American in Norway

At iHeartFaces - Sharing Photography of Faces the theme this week is - POUTING ... I knew in an instance which picture I wanted to use ... This is Dane when he was 4.... I had been taking pictures of him when he decided ENOUGH was ENOUGH ..... "NO MORE PICTURES !!" ( this shot still makes me laugh )

It's Friday, It's Friday, Thank Goodness it's Frid ay!!! 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 thi s week!!! I found this picture I had taken a few years ago while on a ferry going from Sweden over to Estonia.... Storm over the Baltic Sea... Everytime I look at this picture though... it just screams FAITH... I can't look at this picture whithout just knowing that there is something bigger than all of us out there....

So how did I get to spend my day off yesterday? Sitting out on my veranda sipping coffee in the Norwegian Spring sun..... Nooooooooooooooo... I spent the morning at the dentist... I like my dentist.... he is a very nice guy...& kindda cute to boot... but I can't remember the last time I wanted to kick a man in his PRIVATES... (ouch!) He asked me if I wanted to be numb before we started.... Ummm ... Y E S... Hello ? actually, I would prefer to be put under...but apparently, that wasn't an option. What kind of FREAK doesn't want to be numb before someone starts drilling on your teeth? ( Turns out that FREAK would be my husband...(or so he says....) because it is FASTER...) whatever ... Just so you are not thinking I am a big, funky, ROT mouth.... I had to have 2 fillings replaced.... I left EXHAUSTED... Not sure if I was more tired from the procedure... or from my mind going 150 miles an hour.... I am pretty sure after the conversations I was having with myself (in my...

I Love Faces - No Flash At I Love Faces the theme this week is - No Flash Taking natural light photos is my FAVORITE... the hard part was choosing which picture of the kids I wanted to use.... This is my big child- Husband... the day wasn't as clear/nice as the photo above of Eva... but I liked the pink bubble gum & his blue eyes.. : )

So, as I already mentioned ROME was fabulous... just what we needed. The sun... the sites, the food.. the GELATO... (despite walking about 50 miles in 4 days..i didn't lose a single pound thanks to the COCONUT GELATO...) Having said Rome was fabulous... the old Travel agent in me... thought I would compile list of the good & the not so good... ( I can't say BAD... it was ROME after all..) One of the benefits to living in one of the worlds most EXPENSIVE countries (Norway) anytime you travel out of the country, you can count on getting a good deal.... it is always cheaper to go out & eat & drink & shop... hotels....looks like Rome is the exception... I have to say I did very NO planning for this trip. (Normally I am a FREAK when it comes to planning... I think it is FUN... to learn everything about the place I am going... & have everything planned out... with backup plans.... have I told you I used to be a KICK BUTT travel agent?) But, ...

Friday Foto Fiesta.. My FAVORITE FOTO from ROME ..... It's Friday, It's Friday, Thank Goodness it's Frid ay!!! 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 thi s week!!! I snapped this from the top of a double decker bus... & knew as soon as I saw the old men standing together... on the water, that this would probably be my favorite picture from Rome.... I was right...

I'mmmmmmmmmmmm Baaaaack! Did y'all miss me? To say that I /WE needed this was an UNDERSTATEMENT... We had the BEST time.... For 4 days/3 nights... we did whatever we wanted or did not want. The weather, wine & Italian ice cream were PERFECT... It was so nice to leave the Norwegian winter behind us, & be thrust into springtime in Rome... (I think this acutally beats spring in Paris..) after seeing the kids being pulled through the Roman ruins, I am sooo GLAD we went without the kids.... small kids whining/teenagers yawning... But is was so nice to put my mommy hat on the shelf & just be ME.... we had so much fun, wondering all over the city, sipping on wine & being on no timetable... This was my 3rd time to Rome... but I almost felt like it was my first.... Rome has changed in the 15 years since I was last there... then again, perhaps it was more a change in myself..... It was a big difference to see the city as an adult vs. the backpacking college student... I c...