Flat Crawl

This weekend we had our first ever flat crawl! This entailed moving from flat to flat in our building, working our way to the top, where each flat prepared some delicious food to share with everyone. It was SO much fun and we hope to do it again very soon. We feel extremely lucky to have such amazing neighbors. We sure lucked out!

We started at Alex and Alex's where we had a German feast- sausage, pasta salad and pretzels, yum!! It was truly an authentic Frankfurt treat!



We then moved on to Jill and Kanna's where we ate delicious curry chicken wraps and veggies. Jill, I would love your chicken recipe!!!



We were then on our way to our flat where we had chocolate fondue. I ate so much choclate, Baby S was pinging around my stomach until the wee hours of the morning.



Our final stop was at Anne and Sandy's. We finished with a beautiful cheese spread with dried fruit and olives. What a way to polish off the night of delicious eating. And there were even pasteurized cheeses!!



Thanks so much everyone for such a fun evening- we had a lovely time!!!

Nils Goes Home

That is, to Norway, where he reconnected with his roots.


After a lovely time showing Russell and Joanne around London, the four of us were off to Oslo, Norway. Norway is just beautiful and what a treat to be able to see this part of the world!

We started off our trip touring around the Sentrum of Oslo, exploring the differences and similarities with other major cities. One difference which we weren't prepared for was the cost of everything, especially coming from London. Lets just say we can give some good tips on free parking behind the Royal Palace and Embassy Row. And also, don't worry about the "toll booths" as you can't pay even if you want to (the bill will come later). The pizza (we couldn't help ourselves before taking the picture) came in at $40, and the lovely hot chocolate you see was a steamy $9, and the ONE beer Nils had was a gulp inducing $ 17. The 25% tax doesn't help, but its worth it for the Norway experience.

You can see in the pictures below that we visited the adorable village of Drobak known for its Christmas history, where mail from children is delivered from around the world (we noticed, Japan, Russia, USA, etc.) to Julenissen (the Norweigan Santa Claus -check out this site for more info http://www.emb-norway.ca/facts/Traditions/Christmas/julenissen.htm).

We also went to some lesser known places, including the best Mexican restaurant in Norway and the Resistance Museum. The history of Norway is truly amazing, and Nils was ready to jump into the viking ships and head off to sea.

We had a wonderful trip, and recommend Norway as a great place to visit for everyone. Just don't buy anything. :)

Guest Post -Sorenson's Visit

On our arrival to London with extra baby supplies and a stroller, it was wonderful to be greeted by a very nice driver at Heathrow by a sign reading Mr. and Mrs. Sorenson!

We spent the first few days in exploring the wonderful department stores - Harrods, Selfridges, John Lewis, Fortum & Mason while walking may parts of the local neighborhoods. Our favorite lunches were at EAT, and it was nice to ride the double decker buses even with the wet and overcast weather. Russell went to the City to visit many famous sites while Anna and I walked to Buckingham Palace followed by a wonderful Tea at the Dorchester. Russell and I also went on the Big Bus Tour, which was so nice and informative. It also dropped us off right next to Nils' work, and we went to his favorite BBQ restaurant nearby. On our last day in London, we went with Nils to Windsor castle which we had visited years before. It was so nice to travel to a castle without getting in a car thanks to the transit system in England. The tour was wonderful, and it was neat to visit on a day when the Queen was home!

We then went to Norway to introduce Anna and Nils the nordic country. Some items have changed since we last visited 5 years ago, but it is as beautiful and expensive as ever! We had a wonderful time touring around (thanks in part to a wonderful TomTom borrowed from a Friend of theirs), though the winter appears to be coming early. We took a day trip to the beautiful little village of Drobak, which is a famous Santa Crossing location. We also toured around to many amazing sites of Oslo, including the majestic views from the sky jump left over from the 1952 Oslo Olympics as well as most of the heritage museums. We ate at many unique places, including a Mexican restaurant (including Russ) and the most popular restaurant in Norway - Peppe's Pizza.

In all, we had a wonderful time with Anna and Nils. We can't wait to visit again, and we can't wait for the new addition to the family!

Our August Trip Home

After a wonderful month at home we are back in London! We can't believe how fast our trip flew by! I spent an amazing two weeks in San Diego while Nils stayed to work in London. Poor Nils. It was so nice to be home and to relax. I then met Nils in Northern California and we were on out way to spend several days with our new nephew, Charlie and Nils' sister Heather. It was so special to be with them!! We then went to San Francisco for a few days. And yes, we loved being back! In the midst of our California tour, I was so lucky to have several baby showers. Thank you so much to Mom, Emily, Laura, Allegra, Annie and Megan for hosting such lovely events. That was so thoughtful of you all!! I had such a great time!!

Of course while we were in California we ate and ate and ate! I had Mexican food and frozen yogurt close to every day and I already miss it!!! I think this baby may come out looking like a pinto bean! By the way, to see pictures of my expanding belly check out the slide show. It was so fun to finally be showing!!! As a matter of fact, I don't think we ever formally mentioned that I am pregnant! We are so thrilled and are eagerly awaiting her December arrival!

After California, we left for New York to see our new niece and nephew, Vivian and Anthony, Brady and Jenn's twins!! We loved being there and being able to spend time with these new members of the family!! All three of our nieces and nephews are absolutely adorable!!! And the parents, Heather, Bill, Jenn and Brady are doing so well! We are impressed!!

We are so glad we got to spend time with all of our family members and our friends. It really was so nice to be back and to get to see you all! We miss you all so much!