The Snow Experiment

Nolan just did not believe me when I said that when snow melts it turns into water. So...we did a little snow experiment. We gathered snow from the parking lot at school, put it in a container, then took it home and brought it inside. The end result, "You're right Mom...just water! Now can we put it outside and make new snow?" I think Daddy's in charge of science experiments from now on!

Beautiful Views



Just driving home from the grocery store and WOW look at the view I run into!

My Norwegian driving is a little shakey, so I shouldn't be taking pictures while I'm driving, but I just couldn't resist capturing this harbor town view!

One of the hilly streets that leads to our temporary apartment. Cute and charming in the picture, not so cute when my car's wheels just kept spinning and spinning as I tried to get home the morning of our first snowstorm!

Beautiful!

There's friendly, and then there's okra friendly!

The people here are REALLY nice. So many people have reached out to say "Welcome to Stavanger!" Norwegians and expats alike. This conversation I had with a stranger while picking out onions in the produce department during my very first trip to the grocery store sums it up...

Lady: Excuse me. I heard your American accent. Do you know if there is anywhere around here to buy okra?
Me: Uh...Uh...Uh, I just moved here a few days ago.
Lady: Wow! Well, welcome to Stavanger! You should come over for coffee!!
Me: Um, okay. :)

It's always easier to get settled somewhere that is not "home" when the people around you are welcoming and friendly (and like okra, I guess)!

Raa Raa!

I would give a million dollars if I could somehow obtain a recording of Nolan and I laying on the bed in the hotel watching a kids' cartoon, totally in Norwegian, called Raa Raa. It's about a bunch of African (hee hee) animals, including a lion named Raa Raa. We couldn't understand a word of it, but it was honestly hilarious making up our own dialogue! !
Maybe I'll learn enough Norwegian to be able to understand what these cute little animals are actually saying by the time we leave here in a few years. Or, maybe I'll just stick to the one word I already know...Raa Raa...and make up the rest, Nolan will never know!

Raa Raa and Friends!

brrrrrus stop!

Waiting at the bus stop the first day of school...good chance to test out our new winter clothes!

This is the school bus!

Trolls!

Many trolls make their home, or find their way into homes, all over Norway. Our third day here we encountered our very first one. I wonder where I could put him in our house in Houston?!

First Day at the International School of Stavanger

So exciting...new school, new teachers, new friends...

We all went in for a short visit to the International School of Stavanger (ISS), where the boys will be attending school while we live here, and we all had the same first impression...two thumbs up! The facilites are great, but it's the staff and students that really gave us a great first impression. Zach (4th grade), Colby (2nd grade) and Nolan (pre-school) are so excited to get started! Looking forward to a great few years here...

25 bags and 3 plane trips later...we made it!

Well, today we officially wrapped up our three-year stay in Luanda, Angola and arrived in Stavanger, Norway to start our next expat adventure! One of the highlights for the boys when we heard that we were coming here was the dramatic change in climate and a chance for winter weather, so the boys were thrilled to see snow on the ground (and see snow for the first time ever!) when we landed, even though it was old, icy snow. They just couldn't resist stomping on it and picking it up! What a warm (well, not so warm!) welcome!

Bags are packed. Boys are ready. Off we go...Africa to Europe!

Our very first glimpse of Norway...

Yippeee...SNOW!!!!!

"It's real snow!" -Colby

Two minutes out of the airport and Zach's ready for his first snowball fight!

Check out the temperature...!