This is a VERY late post on our new Years Eve in Sydney. Saying goodbye to 2017 with all its highs and lows, and welcoming 2018 with great expectations and excitement!

We spent New Years Eve in View Hills in Sydney. We were a bunch of maybe 25, invited to Ari and Hannah’s new house. And what a fun house, an true entertainment house. Well, that’s the best way I can describe their house. Basketball court, outside BBQ and Pizza oven, tennis court, pool, vine cellar. Just designed for entertainment right!?
And it dose’t hurt that both Ari and Hannah are one of the best hosts ever. They just love having friends over and it really shows.
We started with a mini day New Years party, I think people started around 2 in the afternoon. And most of us spent the night.

Starting the New Years Eve in the afternoon with bbq and hanging by the pool.

haha this picture makes me laugh. Monica’s eyes says it all! This is the panic pizza making team. Imagine 10 people running around trying to make pizzas from scratch. Its harder then it looks that’s for sure. By nighttime it was clearly not enough with all the cheese, dips and BBQ. Ari and Hannah had prepared homemade pizza to be cooked in their stone oven.And out comes 20 plus pizzas. Pretty great I have to say. To the right you see what came poring out of the Piñata. Candy! And all the nice cocktails Ari kept making for us all night. So good.

Here we all are, just after saying goodbye to 2017 and celebrating 2018. This is the now –  traditional – Visa Photo!

The spot where we all stood and watched the fireworks for New Years Eve 2017. We wanted to walk down their neighbors driveway to get a better view but we were to scared. haha

In the morning, everyone were either playing basketball, swimming in the pool or still sleeping. I took the opportunity to sit and enjoy the stillness. You guys now by now I love doing that.

My favorite time. Breakfast.

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Its Thursday and it hasn’t been alot going on over here in Australia for us. I am right now sitting on our bed, trying to ignore the heat and watching YouTube clips on human behaviors. Thing you guys know by now are my interests. Today started really good but just turned out to be one of those days, you know like those that just bother you.
Just to break this bad pattern I took the car, sat at a cafe and read 2 chapters in my book on what shapes us as humans and it is our values. It actually made me feel better because sometimes you just need to get a better or at least a different understanding on what is going on in your head and in the head of others. The book was explaining that we do what we do because of what we, consciously or unconsciously value. What is mostly important to us. Sometimes conflicts occur when the value of those around you differs from your own value. Makes sense doesn’t it?
I am not going into much more details. Still pissed of from this whole day so instead lets have a look at these past couple of holidays around Christmas.

Like mentioned before, Our friends Tim and Mia were visiting from Brisbane. So we had a full boat day which is always fun. What is it with boats that makes you feel alive. Love them!

Yep, it’s happening. After many years as a girlfriend to an Australian man, this is whats happening. He is turning me into a outdoorsy girl. Just a warning to every girl who might fall in love with an Australian… you will need to sleep in one of these at some point. Now that I look at it actually looks like this is where you go to die. I am equally  scared as excited that I agreed to camping.

Picnic is more my kind of outdoorsy haha. Here at the beautiful Palm Beach

During the Christmas holidays we have also acted as puppy sitters for Leggs and Tally. Leggs is a giant puppy that behaves like a grandpa so he is easy. Just eats and sleeps all day. Tully on the other hand is crazy. But I think we did good.

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At the beautiful Palm Beach

In the boat on the way back it was 45 degrees. Insane!

Christmas food is the best. My absolute favorite is the Swedish Christmas food though. God I miss that so much!

Fresh passion fruit from their garden

Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you have been surrounded by your loved ones, that is what is important. I always have felt extra sad around the holidays when I see someone that “looks” like he/she is alone. Makes me extremely grateful that I always been surrounded with a big loving family, and still now, I have a an additional family. My Australian family <3
And soon me and Ambrose will have a large family of our own.

Back to our Christmas 2017. I told Ambrose earlier today that this was the least “Christmas like” and he agreed. It has alot to do with the fact that it was around 45 degrees on the 24th of December! Also everything around it, cant really explain it, it just was more like a couple of days of holidays.
On the 24th of December we had our friends Tim and Mia over from Brisbane. The plan for the day was to take the speed boat out to Palm Beach for a picnic and swim with a couple of their friends from London.
Next day was Christmas. The whole family was going to spend it at Leonard and Nicks house. Luckily this day was not as hot as the day before, so we managed to eat! Otherwise at least I have problems having a appetite when its super hot.

After all the yummy Christmas food it was time for presents, desert and games. When everyone went home me Ambrose Nick and Leonard kept playing a game called “Hat” until midnight. I love this game. I will introduce this to everyone now. Even now, I just wish I had a couple of people around me so I could keep on playing. That’s how much fun I had.

Oh, in case any of you wondered about presents. For this years Christmas we had secret Santa and we got hotel nights in Hunter Valley as a Christmas gift. Very nice, cant wait to get there. Wine tasting, cheese tasting, hotel beds, hotel breakfast… Yeay!

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The birthday boy relaxing before it strarts

hahaha Cappa, the only one posing for my photo

Brown Sugar – one of the best places for breakfast in Bondi

Yesterday we had Ambrose’s 30th birthday 2.0. Starting with drinks and cake at our place from 3pm. I soon realized that we did not enough chairs for everyone so it quickly became a circle on the floor. Normally this would stress me, but I am learning to let go a little bit. Sometimes simplicity is the key. Sometimes it is at it is and that’s perfectly fine. I haven’t laughed so much in a long time. These people are great hahah

The plan to just have one drink and go for a pub crawl did not really work out either. Everyone had way too much fun at ours. So we left the apartment late, managed to fit in one place for some drinks before it was time to head to the restaurant. Ive arranged that we had the upstairs for ourselfs. As you can see there is no pictures, just that one. I am so glad most people could make it 🙂

After the restaurant, which by the way was really good, we went to Bondi hotel to have drinks and dance. At 3am I got most people out, I started to get tired but most of them wanted to keep going. In the end it was just me and some of the boys left. Of course they went for a skinny dip at Bondi beach instead of going home. Ad not just a dip, they went body surfing at until 4am in the dark.

We finished the night with birthday cake at 5 in the morning back at our place. I forgot to serve the cake at the party. Of course…..hahhaha All good, it will be fine!

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Last Sunday we I had organized a family picnic by the beach for the family. It did not go exactly as I had hoped for but it was a beautiful day and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. We had a big Christmas ham with french mustard, BBQ chicken on sticks, pesto pasta salad, cheeses, dips. And buckets filled with beer and cider for everyone.

I choose this spot because this beach does not have alot of waves. Safer for all the kids. We played games, someone brought a canoe to take out. Water activities are the best. Especially when it is as hot as that Sunday.

Nick brought their new puppy. They just picked him up yesterday and he looks like one of those catalogue model puppies

You can’t really tell but I totally burnt my shoulders in this dress. I went 2 hours earlier to save the picnic spot and set up all the birthday decorations. 2 hours in the Australian sun was enough! Still hurts when I wear a bra.This is how a normal person holds a puppy…… This is how I hold a puppy……. I just hate the licks in the face!!

And then the family photo……trial number One……Lets give the family photo one more try….trial number TWO ….

Finally! We got ONE good one 🙂 Thanks everyone for coming!