Tall Ships Race July 28-31, 2011

And...what you have all been waiting for...

Tall Ships was in Stavanger this year - only once every 7 years does this happen and we were lucky enough to live here when it did!  We along with hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the Stavanger harbor to take in the amazing sight of these amazing sailing vessels from all over!  Ships came in to the port from all over Scandinavia, and Europe including Russia.  There really aren't words to describe them...

We enjoyed an evening down at the harbor with friends and again on Sunday as some of the ships were pulling out of the port.  Apparently the place to see them leave is Tungenes Fyr (the lighthouse we visited  previously) as they start to pull up the sails and head out into the North Sea.  I only saw pictures from there, but they were beautiful!  Here are a few from the harbor on Sunday as the vessels were leaving...

Truly a special, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to see these massive sailing ships!

Conwy Castle, Wales

On our third day in Chester, we packed the kids up, made a picnic lunch and hopped on the train to visit Conwy Castle in Wales.  It was only about an hour's train ride away and what a spectacular place to visit!

The scenery was beautiful, the sky was blue, the temps were well into the 70's...what can I say - perfect!

The castle area was amazing and we wandered around and climbed up the various towers for quite a while and then found a shady spot to enjoy our PB&J sandwiches.

We spent the day exploring and climbing around, walked down the harbor and beach area a bit and, of course, stopped for an ice cream cone along the way. We also saw the smallest house in Great Britain - and my was it tiny!!!

And, yes, that is the door behind us - you had to duck to get inside.  It was two rooms, and literally there was barely space for 4 people standing up inside.  There was a tiny stairway that led to the sleeping area and the trap door at the top of the stairs was part of the floor space.  Absolutely hysterical to think someone actually lived there!  As a matter of fact, one person that lived there had been a sailor and was over 6 feet tall!

One of the other funny things we saw was in the little shop at the castle - I will let the picture speak for itself...we obviously were cracking up and couldn't help but snap a photo!

Here are just a few other photos from the day - we wore the kids out and had a great time!

After our busy day, we headed back to Chester, got the kids settled in for the night, and then Sharisa and I were off again, this time to meet up with some of Sharisa's friends for a Girls' Night at a local French restaurant, Chez Jule.  We enjoyed a delicious 5-course meal and I met some lovely ladies! It was so much fun and a nice adult outing for us ladies!

The following morning, we got up and Jason shuttled us back to the airport for our flight.  All was going well until we got to our layover in Oslo...we had to get our baggage and then re-check it for the flight to Stavanger...problem was, the flight was a few minutes late getting in, we were getting our bags on a conveyor belt with about 5 other international flights, and there were probably 300+ people gathered around the conveyor belt...needless to say, I was about to give up on us getting our bags after about 45 minutes because it was getting to the point that we were potentially going to miss our flight!

My frustration level was at the bursting point and I had two hungry kids in tow (turns out there was absolutely no drink or snack service on the plane) when, out our bag comes...probably the last of the whole bunch from every flight!  Then the people wouldn't move so I could get it off the belt.  So with my patience being thin, I shouted, "...if you let me get my bag, I can get out of your way so you can get yours!"  From there, it was the 3 of us at a half run to get to the baggage check line only to find the line a mile long...yep.  Starting to panic now because I really don't want to miss our flight!  Finally, they opened another line and were pulling those with a flight time that was near, so we ran over, re-checked the bag and took off for security...made it through there, grabbed sandwiches and in all but a dead run, took off for our gate.  Good news was, we made it and the bag did too!  WHEW!  

So, with the exception of the Oslo airport, I can definitively say, we had a superb trip, had a blast seeing friends, and loved exploring places we had not been before! I do love Europe!!!!

Chester, UK Day 2

So, I have to take a moment and mention how FABULOUS the weather was while we were in Chester.  It seems they have a similar weather pattern as we do here in Norway, but much to our delight, the sun was out and the temperatures were warm, so we were super happy!

We headed into town and had a "traditional" English breakfast at a little tea room cafe.  Kyla cracked us up - what did she order, you ask?  Yep, Beans on Toast...and let me just add, we have been making it at home and now she has Brendan eating them too!

While in town, I spotted a Pandora store so I went ahead and purchased a bead to add to my bracelet - a 'cathedral' bead to represent our church and all the beautiful cathedrals and churches we have seen on our travels.  After that, we wandered around town a bit and were lucky enough to see the Town Crier hurrying through town.  According to Sharisa, this man and his family have taken it upon themselves to dress in period clothing and represent the folks who used to shout out and share the town news in the middle of town.

And, yes, for all my Starbucks fan friends - that is one right there :)

Our tour guide, Sharisa had also scheduled us for a Roman Soldier Tour in the afternoon.  What a totally fun outing that was!  The kids were absolutely caught up in the information he was sharing, the stories of how Roman soldiers lived, the areas around Chester like the remains of the amphitheater, and the fact that he was dressed as a Roman soldier didn't hurt either!  Sharisa and I loved it too!

The kids each got to carry a shield with them and they practiced how to use the shield to protect themselves.

He told us all about the battles and "games" that were held in the amphitheater - gruesome!







The kids got to help with demonstrations (and the moms too.)

My demonstration was how the slaves would wash the dust and dirt off the soldiers - they would first pour olive oil on their skin then use this little tool in the picture to scrape the oil and dirt away.









After the tour, we went up to the interactive museum where we had more fun with the kids trying on armor and checking out all kinds of things from Roman times - a miniature chariot, what a latrine might have looked like, mosaic tiles, and so on.

That night, Sharisa made a local favorite - bangers and mash - and then we got the kids off to bed because Sharisa and I had plans!  Movie night!  We left Jason in charge and headed over to the theater to see Horrible Bosses!  What a hoot!

After the movie, we went on a little shopping trip to the ASDA (the UK version of Walmart, owned by Walmart) and I was in a little slice of heaven.  I picked up some school supplies for the kids and a few other little things to bring back with me.  This along with the purchases from the Cosco earlier in the day and I felt like a new person!  My bags were going to be full on the way home!

Chester, UK

While we were in Katy, I was making plans for a little trip for me and the kids...Spencer had to work, but I was taking the kids to see our friends that are expats in Chester, UK! Yay!!!!  So, I booked us seats and we headed over to stay with the Brown family for a few days and Sharisa was given the job of tour guide and host - bless her heart - she didn't know what she was in for!

We had a great time and the kids each had a playmate - Brendan and Xavier, Kyla and Jocelyn, Shauna and Sharisa...poor Jason was the only odd man out, but he was kind enough to handle airport pick up and drop off and kid duty a couple evenings so we had some adult 'girl time' too!

We arrived on Monday morning and after a quick stop to drop off our bags, we were off on our first adventure - the Hop On/Hop Off City Sightseeing Tour of Chester along with a boat ride on the River Dee that runs through town.







We hopped off at a couple places, stopped for some delicious ice cream, and explored part of the Roman ruins that surround Chester.  What a beautiful city!

Chester is also home of the Chester Races - if we had stayed a bit longer, we could have been spectators for the horse races.  They were having race day the weekend after we left.

After our afternoon outing, the kids were getting restless, so a quick stop for snacks at McDonald's and back to the house for just a little old-fashioned playtime and visiting!

We had big plans for the next couple days, so...

Summer...

is almost over!  And, I can't believe it!

Is it August already?  My calendar says so, but my head isn't quite there yet!  It has been a while since the last blog and we have had a very busy summer!

We all traveled to Houston in mid-June and spent a whirlwind couple of weeks seeing family and friends, outfitting ourselves for the next year, catching up on every doctor appointment possible, and eating ourselves silly!  It was a very busy, but very good visit.  We were lucky enough to be invited to stay with my cousin, Kristina and Amanda, and what a blessing!  They were awesome!  They were so sweet to put up with us for the entire month visit!  The kids were thrilled to have 2 dogs, Miller and Maggie to play with and we pretty much just took over their entire upstairs!

We were able to hang out with our Drake Court neighbors, have playdates with friends, let the kids go to Science Camp at HCCDC, go swimming, see all of their cousins, and more in between all of our appointments.  We also enjoyed checking up on our sweet Penny - a huge thank you to my sister, Traci and my brother-in-law, Brian, and Klaire and Kade for taking such good care of our sweet pup!  It was so fun to see our littlest niece, Rebecca  as well, who is getting so big!  We also took a quick trip over to Mississippi to see Spencer's family and were thrilled that his sister, Tracey and our nephews were also there.  The kids had a terrific time visiting MawMaw and Pop and playing with their cousins Shelby and Cody!

Spencer had to return to work in Norway after a couple weeks, but the kids and I stayed in Houston and soaked up the 100 degree + heat and made the rounds.  I think I even saw all of MY cousins in the month we were there - now that is amazing! What a great trip it was!

The month flew by and we were all exhausted by the time it was over!  As much as we all enjoyed Katy, I think we were all glad to get home to Stavanger too!

Since we have been back in Norway, things have been quite busy.  COP has welcomed several new families to the area and since I am helping coordinate the Welcome Committee for the spouses' group, I have arranged a couple lunches and such to help the newcomers meet some other families and kids.

We were able to enjoy an evening at Gladmat 2011 (the food festival) before the July 22 tragedy in Oslo.  The country of Norway was absolutely stunned by the events and the senseless and tragic deaths that resulted at the hands of a fellow Norwegian.  The country is still recovering from this tragedy so we would ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Otherwise, things are getting back to 'normal' here and families are returning from holidays around the world.

Stay tuned for more blogs...I am playing 'catch-up' now and will have more to come!  If you are a Facebook person, I have added a couple albums recently you may want to check out!

I wanted to leave you with a picture (albeit poor) of the view from our balcony just a little after midnight in July...

It doesn't get much darker than this...

Almost a year...

Wow!  The Beards have now been in Norway for almost a year - hard to believe!  It has really flown by for us!  As promised, I am pushing out one more blog before we head out on Tuesday for our month-long visit to Katy (2 weeks for Spencer.)

I realized I failed to mention on the last blog that Brendan had a 6 month check-up in May from his broken arm in the fall.  He got an "all clear" from the doctor and I we got a look at the x-rays.  They showed us the x-ray from the day he got his cast off in November as compared to the one they took on the day of our visit - WOW!  So much better and straighter!  He no longer has the little hump on his arm and the x-ray shows a mended and straight bone!  YEA!!!!

School for the kids officially ended on Thursday, June 9th.  They enjoyed the last few days of school at class beach parties, field day activities, yearbook signing, and a final assembly with photo slide shows and singing.  The kids had a great year at ISS and we are looking forward to another one in the 2011-2012 school year!

On a more 'observational' note, the time leading up to summer here is very strange - lots of "turnover" with many families being moved on to their next post and many families beginning to arrive to start their adventures in Norway.  It is weird to think that when we first came here, it was with the understanding and belief we would only be here a year...I know families that have only been here a year and are now on their way out.  I can honestly say (and Spencer would agree) we are so glad to have more time here and are thrilled with the opportunity to travel and see more of Europe!  I can also say with all honesty that we have all adapted well and relatively quickly to the expat life and that isn't true for everyone.  I have watched others struggle with the adjustments...as my very wise and worldly long-term expat friend, Celine says, "Expat life isn't for everyone..." and she is absolutely right.  I am happy to say, I love it so far!

For those of you that like to know what the weather and such is like...currently, it is staying light out until around 12:30 AM and the sun comes back up around 4:00 AM.  It will be even longer in July!  We have had some very nice, sunny days lately, but the temperatures are still only getting up to maybe 14-16 degrees C (around 60 degrees F,) but the kids have been wearing shorts and playing outside every chance they get!

Tomorrow, Kyla has a playdate, I am going to acupuncture (and Brendan is going to go and try a 'modified' version - needle free.)  Then Brendan is going to join a friend and go swimming.  I am going to continue packing, laundry, and getting the apartment in order before our early flight Tuesday!

We can't wait to see everyone, enjoy that heat and sunshine (although we may melt after a year reprieve), do tons of shopping, and take care of a zillion appointments and things!

Hugs to all and see you soon!

The End of the School Year is Here!

So, have you missed me?  Too many distractions, I suppose!  But, I will try to catch you up on the Beard family's adventures!  Although, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed...too much to remember!

Okay, so here it goes...

May 17 is Constitution Day in Norway (think 4th of July...)  It is arguably the biggest holiday in Norway. It is a huge day-long event celebrated with parades and festivities.  Stavanger had 3 parades in town - one was the Children's Parade which all the schools, including ISS, took part in.  The other 2 were the RUSS parade, which celebrates the graduating high schoolers and the "People's Parade," which all the clubs and organizations are involved in.  The really awesome thing about it is all the amazing traditional dress the people wear called bunad.  The kids were instructed to wear something "smart" which basically means a bit dressy - like church clothes.  Spencer and I didn't realize that meant spectators too...sadly, the two of us were very under-dressed for the festivities...  The kids marched and sang in the parade and we joined thousands of people along the parade route.

  Here we are following the Children's Parade.  Well, at least we will know to dress better next year!

 

So, a few other things that have been going on...Spencer finally started his driving lessons and they are nit-picking him to death...he is about to go absolutely mad and has now insisted they schedule his driving test.  He will be fine though!  He just needs to get it done!  He is so busy at work and having to be away for driving practice is not helping matters.  He had hoped to get it done before we headed back to visit, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.  Hurry up and wait, I suppose...

A big bright spot in my weeks has been my phone calls with Sharisa in Chester, UK.  She is my friend who is an expat there with her family and we managed to catch each other for chats on the phone 3 weeks in a row!!!  If their summer plans fall through, the kids and I are looking to make a little trip over to visit - all my friends here tell me Chester is lovely, so crossing my fingers we will be able to work it out soon, if not this summer then in the fall!

On Friday, May 20, our school family here suffered a terrible tragedy when one of our high school rugby players collapsed on the field during an international rugby and soccer tournament being hosted at our school.  Despite resuscitation efforts on the field, in the ambulance, and at the hospital, Stephane passed away.  It was a very sad week as the students, teachers, and ISS family dealt with the loss.  The memorial service was this past Friday, the 27th.

PWC hosted two movie events in the last week or so.  One was for the movie club - we saw a movie called "The Beaver" and what can I say about this one?  Ummmm, no...  The second movie was actually a special showing of the new children's movie, "Rango" so I took the kids to see it.  It was cute and the kids had a good time seeing a movie.

Last week was also the spring luncheon for the COP Spouses Group.  Ronda, or fearless leader, planned a lovely lunch held at a brand new B&B here in town.  The owner of the B&B is a friend of hers and we were some of her first guests for a luncheon!  It is a beautiful old house that she has fixed up and will officially open for guests very soon!

In addition to all the day-to-day stuff, my "duties" along with Wendy as the new COP Spouses Welcome Committee has kept me busy!  There are several new families here so I have managed to make contact with several and taken a couple of the ladies out to lunch to meet some other expats a couple times.  One very exciting addition is that one of the families that has moved here and is temporarily staying in our building has a son (Jack) about Brendan's age and a daughter (Emily) just a bit younger than Kyla which = instant and readily available playmates!  The kids have hit it off and are playing every opportunity they get!  As a matter of fact, they will be having a sleepover tonight since tomorrow is a school holiday (Ascension Day) - and yes, totally weird that holidays fall mid-week here!

On the weekends, we have tried to get out a do some fun things - we recently took a drive over to the candle factory in Byrksjedal, made a trip over to the Figgjo porcelain factory, and most recently, the car museum.  I am including a few pictures from the car museum.

We still have several things to look forward to this week and next as school ends on June 9.  Both kids will have their end-of-year parties on Friday, there is primary school field day next week, along with the recognition awards assembly!  Lots to do! I will try to squeeze out one more blog before we head to Katy for our much anticipated visit!  Dreams of favorite restaurants, family, friends, shopping...all dance in our heads!

Cheers until next time!