Soon to be HOME SWEET HOME!

Our flight back to Kuwait leaves tonight and we should be cozy (and perhaps really tired) in our little apartment early tomorrow morning.  Funny enough, I think we are all eager to get back.  It's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder and I think we've all come to appreciate our country of residence a bit more over the course of this vacation.  Here's why:

1)  Kuwait is SUNNY.  Mostly ALWAYS.  It's not necessarily WARM at this time of the year, but you can count on the sun to be in your corner ;)

2)  The service in Kuwait is UNBEATABLE.  I challenge you to go to a restaurant and have a bad outing.  It would be IMPOSSIBLE.  You can expect a ba-zillion people to inquire about your dining experience - including the manager or owner! 

3)  You're going to laugh at my next point, but it's the truth.  Kuwait just feels SAFER.  I don't walk around with paranoia about getting robbed, attacked, etc.  (For the record, you can leave Copenhagen out of this!  It felt safe, too!)

4)  When there's not much to do, you can always count on THE AVENUES!  The mall is always open and ready for business (really special holidays included)!  And it's one HECK of a mall, too!  The best one I've ever been to, in fact :)

5)  Starbucks is everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.  And Tim Horton's might be one day too..... 

Of course, we also can't wait to return to our Kuwait family and exchange stories from our holidays.  Nory has new toys waiting to be played with and I have a cake pop maker and a crock pot to try out as well!  Basketball season is officially here and Nory's first birthday is quickly approaching!  There is much to look forward to once we get HOME.

In moments like this one, I realize that staying in Kuwait in our near future is the absolute best decision for our family.  Kuwait has been so good to us.  We've saved up for and purchased a house!  We've had a baby!  We've traveled!  We've met lifelong friends!  And if we could somehow tow the continent of North America this way, things would REALLY be swell ;)

Farewell dear SCANDINAVIA!  We liked you too.  But there just really is NO PLACE LIKE HOME!   

When in Sweden....

"Parkinson Rules" are still in effect.  In other words, if it's rainy and cold and you find some of the best movies of EVER on your hotel television, bid a confident farewell to any tourism activities and WATCH AS YOU PLEASE!  (Once stocked up on snacks and beverages, that is).

The Princess Diaries - never gets old!

High School Musical 3 - incredible performances that ALSO never get old!

Okay - so it wasn't ALL critically acclaimed films.  We also took in some Swedish hockey and American Ninja Warrior.  Alas, you get the picture:  THE HOLIDAYS RULE!  

NYE 2013

We spent it in one of the best ways I can think of:  together AND cheering on Team Canada as they played Team USA!  Canadians were MORE PRESENT THAN EVER at this game and it felt as though everyone we met was somehow related under this random roof in Malmo, Sweden.  AWESOME is a serious understatement. 

Emily brought with her tattoos to last for DAYS!!!

In the previous two games, the noise hasn't been much of an issue in terms of Nory.  She has enjoyed all of the music and game sounds without so much as a flinch.  You could spot her moving and grooving and smiling and clapping and LOVING IT.  But, for this game in particular - versus our all-time rivals, on New Year's Eve - the crowd was on the wilder side of the spectrum and so we did our best to keep a hat on her head to muffle the sound.  We had little success with this (ha!) and instead, opted to leave the arena on the three occasions where Canada scored (as you can imagine, the fans went CRAZY!).  Turns out the two other babies in our section were caught in a similar situation and a mini baby convention was formed following each goal.  It was really neat to see a two month old, a nine month old and a ten month old all together - decked out in national gear, wide-eyed and taking in all the action.  I wish I had a picture to show you! 

Chilling by the exit with her Dad.  These two did some hanging out up here where it was a TINY BIT quieter :)

Way to go TEAM CANADA!!!!!!!!

We were lucky to catch another OUTSTANDING game!  Canada won 3-2 and we were on the edge of our seats for most of the time.  What more can you ask for?  The boys finished first in their group and will begin the medal round tomorrow.  We won't be here to see it but are hopeful for some live streaming once we're back in Kuwait!

The plan when we got home from the game was to have a good sleep and wake up refreshed to the Year 2014.  Turns out the Swedes take their fireworks SERIOUSLY and we heard explosions from BEFORE THE GAME until at least one in the morning (ah-hem, this is NOT conducive to sleeping).  Following this, the fireworks were less frequent but still happening until five or six this morning.  I couldn't believe it.  In fact, I don't even believe that Dubai was the city featured on CNN today.  I swear there's NO WAY they could have surpassed the firework show put on here in Malmo!  It lasted for HOURS!!!!!

Thank you Auntie Em for the special onesie!

Needless to say, we woke up exhausted this morning and feeling like we should have just partied to begin with!  Haha.  Thank goodness we had an agenda with NOTHING ON IT and we spent the day drinking tea, eating gingerbread cookies, watching tv, and doing nails.  It was lazy and PERFECT.

We hope all of you welcomed the New Year with the ones that you love!  Wishing you a joyful 2014 filled with much love and laughter!

Love,
The Parkinson's
XOXO

A Bonus Game: CANADA vs. SLOVAKIA!

After watching Canada play the Czech Republic, we decided that we couldn't wait until the 31st to see the team play again.  So - yesterday morning - we went online and purchased FRONT ROW SEATS to the Slovakia game!  It was AWESOME!  And the trip-mates decided that my fox sign was actually a little bit funny....

So we went with it!  Are you laughing?  Because I still can't stop ;)

Before the game.  This time we put our tattoos on opposite sides for this very photo opp!

Being in the front row sure does have its perks (with the only disadvantage being a lack of visibility in the far corner).  The TSN guy was sitting only a few meters away and he remembered talking with us briefly at the previous game.  He told us that he is always away from his family on Christmas (filming at the WJHC) and that he knows how much it would mean to our family members back home to see us on TV.  Then he said that when Canada scored a goal, he would put the "fan reaction camera" on us and make that idea happen.  And guess what?!  Canada DID SCORE and that DID HAPPEN!!!!!!  TWO TIMES!

Just one of the shots that was captured by family members back home.  THANK YOU FAMILY!!!!

Home from a CANADA WIN!  Still AWE-STRUCK over the fact that we were LEGITIMATELY on TSN!!!

You can watch us celebrate HERE and HERE!!!!  (Thanks Mom!)

Now for the CANADA vs. USA game.  GO CANADA GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sometimes after seeing ONE COOL THING, you're OKAY with being LAZY!

Here's our one cool thing: 

Ice sculptures / GIRL POWER!

Here's what our "BEING LAZY" looked like:

Playing cups, building towers, drinking tea, games of tag, games of peek-a-boo, tearing up magazine covers, watching Doc McStuffins on the iPad, chewing on cold things, unfolding piles of laundry, naps.........

Throw in a quick lunch out, and that's our day in a nutshell!  Did I tell you that Nory slept in until 8 a.m. this morning?!  Because she did.  It's true that even the littlest fans realize the effort required in cheering on their team ;)

These pictures make "Nory's 1st Hockey Game" seem like WAY MORE OF A DEAL than "Baby's 1st Christmas".....

Consider it further proof that she's a LEGIT CANADIAN despite being a resident of the Middle East ;)  Haha.

Last night we went to see Canada play the Czech Republic at the Malmo Isstadion.  It was a great first game for the wee one (besides the fact that Team Canada lost), but the energy in the crowd was UNREAL.  The arena was bumpin' with CAN Fans and that instant sense of camaraderie that exists between our citizens abroad was in FULL FORCE.  Thank goodness they didn't play the national anthem because I'm sure I would have broke down INCONSOLABLY right THEN and THERE! 

Also.

I have never ever in my life wished SO MUCH SO for my Dad to be somewhere with me.  Well......maybe the day that I named his granddaughter after him.  But second to that moment would have to be THIS GAME!  He would have LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT.  So a BIG SHOUT-OUT to you, Dad.  I missed ya ;) xo

Here are some pictures.....

Waiting for the taxi to arrive with her God Mama.  I love this picture of these two!

Remember the time that I purchased and imported "infant ear protection" and my daughter only wore them for about two entire minutes?  That time, WAS THIS TIME.  HA!

The ladies of the Cope/Malmo trip worked on this sign throughout the afternoon of Game Day.  The TSN guy caught us during the warm-up and Phil's Grandma says that she saw us on tv!!!! 

Crazy Canucks were EVERYWHERE!  This guy lent us a flag for Nory to have during the game :)  He thought it was a great idea to introduce her to the best game of life ASAP.

The IIHF mascot - or shall we call him another "Nory" fan that came to play with her some more during the second period?

The game was INTENSE, I tell ya!  So intense, that Nory had to bite into our cardboard sign to relieve the tension ;)

Turns out if you have the youngest fan in attendance, you get special treatment.  We're talking expedited beer lines and private play areas at intermission.

We must have been down a goal here.....

A great shot captured by Gem with her SUPER PRO CAMERA!  This was after a Canada goal, OBVS ;)

Let's hope the boys can pull out a W at the next game!  We have tickets for NYE, but JUST MIGHT end up at the Slovakia game tomorrow night......

GOODBYE COPE!!!!!!!!!

After spending a week at our cozy little hotel in Copenhagen, it was tough to say farewell.  The hotel staff were clearly smitten by Nory's daily appearances and Nory was equally as happy to see them every morning and afternoon.  She became especially bonded to Marina The Breakfast Gal and we picked up a wee teddy bear for Marina as a token of our appreciation.  Marina took Nory from us each breakfast so that we could have a slow and easy start to the morning (TALK ABOUT AMAZING!).  While we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast, Nory was busy "working" the kitchen and bringing out smiles in other hotel guests.  It was the sweetest thing. 

Nory and Marina.  This was departure day.  Nory definitely knew something was up....

Once we checked out of the hotel, we were en route to Malmo, Sweden.  We had the full intention of doing this by train, but once we reassessed the luggage/10 month old situation, we opted for a taxi from one hotel to the next.  I am so glad we did, too.  Within 30 minutes, we were at the new hotel (an old chocolate factory, I must add!) and ready to embrace the CANADA SPIRIT that has flooded the streets here. We went for a walk after check-in and were pleased to see tournament signage everywhere, as well as hockey fans of all sorts.  We saw lots of Canada fans and some Leafs fans too (which are basically the same thing, right?).  Ah - you could just FEEL the hockey excitement!

Walking down a main pedestrian avenue.  Christmas lights are still up, as well as mini-markets and activities!

The sun sets here at the same time it did in Denmark (3:30ish) which has been making us feel tired earlier than usual (and we are early-to-bed people under normal circumstances!).  So - after our late lunch, we returned to the hotel to relax and enjoy the play space that this apartment-style accommodation provides.  For some reason, none of the hockey games were being televised and we had to watch How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days instead.  Shoot!  (Notice I am trying to make up for the lack of tournament coverage by sarcastically using hockey-related terms...)

We love this place!  There may not be a Marina, but there is so much space for Nory to crawl around!!!  Also, we have a kitchenette!  And heated bathroom floors!  And heated towel rods!

Now is also a good time to point out how much I love the two people in the final picture.  I love them SO, SO very much.  And the two of them together - just KILLS me :)

We hope you are enjoying these last few days of 2013!  A new year is just around the corner! xo