Cravings galore

Over the past few months, we've gotten really good at meal planning and trying new recipes. When you only leave the house every two weeks  to go shopping, it becomes an adventure!  I thought I would be excited about going out shopping, but I realized I am much more happy at home!
That being said, we are getting creative with out baking and meal making, and the girls are trying their hands at a lot of new things. It is fun!
But then, out range decided to give up on us, so a lot of time was spent researching new ones. We finally found the one we wanted and ordered it, and on Monday it was delivered. If only that was the end!  Nope, it turned out it was a lemon, so we barely had it in our house before it moved back out and we are back to using our old range (which is quite temperamental if I may say so).
So, we had to put our waiting hats back on.

Since March we have grilled homemade pizza, made flamkuchen German style, made instant pot chocolate cake for a birthday celebration for the kiddo who happened to turn 10 during our lock-down, Brats and burgers on the grill, Copy-cat Olive Garden Zuppa Toascana, Pulled pork nachos, Rondane crock pot meal, Chicken Cordon bleu casserole, Thai, Thai, Thai (and maybe even some more Thai), skoleboller, Lo Mein, Fried Rice, no-bake cookies, waffle iron cookies, big Ham and Au Gratin potatoes (which is quite an adventure when your oven does not work the way one would expect!), Cauliflower soup, dronning Maud pudding (a few times actually), fried cheese curds, fried donuts, fried shrimp, and many other items I can't even think of.

Now my thoughts are moving toward cravings - Risgroet, Komler, Smash, Melkesjokolade, Mokkasjokolade, Pistasjiskrem, lapskaus, joikaboller, sour candy, julebrus, chocolate with black licorice in it (yum!), Knott, Hockey pulver, Riskrem. At this point, I would even take the quick and easy bags of premade stuff - just add water - if only I could get some of my favorite Norwegian foods! If anyone want to take pity on me, let me know and I will send you my address:)  I actually went as far as checking Amazon for these items, only to find that the ones they had, would not arrive until July, or would cost me more than my college degree!

First world problems, that is for sure! I really have so many things to be thankful for, when my current unmet cravings are at the top of my annoyance list!

Until next time - Stay safe and be kind!

A New World Out There!

What better time to relight the fire on the blog, than when we are all asked to stay home due to an epidemic affecting the entire world!  With the additional time at home, in our safe, warm, well-lit, home, with my family, the outside does not seem as scary.

Seeing the world change outside our four wall, people sharing, being kid and considerate, working together for the greater good, sure makes you think about all sorts of things. I see Teddy Bears in windows, hearts, rainbows, stars, chalk drawings on sidewalks, and so many people out walking - 6 feet apart mind you, smiling from across the street, waving, almost as though there are no worries in their lives.  I know though, that the worry is there for all of us. Perhaps not for ourselves, but for someone we love and care about, for our neighbors, co-workers, church. With things being so different than our normal daily life, and restrictions being there for us to limit our large-group get-togethers, traveling in packs, school, regular work, etc, we seem to be able to focus on more important things, even if it is only for a short while.

Who would have thought that when Wuhan was hit with the virus, that it would spread across country borders so viciously and rapidly?  Who would have thought that a "flu" virus could impact so many people, and even worse, kill as many people as it has. And we know it is not the end yet.  The US is about 2 weeks behind Europe, where Italy, Spain, my beloved Norway, Germany, and so many other countries are already seeing so many deaths.
I feel fortunate to live in Rochester, where we have Mayo Clinic backing us up, working tirelessly to prepare for what we all believe is to come. Preparing to be able to handle hundreds of people in need of ventilators, preparing to take care of any other patients without to virus, so they can stay free of the virus.
I have to admit, I have spent way too many hours reading news these last couple of weeks, paying attention to the change in numbers all over the world, but first and foremost in my own home country. Seeing my home area on the list of hospitals with infected patients is scary, especially when I know so many people who work at that hospital.  It is also scary since I know people back home who are immuno-compromised and would be in a bad situation should they get the virus.


COVID-19 is now going to mean - COme up VID (read in Scandinavian dialect for best effect) 19 things I am thankful for, courtesy of this darn virus.

I am so thankful for my healthy family!
I am thankful for my job that allows me to work from home during times like this, and not lose out on pay
I am thankful that even though Kevin has a required furlough, we will be fine!
I am thankful for our school system and our teachers who have been working tirelessly to come up with a way to continue teaching my children, through online schooling, after we return from Spring break.
I am thankful for my oldest, who works outside the home - stocking shelves and helping people get their groceries.
I am thankful for my oldest daughter's travelbug - as we often travel around the world just listening to her.
I am thankful for the extra time at home, to relax, read, do things that I normally put off.
I am thankful for the extra time to get my house cleaned and decluttered, without feeling like I am taking time away from the family (because let's face it - they are happy to have some time away from me too!).
I am thankful for the nudge to look at what is important in my life.
I am thankful for the new perspective my kids have.
I am thankful for the extra cuddles I get throughout my workday (this would be frowned upon in my office you know!)
I am thankful for my kids' newfound willingness to help out around the house (because when you are bored out of your mind, cleaning is actually fun!)
I am thankful for the real life skills my kid shave learned - even though my pants are getting a bit tight from all their cooking experiences!
I am thankful for added time to focus on myself and my own well-being
I am thankful for technology that allows me to stay in touch with everyone I care about
I am thankful for my kids' technology skills and their ability to connect with their friends remotely
I am thankful for my added kitten cuddle time!
I am thankful for our safety
I am thankful for our how my schooling and internship can still go on despite the pandemic, and the end of my degree is near!

Giving it another try

Here we are again, over a year since my last posting!  Truth be told - the last year has been so busy that blogging was the last thing that would get done.

I returned to work last January and though I enjoy what I do, I wish I had made the decision to hold off until my two youngest munchkins were in school before going back.  I have some pretty awesome coworkers though, and have learned a lot about the medical field, more specifically anything within Neurology.  It is very interesting!

My hubby also works for this wonderful Clinic that I work for, and he was asked to demo a product at this year's HIMSS conference in New Orleans.  My wonderful in-laws were willing to come watch the kids, so here I am too - in New Orleans with my husband.  He has to work all day, but we have the evenings, plus an extra two days after the conference to hang out.  We are looking forward to trying new foods, seeing new things (neither of us have been here before) and enjoying the warmer weather (high 60's to high 70's) while our dear Minnesota is being pounded by a huge snow storm (schools closed) that is predicted to bring a total snow fall with just this storm that is greater than the total snow falls for each of the last two winters!  I am SO glad I got out before the storm hit!

Anyways, I arrived last night, and we went out to eat.  We tried foods at Acme oyster house - see my food blog for that review.  We also tried some beignets at Cafe Du Monde - oh, heavens!  Brought a box with Beignet mix, and some french roast coffee with us from that place as well, and I have plans to return later today as Kevin is at the conference and I have the entire day to myself. 

I can tell that there is no way I will by accident lose a few lbs while here!  #lovingthefoodsoflouisina

Blog topics

I have SO many ideas for blogging, but often forget to even jump on here (as you can tell my how often I blog!).
So, I am starting a list of things to blog about and tentative dates, with reminders popping up in my calendar. We'll see how long I can put up with that bugging me without turning them off:)

If you have any ideas for what I can blog about, feel free to mention them in a comment!!

This is what I have so far:
*Being a Norwegian in America (how fitting is that:))
*Losing weight
*going back to work
*child rearing
*meal making
*relationships
*devotions
*favorite music
*Saving money
*Middle school
*raising girls
*raising boys
*family
*language
*school

Anyway, some of the ideas, and I actually have a calendar where I have them all spaced out, with a little bit every day.....yeah, let's see if this lady can keep that going when school starts!

Happy New Year!!

Wishing all of you a Happy New Year! It is time for a fresh start, certainly, for all of us. Regardless of how we did last year. We can always improve, and I hope this year will be the greatest!
Last year our family had a lot of big changes - me becoming a stay at home mom, buying our dream home, Kevin getting a wonderful new job, selling our old house, new schools for both of the oldest kids...hm...I think that covers it. And guess what! We'll kick this year off with a big change too! At the end of January I will be returning to school for a 14 week training to become a medical secretary and at the end of that program I will begin working full time at the same place my husband does! Awesome! I am very excited, but at the same time nervous about leaving the kids in child care or with a nanny.

Catch up!

Spending the Summer in Norway was a blast, so much of a blast I totally skipped on the blogging! How horrible is that!

We spent quality time with so many people, but most importantly with my grandpa, who only 10 weeks after I returned to the US, passed away in the comfort of his him, with many of his loved ones around him.  His passing was such a sad thing, but at the same time, we know he is no longer in pain, and is yet again re-united with the love of his life - my grandma who passed away last December. This year will be the first year with none of my grandparents alive. I am so glad I got to spend the last two Christmases in Norway, one with both of my maternal grandparents, and the last one with my grandpa.

A highlight while in Norway was being there for when my newest nephew, Joachim Leandro was born. He was making us nervous that we'd miss meeting him as he decided to wait past his due date of the 20th (we were leaving the 30th to return to the US).  He is absolutely adorable (as is his brothers and his cousins Miriam and Daniel!) and I am so glad we got to meet and love on him before we have to leave!

Upon returning to the US, we drove directly to our new house and camped out on air beds:) A wonderful couple who we consider dear friends, drove our van to the airport and left it there for us so we did not have to take the shuttle home. It took me a while to find the van as I forgot about the lack of internet at the airport (unless you pay) and had to search out someone who was willing to let me borrow their cell phone so I could call my friend:) The same wonderful couple also left food for us at our old house (which we found when we picked up airbeds before going to bed) so we had donuts, milk, and fruits for breakfast! How awesome is that!

We finally sold our old house in November, and enjoy once again being a one home family. We're still adjusting to the house, unpacking, getting rid of stuff we really should not have moved etc, but are loving the spacious house, wonderful storage and separate rooms for the kids! I love our master bathroom, my mail floor laundry and my new kitchen! It really is our dream house, and I am glad we were able to get it while the market was at a low!

We're preparing to spend our first Christmas in our new home, with family spending time with us, and we look forward to that.

Hoping to get pictures uploaded soon. I am really bad at keep up on that, but with my new laptop I should be able to do better since I don't have to wait a lifetime for the pictures to be accessible!

Take care, and have a wonderful weekend!

Norway - week 1

Today marks the day we've been in Norway for a whole week. It is very nice to be back, although I miss Kevin a ton already! I hope he is able to come see us later this summer, while at the same time, I know that if he is not able to, it is for a good reason which will pay off in the long run.

The two youngest girls are still adjusting to the time difference and the food change, but I think we're getting there!

Michael and Victoria have already improved immensely in their Norwegian, and it is so fun to see!! I can only imagine how great their Norwegian will be at the end of our stay here!

Well, off to get some salty foods. I had some food last night that just did not measure up, so now I have a hankering for the real deal:)