Not exactly how we planned it...

Well, it wasn't exactly how we planned Christmas 2009. We arrived at the airport in Stavanger at 5:30am Monday morning (21st) to learn that our flight to Amsterdam had been cancelled. To make a long story VERY short, we weren't able to get flights out (long haul between Europe and USA) until Christmas Eve! As I write this, we are soon headed to bed because the taxi comes to collect us at 8:45am in the morning (24th) for Round 2. Pray that we make it safely as Tulsa is now expecting winter weather!

Despite our disappointments (HUGE), we decided to make the best of it. We still had this beautiful winter wonderland of snow; so, Tim and Lexi played in the snow Monday afternoon while I went to finish the last minute Christmas shopping that I had planned to do in Tulsa. We then packed an overnight bag and headed to Feda on Tuesday morning. We met up with one of Tim's closest buddies (Arne) and his son (Sverre) for some sledding and cookies.

Lucky Lexi also got to decorate her third Christmas tree of the season (one at home, one at barnehage and. one at Lajla's). She and Luna had loads of fun hanging all of the ornaments on the tree Tuesday night and sledding today. Enjoy the pics!

Go figure....

Well, it never fails. The weather never travels with us. It is going to be a white Christmas in Norway. The crispy cool temps started earlier this week with some snowfall on Wednesday, but nothing compared to the snow that came down on Saturday. We are sad to leave this gorgeous white stuff behind. Everything is always prettier when it is draped in white!

Lajla, Tom, Linn and Luna visited us Saturday night for a "Christmas Dinner" celebration. (We had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, etc.....) Here is Linn, Luna and Lexi as they wait for breakfast this morning.

Breakfast... Lajla, Linn and Luna

Luna and Lexi headed to the hill to go sledding

Coming down the hill....

Tim shoveling the snow :)

Lajla and Tom gave us some money to buy Lexi's early birthday present.... her first pair of cross country skis. So, we headed to the shops this afternoon (all the shops are open on the Sundays in December...). Of course, Lexi insisted on trying them on and then trying them out once we got home! Despite the fact that it was bathtime, we bundled her up and took a quick trip outside.

TUSEN TAKK MORMOR OG TOM!

A Christmas evening at Kongeparken

Every year, Halliburton sponsors an evening for employees and their families at Kongeparken. It is the local "amusement park". It isn't huge, but is an awesome experience at Christmas. They really go all out and the evening always puts us in the mood for Christmas. This year, it was held on Wednesday night ... we woke up Wednesday morning to snow falling from the sky. So, by evening, it really was a white winterwonderland.

Here are Tim and Lexi decorating a huge gingerbread cookie at the Gingerbread Workshop.

Here are Lexi and Tim building a birdhouse at the Carpentry Workshop.

We are SOOOOO proud of Luna!

Luna took up figure skating as an extra-curricular activity about three years ago. She loves it tremendously and is improving and improving and improving. I had the pleasure of watching Luna skate her recital piece in their Christmas show last night. (Tim was home with Lexi who supposedly has pink eye and was "quarantined".) Here is Luna in her gorgeous skating dress and below is a video clip of her dance piece. WAY TO GO LUNA!

Time passes quickly...

Well, I have been feeling guilty that I have not updated the blog in (what seems like) ages, but my "saving grace" was that Kristy was even more belated than me. Well, she updated hers yesterday; so, I felt obliged...

Even though we are traveling home to Tulsa for Christmas, I felt that we needed to drag out some of the Christmas decor to make the house a bit festive. I certainly didn't want to go overboard as there is nothing worse than coming home on January 4th to a house decorated for Christmas!

So, I set-up the tree and strung the lights on Sunday, Nov 29th and left the Christmas ornament hanging to Tim and Lexi. I went out of town Nov 30-Dec 4th to a training class outside of London and Tim and Lexi tackled the ornaments one night. I am so proud of myself, I have not moved a single ornament after they "decorated". Firstly, Tim got out way less than half of the ornaments (he thinks we have way, way too many). Secondly, Lexi hung EVERY SINGLE ornament herself... which explains why 90% are on the lower two branches. Tim lifted her up to hang the upper ornaments. So, as you will see from the following pics, the tree is definitely "unique", but hey... I didn't have the heart to re-do Lexi's decorating :)

We actually spent one recent weekend in Stavanger and enjoyed a stroll around the center on Saturday to help get us in the festive mood. Lexi insisted on the stroller and felt the need for sunglasses...despite the fact that the sun was no longer shining.


Just to give a quick "boathouse update", we spent our last weekend of 2009 in Feda December 4-6. Here are a few pics of our year-end progress. Nearly there!

Yippee! Finally, door handles!
Just waiting on furniture...

Second floor bathroom...

First floor bathroom...