VanEss Visit - April 2015

We were so very excited to have my best friend and her family come visit us in Norway this past April. Brannon was so excited to see his "best buddy" Xander!

 We spent a long weekend in a cabin and the kids loved the ferry ride on the way to the island where we stayed.

 Xander and I were up early before everyone else so we went to explore. I thought it was just jet-lag...little did I know it was the beginnings of all of us getting very sick for the next week. I guess that's what happens when you throw 3 kids together with germs from two continents and international airports :(

 Enjoying the sunny morning before the virus caught up with us!

 This was our favorite Norway cabin so far. Too bad we had to nickname it the Throw-up Cabin!

They finally made it up...a little worse for the wear, and we took some cute family pictures. 

 Anne Marie and I did our best to recreate this ridiculous senior picture we took 13 years ago sitting on a bridge looking into the water together at the Whitte Museum. This time we had our kiddos which made it a lot cuter!

 All of my favorite people in one picture! :) 

 Our little trouble makers!

 On the ferry back home from the cabin.

 My little buddy, Brannon. I think this was a morning that the rest of his family was sick so we had fun hanging out.

 Maci rocking her fine motor skills

 The kids were excited to take a trip to the beach...the ice cold water and gale force winds didn't seem to bother them at all.

 Maci the beach babe!

 Our crazy clan!

 Walking the kids through the streets of Stavanger.

 Fjord boat tour...not exactly the best place to take a baby but we still had fun.

Anne Marie's mom was able to join us in Norway after Peter went home. One their last day we took them to one of our favorite places, the candle factory. It was raining most of the day but the skies opened up just so we could take a group picture :)

 It was so amazing to have my best friend here in Norway. Things can get lonely so far away from home, it was nice to wake up to my favorite people in my house every morning for two weeks.

 Getting ready for the trip back home. Love you guys and hope you come back soon!!!

Hytte Weekend: Rennesøy

During Charlotte's visit we spent a long weekend on a cabin on Rennesøy island, just about a 30 minute drive from our house. It was a nice little get-away and it was fun to explore something new.

The first thing we did was tour Utstein Kloster. Utstein is Norway's only preserved monastery from the Middle Ages and although I typically avoid historic sites like the plague I really enjoyed our visit. It took some time for us to figure out where the entrance was and Charlotte got to experience how HUGE this place was as she climbed all the hundreds of steps checking each door to see if it was unlocked. If you look closely in the picture below you can see a tiny Charlotte at the base of the steps.

We finally figured out where the entrance was on the complete opposite side of where we had been looking. And no thanks to some employees enjoying a quiet breakfast under the trees...typical. I really enjoyed our visit and I found myself regretting my lack of attention in my AP Art History class as we toured the abbey.

This was a quiet prayer room just off the entrance to the main chapel. It was so serene and calm.

View of the back of the chapel

Side door (to the prayer room)

View of the front of the chapel and the wooden alter made in Germany. Notice my cute little photobomber :)

Close up of the alter

Dining area used after the abbey was sold and used as a private residence.

Meanwhile...back at the hytte,...

we were dealing with a bit of diaper rash and getting breakfast ready :)

Playing outside

And putting the little guy to work at the store!

And last but not least, a view from my very own serene prayer area in our hytte. Sunset, baby in bed, glass of wine...perfection!

Hytte Weekend: Egersund

Arthur, Xander and I enjoyed another quiet hytte weekend in Egersund a few weeks ago. Our hytte was massive (as seen below) and could have easily fit a family of 10! We were right on the ocean and the views were incredible!

We we treated to a view of the sunset each night.

Xander discovered his love of unloading the dishwasher while we try to load it.

Enjoying a beer in the quiet while Xander napped.

Fun story...early one morning Arthur went out to fish from the dock below the hytte. A local saw him and told him it was really the wrong season to catch anything from the docks but that he was welcome to join him on his boat. So they drove out deeper into the ocean to check some pots he had set the night before. When they returned they grilled up the fish right on the dock for us to enjoy.

Xander loved the fish too but his favorite part was the spoon.

Another restful weekend in the books in Egersund!

Hytte Weekend: Bømlo

A few weeks ago we spent a quiet, restful weekend at a company cabin, also called a "hytte". As most things, a Norwegian hytte has it's own culture. Most hyttes are simple shelters located in idyllic locations...in the snowy mountains, on a majestic fjord, a quiet lake, or by the scenic ocean. Many are stripped down with only the most basic necessities (running water, heat, small kitchen, etc) so as to allow the guest to enjoy the serenity of nature.

While "basic" sounds great...with a kid in tow we were looking for a hytte with a little more to offer. So maybe our weekend at the modern hytte in Bømlo was not the typical hytte experience...I sure did enjoy the fireplace, dishwasher, floor heaters, washer and dryers, and super nice modern decor!

Our hytte was literally about 20 feet from the water's edge near the mouth of the Straumfjorden. And while the weather was temperamental, alternating between gorgeous sunshine, rain, snow, and then back to sunshine, we enjoyed watching it all roll by from the two-story wall of windows.

Arthur was able to fish for cod while I spent most of the weekend inside snuggling by the fire and drinking copious amounts of hot tea. Xander was great all weekend...he slept like a champ and had fun watching his Dad fish from the third floor of the hytte.