Firsts...and first anniversaries

Now that I've hit my one year anniversary since arriving to Finland, the number of 'firsts' in Finland seem like they're harder to come by.  In their place?  First anniversaries of my 'firsts'.  :)

(And if I were tech-savvy, I could link to the posts of these 'firsts'...)

A year ago, nearly to the day, I stepped into Wendie's home to be vetted as one of the members of the Ladies' Literary Guild.  Here we are, this last Tuesday, enjoying a feast that Wendie had prepared as we met to discuss this month's novel: Still Alice.  A year ago we were sitting around this same table and I was answering questions about the Republican nominees and the demographics and history of San Antonio.  This year we were on pins and needles as Americans were casting their votes.  I'm grateful I passed the test a year ago.  Being a part of this book club has been such an enriching experience.  And I just love these women!!

I left my camera at Wendie's house by accident.  (Not a first, by the way.  Last month I left it at Maisa's place...).   She was kind enough to take care of it for me until I could swing by and retrieve it.  (Thank you Wendie!)  Riding back to my office, this was the scenery.  This is the first (and probably last) perfectly cloudless day of the fall/winter.  It's normally super cloudy here.  I can't get over how beautiful it is here in JKL.  (These are the university builidngs.  My office building is to the left (and behind) the white buildings).

Cloudless skies means colder temperatures.  Riding home from the university that night I heard the skates before I saw the rink.  I had no idea this was even here...and it's on my bike route home. 

Line dancing!!  Päivi (in the middle) is teaching a group of us a line dance for our upcoming Christmas party at church.  LOVE that there are so many country music lovers in Finland!

First time at a volleyball match in Finland.  Kayla's team was playing in Orivesi (120km southwest of JKL) so we went to see her play and cheer her on.

Timo, Kayla and Elina.
And two signs. 

Elina's first time to a Finnish volleyball game (and in her home town to boot!...which is why she's holding the 'Go Kayla' sign and not 'Go Pislaploki' because Orivesi is her home team!)

I don't know if Timo's been to a vball game in Finland...
so if it's not his first time, then it's an anniversary of a first.  

Kayla's first time to have friends cheer her on at a game in Finland.

One of the other Pislaploki fans said that posters are frowned upon at games in Finland.  That's what he said.  But this is how he really felt about them...

Check out that smile...his first time holding up a sign at a Finnish volleyball game.  :) :) :)  

The woman in the orange pants (blocked by the sign) was smiling ear to ear as well.  And she even offered to safeguard the signs next to her.

Kayla was the MVP of the night.  Here she is receiving her award: a set of Finnish sheets.  Not the first time to be selected as the MVP.  But the sheets are definitely a first.  :)

 Elina (one of my classmates from the university) is a retired athlete and Orivesi is her home town.  She trained at this auditorium where Kayla's team was competing.  So Elina took us on a tour of the facilities.  This is the indoor track.  At the end was a pit for the long jump.  Here she is reenacting her days as a runner and long jumper...on the same track that she spent hundreds and hundreds of hours training.  It was her first time back in quite a while!  She ran into old friends and it was awesome to see her light up as she was able to catch up with friends and reminisce.  It was AWESOME having her at the game with us!!  :) :) :)

...

Ten minutes to kill.  An empty track and gym mats.  What to do?   

...

Run...

and fly!!
I was sorely disappointed that I couldn't jump in leaves this fall.
But this TOTALLY made up for no leaf piles.  I felt like a kid again.  

Wish I had daily access to this place!

(And thanks to Timo for snapping the pic at just the right time!)

Once we got back to JKL, we stopped by to visit Hanna.  She had this spread waiting for us when we arrived.  Gloggi.  Pastries.  Gingerbread cookies.  Brie.  And her dog was our entertainment throughout the evening.  We laughed the night away!

Rounded off the week with an awesome morning with the Young Women.  First time that they're all smiling in the picture.  :)  Love, love, LOVE my young women!!

I spy Nilo washing dishes (definitely not the first time I've walked into the kitchen at church and found him hard at work)!!  This kid is something else.  He was going to town and loving that he could help out.  I'm certain he saw the dishes all on his own so went to work to lighten the load of whoever needed them washed.  Kids are among the best teachers. 

I've been a bit worried that I'll run out of 'firsts' to blog about now that it's been over a year since this adventure in Finland began.  But it's clear that there are an infinite number of 'firsts' yet to be lived here.  And anniversaries of the 'firsts' are super, super sweet!!