For three years now, Axel has been relocated to Falköping and the National Sports High School for volleyball. We’ve only seen him a few weekends here and there, as the indoor season in the Elite Series is combined with summers spent playing on the Swedish Beach Volleyball Tour. The year started with a bronze in the indoor Youth Grand Prix, and the summer was crowned with a U19 Gold Medal—but most of all, it is an education in what is to come. Come summer, it’s graduation and adult life that awaits.

Ingrid has been in Mora for three terms and has enjoyed it remarkably among textiles, cutting, and fashion. It’s a lovely group of people, and this College like experience concept seems like something for everyone to try if you want to develop your skills in... well, whatever it may be. But now, that dream era seems to have come to an end for Ingrid too, as the move is heading toward Umeå (if you’ve reached this point in the text, by all means, send a digital congrats to Ingrid—she will appreciate it—you can do that here).

The parents are becoming less and less important in favor of the children's activities—though Sara has taken over Jakob’s responsibilities in the volleyball context, while Jakob is a volleyball widower on evenings and weekends while Sara refines youths at camps and in the Linköping team. Jakob gets to move back and forth to the office a bit, as his work continues to be for Sweden’s best in digital infrastructure in Stockholm and Kalmar, among other places. While Sara certainly also works for the state, it involves travel to many exciting schools and organizers. There are certainly challenges in the Swedish school system, but there are also plenty of professional and talented teachers and principals who give hope for the future!

The Sånnaboda paradise remains a main attraction for summer and recreation—this year involved a fair bit of wood chopping as two trees were felled and we eagerly wanted to take care of all the debris... foolishly enough. But once the brush was burnt and the job done, we were able to relax in the new sauna right by the lake—a real highlight.

Perhaps the biggest thing of all is that we managed to turn 50 during the past year, Axel 18, CJ 14, and Ingrid 22. But 2026 shouldn’t be any worse, and to hide a little easter egg in this letter: you are, of course, invited — you reading this — to celebrate a new 100-year-old (the house we live in). Imagine that—100 years ago, the first family moved into Lektorsgatan 6. We obviously can’t miss noting that — that’s why you’re coming to a 1920s party at the Algulin family’s place. The house was built in 1926—so we’re throwing a party with a 1920s theme. You get it—not 2020, but 1920... It’s a bit crazy, we know, but we’re planning a party sometime during late summer/autumn. To get more information about the party, join this group on Signal.

The ski season was short but intense—a minor stop in Romme and a very short stop in a slushy Trysil meant we quickly made our way to the cabin to celebrate Easter. Conveniently enough, magical northern lights met us on site—it is the first time ever we’ve gotten to experience that spectacle. MAGICAL!!!

The summer was a fragmented story that still managed to be filled with a major event—four of us made it through a marathon journey through Northern France in the footsteps of World War II. We got to see the magnificent nature, touching monuments to the horrors of war, but also a reminder of how beautiful Europe is. Worth defending.

Otherwise, the year has been defined by concerts. In Sånnaboda by the southern shore of Lake Väringen, there is dancing at the Humlehagen barn all night long—this year with KAJ and E-type (one big adult disco...) while a little closer to us in Opphammar, still Sånnaboda, Chris Kläfford hosted a real stunner of an intimate gig. A reflection, nonetheless, is how fantastic Sweden is and what power lies in the local community when people come together. In Tranås, Sara got to enjoy Lisa Nilsson’s beautiful singing; in Linköping, Winnerbäck offered a brilliant show; and then dad Jakob tagged along with the daughters to a gig with Benson Boone, which turned out to be a real highlight once it kicked off. But the best spontaneous concerts are perhaps when Cajsa and Nathalie, the bonus daughter, play piano for us on Sunday evenings.

This year’s gifts to the gadget pile have been a pizza oven and a sous vide—both sources of great joy and yet another reason to wish for a diet cure with an optional GLP-1 inhibitor. But really tasty—no doubt about it!

A big thank you for the year that has been!

Once again this year, we’re sharing a collection of funny moments and quotes from the year gone by. If you’ve made it all the way down here and actually enjoy these letters, you are more than welcome to send a greeting to the Family on Signal (the same group used for party RSVPs—make sure to show the family you’ve actually read the email, that would be just great!).