Category Archives: celebrate

Celebrating our 10 year old

January 29, 2015 Dove Familie 1 Comment

We had fun celebrating Daniel yesterday. As is customary, he got to pick the meals and cake. We started with his favorite breakfast, pancakes. Then he took blueberry muffins to school to share with his class. When he got home, he opened his gifts and cards (thanks to everyone that sent cards, gifts, messages, videos, etc). Then we had homemade pizza for dinner.

And for dessert, Zack and I attempted to fulfill Daniel’s cake request. He loves the movie Eight Below. And he loves – I mean LOVES – dogs, and especially huskies. So we made a cookies and cream cake shaped like an igloo, decorated with Lego huskies. He was thrilled with it, and that is what matters after all!

We’ll conclude the celebration this weekend with an evening of pizza and bowling.

celebrate

Double Digits: Daniel is 10 years old!

January 28, 2015 Dove Familie Leave a comment

Hard to believe, but the youngest in our family has now entered the double-digit world. Ten years ago today, a baby boy was born that would bring joy, laughter, and lots of excitement into our lives.

We are so incredibly thankful that God has allowed us to be his parents, and thankful for what a sweet, thoughtful, fun-loving, energetic, and passionate young man he is.

Happy Birthday, Daniel – we love you to the moon and back!

celebrate, Travel

Godt nytt år! Happy New Year!

January 1, 2015 Dove Familie Leave a comment

Sending greetings from lovely (and COLD) Budapest, where we are already three hours into 2015…

Hope everyone has a safe and happy time celebrating New Years Eve. We’ve enjoyed a fun but busy day, exploring more of the city with friends.

Here’s to a new year filled with lots of opportunities to improve areas that need improvement, get rid of things that are holding you back, focus on things that matter beyond just today, and find ways to show love and help others.

celebrate, Day-to-Day

2014: The year in review

December 31, 2014 Dove Familie Leave a comment

It has been a crazy, busy, fun, frustrating, exciting, exhausting, energizing, and all around interesting year.

Here are just a few highlights from our year.

celebrate

God Jul fra Sandefjord / Merry Christmas from Sandefjord!

December 24, 2014 Dove Familie Leave a comment

Merry Christmas

from the Dove family!

Luke 2:8-20

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

adoption, celebrate

Seven Years with our William

December 3, 2014 Dove Familie 1 Comment

Seven years.It is hard to believe it’s been seven years already. The little boy who barely came up to his daddy’s waist is now a giant 12-year-old, almost as tall as mom. It’s so cool to see how far he has come, how much he has grown, and how we can’t even remember what life was like without him.

Happy Gotcha Day, [not-so-]Little Guy!

celebrate

Turkey Day in Norway

November 27, 2014 Dove Familie 1 Comment

Although we really missed being with our family in Georgia [for the third straight year], we had fun celebrating Thanksgiving with our neighbors this year!

We did most of the cooking, but our neighbor/landlord/friend grilled the turkey. And it was great!

We have so much to be thankful for! It certainly is nice to set aside a day to focus on that.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from Norway!

Watching the Macy’s Parade!

I don’t recall ever having a White Thanksgiving before!

Two handsome boys

Lots of food!

Zack surprised us with dessert from our local bakery.

celebrate, cross-cultural living

Don’t Judge

November 22, 2014 Dove Familie 2 Comments

We decorated for Christmas this weekend.

The city is starting to look a bit more like Christmas with each passing day. So we thought we’d get in the spirit, too!

I know a lot of people will say it’s too early. Maybe it is. But if you read my last post, you know how dark and depressing it can be this time of year. And expat life during the holidays can be a little rough if you’re not careful.

So this is one of the ways we combat the blues! It sure did put smiles on everyone’s faces. And for that, I will not apologize!

celebrate, cross-cultural living, What's it like

November. So.Very.Dark

November 20, 2014 Dove Familie Leave a comment

We had heard that November can be the toughest month living in Norway. And as we endure make it through experience our second November here, I have to agree.

The days are short. Right now sunrise is around 8:25 AM and currently sunset is at 3:45 (15:45) in the afternoon.

The [lack of] daylight is not really a problem once it is colder, because then we have a good chance of having some snow. And snow helps brighten things up. But lately our high temperature has hovered around 5 C (41F), without much of a dip at night. Add to that the fact that it has rained almost nonstop for at least the last two weeks, and it can be a little depressing.

But then again, chilly wet weather in November means
~more opportunities for coffee and hot chocolate
~more chances to slow down and just chill a bit
~Christmas isn’t too far off! We are beginning to see signs of the holiday season in our city.And November also means Thanksgiving, and my (Jenn’s) birthday…

And occasionally other fun surprises. (Stay tuned)

So even though it isn’t the most glamorous month, maybe November isn’t so bad after all!