We managed to pack in four different experiences for the Norwegians today. The day started off with a little walk down our street to feed the local birds. Our neighbor has trained the chickadees and nuthatches to be handfed. It doesn’t get better than that. Plus, a nice walk in the woods early in the morning is a great way to start the day – unless, of course, it involves getting stung by stinging nettles along the way – which were hard to avoid. The younger boys stayed home, but a neighbor and her daughters joined us, so it was time well spent.
Amy, the mom to our two add-on boys from yesterday, came out before lunchtime to join us on another hike she wanted to go on, so we packed up a lunch and she and her kids, joined us and the Bjerknes’ for a drive over to Fidalgo Island. It was a gorgeous day to be outside and the cool of the woods kept us all from sweating from the hike (it really wasn’t that strenuous.) After about a twenty minutes, we emerged from the woods onto a bluff that overlooks the San Juan Islands and Canada. It was a great spot for a picnic, but a little nerve racking to have so many kids to keep away from the edge, which plunges straight down into the sea. The Norwegians thought it looked like home. And it does. That’s why so many Norwegians live around here, I’m sure.
Amy and her boys went back home after the hike but we headed on over to Deception Pass State Park. The park ranger tried to discourage us from entering the park by saying there were no parking spaces available and the park was overcrowded, but we trusted God that we’d find a place to park, and we did. We had loaded up the kayak so Janne and I took it out on the lake while the boys swam and Kory and Haavard sat by the beach watching the waves and people come and go.
It was gorgeous and warm on the lake, and also quiet and no one could ask us to do a thing, so we lingered. Kaleb and Andre went out in the kayak after we were done, then Sondre and Haakon took their turn while Janne and I collected rocks on the beach. Everyone thought the day could not have been better, but we were far from done.
We drove back home for a quick dinner of frozen pizza and pop (American style) then drove back down to Oak Harbor to go the drive-in movie. It was one of the things some of them wanted to do in America, since they don’t have them in Norway. It wasn’t a disappointment at all and they were all just giddy with delight over the whole experience. All the boys sat out in lawn chairs in front of the car but Janne and I enjoyed the comfort inside our van – until the battery went dead, anyway.
I was in a panic, since the van wouldn’t start, but we just sat in the dark and listened to the end of the movie with surround sound from all the other vehicles, and we prayed. The van started up just fine when the movie was over and we were home by 12:30. Whew.
It was a full day, and went off almost exactly as planned. Day three is complete, with eighteen more to go. We’ve only just begun.
It was good we had things to do to keep our minds off the tragedy in Norway. It’s just too sad to think about. It’s like an innocent child being molested. Norway may never be the same.
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