Can you feel the music this good?

There is nothing like seeing Ethan getting his groove on!
Sorry, to all of you ethan fans, for not posting in a very long time. I think i just needed a break. Once he started walk/running...sitting down and writing time just disappeared for me. I always have something i have to be doing and this kind of relaxing just doesn't make the cut. Today Ethan is sleeping in very late so, i will enjoy this sweet and peaceful moment by sharing my joy in him with you!
He is learning lots every day! He says lots of words like; mamma and pappa, apple, banana, cookie, of course, and bottle, ball, doggy, grass, hot, hammer, and a few more. And he is learning new sign language every day. We have this great "learning to sign" DVD that we rent from the library. He LOVES to watch and try each move! So, very sweet. So, he of course signs all there is to sign in relation to food! His first love is food, by the way! He also signs fish, bear, go, no, yes, sleepy, bedtime, potty, thank you, please, ball, doggy, cat, thirsty and a few more that i can't think of right now. But, what fun it is to see him learning all of this and putting all these things together! I will soon try to catch him in the act and video it if i can. It is hard to hold a camera and sign to him in order to get him to sign to me! We have had some recent sickness that is really had us in some pickles lately. I will write more on that later i think. Good day for now!

Life is like a stagnate blurr to me now that we are back. We have been back for a month now. It feels like everything has changed. Friendships are different. Day to day is different. Ethan is so different. Being a mom feels different...harder. People's lives are too busy. It has been hard to write anything lately. I feel like i am a little disoriented as the American ways are slapping me in the face right now. As i look out my window of life, there is such a strive all around me for perfection. To be the perfect mother, to have the perfect body, house and even to have the perfect schedule in your day. Living and loving lost it's simplicity a long time ago as "convenience" became the goal as a life style. Now we add this new intensity for perfection. What if all we did in a day was love well? we lost our organizer, did not do all the perfect little arts and crafts lessons with our kids, house did not get clean or dinner made on time, we were late to car pool, forgot to check our calenders for birthdays that we should have sent a card out for, but we loved and we loved well!
I don't know if i can ever measure up as a perfect mom and be so impressive as those who were and are so successful at it. I think i will just have to go ahead and admit that i will fail at it miserably. That is OK with me. Life isn't perfect...it is messy. It is a false reality to put that image of myself and of life, in front of my kids all the time. Rather to say, here is me...a mess and in need of God's merciful hand at every turn. Here is life...an often hurtful mess, in need of God's merciful hand at every turn.
At the end of the day, at the end of all this, at the end of being at home with young ones...no matter how wacky my day was...I hope i loved well and that i was able to show them the perfection of Jesus and his marvelous love! God, just give me that and i will surrender all my needs to perfection. This is my prayer, teach me to love as you love!

Snow Man Walking!

Ethan Snow started his walking career on July 15, 2008, in Norway, but he didn't really take off till we were back in Nashville and jet lag had really set in. So, we went to Borders 2 days in a row and just let him walk the isles till he couldn't walk anymore. Which took so much longer than i thought was possible! I never realized how that babies really don't want to do anything else, once they have learned this skill! how much fun we had with him! It was the perfect medicine for being jet lagged and sad to end a beautiful summer vacation in Norway!

The place where Jon David grew up

~Risoya, an island of paradise!~

Jon David, grew up in the most perfect place a boy could ever dream of. It was surrounded by water! Totally cool! Had lot's and lot's of climbing you could do. Was safe as could be, which allowed for him to wander past what is considered a normal back yard and explore the great beyond until he was just so satisfied he had to come home.

This is actually the house we are renting for the week. Their house was two houses back from here. I should have taken that photo. I still mean too!

I came here for a whole summer in '99'. I remember feeling like I was in a paradise. I loved to roam this whole island from the great giant cliffs, the wooded area inland, to the beautiful dock of sails. A good long walk to count your many blessings on. (If you look closely you will see us on the top! This is the only place you can swim whithout that has sand for your feet, instead of sharp shells or a cliff to jump from.)

Jon David came to America not knowing he was saying goodbye to this place forever. His parents moved off this Island the year we married. Nine years later they have come revisit the place they lived for almost 22 years. A land that holds great meaning, unforgettable memories, all of God's faithfulness, many dreams come true and so much more i could not begin to know. There are lot's of emotions swimming around in their hearts. This is a big time for us all who are here. Who is here? Jon David's family of: two uncles, one aunt, sister, brother-in-law, their two children ,two cousins, a friend of family, his mom and dad, me and ethan. That is a total of 15! Staying together in THIS house for one week! It is a lot of fun and a huge stretch to reach each others needs well and smoothly. Especially when there is a language barrier, major culture differences and a couple of new comers. I think we do pretty well, considering. Kids at play, remember the olden days! This picture was taken at 11:30 at night. The sun had just set! It was spectacular!

My favorite spot on this island are on the rocks that surround her. I must go and settle there early in the morning. Our time here is soon over and i am feeling rushed to enjoy it even more. How do you fit all of this island in your heart forever?

This is the bridge that takes you from the Island to the Mainland. I took this picture because it made me think of Jon David as a boy riding, on his papa's shoulders!

I feel like I am swimming in emotions. Maybe, I have run out of words for this place, hour, day, time! I am glad to share it with you, for now. There is more..... Follow on and see a funny video of Ethan!

Vote for me...OK!

This is two videos while we are in Norway. One is on the fourth of July and Ethan is speaking to the people of Norway about THE LAND OF THE FREE!!!!

The other video is his favorite word!...OK

Places we have been

This is called a boat lock. At this particular one there was originally a waterfall and they made it into a boat lock that transfers boats from the top of a water channel to the bottom and back up again. It is so brilliant that some one came up with this. I have heard of them but, i have never seen one before! They fill or empty each lock so that the water level is the same from the lock the boat is in to the lock it will enter next.

In this photo, above, they have just opened the doors of a lock for the boat to pass through. Now it will sit and wait another 30 minutes or so to pass the next lock and so on.

This is just a very sweet photo of Jon David's sister, Hanne- Gudvieg and Ethan. Now Ethan has met both of his aunts! And all of his cousins! Which i soon want to blog about!

This is most definitely one of my favorite parks of all time! Every time I come to Norway, I get the pleasure of stopping by here. I wish i had at least one or two of the photos that i took of Jon David and I in this park over 8 years ago, when we were young and in love. It was my favorite thing to go by each one and pose next to the statues. This time we only had time for one pose. There are so many that i couldn't even try to tell you. I love them because they represent humanity in it's raw form, the good the bad and the ugly, and yet, it is just so beautiful! The tall pillar leaves one to ponder on what was the artist really trying to portray. It is a pillar of bodies all piled on top of each other. Some are old, some young and even babies. Many think it is a depiction of the Holocaust. Anyways, it is a spectacular work of art!
As you can see it is truly a remarkable place that no photo can do justice.

Today we went to Tvedestrand to have some Ice Cream. This is the town that i have shown here. So many beautiful houses on the water and a very special old town. Just thought i would share it with you.

More from my favorite park! Now you can kinda see how many there are...but not really.

Where is Waldo? Or rather, Jon David?

Pride and honor

There is a thing called pride and honor that most Americans might think they know a thing or two about. They may even hang the flag and take it down at dusk every night or properly illuminating it at night as the flag code states. You may find that Memorial Day and July the 4th they actually celebrate by being patriotic and waving their flag and meaningfully singing a song in remembrance and not just having a barbecue or party for the sake of another good time. And what about Flag Day, June 14th. This day just comes and goes and most no one knows. At least i haven't since i learned about in Highschool.

Until you have seen a Norwegian embrace their country and where it has come from and what it is today, you have never truly seen what patriotism is! In all my 32 years of being alive in the US of A, I have never seen so much passion and pride as i have seen in this country the few times I have been here. I can not imagine being here on their nations holiday. I have heard the stories told over and over again. How they all get dressed up in these national costumes that represent the different areas of Norway that they are from. Then they parade in the main area of town waving their flags and if you live in Oslo, you parade in front of the King and Queen waving to them as well! The schools are all going as groups to parade together as well. The pictures are very telling of this very exciting day! I hope one day to witness this glorious day!

Whenever I have been here for a birthday i have noticed that they take a small flag in hand and wave it as they sing and then place it on the table by the cake.

This is a photo of Jon David's birthday cake that his mom made him while she was in the states. She put miniature Norwegian flags all over it!

The picture at the top is the only one i got,(wish i had a better one) that somewhat represents the way we were greeted as we arrived here. Every visit i can remember, Jon David's mom has come waving the flag and had flowers in some way. This time as we walked up she crowned me with this beautiful wreath that you see on my head and a sweet kiss on the cheek. I am always amazed at how honored i feel in this family, house and country!

Why does it feel so unusual and sweet to me. We have love, we have honor and we have such passion at home. What i do feel is a fresh new wave coming over me and blowing all around me the whole time i am here. It is the Pride part..i think. It is pure and honest. It is not corrupt or selfish. It is pride in the whole and not in the individual.

I haven't really grasped all that my head is trying to wrap itself around in this, but, i am touched and i wish i could take this refreshing thing that is touching me so deeply and put it in my pocket to take home with me, to then share with you!

Now that i think about it, i guess i am. That is what i am here to do. Gather and take what i can! I think that is all for now. Maybe, more on this later.