A New Year–New Hopes and Plans

I wish all my readers a Happy New Year.

May it be a blessed one for you.

Every year I start out with new hopes and new plans for my life, most of the time they disappear in becoming good intentions that fall flat. I was reflecting on why this happens and I think I know why.

I have never written my hopes and goals down ever so this year I will break my life down into bits and pieces and build goals on the different aspects of my life.

I will make one post per aspect and list my resolutions there with some inspiration to get it done found on pintrest.

Tips, tricks and encouragement is greatly appreciated as this will be a year of great changes for me and my family.

• We will be loosing our home soon and will have to find a temporary place to live.
• We will be moving to Norway this spring/summer with no jobs in sight as of now.
• We will be starting in new jobs this summer/fall in Norway and the kids will start in a new school/daycare.

Safety in boats

Lately on Norwegian TV there has been a lot of focus on Boat Safety and the use of life jackets.

When it was decided that we were coming here on the summer and that we were to spend most of the summer at our summer house I told my mom that we needed new life jackets for the kids.

My kids have never had their own life jackets and when ever Isabel has been with my dad in his big cruiser she has never really needed to wear one, but has had my old one just in case.

My dads view is that it is good to have, but just not necessary. My parents keep their gear in the boat, never wears it and if something were to happen they would not have time to put their gear on before they drown.

At least now I have managed to get my mom to wear hers, my kids got tip top life jackets, I am wearing mine and my dad is not so much. Hopefully he will at least provide whoever is with him in the boat a life jacket from now on.

I beg you, if you are ever in a boat, especially small like ours, to please use a life jacket.

Pictures from our third week

In our third week here we got visitors over the weekend. My aunt and uncle from Bergen and my aunt, uncle and cousin from Senja.

Some mornings are slow. So slow that mommy even forgets to change and get the girl in proper clothes before she runs out to play or as she is doing here, putting the last finish on our new patio.

My uncle from Bergen is married to my mom’s older sister, loves hiking, used to run a marathons and morbidly likes to take pictures of dead mice as they get caught in my dads traps.

Isabel wearing one of many dresses and other outfits brought by my aunt and uncles, trying to figure out her new sling shot from Greece.

My youngest cousin, loves to take pictures, hates to be taken pictures of, my favorite cousin, my God child and Sofie’s God mother.

Hanging out and enjoying the beautiful weather we had this week.

Sofie showing off her new dress from Greece.

My aunt from Senja has been with my my moms younger brother for 22 years and she is as important to me as my mom, Isabel’s God mother, owner of a horse, not camera shy like my uncle, funny and spunky.

My aunt from Bergen is immensely crafty, mother of four of my cousins, she is my moms older sister, big loving heart, reminds me always of my grandmother.

It was so wonderful to have so many of my family come here to see us. I had not seen my aunt and uncle from Bergen in 5 years and it was such a happy coincidence that this would be the year they were coming up here to visit as they only come this way every other year.

My family from Senja are coming back later to spend more time with us here before we go up to visit them. Isabel might even travel up north with them when they leave here.

This little fellow is a baby mouse that had managed to get trapped in a bucket in the barn. I found it and decided to see if I could keep it for a while for the kids to see and I actually got to feed it and study it for half a day before Isabel let it loose. Now it might be one of the many my dad have trapped…

10 Years Together

I must admit that the most resent picture I have of me and my husband is almost 1.5 years old.

I don’t think anyone thought we would stay married this long. A little sad to admit, but we had a lot stacked against us.

We met in 1996 when I came to Santa Rosa, California as an exchange student. He was a senior at the high school I attended as a senior as well and we came to share two classes together.

I first became friend with his best friend and slowly we became good friends too.

When I moved back to Norway we lost touch and I started at a new school, got new friends and a boyfriend. I ended up moving in with my boyfriend, but after a destructive relationship I moved out and decided to try to get in touch again with my friends in the US.

This was February of 2000. Jesse answered and we soon became pen pals again. In August he came to visit me in Norway and proposed to me. I didn’t even know he had a crush on me. I said no as I felt that I really didn’t know him. We kept in touch and he didn’t give up. In December of 2000 I came to visit with him and he proposed again on New Years Eve. I said yes.

June 21st of 2001 he moved to Norway and we had 1 month to learn to know each other. July 21st 2001 we got married.

It has been a roller coaster relationship. The first three years was spent getting to know each other again. Time and time again I questioned whether I had made the right choice getting married to him. Then Isabel was born, Jesse got depressed and homesick and after 5 years of marriage, living in Norway, we moved to the US.

Living together in the US has brought with it it’s challenges as well. I had just finished my education as a teacher of comparative religion and was hoping to find a job here, but no luck. Instead I have stayed home with the kids. My husband has realized what makes him happy and we have grown stronger together.

In our 11th year we have a lot of changes coming again. We are selling our condo, moving in to a rental and preparing to move to Norway.

We have spent 10 years trying to figure out where in the world we belong and have finally arrived on Norway. It is exciting to be able to go on another adventure with my husband and knowing that he and I are so flexible that we can do this together.

Happy Anniversary honey, I love you.

And we really need to see a photographer soon for some better pictures of us together again.

Fathers day gifts

The kids and I will be leaving for Norway on Fathers day. My husband has been working so hard for us to be able to go and he won’t be able to come with us nor join us while we are on our trip. This is why I wanted to do something special for him while we are gone.

Altogether we will be in Norway for 7 weekends so I have arranged for 7 little goodie bags to be delivered every weekend by my neighbor. It is very handy that she has a key to my place. Now it is almost to hope that the condo doesn’t sell before I get back because that might make it impossible for my plan to go through.

On Fathers day he will be getting a small wall hanging handprint quilt. I had my kids make handprints on a square of linnen that I made into a little quilt with some fabric I had leftover from the quilt I made for Isabel a few years ago. I am so excited for this one. He will also get a Subway art printable that I found at A Proffittable Life and a about my dad printable filled out by Isabel that I found at Big D and Me.

Then for the weekends that we are gone he will get little care bags filled with some of his favorites. A&W Root Beer, Twizzlers, Cookies and Popcorn. I used printables from Nothing but Country and Delightfully Noted.

I am so excited as I am usually the one to forget to give anything at all, but for once I have actually remembered the last few special days that we have had.

I really love my hubby and think he is the most wonderful dad in the whole world.

Linking up with

  

Back again, savoring life.

I am finally back to America, well I came back may 8th, and I am back to blogging again, I guess since this is my first blog entry since April.

Our trip to Norway was wonderful. We had four weeks of snow, rain, more snow, lots of sun and even a blizzard. And then to be with my family, I loved every minute of it. My oldest daughter even started to speak more Norwegian again. We had family parties, played games, talked till late at night, cooked together, went on walks, and so much more. Most of all I enjoyed hanging out with my 14 year old cousin of whom I am Godmother to. She is so much fun and I specially enjoyed that she felt comfortable speaking with me about even difficult things. She had just got a new camera when I came to visit and since I had forgot to bring the charger for my own camera she ended up taking a lot of pictures for me. Now I'm just waiting for her to send me the pictures and then I will write more about my stay in Norway.

I savored every moment of my stay at home in Norway. The best of all was that my husband finally gave me an answer of when we will move back home to Norway. Spring or summer of 2012. I am so excited. Now I just have to get my place nice and ready to sell.

Since coming home I have had to deal with jet lag, kids having jet lag and the baby teething. We have totally changed our daily routines too and I find that I have more time now than before to take some quiet time for myself. Due to the jet lag I have now started to get up at 5 AM and that gives me 1.5 hour that I can use for prayer, excerise, breakfast and planning. Needless to say that I savor that time and it doesn't seem so bad anymore to have to go to bed at 9 PM at night, at least not if I want to be rested the next day. It is good to get these things done in the morning since I have more energy then instead for doing it at night when I am exausted from a days worth of caring for my family. Now I just have to find time for blogging too.

I must admit I have been finding it hard and even a little terrifying to start up again blogging, but thanks to Rachel Anne at Home Sanctuary I am back. Today I am linking up to join her and the other Company girls for coffee. Taking her up on her small thing for today Savoring every little thing in life. Like getting up early to spend some quiet time in prayer or going to the nursery today to pick up some flowers for my little container garden.

Thank you for visiting, I do hope you leave me a little comment.

Easter

We have been celebrating easter here and also that spring has arrived.
This is my (sorry excuse for a) mantel all decked our for easter/spring.
The painting is a halfdone project from a friend. I found a picture online that he was to paint. He never felt happy with the outcome and therefore never finished it. I still like it even though it barely covers the tv hangup that my husband left up just in case.
The blocks to the left is a remnant from Christmas and Valentines, but I like it and it's there.
The Chickens all over is a buy from Norway last time I was home. I love how silly and colorful they are.
The carrot shape is my MOPS easter craft full of M&Ms.
The vase is filled with the twine eggs that I managed to make, and there is also two yarn eggs on the side of it.
The plate is from IKEA.
And the tall vase is filled with branches and has eggs on that my daughter and I emptied and painted last year.
All I have to do now is carefully pack away the eggs and it is all ready for spring.

On one of my shelves I have this little collection. Two of my chickens from Norway. An angel that my aunt and uncle in Norway gave me for Christmas holding an egg Isabel painted in her daycare back home in Norway when she was about 20 months old. And a wineglass turned candleholder also painted by Isabel at her daycare when she was 17 months old.

This is a project I started knitting last time I was home in Norway. I bought this kit and was going to finish it for that easter, but ended up not finishing it until this winter. The hen is supposed to sit on top of a basket of boiled eggs to keep them warm and there is 8 chicks to keep separate eggs warm. Unfortunately they ended up a little floppy so I stuffed them and put them in a wooden bowl that I have and they look mighty happy there.

Btw all the dishes in the backround is at least clean...

Saturday we went egghunting at the zoo. I love it. 46 eggs yielded 4 candies. Isabel was a little disappointed, but grandma had already promished her a surprise at home. One big egg filled with candies and cookies. Not to much sweets.

This is Isabel and grandma picking eggs. It was really cold and windy so even though we had planned on hanging out for a long time looking at animals and playing there we ended up leaving after only an hour. Instead we went shopping at IKEA.

It wasn't our plan to go to IKEA, but since Sofie threw up that night (because of overeating) and her mattress was all soaked in that, we just had to go down to IKEA and get her a new mattress. Hey, in and out in about 2 hours where one hour was spent shopping/playing in playarea and one hour was spent eating, it's not all that bad.

Peak a boo. Sofie and I love our new Beco baby carrier system.

Easter Sunday we took a trip up to Skagit County and the Tulip Festival.

My husband the tall one in the family. Ok, he is not that tall. The picture is actually taken by Isabel who is short.

My mom, Sofie and I.

This is my Jaguar Isabel, that is when she is not Toothless the dragon. Not sure why she want's to be called toothless, when she still has not lost a single tooth.

Let me tell you that cleaning this off was not a job for dad. Poor girl was being rubbed raw. Mom to the rescue with cottonswabs and makeup remover.

At the end of the day I asked her if she would do it again and the answer was "yes of course".

So that was some our Easter. How was yours?