina and I went to the hairdresser to get a cut and try out the do for next Saturday.

Lots of curls. You can't have a look at the final product until next week, but rest assured that it was beautiful.

I didn't really have much to do though...

Thoughts...

2010-05-16T02:07:00.000-07:00

Our response to suffering and pain is repentance. Repentance follows with thanking God for our salvation through His Son, which gives comfort in the reality of the limitedness of life in a fallen world. From the recognition of this reality comes the proper place for lament and grief, for when Paul says, "...that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope," he does not exclude "Why" and "how long". Yet that word "hope" places grieving and lamenting in the proper context of the Gospel. This hope is sure. When children ask their dear Father, "Why" and "how long", Jesus answers, "It is finished." Our reply, then, is "Amen. Come Lord Jesus." Herein lies the tension in tentatio.

Library construction

2010-04-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

The library construction is moving along quickly:

"The Church is a Mercy Place"

2010-04-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

Go here and download the above titled, short pamphlet. You will not be disappointed.

http://itistime.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=19

Packing up.

2010-04-05T17:05:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm starting to pack up my room. I'm at 14 boxes of books, and still more to go. This has gotten out of hand.

Kristina is also getting packed up in Göteborg. Her last day of teaching at FFG is on the 22nd, and she'll be heading back to Lepplax around the 4th of May. This is an exciting and somewhat stressful time for us as we are nearing out wit's end from being apart. It has been a long 9+ months! This month, I'll receive my vicarage placement, which will tell us where we'll be for the next year. Also, we should have a major, major portion of Kristina's visa application done, and her interview in Helsinki should be set up (this is the final step). Please keep us in your prayers, and know that we greatly appreciate all that everyone has done for us so far. We're looking forward to seeing many faces in Finland in June and Selma in July!

Skiing in Sälen in the Swedish "mountains"

2010-03-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

Last week I went skiing in the western part of Sweden close to the Norwegian border with part of my immediate family - my parents, my sister Carina and her family, my brother Daniel and his family and my brothers Joel and Paul with their girlfriends, and my other sister's two oldest children Ellen and Ivar - in all only 16 people including me. So just a small gathering. Weslie was invited too, but he didn't miss me enough to want to spend his spring break with me and my family. The price of the tickets might have had something to do with it too. A decent excuse, I suppose. Here are some pictures from the week.

The cool people. Janina, Joel and Paul getting ready for some fun.

First time I was downhill-skiing in 5 years. I have to say that I still possess great skill. Or something. At least I didn't break anything. I didn't even fall once. Unlike some other people...

Joel went straight for the trees. And liked it so much he almost stayed there.

Martin tried some tricks and almost broke his neck.

The kids also wanted to try. First time for them all.

Ellen, 7 years old.

Ivar, 6

Lukas, 3

Lots of snow, and nice sunny days, albeit a little cold. It was a great week, the only downside was that almost all of us got stomach flu. Weslie thinks someone is always sick in my family. I think he might be right. Maybe that's why he didn't want to come. Or maybe it's because he didn't want to try any more wintersports. It would have been fun to see him try downhill-skiing though - at least for the rest of us :).

Last day in Göteborg, Sweden.

2010-01-18T20:14:00.000-08:00

Kristina and I made a delicious, celebration breakfast after Alabama's trouncing of Texas:

Then we did a bit more walking around Göteborg:

Later that night (or maybe this was Thursday night?), Kristina took me to a great market with everything the heart desires, namely, cheeses, dried meat, and chocolate:

Churches in Göteborg

2010-01-18T20:00:00.001-08:00

In our walking around, we popped into a few churches. This one had a brilliant alterpiece:

Here is a close-up of the cross of Christ crushing the head of the serpent and death:

This is the outside of the church Bo Giertz used to preach in:

Pulpit:

Alter:

I must admit I don't remember this last church too much. This was the day that the flu bug caught up with me. Very soon after touring this church, we rushed back to the apartment so I could sleep and vomit for several hours...YAY!

Göteborg, I

2010-01-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, Kristina took me on a little tour of Göteborg. Here is the main city square:

Fancy building:

Gustavus Adolphus II (?), founder fo Göteborg:

What a cute tour guide!

A few more views of the church in Jakobstad

2010-01-18T19:53:00.000-08:00

One of the last nights in Finland, we attended a concert at the church in Jakobstad where we'll be on the 19th of June:

Pulpit:

Alter:

Organ and hymnboard:

Last few days in Finland

2010-01-18T19:51:00.001-08:00

The last couple of days in Finland were pretty clear and bright, which was a pleasant change:

ROLL TIDE!

2010-01-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, Kristina and I are getting up at 2:15 AM to watch the championship game live on ESPN.com! ROLL TIDE!

Plates

2010-01-07T00:55:00.001-08:00

As a response left by my dear mutha to the previous post, here are the plates:

Wedding China

2010-01-02T03:50:00.000-08:00

Kristina and I have picked out a "wedding china" of sorts that we both really like!

It's by Finnish company Iittala.

Take a look at Origo, designed by Alfredo Häberli, in the orange pattern. We think we'll just start collecting the dinner plates, the salad plates, the larger soup bowls, and one big serving bowl. Since the inner rim of the pattern is white, it will be easy to fill in pieces with less-expensive white ones.

Here's a preview:

The Finnish National Dish! (WARNING - Explicit Picture Below)

2010-01-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

It took several men working non-stop for 10 min, but I finally have a photo of the national dish of Finland!* On boys night, we stopped during snowmobiling for a pizza. Nearly everyone ordered the Gloskär's special, so I did too. They tried to explain what was on it, but I didn't care...I wanted to bit a true Finn. The pizzas arrived (everyone had their own), and it was topped with what can only be described as a Willy Wonkaesq selection of toppings:

-Kebab (Gyro) meat

-Shrimp

-Bearnaise sauce (yes, Bearnaise sauce...the pizza was yellow)

I still have not gotten over the oddity of toppings. This is something I would come up with living in an apartment by myself with whatever ingredients I had lying around. I have to admit, however, it was very tasty! I nearly finished it. The crust was good too.

*No, this is not the national dish of Finland. I imagine, though, that this is what Uncle Tom was thinking of when he thought he wouldn't be able to find anything to eat over here.

Fresh pig.

2009-12-31T05:25:00.000-08:00

These are färsk gris, which loosely translates to "fresh pig". No one knows why...but they are delicious. Basically it's a jelly doughnut, but better.

Cross-country skiing.

2009-12-31T04:36:00.000-08:00

Today was the day to try another Nordic tradition: cross-country skiing. Kristina was going to show me the ropes. Here is my first lesson:

This was about 5 min. later when I tried to exit the driveway and get on the trail.

Here is a closeup. You may can tell that, at this point, I am not thinking, "Maybe I'll take up cross-country skiing as a lifetime hobby!" No, I was not thinking that...

Here are the results...one broken ski pole, wet bluejeans, and a bruised ego.

We did make a run at it though. This was between fall #1 and #2. It was pretty fun though, and I appreciate my teacher bearing with my frustrations!

More food (believe it or not)...

2009-12-31T04:29:00.001-08:00

Two nights ago Sara made a fresh batch of Julstjärna (Christmas stars), which are sweetened puff-pastry formed into stars with a plum filling. They are delicious!

As you can see, they didn't last long!

This morning she made Mannagrynsgröt, which is like grits (but not grits - it's a wheat kernel - still tastes like grits) with strawberry, raspberry, blueberry sauce (? - it was hot and good) on top. Yum.

Jakobstad

2009-12-31T04:23:00.001-08:00

This is one of the main streets in Jakobstad showing off the famous symbols: Faith (cross), Hope (anchor), and Love (heart - waaaay in the back). These three symbols are on EVERYTHING in Jakobstad, and are quite neat. One tradition is to hang hand-made paper lights of the symbols in your window during the Advent and Christmas seasons.

One last picture from Julafton...

2009-12-29T11:32:00.001-08:00

Here's a great shot of the whole gang (including Martin's arm) in the Sundström's living room:

Boys Night, Part II

2009-12-29T10:47:00.001-08:00

Getting ready to snöskoter! The main event arrives!

He's ready to lead his men into battle, American flag helmet in tow...

Joppi and Paul get ready to move out.

Seven men and six snöskotar!

Here we are just before we leave. The ride was indescribable in words or pictures. We drove through the archipelago on the ice...that was intense. Getting stuck in the middle of the lake is not very fun. I think we all had a great time, and I really appreciate the guys making an effort to show me a good time.

In the next day or so, I will have a picture of the national dish of Finland!

Boys Night, Part I

2009-12-29T10:35:00.000-08:00

We got to the rink and it was covered with snow, but thankfully the tractor was there clearing it off. After quickly mastering the art of skating, I decide to get out on the ice and check out the equipment. Stick looks good:

And it's right to the action!

Time for trick shots? Oh yeah!

All kidding aside, the boys made me look like a fool! They are all amazing a skating and very impressive when handling the puck. Here is a great shot of Paul stopping a shot.

Actually, I was so bad that Patten didn't even want to be on the same ice as me. Just kidding.

Preparing for boys night...

2009-12-29T10:23:00.000-08:00

The boys of the family (Dani, Tossi, Joppi, Paul, Martin, and Patten) have been planning a "boys night out" for us. On the schedule was hockey (which simply meant "skating" for me), snowmobiles, and pizza. As I had no skates, I had to do a little testing. Here I am the morning of boys night trying to decide which pair were best:

"Yes, these are clearly the best!"

With that, I'm ready to take on the world (or a small ice rink in rural Finland).

Next I had to get all of the proper gear. Here I am looking into the future, a future that holds NHL aspirations? Maybe. You should know that "maybe" is Swedish for "absolutely not".

Boy do I look authentic. Although, don't they say something about looks being deceiving?

Pics to follow of the events!

Breakfast of Champions!

2009-12-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

Following is the process for making Karelian pirogues.

Step 1. Obtain pirogues. These are essentially thin wheat bread stuffed with a type of rice pudding.

Step 2. Boil one egg per pirogue, squash and mix with butter (not fake butter).

Step 3. I am an American and like to mix things up. I put a little pepper, and some cheese on top. Traditionalists among us (I'll not name names) only put the egg.

Step 4. Top the pirogue with the egg mixture and enjoy! They are trés delicious!

Step 5 (Optional). If this does not sound up your alley, you may have an "American" muffin from Boström's bakery down the street. They are pretty good too!

Patrik (Tossi), Martina, and Nadja

2009-12-28T03:20:00.000-08:00

Last night, Kristina's brother Patrik and his wife Martina invited us for a visit and for me to see their home. The home was lovely (Patrik built most of it himself), and their daughter Nadja entertained us by playing dress-up:

The Cabin, II.

2009-12-28T03:16:00.000-08:00

The other night, Tage and Sara went to the cabin for a romantic getaway. We all met them there the next day for lunch. This time, we were able to get out and take a couple of pictures:

This looks nice!

Church in Finland

2009-12-28T03:14:00.001-08:00

This is where Kristina and I have gone to church a couple of times. It's ok to be a little jealous...

The sun was just coming up on Christmas morning as we left church.

One more from Christmas Eve.

2009-12-28T03:08:00.001-08:00

Kristina and I took Aron and Ivar out at night to light sparklers:

Aron looks excited!

Ivar reflects on the year's ups and downs, and contemplates what 2010 holds...

Processional music chosen...

2009-12-27T04:30:00.000-08:00

BWV 1054 Concerto in D Major, First Movement (untitled)

Children, children everywhere, and not a second to think.

2009-12-25T03:51:00.000-08:00

Esther

Ellen

Ivar

Aron

Hannah

A few more Julafton pictures.

2009-12-25T03:38:00.000-08:00

Sofie, Dani, and Hannes look over a new gift:

Here is one of the gifties I got from my wife:

Smoked moose meat! I also got smoked reindeer meat, a bottle of white truffle oil, and a great book! Thanks dearheart!

Kristina's OTHER sister, Kea (Mikaela), her husband, Patten (Patrik), and one of their 18,000 children, Joas:

Elis is Grandpa's boy:

Julafton (Christmas Eve)

2009-12-25T03:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve is celebrated in Finland like Christmas day is celebrated in the U.S. In case my mom was worrying, they did feed me well:

We had a special glazed ham, roast, mashed potatoes, paté, two kinds of homemade bread, pickles, beet salad, rutabega casserole, some carrot dish that was good, potato salad, smoked salmon, fruit salad and other things...

Here is the fruit salad. It had boiled egg yolks on top!

Then something terrifying happened:

The Christmas Eve tradition is that some dress up as Tomten (Santa Claus) and go around and hand out your presents to everyone. This is all well and good, but the way that they let you know that they're there is to walk up to the window (in the pitch black) and know on the window! I reached for my gun, but didn't have it.

CAAAARRREEEPPPYYYYY!!!!!

The kids seemed to enjoy it though, and it was pretty neat; I just was not prepared mentally or militarily.

After everyone picked themselves up off the floor from laughing at me, they made up for it with coffee and a good spread of dessert!

Sparkstötting

2009-12-25T03:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was quite nice and not too cold (10 or so), so Kristina and I decided to take the sparkstötting (kick-sled) out for a test run:

The Sundström abode.

Several lador (small hay barns) in a field on our walk. Again, this is around 1 PM.

The sun starts going down as we start getting up!

No sun = sad boy...

2009-12-25T03:03:00.000-08:00

This was taken at about noon yesterday...

Kristina's backyard. It is beautiful, though.

Hampus

2009-12-25T01:40:00.000-08:00

Hampus, the mighty watchdog of Lepplax:

This one is for Butch & Leah.

The cabin

2009-12-24T01:04:00.001-08:00

Kristina and I took a trip up to the cabin yesterday afternoon. She cooked a wonderful meal (pork medallions in a rosemary cream sauce and roasted vegetables). Here are some shots of the place:

It was snowing by the time we left.

Pedersöre kyrka

2009-12-24T00:58:00.001-08:00

Kristina and I took a trip to Jakobstad on Monday to get married, in case some of you have forgotten. We also took the opportunity to look at the church we'll use in June:

It was quite beautiful with all of the snow on the ground.

We also had lunch at Hotel Epoque, one of the hotel options for this summer:

The Sundströms think I am a werewolf...

2009-12-24T00:39:00.000-08:00

I think I have caught the little bug that Kristina has (imagine that). So, I am taking a natural remedy:

-Cognac

-Silver

-Lemon juice

I-130

2009-12-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

Well, Kristina and I got our first round of immigration paperwork in the mail today. Say a little prayer for us.

Engagement gift (yes, I know).

2009-12-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

At the party the other day, Kristina and I received these beautiful Aarikka sheets from Sara's siblings (except Hans and Tiina, who gave us the drill) och Mommo. Tack!

Snow, snow, snow...

2009-12-22T06:53:00.001-08:00

This was Kristina's backyard this afternoon:

These are all over the village (this one is in their backyard). They are sort of small barns (lada).

Warning

2009-12-22T06:36:00.001-08:00

To those who are coming to the wedding: Right now, the sun comes up around 10:15 am, and sets around 2:30 pm. This is really messing with my mind. During the summer, the opposite will be the case. As there will be hardly any darkness, I would advise bringing a sleeping mask, even if you think it's silly. This is worse than jetlag.

Hjullastare Mastare!!!

2009-12-22T06:09:00.000-08:00

For some reason, Tage let me drive a Hjullastare! I'm a real Sundström now. When will I start collecting benefits? (besides Kristina of course)...

Nerves of steel (Tage, not me)...

Pay day!

Sundström AbOy

2009-12-22T05:55:00.001-08:00

Today Tage and Kristina took me on a tour of the Sundström operations. We took a look at the main offices, the concrete/asphalt station, and the rock quarry.

This is the concrete/asphalt station that Danni is in charge of.

The concrete mixer was being cleaned.

Danni, "The Concrete Man" as dad calls him, showing us how the automated crushing/mixing system works.

The concrete has to be tested for strength and durability once a week. Here are the latest samples.

Flatware.

2009-12-21T11:19:00.001-08:00

Dad, Mom, does this pattern look familiar???

This was the butter-knife at the Sundström's last night! You'll be right at home next summer...

Well...

2009-12-21T10:58:00.000-08:00

We got married today...

Here we are looking very serious/very European in the "marriage room" at the Magistare's office. That guy lurking in the background was one of our witnesses who works in the office, Caj. He was pretty nice.

Kristina's ring...

My ring....

SMOOCHES!!! This was a requirement to validate the relationship. As you can tell by my awkward stance, I've only done this one other time.

The little ceremony was quick, but quite nice. All of the people in the office were very friendly and happy to be there. That magistrate made several comments about marriage that were very impressive coming from a government agency: Marriage is permanent, marriages should ordinarily produce children, marriage is good for the stability of the state, etc. We are excited!

Sylvias Julvisa

2009-12-21T06:31:00.000-08:00

Kristina plays a Swedish Christmas song called "Sylvias Julvisa" (Sylvia's Christmas Song/Carol)

Food, food, and more food...

2009-12-20T09:24:00.000-08:00

With all of the food and people, I felt like I was at a Mackin/Odom gathering. It was really great. Here was the spread:

Marange cake with strawberry and fresh whipped cream filling. Made by Sara.

Close-up of the deliciousness....!

Drömtårta ("Roll of DREAMS"!). Chocolate cake with buttercream filling. Made by Sara.

Special, SPECIAL cake made by Två Systrars Söta (Two Sisters - Sweets). Raspberry and vanilla cream filled cake covered in marzipan. This was the show-stopper!

Stockholm, II.

2009-12-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

These were all over Stockholm, and apparently all over Sweden:

Yes, you're reading this right:

This was a nice little Julmarkenad (Christmas Market):

Stockholm - Will I remember this???

2009-12-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

For my 10 hour layover in Stockholm, I decided to go to Gamal Stan, the "Old City":

Just walking around.

This is about as high as the sun got all day...it is disturbing.

A view of the old church steeple.

Postcard from Stockholm.

Here is the church where Gustavus Adolphus is buried. Unfortunately, it is not open this time of the year...

Winter is here.

2009-12-09T13:39:00.001-08:00

Note the 45 MPH wind...

Google Maps Pompeii

2009-12-07T18:38:00.000-08:00

This is unbelievable!

View Siti archeologici di Torre Annunziata, Pompei e Boscoreale (NA in a larger map

Shimmering Shanghi Surprise!

2009-12-02T18:43:00.001-08:00

Well, the gamble paid off! For those who may not know, Kristina found a beautiful wedding dress in Finland that she liked, but it was...ehhh...out of our price-range. We inadvertently found a company based in Shanghi that makes "designer look-alikes" from photos online. We decided to try it out, and it was certainly worth it! The dress arrived in Fort Wayne today, and I was impressed. I just hope it fits....

Here it is.

This is the back of the dress.

A close-up of the "rooshing" (is that how you spell it?)

Beadwork. Set in the silver that you see are real fake diamonds!

At the very least, I know this will look beautiful on Kristina come June 19th (not that it wouldn't look nice on her now, but she's so far away!). We are excited!

Horseback riding!

2009-11-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

After days and days of searching for a place to ride horses in America, we finally found a nice route in the Smokey Mountains:

My trusty horse Rodo. He was calm.

Kristina and Paul taking a break.

The scenery was great, although the ride wasn't fast enough for most!

The Finland Crew.

Nice forest view...

Putt-putt

2009-11-13T11:26:00.000-08:00

While we were in Tennessee, we played a game of putt-putt that was built into the side of a mountain.

Someone won...I won't say who, but he was born in Alabama...and his name starts with a "W"...two strokes.

Shooting II

2009-11-09T15:36:00.001-08:00

Danni is getting some tips...

...then takes aim.

Paul tries the handgun.

He seems to like the bigger gun better.

Shooting at the Stone's

2009-11-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

While the Sundströms were in the US, we decided to visit the countryside...

...and partake in the great American tradition of shooting guns!

Sara decided to watch from the sidelines...

while the guys took turns.

Hannes was more interested in the cows and other kids.

Sundström summer visit.

2009-11-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know these are, well, late. Better late than never!

Kristina's nephew Hannes is not impressed with quality of work being done to prep for the new library.

Neither were the other Sundström men. Here they are checking out the machinery selection. "We don't use these anymore in Finland" was the response I hear.

The whole clan on campus feeling somewhat at home in our "little Scandinavian village".

Engagement gift - drill

2009-10-11T13:03:00.001-07:00

And another one from Kristina's uncle and godfather Hans and his wife Tiina:

A big thank you from both of us!

Engagement gift - cake-dish

2009-10-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

More engagement gifts...

This one is from Kristina's cousins

Matias & Victoria

Anna & Frank

Jenny & Ulf

We are very thankful for the generosity.

Kristina's office

2009-09-13T01:55:00.000-07:00

Weslie has been telling me for a while now that I should start posting on his blog too, so here you go älskling. I think the real reason is that he doesn't want to do it himself :). This is a picture of my office at the seminary. Here I spend most of my internship, since I don't do much teaching yet. I really enjoy my internship and I'm learning a lot, both when I'm preparing for classes and when I'm teaching.

CTS-Fort Wayne Library construction.

2009-09-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

This is a view from my dorm front door straight across the now empty pond. For those who don't know, their used to be four or five full-grown willow trees on the edge of the pond.

I'll try to remember to put up more photos as time goes on for those who are interested.

If you have a spare 4 min, there is a great narrated video of the expansion here.

Engagement gift - "Odom" crocheted (?)

2009-09-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

Two apologies:

1. I don't know what to call this. It is sort of a name card; sort of like you're at Thanksgiving, but instead of having a single seat, you've marked the entire house as yours.

2. I am sorry I haven't put this up until now. No excuses.

This is a southern tradition. Everyone in my family (I think) has one of these. They are hand-crocheted by Mrs. Willetta (spelling?) Mooney in Orrville, AL.

Kristina and I thank Dad and Mom for this. It will go up as soon as we have a house!

Church booked!

2009-08-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

Well, Kristina has also booked the church! June 19, 2010, 3 PM at this church:

Reception hall booked!

2009-08-25T10:38:00.001-07:00

Kristina has booked the reception hall! It's all in Swedish, but you can see the website here.

Engagement gift - Marimeko towles

2009-08-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

From some of Kristina's friends we received a pair of Marimekko towels:

We'd like to thank all those who had a hand in giving these towels:

Johanna
Ann-Sofi & Botvid
Anette & Peter
Lotten & Mika
Eva & Hans
Kariina & Johan
Sofia & Patrik

One of the thoughts with all of these gifts is that Kristina will have a bit of home in America when she gets here. I like them too!

Engagement gift - Aalto vase

2009-08-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

From Kristina's father's siblings, we received a famed Aalto vase:

Originally designed by Alvar Aalto in 1938, the piece is representative of "Nordic modernism". We all learned a new word, didn't we?

Kristina and I would like to thank all who had a hand in giving this vase:

kerstin & john
hans-erik & else-maj
rune & linda
roy & gun-marie
majvor & rune
bernice & harry
yngve & cathrine
ralf & barbro
boris & ingeborg
pia & johan
tomas & yvonne
kjell & åsa
ulf & ingegerd

I would like all those in my family to have these names memorized by the end of the week. There will be a test.

Engagement gift - iittala "Maribowls"

2009-08-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

Also from this gift-giving crew were two great dishes/ice cream dishes by one of my new favorite companies, iittala:

I suppose you could put anything in them, but, to me, they were made for ice cream. They come in many different colors.

Engagement gift - Moomin coffee cups

2009-08-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Apparently it is a tradition in Finland to give engagement gifts!

These are a set of coffee cups with the Moomin character on them. The Moomins are the main characters in a popluar comic strip:

The cups are from:

Mommo (Kristina's grandmother)
Mamma & Pappa
Carina + Martin + Lukas + Esther
Mikaela + Patrik + Ellen + Ivar + Aron + Hannah + Ellis + Joas
Daniel + Sophie + Hannes
Patrik + Martina + Nadia
Joel
Paul

Kristina and I thank you guys! Also, I got an extra cups for my birthday, which I just realized I don't have a photo of...COMING SOON!

By the way, the Moomin collection is HUGE: Check it out!

Engagement gift - Moomin coffee cups

2009-08-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Apparently it is a tradition in Finland to give engagement gifts!

These are a set of coffee cups with the Moomin character on them. The Moomins are the main characters in a popluar comic strip:

The cups are from:

Mommo (Kristina's grandmother)
Mamma & Pappa
Carina + Martin + Lukas + Esther
Mikaela + Patrik + Ellen + Ivar + Aron + Hannah + Ellis + Joas
Daniel + Sophie + Hannes
Patrik + Martina + Nadia
Joel
Paul

Kristina and I thank you guys! Also, I got an extra cups for my birthday, which I just realized I don't have a photo of...COMING SOON!

By the way, the Moomin collection is HUGE: Check it out!

Kristina's apartment in Göteborg, Sweden

2009-08-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, this looks like an Ikea catalog spread:

Living room

Kristina's bedroom

Living room, view 2

Kitchen/Dining "room"

Inside Notre Dame cathedral

2009-06-07T17:49:00.001-07:00

Mary is on FIRE to pray for your needs!

Beautiful ceiling:

CHRISM!

First Odom-Sundström purchase.

2009-06-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

While driving around South Bend, we spotted a yard sale with a lot of glassware, so we decided to stop. We picked up (for our future home) these eight glasses. Don't freak out Phil. $6:

South Bend

2009-06-07T17:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Kristina and I went to South Bend, IN, home of the Fightin' Irish of Notre Dame.

Coffee break at Chicory Cafe complete with bignets:

Cathedral at Notre Dame:

Barnes and Noble-esq bookstore on campus:

The Eck center on campus. Named after Johann Eck ?

Aubri, I think we finally have a band name!

Food, Glorious FOOD!

2009-06-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

Last week I cooked my mom's (modified) Curry Dill Chicken. It was delicious.

May 28th - BREAKING NEWS

2009-05-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

On this date, Glenn Ross, Irish strongman, was born:

Also, I asked Kristina to marry me...

We are both beyond happy, and thank our Heavenly Father for bringing us together.

Kristina's internship placement

2009-05-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple shots from the other day.

Me and Kristina

Kristina's pastor, Bengt Birgersson

A good buddy, Alyssa Stone...she just found out she'll be in Haiti for two years, that's why she's so sad! A worthy project.

And finally...

2009-03-17T11:54:00.001-07:00

We're not that different after all.

Wayne Odom:

Tage Sundström (Kristina's dad):

Kristina's birthday

2009-03-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

We decided to take advantage of the nice day and try to get a kite up in the air. After several attempts:

we got it up in the air: