Badet!

On Friday we were able to go swimming! We had a blast! The town that we live in has this huge indoor and outdoor pool (outdoor is closed during the winter) that would put any "water park" in Eastern Idaho to shame. (Yeah, we went to a "water park" for work a couple years ago with our clients, and I thought it was pretty funny that everyone, including adults were so excited for a pool that wasn't much better than Pinny Pool in Ridgecrest.) The pool that we went to has windows everywhere, so it felt like we were in a nice greenhouse with the sun shining in everywhere. It felt like summer! They had a kiddie pool, a kid's pool, a wave pool, a lazy river, and then a huge Olympic sized pool. And that was just the inside portion!....Nico absolutely loved everything! I have to say the highlight for me was jumping off the 5 meter platform for the first time ever! I was so scared once I got to the top (and that's not even the highest platform)! I did it though, and it was crazy. It hurt once I hit the water, and I realized that I'm so much more a wimp than I used to be. I went bridge jumping in college off a bridge that was almost as high and didn't have any problem, but now things are different, I guess. It was still fun, and I was able to conquer my fear. And yes, I have been dreaming every night since Friday that I am training to be a professional platform diver. :)
It was also fun to learn about some of the cultural differences. I was reminded that I live in Europe as I don't think I've ever seen more naked ladies walking around in a locker room ever before in my life. Also, it was interesting that the little boys here wear swimming trunks that look more like spandex underwear briefs. Nico definitely looked different than everyone else in his long, baggy swimming trunks. Anyways, we still had a lot of fun, and it was great to get out!

Some Musings

I feel like I should update, but I'm not quite sure what to talk about. I still haven't gotten my camera out to take pictures, so sorry. There's really nothing much new to report. I had a couple weeks that were really hard for me, but things are better now. (Today at the store I did everything in Norwegian (including paying with coins) but don't worry, I only said "Hei, Har?, and Takk!") I think that when we got here I set my standards too high as far as adjustment and transition to the new culture. So, when I realized that there was no way I could keep up with my expectations, I kinda crashed. But, I am doing much better now. It's still a challenge to feel good about myself since I'm like a 5 year old when it comes to being independent, but it's not always going to be this way. I'm slowly gaining more independence, and things will be a lot better once immigration is taken care of. I was hoping that government related things (like immigration paperwork, etc) would be easier here, since it is not as bureaucratic as the U.S., but for the most part, it's the same. Some things are much easier, and it may just be difficult since we don't know how to do everything. I have now made 3 trips to the immigration office, and still haven't turned in my paperwork due to having the right papers, or not knowing business hours, etc but I'm hoping to do that tomorrow. After several months (especially since I heard that Norway has more people than normal trying to get into the country right now), I will at least be able to get a bank account, actual cell phone account, take Norwegian lessons, etc. But until then, I try to keep myself out of horrible boredom. I've come up with a few projects (such as painting our entire apartment) and I possibly will start babysitting during the day, but it's funny because I have this inward battle with myself when I'm trying to decide if I want to do something. See, if I decide to do something, I'm scared that once it's done I won't have anything else to do for the next several months. I know it's a strange way of thinking...call it one of the "adjustment phases" like there are different phases of grieving until one accepts the situation. Ok...now I'm rambling. Hope everyone enjoys their Valentine's Day!

Good Things

Sorry it's been so long since I last updated. I was pretty negative for a couple weeks, but things are much better now. I have been able to do a few things successfully, so that definitely boosts the spirits. Not to mention the wonderful family, ward family, and friends that have been such a huge help. There are tons of things that I already love about this place. Unfortunately, I don't have much time so I'm not going to list them right now. One new discovery a couple days ago was that there's a walking path that goes right past the store I go to for groceries that cuts the walking time and is a whole lot safer than walking right next to the busy street. Things are going well. Still definitely working on the language, and finding time to study it while chasing that crazy toddler of ours around, but it's slowly coming.

Nico has amazed me each day with all the funny and cute things he does. Yesterday he gave me kisses for the first time. It is so sweet, and I love it!...even if it is super wet and straight on the lips. :) Sadly he's been sick the last couple days. This time it's been hard because it's the first time he's developed a cough with this cold. It almost breaks my heart hearing him trying to cough out the congestion, but he's quickly getting better. Today he was obsessed with carrying Glenn's hiking boot around. I don't know why, but that is what kept him happy. He's also started trying to spit into the sink after we brush his teeth, which is super cute as well. One other thing that really cracks me up is when I catch him touching/holding/carrying something he knows he shouldn't have. First, he gets this very mischievious grin and giggles quietly to himself, and then when he notices that I've caught him he starts walking as fast as he can away from whatever it was he was touching, or trying to run away from me, but at the same time nonchalantly, trying to act like he wasn't doing anything wrong. I didn't describe it well, but just imagine a toddler running away from Mommy because he somehow got a hold of the baking powder, and the lid falls off as he running away from getting caught, leaving a trail of baking powder down the hall. While it's frustrating in the moment, it's just too cute to stay mad at him for long. Anyways, it is time for me to hit the sack, so stay tuned next time for a post filled with my thoughts on this huge adjustment I'm trying to make.

Homesick :(

I've been feeling homesick today. Weird how these days just randomly come. I'm sure I feel homesick on the days where things don't go as expected, or we have to act very adult-ish with tons of responsibility. Whatever the case, I don't know. I don't really enjoy it. I want to make where we are living feel like home, but today it definitely doesn't. I wish I could say exactly what makes me feel this way, but it's just everything in general. Today I've been missing: The cars (the size, the power, the prettiness) and the roads. Strange, but it would be nice to see a stop sign and not round-a-bouts everywhere (tho I know that round-a-bouts make more logical sense). Plus, EVERYTHING is miniature size here. The roads, the cars, the food, the appliances, etc. So I miss U.S. sizing. Oh, and I miss a decent dishwashing soap. I do love the dishwasher soap, but for doing dishes by hand, I haven't seen one that actually lathers and breaks up grease. I really miss my tan Emu snow boots that I found at Big 5 for $30 which I got rid of because they were disgustingly dirty. My feet are freezing with the new boots I bought (tho I did buy them in the states) which I thought would be warm. Oh, and I miss being able to do anything (like even have a bank account, etc) which I can't do until immigration is taken care of. Hmm, I miss the prices in the U.S., and how cheap clothes are. Finally, I miss being able to take a candle-lit bath on a cold winter night, carpet, and U.S. houses.
So there you go. I thought that maybe writing about my feelings would help me recover faster. Not that I dislike or feel like things here are horrible, today I am just missing how things used to be. Either tomorrow or in a few days, I'll be back to appreciating the experience that we are living, but just let me miss things today.

Does It Just Go Downhill From Here?

Nico. We love him oh, so very much! One thing that hits me almost daily is something that was said in his baby blessing. He was blessed to love and to be loved by others. I think Nico has a special way of loving others. He is always so good and sweet to people he doesn't even know, and when anybody holds him or interacts with him, I believe they feel the love that he radiates. On the other hand, we have definitely 100% hit the toddler phase and he has begun to test every single limit imaginable. Sometimes it is frustrating when he will start doing things that he knows he isn't allowed to see if Mom (or Dad) will be consistent in giving him a time out. He is now at the height of being able to turn on the stove, tv, washing machine, and dishwasher, and I am reminded of the importance of being consistent in consequences. My philosophy is to hold on tight to the reins while he is young and learning so many things, and then as he gets older (teenager) he has developed the values and skills we have taught him, and I have to gradually start letting him loose and give him more independence. We will see how it works, because every kid is different, but I used this strategy for classroom management while I was teaching and it was very effective. (Except the kids didn't age that much, but I was always able to have their respect and attention.) Anyways, enough talk, here are some pictures from the last week:
This has to be one of my favorite pictures ever of Nico.It was warm enough today to go outside and play in the snow. Nico loved it! That is, until I wouldn't let him play with the thorny rose bush...





Please notice the sequence of pictures above. Nico climbed onto the dishwasher, and probably in just one minute, I got all of these horrible pictures. I thought it was funny to see how much he was moving though. Yep, he's definitely a boy!

"Norwegians have a wall. Once you get past it, they are some of the nicest people on Earth."

I think this has to be the best advice anyone has given me about Norwegians. After hearing this I can definitely see it, and it makes it so much easier to deal with things. With some people it is so easy to feel shunned (for lack of a better word) by them. For example, sitting 2 feet away from someone without any sort of acknowledgment of my existence. So for the first while here it's been pretty easy for me to feel like I'm the size of a pea. However, the past couple days I have really been trying to see things from the "wall" perspective, and it has really helped! It's not that I was offended per se before because I totally understand the situation, and I don't expect people to speak English all of the time, but body language can be pretty intimidating sometimes. I'm not sure if I am explaining this the right way, but now that I know that it's a wall and nothing personal, I can control what I do to change things. I like it because I am forced to be outgoing and out of my comfort zone in order to get past the "wall" that people put up. So, it's a win-win situation. I am starting to meet some truly amazing, nice, genuine people after I get past the "wall" and in return I am able to break down the "wall" that I have built for myself. It's a fun social experiment.

I think I'm doing ok with adjusting here. Things are completely different. There are some things that I really really miss (like good cleaning products, including dish soap that actually works, and carpet) but because I am surrounded by wonderful family and friends, it is starting to feel like home. I miss my family that lives in the States a lot. I think one thing that is making it ok though is that Glenn's side of the family is a lot like my family, so in a way it still feels like they are here. Not in a weird Twilight Zone way either. Well, enough with the philosophy. Time to post some pictures of Nico, which is what most of you want to see anyways. (See next post)

A Good Day!

Today was my second time to church here in Norway, and it was much better than last week. Last week everyone was very welcoming, but I became very overwhelmed with the language and pretty homesick. Today I was able to embrace the fact that this is my home ward now, and I think the attitude made up a lot of the difference. I also had my wonderful husband translate a bit for me, and then a kind sister translated for me during Relief Society. Overall, I am much more excited for this opportunity that we have, and have more of a motivation to learn the language.

I've started slowly studying Norwegian, but I'm running into the same problem that I always had in school. I have no idea how to memorize things. In school, I just crammed everything in for the tests, and then forgot it a few days later. So, if anyone has any tips on how to memorize things (such as vocabulary words), please pass them my way!

Glenn seems to be enjoying his new job, besides the freezing to death walk to the bus stop early in the morning. Apparently it's been abnormally cold, but all I know is that it is stinkin' cold! The temperatures have been flirting around -20 F. And I thought I was moving somewhere somewhat warmer than Idaho! It's exactly the same...

A much needed update

Yes! We're still alive! It's just been a very crazy busy life lately, but things are finally starting to wind down. I've been avoiding posting because I wanted to have pictures to share, but I don't know where the uploading cable is to our camera, and figured I'd better post now instead of never. So, hopefully pictures will come soon.

Our big news is that Glenn graduated with his Bachelor's degree before Christmas, and accepted a job with a company in Norway! So, a few days after Christmas we moved to Norway! The flight and move were much worse than they needed to be what with delayed flights which led to a short layover, which led to our luggage (5 huge, heavy suitcases) not arriving when we did. Luckily we were able to get it later that night, but I was completely overwhelmed and tired by that point that I was so grateful to come home to our own apartment which Glenn's sisters had already got ready for us. They are angels in my book! We are slowly trying to build a new life and I'm trying to adjust to a completely different way of life. I've had good days and bad days, but at least today I went to the store to buy something and didn't come out crying! That is definitely progress! I am waiting to be able to take Norwegian classes, but that probably will be several months because immigration paperwork needs to get taken care of.

Our holidays were busy, but we enjoyed the time we had to spend with family and friends. We are so blessed to know so many great people all over the world! My sister got married on the 22nd, and it was nice to see aunts and uncles and celebrate with her. It's crazy that she is married now! I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it....

New Years was spent here in Norway, and it was like nothing I've ever experienced. Imagine 4th of July fireworks, but going off in every sort of direction you can see lighting up all of the sky. Almost every household buys tons of fireworks with rockets and shoot them up in the sky. So instead of fireworks in one area like during the 4th of July, it's everywhere! It was very fun.

Hopefully everyone is surviving getting back into the routine of things after the holidays. And don't worry, we're going to start posting much more often!

Our Moving Blog!

So, we're moving to Norway...and trying to sell all of our stuff! Check out our blog... www.movingoutofthecountry.blogspot.com. We are also trying to sell our cars: 2000 BMW 528i for $8000 and 1993 Ford Probe GT for $2500. If you're interested, let us know!

Norway and Paris pics

2009-12-05 Norway

We're going to Norway!

We are excited to make plans for a trip to Norway in November! Glenn has been looking for jobs both in the States and Norway, and this week he got a call from a company wanting to interview him. It sounds exciting, and would be in a charming town with a company that is internationally known. I've only been there once, but this town seems like it has everything of a big city (including an international school) with small town charm. We are also excited for Nico to meet all of the family in Norway! After several hours of searching for the best deals for tickets, we found a flight that was cheaper than we expected with only 2 stops! All others at the same price were at least 4 stops! Plus, we get to spend 7 hours in Paris! Originally I was feeling a bit scared and overwhelmed, but now I am excited. We're already planning the route we're going to take. I think we will try to hit the Eiffel Tower, that famous arch where the tour de france ends, and a couple other attractions. Another bonus is that we will be arriving in Norway in the evening, so hopefully we will be ready to sleep and the jetlag won't be unbearable. So that's what's new with us! Now the ultimate question is whether Nico will learn to walk before the trip, or while in Norway. He surprised us today and almost took a couple steps!