The 2009 Norsk Barnelopet!!

Only in Minnesota can you go out on a Sunday afternoon when the temperature is a mere 2 degrees above zero and find kids of all ages ready to participate in a cross country ski race! Gunnar took part in the 2009 Barnelopet over at Riverside Park overlooking the mighty Mississippi just after lunch today. What fun that was! Both Gunnar and Hans had done it last year, but this year Hans was not interested. Gunnar and I went over and signed him up just in time to take part in the race for the 6-8 year old kids. As you can see from the pictures, even though it was cold, it was a glorious afternoon for a ski race. Gunnar did fantastic, coming in 6th place for his age group - he was a much smoother, faster skier this year. Orn and Hans did not make it in time to see the race, but Hans got to participate in his favorite activity associated with this event - eating tons of wonderful Scandinavian goodies! A great time had by all!!

The Bailey's Party 2009

Last night Orn and I went down to St. Paul to attend what was probably the 12th annual Bailey's Taste Testing party at my friend Colleen Holm's house. The party grew over the years to a group that includes past and present Lawson employee's along with some other friends of Colleen's that we've all gotten to know over the years. It is always a ton of fun, with many stories to share and many more to create each year. Last night was no exception! Even though it was well below zero, it was very much worth the trek.

Basketball Season

Gunnar and Hans both have started playing basketball this winter in the St. Cloud Youth Basketball program. What fun it has been! For Hans, his team has 30 minutes of instruction followed by 30 minutes of scrimmaging. Very interesting basketball is played during the scrimmage - I liken it to a Rugby match in a gymnasium. For Gunnar, his team has 40 minutes of instruction followed by a 4o minute scrimmage. It is incredible to see the improvement in skills from the 1-2nd grade group to the 3-4th grade group. Also, a lot of fun to watch. Fortunately, they don't call any double dribble, fouls, etc. but rather, just let the boys play basketball. Both Gunnar and Hans are learning a lot and having a BALL in the process.

Minnesota FUN on Martin Luther King Day!!

We all had the day off from school today, so we made the most of it by doing what we Minnesotan's like to do most in the winter - cross country ski, ice skate, and sled down crazy hills!

Gunnar and I started off our day by cross country skiing at Quarry Park here in town. It is our new favorite thing to do...the trails are great with some smaller hills and lots of fun scenery and trails to explore.

After lunch, Hans and I joined Andrea and her two over at the local sledding hill (Calvery Hill). We took some turns cruising down the hill - Hans's favorite thing is to go over the jumps while going down the hill on his stomach. I simply cringe and look away!

After sledding, we stopped back at the house and retrieved Gunnar for our final afternoon activity - skating over at Rotary Park. What a GREAT DAY!!

Snowy, COLD Minnesota!!!

Oh my goodness!! Could it get any colder this winter??!! We have enjoyed A LOT of snow already this year, which has been fabulous (reminds me of winters past!), but the cold of this past week has been horrific! In fact, this morning neither Orn nor I had seen that school had been cancelled for the boys, so when we bundled them up and sent them out to the bus stop, it was 36 degrees below zero, not accounting for the wind chill (thankfully, there wasn't much wind). Fortunately, our neighbor by the bus stop happened to be taking out his garbage so the boys didn't even make it to the bus stop before they were told NO SCHOOL!

It has been sooooo cold, that the cats have taken to sleeping together again in an effort to stay warm. They search out what sunlight they can find too. Looking out on our patio, it appears that it will be a LONG time before we are able to do any grilling!! Yikes!!

New Years Eve 2008!!

For the first time in years, Orn and I stayed up past midnight! Amazing! Thanks to help from our wonderful neighbors (Jon and Noel) we had a fabulous meal and then played Rumikub well past the bewitching hour! What fun it was! The boys also stayed up, playing Wii in the basement with Nick and Alex. As midnight approached Alex came up with his electric guitar and serenaded us with Old Ang Sine. A very fun night had by all!! :)