During our Easter Break this year, Justin's sister and her family (the Kochs) visited us in Norway.
Maarit was so thrilled to have her cousins come to stay with her. She looked forward to their arrival for weeks and weeks. Everyday she asked how many days it would be until they were finally here.
They arrived on a Wednesday afternoon and stayed with us for 2 nights, then they were off to Bergen for a short weekend trip. The morning they left, Maarit cried. She was so very sad that they left after just arriving. However, over the weekend she dedicated herself to little art projects to give them when they returned. During the weekend she also made this awesome fish for her brother's crib.
When Chloe and Hanna returned from Bergen, Maarit was the most happy little girl. This is a collage of them having fun together at various sights around our home.
Together they played at local playgrounds, in Stavanger, Trollskogen, Maarit's school playground and on the beach at the North Sea. We also visited Ustein Kloster where we were given a private tour of the abbey since it was officially closed for the Easter holiday.
One night while cousins where here, Maarit decided to give her Special Bear a bath. His 'winkie' was dirty apparently. But, since it was so close to bedtime, she quickly realized that she did not want Special to be wet. Justin decided it was hilarious that I was blowdrying Special's winkie just before bedtime and took a picture.
During our travels around the area, we visited Tollskogen a wooded park for children and families. It is one of Maarit's favorite places, with simple swings, forts, caves, cookpits, the ocean and trails. While the girls were playing I took this picture of Gus sleeping on his wooly, outdoors in the fresh air just like a little Norwegian.
Uncle Kurt and Gus sharing a sunny moment at Trollskogen.
Maarit dancing on the rocks at Ustein Kloster.
The Mattson and Koch families and our family tour bus. There was room for 9 passegers and lots of luggage in the Ford Transit. It served us well, but it was quite a big thing to drive around on the tiny roads in Norway.
Pictures of our families at the North Sea. We spent a beautiful afternoon there playing in the sand and the girls loved sliding on the sand dunes and taking their boots off to touch their feet into the freezing ocean. Brave girls.
Gus did not wake up the entire time, but he loved the sunshine and managed a few little smiles.
On Thursday before Easter, when everything in Norway closes for 5 days of the Easter holiday, we began to pack for a trip to the mountains. That morning we discovered that Gus had just cut his first tooth! He has a bit of his left incisor and Daddy calls it his vampire tooth. 3 months is so very early for teeth, poor little man, he as been teething quite hard ever since.
We spent a lovely few days at Frafjord where the girls played on the fjord, made tools from beach rubbish and set free icebergs. We visited the candle factory and the sight of the German invasion into Dirdal. Kurt and Justin attempted some fishing, but were not successful. However, the girls made special fishing poles from sticks and twine and were able to successful capture pet fish which they kept while we were staying. They had interesting interactions with several Norwegian children staying in the hyttes nearby including some who stole our firewood and threw it into the fjord.
Frafjord
Fishing Piers
Iceberg Princesses
Justin was excited about his artistic shot of his favorite whiskey with the fjords.
Our family at Frafjord
Swans on Frafjord
Koch Family photo
Sunset on Frafjord
Chloe loved to play with Gus while she was here. She seemed to really enjoy chatting to him and listening to his cooing. I loved this picture where they are sticking tongues out at each other.
Sunset on the fjord
Hanna and Maarit and the campfire they helped build.
A heart rock in our firepit.
Maarit in Daddy's pack, making breakfast.
We had such a lovely time at the hytte, it was sad to leave for home. Chloe, Hanna and Maarit wrote this sweet note in the hytte book before we left.
We spent Easter at our house. On Saturday evening the girls dyed eggs and prepared their Easter basekets. In the morning they hunted for their basekets and for their eggs.
Easter morning smoothies
Easter morning egg hunters.
Easter Collage
On Easter day we took a fjord cruise of Lysefjord. Before leaving we took these pictures of the 4 cousins. I was so glad they turned out well with happy faces and bright eyes all around.
Easter afternoon Maarit designed and drew all of these clothes for our family. I love her creative mind.
After the cruise Justin took this picture of us...our band photo, in front of the cathedral in Stavanger.
We had a wonderful visit with the Koch family while they were here and we hope that they enjoyed visiting Norway with us. Maarit was especially sad to loose her two wonderful playmates. Our house has been much emptier now that it is back to the four of us. However, with as much as she has slept in the past week, I can say she must have been quite tired out from all the fun she had with her cousins.
Now it is back to school and routine. We have only about 2 and a half months left here in Norway. It is hard to believe that our Norway adventure is coming to an end, but we are also so very looking forward to returning home.
No comments:
Post a Comment