Some Bad Photos And A Story To Tell…

We’ve had a lovely weekend so far…my friend who had been on the Scandinavian Biggest Loser show with me came by yesterday and spent the evening with us and left after breakfast this morning. We had a lovely visit and she is very inspiring as she has been able to maintain her weight loss the whole 5 years since the show and she’s become quite the athlete within the sport of biking. She gave me tons of tips for keeping active and losing weight, which was exactly what I needed! Before she left today we took a lovely walk with the dogs and then after she left, Stig and Julia and I went toward Hamar to go cross country skiing on the Mjøsa (it’s completely frozen now)..on the way I was looking around at all the animal tracks in the snow and thinking- SOMEWHERE out there is my moose!!! I’m GOING to capture a great shot of her- SOMEDAY! As we rounded a corner I was looking up into the woods and noticed two very large brown objects and squealed with utter delight for Stig to STOP!!!! I looked frantically around for Stig’s camera which is a little pocket camera I gave him for Christmas. There was my moose….

I started taking some photos through the window of the car, it was a mamma and her baby and they watched us carefully.

I was so upset I didn’t have my camera with the 200mm zoom but I was hoping I was getting something…Stig rolled his window down and I leaned across his lap snapping photos and then finally I decided to get out of the car and start walking around to Stig’s side so I could try and get closer photos….

Yeah, I’m one of those stupid people who gets out of the car not thinking the giant beasts of nature will do anything too lil’ ol me…..

Thankfully this time I was right and as soon as they saw me go around to the front of the car they high tailed it back into the woods and as far from me as possible…Stig said it was my hat….I have no idea what he’s talking about…I thought I looked adorable…

We continued on our way to Hamar and finally got to where we were going when Stig suddenly cried out- NO NO NO!!! What is it I asked?? He proceeded to enlighten me to the fact that he had left the keys to the ski box at home….

There was nothing to do but turn around and drive the half an hour back to the house and by that time we were hungry- so we grabbed a quick roll with some meat and cheese on it and then headed back to Hamar with the keys…

Once we got there the Mjøsa was stirring with life…there were people ice fishing, people walking their dogs, people skiing with and without dogs. We had brought little miss Jenny with us as the big dogs had gotten a walk after breakfast but not her. So she came with us. There were so many people and it was very festive. The weather was gorgeous but the sun was already getting tired of being up and looking like she wouldn’t last long…

It’s an extremely weird feeling to walk- let alone ski on frozen water…you just keep hoping that it’s really true what people say about it being completely safe right now and the more people you see the more you are convinced you’ll be ok also, but you just can’t help it when you see a crack or two in the ice, to think- hmmmm…will it hold?

Well, it held and it was a lovely day and a lovely ski trip. We weren’t able to go all the way into Hamar from where we were (outside of Brumunddal) because it was getting dark quickly….

We managed to snap some photos for posterity’s sake and roll out a mat to sit on and drink some yummy warm cocoa and eat a cookie I had made yesterday…Peanut butter-oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies which I found at the Brown Eyed Baker…now one of my favourite baking blogs…

After our little rest we decided to head back as it was getting dark quickly and this ol’ body felt like the hour we used to get to where we had our rest spot was PLENTY and would mean almost an hour back as well…

I wasn’t the only one getting tired- thankfully- Julia was up ahead of me on the ski path laying flat out on the snow…I went to grab Stig’s camera to take a shot when she saw me and sat up and tried to get up before I could take a shot- she didn’t want anyone to think she had fallen. I told her if she had just laid still, people would have just thought she was tired but as it was…she looked like she fell….which she didn’t…

She’s like a professional skier…she is really good and her dad is too- they like to show off….

That’s quite alright though, despite not being able to lift my ski to my tounge as this young wipper snapper did…I managed to not fall the entire time and I was so proud of myself…granted skiing on the Mjøsa lake is a flat ordeal…no mountains on the Mjøsa…so it was a straight shot- which I was glad for…but let me assure you, this sport looks a HECK of a lot easier on TV then it actually is in person. I’m totally excited to see how my body is tomorrow…I could feel it around the top of my thighs, where they meet my pelvis…and in the back of my arms…but let me tell ya folks- this was a great way to exercise and experiencing the beautiful nature in Norway was just the icing on this fitness cake! I’ll definitely be skiing again on the Mjøsa in the weeks to come!!

Now..I’ve noticed that not many people are participating in my giveaway…is it the prize, are y’all just not interested….have you not been in and seen that I’m having a giveaway? If you haven’t seen it you can check it out here.

You don’t have to become a follower unless you want too- but I’d love for you to leave me a comment, your words always bring a smile to my face, and if you tell people about my giveaway I’ll give ya a second chance at winning and if people come from your blog and tell me that you sent them, I’ll give you a third chance! It’s really simple!! Hope more of you will want to participate and if not, then the few who have already participated will have even better chances!!!

Have a wonderful Sunday folks- my pj’s are on and my sheepskin slippers…I’m settling down for the evening very content with my fitness efforts today and looking forward to a busy week ahead and more chances to capture my moose with my camera- sorry for the bad photos…but I will remember my camera next time!!

Until next time my friends….

It’s GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

So I checked my statistics today, wanting to see how close I was getting to 10,000 hits and SURPRISE- I’m over 10,000 hits by about 100! WOW! That went fast! So I said at 10,000 I’d have a giveaway, I’m late…..what’s new? Hahaha…

So it was suggested to make some cards with some of my photography on it…which is a great idea, only problem is I haven’t really found a company I feel offers what I want here in Norway…so while I was looking around I came across a beach bag and thought, hey, we’re going toward summer…and these nifty little bags are also being used for light grocery shopping and I can add a photo of mine on it for you…

I am thinking you could choose between the following photos:

However, I’m pretty easy, if you’ve seen another photo on my blog you’d prefer on your bag, let me know…personally I’d probably do something funny like this lady…

That is me though….the flowers are pretty too. I also have some adorable puppy photos if you’d prefer that…the winner will have their choice of photo on the beach bag and knowing me I’ll probably stick a few more surprise goodies up in the bag before I send it. So you get a little bit of me and some other goodies…how’s that for a prize??

Ok folks- the rules? Leave a comment- 1 chance

Announce my giveaway on your blog- 2 chances

If someone reads about my giveaway on your blog and mentions this in the comments I’ll give you- 3 chances!!

I don’t have any fancy number picking machine, so it will be the good ol’ fashion names in the hat when the time comes, but I promise it will be fair and honest folks…hey, you know me!!!

I’ll draw the winner’s name on the 21st of February and let the winner pick which photo they want and get the prize out to them as quick as possible! You guys are the best and your comments to my post yesterday warmed my heart so much. I know I’m not alone in what I’m going through but it is easy to get lost in your own sorrows…you guys brightened my day as always…

Be sure to let me know how many chances you get ok?

Until next time my friends….

2 For The Price of 1

Alright, stick with me people, I’ve got tons on my mind these days and you’re getting it all..earlier today it was the kids…this afternoon it’s more family issues and this time a little heavier issue.

Since my Mom died, I’ve had people ask me how I’m doing, which is comforting to know people care, but at the same time a difficult question to answer. You always go forth in life, life seldom allows you to wallow in your sadness and grief, especially when you have a family, job, and responsibilities. I know a classic saying is that things get easier in time. However, I don’t think you ever completely get over the loss of a loved one, especially an immediate family member like a parent or someone who played such an intense role in your life.

I often want to call my Mom and talk to her. I want to tell her about things, I want to ask her questions, I want to share things about my kids with her that I know she would appreciate and enjoy and yet I can’t. When I really start to forget her voice, I call her telephone and listen to her voice or I watch one of the videos I have of her…it gives me peace but also a tinge of sadness because these are the only things I will “hear” from her again.

Another question I get a lot is, “How is your Dad doing?” That is a hard question also…because I feel very much like I lost my Dad when I lost my Mom. The communication I have with my Dad is seldom and never initiated by Dad first. I don’t remember the last time my Dad called me- not even on my 40th birthday, Christmas, or Sarah’s 18th..granted my house phone isn’t working correctly but I have a cell phone which can be used for these special occasions. If I meet him on Skype or MSN it’s purely accidental….

I’ve tried to communicate to my Dad how hurt I am by his actions. However, my communication attempts fall on deaf ears or get met with nothing but angry responses. I’m trying to read up on grieving and how people deal with things, trying to respect the fact that my Dad could be going through things I can’t understand or relate too, even though I’m going through similar grief myself. Our grief is different and I can’t expect that he will act like me and how he is acting is unnormal. However, it’s hurtful never the less. In some ways I guess I expected Dad to be the parent in this situation and look after us (My Sister and I) and our families through this grieving time and yet he’s done exactly the opposite, he’s been very self centered and egotistical in his grief and made us to feel like he doesn’t care at all about us and our feelings.

To put a cherry on top of this grieving sundae, he began dating very shortly after Mom died and subsequentially married this woman without ever letting us (my family and I and other family who didn’t live near him or his new wife) meet her first, without allowing us the chance to attend his wedding, and without really letting us know much about this woman he was bringing into all of our lives. Again, a very obvious lack of regard for our feelings in any of this. One might suggest he had the right to look out for his own best interest regardless of our feelings, but as a family I think you always consider each other’s feelings, even when you’re moved on with your own family. You don’t just do things without regard for how they will impact the rest of your family- especially if you have a close relationship with your family and hope to continue to have a close relationship with your family. Of course the ultimate decision is yours but you care enough to include your family in major decisions, if just to help them understand why you make them.

It hurts to know how much my Mom wanted to be a part of her grandchildren’s lives…how much she wanted to influence them, be a part of their successes and big events in their lives, even if it were by telephone…she wanted to be a part of it. When my Mom was sick, my parents couldn’t travel of course. So they couldn’t come visit us, couldn’t share in our life abroad, couldn’t see where the kids went to school, see how we lived, nothing. I thought when my Mom passed that one thing my Dad could do would be to visit us, spend time getting to know his grandkids. Stay with us for several weeks- a month or so…and talk with them, walk with them…share their lives with them. He wouldn’t have to be alone and they really looked forward to sharing their lives with him…but it became very clear to all of us that we wouldn’t be the focus of his grieving time and while the children have never said anything directly, I hear it in small comments they make at special times of the year, like Christmas, or on the anniversary of my Mom’s death, or other special times…how much they wish Dad would have chosen to be more a part of their lives.

One of my daughter’s was telling me the other day how they had heard of a project which included asking grandparents a question on how they fell in love and how they knew it was true love. She said, she didn’t feel she could ask her Norwegian grandparents this question because she had never really witnessed anything that resembled love between them and they really just didn’t talk about such things…and My Dad didn’t talk about anything anymore that was personal, with them (or anyone)…so the only person they could have gotten an answer from was gone and they felt so badly about this…It’s very sad to hear your children say such things and know there is nothing you can do about it.

When my Mom use to talk about death, I’d say it would be the worst thing to not be able to talk to her anymore. She told me she use to talk to her Dad even after he was gone…I told her it wasn’t the same and she said no but she gained a lot of comfort from feeling he heard her and thinking of how she thought he would have responded to situations. I think a lot these days about how my Mom would have reacted to what is happening now, what she would have thought of how life has turned out for all of us? Is this what she wanted for her family? Is this how she wanted it to be? She wanted my Dad to find someone and not be alone the rest of his life, is this woman in his life now, who she had in mind? If only I knew my Mom was ok with all these things it would ease my mind…but I’ll never know…and so my mind turns and twists and thinks…more then it should…more then it wants too…

I do my best to go on with life. To not get caught up in all these things I really can’t do much about, but I was raised to be loyal to my family…as much as I want to just say, “ hell with you- do what you want and I will too…Who cares if you don’t care about us?” As much as I want to shove my pain and hurt feelings under a carpet and pretend they don’t exsist, they do….I miss my Dad. I miss feeling cared about by him…I don’t really know how to deal with all of this and family counselling across an ocean just ain’t happening…another one of the pitfalls of living an ocean away…there are many in life…but there are many good things too, which thankfully out number the negatives.

These people here are who I choose to use the majority of my energies on…the majority of my precious time. I’m learning from my parent’s mistakes before and now and hoping that in some small way I can be a better parent for my kids then my parents were for me and someday I hope my kids will be a better parent for their kids then I was for them…Well….I can hope right?

Sorry for the heavy writing my friends…I promise to lighten things up next time…and my moose hunt is still on…but no sightings for a couple days…maybe he/she knows I’m looking for them!! Oh and I am SOOOOO sore from working out with weights at the gym…I never knew I had muscles in my boobs…they just look like big heavy ol’ water balloons but I must have muscles in there cause I have such pain across my chest and in my armpits…ugh!!! Hoping the pain part of No Pain No Gain, won’t last very long….

Until next time my friends….

For The Love Of Siblings…

Why do siblings fight and is it a healthy thing? What makes them want to rip each other’s head off one minute…

…..and the next they can’t live without each other?

When do you intervene as parents and when do you let them figure it out themselves? And does it get better with age??

Sarah has always been the motherly type in our house, so the two youngest are who I would call “normal” siblings and they fight like cats and dogs. Sometimes I genuinely feel they hate each other and then the next minute they do something that restores my hope in their relationship. It’s exhausting though riding that roller coaster with them and never knowing from day to day are they friends or are they enemies? You can be having a great day, get home and they’ve been arguing and the whole mood changes and the day sinks like a bombed ship. I’ve given my whole family loyalty speeches, I’ve emphasized the love we should have for each other as family members, and how even though we are family, because we live so closely it is easy to step on each other’s toes but there are ways to deal with it…

They seem to get it when I say these things…they nod in between staring a hole into the floor….things seem good for maybe a short while….then we’re back to the same ol’ game…

Did you ever fight with your siblings? How did your parents react? What was the worst thing you ever did to your sibling and did you say you were sorry? What is your relationship with your siblings now that you’re adults?

I’ll never give up hope on these guys….I just wish they knew how much easier life would be on their ol’ mamma if they could just love one another…ALL the time….

Until next time my friends….

Cause Baby You’re A Firework!

Sometimes there are songs that touch you. I am moved easily by versuses that give you hope, strength, and a good feeling. My kids laugh because a song can bring tears to my eyes….I can’t understand why it doesn’t move them like it moves me…and maybe it does but they haven’t matured enough to feel confident to cry and not feel embarrassed by it? This song by Katy Perry, Firework, is one such song. A song of hope for all of those who don’t feel they fit in, don’t feel there is anything special about themselves…but the truth is there is a firework in each of us, something that makes us beautiful in our own way…but many of us never let that part of us shine. Many of us are never encouraged to let that part of us shine. So read these words, listen to the video at the bottom and remember to let yourself shine, cause baby you’re a firework!!!!

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?
Do you ever feel already buried deep?
Six feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you?
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July
'Cause baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh
As you shoot across the sky
Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down
You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed

So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July
'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh
As you shoot across the sky
Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through
'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh
As you shoot across the sky
Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

The wonderful Lady Fi came with a great suggestion for my giveaway yesterday! So stay tuned…

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Until next time my friends….

Have You Ever Heard of Ganesh?

So first of all, let me start by saying- THANK YOU PEOPLE…for coming out of the cyberspace wall and writing such great comments on my blog!!! Not only was it extremely fun to check my email but it gave me a chance to go check out blogs I had never seen before and some I hadn’t seen in a long time- so thank you!!! It’s also very comforting to know that lurkers are a common thing and it’s not just me….I swear, I shower and keep myself smelling as good as I can for you people in hopes that you will come back soon and leave me a comment or something…hahahaha…Ok that was a tad silly right….??

Ok, so have you heard of Ganesh?

This guy…

This beautiful intelligent lady told me about him tonight on our walk

….yeah, we talk about all kinds of interesting things on our walks which is why I love them so much…everything from everyday stuff to heavier topics, like religion. Which we both agreed was extremely interesting to learn about various religions. That is when Miss Sarah started telling me about the Hindu God, Ganesh. Although the story she told me and the one I found online…you can see it here, were slightly different, still it blew my mind that she knew this kind of stuff! I LOVE it when my kids tell me things I didn’t know…it comforts me in a way…I think, ok…phew, this one is going to be just fine when she gets on her own…she’s got a great head on her shoulders…

I told Sarah tonight that she is going to have to give me time to accept that she has more important things to do then walk with me and talk with me…I’ve had 18 years of her attention and I admit, it’s hard to let go…but it’s because I enjoy our time together so much- with all my kids, but Sarah is closest to moving on with her own life, so every chance I get to steal a walk I’ll do it until it’s not possible anymore….you’d do the same wouldn’t you?

Ok, I see I tempted several of you with my giveaway plans…I’ve been asking Sarah on our walks what I should give away and we’re both stumped…but I have some time before I hit 10,000….so you’ll just have to wait in anticipation awhile longer while I try and think of something great to giveaway!!

Thanks again for all the lovely comments…means a lot that you came out of the cyberspace wall to chat with me!!

Until next time my friends….

Food Budget

So I’m not really a budget person…I do the math in my head, which is probably one of the reasons we struggle…hahaha…but now we’re going to get serious and make a budget and I’m curious…what does a normal household (a family of four or five) use a month on groceries here in Norway??

Right now, according to the math in my head (you’ve been warned about that one) I’d say we’re using about 12,000 Norwegian kroner a month? With this said, we don’t eat like Kings, this isn’t beef every night and I buy some of the cheap store brand products, not everything is brand name.

I think if there is one area we could cut back in our budget it’s the grocery shopping but I need to know how much should we be cutting back and how do families eat on a budget? What’s a weekly meal look like? What about weekends- what extras do you get on the weekend?

Then there is gas…gas is expensive, right now a liter of gas is running almost 14 kroner per liter. Diesel is about 13 kroner a liter. How much gas does a family use a month approximately?

Finally, clothing…I have three kids in their teens (two for sure and one almost) and they are growing like bad weeds…so they are needing new shoes, new pants, shirts, etc, all the time right now…and they don’t want the cheap stuff anymore…although my kids are really good to find great deals, you still want them to get nice stuff…so how much does the average family use on clothing a month?

My American readers are welcome to answer these questions also as I’m sure someone in America is probably wondering the same thing I am, but for my purposes, answers from folks living in Norway would be wonderful. I know the majority of my readers come from North America and Norway- how do I know this? Well, I just found a statistic page on my blogger overview where it shows how many views my pages have had, where my readers are coming from etc, pretty nifty, never knew where to look for that information before. My pages have had a little over 9500 hits…so when I hit the golden 10,000 I’m going to have a giveaway! It will definitely be something great and anyone is allowed to enter- whether you’re in America, China, Norway, or Africa…but I’m going to make some rules, I want to encourage new visit and keep them coming back, so I’ll have to come up with something good in order to participate…I’ll let you know when it’s time for the giveaway in the meantime, hope you all have a pleasant Sunday evening…

Ps- Haven’t had much response to my new look- what do you think??? Y’all can’t keep poppin in and not leaving messages…do you know what that does too me??!!! Hahaha!

Until next time my friends….

I’m Getting Closer…..

I was heading to work yesterday we again experienced an amazing sunrise..especially right over our island….but you know what they say, pink sky in the morning, sailor’s warning and by afternoon the sky wasn’t this beautiful at all, it was grey and dismal…very sad looking…but the drive to work was stunning…

Was running a tad late as I have been the last few days….I am not quite sure why, but I’ve been enjoying my lazy mornings all too much I think….anyhoot, was heading into the last swing before I came to the stretch of road before my work and as usual I was scouting the area for my elusive moose when SUDDENLY…I looked high up on a hill and against the amazing sunrise…there he/she was!!!! Of course this was a curvy road so I quickly had to look back at the road but then I looked back again, she/he was just standing there…oh, it would have been an amazing shot, but I’m late for work, or I really will be if I turn around…should I? Suddenly I squeeled into the nearest turn around, downshifted the ol’ passat and sped back toward the moose and the amazing sunrise…and took this…

It’s not the close up I want, but I’m getting a lot closer to my goal….and this is a pretty good first shot, don’t you think??

No one noticed when I strolled into work a minute or two over 9….I just smiled as I usually do and hollered GOOD MORNING….in English, as I usually do…that usually puts people in a good mood and starts the day off right! And the day really was a good day, the rest of the time. I signed up for the gym again, had dinner with my two youngest in Hamar and then hung out at the apartment for awhile while Sarah had her dinner party which was a success. Now the sun is shining, I’ve had four cups of coffee…I know I should really cut back…and soon I’ll be dressed and out looking for new things to share with you all…

Until next time my friends….

Shine On…Shine On..Morning Moon…

On my way to work this morning, with my camera in tow (in hopes of capturing the elusive moose on camera)…I saw the most AMAZING morning moon and took some photos with you all in mind…and yes, the coloring was JUST about like it is in the photos…an amazing bluish haze with that big orange moon…so pretty…and with all the white everywhere which looks like it’s frozen the landscape in time…it was just breathtaking, I was like a possessed driver, I was trying to hurry to work and looking for new shots to take….and my MOOSE….but of all the photos I took these four were the best to share with you…Enjoy…

Until next time my friends…..

Enzo

I just completed my first read book in…um, I’m not sure how many years…and I LOVED IT!!!! Yes, you all know I was reading Water for Elephants but when I heard about this book and got hold of it, I HAD to read it. Being the dog lover I am, this one grabbed me quicker then the elephants…Oh I’ll get back to the elephants but Enzo caught my attention and didn’t let go….

The book was full of racing information which as one who has never had any interest in car racing, I felt a bit lost at first but I felt like if Enzo got it, I would too and I loved how he explained how the racing world and things you needed to know in it could also be used in the real world. We’re all “driving” through this life of ours and being good drivers is important, though I never looked at it like that before this book.

The ending is a tear jerker, especially for animal/dog lovers like me….anyone who has ever had to say goodbye to a beloved four legged friend will need kleenex and LOTS of it at the end here, but it doesn’t just end sad…it leaves you feeling good, believing Enzo got his wish at last…

My Bently Bear is sick….I’m terribly worried he could have Laryngeal Paralysis. He has been coughing every now and then since summer and breathing very hard. I have my window in my bathroom open every night- even in the minus temps- so that the dogs don’t get too hot and all the other dogs are fine, Bently acts like he is in a sauna. He’s been on medication now for almost ten days to see if it helped any and at first I thought it was…but then he started breathing really hard again and has had foam around his mouth and his tounge looks purplish…so we’re going to the vet today after work and taking blood to test him and see if he could suffer from this LP. There is procedures they can do to make his life easier if he has this, but it isn’t without risks and I’m left wondering if it’s right to prolong a dog’s suffering for my own benefit. I guess we’ll cross that river when we get to it. If it was talk of a simple operation and then we’d never have to deal with this again, ok, but when there can be just as many complications afterwards…you have to weigh your options. It’s one of the things I hate most about having my fur babies…having to play God over their fates when need be.

Keep your fingers crossed and read The Art Of Racing In The Rain if you haven’t already…I promise you- you’ll LOVE IT!!!

Until next time my friends….

Dreamland

So yesterday’s celebration was mild, as we have two sickos in the house (Thomas and Julia have been coughing and hacking and generally miserable for several days now) and Sarah was at school all day…but I did make her a nice pasta dish (as requested) with white wine sauce, king crab and scallops. She also requested a red velvet cake which I made and the cake itself was great, but something got lost in translation on the icing…I ended up trying to patch it together to make it not so runny but it just was weird…tastes ok, but the consistency was weird and it looks like a cake with problems…again, the taste is still there so we’re good! A red velvet cake is a wonderful cake for Valentines and you can find generally the same recipe anywhere you search online! But be wary of the icing recipe..I used one which called for three tablespoons of flour mixed in 1 cup of milk with 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of sugar and some vanilla…was SUPER runny…so I ended up adding powdered sugar- lots of it…until I got it thicker…

Anyhoot, all that aside, this coming Friday Sarah is having some girlfriends over for dinner and she wanted to buy a bottle of wine to serve them…because she could…Oh man do I feel old…hahahaha…We’ve been kindly asked to disappear for a few hours while her girlfriends are over, so I think we’ll take the five dogs and hang out at the apartment…now, why doesn’t Sarah and her friends hang out at the apartment? Because it’s not as nice as the main house and their friends always have parties in their homes where everything is so nice….so we can’t be any different now can we? I’m going to have to work on the interior of the apartment so it will be “nicer” for future events and I don’t have to go up there but can stay in the comfort of my own home!! hahaha..

We’ve had tons of fog lately, you can see blue skies and sunshine through the fog, but generally a thick thick layer of fog which almost makes you feel like you’re driving or walking in a dream…you can barely see ten feet in front of you, so it’s pretty special…I tried to capture some shots for you but hey, I’m not a pro..what I saw and what I captured were two different things but that is the fun part of this hobby, to keep trying until SOMEDAY you get the shot that looks like what you’re really looking at- or better!

Until next time my friends….

Sarah Beara <3

In the tiny rural town of Pratt, Kansas, on the 17th of January 1993, Sarah Elisabeth Kippernes was born to the Captain and me…of course at that time he wasn’t a Captain and I was….well…a lot younger…we both were..

Sarah made us a family and she made us parents for the first time…

I really feel like these photos were not taken so very long ago and yet when I look at them I see how far we’ve come, for better and for worse…

Found these old photos of Sarah Beara…she was certainly a cutie..

She spent the first couple years of her life in the USA before we piled her into a train in the middle of the night to Chicago and on to Norway…

She was for the most part an easy first child, reveling in the attention an only child gets for as long as she could..it was easy to wear her out because we took her everywhere with us…

We exposed her to dogs even way back then…this was her with Heidi number one….there were three Heidis…the third being ol’ Heidi mamma you have all come to know and love…we had to leave this one behind when we moved to Norway, we couldn’t afford the quarantine…it was hard, she was a good pup and we all loved her..and Heidi number two also…

Now our Beara is all grown up, she passed her driver’s test today and can now officially drive. She is also legal to buy wine and beer in the country of Norway…she has a great boyfriend who she has been in a long time relationship with and she is driven in her goal to become a wildlife vet. It’s like she’s done this whole life thing before and takes each new phase in life in stride, never missing a beat and becoming smarter and smarter and more and more admirable for every phase she makes it through.

They should all be this easy…then again, life wouldn’t be that exciting if they were all alike now would it?

Happy 18th Birthday Sarah, you’ve made us happier and more proud then I could ever write or say…you’re forever in my heart sweet Beara…Love you so much…

Until next time my friends…