Some days the expat life is great. Other days it can be a struggle.But a couple of recent days stand out as days where I have to pinch myself to be certain this is real life.
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| Out doing some work in our neighboring city, Tønsberg |
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| Coffee and conversation with a local friend |
And when I see them comfortable and happy, it is an encouragement for this momma’s heart!
That is what I saw last Thursday morning, as they returned to their school for a third year (this will be their second full year). They are in a familiar environment, where they are known and cared for. They enjoy school, and they have teachers who challenge them and help them reach their potential. They aren’t seen as a number, and they are encouraged to develop at a pace that suits each of them, without going too easy on them.
As I’ve said before, I’ve learned that when my kids are thriving in this expat life, it makes everything easier.
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| First day of school after arriving in Norway Daniel: Grade 1, William: Grade 4 |
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| First day of school 2013 Daniel: Grade 2, William: Grade 5 |
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| First day of school 2014 Daniel: Grade 3, William: Grade 6 |
Still to come: a weekend trip to a cabin, and then a big road trip to Germany!
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| Enjoying coffee with a friend from Georgia |
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| Strolling through our city |
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| Our version of a ‘church fellowship dinner’ |
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| Look what we found while driving through Sweden! |
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| Zack took this shot during a bike ride with the boys |
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| Oslo |
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| Making a meal with friends |
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| Silly friends taking a break during a summer conference |
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| Mølen |
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| Mølen |
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| Daniel made a tree friend 🙂 |
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| Just a few of the beautiful flowers in Sandefjord |
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| Crab catchers |
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| Dinner break in Stavern |
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| You never know what you might see around here! |
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| Evening concert after a day filled with conference seminars |
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| Driving home from Larvik |
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| Hiking at Bøkeskogen |
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| Hiking at Bøkeskogen |
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| Sections of rock, sections of sand – lots of beauty |
Zack and I have never been the kind of folks who live for the beach. We don’t look forward to endless hours laying in the sand. It’s just not our thing. A short trip to the beach and we’re happy, and ready to move on.
And yet, if you pay for a beach vacation, and take the time to drive several hours to the beach (as was always the case when we lived in Georgia), then there is a sense of obligation. You feel like you need to spend a lot of time there.
But ah, the beautiful thing about living in a beach town: it’s quite easy to spend an hour on the beach and not feel like it was a waste of effort.
We’re learning to keep a few things close to the door (beach towels, sunscreen, beach toys), a few things on hand in the kitchen (lomper, sprøstekt løk, pølse, chips, snacks, engangsgrill), and a few things in the car (fishing net, picnic blanket).
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| William & an engangsgrill (one-use grill) |
So if the mood hits and the weather and schedule come allow, we can be ready to go at the drop of a hat.
And if we get there and decide were bored after an hour, it’s no big deal!
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| Photo courtesy of www.biltema.com |
I would imagine you have a room, activity or place that is your go-to when you need to unwind or decompress. For me, it is the kitchen. Cooking is like therapy for me. I am able to be creative, try new things, and provide for my family. I can work out frustrations, think things through, or maybe even disconnect and zone out a bit while mixing, kneading, chopping, and mixing. I also love being in there with any one of my three guys. And I love trying out new tools and gadgets, too.
This is my new best friend in the kitchen. I love this versatile – and rather inexpensive – gadget. We bought it last week, and so far I’ve had quite a few success. I created some restaurant-style salsa, made creamy black bean dip, whipped up eggs for omelettes, and chopped veggies for my tuna salad (in about a quarter of the usual time!). But my favorite thing to make? Peanut butter. Yum! It is so much better than the stuff we can buy here, and cheaper & healthier, too. We are also looking forward to trying our hand at smoothies soon!
Friday afternoon we picked up a friend at the airport who was visiting us for the weekend from England. We then met up with friends to grill at the beach. It had rained in the afternoon, so the evening was a little cooler. But the boys and one of their local friends decided to go for a swim. Everyone is estimating that the water was around 10-12 C. The only word I can come up with is crazy.
After that, we headed to William’s football club for the grand opening of their new artificial turf fields, and to celebrate the club’s 40th birthday. Daniel was excited to meet some of Sandefjord’s players!
Saturday night, William chose to eat at his favorite place: Star Grill. It is a small kiosk in our town that serves excellent burgers.
Then the boys were off to the small tivoli downtown (carnival). They enjoyed three of the four ‘big’ rides. They both looked a little green afterwards!
We finished up with William’s requested dessert: yellow cake with chocolate frosting, and of course, 12 candles.
