We're back!

It's been nearly a month since we last blogged...first because there was nothing to say, then because we were on vacation for 2 weeks. Here are some shots from our trip to America for Kris' brother's wedding.

Time with the K's

Despite the busyness of the wedding, we did get to spend time with Kris' family. Here are some shots of the kids with Grandma and Grandpa and with their Great Grandmas.

The wedding and baptism

Here are a few pics from K & E's wedding, along with a picture of our niece/godchild who was baptized the next day. Ike was the ring bearer for the wedding, and Andy was "upgraded" to usher when one of the guys had to leave because of a family emergency.

Off to Grandma and Grandpa L's

After the wedding and baptism we headed north to visit with Andy's family. On the way we took a break in Fergus and Ike went sledding for the first time. He loved it and was grinning ear to ear. The next day he went with Grandpa and Dad on the tobaggon. Another fun adventure!

Check it out!

Our friends, and Elle's godparents, A&A stopped by to visit the Monday before we left. Somehow we managed to get a picture of all 5 kids (all under4 years old) sitting on the couch together!

Time with cousins

The kids got to spend a lot of time with their cousins, which was very fun for us to watch! Ike and Rayna got to be good buds, though they didn't stay still long enough for this mom to take any pictures! Elle and her newest cousin, Kathryn, also spent a lot of time together (mostly because their moms were shopping a lot). Aunt Kim, K's mom, even bought them matching pj's which they proudly wore!

Flying Home

Our flight from Chicago to Tokyo was about 13 hours. We were blessed to be on a plane that was only half full. So, just like everyone else on the flight, we spread out. Noelle even got her own seat to sleep in! Plus, the kids could play when they were awake and didn't really bother anyone.

PS-It felt so good to get home and into our own beds....now, if only we could get over this jet lag!

Christmas Morning

As is the Kvenild family Christmas Eve tradition, the kids got new pj's for Christmas, which of course they wore to bed that night. In the morning they were still too busy playing with toys from the night before to notice that Santa had come and filled their stockings with goodies. Don't worry, they soon noticed the treats.

Christmas Eve

We got the best picture we could of Ike in his Christmas suit (thanks for the jacket, Annelise) and Elle in her dress. Here are just a few pics of our quiet Christmas Eve. The kids were so tired by the end of the day that they fell right to sleep and didn't even here Santa come!

Horseback Riding

Isaak went to the horse farm this afternoon with our neighbor (by himself). He had so much fun riding and walking the horses! We have never heard Ike talk as much as he did today. "Animals, horses, goats, feed, pig, horses, goats, walk,....." and on and on....

Krumkake

These pics are for my mom and Andy's mom. Today I spent 2 hours making krumkake. Of course, there were the usual "first 10" that didn't turn out, but the rest turned out pretty good. Thanks, Mom, for teaching me, and thanks, Barbara, for the krumkake iron!

A Sleigh Ride???

Okay, not exactly a sleigh ride, but as close as we'll get to one here. The farm has an ox cart that we got to ride in. We just pretended there was snow all around!

A Day at the Farm

Today we went to a Hakka farm with our language tutor. It is a popular field trip destination. Ike was in his glory because of all of the animals! His favorites were the goats! Elle enjoyed the morning riding on Dad's back.

How old is that sweater?

Thanks to my mom, Grandma K, Noelle is wearing a Norwegian baby sweater that I had when I was her age. That sweater is almost 30 years old, but is in great shape! I love it because it is red, and judging by her smile, she loves it, too (except for the hat, that only stays on for a few seconds)!

Heat Rash in December????

Okay, so I know that this picture is a little fuzzy, but... It is the middle of December, and Ike has heat rash! I never knew that it could happen, but it was rather warm last week. Today ,however, it was in the low 60's and rainy (like the previous 3 days).

Christmas pics Take 2

After our first unsuccessful attempt at taking a Christmas picture, and a week of colds for all but Kris (who now has it), we finally took another shot at it. Though these pictures look unsuccessful as well, we did get one good shot. Finally!!

Christmas Pictures

This past week we tried, unsuccessfully I think, to take Christmas pictures of the kids. Here are some of the shots that you probably won't see on Christmas cards from the Larsen's.