I'm back!!!

Our laptop has been in and out of the shop...they keep "fixing it" and then when we get it back something else is wrong and it goes back for repairs the next day. That is why I have not posted in a while...all of my pictures that I take with my phone automatically go straight to my computer, but I don't have that option right now. And uploading them from my phone to the computer takes forever. So I am waiting patiently.
However I have been busy, well kind of. With trying to find a job and all and bad weather I am at home more than I would like to be. So Ive been trying to keep myself occupied. I started painting again. I took advanced art back in high school. I had exhibitions and was tested in it by the international baccalaureate program. After that I hadn't painted or drawn again...until now. I used only acrylic paints. I like that it dries quicker and its not as expensive as oil paint and all the spirits and oils you need for it. Ive been painting mostly flowers, inspired by pictures I find on Google, but Ive done a few other ones. I hope you like them! I am currently painting a peony for my sister in law.

The first and third are my favorites...the turtle, the orange lotus and the boat were all gifts. The other ones are displayed throughout the house. It's easy for me to paint, Im blessed to be gifted with artistic abilities. Its not that expensive and I think that this is a perfect christmas present idea for this year. Since I like to make my gifts, what better way than to use my skills and make it more personal!

My week in Kristiansand.

I've done it! I have now been to the the North, South, East and West of Norway! It took me 2.5 years but I did it!

This past weekend, I went on a little vacay to Kristiansand, to visit my sister in law, her husband and my nephews aka niblings (slang term). I also met with some online friends for the first time, but it felt like we had been friends for years.
I liked the city, it was small, and maybe a little too small for me, but it was...cozy, as Norwegians like to say.(Kristiansand is maybe 6x10, in terms of blocks, so you can go back and forth from one side to the other in less than 5 minutes).  They have this summer theme going around the whole city right now, with little blue flags everywhere that say "summer in Kristiansand" and sandboxes for kids to play in randomly placed throughout the city. They even had sand sculptures!

This train take you around the whole city.

Random sandboxes everywhere for the kids.

Many had spots where the sand had fallen. I'm not sure how long ago they had been built.

This on was my favorite!

They detail is amazing.

His nose had fallen off.

The concert house where my sister and brother in law work.

Cozy little Marina where you can sit and eat ice cream and watch boats drive by.

I wish Bergen had something cute like this.

This is a beach....the whole length fits within my camera screen.

By far the fanciest McDonalds I have ever seen.

On Tuesday we took a mini road trip to Lindesnes, the most southern point in Norway. It has a lighthouse and several tunnels and caves where soldiers used to hide and keep watch for enemies. It had a beautiful view of just massive blue sea and the sky was spotted with big fluffy clouds.

On Friday, before I flew back to Bergen, we took a hike in a forest not even 5 minutes from the city. The Forest is called Baneheia, and although it is beautiful, the area has its past nightmares. There were some gruesome murders committed there back in 2000, but since this is a nice post about my good time there, I'll keep the sadness out and add this link if you're interested in reading about the Baneheia murder case. I'm still suffering from the hike right now. As you read this the bug bites on my heels/feet are screaming at me "scratch me, scratch me". I hiked in flip flops...not entirely stupid as they were Dr. Scholls flip flops and offered amazing support. It was the berry picking that probably did it as I was in those bushes stuffing my face with blueberries. Next time, I'm using bug spray.

Although I didn't get to go swimming at the "beaches", I had a great time there and would love to go back. I wouldn't want to live there but it is definitely worth visiting.

The do's and I dont's (Part 2)

Party Party Party. On to Part 2 of my wedding experience. (Part 1)

 I am regretting not having someone record at our wedding, because it was such a fun night. Especially the dancing at around 1am, when everyone had enough to drink to not care one bit about anything. I am talking about our 50+ year olds that we got to dance to soulja boy. HAHA oh what a sight. And Aleksanders uncle.  If you knew the man you would have died from laughter to have seen him cranking that soulja boy on the dance floor….in case you don’t know the song, I recommend you YouTube it. The superman part was the best part, we were going back and forth that room like mops. Im smiling just writing this because the image in my head is too funny! But let me take a breather and start from the beginning.

Our plan was to have the guests arrive at the party location and wait while Aleksander and I took our pictures.  There was a nice sitting area, and they were served fruit and champagne. 

When we arrived an hour or so after, we were greeted with champagne and everyone said welcome and gave us a toast. We then walked in to the main hall and our gifts were already opened.

It is Norwegian custom that while the couple is out taking pictures, the guests open all the gifts and display them around and set them on the designated gift table. We later got a list saying who got us what. I personally do not like this custom at all. The joy in opening a gift and seeing the recipient opening it is the best part. I wasnt the only one bummed by this, as I had several guests quite bothered that Aleksander and I wouldn’t open our gifts personally. I will make sure that when my kids get married I ask them what they want….if they want the guests to open them or if they want to open them themselves. I was sad but I didn’t let it ruin my day, nothing could have ruined it for me. Either way the gifts were lovely and of course mostly for me. Muahahaha. Since we got a lot of kitchen things and money on the side, Aleksander jokingly asked if he can have the money and buy himself a guitar since I got all the kitchen stuff. HAHA, poor guy. I definitely was more excited about my crock pot and pans than he was.

The rest of the evening was pretty normal compared to most weddings (speeches and toasts, I made them take a shot of tequila for the end of my speech)...except for the fact that I had 13 cakes.....I am not kidding. It is normal for guests to make and bring  more cake. I had my main wedding cake which my dear friend and maid of honor Jenna baked for me, but I also had 12 others. Including one made out of marsipan rings, called kransekake. Its pretty much a hollow pyramid with approx. 16 rings. The custom with the kransekake is, its set in front of the couple and while theyre eyes are blindfolded, they both hold a spatula and sort of stab at the cake, well not really stab but more like point at it... then wherever theyre pointing at, they count to see how many kids they will have counting from the top to wherever the spatula is pointing at....Underneath you will see a picture of us trying to get no kids....but they made us do it again and we got seven, but I somehow lost 3 kids and was left with 4. The rings that represent our kids are left together and the couple is supposed to keep it as a memory. There are people who still have theirs from 20+ years ago. The rest of the kransekake is then taken to the kitchen to be broken apart for the guests to eat with coffee.

Something else that was different was that there are song packets and everyone sings different little fun songs throughout the night. There was a welcome song, a coffee song, a song that my mother in law wrote her self to the melody of "Those were the days", a song where it involved people to get up according to the lyrics (for example: All of those who snore at night, stand up....do a little turn... and sit back down), and a thank you for the food song and some other ones... It's different and I have never seen that done anywhere else but at Norwegian parties. I like it, it involves the guests more.

As is custom in almost all weddings, there was a father daughter dance and the couples first dance. My dad and I danced to a Mexican song called "El privilegio de amar"(The privilege to love), by Mijares and Lucero. My dad sang along to the song even though he didnt know all of the lyrics and cried. Hes such a big baby, and its him that I get my big babyness from. So we were both crying and he even made some of my guests cry. Aleksander and I danced to "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers. It really was our first official dance. Sure we've been to parties and danced but we've never danced a couples song/slow song. 

After that the dancing started and didn't end till maybe 2:30. Even after the DJ left, we hooked up my phone and played more music and danced a bit more.
I was sooooo tired when the night ended....all those movies that show the newlyweds so energetic to go back to a hotel room and have more fun are liars....I went straight to bed while Aleksander went to the bathroom and that's the last thing I remember. I didn't even notice when he came to bed....that's how romantic it was, haha.

I was proud with all my planning and how the night played out and ever so thankful for everyone who helped. It was one of the best days/nights of my life.

Tables set up with utensils and cups. The center piece was to be filled with water and have floating candles.

Set up with utensils and cups.

The main table, still incomplete.

Main table from the front.

My place. The baggie on the left has a magnet and candy from Mexico. And in the center there is a song packet.

The main entrance with the guest book.

Where the champagne and fruit for the cocktail waiting time was to be served.

Sitting area right outside the main hall.

Gift table

Me before...

Me after!

Aleksander and our niece, who was also my flower girl, Nora!

Cutting the kransekake and finding out how many kids were going to have...we obviously want 0 right now lol.

I somehow lost 3 kids.

Our guests!

Holla for the ladies!

Our guests watching a slideshow that my dad made for me.

He had to scrape off some frosting from the cake and try it.

Our beautiful wedding cake made by my friend Jenna. The doll is not part of the cake, she was just in the background.

Yummy cheesecake!!

Marsipan cake

My friend and maid of honor, Jenna! Om nom nom!

Nora!! I love this picture of her!

Father daughter dance!

Our first dance!