Next week will be 8 months since we moved to Sandefjord. Yesterday, after many months of waiting and praying, the boys and I finally received our Norwegian personal numbers (kind of like a US social security number). We are relieved to finally have this final piece that really makes us “official!”Summer is definitely over and fall has arrived in our city. It is quite beautiful as the leaves change from summer green to shades of orange and yellow. The weather has cooled off significantly, and we’re seeing a bit more rain than before.

The boys continue to really enjoy school. We had their fall conferences this week and got positive reports for both of them. We discussed their strengths and set some goals that they will work towards over the next few months. I’m really impressed with their teachers and the way that they work with our children on such a personal level.

Zack and I continue to press on with language school. We will have our level 2 language testing soon. October 28 will be the written portion, and then we will take the oral exam on October 30. We are nervous and excited about this next milestone in our journey to fluency!

It’s always fun to get postcards from friends around the world!

Livingroom Slumber Party!

 

Celebrating two friends’ birthdays last weekend

 

Hanging out at the park after church

 

The boys return from fotball in the park (soccer)

 

Sometimes you just need to lie down on the heated tiles in the morning 🙂

 

Just outside of their school

 

Celebrating our language teacher’s birthday

 

Our neighbor’s son celebrated his birthday yesterday, and brought us some of his cake – YUM!!

Ten random observations about the country we now call home…*

1. If you own only one pair of shoes, that pair of shoes is going to be suitable for hiking. And that pair of shoes will also keep you upright in icy conditions.
2. If you own two pairs of shoes, the second is likely a pair of Converse.
3. When you leave home in the morning, you will be prepared for anything. It might rain. At times it might snow. And there’s always the chance you will go on a walk or hike or bike ride (see #1).
4. Norwegian waffles are great. Like, insanely delicious. But they are not a breakfast food.
5. When you eat norwegian waffles (sometime after breakfast, of course), you should have brunost on hand. And/or jam & sour cream.
6. Slow down. At least outside of the major cities, people are not in such a hurry. Drivers rarely honk their horns, and always.always.ALWAYS stop for pedestrians. When people visit in your home, they don’t rush off. When people invite you to their home, they make you feel welcome and are very hospitable.
7. If the sun is out, you should be, too. (See #1 and #3)
8. Those shoes I talked about in #1 & 2? Take them off at the door. Oh, how I love this rule! Don’t wear your shoes in someone’s house. It makes sense. They’re dirty, and they’ll bring in lots of yuck onto the (most of the time) beautiful hardwood floors. So wear decent socks!
9. The price you see on the shelf at the store? Yeah, that price includes tax. So no need for calculating the total cost in your head. Love this, too!
10. If you can’t eat gluten, I’m sorry. You’re going to miss out on some of our favorite things here. Brod. Boller. Kanelboller. Klippekake. Skolebrod. Vaffler. So many good breads and pastries! Of course, there are lots of other good foods to try. But now it all probably makes sense. If you’ve noticed us looking a little heavier in recent photos, you now know why!