I try to make a family portrait of me an my family every year for Christmas and new year With this year edition I want to wish  Happy new year 2022 !!  I also added this years edition of our family Christmas picture 

Before leaving Christmas behind and focusing on this year I have to write this post about all the Christmas markets in and around Düsseldorf that I visited this year. Apart from that the weather more felt like March in December the Christmas spirit came early thanks to all the traditional German Christmas markets. The Christmas markets were set up well in time for first of Advent and was opened everyday up until Christmas. Festive lights, decorations, cosy wooden stalls with all sorts of things were sold. Handmade German ornaments and decorations ( a lot of made in China ornaments too) local specialities such as traditionally decorated gingerbread cookies. The classic hot beverage Glühwein was served in many stals and often served in a special designed mug. Bratwurst, crepes and other on the go food sold everywhere. In most markets you can also find a stage where Christmas songs were performed and where St Nicholas came to greet the children etc. In Düsseldorf they also had an ice-ska...

Christmas came and passed so fast this year. I never really got Christmas feeling although I did enjoy it very much. But not so very crisp Christmasy when it is 8 degres outside and kind of spring in the air. I started drawing Christmas cards in October but never managed to get anything done or send any... However I did manage to create one Christmas present this year. This is a family portrait of my dear friend and her family. 

Today it is exactly two months before Christmas. I used to be like "The Gringe" not a great fan of Christmas. But now I like the run up for Christmas and all the traditions so much that I am even looking forward already in October. Here is some small Christmas illustration I made last year. 

Not much activity here at the blog for some time. I have had a break from computer partially by purpose but mainly because my computer broke down big time. I know I can update via other devices but not the same for me typing on the screen. I am emotional connected with my keypad and my computer and I am very grateful that great IT people managed to bring my computer back to life.  So what have Team Nikolovski been up to. Well we left Moscow and headed to Sweden first of Advent. We have had a long great great stay with lots of fun activities and a fun December running up to Christmas. Mila did a premier visit to Stockholm Horse Show as well as learning all about St. Lucia and performing as the cutest Lucia all of December but of course with a peak at 13 of December. We have also enjoy being in the stables and I am so happy to finally be back in the saddle and utilize muscles that has been in hibernation for years. Mila has reunited with her best friend Malou and yes they are st...

Happy Sankta Lucia today! Swedish celebration of saint Lucia who is coming with the light. I have a little girl her who is crazy about Lucia and all the traditional songs. We have celebrated three days in a row. Friday Lucia concert in our church. Saturday we had great friends and family over for glögg and Christmas snacks and Mila and her best friend performed songs dressed as the two cutest Lucia's all afternoon. Today Sunday 13 December the actual lucia day and we had chance to join great tradition with Lucia on horses. Mila borrowed a very handsome black pony with amazingly long mane. It was so nice walking in a frozen landscape as the sun was setting. After a great weekend we are now putting all lucia gear away until next year and now focus on 3 year cold birthday next weekend instead.

I made this illustration some time ago before our little Mila turned 2 years old as memory of her current interests. She is developing so fast at the moment with her language it is new words and cool sentences everyday. I heard somewhere that they pick up 10 new words per day in this age. To illustrate some of them is a way for me to remember as it is so easy to forget cool stuff too fast. So since this was illustrated a lot has happened so this is a recap of Mila in November 2014 mainly for me ( proud mother with short memory) so you are excused if you don't feel like reading this... She is still constantly singing or asking us to sing rock a bye baby ( Check it out on youtube... It is a super extra boring lullabye song if you ask me!!!) she also put toys in something and swings them back and forth as she sings. If me or Loren are asked to be involved in this game she will for sure get upset (very upset with crocodile tears and throwing herself of the floor kind of u...

Time has flown by and especially December was a pretty fast passing month. Here comes a short summary of what has happened in Team Nikolovski household during December. 20/12 Birthday party in the house for our mini member who turned one year, wow already one year. It has truly been one amazing year ( I will right more about our first year as parents in a later post) We had a great party with a super sweet bunch of wild small people and their nice mothers here to celebrate with us.   Christmas preparation in moderate doses. I did all my Christmas shopping together with everyone else in Prague and annoying asking myself why the hell I couldn't have done this in November when all the shops were empty when I anyways only needed a few things to get here and there. I made some fudge which I eat very quick together with far too many gingerbread cookies weeks before Christmas ( go figure what my new year resolution will be..) Great granddad/ granddad Sven-Hugo came from Sweden...