Start was on Saturday noon (the day before Xmas Eve), heading to Jyväskylä region.  Car was again fully packed.  But we did leave the ski box home as there's no hope of getting enough snow for skiing.  Weather was dry and temperature just one or two over zero, perfect driving conditions.  One stop in Jari-Pekka's to fill in 4 tanks inside the car, not the one of the car.  At "home home" at six o'clock.

There was already Annika and Katariina with their "spouses", boyfriend is maybe not appropriate anymore when they are over 20?  And of course the people who live there: my mum, my brother and his wife and their youngest daughter , Ida.  Everything was ready, Xmas tree decorated, house clean and tidy, candles ready to be lit, flowers on tables and peace and quiet in the house.  Talking and listening, some drinks and waiting to get the ham out of the oven. 

Oven is old one, wood and real fire to get it warm and always some depate about the temperature and timing whatever we prepare in there.  This time the pig was ecological (as they say in Mexico), lived free on a floor not in cage, fed with real food.  And it really was good, warm straight from the oven, I mean really good (and I normally don't eat it at all).  Nice start for the celebration.

In the Christmas Eve morning sun was shining and we decided to go out to have a walk on the lake, Vuosjärvi.  We should have had the skates with us as the ice was like a mirror, better ice ring than I can remember.  Then I walked to the neighbour's to give our present to grandma Elli.  She's 90 yrs old and still knitting all the socks and cloves to all the relatives.  In the afternoon I drove mum to the church and we lit a candle to my dad's grave.  We tried to visit my godmother but she was not at home so we just left my present and my mum's (moose's meat).

Hanna-Lea's family was also visiting the cemetary, they were at home when we arrived just half an hour later.  Started to prepare for the Christmas dinner.  There was altogether 17 people in the table.