Over to the east

Last week we left Steinars mum and we traveled to my brothers house, there we ate a lot of good food, got to relax for a few days and just enjoy a Norwegian small town with houses all painted white, you can google "Skudneshavn" if you want to see what that looks like, as I didn't take many pictures.. Is rain a good excuse? It was raining a lot (at least for us Chinese people).

We left my brothers house to drive for almost 10 hours to get to my parents again, and the next day the kids were "left behind" while the parents went to a retreat/counselling place for the week. So that is where we are now. You can google "Norwegian woods" if you want to see what it looks like (actually don't do that, that is a Beatles song and a book..). You can rather just imagine a lot of trees, the Norwegian word for this would be "skog".

We are enjoying ourselves, and we are missing China and our kids all at the same time.

Traveling

We have finished celebrating 17th of May! If you haven't heard of it, it is Norways national day, and it is a mix between childrensday, 4th of July and the Disney-world parade.. Do you think I must be exaggerating? Well, "bu keneng".

An old firetruck got to start off the parade.

We have also gotten to reconnect with some of our old friends from Kunming, as we watched their kids over the holiday that was last weekend (you have heard about Pentecost?, yes we get a national holiday out of it!). But since we have "every day" off, it didn't make much difference.

Norwegian barbeque, it was like 10 degrees outside.

One thing we are feeling being back here is that Norway is a beautiful country. We do enjoy the nature, and the freedom of sending our kids outside to play while we do other things.

Have you ever seen such a blue sky?

Snow on the mountains, a quiet road at grandma's

So back to 17th of May. We started off with a breakfast including salmon, and egg. Then we went to church, then to the parade (we ate our first ice cream watching the parade), then we went home and had some sour-cream-porridge, and some meat (see picture). Then we went to a school and played some games, before we went home to relax, and had lasagne for supper.

Walking to Church, see the band to the right.

The priest, and the flagg.

Our niece marching, 2nd on the right line.

Children are the center of the parade.

The "russ" are also important. High-school graduates.
In Norway they spend the month before exams partying and acting silly. 

Kids collect their "cards", personal "buisness-cards" with jokes on them.

The meat and biscuits that go with the porridge.

Potato race..

Happy 17th of May.

The weather has changed

We started off last week with wind, rain and cold'ish weather. It made me miss our lovely Y spring, but now we have caught up! Sun, shorts and skin that is starting to get that red'ish color.

Playing with ropes.

How do we get up this big rock?

We made it to the top! Hurra!

This week we have not done much. The kids and I have been on a hike with grandmother, and we have walked around a bit. But the last two days we have just stayed around in the neighborhood playing and bathing!! (It was like almost 20 degrees).

Dinner outside.

We have also been shopping. The kids got 500 kr each and Rebekka wanted a blue Cinderella dress. Tobias got some toys. So here you se Rebekka in her new clothes, a "leather" jacket and a blue Cinderella dress. 

A cool princess.

Celebrations

This last week, our favorite Dad had a big birthday (at least in China standard). He turned 36, and got a cane... Candy cane. He was very pleased, and gladly passed the day over to his nephew who had a Confirmation.

Old man, new cane..

A very nice ceremony.

So Saturday we all put on beautiful clothes and went to celebrate our oldest nephew. He had a great day, and so did we.

Our oldest nephew with family.

Yes, we all have national costumes (but the kids ones are borrowed).

Rebekka has had one more birthday celebrations where she got even more dresses. So her mum thinks it is enough now, but Rebekka feels like she is still lacking a few dresses. especially a blue Cinderella dress.

Rebekka in new clothes, opening yet another dress.

Two things are a bit hard here in Norway, one is avoiding snacks, we get snacks all the time. The other is that we have turned the time to much.. We wake up between 8 and 9 now, but we feel we should get up at around 7 (since Steinar should start work at 8..). Oh well.. We are also more international when it comes to dinner-habits and eating routines in general, so when my mother in law wants to put dinner on the table at 3.30 in the afternoon, I don't always feel ready for it, but hey, somebody is cooking us dinner, so we better come eat.

One of the games played at the Confirmation-party.