fall

Again, many things have happened these last few months! For example Aksel's first birthday!! We had a wonderful day celebrating with family and a few friends - and I think he enjoyed his first piece of cake all to himself!

We went to California in the beginning of September for a very good friend from Norways wedding as well as to visit some other friends from Norway! So we had a great week of being "norwegian" with speaking lots of Norwegian and eating Norwegian food - as well as laying on the beach and spending time with good friends.

One of my closest friends from New Zealand came to visit me together with her hubby and kids. It was amazing to meet her kids for the first time and spend some quality time together after so long. Can't wait until next time!!

Soon after that, Håkon and I had the opportunity to go to Mexico along with some people from his work - which we gladly accepted! So we had a 5 day holiday in Cabo San Lucas in an all-inclusive resort. Without kids! We had a wonderful time, but unfortunately the kids got super sick while we were gone with hand-foot-and mouth disease. Which basically meant that they had sores all in their mouth - no food, no soothers, no bottles = not a fun time for my poor poor parents. But they survived and the children survived so I guess it all ends well. So unfortunate that our first time away from Aksel turned out like that. Hopefully it will be better the next time we go away!

As I'm writing this, Håkon is on his way to Norway. His grandfather died on Sunday so he is going for the funeral. I am sad that I'm unable to be there to celebrate his life but am so glad that Håkon will be there with his family. He'll be gone for a week so hopefully I'll survive with the kids without having a nervous breakdown!

Birthday boy!

Beach time in California - Orange County

Elias and Ezra - good buddies

Sunset cruise in Mexico

summer

This summer has been very full - even with the lack of holidays! I think when I look back on this summer, the thing that I will remember the most is the heat! It was crazy warm for about a month - the temperature was in the mid 30's every day, with the humidity it felt like it was in the low 40's. So the heat was intense to say the least. We have enjoyed the weather as well :-) days on the beach and at the water park! We also had a long weekend up at Green Lake, about a 4 hour drive from here, together with another family that we have gotten to know quite well. That was loads of fun - we stayed at a house right on the lake and had long lazy days. Truly a break from it all, besides Håkon's wallet going missing! But it was thankfully found a day later so all was well.

Other highlights include celebrating the marriage of my brother Jim and his new wife, Doreen. They were married in Hawaii in March so we had a family celebration at the end of July. The first family do at "our house"! Quite fun!

Also, Elias is finally out of diapers! We finally had enough and took them away and 3 days later he was pretty much trained. I am still so thrilled everytime he uses the potty and I don't have to deal with diapers anymore! It was quite funny, he picked out a pirate ship as his toy after filling up his potty chart - he was playing with it upstairs and I could hear him "ahoy ladies"!! instead of "mateys"..very cute.

Aksel is now walking - much to his and our delight! He's been taking steps now for almost a month, but now these last few weeks, especially these last few days, he's been walking more and more. He will now get up and keep walking if he falls down instead of crawling further so I think the crawling is on it's way out quickly! Otherwise he is saying a few words and is obsessed with putting things in and out of their containers. Elias and Aksel are definitely fighting quite a lot, much to my dismay and amusement. I can't believe how much Aksel deliberately bugs Elias, already!! But I guess this is how it will be for the next 20 years!

Picking raspberries with Gramma and Grandpa

Cooling of in the summer heat!

Beach time with good friends!

Our cabin at Green Lake

Elias is still loving the water

Elias is very proud of his pirate ship and potty going!

Our garden full of cucumbers, squash and tomatoes!

Water park

The weather has been beautiful this last little while and the water park is a favourite place to go!

busyness

What a crazy last few weeks! The absolute biggest highlight has been Eirik and Lina who came for a visit. They were here for a little over a week and we enjoyed every single second of it! Elias was so excited to see them and loved playing with his aunt and uncle. He even started speaking more norwegian, which was great! We had lots of fun exploring different parts of the Vancouver area and just hanging out. It was incredibly sad to see them go :-( anybody else want to come???!!

One sad happening in the middle of it all was that my gramma was admitted to the hospital after falling. She was pretty touch and go for a while, they even had to revive her at one point, but she is now doing better. Unfortunately she will no longer be able to live in her apartment. So this was all a bit of a shock.

We have all been a bit sick as well. I had bronchitis and am still trying to recover from it. The kids have been coughing and not 100% for over a month now, so that's a bit tiring. Elias has actually been using an inhalor to see if that will help him.

My parents have moved out now so we are in full reno swing. We have ripped out the carpet in the living and dining room and will be installing hardwood floors this weekend in those areas plus the kitchen. Yay! We're also in the middle of painting the rooms as well, so we've had some late nights.

Other than that, we are enjoying life. Aksel is getting close to walking. He is letting go sometimes and standing. He is also obsessed with light switches, and is even saying "off"! Elias and him are having lots of fun together, and definitely starting to fight a bit as well!

Fish and chips in White Rock

On the boat to Granville Island

Aksel practicing walking with a bit of help!

hot hot hot

It's been hot this week! It's been over 30 degrees this whole week - hot! So the days have been a bit long and tiresome - with the nights being even longer and more tiresome. To top it all off, Aksel has been sick with a cough and fever.. thankfully the weather has been slightly cooler today. We have had some fun in the midst of it all though! Yesterday we went to an "ice-cream farm" and enjoyed a cold ice-cream in the heat.

17.mai

Our first 17.mai in Canada was quite nice! We went to the Skandinavia house in Vancouver to join other norwegians celebrate their national day! It was quite bizarre to sing the national anthem and see other norwegians parade around in a "tog", some in bunad's, others in shorts..it was nice but it really made me miss the real thing. Especially the part where you can eat as much icecream as you want! But fun to be a part of it all.

Gramma and Aksel looking quite similar!


Aunty Doreen getting the smiles

Håkon is still in shock

Well, we have survived our first Easter without a week and a half off!! It was a bit of a shock, but it was still nice to have a long weekend. We probably should have spent it working on the house, but we spent it having fun with friends and family instead! So there still are no pictures of our room, which is still the only room in the house that we've redone..hopefully soon! Håkon is actually outside right now getting the base for the new fireplace ready.

We have started to try to do something with the lawn/garden as well..it's no joke having a house! My parents have actually bought a condo now, so they will be moving during the course of the summer. It will be strange (and nice!) to not have them in the house. I have just been so grateful for their help - opportunities for naps, babysitting and just having other adults in the house to talk to on those insane days.

We have bought a new old car! Ok, a new old minivan! Even as I write that I cringe, but they are so practical. And we got a great deal through Håkon's work so I really can't complain. The van is fully loaded, leather seats, built in DVD player, automatic doors, tinted windows...so even though it's a van, we're quite happy with it!

The weather has turned quite nice. It's even been in the low 20's! So we have been enjoying being outside a lot enjoying the yard, as well as getting to know our neighbors even more! And fun to be able to have Aksel outside a bit more without worrying that he'll get sick!

The boys are starting to have a bit of fun together. Elias is such a wonderful big brother - so gentle and loving. And Aksel just lights up when Elias looks at him! Aksel is spending the majority of his days hanging onto my pant legs. He's not really happy unless he is standing or crawling up the stairs, so I fear that he will walk sooner rather than later. He is about 3 months earlier with this all than Elias was, so it's a bit of a shock!

nothing like tulip trees in the spring!


straight hair, how weird is that?!

our minivan!!!

the outside of the house