It's been a long, dark winter but the spring here is worth the wait!
Denmark in the spring is beautiful!
These beautiful yellow rapeseed fields have popped up everywhere! The leaves are back on the trees, flowers are out, and the sun doesn't set until nearly 11p.m. each night. No wonder the Danes light candles and enjoy hygge during the winter, while they anticipate the nonstop daylight in summer!
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| Enjoying a bluebird day at the shore. |
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Always up for a walk in the woods by our house!
The leaves are back :) |
Aside from a few excursions I've written about in previous blogs, we've spent the last several months living normal life. We've been here long enough now that it really does feel like home. Much of what I once found foreign is now normal and, in some cases, my preference. As an example, I've come to prefer the small stores here. I love the short time it takes me to go from one end to the other and come out with a full shopping cart in just 15 minutes. When I close my eyes and imagine myself standing in a supercenter grocery store in the States, it feels daunting and overdone. I guess I've become accustomed to my three choices of pasta and five or six choices of cold cereal. I remember the first day we arrived. We went to buy some food at the store and I nearly cried because I couldn't imagine how I was going to feed the family out of what was available to buy. I felt like the food aisles were over, and we were on to nonfood items, before I had found familiar enough food to make meals for even one day! Conversely, I talked with a Danish woman who had lived with her family in the U.S. for a time. She explained that when she arrived and went to a giant store there, she broke down into tears because she was so overwhelmed by all the variety and choices. All she wanted to buy was a box of Corn Flakes. She was completely overwhelmed by the seemingly countless brands, flavors, and box sizes. It's funny to hear how culture shocks go both ways. When someone explains to me my own culture from their perspective, it's amazing how eye-opening--and sometimes funny--it is!
So, what is normal life for an American family in Denmark?
We've done tons of homework...
We've given school presentations...
We've hung out with friends...
We've just plain hung out...
We've played sports...
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| Grant's school cricket team. |
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| Competitive backyard badminton |
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| Grant's basketball team |
We've missed Kyle...
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| LOVED talking with our missionary in Guatemala on Mother's Day! |
We've been on class trips...
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Jared spent 4 days in London with his class.
Grant went with his class for three days to Aarhus, Denmark.
And even Ben, in 2nd grade, had a two night class trip to Helsingor, Denmark. |
We've been involved in an international troop of the Boy Scouts of America...
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Jared has completed the requirements for the rank of Eagle Scout,
and Grant is the rank of Tenderfoot. |
We've grown older and wiser...
We've stopped to smell as many flowers as possible...
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| Found this two-headed dandelion in Sweden. |
We've toured probably too many old places...
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| Ben's jubilation that we've finished sight-seeing at another old palace. |
We've ridden on far too many trains...
And we've gone a little crazy...
Of course, this doesn't include the countless hours of work Travis has given his company--which is why we're here in the first place--the teeth that were lost, the inches grown, and the many other details that take place during normal life. 'Normal' in a foreign country is sometimes surprisingly the same and sometimes very different. I suppose that's what made all of this feel like an adventure. Like I said before, though, we've lived here long enough now that normal doesn't feel adventurous or foreign anymore--it just feels normal. Work trips to England, Spain, and France are just part of the routine. Meeting people from Nepal is no longer surprising. Let's just sum up by saying we find ourselves coming into our final experiences in Denmark and we're becoming increasingly grateful for all the details of our year here--foreign, normal, and adventurous.
The months of May and June have been a fun chance to play tourist, as we've enjoyed entertaining some family that has come to visit. It's caused us to see our own backyard with fresh eyes again. Copenhagen is such a cool place! (These are all pictures of places I've blogged about before, but here are a few reminder highlights.)
The Kronborg (Hamlet's) Castle:
The Frederiksborg Castle:
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| From the balcony inside the chapel. |
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| The grounds of the castle are so impressive! |
Copenhagen:
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| The trusty captain of our boat tour through the canals of Copenhagen. |
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| I love the European flower shops that spill out onto the street. |
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| The famous Nyhavn canal |
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| A little cold and rainy for our boat tour and picnic, but still tons of fun! |
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| LDS chapel downtown Copenhagen |
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A Danish--one of the
best things about Denmark! |
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| Waiting for the train. |
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| SO COOL! |
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A rare divergence from the usual black and
gray of the typical Danish wardrobe. :) |
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| Why I love Copenhagen. |
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| Amelienborg Palace with Reed and Maryn |
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| The Marble Church |
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| Nyhavn |
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| Stroget: Europe's longest walking street |
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The Kristina Monument
The statue commemorates the 20,000 Danish Mormons
who emigrated to the Salt Lake valley in the late 19th century. |
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I love the combination of gardens
and architecture in the city! |
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Trav and his parents at the
Anglican church downtown Copenhagen |
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| Changing of the guards at Amelienborg Palace |
The Clifts of Mon:
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We visited this island in winter, but
found it especially stunning in spring. |
We also did a little travel with our extended family. We took a day trip to London,
and spent a weekend in Stockholm.
LONDON:
This was a really fun, quick adventure! We flew in and out the same day and managed to fit in several iconic sights, ride a double-decker bus, see a musical, and grab a fish'n chips lunch!
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Off on another adventure!
After a Saturday in London and the next weekend in Stockholm,
Ben asked, "Can we just stay home next weekend?"
I guess two countries in two weekends is a little much. :) |
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Wish we'd had more people so we
could set some kind of a record! |
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You know you've been walking too much
when a stone bench looks appealing! |
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| London is one of my favorite cities! |
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| Ridley's Believe it or Not--enough said. |
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| Yummy fish'n chips |
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| The Les Miserables group |
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| The Lion King group (plus me) |
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| BIG BEN and little Ben |
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Not sure how to adequately capture
with words the nuances of this picture. |
STOCKHOLM:
Driving through Sweden reminded us of home. It looks so much like north Idaho--mountains, lakes, and pine trees. It's beautiful! Stockholm, itself, is a really cool city. It consists of 14 inhabited islands so has some beautiful, old waterfront buildings and homes. The architecture there is colorful, like in Copenhagen, but is very stately and grand. It's a very pretty city. My favorite area was the old town. I LOVED the narrow streets and old buildings. It was so fun to just wander around and find what felt like secret passageways through the buildings.
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| Stockholm |
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| Inside the palace |
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| In the picturesque old town. |
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Thoroughly enjoying his tour
that doesn't involve walking! |
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| Definitely the coolest crane I've ever seen! |
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| We found these ruins of an old palace overlooking a beautiful lake. |
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| Enjoying the view! |
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| LOVE these old streets! |
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Building where the Nobel Prize
is awarded. |
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Ready for a medieval Swedish dinner!
We didn't love the food, but had
fun with the experience.
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This pretty much sums it up for all of us!
Last man standing wins :) |
