Learning new stuff and making changes

As I am back in the US and back online again I have been spending some time catching up. My Google Reader had over 1000 posts lined up for me to read and that took me a week.

Also I were intrigued by what people were saying about Pinterest and Polyvore and decided to try them out. I must say it was quite fun and addicting. What I didn’t realize is that what I was playing with on Polyvore actually got posted on my blog. Not that it is anything wrong with it, I just weren’t aware of it. I am constantly learning new things and soon I hope to be able to have a button for Pinterest on my blog too.

Being back to the states means no more posts about Norway… well who am I kidding, of course there will be, just not so many. Instead I will try to post about the crafts I make, projects I have accomplished or procrastinated on, recipes, things on my mind, pictures of the week, and things I am grateful for.

In a year or less we will be moving back home to Norway and in the meantime I will be blogging a little about how we get ready for the big move. I am seeing a lot of list making in my future.

Anyways, I thought I would just let you know that my blog will be changing and that it will take some time so please bear with me.

Thank you for hanging out with me and if you are patient I will throw a giveaway quite soon.

A couple of nice outfits

A couple of nice outfits by lot-elf featuring a pencil skirt

Old Navy pocket tank
$13 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old Navy scoop neck tee
$13 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old Navy denim jacket
$25 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old navy
$40 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old Navy pencil skirt
$30 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old Navy lace up wedge
$37 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old Navy tote bag
$35 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old Navy scarve
$13 - oldnavy.gap.com

My purple outfit

My purple outfit by lot-elf featuring old navy jackets

Old navy t shirt
$15 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old navy jacket
$25 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old navy
$40 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old Navy wedge shoes
$37 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old Navy tote bag
$35 - oldnavy.gap.com

Old Navy loop scarve
$15 - oldnavy.gap.com

My trip home

It was so nice to be on vacation, hanging out with my family and not having to worry about a thing, but coming home was nice too.

I will have to write about Saturdays wedding at a later time, but I wanted to tell you all that it was the best wedding I think I have ever been too. (Disclaimer: I have only been to three, one being my own). Isabel turned out to be a party animal and a dancing queen, when everyone else under the age of 18 had left and gone home by midnight, she was going strong till 2am.

Our trip home started already on Saturday July 30th when my aunt and uncle took Isabel with them up to their home in Senja, we would later meet up at the wedding in Tromsoe. Monday August 1st my parents took Sofie and me to their home in Melbu. Wednesday August 3rd was my dads 67th birthday and my parents took Sofie and me to Harstad where we said our good byes and took the boat up to Tromsoe. Thursday Sofie and I went shopping. Friday we did some shopping and then hung out with family. Saturday was the wedding. Sunday we hung out with family and said our good byes before packing.

Monday (Norwegian time) was the big day for flying home. The trip from leaving the house we stayed at in Tromsoe till we walked in the door at home took altogether 18 hours which is a new record as my plane is usually delayed or something else just happens, (record for longest trip was 29 hours). So in US time we left at 11:30 PM Sunday and came home at 6:30ish PM Monday.

Isabel and I didn’t sleep at all going home, but at least I got Sofie to sleep four hours. Having to hold Sofie on my lap the whole time was hard, specially when she was screaming refusing to fall asleep. All I could do was just hold her and wait till she fell asleep. Thank goodness that we had a very kind grandmother sitting next to us who was very understanding.

Isabel kept herself entertained by playing on her DS and watching kids shows on the airplane TV. I am so grateful that they have enough kids shows to last the entire flight. Still don’t know why I had three carryon’s as the only thing the kids touched was Sofie’s babydoll, the snack, and the DS.

When we got home we went to bed at our regular bedtime. Tuesday morning we got up at our regular time and started doing or regular stuff like laundry and picking up around the house. Later we went to a park and met up with all of our friends.

I am happy to report that the only one really experiencing any jetlag is Sofie, but all things considered that is nothing.

So we are finally home and I will be back to regular posting again pretty soon, trying to get some crafts done in between. Just have to get my craft stash back as it is now in storage at my sister in laws house in wait for our future move.

Have a great weekend you all.

Cheese Sandwich

I found this little kitchen tool in a storage area while I was going through a few things trying to find something to use for decorations.

It doesn’t seem to be too old and even though none of my parents ever remember ever seeing it or even it being used, but it has definitively been used.

One day I decided to try it by making myself a cheese sandwich of some store bought bread and some cheese that we had.

While you butter up the bread and put the cheese in there you have to let the iron warm up on the oven for about 10 minutes. You get it evenly heated by turning it around after half gone time. Then you place your sandwich in there and let it sit for 2 minutes on one side and another 2 minutes on the other side. After this you open it and check to see if it is done.

Nice and crisp on the outside…

And nice and gooey on the inside…

Embroidered kitchen set

We are on our way home now to the US. I just wanted to share this with you.

In the mid 90’s I embroidered a nice kitchen set that I wanted to keep in Aanderbakkan. It took me 3 – 4 years to get it all done.

I still love the colors and the design.

Grateful Sunday 33

Yesterday was the Wedding day of my dear friends Grete and Frode. Grete and I are related as sixth cousins and my moms younger brother and her moms younger sister are married, so we share an aunt and uncle too.

Grete has been a part of my life since I was 11 and she was 5. She would come and spend time with me when I was going to college and I always enjoyed our late night chats.

When I first met Frode about 10 years ago, I instantly liked him. He is such a great guy and my husband enjoys spending time with him too.

I am so happy that they met and that they yesterday got married.

CONGRATULATIONS GRETE AND FRODE!!!

I am so grateful

321. for having such good friends as Grete and Frode.

322. for Grete not listening to my advice of not getting involved with this much older man that she met many years ago.

323. for them being like an aunt and uncle for my children and for becoming Sofie’s God parents.

324. for always having an open door for us when we come.

325. for coffee and cakes enjoyed together at our favorite restaurant.

326. for long chats and advices given back and forth over so many years.

327. for always being so positive and spreading joy to everyone around them.

328. for including us into their family.

329. for the love they have for each other.

330. that their wedding turned out so beautiful and special and that I was able to come and celebrate this day with them.

Pictures from our fifth week

Every afternoon after dinner while my parents takes a nap my kids get to watch a movie, ever so often this is what I find when I’m done with the dishes.

At the local store for our weekly icecream.

I really didn’t get many pictures this week, but here are a few from our hike on the beach of the rock formations. I would think a geologist would love it out here.

Pictures from our sixth week

Sofie decided to help grandpa water the flowers, but ended up watering herself instead. I think I ended up with almost 70 pictures of this event, but these are the ones that really shows her play.

Every day Sofie will run back and forth between the old barn and the house either carrying or pulling her little truck or a couple of buckets.

Just across the fjord is several summer houses. I had never been there before and on the 25th of July we took a little trip over there after meeting one of the families at the grocery store a few days earlier and being invited over.

Turned out that we are all related too, my dad got to meet his fourth cousin and I a couple of my fifth cousins. My great great grandmother was the sister of their great great grandma and they even had a really nice picture of the two of them together.

It goes like this on my side counting down to my children

Great great great grandma Karen

Great great grandma Petrine

Great grandpa Lind

Grandpa Anders

Mom Marianne

Isabel and Sofie.

Isabel has managed to elude the camera again.

On my mind

To think that one man can do such harm…

No one will ever quiet our democracy…

We will take our freedom and our feeling of safety back…

We are a country of safety, quietness and peace and no one can take that away from us…

I will always feel safe in my country…

I will never stop speaking my mind…

I will never stop voting…

I will never want my country to stop helping those in need…

We have the room and the heart for those coming to us in times of great need…

Random thoughts inspired by the resent events in Oslo.

Hiking: it is all about ups and downs

This year is really the first time I have ever gone hiking here. Growing up my dad was always too busy to go hiking or he decided it was to difficult and hard for me. Instead I would go with my mom who only likes to go hiking on flat ground.

This is a series of pictures from two very different hikes. The first one is from the beach, the only “flat” surface to go hiking on and one I would always do with my mom when I was growing up. The other one is from the mountain / forest where I would only go with my dad as it is and up and down kind of hike.

My dad built a little bridge over the river from the material he cut down to get space for a bridge.

Sandbakkan is the closest farm to us, but after they moved from it in the 60’s no one has been back to take care of it and it is now taken back by the forest. I used to call the tree Isabel is standing by my umbrella tree as a child because you would never get wet under it if it rained. Every time it rained my mom tells me I wanted to go there and just sit for an hour or so just watching the rain quietly.

Crossing a river on the beach.

Always with a bucket in hand in case she finds any treasures. On this hike she had to stop and go through it all twice because her bucket got so full she could hardly carry it.

Sofie is always with us in the Beco on my back. Good exercise considering that I am carrying about 21 lbs with me.

Our other hike went up the river. I had never gone this way before and it was truly spectacular. Behind us is two waterfalls and with all the mist in the air we got quite wet.

My dad was so excited to show us this big rock that has fallen down from the top of the mountain and got stuck about half way down. There is a nice little cave under it and fresh water too.

This picture is taken by me when I was inside where my dad and kids were on the previous pictures.

This is from the back of the rock.

The view down on the farm / summer house.

The view across the fjord.

Unfortunately I got no pictures of the hike up the mountain. This is due to the fact that it is all going uphill and you need both arms to pull you up otherwise you will fall right now and get hurt. Going down is hard to get pictures of too as you need both arms to hold on to any trees so you don’t slide right down and get hurt.

I am so proud of my kids who has no been to places no kids younger than Isabel has ever been before.