Hardy Norwegians

We all had to rush through breakfast to get out the door in time for church this morning.  It wasn’t at all how I planned to start my day, in such a rush and all, but it was so gorgeous when I woke up that I couldn’t help but go out in the yard and feel the heat on my bones.  It was then I realized the plants needed some water on their roots and thus the distraction began.  Janne came outside and told me the time and next thing I know we are all stuffing food in our face and racing out the door for church.  Ugh.

After church Janne and Haavard went into LaConner for a while to see the town and the cute shops we have in our little town.  I describe it as a place I can buy nothing I need, but it’s still nice to go there for a look anyway.  The boys were busy playing Pokemon while Kory and I packed up our camping gear for our trip to Oregon tomorrow. 

The sun was warm and still very inviting around three, so when Janne and Haavard came back we all headed out to Anacortes to go to the beach.  The water was cold, but that didn’t stop those hardy Bjerknes boys from jumping in and going for a swim.  The rest of us took naps by the shore in the sun.  It felt good and was much needed by us all.

We stopped several places in the park for photo opportunities then back home for a late dinner.  It was a good day but still hard to stay away from the news of what’s happening in Norway.  I’ve gotten many messages and calls from friends wondering if anyone in Kory’s family was affected by this, and thankfully, I can say, no news is good news.  I’m trusting God will be able to use even this, for some good.

I am a little peeved at the American media news reports though because they are the only ones connecting this mad man with the word “Christian.”  Norway has in no way reported that he was a Christian, so it just goes to show how the media is used to shape the world’s ideas and opinions of things.  Now Americans that have some prejudice again Christians, have even more grounds to support their own ideology, but it may very well be something that was made up by the media in order to do just that.  It’s a sick world out there, and I’m not just talking about the guy in Norway.

Piddling the Day Away

I slept in today then drank coffee out on the deck while reading the Bible. I listened to the birds singing, the sound of the waterfall in our pond, and felt the warmth of the sun on my body. I managed to relax, even if for just a few minutes, before I decided it was time to get things done around here that have been neglected far too long. I mowed, I watered, I weeded, I pruned, and I watered some more. I looked for anything that would keep me outside, not only to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, but to keep from facing the chores that awaited me inside, like cleaning out the frig, folding laundry and washing dishes. Those chores waited until the mosquitoes came out. I did venture into LaConner briefly to get Kaleb’s haircut, and run a few errands, but otherwise, we were all home alone. Normally I wouldn’t like that scenario, but today, it was actually quite pleasant. I’m still trying to get used to Kaleb’s new look, however. It’s been five years since he’s had a buzz cut, and I forgot just how big his ears are. Good thing his hair will grow back. What was I thinking?



It was a lovely day, just puttering around our house with nothing special to do or any place to go. Kory took two loads to the dump - one of them containing his old BBQ I bought for his first Father’s Day, 11 years ago. It desperately needed replacing, so the new one was unpacked today and because it holds much more on the grill, Kory is quite pleased with it.



Kaleb was aching for a playdate with a friend, but I couldn’t bear the thought of driving him anywhere, so I didn’t even try to line up anything. He spent the day reading library books and playing with a new remote control helicopter he bought with his own money. Life’s little pleasures.



We enjoyed a late dinner of veggie burgers cooked up on the new grill and root beer floats to make it seem all the more like summer. We ate out on our deck as the long shadows started appearing across the valley floor (see photo). The evening ended with some friends knocking on our door, wanting a place to spend the night. I told them if they were in the area, to drop by, so they did. Kory had just popped popcorn and we were about to begin another family movie night, but we opted for a little social time with friends instead. It couldn’t have been better, as now we aren’t home alone anymore. I so love having friends in our home. Sleep tight.