We welcomed 2008 from our front lawn in Gjovik Norway. We had purchased a small supply of firework and we had a great time firing them off. The entire town was outdoors. The city has changed the code which permits the private firing of fireworks, so New Years Eve 2007 was the last hurrah.
We live on a small mountain overlooking the largest lake in Norway. From our house above the city the display of lights was amazing. The Asian families in town sent Thai lanterns sailing through the night sky. The round lit globes were so beautiful.
In the spring school semester, NK began attending the neighborhood school full-time. He loves it. It has helped significantly in his integration into the Norwegian culture. He speaks Norwegian fairly fluently. 
NK plays on a soccer (football) team which plays all year. They are outside when there isn't so on the ground. When there is too much snow, they go inside until they can reemerge and play on the outdoor fields.
NK plays on a soccer (football) team which plays all year. They are outside when there isn't so on the ground. When there is too much snow, they go inside until they can reemerge and play on the outdoor fields. NK spent a lot of time skiing in the spring. Our house sits near the cross country trails so it is ski-out from our front door. The huge pine forests behind out house are full of trails which NK loves, whether skiing, hiking or biking.
He has made a lot of friends and loves to hangout with the boys from his soccer club. He is becoming much better at playing his guitars and he has been playing some "real" music not just bits and pieces and practicing chords. He also loves to go to our farm on the west coast of Norway and spend time with his distant cousins - swimming, fishing, biking and riding his ATV.
JH loves his job. It is much more hands-on test engineering than what he did in the US. He also loves spending time outdoors in Norway. Norway is a feast for the eyes, so there is so much to do and JH and his little side-kick NK spend a lot of time skiing and enjoying the fresh mountain air.
Since we bought a house in the spring, JH has spent time getting the small projects done in and outside the house. The house is in great shape, and the landscaping is great also, but of course we wanted to make some minor adjustments to make it ours. We had a one major project which we hired a contractor for - to build a new laundry room. So JH has been adding kitchen cupboards, painting some of the rooms, building a loft in our garage, installing new garage doors, and planning a new walkway.
In the spring just before our move, I started a new job. It was a one-year assignment at the same company JH works for. I have recently found out that they want me to stay as a permanent fixture. Of course when I started working I stopped my language classes. Sometimes I regret not having a better understanding (grammatically). I have lots of books to study the language and I do study...a little...sometimes. Starting a job, moving for the second time in one year, and adjusting to a new culture pushed me to the brink of packing it all in and heading back to the US. I never did actually jump on the plane and head home...but I still carry my passport and for months I kept bags packed...just in case. I was so homesick - it was awful (still is sometimes). Being over 40 and starting a new life so far away from my family and friends...and my language and my familiarity comfort zone has been hard. But we did it.
I have met new friends, some Norwegian and some international...and some Americans! I try to speak Norwegian sometimes and I guess I do a better job of writing my correspondence in Norwegian and listening to other people speak Norwegian to me. Makes for an interesting life.
I love our new house. We have had so much fun decorating and settling in. We have an apartment on the lower level and we have a college student who lives in the apartment. She is afraid of our cat Forrest, so we always have a little bit of drama.
We spent some time travelling this year. It was great to return to the US for the summer, and now with my job I will be travelling to the US on business - probably the East Coast primarily. Right now JH is next to me in our home office on his PC buying our Spring Break tickets to NW Africa. Travelling is such a huge joy for our family and we are fortunate to be able to see the world. Since we love travel, new people and new food we spend our spare time and spare money exploring. In a couple of months we are taking a cruise to Germany and Denmark for a long weekend. Being in Europe, international travel is so easy and even in a terrible world market - it is still inexpensive, much less expensive than travel within the US & North America.
We have CNN and BBC and five computers in our house. We are all news fanatics - NK is becoming more and more interested in the events impacting the world. I think it was the recent US Presidential election that really captured his interest. He watched the debates and definitely had strong opinions (my child - right?). He is learning that the Travel Channels and National Geographic and the History Channels are actually interesting. We wish he read more - but since his choice of television programming is maturing and he can watch news programs and historical shows we know he is learning. When he reads, he is more and more reading Norwegian books. We need to make sure he maintains his language development in English so we will buy some books when we are in the US for the holidays.
Norway's economy is much stronger than the US which means we have been somewhat sheltered from the financial problems that are impacting so many Americas. Like so many Norwegians, we have been in awe of the financial crisis striking so many of the Western countries. Again, we are fortunate we have jobs we enjoy, a house to keep us warm and each other.
We keep our family and friends in the US in our hearts and prayers. We love to get e-mails and packages from "home". It sure makes the world seem smaller. With all the cold, dark days of Norway, hearing from home really is important. Please keep your e-mails coming, and your snail mail too. NK loves the packs of gum and peanut butter packages!
Peace and Love
