2007 Christmas Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

Welcome to my annual Christmas (now New Year's) letter.

In January, I moved into my new apartment. At first it was quite empty while I was waiting for my shipment from Canada, which took over 11 weeks. I also became a two bike household after I purchased a second bike for riding around the city. The dedicated bike path infrastructure here is excellent and you can easily manage without a car.

In February, I found a Canadian expat group which has a social activity approximately once a month, such as the Christmas dinner party where they served Nanaimo bars as dessert.

UNICEF also has many parties and functions. . In keeping with the international culture of the office, my centre organized an Egyptian themed costume party, and then in March; there was a Latin Salsa party and an Indian Diwali celebration.

In Europe, Easter is a major holiday and we had five days off. So in April I took this opportunity to visit one of my previous cities of residence, Prague. It was my first time back there and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it had not changed as much as I thought it might, especially once you got away from the main tourist areas.

In May, the days got longer and the temperature got warmer in Copenhagen. I welcomed my first visitor when my mom, Virginia came for a visit. By the end of the week, she was like a local, even taking the train to the airport on her own.

At the end of June, I retuned home to Canada and had the pleasure of meeting my six month old nephew Henry for the first time. I stayed with my sister and brother in law in their new house in Vancouver, and then we all spent more time together with my parents in Winnipeg.

At the end of July, I enjoyed spending time with my cousin Paul and his family when they came to visit. For anyone interested in a trip to Copenhagen, I offer a convenient location close to major sights as well as a selection of complimentary fine wines.

In August, I enjoyed an excellent vacation through the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. All three countries were very diverse, interesting, well worth visiting yet still relatively untouched by mainstream tourism.

Both my parents came to visit me in September. First they went on a tour of Russia, and then I met them in Stockholm from which we drove north to visit our relatives from my Grandpa Johnson's side. Even though we had not met before, they welcomed us and took us around to see the homes where my great grand parents Olivia and Gustav had lived, and the church where they were married. It was a great experience for all. After returning from Sweden, we set off on a four day 250 km cycling trip around Denmark, staying in hostels, carrying all our gear with us, and navigating our way through the bike routes.

I started Danish classes after work in October. Although I can recognize quite a few written words, the pronunciation is very difficult and it is easy to avoid practicing because the Danes speak English so well.

In November, I had the opportunity to take a business trip with UNICEF to meet with my colleagues in the New York headquarters. I also took a few extra vacation days for shopping and sightseeing and saw the lighting of the Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree, Fantasia in The Color Purple on Broadway, and was even on TV myself for a few seconds while watching The Today Show.

A few weeks later I was back in North America again in December. Although short, it was great that I could spend a white Christmas at home in Winnipeg with my family.

Take Care and Godt Nytar.

Colleen

2008 Christmas Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

Welcome to my New Year Letter.

In January, I returned back to Denmark to a busy month at work completing the year end closure. January is actually a good month to have to work long hours in Denmark because it is mostly dark anyways.

In February, I took a week’s vacation in Jordan to celebrate my birthday. It was quite a packed week, floating in the Dead Sea, snorkeling in the Red Sea, walking and jeeping in the desert, and of course the ancient city Petra. I spent two full days at Petra, the first, visiting the main areas, and the second hiking above Petra (which few tourists do), looking down at the sites below, which was not only the highlight of the trip, but also happened to be my actual birthday.

In March, I continued yoga and Danish lessons, neither of which I am particularly good at. I am getting better at reading Danish (I can watch American sitcoms with mute and understand the Danish subtitles), but I still find the pronunciation very difficult.

In April, I had special visitors. Michelle, Mark and Henry spent a week with me here. We did quite a few day trips from my apartment, and they also came to visit me at work. Henry’s vocabulary had expanded a lot since Christmas, and I enjoyed being able to interact with him.

May was probably the best month weather wise in Denmark, and was a good time to go on some more longer cycling trips. I went on a three day trip cycling and camping around a little Island called Bornholm.

In June, my parents returned for another visit. First they went on a tour of Ireland, and then came back to Copenhagen and all three of us went to Iceland for five days. It was very interesting, with a lot of unique geothermal activity and Viking history. We swam in the blue lagoon, rented a car to see geysers and waterfalls and did some hiking. We did quite a lot in a short time, and were lucky to be there during the longest days of the year, when it was pretty much daylight for 24 hours.

In July, I did quite a bit of flying. First I went to New York for work for a week, and then returned and less than a week later was backing home to Winnipeg for two weeks. I was able to see many people and spend some time with my family, and even get out to Delta.

In August, I joined a mountain biking club in Denmark. For those familiar with Denmark, that may sounds funny, as it is quite flat here, but there are some parks with nice trails and having the mountain bike makes it a little easier on the non paved trails, especially if it is wet (i.e. which is most of the time)

In September. I decided to extend my stay at UNICEF in Copenhagen for at least one more year, to work primarily on a special project to implement IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards). I think this will be quite interesting and hope to have some travel opportunities result from it.

In October, I had another week’s vacation, this time a cycling trip through Tuscany, Italy. Cycling is a really good way to see this region, as there are many small villages and towns worth going through in addition, to the major centres . However, unlike Winnipeg and Copenhagen it is quite hilly and there were some long uphill climbs, but that also meant some nice long sweeping downhill stints where you could sit back and glide and just enjoy the scenery. Another bonus is that after a good day’s cycling, one could enjoy the fine dining and wines the region has to offer, guilt free.

In November, I had to move apartments because my lease was finished. It was quite a lot of effort , but now I am settling in. I do not have the view of the old apartment, but the new one is even closer to work and very nice inside.

In December, I returned to Winnipeg for Christmas. Michelle Mark and Henry were there at the same time which was great, and all of us stayed at my parent’s house, and had the traditional fondue, thankfully with no incidents. We spent Christmas Eve with the extended Johnson family and all five Johnson cousins were together for the first time since 2005.

I hope you all had good holidays with your friends and family and wish year all the best in the New Year

Love Colleen

2009 Christmas Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas and Welcome to my 2009 Christmas letter.

As usual, January started off as a busy time at work, completing the year end closure, in my primary job as Accounting Manager at UNICEF Supply Division in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as starting my secondary job as IPSAS Project Manager (International Public Sector Accounting Standards).

February brought more time for fun with two Scandinavian ski trips. First, a weekend skiing in Sweden, then two weeks later I took the ferry to Oslo where I opted for a snowboarding lesson, which I actually really enjoyed, and more importantly didn’t get hurt.

In March, I went on a very adventurous holiday to India which I loved. Among many other things, I saw the Taj Mahal, camped on a sand bar island in the Ganges River, saw many interesting spiritual sites, slept on overnight trains, and ate some excellent vegetarian food. Anyone interested in hearing more about my travels in India can read my travel blog at http://colleen-colleenstravelblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/colleens-trip-to-india-march-2009-week.html

In April, my role as IPSAS Project Manager, become my primary role. The UN is adopting International Public Sector Accounting Standards and I am the leader of the group responsible for inventory and logistics changes, both for the Copenhagen and the field office inventory. It is a nice change and I am finding it very interesting.

In May, I had the opportunity to go to Amman, Jordan to participate in an inventory systems and management workshop with colleagues from the Middle East Region. I really enjoyed the experience of working and learning with the field office colleagues. Back in Denmark, I participated in a regular Sunday am cycling ride and other activities with a cycling/ outdoor adventure club I joined last fall. I have really enjoyed the activities and new people I have met in the group.

In June, my parents made their third visit to Copenhagen. As in their past trips, they spent some time in Copenhagen, did a Scandinavian trip with me, then another European vacation on their own. This time we did the summer version of the Oslo cruise, where the long summer daylight hours gave us an excellent opportunity to view the fjords and sights of Oslo. After leaving Copenhagen, they went on a tour and cruise and Greece and Turkey, where they encountered Oprah.

July was excellent summer weather in Denmark, and I had a very active month enjoying the outdoors. First I went on a fantastic bike trip to Sjælland’s Odde in the north of Denmark, which was extremely well organized by my partner Scott. In addition to the 90 km a day of cycling, we had two ferry rides, swimming in the Roskilde Fjord and dinner by the sea. Then two weeks later I went on a rock climbing weekend trip in Sweden. It was my first time doing this activity, but the trip was meant for beginners and I really enjoyed the climbing and hope to try it again in the future.

In August, I made a trip back home to Canada. My sister and her family were there at the same time, and I had a nice time seeing family and friends, playing duets on the piano with Henry, touring the new downtown Hydro building, visiting my Grandma in Pipestone and going to the family cottage at Delta.

September brought some extremely exciting news. I am expecting a baby next April! Both Scott and I looking forward to this and both mother and baby are healthy on all parameters.

During October, I continued with my regular activities and routines, although with some modifications: aquasizes instead of body pump, prenatal yoga instead of regular, and flat paved bike paths instead of mountain bike trails.

In November, I had the opportunity to do a lot of visiting with family. First, my parents joined me on my work trip to New York City, where they did a lot of sightseeing and we saw a couple of Broadway shows. Then I went to Vancouver to spend time with Michelle, Mark and Henry. Scott also joined me later and we had a nice weekend in Vancouver, and then drove south to Washington State to spend time with his family. It was a really positive trip for both of us.

December brought lots of snow to Denmark which will mean a white Christmas, and, as a Winnipegger, I look forward to that. I also became an aunt again – twice - when my sister welcomed twins (a boy and a girl) on December 22^nd.

I’d like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Colleen

2010 Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and welcome to my 2010 Christmas letter.

In January, Scott and I started off the New Year at our home in Vedbaek, Denmark, enjoying the snow and fire works.

In February, I continued to keep as active as can reasonably be expected of a very large pregnant woman by participating in weekly aquacize and yoga classes as well as daily walks through the snow to and from the bus stop.

March was my last month of work at UNICEF. I finished up the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) project I was working on and even did a shift on the assembly line, packing midwife kits for Haiti.

On April 17^th, we welcomed the arrival of Olivia Hope Johnson Simmons. She was over 9.5 lbs and had lots of hair (and still does). She is a very cute and happy little girl.

In May, Grandma Johnson came over to Denmark to help out with Olivia, which was greatly appreciated by all. Spring had arrived in Denmark so we could take Olivia on lots of neighborhood walks in her pram.

In June, Grandpa Johnson also arrived and helped out a lot with lawn mowing and other yard work. The grandparents also had time to go on a vacation themselves to Egypt.

In July, we enjoyed the Danish summer. Scott joined a Danish fastpitch softball team and we both played ultimate frisbee. Our little family was even profiled in the local newspaper in a series about foreigners living in Denmark.

August brought more family visitors. Scott’s daughter came over to visit us in Denmark and we all went to Paris. This was Olivia’s first trip and she loved it and even wrote her own blog about the experience.

In September, Scott started paternity leave. We took this opportunity to get the most out of our final days in Denmark and packed in quite a lot of sightseeing between our preparations for the move.

October marked the end of our time in Denmark. Both Scott and I were sad to leave and miss many things; our friends and colleagues at UNICEF and Microsoft, our outdoor adventure club, the public transit system, our house and neighborhood, walking to the grocery store, and of course the cycling.

In November, we moved into our house in Lake Stevens, Washington (just north of Seattle.) We moved in just in time to celebrate American Thanksgiving with Scott’s daughters.

In December, we had visits from my sister and her family and my parents. Olivia continues to be a very active and happy little girl with very long hair. Olivia is good at lots of things, except maybe naps. 2010 was a very eventful year and our little family looks forward to 2011 and building our new life together.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Take Care

Colleen

Olivia's Trip to Paris

My trip to Paris

By Olivia Hope Johnson Simmons

Day One – The Journey

Hi, my name is Olivia and I would like to tell you about my very first trip… to Paris, France. It all started when I decided to give my Daddy a gift certificate for a mini break as a Father’s Day present. Mommy and Daddy did a lot of research on their computers and decided we should go to Paris.

My sister Rachael just graduated from university, so Daddy wanted to give her a present too, so he invited her and her fiancé Ben to join us. This was a very good idea because Rachael is very good at speaking French and Ben is very good at carrying heavy things, such as 18 pound babies, and best of all with a 4:1 adult to baby ratio, more people to play with me.

The morning we left was very busy while Mommy and Daddy were trying to pack. First a lady came who is helping us move our stuff to Seattle, then while she was there more people showed up unannounced to look at the house because the landlord is selling it. This all seemed quite stressful for Mommy and Daddy but didn’t affect me too much because I just played with Rachael while all this was going on.

We took the bus and train to the airport and I rode in my Danish pram there. When we got there, however, there seemed to be a problem with my infant ticket. Mommy and Daddy had to go to another line to get a special ticket for me.

My Daddy travels quite a lot with his job, so he has an SAS gold card. This meant we got to go through a special security with no line up, and then we got to go to the VIP lounge for snacks and refreshments. Everyone enjoyed this perk.

After enjoying the lounge we boarded the plane. Mommy was disappointed that they didn’t pre board families travelling with infants. On the plane, I was seated on Daddy’s lap between Mommy and Rachael. (Ben was upgraded to Business class because he is very tall). The flight attendant brought a mini seatbelt for me, which tied around Daddy’s seatbelt. The flight to Paris was fun and I didn’t cry at all.

To get to the hotel, we took the metro. The public transportation in Paris isn’t like Copenhagen. There aren’t special spaces for bikes and prams, so I had to be carried. I didn’t like the Paris trains so much… it was too hot, and the doors close too fast, we almost lost Daddy. When we got to our stop I was happy to get off the train and back into my pram.

Day Two – The Louvre and the Seine

We all got up quite early so we could get to the meeting point of our walking tour of the Louvre on time. After a breakfast of croissants and baguettes we got on the bus and headed for the Louvre, which is one of the biggest Art Museums in the world.

I started off the tour with Mommy in the ergo carrier, but after a while I got too hot so she had to carry me. Then I got too heavy and Daddy had to carry me. It’s good to have four grown-ups available to carry you around. We saw lots of beautiful statues and paintings, such as the Venus di Milo, the Mona Lisa and sculptures by Michelangelo. There were lots of statues and paintings of cupids which Mommy and Daddy thought looked like me. Everyone really enjoyed the tour. After we were done Mommy, Rachael and Ben went shopping in the bookstore, while I stayed and had coffee with Daddy.

Next we headed down towards the Seine. Our hotel had given us free tickets for the Bateaux Mouche boats. These boats are much larger versions of the smaller flat boat I went on in Copenhagen a few days before. We saw many sites, the Louvre again, Notre Dame Cathedral and of course, the Eifel tower.

After the boat ride we went back to the hotel, to get ready for dinner. Mommy put me in the ergo carrier for the walk to dinner and I fell asleep. I stayed asleep all through dinner and the walk home, and then when we got back they put me in the pram and I slept until 7 the next morning. That is the longest amount of time I have slept in a row in my whole life. Touring around Paris really wore me out.

Day Three - Notre Dame and Home

Again, we started the day with croissants and baguettes, then got on the Metro to Notre Dame which is a huge cathedral. It was very beautiful inside but also very hot. After that, we had lunch in a café, and Mommy bought me a souvenir pink onesie, that said Paris je t’aime.

After that we had to start making our way back to the hotel, then on to the airport. Again I found the metro ride too hot and was happy to get off and into the SAS Gold lounge. On the flight home they let us get on the plane first, and this time I sat on Mommy’s lap and slept the whole way home.

When we got to Copenhagen, we got to ride in a little car through the airport to get our luggage instead of walking. Mommy and Daddy really appreciated this. It was nice to be back in the Danish transit system where I could ride comfortably in my pram. When we got home Daddy realized that he had forgotten his suitcase at the bus stop. He took a taxi back and fortunately, it was still there. That night I slept straight through to 8:00am.

I really enjoyed my trip to Paris and look forward to more travelling in the future.