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The End of A Year...

Friday, December 31, 2010

Friday, December 31, 2010




Update 01/01/11:
We rocked it this year. Had friends stay over and went to bed around 1.30am. Got up next morning and Jeffrey made pancakes for everybody. Not a bad way to start the New Year: Good food and great friends!!



First Run…

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

…of the Season

If you think that a -10°C will keep us from going down hill… you are so wrong.

Jeremy did very very good for his 3rd time on skis. He finally listened to what Maman istrying to teach him and we even took him to the big hill on the last day…no more kids slopes for him.

In case you needed a proof!!

Ready for some serious skiing

Can you feel the cold?

On top of the 'big' hill



Going To The Hytte…

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Sunday, December 26, 2010
...For A LittleDown Time

How low can it go?

Driving to the Mountain, the temperature dropped to -23°C that’s a whopping -10°F
Low
Lower

And this is what happens if you leave a bottle of water in the car!!

At least we would have fresh water...


I didn’t know but apparently when you park the car, you cannot engage the handbrake but should keep the car parked in gear. Apparently, handbrakes can freeze in place so, to avoid this, they can’t be used in sub-zero temperatures.



Joyeux Noel...

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Saturday, December 25, 2010
...Merry Christmas 2010

God Jul
  圣诞快乐 (shèngdàn kuàilè)
Feliz Navidad
Buon Natale


Christmas Eve


Christmas Morning

21, 22, 23…

Friday, December 24, 2010

Friday, December 24, 2010
...24th and Last

That’s the last Chocolate of the Advent Calendar; it must mean Santa is coming tonight!!
Chocolate overdose officially over

Playing with my camera and the new lit up Christmas tree:
Bokeh

Christmas Tree…

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Thursday, December 23, 2010
...Cutting

We picked it, now we need to cut it.

Yes.. it's OUR tree

On its way to be decorated



Did you know the City of Oslo, Norway presents a tree to the people of London as a token of appreciation for the British support of Norwegian resistance during the Second World War. It’s the Christmas tree on Trafalgar Square in London. Bergen (town north of Stavanger) gives a 15m-tall Christmas tree to Newcastle upon Tyne (UK)

München...

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Wednesday, December 22, 2010
...In Pictures

Here are some pictures from our trip to Munich. Christmas Markets with its multiple ornament stands and food stands. Visit of the Dachau concentration camp but also to the Neuschwanstein Castle and Oberammergau painted houses.

Munich skyline from the Deutsches Museum




This is what happened when a 'photographer' gets room service...
She cannot help herself ;-)





9.30am: Good Morning...

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Tuesday, December 21, 2010
...3.40pm: Good Night

When did the day go? I haven’t had time to do anything today!!... Only 6 hours to do everything.

But look on the bright side: I’ll have a full 18 hours around June 21 to do everything!!!

Gone in 60’



Daylight Hours Explorer
Check it out here

Good Bye Stavanger...

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Thursday, December 16, 2010
...Hello Munich

Germany here we come
Right there!





Reading...

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Tuesday, December 14, 2010
...Last Time Of The Year

Today should have been my last day of the year going to Jeremy’s class for my weekly session of reading… well actually I should say listening since I’ve been going every Tuesday morning (I have to be at school by 8.30am… talk about commitment for me!) for a 1-hour session of reading with the children. They read, I listen. It has been very rewarding and I love to get to know Jeremy’s classmates.


Santa Lucia...

Monday, December 13, 2010

Monday, December 13, 2010

December 13th is known as ‘‘Luciadagen’’ (Santa Lucia Day) in the Nordic countries and children wear white robes, sing and parade with candles but also baskets of sweet pastry know as ‘lussekatter’

It’s all part of a legend about the martyr St Lucia, who was executed in 304AD while she held a burning lamp.
Sweden started celebrating Luciadagen in 1927, and Finland also has a long tradition of honoring Santa Lucia with parades at schools, hospitals and charitable institutions.
The day’s roots aren’t so deep in Norway, but local day care centers (barnehager) have taken up the event in recent years, seen by many as an extra source of light and music on.

My Friend’s daughter at the Santa Lucia Parade at ISS

Christmas Tree...

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Sunday, December 12, 2010
...Picking

Just like last year we decided to go native and cut our own Christmas tree (at a Christmas tree farm of course… we are not vandals!). But because we won’t be here the week before Christmas and we learned from last year that decorating the tree too early make a very sad Christmas tree just a few days after Christmas. So just like the Norwegians, we are going to pick our perfect tree and we will come to cut it just a few days before Christmas.

Not this one, not this one...

This one!




Julebord…

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Saturday, December 11, 2010
...Christmas Party

We glamed ourselves up once again and went to the company 'Julebord' (that’s Christmas party the Norwegian way!). Thankfully the food was French!!.

Sorry no picture of us in all our glamorous outfit… totally forgot to take a picture to share. But I get one of Jeffrey up on the stage giving a speech this year!


I was also in spirit with my friends for yet another Going Away dinner.  This time it’s Michelle and she’s moving to Bahrain… Nothing like a quick last minute relocation.

Does it look Photoshoped?!!

Santa Pictures...

Friday, December 10, 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010
...At School

Yesterday I was asked by the Parents-Teachers Association to take the class picture with Santa at my kids’ school… all 17 Primary classes!!


Winter Concert...

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Thursday, December 9, 2010
...Part II

Chloe’s turn at the winter concert this week.




Gingerbread House…

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Tuesday, December 7, 2010
...Part II

It was Chloe’s class turn today. But some parents were only required for the assembly part… decoration will be done tomorrow.

Chloe & Franziska doing some heavy masonry work!!




Late Thanksgiving...

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Sunday, December 5, 2010
...Early Christmas Dinner

For the second year in a row I’m cooking Thanksgiving. Well this year it’s a late Thanksgiving since we had a company Christmas party to attend on the Saturday and it was too much for one weekend.

So we invited the same British couple than last year (they accepted our second invitation so I took it as a sign they liked what they ate!) and added a Canadian couple and Canadian friend (Canadians celebrate Thanksging the first Monday in October so it was way past their Thanksgiving time!).

Total 7 adults and 6 children…. Wahoo I’m getting the hang of cooking for a crowd!!

Martha Stewart and The Pioneer Woman would have been proud

The difference is this year I had Pecan for my pecan pie!!

Kids' dessert



And here’s an interesting article on what are the most cooked dishes around the USA for Thanksgiving.

Winter Concert*...

Friday, December 3, 2010

Friday, December 3, 2010
...Part I

This week was Jeremy’s Winter Concert.  Next week will be Chloe’s

As you can see Jeremy was really into it!


* Formerly known as Christmas Concert!!!

Another "See You Later"…

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Thursday, December 2, 2010
…Coffee

Such is the life in the Expat world. 

See you later Heather and enjoy your new life as a "Dallas Divas & Daughters"!!


Nice meeting you, sorry to part

Let’s The Fun…

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Wednesday, December 1, 2010
...Begin

And the Christmas seasons is officially starting

Chocolate overdose starting now