Headed into Spring!

So, an update since my last monologue...

We finally (after much pestering from me...) purchased a newer used car!  It is a Subaru Forester and most importantly...drum roll please...automatic transmission!  In saying that, I am so, so glad I know how to drive manual and I am also glad I have my license to drive a manual here, but I do love automatic!  Plus, it is much more my style - a little more small SUVish and I like that too!

So, we had the Ford Focus all cleaned up and are in the process of trying to sell it.  We definitely don't need two cars and we really need to find it a good home and recoup our funds ;)

Last Sunday, the weather was cold, but sunny, so we headed over to Sola Stranden for a walk on the beach.  Despite the chilly temps, it was beautiful.  

We also stopped and took a picture of Three Swords from the opposite side...I have only ever taken pictures from one direction and realized how beautiful it was from the other side.  So, here it is...

Otherwise, it has been more of the usual around here.  The kids had their winter break last week and I have to say, the week flew by!  We actually had 3 gorgeous days (which were not in the forecast!)  So, we certainly made use of those days by getting out and going for walks and bike rides :)  

We also managed to organize and pull of a VERY successful 11th birthday party for Brendan!!!  I was a little concerned about the turnout since it was planned for the end of the break, but as it happened, 7 out of 8 boys were able to come!  Brendan really wanted a party at home, so the plan was movie, legos, Wii, pizza, etc., since you absolutely can't count on the weather here; we TOTALLY lucked out and had one of the warmest, sunniest days yet for this time of year!  So, 8 energetic boys got some serious outside playtime with nerf guns, play swords, and lots of running!  That made this momma super happy!  They also had a great time battling on Guitar Hero!  Now, I just have to get past the fact I have an 11 year old...geez, seems like yesterday that little bitty baby was in the NICU with a little feeding tube...now we can hardly seem to fill up that tummy of his!

Planning their attacks...

Trevor, Jaap, and Vidar enjoying the Wii

Jaap, Struan, Kai, Jakub, Vidar, and Matteo watching Brendan open his presents.

The whole gang - lft to rt - Kai, Matteo, Trevor, Kyla, Jaap, Struan, Vidar, Jakub, and Brendan

We let him open one gift from us before the party...a 2nd Wii guitar and boy did it come in handy!  The rest we saved for today.  He was quite pleased with all his goodies :)  

So, birthday parties are done for a while and I have to say, both went off without a hitch this go round!  

Spencer has been pretty busy with work lately and is back to the weekly day trips to Oslo.  As most of you certainly know, his mom is very ill, so that has been weighing heavily on our minds as well.  

As for upcoming events...I am off to Vienna on Thursday with the COP spouses for our yearly trip!  Spencer will be on daddy duty...and you can be sure I have left plenty of notes and instructions :)  LOL!  Our next family vacation will be over the Easter break where we will be visiting Krakow and Warsaw, Poland!  Once again, our vacation planner extraordinaire has prepared an amazing itinerary for us (thank you, Barbara!)  Then...in May...Spencer and I are going on a cruise sans kids!  I know!!! We will be joining the Meadows for a RCL Eastern Mediterranean cruise and also celebrate our 15th anniversary (just a month late!)  So many holidays to look forward to!!!

So, I think that is all for now!  Stay tuned, as the next blog will be about my Vienna trip with lots of pictures :)  

A new year...and new adventures

Hilsen fra Norge! Greetings from Norway!

No, we haven't dropped off the face of the earth...just wrapped up in our busy lives :)  I know, I know...2 months away from blogging and you were starting to wonder!

So, looking back, my last blog was our annual Christmas letter.  I guess I should take a minute and run through the highlights since my last ramblings.

Shortly after the Christmas letter was written, Brendan was given an amazing opportunity...as many of you know, he is quite into airplanes lately, especially commercial airplanes.  He googles them, reads about them, memorizes facts, points out the type of plane flying over (including the airline,) and his new favorite program is "Air Crash Investigation" where he has learned all kinds of interesting facts about various airline disasters.  As it turns out, we have a friend at church who is a pilot for Norwegian Air.  Would you believe (and this never would be an option anywhere else!) Kurt offered to take Brendan with him IN THE COCKPIT to fly to Oslo and back with him!!!  So, Spencer was able to get it set up and off Brendan went for an adventure!  Needless to say, we had one very happy (and tired) boy after his trip!

Now that was truly a once in a lifetime experience!  (I wonder how many times I have said that since I started blogging...?)  Oh, and I was instructed to tell you it was a Boeing 737-200... :)

In mid-December the kids and I headed to the states with Spencer following a few days after.  We made a brief stop in Katy to visit family and friends and celebrate Christmas before we headed over to Mississippi to spend some time with Spencer's family.  

All the cousins in Katy, including the little one that will arrive in the spring (thank you Aunt Vicki!!!)

We had a good visit with his parents and also his sister and our nephews.  

MawMaw, Pop, Spencer, Kyla, and Brendan

It is so fun to see Brendan and Kyla interact with Shelby and Cody since they don't see each other very often.  

All the 'Beard' cousins - (lf to rt) Kyla, Cody, Brendan, and Shelby

We made it back to Stavanger just in time for New Year's Eve.  Despite our long travel day and jet lag, we made it over to our friend, Celine's place for a NYE celebration!  The bonus...she has the MOST amazing view of the Stavanger harbor - panoramic!  And, I can say without a doubt, the Norwegians spare no expense purchasing and setting off fireworks and we had a 180 degree view of the non-stop show!  We ended up staying very late enjoying the visit with friends! 

School started back up and we set about catching up with friends and getting back into the swing of things.  Before we knew it, it was time for our next celebration!  Kyla's 9th birthday!!!  

After much consideration on her part, she decided on a party at home with 7 of her friends.  We had an evening of t-shirt decorating, foam frame crafting, movie watching, pizza eating, cupcake and cookie decorating...whew!  The girls had a great time and Kyla was one happy 9-year-old!!!  I, of course, was lamenting the fact that my baby was 9!!!  I remember so clearly the day she was born and her brother coming to meet her in the hospital!  Ahhh...

The girls..back row: Olivia, Abigail, Madeleine
front row: Anouk, Alexis, Kyla, Clare, Avery

We have also had our first snow falls of the year in Stavanger!  On Jan. 19, we had a little bit, but we found that was nothing compared to what we woke up to this past Friday!  WOW!!!  It started snowing during the night and continued for the better part of day.  All told, it was over 10 inches and probably closer to a foot!  I must say, getting to school Friday morning...well, that alone could fill a blog update!  I will give you the short version...we left early, knowing it would be slow going because the roads were not fully cleared.  But, as it turned out, we never made it out of the garage.  We park in an underground garage and the drive out is a one lane, steep climb.  After 3 failed attempts and a couple near collisions with the cement wall and the garage door, nevermind the fall on my behind...we gave up, parked the car and went for Plan B - the bus.  

So, we tromped through the snow to the bus stop and waited...and waited...and waited some more.  I expected it to be a bit late, but after 40 minutes and Kyla's face turning a bit blue, we gave up on Plan B, trudged back through the snow, and came in for some hot chocolate and to get warmed up while I considered our options...an unplanned day off OR Plan C...walk.  The guilt got the best of me, so we set off to school down the non-cleared path.  Despite the snow, the walk wasn't too bad and we probably should have just done that in the first place.  It took us less time then we spent waiting for the bus!  I certainly got my exercise, because I then had to walk all the way back home! 

Thank goodness for good friends because my friend, Stephanie S. called and offered to bring the kids home after school which saved me another trip there and back by foot!  I think I owe her... ;)  

Despite the crazy morning, the snow fall and everything in a blanket of white was absolutely gorgeous!   

The view from our balcony

Once Spencer and the kids were home, we decided it was worth donning the gear one more time to take a walk over to Three Swords - just stunning.  I love that place in the sun, but it is so beautiful in the snow too!

LOVE this picture!

Today (Saturday) was all about sledding, though!  We pulled the sled over to Stokka for a better hill and we all took turns in our little sled!  What a blast!  

Love the intent look of focus on her face!  

Daddy had a couple good runs!

And so did mom...

And...the winning photo of the day goes to...

And the sad thing is, they (my lovely family) let me walk all the way home with snow plastered to my hat.  No wonder everyone we passed sort of smiled and laughed.  I have a feeling I had something to do with that...

But, SO worth it!  :)

Whew!  You are now up-to-date again!  I will try to be better and drop in for a chat a little more often :)  

Hugs and love to all!

Christmas Letter 2011

Greetings from Norway!

So, I was sitting here this evening and realized it was already time to write the next edition of the Beard Family Christmas Letter…my how time flies!!!

I hope this greeting finds you well!  We send a heartfelt ‘God Jul’ (Merry Christmas) to you all!

We have had a great year here in Norway and are continuing to love our expat experience.  I guess if I had to whittle it down to the highlights…

Spencer has been reassigned twice since we arrived – last December and then again in August.  Apparently he is in high demand – lol!  The good part is each position has been here so we get to stay a bit longer and that is a good thing!  His current role is Systems Engineering Lead.  It will be interesting to see where things go from here!

The kids (Brendan age 10 and Kyla age 8) started 5^th and 3^rd grades this year – WOW!  They both have great teachers and are enjoying school.  Although we all were sad to see some friends move on to their next adventures, we have been blessed with new friends that have moved to the area.  It is the way of the expat life, I suppose.   

The kids are keeping us busy with their activities as well!  Both kids are continuing to play tennis and fall soccer and Kyla has added horse-riding to her schedule.  She LOVES it!  Brendan is also now learning to play the trombone for 5^th grade band.   He is NOT a big fan of practicing which our neighbors likely appreciate…!

We were blessed once again with the opportunity to take several trips this past year!  Shauna enjoyed a COP Spouses trip to Budapest, Hungary in February.  Last spring we visited the south of France and enjoyed a stay at Club Med Opio en Provence for the Easter holiday.  We all thoroughly enjoyed the trip and the kids were sad to leave!  We spent some time in Katy over the summer visiting family and friends and of course, shopping!  Then in late July Shauna and the kids took a short trip to Chester, UK to see friends and do a little sightseeing including Conwy Castle in Wales.  In October, we took a much anticipated family trip to Rome, Italy!  What an amazing city – so much to see!  We took a day trip that included Naples and Pompeii – just magnificent!  The kids had their fill of pizza and gelato!  We are already busy thinking about which places to visit next year!  Our list of places to go keeps growing, of course!

Another highlight of the year was Tall Ships 2011 that came to Stavanger Harbor in July!  It only comes through here every so many years and I believe the last time it was in Stavanger was 7 years ago – truly a once in a lifetime experience!  The ships were HUGE!!!

We had our first visitor this year as well!  Shauna’s mom came for a visit in September.  We loved having someone to show around and just laughed at her reactions to the sights knowing that it was exactly how we looked and sounded when we first arrived!  Truly, there is so much to see and do here in our area – and as mom discovered, a week just isn’t long enough J

Shauna keeps a full calendar with volunteering at the school, welcoming new COP expats, and attending PWC activities and various other coffees and events.  She has also started taking horse riding lessons with a group of ladies and LOVES it! 

In addition to a very busy work life, Spencer is now the fearless leader of the music ministry at North Sea Baptist Church here in Stavanger and has done the occasional sermon to fill in when the pastors are away.   He is also now a Deacon for the church which adds even more to his full calendar!

It is hard to believe we have now been in Norway for a year and a half – our family has thrived here and we are so blessed to have the experience of being an ‘international’ family!

We love to hear from family and friends – here are ways you can contact us:

Email: srbeard180@gmail.com

Facebook:  Shauna Beard

Skype:  shaunabeard

Blog:  katybeardsadventures.blogspot.com

We wish you and your families a wonderful holiday season, a very Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year in 2012!!!

Much love to you all,

Spencer, Shauna, Brendan, and Kyla

Last Day in Rome

Finally, I have made it to the last of my Rome blogs.  We really only had a short morning on the last day so we set out for just a couple hours to check out a few basilicas near the hotel.  We got a look at several, bu the standout one was Santa Maria degli Angeli.  We had passed it numerous times and we had once tried to go inside only to find there was a service going on.  Once we made it inside, we discovered not only a beautiful church, but also a little museum section with a pretty detailed history of the basilica.  As it turns out, this church was also a project of Michaelangelo and originally had three large entrances, but now, there remains just one.  Inside the courtyard is a large statue of Galileo as well.  Here are a few pictures.

Based on the time stamp on my pictures, I believe this is the inside of S. Maria.  I have to say, we saw so many amazing basilicas throughout the week and the names are often long and very similar to one another, but, here are some more.  I love the one of the organ - can you imagine sitting there playing that enormous instrument?

See the little bench there at the bottom...








The rest of our day consisted of a transport back to the airport and two flights.  One was slightly delayed, but didn't affect our connection.  We arrived back in Stavanger around 10 PM on Friday night.  It was a spectacular trip and went off without a hitch (thanks to my amazing travel agent, Barbara Koy!)

Rome was at the very top of my 'must see' places and I wasn't disappointed!  As much as we saw and did on our trip, I am still learning of other places we didn't make it to, so I guess that means I will have to go to Rome again one day!  Of course, I have a list of other destinations and we are always adding more :)

Rome Day 6

Current news...this weekend is the biggest craft fair in all of Norway :)  Do you remember me talking about this last year?  So, I made a dessert, went for the PWC preview time this morning, and worked a shift at the cake and coffee table.  The cool thing about it is really everything there is hand-made here in Scandinavia, mostly Norway.  I will also say, 'biggest in Norway' is a little disappointing when you are from a place where you often hear the phrase, 'everything is bigger in Texas' - but nevertheless, I made a few small purchases and enjoyed walking around and checking out all the wares.  There are certainly some very talented people here!

And now, back to Italy...

On Thursday of our trip, we headed back over to the Vatican area so go inside St. Peters Basilica and walk up the 500+ stairs to the cupola.  What an amazing place, both inside and out!  And the views from the cupola...WOW!  The cathedral was just huge!  You could spend all day just in the main areas, but then you go downstairs where no pictures are allowed and see all the shrines for all the popes.  Each is unique - really cool to see.  Some have statues, some are the stone tombs, each a dedication to that particular pope.  

Tile mosaics are very prevalent and this was one that I really liked.  Obviously it depicts Jesus washing his follower's feet.














After we saw the inside of the basilica, we started the very long climb to the top of the cupola.  I think it was a total of about 550 stairs.  Part of the stairway was very narrow and as you reach the top, the walls curve in around the cupola.  Just when you think you can't go another step, you get to the top and are greeted with THE most amazing views of Rome for as far as the eye can see!

Do you recognize this - the courtyard of the Vatican from a couple days ago!

This is the square in front of the basilica - see the pictures from in front of St. Peters above!

After admiring the views with hundreds of other people at the top of the cupola, we made our way down and set off to make a second stop at a few destinations and hunt down a couple others.

We stopped at Angel Castle and the bridge that crosses the river Tiber first.

One of our stops was Basilica di S. Clemente.  This was a really cool place - no pictures allowed inside, but found below the church are several levels, the third still being excavated.  Archaeologists believe that some of rooms were part of a pagan worship area in the earliest years -

We also stopped back by the church famous for the 'stairway to heaven' which can only be climbed on one's knees.  People climb the stairway in silent prayer on their knees - Spencer, Brendan, and Kyla decided to make the climb - I stayed down and took a few pictures.  The main prayers that day, for MawMaw...  The other prayers, for the poor.  We saw quite a few homeless and very needy people and Brendan really took this to heart and wanted to give money to each one we saw.  In his prayers, he included those less fortunate and chose several to drop coins in their cups throughout the week.

We also went back by the colosseum one last time.

Loved this picture - see the trees on the left?  The tour guide called these umbrella pines - a perfect name for them!

One last day left to blog about before I end the Rome recap, so check back soon!