Christmas Letter 2011

Västra Karaby December 23, 2011

Who´s the reason for the seaon?

Well, we believe that would be Jesus. He rocks. Even this year.
This has been a sort turbulent year for us. One year ago, we struggle with finding ways for Noah to like
school. We don´t struggle anymore. He switched schools this school year and is very happy where he is.

I , Jennifer, am back in school since August this year. Not teaching, but to learn. I was working in a preschool in Lund all spring, and decided to go back to school, part time, and eventually get a degree in special education. I was excited, anxious, apprehensive, proud and curious all at the same time to go back to school, and it turns out, I still have some learning brain-cells left, and I love it! I love beeing in school!

And I am doing it part time to be able to be here for my family. Andreas still travels alot and then it

depends on me, so I didn´t want to take on too much initially. I have decided to not go back to work in the spring either, and then we will re-evaluate.

Albin and Emma are still in the International school in Lund. They speak English all day, Noah get´s

mother-tounge tuitione in English once a week, and on top of that we are trying to provide English books and movies for him. He thinks it´s weird if we speak English at home, so that doesn´t work out to well.

Albin is in PYP3 (Primary Year Program 3, at an IB-program (International Baccalaureat) ). Emma is in PYP 2. They both love school, the only thing they are not thrilled about is that a lot of their friends move after 6 months or a year. So quite some good byes yesterday, last day of school for this year!

Andreas is still trying to set up a facility that will find Higgs Boson particle before everybody else does.Oh, no that was his previous and the one before that work place. There is still no accelerator in sight, but the plan to start building one in 2-3 years time is still firm. But they are changing location for their offices on Feb. 1st as they quickly outgrew their first facility. He still travels a lot, and in October we all got to come with him to Illinois! Back to our old neighbourhood! It all worked out really well, as he was ,working there for about 10 days at the same time as our kids were off school on Fall break!

We had a truly awesom trip! Hotel was great, weather was fab, the old neighbours had a couple of days

off from school, so we could hang out with them at pumpkin farms, the zoo, the movies during the day!And then we did lots of fun stuff at night too, to forget Halloween! It was great to be back and being able to celebrate a cute Halloween. As Halloween is pretty new here in Sweden, it is all scary. Witches, ghosts, goblings, spirits, blood, skeletons etc whereas in the US you can dress up as anything you want! Cute! We were able to hit our old playgroups Halloween party at Fermilab, Halloween itself at the Finleys with tons of candy and other good stuff!

We had so much fun and it really felt like being back home! But then when it was time to leave again,

that felt like going home too..... (Albin was sad though, really sad. He misses Ryan. A lot!)

We are now getting ready for Christmas at our house! We are not travelling this time of year, as some of us do too much of that the rest of the year. So tomorrow is Christmas eve and we going to have a mix of family and friends over for a traditional swedish Julbord! I already got my Christmas present, we remodeled our bathroom this fall, and the jet-tub is MINE! Last Sunday we had a big Birthday Party for Jesus at church, it was so fun to see all the kids there! And a great way to actually remember that it isn´t Santa we are celebrating.....

So to all of us, to all of you, a very Merry and Peaceful Christmas and wonderful and blessed New Year!

Paris, Paris, Paris! [Pah-ree]

It's been about nine years since I visted a France the last time! Nine years since I really had to speak french. It is going pretty ok. I Haven't really been indulged in any deeper conversations, more asking for things and so on, but it is all coming back to me.

Our three darling children are enjoying the company of paternal grandparents, so just us! Andreas will be working for about three days, but we are here for a week, so that's fine!

We started off today by having breakfast at a local Bolangerie, Bakery that is. I had Pain au Chocolat with a Grand Cafe. Funny how the size of coffe various over the cultures and countries. What I had this morning was a large coffee, and probably the size of a quarter of a Starbucks Tall one (small coffee at American coffee shop). We have actually seen Starbucks here too! And Gap. Got the kids T-shirts that said Gap, Paris on them, for the same price as they sell the souvenir T-shirts at crap quality by the Eiffel tower.

As we were headed towards l'Arc the Triomph at the end of the famous bolevard Champs Elyssee today, we were along La Seine and by the Louvre and we paused for moment to watch to guys climb the roof to fix something. I saw a rope dangling and said to Andreas Thank goodness they have security ropes in case they'd fall! Well, at the other end of that rope was a bucket dangling with tools to fix whatever it was he was fixing. This was on the 4th floor. I had to leave, I couldn't risk witnessing another person die. We turned to continue towards l'Arc the Triomph, and a woman comes up to us and bends over to pick up a gold ring, almost like a wedding band but wider. She turns to Andreas and says "Oh My God!" 

I had noticed that there was no ring on the ground 2 seconds earlier and told Andreas in Swedish that she did in fact not find it, but had it already. He got a bit confused and just told her it wasn't his, and she lost interest and continued on her walk. We then paused again, to see her do it again to two or three other couples. It is clear to me that her intention was to fool us, and them, but we still can't figure out what she wanted? How was she supposed to fool us? I dont't get it! But if you do, please leave a comment and explain this weird thing to us!

We walked at least 15 km today, in scorching heat, so now we are enjoying the AC for a bit before heading out for dinner!

Summertime!

Summer in Sweden is like I remembered it. I walked the dog the other night, at 9.30 pm in the sight the wheat and canola fields coloured by the redness of the setting sun, the blackbird accompanying the scenery. I have missed this sooooo much being away for 14 years! And to think I live right in it is just overwhelming! I plucked a bouquet of early summer flowers to bring home. There were never this many wild flowers in the US. I am not sure I have realized that until now.

Another thing we have here, that the US doesn´t have is Allemansrätten. In English the official translation reads The right of public access. This means that you have the right to walk through other peoples property, unless it is a fenced private yard. So you may walk through and also pick flowers and mushrooms etc. in the forest and fields everywhere (some restrictions apply). Wonderful! The accessibility of nature is really something!

I miss Illinois climate though. A climate where an outdoor event in all likelyhood can be planned and held. Here, you always need a plan B for outdoor events. In April we had 80 F. or 24 C, this week we have a mere 55 F or 16 C and the rain is supposed to hang over us for a week. Ugh. I love hot and humid weather , Andreas is happy we have Swedish climate though.

This week is the first week off. I am on Maternity leave! YAY! The leave is valid until the child turns 8, so I am off all Summer with the kids. This week we have been home all week. Re-organized furniture, cleaned out closets and toys, went to the dump one day with stuff, gave away other stuff and cleaned cleaned cleaned! The kids love it! They really want to be helpful so they have also done a lot of work with me. We have been re-organizing in preparation of something I might tell you in a later blog. Keep praying for us!

Noah went to spend a day in his new school before it ended, and he loves it! I think his life will be so much easier when he starts there! Things are looking better! I love life! I love God. He´s so cool.

The kids and I are making Swedish cardamom rolls to fill the freezer for Summer fun!

Family get-together

Lived 14 years away from family. 14 years with most major holidays and family traditions by ourselves. It was ok. I wasn't very homesick living abroad-until I went home. Going home (to Sweden) to visit was always very emotional. Coming back to our house was hard too at times, but then once we got back into our routines it was fine.

We realized that living away from family has its good sides too.... never having to think where one would go for major holidays, never having to hurt anyone b/c we wouldn't choose THEIR house, b/c we wouldn't come to anyone's house..... but as the kids are getting older they realize that most people have grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins around. But they didn't. So, now we can happily offer our kids that. Family get-togethers. Extended family get-togethers.

For three Sundays in a row we have been hanging out with my sis' family, and a variety of other people from our church. At our house. LOVE it! Last Sunday as the lunch guests were leaving, Andreas' cousin and his family, including three kids arrived for coffee. Having cousins and second cousins is a totally new concept for our children, and we all love it.

We chose to buy this house based on the entertainment possibilities. And our plan has worked out. Yesterday we had our immediate neighbors over for brunch, and finally our kids could meet. They have two boys in our kids age, and now they finally have friends they can walk to, by themselves!

Albin started off soccer-season a week ago, and Noah joined the local scouts last week too. Ridingschool started last week, and all kids are now involved in activities locally so hopefully they will soon make lots of friends here where we live. (They go to school in the city, not the local school)

This blog-post is really pathetically positive, but we are just really enjoying Gods blessings right now!

Have a good week! And please leave a comment, here or at FB. (about 100 ppl read my blog and don't know who you are!)

Just realized.....

......something through my friend Amy . Funny how hard it can be sometimes to connect the dots! Here goes:
On Sunday, we had baptism in our Church. We are involved in a Church-body which seems to be the only or one of few growing churches in this VERY secular part of Sweden, so a Baptism is really huge!

He had no family present to join him in this happy occasion, which reminded me of the time we presented Albin for Dedication in our Church in Geneva, Il. It was just us. No family. No one to celebrate with afterwards.  I felt very sad that time.  SO, in case he would do the same, (and because he happens to be really great guy) we had him over for lunch on Sunday, together with three other families, one had planned to come, and the two others came along, just because. Wonderful. So a celebrational, spontaneus lunch together at our house today. Love it.

In Geneva Switzerland we lived like this most of the time. Specially for Sunday lunches. A bunch of us would go out to lunch or go to someones house and cook together. But not once did it happen in the US, not on a Sunday.

I made a comment on Facebook about Sunday's events, and my friend Amy (who is indeed American) replied to my comment that if it never happened like this in the US that  wasn't very unexpected, because Americans are not very spontaneus often times as it doesn't fit into their busy schedule. The more I think about that statement, the more it makes sense! So very true! I know few people who are so busy as Americans!

Funny because Sundays sermon was on time-management. And the challenge was to liberate time to be able to act when God prompts us to be there for others, or whatever it might be.  A very valuable lesson, to liberate time, to not keep a so busy schedule that there is no time to listen, to be there, to act.

Again, I am not complaining, just reflecting. Please, if you do take offense, I appologize. Deeply.

Transitions.

Hi.... long time no....see? read? hear?

Hubby gone again. The transitions are the worst. The actual time he is gone, is ok. When he has just left, sucks. And then after him being gone two weeks, one finds routines and ways to do everything by oneself and then it is time to re-introduce the helping hands again. Transition again. Not just easy, that transition either. One would think I would be happy to have him back, and I will definetly be happy to have him back, it is just not always easy. I am bracing myself for it though. Being pro-active is one of best new found talents! How else would I survive life with three? Life abroad? Life back home? and ALL of the transitions included in all of life's changes.

Life goes on. I like my new workplace, and I enjoy working. A lot of challenges included in my new job, and life would be pretty boring without challenges. Still not 100% sure of what I will be doing this fall. I have a million ideas! Turns out living in Sweden opened a lot of doors and possibilities that I didn't even know I was missing living elsewhere. Which also means I was content. And am still content. But playing with the idea of doing other things also.

Kids are doing well, Emma started school SCHOOL in January and she loves it! Boys are getting more and more acclimated too. I am playing with the idea of maybe joining the kids in their horseback riding lessons when they resume again in March.... or maybe we should make Andreas join in too? The riding family. Hum...

Andreas has promised the kids to build a chicken-coop this spring. So I guess we'll be having fresh eggs here soon! That will be an interesting transition.... for Ginger! She howls at everything and everyone she wants to play with! Yes, she is a beagle. A true beagle. She will chase the chickens.

Say en extra prayer for me these two coming weeks, please. I admire single-moms!