Weekend happenings

My second weekend here in Oslo is coming to an end, and has been a really nice one! Friday evening I went to the airport to pick up Ragna. She was staying over one night at my place, before she went back to the airport this yesterday morning, to go to Great Britain and start her High School year at a school outside Birmingham. We had a nice evening together, went out to take a look at the happenings in Oslo on a nice Friday night. Before we went back home through Karl Johan we had a photo shoot in front of the Castle.

Yesterday after noon a church many of my friends attends had a BBQ-party in a park, so I went there together with Kay. The weather was perfect, and many nice people so we had a nice time together. Later me, Kay, Camilla and Stine went together down to Aker Brygge and there is a festival going on these days, so there was a lot of people. We walked around watching the things going on. A really really nice Saturday after noon and evening!

   Some nice people from Sunnmøre

 

Last week at home

I didn't get time to write anything about my last week at home before I moved last Friday, so here is an update. It was some really nice days with a lot of time with my family, time with friends and two nightshifts.

The weekend before I had been to a wedding in the south of Norway and when I came home they were celebrating Tuva's first birthday! The time is running fast!! Some days later she took her first steps without start-help! (Maria have to correct me if I'm wrong, I think that is what she said).  Jakob was happy that I came home so he could play with my LEGO with me. So when Maria and Ole was ready to go, he was not and Maria asked if he wanted to stay with Uncle Per over night, and yes, he wanted to do that. So we played with the LEGO up to way over bed time and had a nice time together. Man, he was up early the next morning, six o'clock! But we had breakfast together with my mum before we went back to the LEGO.

On Wednesday my Bible-study group came together, and since we had not been so good to meet this summer we had many things to talk about. Was nice to see them and pray together with them before I had to go for my shift.

Thursday Grandmother Arnhild had birthday, so in the afternoon we gathered there to celebrate and the next day we gathered there again to eat potetball. It was a nice way to end this summer's holidays:D

The first weekend in Oslo

No, it's not my first weekend ever in Oslo. But my first weekn.d as a citizen of this city. It's been a really nice weekend too! Much of my way down I went together with Jan Harald, was nice to see him and to have someone to travel together with. On Saturday early afternoon I met Trude, we just walked downtown, looked on some laptops, to see which she should buy.

Late afternoon the same day Marit came to town and she camped with me and Kay. Really nice of her to pay us a visit! Me and Camilla met her at the Central Station and went up to my place. Soon after Merete came, so me, Marit, Merete, Camilla and Kay went out to find some place to eat. After a Chinese dinner we met Helene, and the six of us just walked downtown to take a look on the life in the heart of Oslo. Later we went back to me and Kay's place to hang out, eat snacks and play Ligretto.

 

 

 

Today me, Kay and Marit took a trip up to the King's Castle, and we  got some funny pictures together with the guards and around the Castle. I even touched it!! In the evening, after we said good bye to Marit we went for a Church service at Storsalen, and later me, Stian and Kay just walked around at Karl Johan.

Moving out of home...

When I say the words over I get kind of a strange feeling. I'm moving out of home, into an apartment in Oslo. Yes, I've been away from home over a longer period before, but that has been for trips or studies for a shorter period, and home has been home. From now I'm in a way just visiting when I'm coming home. Trips I want to go for, visiting friends in other cities for example, now also has to be visiting family back home!

From Thursday night to Saturday night me and my roommate Kay drove to Oslo, moved my and his stuff into the apartment and went back home. It's an ok place and we will get it nice little by little when we find out what we want to use to separate kitchen and living room and what to put on the walls.

I didn't take any pictures of the place, I forgot my camera in the car every time I got things from it to carry into the apartment. But I have some pictures of the removal load and the trip.

Barbeque-party 2008

For five years ago some friends of mine came together at my place to grill and have fun. The next summer I invited friends over again to grill, and now it has become kind of a tradition. But it has usually taken place over a weekend, and when I didn't find any weekend that I could have it, I planed to skip it this year. But Kay convinced me to let it take place during the week, so yesterday many friends came here and I think everybody had a really nice evening:)

 

Lately

I've had some really good time lately!! The weather didn't give us more than a couple of days where we could be on the beach, but that was very ok for me, since I was free when it was hot and nice, and when my next nightshift-period started, the wind increased and it got colder. Other then work I've done some really really nice things!

On Friday July 4th my American friend and his wife had a barbecue party to celebrate America's independence day! Talking about America, I'm sending my warmest greetings to my American relative, Derek and his wife Regan, that got their second child, Evelyn Elisabeth on June 3rd and to Justus that got a little sister and became a big brother!

 Gunhild and Nate Bremer!

After a few more nights of work I went to Oslo to watch Oskar while Anne, Alexander and Ragna went to a Bruce Springsteen-concert. The day after we took off towards Otta and my dad's cabin. When we arrived my parents were there, and late in the evening Maria, Ole, Jakob and Tuva came. For the first time in 11 years all the siblings were on the cabin together! And this time it was complete with kids and husbands. We got some really really nice days, with perfect weather and perfect people, 11 all together!

 

 

I will end this post with another summer picture of my two best buddies, Oskar and Jakob. Both enjoying the sun:D

 

Summer and sun!

To the readers of this blog, sorry that I've been so slow to update! One of the things I missed the most when I returned to Norway was the nice weather. But the last days the nice weather has come to my place too:) I've been to the beach the last two days and we've been outside, grilled and just enjoyed the sun and warm weather.

Tuva is playing in the sand

Me and Jakob is building a sand castle

Jakob and Grandpa

Music

I was tagged by Line! List the seven songs you listen most to these days. Post the songs and this instuction and tag seven people to see their favourites!

Bare Egil Band – Arne
J. Holiday – Bed
MercyMe – I Can Only Imagine
50 Cent feat. Justin Timberlake – Eyo Technology
Live – The Dolphine Cry
Just Jack – Life Stories
Kenneth Sivertsen – Navnet Jesus

If you want to tell us what songs you listens to, go ahead!

Home

I'm home at Vigra. I'm sitting in my chair in front of my TV. Sitting here with a little strange feeling. Is the three months in the US really over? I haven't really landed yet, a lot of thoughts are going around in my mind. I had a really nice evening with my family, we had a nice supper with good Norwegian food. SO good to see them!! I didn't get very much sleep on any of the flights, so I'm quite tired, and looking forward to crawl into my own bed and under my duvet:)

It's been almost three really good months, with a lot of fun and exciting things, and some boring things, and many interesting things. I think the best of everything was the days at the shelter in Chicago, helping to give out food or serve dinner to poor and homeless people, and to share God's love with them, and to be a part of His love for these people. He loves them just as much as he loves me and you!

There is no place like home! Away is good, but home is best!!

Cornfields and smalltown

My second last stop on this almost three months long trip to America was with some relatives that lives in a small town called Kerkhoven. It's a nice little place, surrounded by huge cornfields.
It became some nice, relaxing days with not too much program. The first day I visited Clara, my oldest relative here in America, her parents came from Norway and settled here in Minnesota in those days...Really nice to see her!

Other things: Me and Ken went to this car and tractor museum, that had some really nice stuff.

On Thursday afternoon, before the thunderstorm we went to this car race. It was really fun to watch, different types of cars to compete in the different rounds. And it made my day when one of them touched this other car, tipped over and rolled a couple of meters and ended up on the roof. Luckily the driver was not hurt very bad.

I ended my stay there with a lunch together with Clara and the whole Janssen-family, plus Richard and Leslie, some other relatives, that I went back to Minneapolis with, who will take me to the airport on Monday. Yes, this time I'm flying home to Norway!!

I had about two days at their home on the shore of lake Minnetonka. We went cruising on the lake in their boat, relaxed and I drove a $100,000 Mercedes convertable:D