WINTER WONDERLAND

Have y'all been wondering where I have been?

No? Ummm...OK.. then.

Just in case a few of you were wondering... I have been working my tail off doing all of my year end stuff... & Spending time playing in the winter wonderland which is NORWAY...
this evening it is -22c. (-2f) & IT IS COLD...

I had big ol' plans for a post about how AWESOME 2009 was... but once again, not sure I will get around to it...(my BEST posts never actually make it to my laptop.)

Anyway... until I get to the super awesome post...thought you might like to see a few shots of Norway in the winter....

Sunset today at 3 pm--- the days are getting longer yippee...

We have been doing a lot of cross country skiing this weekend. The kids are skiing pretty much everywhere...I am sure next week there will be 100 kids skiing to school... (must admit I STILL love seeing it...- how cool is it to SKI to School?)

Eva was getting a little help from pappa down the big hill...


Our house is starting to look like a ski lodge

The snow.. the snow... the snow...

it always makes for such great pictures..

This is a picture Dane took while we were in Sweden...

I just love the trees...

the kid has a really good eye.

So if I don't get a chance to post before tomorrow night...

Hope y'all have a wonderful & S A F E 2010... ...

HAPPY NEW YEAR...

American in Norway goes to Sweden....

Still trying to get caught up after the Christmas rush... Crazy Crazy Crazy here.

We had a BLAST at the Christmas Market in Sweden.

So worth the 3 hour drive... the lights...the people... the food...the REINDEER... Santa (kinda...he had BROWN hair? - wth?)
I will try to post a few more pics in the next couple of days...

Merry SKYPEmas...best gift EVER

I know it must be very annoying when I find something I L O V E... (the greatest thing since sliced bread) & then I act like I discovered it....

What am I talking about? ....my latest addiction... SKYPE...

The best gift I received was F R E E... Virtually spending the Holidays with my family on the other side of the world.

Are there anyExpats out there NOT using SKYPE?

My little sis & I finally decided to download & try SKYPE on Christmas Eve...

I think we VIDEO called each other 3 times that night...

Christmas Morning I skyped her while the kiddos opened Santa's gifts... It was like she was here with us.... We skyped again when most of the family sat down to Christmas dinner in the US...

Skyped with my older sis in Houston... & even sat & had a coffee "together" while we chatted with each other for well over an hour this afternoon....

(Dane skyping with Grandpa & his cousin)

The possibilities are LIMITLESS... I am thinking next time the kids have a school play or concert... just bring my laptop along & my parents can watch LIVE....

Thank you SKYPE ...for the best gift a girl a long way from home could get!

MUAH...love ya!

Closest I got to sending Chritmas Cards this year...

I KNOW.. I am SOOOO lame. I always have the best intentions of doing cards for all of my friends & family... Really I do.

I even thought while snapping pictures in Paris this summer, WOW...this is going to make aa AWESOME Christmas card.

Lets face it... I am a procrastinator & a sucky Christmas planner...


So dear family & friends... If I HAD sent out a card this year, THIS is what it would have looked like!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! : ) Tressa

What is it all about?

So what is the Christmas Season all about?

yes, I KNOW what it is all about... Jesus is the reason for the Season...
but what is it about the Holiday that means the most to you?
What are your favorite holiday memories?

Seems I spend so much time worrying about gifts for the kids... but thinking back to my childhood, my favorite holiday memories have very little to do with the gifts we received...

I was thankful for everything I received but there are few things that stand out...
my Band Aid "Feed the World" album...My "Cabbage" Patch doll... my mother had it made so it would look just like ME.. & my 10 speed bike which I crashed the next morning.
the year the 3 of us each got our own JAM BOX... (those alone took up half of the family room)

My best memories are of the ANTICIPATION of Christmas morning...
Ooooo...I would get a tummy ache I was soooo excited. From the time my mother starting setting presents under the tree (like Dec. 1st) We would beg & beg & beg to open "JUST ONE GIFT pleeeeease?!"

My mom worked her TAIL OFF trying to make Christmas as magical as possible... & it was.

Christmas morning we were up & down the stairs by about 4 am....

I am making it SOUND like it was about the gifts but really, looking back... it was about the surprises, the lights, the tree.... the togetherness...

It was about Grandma, Grandpa, Mema & Pepa coming to town.

It was about my dad pulling out his antique MONOPOLY Game (from like 1904-- OK, it isn't THAT old..but pretty darn close... it was his as a child) - it was the only time he would pull it out so we could play ALL NIGHT LONG.

My brother would start singing "Mortgage Portgage ...WHO CARES?"...over & over LAUGHING as I had to mortgage all of my houses/properties... I would usually storm off in tears because I had LOST EVERYTHING... Never thought I would look back to the time my brother teased me as GOOD TIMES but they were.... (as a side note...MONOPOLY is Dane's favorite game & yes...we all sing "Mortgage Portgage ...WHO CARES?"... & torture whoever is losing... - I am a horrible mother, so sue me.)

It was about the dinner... (once again, bless my mother for trying to PLEASE EVERYONE) -her MIL's recipes, her mom's... & always something new she wanted to try..

Day after Christmas... it was playing with our toys... & all night card games with the adults... (it was my GRANDPARENTS-PARENTS... so they were probably done by 10...but it sure felt like it was all night)

Our stockings...Oh I loved my stocking with the sequined T R E S S A... I had that stocking for years..until one year I forgot to empty it... in the Texas heat? - ya... was the last year I had that stocking...

I should really go & try to find some Christmas pictures from my childhood... I have seen some really great slideshows out there in bloggy land...

Have I told y'all how much I miss my mom & dad & sibs? .... ya... I do...

but time to shake it off & do some FUN THINGS so my kids have some good Christmas memories...

Looks like we are going to have a REALLY WHITE CHRISTMAS afterall...

CRIME in Noway...

I was witness to a CRIME today...

A man was caught shop lifting...

I have seen a couple of shoplifters caught in the US...it was a TOTALLY different experience.

The Shoplifters where chased through the WAL MART parking lot... where the cops would proceed to tackle them.... & cuff them, all the while the SHOPLIFTER is SCREAMING every dirty word in the book...saying that they are innocent...trying to kick the cop etc...

Today it went down like this....

Man checks out at the register... as man tries to leave the store... an employee walks up to him & asks...

"Excuse me Sir, is that a bottle of Chanel #5 in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

"Oh this little thing? (pulling the bottle out of his sleeve) Hmmm, terrible sorry.. (in my head he had an English accent...but really he was speaking Norwegian) here you go, (smile) no hard feelings right? Ohhhh, there are hard feelings? - sure here is my ID... OH... you are going to write me a ticket? - that bites...

FREE TO GO.

OK... lets just say CRAAAAAAAAAZY.

It was the MOST CIVILIZED bust I have ever witnessed... everyone was just soooo NICE about it.

Now granted... I have no idea how much his fine for stealing a $100 bottle of perfume...
Norway likes to hit you where it hurts...in the POCKET BOOK... so I bet the fine will be pretty darn high.
(I am thinking in the US you could be locked up?)

Crime & punishment in Norway just doesn't make sense to me.

If you are caught speeding 5 miles over the speed limit, your fine can be close to $300.
Speeding way over the limit? you can be locked up! serious.... & then the cost to get your license back?- I would be walking for the rest of my adult life.

I often shake my head about the Norwegian's silly(EXPENSIVE) fines... but I have to say, I have never in my life been as law abiding as I have been since I moved to Norway... I guess I am too cheap to do something wrong...

You know what they say here...
Don't do the crime, if you can't pay the fine.

Best Christmas song... E. V. E. R...

Oh sure, I like the classics...like "Here comes Santa Claus", "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus" - We wish you a Merry Christmas...

But my ALL TIME FAVORITE... idontcarewhoisaround...iamgoingtosingAS.LOUD.as.i.can...Christmas Song is...

BAND AID...Do they know it's Christmas....***sigh***

I won't lie...
I used to sing it into my hairbrush all the while pretending I was MRS. Simon LeBon
and not just at Christmas time...
(bet you are thinking I was a PRETYY BIG DORK growing up aren't ya?)


I would sing this song ALL YEAR LONG..

I spent Christmas 1984 in the hospital... with my right leg shattered in like, a million pieces... my family decorated my hospital room & tried to make it a little more cheery... My sister Heidi (the best present giver EVER) bought me the BAND AID album & a George Michael poster which was hung on the wall in that hospital room until I got out..... Funny, thats the only gift I remember from that year....

ANYWOO (sorry about the trip down memory lane) I LOVED/LOVE this video... I know every shoulder shrug... every singer ... everytime they screw up (Paul Young totally forgets the words...)




Enjoy! What is your all time favorite Christmas tune?







[edit] Participants
The original Band Aid ensemble consisted of (in sleeve order):
Linda Ronstadt
Adam Clayton (U2)
Freddie Mercury (Queen)
Phil Collins (Genesis)
Bob Geldof (The Boomtown Rats, subsequently USA for Africa)
Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet)
Chris Cross (Ultravox)
John Taylor (Duran Duran)
Paul Young
Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet)
Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17)
Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran)
Simon Crowe (The Boomtown Rats)
Marilyn
Keren Woodward (Bananarama)
Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet)
Jody Watley (Shalamar)
Bono (U2)
Paul Weller (The Style Council, and previously The Jam)
James "J.T." Taylor (Kool & The Gang)
George Michael (Wham!)
Midge Ure (Ultravox)
Martyn Ware (Heaven 17)
John Keeble (Spandau Ballet)
Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet)
Roger Taylor (Duran Duran)
Sara Dallin (Bananarama)
Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama)
Sting (The Police)
Pete Briquette (The Boomtown Rats)
Francis Rossi (Status Quo)
Robert 'Kool' Bell (Kool & the Gang)
Dennis Thomas (Kool & the Gang)
Andy Taylor (Duran Duran)
Jon Moss (Culture Club, former member of Adam and the Ants)
Rick Parfitt (Status Quo)
Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran)
Johnny Fingers (The Boomtown Rats)
David Bowie (who contributed via a recording that was mailed to Geldof and then dubbed onto the single)
Boy George (Culture Club)
Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
Paul McCartney (Wings and The Beatles, who contributed via a recording that was mailed to Geldof and then dubbed onto the single)
Stuart Adamson (Big Country)
Bruce Watson (Big Country)
Tony Butler (Big Country)
Mark Brzezicki (Big Country)
Jools Holland (Squeeze)

When I think I can't love him any more....

As y'all know I was having a wee bit of a problem with
HOMESICKNESS today...


I H A T E.. being away from my family for the holidays..


It is hard to believe I am a woman pushing 40, with kids of her own, when I go on & on & on about how much I miss my mom & dad, sisters & brother.


It has been 3 years since I have been home for Christmas.
Sure, I was home in Sept. but my family is scattered all over the US...Roanoke, Kansas City, Houston... (not counting the cousins & rest of the lot...)
So the chance of me being able to see everyone is almost impossible... if I'm not home over a holiday or a wedding.


Because of my HS class reunion & both of my parents turning 70 within the next couple of years, the chance of my getting the kids home to the US for Christmas within the next 3 years is next to impossible...




When I said that out loud today...not being home for Christmas for SIX years...I.fell.apart.
Eva is going to be 8-9 before I get her back...no longer WANTING to sit on Santa's lap....


WHAAAAAAA... & yes, I really did start crying.....

Norway has its own traditions...just very different from mine. My friend Renny has an excellent post about the Norwegian "Santa Claus"... go check it out.. & make sure you say hello... (you will never meet a nicer Norski.. : )

I keep thinking how lucky all of the expats who live in Germany..or even the rest of Scandinavia are... with the FABULOUS Christmas Markets how could you NOT be in the Christmas spirit even if you can't be home? (NO, No Christmas markets around us...)

I hurried off of the phone with hubby for fear that I really was going to LOSE.it.


He called me back about an hour later

Told me to clear my schedule for the 23rd... because...
he was taking us away to get into the CHRISTMAS SPIRIT...

Down-over? to Liseberg.Sweden... where they have an awesome Christmas Market, ice skating

AND....FATHER CHRISTMAS aka..Jolly Ol' Saint Nick


Yes... I got a little teary when he told me what he planned....


Just when I think I can't love Bjørn any MORE than I already do...he goes and does something like THIS.... ...sigh...

Thank you Blue eyes...

Love you more than you know!

RANDOM Tuesday... Christmas edition..

I thought I would have nothing to blog about today.... then I remembered it was RTT with the Un MOM
Hmmm... maybe I could write a Christmas post...
(damn- I shouldn't have opened THAT can of worms...)



Christmas- the most difficult time of the year.... for "expat" me...

Ohh ya...pull up a seat & let me bitch for a few moments....



I want to be HOME...

I want to be with my family...

I miss MALL SANTAS...

I miss all of the kids...
(there is one more in the mix now...)
all of Bjørns nieces & nephews are grown : ( except one, who will be with her other grandparents this year)


*I miss 19 of us staying at my parents house...


*I miss the CRAZINESS.


*I miss Christmas songs in English...


*I miss adopting families & serving others on Christmas...
(I have been unable to find any charities in our area to volunteer... - no soup kitchens.. no families in need to adopt... - I guess that should be a REALLY good thing... I just miss giving back.) - maybe we can bake & deliver cookies to the nursing home?




Thanks...I had to get that out there... so I can snap out of it & make the most out of the Norwegian Christmas...


* Eva came home yesterday, SAD because she is the only big kid that believes in Santa... the oldest kids are 5 (how sad)

*Dane no longer believes, but still wondered why Santa's gifts were so much better when we lived in America... (ummm..because everything is 1/3 of the price in the States...)

* In Norway the kids learn to wish for HARD PACKAGES... ??...
(because if it is soft... it means you are getting yet another pair of wool socks..)

*I don't think grandparents should buy things kids NEEEED... just saying... no kid is going to get excited about socks, or wool underwear... (I already found out what they are getting...hmmmph)

* YES...I realize I am being BITCHY... but this is my blog.. & I gotta get it out.


So now, how to get into the CHRISTMAS spirit?.. & make it feel a little more like the kind of Christmas I had growing up...

Tomorrow I am going out & doing my Chirstmas shopping.. (no, I haven't even started)
I NEED TO GET IN THE SPIRIT

I need to do some serious baking & give some really nice gifts to all of the teachers & pre school teachers.

I am going to kidnap the entire family Sat. night & make them drink coco & watch all of my FAVORITE CHIRSTMAS movies... A year without Santa, Santa Claus is coming to town,

St. Lucia - Christmas in Norway

First time I am playing along with Sundays in the City...(how FUN!) Today we celebrated St.Lucia in our little Norwegian town...

13th December every year is the celebration of St Lucia (or St Lucy) – a festivalwidely celebrated across Scandinavia. Girls dress in white robes and carry candles in a long procession and sing the hymn about Lucia. The candles symbolise the fire that refused to take St. Lucia's life when she was sentenced to be burned.

Traditionally a Catholic festival, it is thought that this tradition survived in Scandinavia because it is celebrated during the very dark days of winter.
Some people believe that back in the day when Scandies celebrated Yule (or Jul) at Winter Solstice, it was both a season of giving, kindness and celebration - but also a season of fear of dark forces – the scariest night of all at that time was called the Night of Lussi – Lussinatta. Some believe that the festival of light is from this time to fend off the evil forces.



We celebrated St.Lucia this evening with all of our new neighbors.... The kids marched in a parade...sang songs & ate pepperkake & drank hot chocolate.
It seems like I am F I N A L L Y getting the hang of a Scandinavian Christmas...

Eva's Christmas show Tenn Lys (light a candle)

The Christmas show was a success!

With almost 100 people in attendance I was very impressed that Eva was able to go through with her solo...

Most of the time I thought she looked a little green...not sure if it was due to nerves...or if she really wasn't feeling well...

Her "5th of whiskey & 5 packs of smokes" voice is due to all of the singing she has been doing at the nursing homes this week....

Anywhoo... here is my baby girl... : )
( yes, I am just a little proud!)


TENN LYS ! (Eyvind Skeie)

Tenn lys ! (light a candle)

Et lys skal brenne for denne lille jord. (a candle should burn for this little earth)

Den blanke himmelstjerne, der vi og alle bor. (the shinning heaven stars, where we all live)

Må alle dele håpet så gode ting kan skje. (when all share hope, good things can happen)

Må jord og himmel møtes. Et lys er tent for det. (earth & heaven meet, a candle is lit for this)

Iceland, Germany, & Hungary

Iceland, Germany, & Hungary... these are a few of the destinations my friends are going for their COMPANY CHRISTMAS party... I told you Norwegians are CRAZY about Christmas & their Christmas Parties.

I am working in the wrong office.

Just kidding... we had a lovely party& overnight at a great hotel on the other side of the Fjord....

Just saying 4 days in Budapest for a Christmas party would KICK BUTT.

Trying to get motivated to make my cookies..clean my house & get clothes ready for Eva's Christmas program tomorrow...
(did I mention baby girl has a SOLO in front of like 100 people?-)

Mmmm hmmmm ... she likes the attention like her momma...but gets her voice from her grandmother.

Bjørn bought me a new camera in Dubai so I can tape her performance..
(he will be out of town yet again..)
So If y'all are nice... I will share a video of her big event...
(I know y'all are holding your breath.)

Stop the insanity...

Man... these Norwegians are CRAZY about Christmas....

2 Christmas parties, a Christmas concert & a cookie exchange hosted by MOI...all before Friday.

I am worn out & haven't even started to shop. (are y'all feeling bad for me?)

Wish I had something witty to write... but I got Nada.

Merry SITSmas & a Happy New Year...

The girls from SITS are starting the celebrations early....

We are all working on our Holiday cards... (this may be the only one I actually get done)... Thanks for the push SITStas.. : )

From our family to yours,
Wishing you & yours a very blessed Holiday season...

Best-est Christmas Ever...

Have to admit I am starting to get just a little OVERWHELMED with all of the

"Holiday Hoop-la" sooo much to do & sooo little time.

Where to begin? Decorate?..bake?...shop?

took a deep breath... went to the computer & I noticed this post on my little linked in widget thingy...

This is a repost... but still one of my favorite Christmas memories...

REPOST....

It's Friday, It's Friday, Thank Goodness it's Friday!!!YIPPEE!I'm playing Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta Finish again this week .So after you're done here, go over there and check out who's playing this week!!!
This weeks photo is inspired by my new friend over at The Cottage Cafe' & her post My Heartfelt Thanks
Since becoming a mom, I have tried to look for ways to show my children what the Christmas Spirit is all about... We have adopted families in need... Dane has gone with me to serve Christmas dinner to the homeless... but one of the best experiences I /we have had was a
few Christmas' ago...
My brother & sisters & their families gathered at my parents home in Kansas City...we invited soldiers from a nearby Army base to celebrate Christmas Eve with our family .... Just come over & hang out, so that they wouldn't be stuck on base without their family & friends.
My mother had a friend married to a Sgt... on base, so she invited them plus whoever else wanted to come along.... 8 soldiers showed up...
We had the best time with these "kids". We ate..we drank..we played games , we were Merry... we embraced the true meaning of the Christmas Spirit.
As the night progressed, the soldiers admitted that they weren't really sure what they were getting themselves into when they agreed to come over to my parents house...
they thought they were going to go visit an old lady with a lot of cats or something... (to brighten her day.. & to have an excuse to get off base...)
We had a good laugh about that. We had such a good time with all of these soldiers.. they came back the next day to spend Christmas with us. They brought Army caps & t-shirts for all of the big kids... (5 year olds..) who thought that was SOOO cool.
This is one of my all time favorite Christmas memories & one I doubt my son will ever forget. I hope these brave soldiers , where ever they may be, will reflect upon that Christmas with good memories as well....
Thank you to all of the brave men & women serving all of us...

Emails from Santa.... Tis the season...

My girlfriend Margot sent me this.... (thanks Margot!)

If you have babies who are waiting for Santa in the next couple of weeks... you
HAVE GOT TO check this out...

this was the email video Eva received tonight...
http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/f0f1e855a59d1377284beabe2950a474

(I think she is still kind of FREAKING out!)

Works even BETTER when you have another child who may not have been as good...
hee hee hee

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/c2c25e53979bea2281c3844e8b402576

Don't worry ... Dane was in on it... so he will not be scarred F O R E V E R.


Pulled out the Christmas decorations today... I asked Bjørn if he wanted us to wait until he returned from Dubai... he assured me to GO AHEAD without him... THANKS honey!


You know you are an expat celebrating the holidays abroad... when your 10 year old can
BLOW UP the Christmas tree by having the converter on the wrong setting...

It didn't catch on fire, but it did blow all of the attached lights... (that's what I get for being a lazy mother who was hoping we could just pop the tree up...CRAP)

We can still use the fake tree...but I have to go & buy Norwegian lights to put on it... next year, we are going back to doing the real thing....

I will try to finish up the trip to Argentina...but y'all know how I am. I get half way through the holiday & quit. (I am really am going to try to get the pictures of Buenos Aires up... what an AMAZING city..)

But we have Judo testing...Dane is going for his belt... Christmas baking... house cleaning... unpacking... sigh... I know y'all feel my pain.

OK... seriously, check out the Santa video it is SOO cute!

Back to Norway...sigh.... BIANCHI BODEGA...

I left the sunny warm skies of Argentina to come back to the freezing darkness which is Norway...
Norway is starting to grow on me...but the winters...man... the winters kill me.
After a 16 hours in the air & a lay over in Frankfurt I made it home to my babies & Bjørn... I was able to spend about 9 hours with hubby before he left for Dubai... when did life get this crazy? You know what they say...absence makes the heart grow fonder... (we are really pretty fond of each other by now..)
So about ARGENTINA... WOW ....
5 stars... all of the way talk about being SPOILED.. Some of the highlights of the trip...



San Rafael:

San Rafael is a warm and vibrant city in the heart of Mendoza province, the most important and extensive wine region in Argentina.

San Rafael retains much of its old world charm from the days of the European immigrants from France, Spain and Italy who brought their viticulture skills to create a wine growing oasis.



We were able to visit (hang out) at the Bianchi Bodega... yes, I know lots & lots of people get to visit (something like 100,000 a year) however we were treated like V.I.P.S all the way...
They even raised the Norwegian flag for "us"... didn't realize I was the lone American traveling with a delegation of Norskis..

They promised to raise the American flag for me next time I popped by the BODEGA.... ( I am sooo Spanish aren't I?)

Personal tour through the winery with PONCHO (not his real name.... but that's what they called him)... the Creator of most of the wines.... (how cool is that?)

Me with the MALBEC... my new favorite..

.... tasting pretty much ALL of their wines..

My favorites...FAMILGLIA BIANCHI & ELSA BIANCHI...

7 days & about 500 bottle later...my teeth will never be the same...

I also liked this Bianchi NEW AGE... I guess it is pretty big in the states...it has yet to launch in Norway but I think it is coming in 2010...

Dinner with the BIG GUY...Mr. Bianchi himself....

Yes... I know I look like butt, but y'all... this is like after 24 hours of NON STOP TASTING... I was lucky I made it through the dinner...lets just say... I am P R E T T Y sure they will be remembering the Texas chic for a while... (smile)

To end our stay in San Rafael... we spent the day with water rafting...

Finished the afternoon with about 6 bottles of New Age.. & baby goat... (don't ask)

before we hopped in the car to Mendoza.... da da dum....

More tomorrow...(if my children will let me get near the computer...)

Last night in Argentina....

This is my last night in Argentina....makes me sad. What a WONDERFUL ..W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L time I have had....

I already told the people I am traveling with not to be surprised if I break down BAWLING when we touch down in Oslo....I am just not ready to go back to the DARK NORWEGIAN WINTER..

But I do miss my babies and hubby....so return I must.

I have a ton of posts / tons of pictures to share... will have to get busy when I get home this weekend. I am DREADING the 14 hour flight home but it was so worth it.

Thank you to all of y{all who offered to guest post... my computer time is very limited... so I am just reading the comments now...sorry... But thanks again... I will get some of y{all to guest post very soon...

I still haven{t got the hang of these keyboards at the hotel so bare with me... OK off to enjoy my last night ... and maybe learn a little Tango...

Ciao for now.... Be back soon