December 2016 in Iceland - One to Remember Forever

The month of December was TOTALLY FULL of new experiences, tastes, views, and an introduction to several Icelandic customs and traditions. It would not be possible to choose just one treasured memory, for everything has a special place in our hearts, forever.

First on my list was to find a nativity for our apartment, since the birth of the baby Christ child is the reason for the season. I found a beautiful, 3-D, with lights. PERFECT!

Even though we were far away from home, the two Christmas movie classic's White Christmas and It's a wonderful Life, found their way on our big screen 'wall' in our apartment (thank  you modern technology of a laptop, projector, and screen). 

Here's my little cousin, Jósúa. It's been so wonderful meeting family, even though distance, the bond of love and connection is near and dear to our hearts.

          
Okay, as promised from my last post, here is the scoop on the 13 Christmas Elves. They are EVERYWHERE, watching and deciding if they should bring a gift or create a little turmoil (you can see in the four pictures above, they are on the milk cartons). In a nutshell, they start arriving 13 days before Christmas. Every night, for 13 nights, all little children put one of their shoes in their own bedroom window. One by one, one of the elves sneaks down from the mountain and puts a gift in the shoe, IF the child has been good. They each hang around and create chaos and fun. For more on these mischievous little guys, you can click on this link. http://www.iceland.is/the-big-picture/news/celebrating-christmas-with-13-trolls/7916/




After my (Lil's) mother passed on in 2006, my favorite and only amazing sister, Vina, and I decided to teach our daughters and our brother's daughters, how to make our mother's favorite Christmas candies. It's been a fun tradition every year, which now includes our granddaughters. Since I was away from home, I decided to teach the candy making skills to our favorite Icelandic daughters, Hanna, Kiddy, and Silja. We had a wonderful evening, and they are all naturals at cooking and having fun.

 First the ingredients. 

 Then the fun, especially converting the recipe in to grams vs pounds, etc.

 Of course Terry is always there to make certain every is having a good time.

 Four of the 'grandkids' came to help, eat pizza, and watch Christmas movies.

 Of course when Audunn, our Icelandic son heard there was a party at the Shepherds, he came and joined in on the fun.

After five hours of fun, it was time to pack the yummy goodies and sleepy kids, and head for home. As the saying goes, 'a good time was had by all'.

This is 100% true. On December 1, I noticed every store had a shelf or table with books on it. At first I thought it must be a book fair or something similar. Then store after store, and day after day, there were MORE BOOKS being displayed. I finally asked and was told, "They are for Christmas Presents'! WOW, totally awesome. 

 And more books..

And MORE books, in the bread isle :) 

And even a Christmas tree created out of books! Yes, Icelanders love to read. When my ancestors immigrated to Spanish Fork, Utah, with more than 300 other Icelanders, one of the first things they did was create a library. 

You see these baskets of Christmas tree branches or boughs everywhere you go to shop. It's a tradition for people to make their own wreath.

The Christmas card tradition is something new I learned as well. So this is a Christmas card we received from Benedikt, our supervisor at the Archives. He share with us that the giver ALWAYS writes Jól on the envelope, in the lower left corner. Then when the receiver gets the card, either by post, in person, etc., and they see the special Jól written, that means DO NOT OPEN UNTIL DECEMBER 25. On Christmas Days, all cards are opened, read, shared, enjoyed, and treasured.

One of our traditions at home is having homemade Egg Nog, starting at Thanksgiving and always having it until the New Year arrives. Our family, extended family, and friends, LOVE Lil's Egg Nog. Our daughter, Katie, and her family have been living in our home while we've been here in Iceland. She decided to carry on the tradition, of always finding Egg Nog at the Shepherd home. The picture above are the first two gallons she made. 

 








Our granddaughter, Allie, decided to get in on the action and made her own gallon. I was trilled when I found out the two young Elders were were having at our home for Christmas Dinner LOVED Egg Nog too, so YEA....we made up a batch of our holiday cheer. It's been fun sharing it with others here in Iceland. It's something they do not have here, and the comment was always the same. "I've heard of egg nog, but I've never actually seen it or tasted it."  SWEET! Iceland has been Egg Nogged :) 

There are many people here in Iceland of German descent. My wonderful friend, Björg, shared with Terry and I one of her mother's German traditions. So this is it: You put four candles together, preferably on a wreath, but a beautiful dish will do :) On the FIRST SUNDAY in December, and throughout that week, only ONE candle is lit. The next Sunday, candle number two is lit. Week three, the third candle is lit, and by week four, all candles are burning brightly together. This tradition is to remind you and all those living or visiting your home to keep Christ and the true meaning of Christmas present.

If you want to know what trouble looks like in Iceland, this is it. Terry and his buddy at the Archives, Gunnar. Actually, Terry loves it when Gunnar stops by our office for a visit. They love to chat and enjoy each other's company very much.

Terry and I were invited to the Archives Christmas Party. It was at a swanky hotel with LOADS of traditional Icelandic food. My two buddies from the office, Helga Margaret and Andrea, were so patient with me and explained what everything was. The meal started with Goose Soup. GULP! No kidding, it was DELICIOUS!

 My Office Buddies

Helga knew I loved the 'now shut up' sweet treat, so she wrapped one up for me to take home and enjoy later. It is basically like a BIG meringue drop. The reason they gave it the nickname of "Now Shut Up" is because once you put it in our mouth, you can't talk for a minute or two . . . so if you don't want someone to talk, you just give them a piece of this lovely candy.

 More Archive Friends

 Double Trouble at the Party

 Yum, makes my mouth water just looking at the picture.

 Appetizers to die for . . .So Delicious!

 Rakel Gudmundsdottir and her darling daughters stopped by our Reykjavik Branch's Christmas Party. Her parents, Gummi and Vala, have been friends of our family for 20 years. When our son Tyler served his mission here both Gummi and Vala loved and cared and served Tyler. We so love and appreciate them, and it's wonderful to get to know their children. 

In the middle of all the Christmas here in Iceland, we received this special Merry Christmas from Enzo, our beautiful little 'grandson' from Brazil. His father, Abilio, was an exchange student in our home 20 years ago. We're grateful Enzo's precious mother and father, are teaching him that Christmas is all about the little baby Jesus, his birth, and purpose of Christmas.

 Even cows had Icelandic sweaters in Iceland.

Now don't show your children this, or they may be a little sad, I was. You can actually get a reindeer burger here in Iceland. It's named after the famous Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer. Oh My!!!



The next several pictures are just random shots of decorations and festive fun.

 Kringlan Shopping Center

 We got to have lunch with these two Elders

 Beautiful wreaths everywhere

 Christmas Trees in abundance

 Stockings are hanging, but not as a tradition, just decor.

 Beautiful Christmas lights EVERYWHERE!

 Every apartment building and home is lit and beautiful

Our Last Zone Conference

Really, where has the time gone? It's been wonderful meeting with this group of people every six weeks. The young Elders always impress us with their love and desire to share the message of Jesus Christ. They sacrifice so much to leave their family, friends, car, education, sometimes a girlfriend, television, radio, magazine, newspapers, etc. Anything that is 'home' to them is put aside as they share with their heart the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Then on the flip side, the couples who leave their home, children, grandchildren, sometimes aging parents, to love and teach and support, the things they know to be true. It's been wonderful loving, and serving, and having fun with like-minded and like-hearted people. 

 Darn, I left my apron home...

Can we eat now, please? Ha, Elder Shepherd always says "Sisters First". YaHoo!

 Lots of sweets and a healthy tangerines too :) 

 Melt my heart . . . A picture is worth a thousand words!

Army of God!

 This Zone Conference was extra special for two reasons: 1) The Elders were given their Christmas packages from home, and 2) We all watched a Disney movie together. Zootopia was totally entertaining, and plenty of treats were had by all.

 Passing of the Gifts

 So much excitment

 The suspense was real

 As a side note, the Elders take their gifts home and open them the 24th

 Someone, Elder Johansen, is having a great day

 One by one, each package is delivered

 Elder Clegg is happy with his package, thumbs up.

 Let's get this movie going . . . 

President and Sister O'Bryant are the Leaders of the Pack!

They live in Denmark and travel to Iceland every six weeks; they do an amazing job of loving, serving, and caring for almost 200 young missionaries. All live in Denmark (Elder and Sisters) with the exception of our eight Elders who live and serve here in Iceland.

 Just one last shot of 'the gang. Absolutely priceless. 

  

This is Guðlaug, an awesome sister in the Reykjavik Branch. She brought her special 'snowman' to Church to show me.The first picture is of her, holding the Snowman. The second picture is the back of the Snowman. It says Öld. Shepherd or in other words, Öldungur Shepherd. Our son Tyler, who served here in Iceland 20 years ago, gave Guðlaug this cute little snowman.

On the west side of Iceland, there is a beautiful peninsula called Snæfellsness. We had the opportunity on Monday, December 19, of going there on a tour bus, with six of the young missionaries. We left at 8 a.m. and arrived back home in Reykjavik at 8 p.m.  It was a fun day, even though there was only a few hours of daylight. The bus driver and tour guide, Stefan, was great. It was REALLY windy and cold outside, but the bus was warm and cozy. Below is a picture of the peninsula, and under that are a few pictures we captured of our fun-filled day.

 At the town called Hellnar is where we stopped for lunch

 Young people don't mind the cold :) 

 Take a look at those HUGE waves - WOW!

So pretty!

 Brrrrrrrrrr

 Terry was a sport and walked up the hill to get a great picture of this guy, Bardur Snaefellsas. Legend has it that he was half human and half ogre. His mother was human, but his father was half giant and half troll. Wowser!

 And even a closer picture . .  

 The final picture with Elder Rodriguez and Bardur. 

We stopped here for lunch, and it was DELICIOUS lamb soup and homemade bread. I loved the sign regarding their wi-fi. It's nice to remember we have each other.

 These two greeted us as we entered the restuarant

 This was our view out the window. LOVE IT! An old church, a little fishing village, and the beautiful sea.

 Oh.My.Goodness . . . they ate every.single.bite!

 And so did they....

 Beautiful rock formations everywhere...or trolls...

 Hmmm, these are the faces I got when I said 'SMILE'!

 Totally LOVE looking at the fjords

 Pure beauty

Last stop - Kirkjufellsfoss. So pretty, and it was VERY freezing and WINDY! I thought we just might loose a missionary or two. Behind this view is a glacier, that sits on top of an ancient volcano. AMAZING! If you do a search for this area, you will find this is the setting where the beloved Journey to the Center of the Earth was destined.

Thank you Gummi and Vala for sharing your goodness with us, it was a wonderful day. If you're reading this blog and looking for a great tour company in Iceland, here's where you should click: http://www.gtice.is/

Wednesday, December 21, 2016, was the SHORTEST day of the year.

Sunrise 11:22 am ... Sunset 3:29 pm

AWESOME!

We did it . . . I was nervous, but no big deal. Iceland winters ROCK!

So the saying is this . . if you don't like the weather in Iceland, no worries, just wait 15 minutes and it will change. Ha, this is exactly what happened last week when we were having lunch with some Archive friends. The picture on the left, blue skies and beautiful. Less than 15 minutes later, wind, snow, and soon a blizzard. No worries, 15 minutes later the sun was peeking through the clouds again.

 

 I received the best gift EVER for Christmas. My very own account to the Íslendingabók or the Book of Icelanders. It has a collection of names and information dating back 1200 years. You have to be an Icelandic citizen or be registered as a legal resident, which means you receive a Kennitala from the Icelandic government. As missionaries we received this identification. Therefore, YaHooo, thanks to my dear and wonderful friends at the Archives and their connections with the Íslendingabók staff, I am now the proud owner of my own account. 

The top picture is my connection with Snorri Sturluson, a famous historian, poet, and politician. You can click on this link to learn more about him.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snorri_Sturluson

The information above dates my connection to Jón Arason was an Icelandic Roman Catholic bishop and poet, who was executed in his struggle against the imposition of the Protestant Reformation in Iceland.

It is said there is a purpose for everything, there are no accidents. So, now that I have the TOTAL connection to ALL of my Icelandic heritage . . . there is an amazing journey ahead of me . . . is what I´m thinking. 

Þorláksmessa, celebrated on 23 December, is a smelly tradition of chowing down on some fermented skate, known as kæst skata in Icelandic.

While enthusiasts for the dish rejoice, others are filled with feelings of dread - there is no escaping the ammonia fumes on Þorláksmessa as the strong-smelling dish is served in many restaurants and homes.

Terry and I were invited to our dear friend Gugga and her husband Kristjan's home to celebrate with their family and partake of the smelly fish. 

The table setting was adorable, so would that make up the difference from the strong odor we could smell coming from the kitchen?

 There it is, the dish of Skata or stinky or fermented fish. We both started with a little taste, and guess what? We both really liked it. Strange and crazy, but we did.

 There was also picked herring, which Terry LOVED....I didn't try it...I've had it before, not my favorite....a great night was had by all.

December 24 was the day Francisca chose to be baptized and become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Elder Austin Ludwig from Texas baptized her and Elder Quinn Stewart from Canada confirmed her the next day in Church. The spirit of our Father in Heaven was abundant.

The Elders put their great singing voices to work and created a 'Live Christmas Card'. Their Christmas caroling could be heard all around Reykjavik. They even were featured in the newspaper on December 23, both in print and online.

 So Christmas is about being with family and your closest friends, right? So what were we doing what seemed to be like a million miles or more away from those we love most? Even though our hearts longed for 'home' we found a new home this year, in Iceland. An exchange student who lived with us almost 20 years ago, invited us to her home for the big celebration. Thank you Hanna Karitas and your adorable hubby, Andre, for inviting us in to your beautiful home. The sprit was lovely, the food delicious, and the entertainment hilarious (note: adorable youngest daughter . . .sorry, can't remember how to spell...)

In Iceland at 6:00 p.m., SHARP, church bells can be heard out your windows, on the television, and the radio. At this moment, everyone stops, listens for one minute, then hugs and tells everyone Merry Christmas.

Then, everyone sits down to a formal dinner, in your Sunday best, to feast and celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

It is then tradition for the children to do the dishes and clean the kitchen, because when that's done, all of the presents are opened. It's one day a year when the dishes are done quickly with no fighting or arguing. 

Gifts from family members and friends are distributed before this special time, if possible, and one by one, every gift is opened. What a great tradition. The remainder of the evening is spent enjoying each other's company and playing with the children and their Christmas gifts.

 There was an abundance of gifts under the tree. 

 Hanna's Christmas village is adorable

 The table setting before the food . . .

 Waiting for the clock to strike 6 p.m.....finding so many adorable things to take a picture of.

 Let Christmas and the feast begin.

 TAKK FYRIR - Thank you very much Andre and Hanna for inviting us to your home for this very special Christmas celebration. May you and your family always be blessed from our Father in Heaven above.

 This would be our hilarious entertainment. She thought maybe she looked like a horse . . . nope, she's too pretty. She's a beautiful young lady that's going places in this world. 

 Andre modeling his new fancy tie . . . he loved it!

 So we were all sitting around the table, eating, laughing, and enjoying the moment when all of a sudden, Terry said very calmly..."Ah....you got a fire going on over there"!  Oh No! See the pretty red flowers on the left, that is what the pretty flowers use to look like on the left. Oh.My.Goodness....We were happy the flame didn't catch the curtains. 

After a few hours of food and fun, we went to the homes of Hanna's sisters, Kiddy and Silja. It was fun seeing them and their families in the middle of their Christmas celebration. 

 This is Bardur, the three sisters father. After much urging from the grandchildren, he got brave and decided to take a chance at having a pie in the face.

 Yup, he got it alright....what a great sport.

 We received a lot of pictures from home regarding their Christmas celebration. For whatever reason, this is the picture that captured my heart the most. Our son-in-law John Hughes (Ashlie's husband) with their granddaughter, Ember Grace Quist. Yes, our GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER. Maybe it's the generation connection that tugged at my heart strings. Maybe the look on John's face, which says it all "THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN FAMILY."

Did you know there is a Second Day of Christmas? Well there is in Iceland and that calls for another traditional dinner. These two Christmas Angels came and cooked us the best meal. They brought everything from their apartment, to ours, and kicked me out of the kitchen. IT WAS AWESOME! Thank you Thor and Frida for teaching us this tradition and for sharing your hearts of goodness with us. 

Whew, we made it to the end . . . what a month. We closed our Christmas celebration today by hanging out with our buddy Arnar at the Kringlan Shopping Mall. We did a little shopping and had some lunch, before he had to leave for work. 

We pray your Christmas season was full of peace, love, laughter, and goodness. 

Tomorrow we pick up our friends from the U.S. of A. who are coming to spend a spectacular New Years Eve with us.

Sending each of you love and blessings from beautiful Iceland.

Terry and Lil aka Elder and Sister Shepherd for just 21 more days