American in Norway

This weekend has gone by in a flash... Trying to keep myself busy... whilst trying to grab some much needed downtime... On Friday.. hubby just returned from Italy.. baring gifts..(wine for mommy) the snow was falling & the kids were still out playing.. I decided to whip up my mom's French Onion soup.. the secret is the wine... lots & lots of wine... as I was finishing up the soup... we heard the news... Hubby & I sat and watched for a bit in shock & horror... until the kids came in I think this is the first time I have been able to turn off the news during a tragedy like this.. The only thing on my mind was spending as much quality time with my family... holding my babies just a little tighter. I am glad I was able to turn it off... and not have to hear every horrible detail.. even more thankful that my 8 year old still doesn't know what happened... Woke up the next morning determined to make the most out of our we...

Thank goodness for fantastic sunrises & sunsets.. in this time of darkness... this was after I had taken the children to school.. at about 9:30. Sunrises like this makes it possible to get out of bed in the morning.. Taken at our dock on my morning walk.. Love a great sky shot?  here are some awesome shots from around the world.. I am also linked up at TOP SHOTs .. & Tina's a little piece of Heaven..

I woke up this morning thinking this will be the last time in my lifetime... we get the day.month.year.. all of the same... Wish I would have done something special on all of them... ya, but I didn't. today- I just decided to remember what we did... Woke up to yet another FREEZING morning here in Norwegian... got my babies off to school... and hubby unpacked from our weekend in Germany.. & repacked for a business trip to Florence, ITALY.. I LOVE ITALY...and it has been a while.. (wouldn't it be nice if we could travel with each other on business? - sigh.) There was a lovely 9:15 sunrise... so I decided to to go down to our dock & take a few shots. I worked... and worried about all of the things I haven't done in preperation for Christmas.. Picked up my baby girl early from school.. so we could have a little time together before her school's Christmas Show... NAGGED my teenage son.. about studying for his test tomorrow......

I have got this bag & the lipstick... (perks of the job  :-) just need the blouse to make the outfit complete... Coming off of one crazy week.... leading into another. As y'all know.. Norwegians are CRAZY about their Christmas parties... I attended ORIFLAME's Christmas party this past weekend. They had arranged a surprise trip to Sweden at a spa hotel... LOVELY... Next weekend we are going to Hubby's Christmas party... a 2 day cruise to Kiel, Germany... Where hopefully, I will be able to do a little retail therapy & START my Christmas shopping... (just a little behind this year.. :-(  Hope y'all are all staying sane- and getting your stuff all done .

Source: moonshineandwool.tumblr.com via Katie on Pinterest Source: domesticexecutiveonline.com via Tressa on Pinterest I am so sorry I didn't get onboard with posting something I am thankful for everyday in Nov. -  What an awesome idea! . but just because I haven't posted, doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about it & counting my blessings.. I have been a bit OVERWHELMED lately.... like. GOING UNDER kindda OVERWHELMED.. I know, y'all know, what I am talkin about... I felt like I was going under for the 3rd time.. when..  it hit me.. that inner peace... the thought..that I should be TH A N K F U L  for every..single. thing. that I am trying to juggle. my job.(thankful I have one) . my messy house..(thankful that I have one).  my pain in the ass (at times) husband... - thankful I have him... my throwing up kids on the sofa... THANKFUL it is only the flu... so today... I am just going to take baby steps.. and do th...

Oooo I have been waiting all week- so I could post my FAVORITE PHOTOS on FRIDAY...   over at the long road to china-  I know it says phot O .. but I have to post some of my favorite faces from Thailand.. so I have to make it photoS.. absolutley fell .in.love. with this little girl... everyday we would sit at the same spot on the beach.. and everyday she would come by and talk to me. We asked her where she learned English--- at school?  Oh no, she didn't go to school.. :-( she told us she was from Bangladesh.. and her parents had sent her & her big sister to Thailand...  to live with the man selling t-shirts...  just heartbreaking... If I could have brought her home with me, I would have. the "corn" lady.... everyday.. selling us corn.. Easy to see why Thailand is called the land of smiles... :-) Hope you all enjoy your weekend!

 I really hate skipping around on my blog , but until my life slows down just a bit... I am going to have to bounce around trips - or never get anything written. better to be all over the place than nothing.. no? so as I mentioned here ...  I LOVED,LOVED,LOVED THAILAND and to think, the week before I left I was thinking about asking my boss if I could miss the trip. yes, I was THAT overwhelmed... but.. I didn't.. and am soo happy I went back to THAILAND. the country really is a paradise.. (view from my hotel) a smiling, peaceful, people.. with so much poverty in the country.. you wonder how they can be so hospitable towards their guests.. who can be.. demanding fat cats.. (don't know this man... but it was a cool shot with my new lens.. :-) BUT THEY ARE... fantastic people! there were only two times I felt uncomfortable /threatened in the least bit.. 1st time..was after the Simon Cabaret show in Phuket.. after asking if we w...