They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, it’s a painting, and it tells a story that is near and dear to our hearts.
We asked our friend Anna to create something for us, and didn’t provide many specifics. We wanted it to have something to do with adoption, and at one point we had talked about the colors of Ukraine’s flag (yellow & blue).
We were already familiar with Anna’s work so we knew whatever she did would be good. But when we picked it up on Sunday afternoon, we were amazed. It is incredible how an artist can take a request and make it into something so personal and, in my opinion, powerful. That is exactly the case with this piece. I also think when it is an artist that knows you well, the depth and power is even greater.
It really does say a lot about us.
It shows the boys’ interests. And their individual background colors reflect their Ukrainian heritage.
Daniel, the artist
William, the athlete
The red at the top reminds me that it all started with a love story 🙂 And the rainbow reminds me of promises: from God to us, from us to God, in our marriage, and within our family.
I think the use of color symbolizes a lot as well. The colors are beautiful on their own. But their real beauty is seen when they come together. Kind of like our family: each of us holds gifts and talents that become more when we come together.
We are so excited about the way this turned out. As Anna pointed out, someone that didn’t know us would simply see it as a piece of art. But those that know us can see that it tells so much more!
I’m working on a new series, highlighting one of our favorite things: coffee.Okay, actually two of our favorite things: coffee and cool coffee shops/cafés.
I’ll highlight some great – and maybe even a few not-as-great – spots that we’ve visited in various countries over the past few years.
And since he is even more into coffee than I am, hopefully I can get Zack to share a bit from time to time as well.
I have a couple of new series coming up on the blog soon, involving some of our favorite things: coffee, food, and cultural differences/observations.
But for now, here are a few recent pics. We have been quite busy with regular life stuff, and a bit of travel, both work-related and personal. (It seems to be a bit biased toward Daniel, but William is getting to that age where he isn’t so interested in having every aspect of his life documented in pictures!)
Daniel built his own foosball table during a project at school, using recycle materials. We were very impressed!
A certain adorable nephew turned one a few weeks ago. Isn’t he the cutest?
Daniel continues to uncover his passion and talents.
The boys got some gifts from family in the states.
We continue to work on our sushi skills.
And I finally crocheted something that I will actually wear out into public…
which is good, because you never know when winter might sneak up again. We got 17+ inches of snow from last night till this afternoon!
Teaching our children important skills, like the art of a pour-over… yes, we do love coffee!
Yeah, yeah. It’s really more of a mediterranean or Middle Eastern food. But I don’t think it is possible to drive through a city in Norway – regardless of the size – and not find at least one kebab restaurant. It is like the national fast food of this country.It is also one of the cheaper restaurant options. It’s usually available fairly quickly (prepared to order, but doesn’t take long), and typically at a counter service establishment. It isn’t the healthiest food, but from time to time I find I must indulge! The meat is typically lamb, but many restaurants offer a chicken option, as well as some beef or blend options.
The lamb is often cooked on a large upright spit. In that case, the meat is shaved from the spit. At other restaurants it is chopped.
Daniel prefers kebab i pita: a warm pita filled with lettuce, meat, and other toppings like onions, corn, tomatoes, cucumber and sauce. We all like kebab tallerken as well. It has all the stuff you would find in a pita, but spread over a bed of French fries.
Kebab
(noun) Kebab.
Used in a sentence
Det er min mening at man ikke har vært i Norge før man har prøvd kebab.
(It is my opinion that you haven’t been to Norway until you’ve tried kebab.)
Related Words
kjøtt – meat
tallerken – plate/platter
salat – lettuce
løk – onion
agurk – cucumber
sterk – spicy
Twenty years ago today, my oncologist confirmed that all of my scans were clear. Thirteen months of chemotherapy behind me, and loads of possibility and unknowns ahead. I was officially in remission, off-therapy, and a cancer survivor*.
Twenty years. I don’t remember a lot of details. Partly because it has been a long time, and partly because that’s what chemo does to your brain. But I do remember what it feels like to be so sick that you start to wonder how cancer could be worse than what the chemo is doing to you. I remember the feeling of receiving Benadryl through an IV (amazing what that can do for nausea – and how quickly it makes you sleep!). I recall how good it felt each time the scans would come back clear after an MRI or spinal tap. And I remember how excited – and scared – I was when they said I was finished with chemo.
Cancer took a lot from me. It took my hair – quite devastating for an 18 year old girl. It took my energy. I felt tired all the time. It took the majority of my senior year. I completed most of the final semester from home. It took me away from friends and activities. It took what should have been my first semester of college. While most of my friends were off to school, I was spending my days in the hospital or sick at home.
Yes, cancer took a lot. But cancer gave me a lot as well.
There were little things: an amazing hat collection, more flower deliveries than I could count, gifts and visits from family & friends, a standing ovation at my high school graduation, and lots of other fun little things. But the big things are much more memorable and important.
Cancer gave me the chance to really examine who I am and what I believe. And even though I was sick and my body was weak, my faith grew stronger. I felt God’s presence, and I knew He could make something beautiful out of my circumstances.
Cancer gave me more time with my family. It gave me a chance to evaluate relationships and priorities. It opened doors to my participation in/with newspaper, television, and an art exhibition. It provided me with the opportunity to set goals. It gave me (and continues to give me) so many opportunities to share my faith with others. And cancer gave me the chance to start college a semester late, at the right time so that I could meet the man I would one day marry.
I am a cancer survivor, but that is only a part of who I am. It is a journey that I would not have chosen. But it is a journey that made me stronger in many ways, and one that ultimately led me to, among other things, my husband, my children, and a life overseas. I am grateful that God has given me this testimony, and twenty years of life and opportunities. God is good!
You can read more about my cancer experience HERE.
*And FYI – once you’ve lived a moment beyond your diagnosis, you are a survivor in my book!
The Five Healthiest Foods in Norway (original post here) – carrots came in at number one.Carrots are fairly inexpensive here. And very common, as are most root vegetables. I often have a big bag of carrots in the fridge. I use them in soups and stir fry, and last week I made carrot apple bread (it was really good! – I found the recipe HERE via Pinterest).
I’ve had a lot of Pinterest success stories lately – I really should start sharing them more often! In the meantime, feel free to visit and follow my Pinterest board “Pinterest Success.”
The NRK article stated that everyone likes carrots, both raw and cooked. I am afraid I must disagree. I can handle them cooked in things, but I have a difficult time eating raw carrots (unless they’re covered in dip or humus!). I really want to find more ways to prepare them since they are so good for you. So if you have any favorite recipes involving carrots, I would love to hear about them!
Gulrot
(noun) Carrot.
Used in a sentence
Jeg trenger to gulrøtter for suppe.
(I need two carrots for the soup.)
Related Words
grønnsaker – vegetables
fiber – fiber
vitaminer – vitamins
rot grønnsaker – root vegetables
The Five Healthiest Foods in Norway (original post here) – at number two was mackerel in tomato sauce. (And hooray – Zack is writing today!…)
Would you eat a food if the nickname for it was “plane crash”? Yeah, me neither. I grew up seeing my dad eat sardines from time to time when we were fishing or hunting, but I think mostly his reason for doing it was to try and gross me out. Probably the same reason why he would eat raw chicken liver when we were fishing for catfish.
Anyway. Plane Crash or mackerel in tomato sauce. Sounds delightful. And with a shelf life of just over a decade, why not??
I was not much of a fish eater when we lived in the US. I ate some fresh water fish that dad caught and then salmon and tuna from time to time. I had to make some adjustments to my diet when we moved here because people (most people) eat a lot of fish. Beef and chicken are crazy expensive, and we found cod and salmon to be quite reasonable.
The day after our first Norwegian constitution day here, we went on a weekend cabin trip with some friends. We stopped on the way and bought some food to share over the long weekend. My friend K bought some mackerel in tomato sauce and brought it along.
Let me set the stage. It was hot by Norwegian standards, probably low 80’s and we had been hiking most of the day. We are in an awesome cabin that was very rustic in many ways. It did have a toilet, but the toilet (poop, bæsj, crap- whatever you want to call it) basically went through the floor and into the woods outside. To help cover the odor, you put bark and soil over the top of it to “flush”. It worked great and we had no problems at all, IF the rules were followed.
The first – and possibly most important – rule was to keep the door closed. Well, D and W apparently did not really remember that rule too well and we had just sat down to lunch. My friend K opened the can of “plane crash” and smeared some on a piece of whole wheat bread. He offered some to the boys and to Jenn and me as well. The boys loved it and asked for more. Jenn declined politely refused, and I took a piece.
Just before I put the piece of bread with the fishy tomato sauce smeared on top, a gentle breeze blew outside, coming up through the toilet and through the door that one of my little guys had left open. It went right up my nose and felt like it punched me in the face.
I went ahead and put the bread in my mouth and took a bite. My first thought was, I’m gonna hurl! I silently asked Jesus to help me swallow this food and he did. I am not very good at hiding what I am feeling or thinking, so they knew I didn’t like it. After some good natured teasing and ripping, it died down and I was able to finish eating. K did however send D to shut the bathroom door, for which we were all thankful.
Fast forward about 1.5 years later with some small intervals of teasing from my friends about mackerel in tomato sauce and I am now eating it. I eat it once or twice a week. How did this happen? I will explain.
I was at a leadership conference in Kristiansand (south of Norway) last year and I saw a guy whom I consider to be in really good health and in good shape eating “plane crash” for breakfast. Mental note number one.
I heard a commercial on the radio where the mom was talking about healthy food and she was talking about mackerel in tomato sauce, but she had to speak English because she didn’t want the daughter to understand and know that she was eating something so delicious and was so good for her. She then switches to German when the older son comes in (because he’s school age so he would of course already be learning English!). Mental note number two.
My family has a history of heart problems and strokes. I know taking care of myself is very important. Fatty fish is good for your heart, memory, skin and also helps with seasonal affective disorder. I decided to give it another try. I bought a can of mackerel in tomato sauce and brought it home. I opened it up and put it on a slice of bread and it wasn’t bad at all. I continued to eat it, but just out of the can with no bread and I REALLY liked it.
So now, at least 2-3 times a week I eat a can of makrell i tomat (Norwegian). I like it a lot and it is great to take with you on a hike, in the car, to a meeting, when your wife has surgery and you are at the hospital all day and just for a snack before going skiing or something when you need some quick energy.
(Here are a few TV commercials about mackerel in tomato sauce, based on a song ‘tre små fisk‘)
Makrell i tomat
(noun) Mackerel in tomato sauce.Related Words
fettsyrer – fatty acids
fisk – fish
sunn/sunt – healthy
tre små fisk – three small fish
The Five Healthiest Foods in Norway (original post here) – at number three was oatmeal.
The nutritionists that participated in the study encouraged the importance of whole grains. Oatmeal is a good source of fiber, vitamin B, iron and other important minerals. (I also like the way it leaves you feeling full for quite a while.)We eat quite a bit of oatmeal. I probably cook it an average of three times every week for breakfast. I use it when making multigrain bread. And it is a major component of the granola I make as well. The boys love it, especially with a bit of jam mixed in.
It seems the majority of people eat oatmeal with something sweet added, whether it be fruit, jam, or cinnamon and sugar. I am a bit odd in that I prefer mine with butter, a splash of milk, and a little salt. I blame it on my mom; that’s how she gave it to me when I was growing up. So sweet oatmeal is really weird to me!
Havregryn
(noun) Oatmeal.
Used in a sentence
Vi spiser havregryn omtrent tre ganger hver uke.
(We eat oatmeal about three times each week.)
Related Words
havre – oats
fullkorn – wholegrain
grøt – porridge
jern – iron
The Five Healthiest Foods in Norway (original post here) – at number four was blueberries.
Homemade blueberry muffins, made
from the berries the boys picked in
the mountains on a hiking trip
Berries are quite popular here. And berry-picking trips are popular in the summertime. Last summer, the boys enjoyed picking lots of blueberries while we were hiking in the mountains.
We all like blueberries. Sometime alone, other times in a fruit salad or smoothie, and occasionally in a treat like muffins.
The NRK article’s nutritionists appreciated the antioxidants in blueberries. They were concerned that people do not eat enough berries, and also focused on the importance of ‘five a day.’ Furthermore, they liked that picking the berries yourself means additional physical activity!
Blåbær
(noun) Blueberry.
Used in a sentence
Guttene plukket blåbær og vi laget muffins.
(The boys picked blueberries and we made muffins.)
Related Words
bær – berry/berries
antioksidanter – antioxidants
The Five Healthiest Foods in Norway (original post here) – at number five was milk.The article explained that is the best source of calcium in Norway, and also a good source of iodine. We typically buy Ekstra Lett Melk because it has added Vitamin D – especially important in the dark winter months! (Eskstra Lett also has less saturated fat.)
We really like the milk in Norway. It is refrigerated! Sounds strange to some of you maybe, but in Ukraine we learned that this is not always the case. Yeah, unrefrigerated milk was kind of strange to me!Price
There are two brands we can choose from: Tine Melk or Q-Melk. Most of the time we buy Tine, mainly because I have better luck finding the kind I prefer in the 1.75 liter carton instead of the 1 liter that seems to vanish as soon as it is opened.
The 1.75 liter costs a minimum of 21.90 Norwegian kroner. Our current conversion rate is quite favorable for us (not for Norwegians traveling to America!), so that is currently around $2.90 for 1.75 liters. That is the equivalent of about $6.24 per gallon (about double the price of a gallon in Georgia!)
We are occasionally able to find it marked down for as much as 50% off due to only a couple of days left on the expiration date. But the boys love milk, and we use it in a lot of recipes, so a short date is no problem!
Tine changes their packaging at Christmas and Easter. For the majority of the year, the photos on the cartons show scenes from the dairies located in your region. But at Christmas the nisser (the little trolls/elves) show up. And at Easter, Tine pays homage to the Norwegian tradition of Påskekrim – Easter crime novels* – by including mystery-based comic strips on the boxes.
Variety
Like in the states, there are plenty of varieties: whole milk, low fat, lower fat (with the added Vitamin D), skim milk, as well as chocolate milk, culture milks, and kefir.
[Okay, I just have to say that this may be the most boring post I’ve ever written!]
Melk
(noun) Milk.Used in a sentence
Kan du kjøpe inn en melk for meg?
(Will you buy a carton of milk for me?)
Related Words
hel melk – whole milk
lett melk – low fat milkekstra lett melk – lower fat milk
skummet melk – skim milk
sjokolademelk – chocolate milk
geit melk – goat milk
økologisk melk – organic milk
laktosefri melk – lactose free milk
kulturmelk – culture milk/soured milk (similar to buttermilk)
*You read that correctly – Easter crime novels – I should probably revisit this in a couple of months!
