American in Norway

OMGoodness... can not believe we are at 15 years... holy smoke... where have they all gone? Love you more now... than I did then... Happy Anniversary Blue Eyes... Love you!

I think that was the feeling of most people this past weekend.... It was time to let our shoulders sink, breath a little & spend some time with the ones we love most... Last Monday as the skies began to clear, Bjørn grabbed the kiddos & headed out on the "new" boat... no plan... just sail until they hit somewhere nice... I finished getting caught up on work & met them on Friday after work.... They found a little slice of paradise just a couple hours across the Fjord ... in a little coastal town called HVASSER...   I knew it had to be pretty great if they were going to make me drive over to meet them, instead of them coming back to our side of the fjord to get me... We swam... we played in the water for hours... we grilled... we climbed..we explored... we played board games at night... we all snuggled up at bedtime... it was a very cozy weekend... Me climbing rocks in flip flops cause the kids said it couldn't be done... :-) My new favortie picture of ...

Today was my first day back in the city.... it was surreal... I wasn't sure what to expect...  but found out quickly that my normal parking garage was closed because it is so close to the court house... Today Anders Behring Breivik had his first court hearing... I watched out of my office window, looking at all of the reporters waiting for him It just felt like a HEAVY day...ya know? Waiting for the mass murderer to drive down the street... and the non stop rain... Made for a very long afternoon. When I left the office I was exhausted...WORN OUT... these past couple of days as been a lot...on EVERYONE... Before picking up my car.. I decided to walk down to the church.... There were make shift shrines EVERYWHERE... I have never seen so many people on the streets of Oslo.... in the rain... No one talking... just reflecting... I am glad I took the walk before heading home...  there was a sense of solidarity... This afternoon not only Norway... but Scandinavia sto...

SHOCK...DISBELIEF.... How could something like this happen here in tiny little PEACEFUL Norway? We (I) were/was wrong yesterday.... this wasn't Norway's 9/11... But Norway's own Oklahoma City.... AND Columbine all at once.  Facebook & the rest of the net was going crazy with people hoping that it couldn't be true... The bombing /massacre in Norway yesterday was by a home grown CRAZY... I think most of Norway will be glued to our TV's today...praying that they find more children on a neighboring island... that maybe they did indeed..swim to safety & are just waiting to be picked up.. My heart is breaking for everyone who has been touched by this tragedy... My heart is breaking for Norway & Norwegian Society. What will happen to this man... who as I understand it... went with police... without further drama. My first reaction was that there is no punishment which could fit what Anders Behring Breivik has done. I'll admit the Ol'Texas Girl i...

I have received a ton of emails today... just wanted to let y'all know we are all fine. My poor mother was pretty worried... I was supposed to be at work today.  Today was my first day back to work after vacation...but due to my jet lag... I ended up taking home office.   The explosion was approx 300 yards from my office... everyone got out ok...but of course are in shock. Right now we are all shocked & stunned... what am I facing when I go back into Oslo on Monday? I keep thinking back to Sept. 11th.   the day America was changed forever...  July 22,2011 will be Norway's 9/11-   First the bombs.. and now the shootings... WHO could justify going into a youth camp and opening fire on a bunch of kids?  WHY? - still glued to the tube trying to get information about what happened out at Utøya... Today, Norway's innocence  was lost...  Things like this don't happen in Norway...or so we tho...

We have made it...  finally "home" after almst 23 hours traveling.. We were met at the airport by these cuties.. All of the kids friends showed up at the airport at 10:30 at night to welcome Dane & Eva home.. We are so blessed... So vacation has finally started for us. It is so nice to be home..  

While most of y'all are almost finished with your first month of summer... ours is just beginning... Kiddos just got out of school.... we bought a "new" boat... & we are on our way to the states for a few weeks of quality time with family & friends.... Just thought I would post a few pictures of our summer thus far...