When the cat's away (or, what the kids did with my parents in our absence)

My parents took a lot of great pictures of their activities in our absence. My mom would sometimes send me a pic or two, never commenting about how the kids were quarreling or crying, which was helpful for me to not be too worried. They had everything in hand, with theme days and lots of good times.

 My friend, Sylvia Aamodt, gave me the idea to have a bag for the kids for every day that we were gone. It was the motivation to finish their morning routine, and it helped them know how many days there were left until we returned home and also reminded them that we loved them. There were just little things inside--two packs of fruit snacks one day, chalk another, two gum balls in another, bubbles another, etc.

 I wasn't sure if they would be a good idea or not, but my dad said that they were really helpful, so that made me feel good.

And now for the highlights--I am not sure which days they did what, but here is a smattering of the fun.

 One of the days was a pirate day. Arrrgghhh!

 They painted little treasure chests.

 Going on a treasure hunt for some gold (chocolate) and other goodies!

Nutter butters--that's my kind of crocodile.

Doubloon pancakes and pirate boats.

Getting new books at the library is always a good idea.

 Bapa wanted to do a "crazy day" theme for one day. So they wore their clothes backwards and switched all their meals up.

 Hope they enjoyed their dessert for breakfast!

 My dad wrote the plan for crazy day upside and backwards. Wow!

 A little water fun is always nice.

 Another day was farm day, so they learned about farm animals and went to "Back Home on the Farm." Playing in corn--yeeha!

 And riding the cow train.

 On ocean day, they read stories about the ocean and watched Finding Nemo (I believe).

 Clara wasn't feeling the group pictures on the 4th of July, but here is the rest of the group. They couldn't find the park where the ward breakfast was, so they went out to McDonalds for breakfast (which I imagine the kids enjoyed more!).

Picnic lunch!

 My mom generously took the time to work on a tricky fleece quilt for Clara that I had gotten her for Christmas--you're supposed to be able to tie the fringe, but they were too small and stretchy, and I don't know when it would have been done.

The kids had free tickets to go to the Turks baseball game, so on sports day that's what they did. $1 popcorn and three innings left everyone satisfied and ready to go home.


We were greeted with chalk messages from the kids on the driveway upon our return.

When we went inside, I picked up Henry from my dad. Henry looked at me with the saddest look and a little whimper like, "Hey, I know you . . . and you left me!" So sad and sweet.

 It was great having my parents at church with us. I told my dad that if I had a dollar for everyone who has told me how much Henry looks like him, I'd have about thirty bucks. I love how much they look alike.

 I obviously don't know where to look at my phone when doing a selfie--ha! We sure are so grateful for my parents' sacrifice in coming, especially as they are preparing to rent their home out and leave on an eighteen-month mission for the Church. I feel so blessed that my children have such great grandparents.

And that, my friends, concludes our epic adventure to Sweden.

A quick visit to Copenhagen

After hurriedly (sadly) eating the amazing hotel breakfast in Gothenburg, we walked to the train station for the 3 hour train ride to Copenhagen, Denmark, across/under the water.

Michael reserved us a hotel in the Nyhavn district, with all the colorful buildings and old boats. Our hotel was very nice and, even though it was under renovation (probably why it was a good price!), it was close and quiet. It was fun walking along the canal and seeing the different people, restaurants, and activity.

We took a canal tour that afternoon, which was a fun way to see the city, although our tour guide's English was a little difficult to understand. Above is The Little Mermaid statue on the rock, which is apparently the most photographed statue in Denmark. 

I find that a little unfortunate, especially considering that the Christus is here. We were excited to visit the Church of our Lady, where the original Christus statue, sculpted by Bertel Thorvaldsen, resides.

 There are also sculptures of the twelve apostles, each one with exquisite detail. Supposedly the apostles were supposed to fit in each of the little alcoves, but Thorvaldsen made them too big to fit so they could have a more prominent display.

We enjoyed ice cream a couple of times and had dinner at the Cafe Oven Vande, which we just came upon as we were walking trying to find a place to eat that also took Visa. Our sandwiches hit the spot.

I had never seen a military time clock before, so when I saw this in the train station I wanted to snap a pic. There are lots of things I wish we'd adopt in the U.S.--military time and the metric system, to name a couple.

After spending the night and enjoying another good hotel breakfast buffet (I had a soft-boiled egg--you know the kind where you tap the top and use a spoon to eat out the egg?--fun!), we hurried to the Church of our Saviour to climb the tower before it got too crowded.

 The view was gorgeous and the tower a little scary at the top when the stairs ran out, but it was totally worth it. I sure love this guy--it was so so fun to be on this trip together, just the two of us. Very rejuvenating, and it was really nice just being together without the kids (although we definitely missed them and love them!).

After the climb to the top, we walked back down and then across Copenhagen again to see the Amalienborg Palace (where the royal family lives) before heading back to Gothenburg.

 I tried to get a panoramic shot of the Amalienborg Palace. It was neat to see, although one of the traditionally-dressed guards yelled at Michael because he had tried to peek in a window. I laughed thinking how much that guard probably enjoys doing that. He probably hopes that people will do something "wrong," just so he can not be bored out of his mind.

 The majestic "Marble Church" adjacent to the palace.

We made our train (just barely!) and traveled back to Gothenburg. There, we hurried to the Haga district in anticipation to enjoy an enormous cinnamon roll from this renowned bakery. Sadly, they were sold out by the time we got there.

Fortunately, there were a few other desserts to choose from. Just a few.

We then took a train from Gothenburg back to Alingsas and walked back (thanks to Michael's amazing sense of direction) to Adam and Wendi's place.

We enjoyed one last night of chatting with Adam and Wendi and then headed back to the States the next morning. Adam and Wendi had a lot going on, but they were super generous with their time and knowledge. Thanks again, guys! It was a long trip (nine days), but it was definitely worth it, and we were anxious to see the kids and relieve my parents.

Our trip to Sweden Part 2

The next day, Adam and Wendi took us to the forest close to the home they rented for their first year in Sweden. It was lovely.

 The tall trees and moss on the ground really make it look like a place where fairies and other woodland creatures might live.



These rocks immediately reminded me of the scene in the Disney movie "Frozen" where the moss-covered rocks turn into trolls. I finally understood.

 Here at a fun spot in the forest that the Dunford kids named "Jerusalem."

 Elliot and Pete were great sports, coming along on most of our adventures and never complaining. Abe, age 10 going on 20, stayed home and hung out with his buddies, and Ali was at FSY.

See the overturned soil where Michael is looking? That would be from wild boars, hunting for food. (Truffles? Grubs? I don't know.)

 Then we enjoyed a wonderful trip to Gothenburg to see the archipelago off the coast. It was gorgeous--pictures just do not capture it.

We took a ferry to a couple of islands, using a bus pass, which works for the ferry, too. Convenient. Some people really do live on the islands and commute in or work there full-time.

 Michael walking along a rocky ridge.

 These poor rusty bikes we passed were just a funny sight to see. Wonder how long they'd been under the water.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at a little island restaurant and had some ice cream at another small cafe with Adam and Wendi and fam. 

On one of the islands, we walked down the water's edge to play on the rocks. It was just so peaceful and beautiful, again partly because there just weren't that many people around.

 Kings of the rock.

Adam and Wendi dropped us off in Gothenburg for the night, having thoughtfully made reservations for a hotel and for dinner at a restaurant there, Smaka. It was great that even though Gothenburg is a larger city, we could still walk everywhere. And the weather was wonderful. We tried to get into the botanical gardens, but it was after 8 and they kicked us out. Bummer.

For our appetizer, we had a sampling of traditional Swedish foods. The top tier was crostini with red caviar (those orangish lumps in the back are the roe) and salmon cakes; the middle tier was a variety of herring (raw) with various sauces; the bottom tier was a variety of pickled/cured meats (raw). The caviar was actually quite good (first time we'd had it), but the rest was, well, too sophisticated for my palate. It was fun trying different things, though. For our main course, I had a steak and Michael had the traditional Swedish meatballs. It was a fun time. Interesting fact--you don't tip servers there since everyone earns a livable wage. Michael couldn't help himself, though.

Our hotel was awesome--it had a room entirely dedicated to kids' toys and a Disney moving playing. The breakfast the following morning was incredible--lots of different kinds of yogurts, muesli, vegetables, meats, granola, etc., but no oatmeal. Interesting, huh!

And then we left for Copenhagen.

To be continued . . .

Our trip to Sweden Part 1

When my brother, Adam, his wife, Wendi, and their four children moved to Sweden for an experience abroad (using a Master's degree as the vehicle to do it), Michael and I agreed that we should go visit them. Even though Sweden wasn't on our "bucket list," per se, we felt it would be worth the experience having "natives" there to teach us about the culture and help show us around. We also decided not to spread ourselves too thin by trying to see too much; we just wanted to experience one country and live there and see how they lived. And they graciously let us come!

The trip couldn't have happened without my parents' generosity, who came up and stayed with the kids in our absence. I was nervous for them but my mom had all sorts of plans and everyone survived. Phew!

 Can I just say how much easier traveling is without children? I had forgotten. Here we are at the Dulles airport, waiting for our plane.

 After we arrived in Gothenburg after a layover in Copenhagen (our flight on SAS was very nice), Adam and the kids picked us up from the airport and drove us to Alingsas, their town about 45 minutes away. Our first stop after putting down our bags was to walk down to a convenience store and buy candy since it was "Saturday Candy." (Nephew Elliot pictured above)

 Yes, it is a tradition to go and buy your weekly candy on Saturday--adults and children alike. The flavors were interesting--lots of licorice and marshmallow confections. Here are Ali, Elliot, and Pete.

 I loved their front door. "Valkommen" it says.

And they even wrote us a message on their kitchen chalkboard.

 Here is a panoramic view out their window of the street they live on--very picturesque with lots of cobblestone and cafes. Adam and Wendi's townhome is super convenient and has a great courtyard area where the kids just play with neighbor kids.

That afternoon, we helped Wendi briefly with a service project she was in charge of for the "EFY for Scandinavia" (FSY) that they were helping with, making 450 fleece baby hats for the many refugees that are arriving in Sweden. It was fun talking with their Swedish friends and checking out the church building. We also sampled some "Saft" for the first time, which is essentially watered-down punch (the saft is a concentrate and you add water).

We tried to stay up and did a pretty decent job, going to bed around 9pm (3am EST) that first night, I believe. Wendi and Adam were gracious hosts and made us all sorts of yummy meals during our stay--Swedish meatballs with the works, a strawberry cake, traditional Christmas porridge, etc. etc. We ate out at a fun kebab pizza restaurant that night and had an African pizza with curry and peanuts as well as a kebab pizza--both quite yummy.

The next day was Sunday, and it was really neat going to their ward. It is small, but there are lots of strong members there (hence the reason they were hosting FSY in their small town). Wendi serves in Primary, so I really enjoyed going there and got to play the piano, which was nice. It surprised me how much more difficult it was to play the piano when the lyrics were not English. I had to force myself to only look at the notes.

After church, Wendi and Adam were working on FSY stuff (as I recall) and Michael and I took the kids to the park. It's great how much people walk in Sweden--the park wasn't that far away, but in the US we would have just driven there. I'm glad we walked. There isn't really anything poisonous in Sweden--well, nothing that could really kill you, like big beasts or black widows or whatever--and the kids are encouraged to play "in the forest," or woods, as we would call them. It was funny--I saw a kid just eating some berries off a bush at the park, and I was alarmed. I took a picture--they're lingonberries and totally edible.

 The playground equipment is more creative, potentially more dangerous, and more fun than in America.

 My sweet niece, Ali, went to FSY, so I didn't get to hang out as much as I would have liked, but it was really fun spending a little time with her.

 I meant to take a picture of the other common breakfast we had there--cracker bread (Wasa cracker type) with butter, turkey, cucumbers, and herring--but muesli with yogurt is also very common. Their yogurt comes in pourable containers, which is pretty fun.

One day that week, Michael and I walked to the local mall to find some toys for the kids. I had forgotten that Astrid Lindgren, the author of Pippi Longstocking, is from Sweden. She is even on their money. And here are some Pippi toys and Villa Villekulla. Pretty cool!

 The Balders Hage was a super charming store. I loved these little toys. And see the candles? Swedes are all about being "cozy," and lit candles are very common--at school, gas station, wherever.

 One day we drove to see a castle and a beautiful lake (did you know there are 96,000 in the country?). The water was too chilly for me, but the boys didn't mind.

Laying out. It was in the 60s and 70s while we were there, and the rain stayed away for most of the week, which was really terrific.

 Super peaceful. One thing that really added to the serenity is that it just isn't crowded. There aren't a ton of people in the whole country, and you can really enjoy nature alone without everyone else being there, too. The scenery reminded me a bit of the Shenandoah Valley, actually, although a lot of the plant species are different.

 Group selfie!

 Here we are outside the creepy castle.

Thanks for stealing my phone, guys.

 Different cord outlets.

 Leave it to the makers of Ikea to have a simple, ergonomic design for a broom and dustpan.

 On our first day there, I watched Wendi as she used this long stick to put on her shoes. I was surprised to realize it was a shoe horn. Who uses those? Apparently Swedes. I asked her to pose later so I could remember it.

 Here is a pic that Michael took at 3am. It was still dusky at midnight and got light again at 3. Which brings me to these . . . 

. . . eye masks and ear plugs (for the noisy birds).

To be continued . . .