We made it!

 We made it! 5 people, 16 suitcases, 5 backpacks, 1 camera and 2 cats!

And...this is what jet lag looks like!...

noon

4:00 a.m.

Relaxing wherever and whenever possible!

And we're off, again!!

 Then: heading out on our first expat assignment to Africa in 2012

Now: heading out on our new expat assignment to India, today (2018)
Same boys (just a bit bigger), and same sense of excitement in the air as we say goodbye and get ready to say hello!

Big Announcement! We're moving!

We are moving to Bengaluru, India in August!! We found out on Friday that we are officially moving to India so we decided to wait and tell the boys by hiding a clue in their last Easter egg. Here's a video of their reaction... :)

Headed home!

After 6 years of living overseas (3 in Africa and 3 in Norway) we are headed back to our house in The Woodlands! We are all looking forward to exploring a bit of the US (and to warming up!) but super sad to leave this unique lifestyle. Time to pack up everything up, including our favorite souvenirs- our Norwegian cats, Puffamania and Vader! Hope they like hot weather...

Walking

Walking around the lakes or next to the fjords is one of my favorite things do here!

Preikestolen!

Friends and travel are two of the best things about living abroad. Some of our best family friends from Africa, The Fieldings, moved to Bergen, Norway shortly after we moved to Stavanger. We've been lucky enough to catch up with them a few times while living in the same country, and today we snuck in another (amazing!) Norwegian adventure with them! We climbed all the way to the top of Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)! Did I mention amazing?!

Windy Snow Day = No school!!

Woah!...Stavanger Traffic Jam!

Got caught in a bit of a traffic jam, right here in Stavanger....

Horses seem to be a normal mode of transportation around here! Not as popular as bikes or cars, and you don't see it often, but definitely a way to get around.

One day while cooking dinner I heard this weird clompy noise outside our apartment window. Sure enough, there were people just riding on down the street on their horses! Out of amazement, I scrambled to find the camera to get a picture, but they were almost out of sight...

Hanging our Easter Hats

Happy Easter from Stavanger!

Dying Eggs in the Apartment. Colby is dying eggs Norway style...in just his long underwear!!

Egg-cellent technique, Zach!

Colby is in Egg Dying 101 by Dad

After dying 2 dozen eggs... "Do we have more?!"- Nolan

Nolan had an Easter party at school, complete with The Easter Bunny showing up in his class!

Well, we don't actually have Easter hats (1. I think they are called bonnets. 2. I don't think boys wear them. 3. We are in a temporary apartment with minimal things, Easter Hats not being one of them.), but as we sat at an ugly table in a temporary apartment in a new country dying Easter Eggs I kept thinking about the phrase "Home is Where you Hang Your Hat"...especially in the eyes of the kids, if you smash together the whole family, fun, and a holiday tradition, instantly a temporary house becomes a home. So this Easter as we hang up our (winter) hats, it really does feel like a home!

Now, if only I can convince Zach that he should hang this hat up in the apartment before I take him out in public with me... :)

What an Adventure!

AdventureLand

Just for fun we went on an adventure to find a place that I found on the internet and somehow stumbled upon this awesome indoor play-place instead. The kids had a blast monkeyin' around and, as you can see below, it wasn't such a rough day for me either!

The boys climbing and sliding around in AdventureLand

This place has it figured out... Free wi-fi, free massage chairs and free tea/coffee to keep the parents happy while they sit and watch their kids play. Oh, and free blankets to keep you cozy!

4 hours and 1 finished book later I got out of my seat and went home with 3 tired boys! What a great adventure :)