What a fun Saturday!

Well, we have had the most gorgeous weather since Thursday and it is predicted to be nice again tomorrow. Beautiful blue skies, sunshine, no wind and temps in the 60s.

Today was a great Saturday. We had a lazy morning (which was desperately needed after a LOOONG week at work and daycare). Tim then brought in his "latest project". He has spent the last 6 evenings out in the garage building Lexi a dollhouse. I planted the seed ages ago since he is Mr. Handyman. I printed off ideas from a website in the UK that sells gorgeous dollhouses made out of wood. They are often built in replicas of English estate homes, etc. Well, I guess that my practical-minded husband got hung up on the "replica" word. He has built Lexi a boathouse replica and even painted it to match. Er, um - it wasn't exactly the "girly girl" dollhouse I had in mind, but Lexi loves it.

We also officially moved Lexi into her new bedroom this morning. Nikki has lovingly made Lexi new curtains for her new bedroom. They were finished this week and we moved the bed over this morning. We aren't done decorating, etc., but it is definitely starting to take shape. (The idea is that the new baby gets the "baby room" with the couch for convenience in breast feeding....). So, a huge, massive THANK YOU to Nikki for the gorgeous curtains! You are awesome!

After the lazy morning of new bedroom and "doll house", Tim headed to Feda to get a couple of things completed and Lexi and I met Jacinta, Grace and Rachel at Soma Gård. It is a local farm that has loads of activities for kids. There are massive amounts of picnic tables, open areas, grills and animals. So, it is a great picnic outing - and of course, there were plenty of things to hop on.

Lexi and I came home this evening tired-out from a fun day in the sunshine. Here are some pics to prove it.

Lexi and her new dollhouse

Lexi's "new" bedroom

Wouldn't have been completed without Hello Kitty

Grace and Lexi at Soma Gård

Hopping is what they do best

Lexi was a speed demon

Summer memories 2010 - blog entry 2 of 2

Week 2 started with the arrival of Grammy and Grandpa. Although tired from their long travels, they were super-troopers and jumped in the car with me for the 2 hour drive to Feda (where Tim and Lexi were). We had a wonderful week and it went by way too fast. We spent a few days in Feda at the boathouse and a few days in Arendal at the hytte (summer cottage). As with any "Allen family vacation", there are zillions and zillions of pictures. Here are some of my favorite ones. (PS - anyone who posts, prints or otherwise distributes a picture of me in my very large, pregnant state will be disowned :) )

Lexi modelling her new outfit from Grammy and Grandpa

(complete with the American flag)

Lexi LOVES her new Dora battery-powered toothbrush! THANK YOU Great Granny!Awesome gift!Lexi in braids... Tim, Lexi and Grammy on a sightseeing boat trip...

Grammy & Grandpa in front of a pretty rose bush in old-town Feda
Grandpa and Lexi

Lexi picked-out this picture for me for my birthday from Lajla's art gallery. It's for the new baby's room :)

Lexi eating yoghurt and leftover McDonald's chicken nuggets & fries while wearing her scooter helmet and sitting on the deck at the hytte in Arendal (no trousers, of course)

Lexi picking (and eating) wild blueberries at the hytte in Arendal

Grandpa at the fish market in Arendal center

It wasn't raining...

A little afternoon siesta on the way back from Arendal center

Grammy & Lexi at the hytte in Arendal

Grandpa and Lexi

Back in Feda - Lexi caught a little crab

He's now in her net as she is going to throw him back out in the water

Mom and Dad in Flekkefjord

Mom and Dad at "Utsikten" (the viewpoint) in Kvinesdal

Lexi playing in the sand at our neighboring beach

Grammy pulling Lexi in her beach towel

Grammy and Lexi at the playground

Bran & Lexi with Sunday's crab...

Sunday's catch of crab...

Dad with one of his crab

Lexi netted one of Grandpa's crabs...

Dad and Tim washing the cooked crab

Summer memories 2010 - blog entry 1 of 2

For 2010, we decided to spend our summer holidays in Norway. So, we headed to Feda on Friday July 23rd to start 3 weeks of R&R.

The first week was filled with lots of fun and friends. Tim's cousin (Frode) and his wife and daughters (Anne, Karine & Mette) were also staying in Feda for two weeks. Tim's good friend (Arne) and his son Sverre (age 3) were in Feda visiting Arne's parents for a week. In addition, our friends from Stavanger (Jan Tore and May-Linn) visited us with their two gorgeous boys Trym (5) and Theo (1). So, we were surrounded by friends and family the first week. We spent one day at the zoo in Kristiansand, but spent the rest of the time in Feda (swimming, catching crab, fishing, playing in the sand, etc.).

We ended the week with an official "move-in" party to the boathouse. It was a fun-filled (and long) evening catching up with many friends (22 of us). Our friends from Froland (outside Arendal) came in for the party and stayed with us a couple of extra days. They (Ole and Marta-Karin) brought their two lovely children Amalie and Jonas. Lexi loved playing with them.

Here are a few fun pics from Week 1.

Lexi driving the boat on a fishing trip out in the fjord.

Lexi and Trym with the daily catch of crab.

Sverre and Lexi riding bikes
Sverre and Lexi playing in a water puddle at the zoo
Lexi and Amalie

The last couple of weekends...

Time to catch up with a new blog entry as it will probably be several weeks until the next one. We are taking three weeks of holiday starting next week (local here in Norway), and I probably won't be blogging much.

We have spent the last couple of weekends in Feda (shocker!).

This pic is Lexi and Tim catching a fish two weekends ago. Lexi thought it was fun until the fish started flipping around in the bucket on the boat (final spasms, etc.) and there was blood underneath him. She got some splatter on her and she really just wasn't sure about fishing any more. The next day, when she and Tim went out to catch (and release) some crabs, she asked "Do crabs have blood inside them like the fish did?". So, it obviously made a big impression on her. Today (nearly 10 days later), she explained to me that Pappa had stuck something in the fish (a knife) and then the fish was dead. So, she has now accepted the facts...

We had the pleasure of having a "girls" weekend this last weekend. Our friends Deb, Elita (3-1/2) and Lailah (almost 2) came to visit from England and we met-up with local friends Jacinta, Grace (3-1/2) and Rachel (almost 1) for a fun few days. I confess that I did not have my camera out very much; so, I will wait for Deb or Jacinta to send me any good group pics. Deb and the girls arrived Wed afternoon and spent Thursday wandering around Stavanger with Jacinta and her girls (I had to work and Lexi went to daycare). Thursday night was a grill party at Jacinta's where Tim and Joe were invited (needed the men to man the grill) and Friday was a fun day at Metro Lekeland (indoor play place). Friday night, we headed to the boathouse in Feda for the rest of the weekend. The guys mysteriously declined to come....

Here is a pic of the older girls at the boat harbor in Feda

(Grace, Elita, Lailah and Lexi)

Lexi would only "cheese" for me and my camera...

The three "three year olds" walking down the street

(Grace, Elita and Lexi)

Another fun package!

Aunt Brenda sent Lexi a package and it arrived yesterday! Lexi loves to receive packages; so, when I picked her up from daycare, I had the little notice from the post office in my hand. Talk about a motivating factor to quit playing and head out! She is normally one to keep playing or take ages to gather her stuff to come home, but yesterday it was lightening fast. We were going to our local grocery store / post dispatch to pick up her package!

Aunt Brenda, Cousin Jennifer and Cousin Jonathan sent a huge goody box with loads of arts and crafts type activities. Lexi had to try everything last night! The video clip of her opening the package is below, but I didn't manage to get the camera back out in time for every "activity station".

Here is the end result of her painting...

Here is her new book stand with one of her books on it...

Here she is tryin out her new chalk and chalk holders....

Here she is drawing with the "magic" markers (see second video clip below)...
Here she is stencilling...

Balloons from Grammy & Grandpa

Lexi received a balloon (or ba-balloon) bouquet from Grammy and Grandpa on Tuesday afternoon. It was an early "Get Well" since she was going into the hospital Wednesday morning to have her tonsils and adenoids removed. All went well with the surgery and we are home recovering. Her appetite is starting to come back and she was in better spirirts this evening. She will be home from daycare at least 5-7 days. We'll just have to see how it goes....