new & wedding

I don't see the use of having 2 blogs so I'll continue blogging on Mikael and my blog. I also put new pictures up of the wedding & reception in Helsinki. So if you want to follow our adventures together go to:

http://senjamikko.blogspot.com

and put this in your blog reading things.

Love,
Senja

countdown

Tomorrow in a week I'll be married and this is mainly all I can think about. I guess it's normal. I just feel like sharing some of my thoughts with you:

• I am very happy to have found such a wonderful man who makes me so happy. Who writes me love emails, tells me he loves me every day at least once, who opens the door for me every time, who thinks of others so much, who makes me laugh every day, also at least once, of whom I can say he has truly become my best friend with whom I can talk about everything, seriously, everything. We laugh about the same silly things and I love that inside this strong guy is still the little boy with the sparkle in his eyes when he scares me around the corner. Someone who pushes me in a gentle way. I couldn't imagine someone better to share eternity with.
• Then again we haven't known each other for a long time but still we make this huge decision to get sealed for time and all eternity. Sometimes when I think about that I remember how peaceful I've felt with him and how guided I've been to meet him.
• I'm not freaking out - I'm not having cold feet. I am happy and excited, I wish the day was over already so that we can be together - just the two of us, finally - I am nervous and all of this seems so unreal, like I'm in a bubble.
  
• I'm very sad that so many of my dear friends can't make it. I do understand though that Helsinki is not the number one destination of cheap tickets and that life is busy.
  
• On the other hand I am very happy to spend this special day with friends with whom I haven't been friends for a long time who make the effort to come. And also other friends who make the effort in coming over. I really appreciate it!
  
• I constantly wonder where Mikael is taking me on our honeymoon. I am curious but then again I don't want to know. I only know that it's 5 hours flying, that we will spend 2 weeks in warm weather by the beach and that we will have a foreign currency. Anway - I'm excited!! :)
  
• I wonder how life will be when we are married. I look forward to being a wife. I want to be a great wife and a great mother. I want to make him happy. I want to make us happy.
  
• I wonder how next week will be like - I heard horror stories of super stressed out brides who get no sleep, etc. I do hope I get enough sleep next week.
  
• The wedding dress is almost ready and I also wonder how it will look like - I wonder how the finished product will look like and I hope that I will love it and it will be everything I had hoped it would be.
  
• I am happy that i have great friends all over the world who are thinking of me and also having me / us in their prayers.
  
• I do believe that the adversary is trying to break us apart. I know that from my own experience. But those times have only helped us in getting stronger and growing more together.
  
• I am glad to be alone - I notice I need alone time much more these days than usually.
  
• I am sorry that I neglect my friends at the moment but I just need time for myself, for relaxing and for taking care of things.
  
• Sometimes I feel like crying. I don't know if out of joy or just because I might be a bit more stressed out than I think. But I do act calmly. I feel calm. Is that the calmness before the storm? I hope not.
  
• I know that prayers work. I can also feel that now.
  
• I've learned a lot about myself and mikael in the past 5 weeks. It's great.
  
• I want to study or get into interior design and join Mikael in his business with doing my part.
  

This is mostly it. Enough I'd say.

I am going to bed now.

All in all, I am very happy! Should I practise my signature? Dunno.

Olé

So.. Finally I get to post pictures of..

Our trip to Spain, Reus, to visit Mikaels sister Tina and her husband José - a couple of weeks ago..

The weather was really warm and the beach was just 10 minutes away..

The happy couple

It was very warm outside, but inside - brrr.

The next day we were off to Barcelona and I was tired..

First stop was the Sagrada Familia from Gaudi. I've never seen something like it. When you see it you can truly see how much he loved Jesus Christ. These resemble treetops. Every detail has a meaning and resembles either the 12 apostles or other stories from the Bible. It is a huge and massive building. Gaudi died before he was able to finish it. But apparently they are continuing to build it right now.

Afterwards we went to the Park Güell which was also designed by Gaudi. Amazingly beautiful, big and creative.

The above picture was taken right before Mikael proposed again! What a great guy - my designed engagement ring was ready and he took it to Spain with him without me noticing it. Then he went on his knees again :) Oh, I am so lucky!

This is the house where Gaudi lived in.

Other impressions of the Park.

In the afternoon we went into town and found all these creepy street artists! Yikes!

What a day - felt like 2 days packed into one.. And guess what - tired again - or still. But a wonderful day. The beautiful ring. I am so proud to wear it.

Next day we went for a hike up to a monastry. It was about 1 hour uphill. I promised myself not to complain. I didn't. But it was only at the beginning of the hike where I looked so enthusiastic.

Mikael always looked like this. Bless him. Fighter - with a fake granate.

Almost done.

Click on the photo and look at the bridge - that's where we started!

See - 16% uphill at one point.. But it was worth it - amazing!

We made it! But the monastry was closed!

Then we decided to walk down to the bridge - peanuts now! :)

This was the first time that I saw an orange tree!

We had parked the car in a really cute old town - it was really beautiful. I could totally rent an appartment there and just chill for a week.

Next day (yes, we were on tour..) we went to an amusement parc which was super fun. They had all kinds of shows - this is the Polynesian show - I love dance performances like that.

We took that one! Soo cool!

The cowboys.

Dear Reader..

.. thanks for still stopping by although I haven't updated my blog in weeks! But.. a lot has happened and will still happen so please be patient with me.

1. I'm engaged!
I'm pretty sure you already know but I will marry the best guy I've ever met. He is soo good to me and for me and I love him so much. I never thought that I'd find someone who matches so perfectly with me. He makes me laugh and happy oh, and so much more.

2. My last day of Swedish lessons..
.. is today but I'm so exhausted that I'm skipping it. It's a shame but I can't help it.

3. Job hunt
Yeah, now I'm on a job hunt and I am a bit frustrated because I don't speak so well Swedish yet but I really want to work. Me - the workaholic hasn't been working for 6 weeks now!

4. Wedding preparations
Oh, it's great, I love it. But I'll love it more when I can just be alone with Mikael. In our own little new family world. I even have the dress planned out in my mind already! Yesterday my cousin Marit and my future sister-in-law Evelina and me went to look for dress shapes. At first I thought I'd be going with a lace dress but nope, it will be something else. And that will be a surprise.

Another surprise will be our honeymoon. Mikael wants to surprise me which I love. I booked the hotel for the wedding night in Helsinki, that's my surprise for him! :)

But the coolest thing of all is that I have my wedding shoes already! We were walking downtown when I said - hey, let's go check out 'Vagabond' and there I found them.


Flat - perfect for the garden reception/party and to walk in them. I'll also be able to wear them later on.

5. Spain
Now I need to finish packing for Spain. We are flying to Reus, near Barcelona on Friday to spend 6 days with Mikaels other sister (he has 3) Tina and her husband Jose. I can't wait.

6. But..
.. the best part is that I'll get to see Mikael tonight and that for almost 2 weeks.

... happy days will come to you all year...

Yes, it's the time of the year again. BIRTHDAY! Don't you think, the older you get, the less excited you get for your birthday? It's not like I am worried about getting older - not at all. But it's just different.

Anyway, I had a great weekend - as always, when combined with the right people. Meike came over to spend time with us from Zürich. And as I love the beach in Halmstad so much we took a trip there!

And apparently she did as well!

It was very windy..

Saturday night we had a barbecue with me, Meike, Camilla (Mikael and Lina's sister), her husband Jonas and their mom who was visiting from Finland. It was so much fun. I really love his family - they are so normal and I feel so myself around them.

Mikael always says I have strong arms. Does he know about 'Relief Society Arms'? hehe. Check out his face and my relaxed expression.

Mikael is really the best there is! He gave me a voucher for a massage in a wellness-center as I've never had a 'real one'. And these beautiful flowers! Love.

I feel like I've had so many birthdays in the past months.