Movember

As November comes to an end Erlend was inspired to honor all those who participated in the Movember (letting a mustache grow during the month of November).

winter wonderland

We have our first snow of this winter. It still looks pretty, but if you look closely, in the middle of the road you can see what kind of snow we usually end up with most of the winter - the dirty slushy kind :-(

real men

This is what real men do while their girls are shopping for decoration :-)

being healthy

Today's lunch was exactly after our taste, big salad and baguette for me and the same plus a big steak for the hubby :-).

now that is cheap

Erlend has had a "hard" time adjusting to German prizes. To him almost everything is cheap here because he compares it to Norwegian prizes. Today we found something that was REALLY cheap, even by German standards. 1 liter Coca Cola for just 29 cents - that is a little bit more that 2 krone my Norwegian friends! Needless to say that Erlend and my little brother were seriously excited about this...

baking

We are having a church lunch tomorrow and that sounded like the perfect excuse for me to bake. I love baking and I haven't done it in such a long time because the oven in our apartment is uhm well it is smaller than a microwave, so cake forms don't fit into it....
So my mom's kitchen it was for todays baking session. The outcome were a marble cake as well as a raspberry-white-chocolate-cheesecake.
Since I forgot to take pictures while baking again I just took some pictures from the internet, oh well, me in an apron that did not really fit over my belly wasn't such a cool sight anyways :-)

Wärschtlamo

If the title of this post seems a bit weird to you, don't worry, probably half the Germans who are reading this don't know what it means either.
Wärschtlamo (frankonien for sausage man or in German Würstchenmann) is one of the many cool things about my hometown Hof.
These man who stand on the street selling sausages are a tradition in Hof since 1881. They are selling different kinds of sausages (Wiener (which I will NOT insult by calling them hot dogs), white sausages and other ones that are hard to explain, just come and try :-)) and they are made and kept hot in a brass kettle with a charcoal grate underneath. The sausages are steamed rather that boiled and the fact that all of it happens in a brass kettle gives it a very distinct, delicious flavor.

Of course, in typical German fashion the sausages are served in a crunchy bread roll and with mustard (or ketchup, even though I have heard that is looked down upon by real Frankoniens :-)).

A lot of people eat the sausages either as their lunch if they are working downtown or as a snack during their shopping trip. I love eating them and Erlend has taken to them as well. But really there is only one way to find out how good they really are - come visit us and try for yourself!

 they even build a statue for all "Wärschlamo" in Hof

you pay about 1,50 Euro for a pair of Wieners

little baby girl hat

A wee project I have been working on during the last few weeks was a hat for my niece who will be born sometime in December (according to my sister rather earlier than later). I think all work hours together were just a few, but when I put it down it takes me forever to pick it back up again. You could also say that I have a motivational problem until I have a time problem :-).

I have made two hats before this one (for my youngest two nephews) but with this one it was time for some girly details. So I went on youtube trying to find "how to knit a flower" videos. There are not many I found out, but hundreds about how to crochet a flower. So I picked up a crochet needle for the first time in over 15 years and watch a few videos and then just made my own version, because I did not quite get all of the videos...

Here we go, the finished product, sorry the picture is not so good

we are so similar

I know I have not blogged in a while, but in a nutshell we were gone over the weekend, I finished knitting a wee baby hat (stay tuned, there might come a picture of it soon) and Erlend has had two final German exams (after only 3 months in the country he has finished level B1 - anybody who knows about these levels will be seriously impressed by that, especially with a hard language like German, I know I am!) We will know if he passed in a few weeks.

But what I actually wanted to write about is my youngest brother. He did something yesterday and I have the feeling he did it only to become more like his precious oldest sister :-) - he fell down stairs and ruptured his ligament on the outside of his ankle. That is so me, I have done that 6 times :-) (remember this post?) No, but seriously, I am glad he did not hurt himself more and that he already seems to be in less pain.

We promise we will come a play lots of games with you so you don't get bored!

look at the very cool brace he has to wear 

(they only had them up to shoe size 47 which is still two sizes too small for him :-))

a nice surprise

Today Erlend got a nice surprise in the mail. He got a little package from friends in our church with some "motivational tools" :-) - a power bar, a "good mood" snack and a nice card.

Danke, Johannes und Annegret!

So now he is very motivated for his language test tomorrow morning. Prayer is much appreciated!

just swimming, swimming, swimming

We got to take our nephew to the local indoor swimming pool today. He was so well behaved and we had lots of fun. We felt like real aunts and uncles because he did not once ask for his Mama or Papa.

 He loves the water slide - I know it looks like he went down there alone - don't worry, he did not 

 Erlend was his "sled" :-)

Afterwards for a little break climbing some chairs

he did not look too impressed when we had to go home

New Years Convoy

My brother in law (the German one :-)) is going to join a convoy of 40-ton-trucks to Belarus this New Years. (He got his driver license for those huge things this year *proud of him*) A church here in Hof has been organizing those trips for the last 22 years to bring clothes and food and things to people in need there.
So today we packed some boxes with clothes which will get to come along on the long adventures ride and maybe be a blessing to somebody over there.

Please pray for all the packing that is going on right now and over the next 6 weeks, all the brave people that will help delivering the goods, that the border crossings will go well and that the Lord will provide the necessary finances.

this is just a picture off of google, but I won't let the lack of picture keep me from blogging (lack of picture is the main reason why I don't blog every day any more :-))

to kindle or not to kindle?

I was asked today by several people what I want for Christmas and one of the things I have been thinking about is a kindle. Considering that we will be moving a lot and dragging around a whole library is always a downer I thought it would be a good investment. I don't know though if it is worth getting one, which one would be the best to get and I just wanted to ask if any of you have one, if you like it, which one you got and so on... I would be thankful for any advice, let's hear it!

he said it!

Today our nephew came for dinner at our place (he brought his parents along). And gave me one of the most beautiful gifts a nephew can give to his auntie. HE SAID MY NAME! Not only that, but he said it before he said any of the names of any other uncles and aunts! Yes, I am that special! (ok, or maybe my name is just that easy to say...but I am ignoring that fact!)

 little guy running through our hallway

he is good at posing for the camera (and then crabbing the lens :-))

project attic part 2

On Monday we started cleaning out the attic and today we finished the job. In the morning, while the guys were at school, Oma and I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned and found more stuff that had to go to the dump. So when the guys came home they had to do another run to the dump, this time only one van full though :-). We also got rid of a big pile of wood (old shelfs and stuff) which my brother-in-law will burn at his house for heating. Erlend and Jonny are bringing it over there as I am typing this (it was graciously decided that the pregnant girl did not have to come along).

There was one accidental victim of this whole project (well, besides our backs, which all hurt). My Dad's skiing sticks (or is it poles?) where thrown out with a whole bunch of ones that were supposed to be thrown away. Oh dear, I am gonna tell him now, wish me luck :-).

I know the picture is too dark, I took it too late in the day, but look at all the space on the floor. Before we started, it was so full of stuff, you could hardly walk there...

baby update

We had another doctors appointment today and we were very thankful to hear that little baby girl Røsvik is doing just fine. 1013 grams at 37 cm and the doctor ensured us for the third time that it is a girl, even got a close up ultrasound picture to prove that fact, but somehow it does not feel right to post that one here :-)

this close up feels a lot more appropriate :-)

project attic

We (a very motivated and efficient crew consisting of Erlend, my youngest brother, Oma, myself and for a wee bit even my sister and her little son) cleaned out the attic at my parents' house. Amazing how much stuff accumulated there over the past years. We found everything from really old mattresses, over old school notes and 10 year old Christmas decoration to a painting from 1787 (having it checked out if it is valuable).
A lot of the things were just collecting dust, so off to the dump it went. When we got there the two vans  we had filled up came to a total weight of 4,4 t (yes, t as in tons!).

 okay, no, that pile is not all our stuff, we just added to it :-)

afterward they each ate half a fried chicken - because they deserved it!

Reptile show

It is a rainy Saturday afternoon in Hof... what to do? that is the question.
We have seen posters all over the city during the last few weeks advertising a reptile show, so for Erlend there was no doubt in his mind what he was gonna do (any chance he gets to see a turtle, Erlend is IN!)

As I do not share his passion for creeping things I decided to stay at my parents house and get some instructions from my mom as to what we should throw out during the big planned clean out of the attic on Monday (I love decluttering so I am looking forward to it).

Erlend went with my two younger brothers and my grandma and a friend to see reptiles and since that was going to be a more "pictureous" activity compared to what I was doing, I asked him to take lots of pictures, but boohoo, it was prohibited to take pictures. Erlend snuck one of the two headed snake anyways :-).

 can you see the two heads?

like I said, there were turtles at the show and I love this poster, cracks me up every time :-)