Hodge Podge... The New Look

Samuel loves to take showers and play in the water. So today when we were washing his hair he wanted to make his hair stick straight up. Then he asked me to take pictures. The above pictures are the end result. Pretty funny if you ask me. Enjoy and don't forget to keep going down on the blog, I posted a lot of different pics today that have been building up.

Still no news on the adoption. I am getting a bit frustrated with not knowing if we should proceed or not. Please pray for us. Like everyone that is adopting, we want our girl yesterday!!!

Blessings,

Laurie

Hodge Podge...Samuel and Pappa Ice Skating

Last Saturday we all went out to the house in the woods and enjoyed the winter snow. It has also been cold enough for the lakes to freeze and so we went on the sand quarry lake that is in front of the house to skate. Samuel is really trying hard to learn, but falls quite a bit. However, the layer of snow made everything a little nicer and softer. It snowed the whole time we were playing, but we had a lot of fun. I was the only one not skating because everytime I tried to tie my skate laces they would break (no surprise since the skates have been in the shed for at least 15 years).

Hodge Podge... Laurie's New Creation

This is something that I have been doing on the side (making jewerly). There was a contest at the bead shop in Gothenburg and it was to do an unusual necklace. Well, this was mine, yes those are spoons. This is the first piece I have ever entered in a contest. So we will see what happens.

Hodge Podge...Samuel's Friends

This is Cade Weaver. Samuel is behind him on the sled. I think this pic of Cade is hysterical.
Here is Happy and Cade and Sam ready to go down the hill.

This is Naomi Mukhopadhyay. Try saying that last name. Naomi is a little younger than Sam and is really liking him right now. When we were over there Sam was playing with Nikhil (her older brother) and Naomi just wanted to hug Sam. At one point Samuel let her hug him and she kissed him and then he pushed her away and said, "Okay, that's enough". It was very funny. Sorry I don't have a pic of Nikhil, we will have to try and get one.

An Amazing Creativity

Love the colors of contrast on this cake and in this picture with the background.
This is a post about a friend in my life. Her name is Jennie and she has an incredible talent. She is studying to be a Konditor (I think it is the equivalent of a baker, chocolatier, pastry chef, and cake designer in one). She is married to an American and they have two children (Samuel likes them). She is working part time at a cafe here in Alingsas and she was just given the chance to make cakes for a showing of sorts. A dress company rented a space to show dresses to all the graduating seniors (prom dresses). So there were dresses, jewelry, and cakes that you could order all at one place (the cakes are for the graduating senior, it is done a little differently here). So my friend Jennie worked her tale off to make the cakes that you will see below. There are a few that didn't get on here, not because they weren't incredible, but there were so many cool pics. I love to be creative and love to see others inspirations also.

I especially thought that my Aunt Judy would like to see these cakes because she is really good at doing cakes also (Judy did an incredible cake for my wedding almost twelve years ago).

We still have not heard anything on the adoption. Andreas called today so we may get some answers soon and be able to start on the dossier soon.

Blessings,
Laurie

This one is cool. Jennie was given the dress as an example to follow and she made the cake to match it. The picture doesn't do it justice. On the side of the cake that you can't see there is a weave that matches the back of the dress. So cool. (if you want to see a close up, email me and I will send you one.)
I think this one was my absolute favorite because of the amazing match that she did. (for those who want to see a close up, email me and I will send you one.)

This would make an amazing wedding cake. (roses are real)

Chocolate, amazing how it looks like cloth. This one makes me hungry!

An Amazing Creativity cont.

Simply elegant.
I love how this looks like cloth. Jennie's background is in textiles. This picture doesn't do it justice.

Not only was this an amazing looking cake the lily made it smell incredible. Again looking like cloth.

Talk about tedious work, but looks so cool. Having a background in floral design, I love how the red rose sets it all off.

This is actually one of my favorites because of the shapes and lines that are in it.

What a Winter Should Be

This is the Sweden that I really love. When winter shows up and stays. It has snowed a little, enough to cover the surface of everything (about 2 inches) and it has stayed cold for a while so it all stays. We have had about a week with tempuratures in the 20F or around 0F at night. Which means that all the lakes freeze enough to be on them. Of course we always go out with intrepidation and take some precautions, and have yet to take Sam on the ice. This weekend Samuel spent the weekend with his grandparents at their ocean home (otherwise known as Grebbestad) and Andreas had the weekend off so we headed to the house in the woods (otherwise known as Otto's). We went to our favorite lake, Tinnsjon, and it was frozen solid! So we took several walks all over the lake. It is a wonderful feeling to walk on the lake that you swim in through the summer. A bit surreal also. The sound that a frozen lake makes is a bit eary, so most of the time we stuck to the edges. However, others had drilled towards the middle of the lake to make sure that it was thick enough. We saw lake skaters, lots of animal tracks (including a huge Elk track, Kelty was interested in that one), even dirt bike tracks! It was absolutely amazing. I took the pictures below for all to enjoy just a little piece of what we did. So enjoy and if you would like to come enjoy it with us you are all welcome.

Blessings,
Laurie

Andreas enjoying the sun, the boat oar was a precaution just in case someone fell it. I love his shadow it makes him look very long.



This was a fun ice sculpture in the little creek.

Life in Slow Motion

You know how when you are waiting for things to happen, everything seems to move in slow motion? Well that is how I feel right now. We are waiting to hear if we make enough money to adopt a girl from Nepal, we are waiting for money to our account to proceed with the paperwork, I am waiting for Samuel's ear infection to get better so we can do more things outside, I am waiting for my husband to get home for some grown up conversation... It all seems to take much longer than it really does. Why is that? Guess it is time to play with more legos and train tracks to pass the day with!!!

Thank you for everyones encouraging notes on my last post. I appreciated hearing from some of you. Right now it is just Sam and me hanging out in the house. I am a bit bored. I think both Sam and I would like to be outside playing in the snow, but he has an ear infection so inside it is. We went to the doctor yesterday and were able to get some penecillin for him, but he hates it. Grant you they tried to make it tutti fruiti, but this child is not fooled. This morning I literally had to hold him down to give him the medicine. He spit it out on me twice!!! I finally got it down on the third try but by that time neither of us were happy (to say the least). I know he is four, but I really want logic to sink in with this. So after the medicine episode we sat in the floor of the kitchen and held each other, he made requests and I sang to him (not oldies or pop, just songs aobut tigers and cows). Hopefully tonights medicine moment will be much better. We have to do this twice a day until Saturday!!!

Samuel is growing up so much. Andreas and I are trying to make decisions about his schooling and his future. Where has all the time gone? He talks about adopting Jane (his sister) all the time. He tells us what he is going to teach her and what toys she is allowed to borrow and what toys she cannot touch. He talks about her like she is a real flesh and blood person (to him she is), to us she is still that dream of another child. Today he asked me what she looks like. All I could say is that she will probably have dark hair and dark eyes like him (he has actually been making comments on how he has dark hair, it is the first thing that he has noticed that is different from us). It is so amazing to hear him talk about her in such tangible terms. I am sure this will help me through the whole adoption process.

Samuel has his first field trip tomorrow with his pre-school class. The are only going about 15 minutes away, but they get to ride the big bus!!! This is exciting stuff. I will try to get pictures of him getting on the big bus tomorrow and post them. Then FarMor is coming to play with him, always a good time since he has decided she is his best friend. Then this weekend Sam is going with his grandparents to their ocean house. Fun for him and for his parents, I will actually get to sit down and have a conversation with my husband uniterupted, or go to the bathroom without someone bardging in... a novelty to be sure, but good for all. Samuel adores his grandparents and really enjoys the time with them. It also gives him a break from me, which I think he needs at times. He has been telling me that he is frustrated with me lately (usually it is because he doesn't get exactly what he wants, but it is good for him to express it).

Hope all of you are well. We miss you and would love to hear from you if you get a chance.
Blessings,
Laurie

Learning how to use the computer! Growing up toooooooo quick

The Winter Blues

Yes, it has hit with full force, the normal yet awful Swedish winter blues. The grey days have officially gotten to me. Please pray. Today was an especially rough day for me.

We talked with our adoption agency and they are unsure as to whether or not we make enough money to adopt from Nepal. Now logically I can look at our last adoption and know that we made less money then and still were able to adopt, but emotionally I am struggling. Hearing that we may not make enough brings on emotions of guilt that I stay home while my husband works three jobs. Andreas and I both agreed that staying home would be the best for Samuel (and I can't lie that it is nice not to have to work at times). But when you hear things like you don't make enough to adopt it gets you thinking.

I have been reminding myself all day that God is in control and I have a beautiful little boy to prove it, this is when having the Swedish winter blues doesn't help (not that it ever does). However, tonight God sent me an "earnest" (ask Prof. Lauter what that is), it snowed. So late tonight, Kelty, my trusty golden retreiver, and I took a long walk. I love it when it snows and all is quiet (except for the occasional yahoo that has to drive like a manic down the road). It helps me think and remember the sermon that my husband preached last Sunday. "Fix your eyes on Jesus" , "Throw of the sin that so easily entangles", "I will make you as white as snow". The last one wasn't in the sermon, but come on it is a given when you are walking through the snow. So tonight as I struggle not to have the blues and to trust without worry these are the verses that I cling to. Hope in some way they help you too.

Please pray with me! It helps to know that I still have friends out there beyond the internet.

blessings,
Laurie