American in Norway

Kegger At Paul Rudd's Mom's House After Royals Sweep! (OK.. I didn't make it to the kegger...but it was a nice invite.) Paul... I love. you..     What a year to be a ROYALS fan. and #beingroyal was a heck of a way to spend our time in Kansas City. I was fortunate to make it to a couple of games this summer..  One with baby boy & my sister..     and then to GNO.. girls night out..    I have the coolest group of girlfriends who never miss a game.. baseball.. football.. those girls know how to party.. woo hoo..    

4th of July in the states..   I love everything about it.. the kids, the fireworks, the family, friends, food and drink.   this year didn't disappoint.   So nice to come home and be wrapped in the love of my family and friends.   Everyone was just where and what I needed I needed that fill up to get through the rest of the year...   I am so blessed, in so many ways..   My adorable mom and beautiful niece Jenna  

It has been several years since my kids have seen my sisters kids... far too long..    

So pick up where I left off... here  is the rest of our year in  review.. JULY-   our long awaited trip "home" to the USA.. woo hoo.. & WHAT a trip home it was... the day after we arrived , my cousin just happened to be in the Kansas City area... - we haven't seen each other in 17 years...  (I know..how sad is that? )   But after years of chatting on FB.. we were finally able to get our children together.. what an AWESOME reunion! 2 days after landing... we did a major road trip down to TEXAS... where there were even more reunions! Michele.. one of my BEST FRIENDS in the entire world... Mich & I have been friends since 4th grade.. we backpacked across Europe as college students.. worked on cruise ships together... and she was my maid of honor..  - no matter how much time and distance.. things between us never change... Kids finally made to a REAL ranch with real cowboys.. finally made it to ...

So remember how I told y'all we were going to get our 15 min of fame?... Well I guess it is OK to spill the beans now... as we are finished filming the first part of our segment... Yours truly, plus family are going to be on HGTV's House Hunters International ! Kindda cool eh? - It was a lot more work than I had anticipated.... We filmed for over 13 hours for about 4 min of FOOTAGE! R U KIDDING ME? I am a bit nervous about how it will all turn out, because I will admit I CRIED several times during the shoot... I KNOW... WHAT.A.BABY. (Have you ever seen an episode of House Hunters where they cry? OMGosh ... should be interesting what they end up with..) I should have warned the producers NOT to ask me how I feel about having to leave my family in America... (here I go again with the big fat tears...) Dane & Eva did an AMAZING job! Can you tell I am a proud mamma ? My mamma & daddy being interviewed in front of their house... My niece Jenna getting in on the fil...

**Sigh**... What can I say? I am living the HIGH LIFE.... things are GOOOOOOD . Queen for a day? Um...make it 10. I fear that going back to the real world is seriously going to SUCK... But I refuse to think about that now.. T H I S is my idea of a HOLIDAY... I have ONLY been gone for a little over a week... but M A A A A N N N N ... I do not remember the last time I was this relaxed.. I have accomplished more in the 10 days this trip, than I did in the 3 weeks I was home last year.... & by accomplished I mean... shopping.... pedicures...facials...shopping...seeing girlfriends...shopping....time with mom &dad...shopping .... time with my sisters....shopping.... eating out...shopping I feel like a REAL PRINCESS... My reunion was A.W.E.S.O.M.E. ... makes me wish I had gone to my 10 th & 15 th . I am going to start saving up to get back for my 25 th .... Over 2 days I had the chance to mingle & see approx 350-400 of my CLOSEST friends... (my class was 900+) I amazed myse...

Yippee.... I am going home... Not right now, & not forever... But soon... soon enough to start counting down... & dammit... I am E X C I T E D! 6 weeks... & counting.. I have kept myself from getting too excited thus far... because home felt a long way off... but now...Woo hoo . (I know I am a total dork) Everyone at work has been asking about my vacation... (most of Norway shuts down during July so everyone can take a vacation...) When I talk about going HOME... I just start beaming. We are flying into Chicago to stay with my baby sister. This will be a first time trip for my hubby & kids, & I need to plan some things to show them besides all of the really great bars mommy used to hang out in . I am meeting up with my BESTEST friend from college Sean... who is going to host a little gathering of all of my buddies from WIU . Then it is off to beautiful Kansas City.. (the city of fountains... only Rome has more)Where I will get to see the rest of my family & the...

I always feel bad when I bitch about my life... where I live (post below)... I do know that I am blessed.. I started trying to think about the positives to living here... & I would have to say the 2 cuties above. This is their home...they love it here... they love their friends, schools, rooms.. and they will grow up having a hometown. Which is something I did not. I moved all over the place... I was often asked if we were part of the witness protection program, because we moved so often (dad was a big corporate guy) ... really ...what kid has to go to 3 different high schools --- That sucked. When people ask where I am from in the states... I usually tell them Texas...but in all actuality I ended up living in Kansas City, longer than Houston. My home in the US is where ever my parents are. Despite all of the cool places I have lived, worked traveled...I have missed having a place to call home... Although I think Fredrikstad is on the boring side...my kids love it here & th...