Benjamin 12 år

Dansk (english below):

Så blev det Benjamins fødselsdag - og det havde han set frem til længe! Vi var så heldige, at alle drengene og Mary havde fri fra skolen netop på dagen, så vi kunne rigtig få lov til at fejre ham. Han blev, som sædvanlig, vækket med sang og herefter var det tid til morgenmad og gaver. Herefter var der lidt tid til at slappe af - og afprøve nogle af de nye gaver. Efter frokost tog vi til ”Mall of America” hvor vi have booket tid i ”Activate” (et slags interaktivt gaming sted - det er svært at forklare). Drengene og jeg prøvede det i efteråret sammen med Celina, Nikolaj og Peter, da de var på besøg og vi synes alle det var rigtig sjovt, og Benjamin har tit snakket om det siden. Da vi kom hjem igen, var der lige tit til at udforske lidt flere gaver og så fik han også snakket med Grandpa & Lizzie samt familien i Danmark, inden turen gik til ” Culvers” hvor Benjamin havde valgt at vi skulle spise aftensmad. Det var ikke nemt for ham at udvælge hvor vi skulle spise, da der jo er så mange muligheder, men efter flere dages betænkningstid faldt valget altså på fastfood-restauranten - primært pga. man kan få ”Pretzel Bits” i stedet for pommes frites😊. Herefter var planen egentlig at vi skulle hjem og se en film eller lign. men Benjamin spurgte, under aftensmaden, om vi kunne tage i ”Dollar General” og få lidt ”lommepenge” at bruge der - det gjorde vi på en ”Family Fun Night” engang tilbage i august, og det var et stort hit. Da vi prompte sagde ja, blev smilet endnu større end før, ”er det rigtigt” udbrød han!!   

Om søndagen, dagen før, holdte vi fødselsdagsfest hvor onkel Johnny og Eileen & Dave kom og fejrede ham. De var inviteret til frokost og eftermiddagskaffe - islagkage fra Dairy Queen, selvfølgelig. Det var en rigtig hyggelig eftermiddag.

Gaver:

• FC 2026 (til Xbox - vi har lånt en Xbox af nogle gode venner)
• Bøger (på engelsk) om Lamine Yamal og Bruno Fernandes (fodboldspillere)
• Billetter til Minnesota United’s åbningskamp (d. 28. februar)
• Billetter til ”Activate”
• Puslespil
• LEGO bus
• FC Barcalona træningstrøje
• Vandfarver + papir
• Fodboldkortmappe
• Air dry clay
• Penge

Good morning birthday boy

FC26 - a big birthday wish

Dinner at Culvers

Ice Cream cake

ACTIVATE - Game: MEGA grid

English (AI translated):

    

      Finally it was Benjamin’s birthday - he had been looking forward to it for a long time! We were so lucky that all the boys and Mary had the day off from school, so we were really able to celebrate him properly. As usual, he was woken up with singing, followed by breakfast and presents. After that, there was some time to relax and try out some of the new gifts. After lunch, we headed to the "Mall of America", where we had booked a session at "Activate" (a sort of interactive gaming place—it’s hard to explain). The boys and I tried it last fall with Celina, Nikolaj, and Peter when they were visiting; we all thought it was a lot of fun, and Benjamin has talked about it often since then. When we got home, there was just enough time to explore a few more presents and for him to talk to Grandpa & Lizzie as well as the family in Denmark. Then it was off to "Culver’s", where Benjamin had chosen to have dinner. It wasn’t easy for him to pick a place since there are so many options, but after several days of consideration, he chose the fast-food restaurant—primarily because you can get "Pretzel Bites" instead of fries! 😊 The original plan was to head home and watch a movie or something similar, but during dinner, Benjamin asked if we could go to "Dollar General" and get some "pocket money" to spend there—we did that during a "Family Fun Night" back in August, and it was a huge hit. When we promptly said yes, his smile grew even wider: "Really?!" he exclaimed. On Sunday, the day before, we held a birthday party where Uncle Johnny and Eileen & Dave came to celebrate him. They were invited for lunch and afternoon coffee—with an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen, of course. It was a really lovely afternoon.

Hverdagen / Every day life

Dansk (English below):

Vi har nu nævnt nogle gange, i forskellige blogopslag, at vi glæder os over hverdagen. Men det kan være svært at sætte ord på, hvad hverdagen egentlig ”er” og hvad den fyldes med. Hverdagen er jo både de ting der går igen fra dag til dag og/eller uge til uge - altså daglige og personlige rutiner, arbejde og pligter. De personer man fylder dagene med både på daglig, ugentlig og månedlig basis. Men ”begrebet” hverdag er jo også der, hvor der opstår huller hvor man keder sig, men hvor spontaniteten samtidig også kan få lov til at få plads. 

Vi har, måske tydeligere end normalt, oplevet at hverdagen løbende ændre sig, både fordi vaner og rutiner (fx spisetider mv.) ikke er indgroet endnu og fordi ydre omstændighed som fx fodboldtræninger, vejret mv. skifter. Måske er vi også bare mere opmærksomme på det efter vi flyttede og selvsagt hele vores normale hverdag blev kastet op i luften. Det har i hvert fald været sundt både personligt men også som familie at få brudt nogle hverdags-mønstre og blive skarpere på hvordan vi ønsker hverdagen skal være. Vi har bl.a. drøftet skærmtider, godnat-ritualer, morgenrutiner, spisevaner, mobilvaner, huslige pligter for bare at nævne nogle. Nogle ting er ”landet” godt og naturligt mens andre stadig er under større eller mindre udvikling - som vel er meget normalt. 

Men hvordan ser en ”normal” uge så ud i hovedtræk? 

Dagen starter kl. 6.40 hvor jeg (Søren) vækker Silas (og Mary). Herefter går det lidt trægt med at komme i gang, men efter lidt sker der noget og Silas spiser morgenmad omkring kl. 7.00. Han tager bussen i skole hver dag og skal gå de ca. 400 meter til stoppesteder hvor bussen kommer kl. 7.25. Efter få stop enden ruten ved Orono High School kl. 7.39 (med mindre den er forsinket😊) - men stadig i god tid inden timerne starter kl. 8.00. Mary skal møde kl. 9.00 så hun har lidt bedre tid til at gøre sig klar. Jeg bruger tiden på en smugle arbejde (primært tjekning og besvarelser af mails fra natten) og så står jeg for at lave en ”snack” som alle drengene skal have med i skole samt madpakke til Mary. Liam og Benjamin står normalt op kl. 7.30 hvor de får lov til at spille og se lidt skærm. De møder først i skole kl. 9.10, så de har nogle dejlige stille morgener. Vi spiser morgenmad sammen ca. kl. 8.15 og herefter gøre de sig klar. Jeg kører dem i skole hver dag (hvilket der også er MANGE andre der gør), så vi skal afsted ca. kl. 8.45 for at komme i køen til aflevering/drop-off. Herefter har de timer til kl. 15.40. For flere detaljer om selve skoledagen, se indlægget ”School time” fra september. Silas starter nyt semester d. 26. januar. Han skifter et par fag ud og skal nu have ”PE” (idræt) og ”Health”, det glæder han sig til, men er også ked af fx ikke at skulle have ”Popular Music” som han er blevet meget glad for. 

Herefter er der ro i huset og jeg har tiden, fra kl. 9.15 til Silas kommer hjem med bussen ca. kl. 15.10, for mig selv. Normalt bruges tiden på ca. 2-3 timers arbejde og en daglig gåtur på ca. 1 time. Efter at ”golfsæsonen” sluttede ret brat tilbage i november, bruges den resterende tid på huslige pligter og indkøb (da det er mig der står for nærmest alt her i hjemmet - sjovt som tingene er vent på hovedet😊) og ikke mindst også på artikellæsning om ”begivenhederne” som fylder både her i Minnesota og i Danmark siden årsskiftet. 

Siden fodboldsæsonen, med High School holdet, stoppede tilbage i oktober har Silas været meget mindre (tids)presset. Lektierne fylder til tider stadigvæk en stor del, men nu hvor der ikke er 1½ times fodboldtræning hverdag efter skole, så har han fået noget mere luft i hverdagen. Nu bruger vi som regel den lille time vi har sammen inden de andre kommer hjem (kl. 16.10) til hyggesnak i sofaen og øvning af trommer. Det er også her det online liv (Minecraft og ”FIFA”) leves, primært med vennerne hjemme fra Danmark. 

Mary ta’r Benjamin og Liam med hjem fra arbejde og herefter er det evt. tid til en lille snack og ellers skal lektierne laves. Hvor vi i august-oktober også brugte det meste af den resterende fritid med leg i haven er vi siden sneen og vinteren ankom rykket mere og mere indendørs og der bliver nu spillet en masse bordtennis, dart og spillet mange flere brætspil. 

Silas træner nu (siden november) fodbold i klubregi for ”Orono Westonka” to gange om ugen (torsdag kl. 20-21 og søndag kl. 17-18). Når vi kommer til april/maj skal der også spilles kampe. Mary er oftest chaufføren og bruger ventetiden i fitness. 

Liam og Benjamin sluttede også (fodbold)sommersæsonen tilbage i oktober. Efter flere overvejelser fik de lov til at spille indendørs (på kunstgræs) i november og december også. Her trænede de hver 1 time - om mandagen henholdsvis fra kl. 17-18 og den anden fra 18-19. 

I november begyndte jeg faktisk også til fodbold. En gang om ugen er der fodbold for voksne i samme indendørs "dome" som drengene spiller i. Her mødes ca. 20-30 primært mænd, til 2 timers fodbold. Det har været en god måde at komme ud at møde nye mennesker på - eller bare møde mennesker generelt😉. 

Fast hver onsdag: I kirken hvor vi kommer til gudstjeneste, er der også fællesspisning hver onsdag kl. 17.30. Det har vi faktisk deltaget i helt siden vi ankom og det har været en rigtig god måde for os alle at møde og lære andre i kirken på. Kl. 18.30-19.30 er der juniorklub (ROOTS) for Benjamin og Liam. Der er en fantastisk gruppe af frivillige fra kirken som, hver onsdag, laver sjove aktiviteter med børnene og fortæller bibelhistorier. Silas har ”Youth Group” sammen med ca. 60-80 andre unge på hans alder. De mødes til hygge, sjov, lovsang, bibelundervisning og smågruppe. Også her er der, udover præsterne Phil og Josh, en gruppe af frivillige som hver uge hjælper til og leder smågrupperne. Silas har helt fra starten af være MEGET glad for dette fællesskab og de samtaler om tro og liv som er en stor del af det. Vi henter ham oftest ca. kl. 21.30 hvor han nærmest er dryppende af sved, fordi han spiller Basketball i den lille hal som kirken har. Silas blev hurtigt spurgt til være med i ungdoms-lovsangsbandet. Det er en lille gruppe af unge, som spiller til lovsangen hver onsdag, så der skal øves godt inden - hvilket er noget af det vi gør sammen der om eftermiddagen hvor vi er selv. Det er også om onsdagen, at deres bliver øvet til søndagens gudstjeneste, så hvis enten Mary eller jeg er i lovsangsteamet en søndag gøres dette samtidig med hele familien alligevel er i kirken. Sidst men ikke mindst er Mary også kommet med i kirkens ”Bell Choir” som spiller til et par gudstjenester i løbet af året, så det bliver der også øvet til i uger op til. 

Indenfor den sidste uge eller to er der opstået et par større ændringer i hverdagen, som vi ikke ved om bliver vedvarende eller bare for en stund - derfor nævnes de lige her for sig selv. 

Mary blev spurgt om at være fast vikar for korlæreren, der er sygemeldt de næste 4 uger. Det indebær korundervisning i 5. klasse som er på samme afdeling hun har været på hele tiden. Men også at være i en ny bygning og afdeling (Middle School) med 6., 7. og 8. klasserne. Alle 4 klasser har kor hver dag, så hun har hurtigt fået skabt en god relation til børnene. Planen lige nu er, at hun skal være i dette vikariat i 3 uger og herefter skal det evalueres og Mary har mulighed for at ”gå tilbage” til hendes normale arbejde igen. Men det er tydeligt at hun nyder at have sit eget kontor og det at vide hvad hun skal hver dag. Hun er også glad for at prøve at undervise de ældre elever (ligesom da hun var på efterskole) og at være i ”the music wing” med de andre musiklærer og nørde lidt der. Men det stod også hurtigt klart, at hun savner hendes ”normale” kollegaer og eleverne i den normale afdeling (Intermediate School). 

Silas er, af og til, begyndt at mødes med venner, fra skolen, i skolens aktivitetscenter (indendørs sportshal mm.). Her hygger de sig med boldspil (primært Basketball) og vægtløftning i Fitnesscenteret. Så i stedet for at tage bussen hjem de dage, så køre han med Mary når hun har fri kl. 16.00.

The Dome where we all play indoor soccer

Even snow can't keep Benjamin from playing soccer

Engish (AI translated):

We have mentioned a few times now, in various blog posts, that we are enjoying our everyday life. But it can be hard to put into words what everyday life actually "is" and what it is filled with. Everyday life is, of course, the things that repeat from day to day and/or week to week—meaning daily and personal routines, work, and chores. It is the people you fill your days with on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. But the "concept" of everyday life is also found in the gaps where boredom strikes, but where there is also room for spontaneity.

Perhaps more clearly than usual, we have experienced that everyday life changes continuously, both because habits and routines (e.g., meal times, etc.) aren't fully ingrained yet, and because external circumstances like soccer practice, the weather, etc., change. Maybe we are just more aware of it after we moved and our entire normal daily life was obviously thrown up in the air. In any case, it has been healthy—both personally and as a family—to break some everyday patterns and get sharper on how we want our daily life to be. We have discussed screen time, bedtime rituals, morning routines, eating habits, phone habits, and household chores, just to name a few. Some things have "landed" well and naturally, while others are still under development—which is probably quite normal.

But what does a "normal" week look like generally?

The day starts at 6:40 AM when I (Søren) wake up Silas (and Mary). It’s a bit of a slow start after that, but things eventually get moving, and Silas eats breakfast around 7:00 AM. He takes the bus to school every day and has to walk about 400 meters to the stop where the bus arrives at 7:25 AM. After a few stops, the route ends at Orono High School at 7:39 AM (unless it is delayed 😊)—but still in good time before classes start at 8:00 AM. Mary starts work at 9:00 AM, so she has a little more time to get ready.

I spend the time doing a little work (primarily checking and answering emails from the night), and then I’m in charge of making a "snack" for all the boys to take to school, as well as a packed lunch for Mary. Liam and Benjamin usually get up at 7:30 AM, when they are allowed to play and watch a little screen time. They don't start school until 9:10 AM, so they have some lovely quiet mornings. We eat breakfast together around 8:15 AM, and then they get ready. I drive them to school every day (which MANY others do as well), so we have to leave around 8:45 AM to join the drop-off line. They then have classes until 3:40 PM. For more details on the school day itself, see the post "School time" from September. Silas starts a new semester on January 26th. He is swapping out a few subjects and will now have "PE" (Physical Education) and "Health"; he is looking forward to that, but is also sad not to have "Popular Music" anymore, which he had become very fond of.

After this, the house is quiet, and I have the time from 9:15 AM until Silas comes home by bus around 3:10 PM to myself. Usually, this time is used for about 2-3 hours of work and a daily walk of about 1 hour. Since the "golf season" ended quite abruptly back in November, the remaining time is spent on household chores and grocery shopping (since I am the one in charge of almost everything here at home—funny how things have turned upside down 😊) and, not least, reading articles about the "events" taking up space both here in Minnesota and in Denmark since the turn of the year.

Since the soccer season with the High School team stopped back in October, Silas has been much less pressed for time. Homework still takes up a large portion at times, but now that there isn't 1.5 hours of soccer practice every day after school, he has found some more breathing room in his daily life. We usually use the hour we have together before the others come home (at 4:10 PM) for a cozy chat on the sofa and drum practice. This is also when his online life (Minecraft and "FIFA") is lived, primarily with friends back home in Denmark.

Mary brings Benjamin and Liam home from work, and then it might be time for a small snack; otherwise, homework needs to be done. While we used most of the remaining free time in August-October playing in the yard, since the snow and winter arrived, we have moved more and more indoors. Now, a lot of ping-pong and darts are played, along with many more board games.

Silas is now training soccer (since November) at the club level for "Orono Westonka" twice a week (Thursdays 8-9 PM and Sundays 5-6 PM). When we get to April/May, matches will also be played. Mary is usually the driver and uses the waiting time at the gym.

Liam and Benjamin also ended the (soccer) summer season back in October. After some consideration, they were allowed to play indoors (on artificial turf) in November and December as well. Here they trained for 1 hour each—on Mondays from 5-6 PM and 6-7 PM respectively.

Every Wednesday: At the church where we attend services, there is a communal dinner every Wednesday at 5:30 PM. We have actually participated in this ever since we arrived, and it has been a really good way for us all to meet and get to know others in the church. From 6:30-7:30 PM, there is a junior club (ROOTS) for Benjamin and Liam. There is a fantastic group of volunteers from the church who, every Wednesday, organize fun activities with the children and tell Bible stories. Silas has "Youth Group" together with about 60-80 other young people his age. They meet for hanging out, fun, worship, Bible teaching, and small groups. Here too, besides the pastors Phil and Josh, there is a group of volunteers who help out every week and lead the small groups. Right from the start, Silas has been VERY happy with this community and the conversations about faith and life that are a big part of it. We usually pick him up around 9:30 PM, where he is almost dripping with sweat because he plays basketball in the small gym the church has.

Silas was quickly asked to join the youth worship band. It is a small group of young people who play for the worship session every Wednesday, so they have to practice well beforehand—which is something we do together in the afternoon when we are alone. Wednesday is also when practice happens for Sunday’s service, so if either Mary or I are on the worship team for a Sunday, this is done while the whole family is at church anyway. Last but not least, Mary has also joined the church’s "Bell Choir," which plays for a few services throughout the year, so there are rehearsals for that in the weeks leading up to it.

Within the last week or two, a couple of major changes have occurred in our daily life. We don't know if they will be permanent or just for a while—that’s why they are mentioned here separately.

Mary was asked to be a regular substitute for the choir teacher, who is on sick leave for the next 4 weeks. This involves teaching choir to the 5th grade, which is in the same department she has been in the whole time. But it also involves being in a new building and department (Middle School) with the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. All 4 classes have choir every day, so she quickly built a good relationship with the kids. The plan right now is for her to be in this temporary position for 3 weeks, after which it will be evaluated, and Mary has the option to "go back" to her normal work again. But it is clear that she enjoys having her own office and knowing what she has to do every day. She is also happy to try teaching older students (just like when she was at the boarding school in Denmark) and to be in "the music wing" with the other music teachers and geek out a bit there. However, it also quickly became clear that she misses her "normal" colleagues and the students in the normal department (Intermediate School).

Silas has, occasionally, started meeting up with friends from school in the school's activity center (indoor sports hall, etc.). Here they have fun with ball games (primarily basketball) and weightlifting in the fitness center. So, instead of taking the bus home on those days, he rides with Mary when she gets off work at 4:00 PM

Halvvejsmærket / The halfway mark

Dansk (english below):

Forrige fredag (d. 9/1) markerede vi dagen, hvor vi præcis var halvvejs på vores familieeventyr med en trerettersmenu. I fredags (d. 16/1) fejrede vi så også, at vi nu har boet i USA i 6 måneder. Begge dage stod menuen blandt andet på hjemmelavet Pizza - selvfølgelig - det har været fredagsmenuen de sidste ca. 10 år!!

Tiden er både fløjet afsted og samtidig har den også føltes langsom i den forstand, at hverdagen her virker meget naturlig. Faktisk er vores liv fyldt med flere af disse ”både og”. Vi er både rigtige glade for vores hverdag og liv her i Minnesota. Ja faktisk tror jeg vi kan sige, at vi nyder det😊. Men samtidig kan vi alle fem også mærke savnet til familie, venner og livet i Danmark. Vi er super glade og er ikke parate til at skulle rejse væk herfra og samtidig glæder vi os også til at skulle ”hjem-hjem”, som vi kalder Danmark (pt er vores ”hjem” jo i Minnesota). Det er et underligt paradoks at leve i og det kan til tider være noget forvirrende. Så det er godt at få snakket om og sat ord på - det prøver vi alle sammen.

En anden større ”både og” er i forhold til vores arbejde. Vi nyder begge to vores (nye) daglige arbejdsliv. Mary er stadig ansat på folkeskolen her i området som fast vikar. Hun møder ind kl. 8.00 hver dag og har fri igen kl. 16. Hvad dagen byder på ved hun sjældent meget før hun møder ind og ofte ændre det sig i løbet af dagen også. Hun nyder enormt meget at have kollegaer, undervise børnene og ikke at ”tage arbejdet” med hjem. Men samtidig kan hun mærke et savn af det forudsigelige, korte dage og det selv at kunne tilrettelægge hverdagen selv - det som også er dejligt at have en ”pause” fra.

Jeg har de sidste 6 måneder oplevet livet i et helt andet gear. Oplevelsen af, at der ikke er 117 ting der også skal klares og gøres når først drengene er kommet hjem har været fantastisk at opleve. Det har skabt et naturligt nærvær og overskud. Men samtidig med dette savner jeg også min normale hverdag med masser af bolde i luften, beslutninger der skal træffes og masser af mennesker omkring mig. Jeg nyder virkelig min nye hverdag og alt hvad det indeholder, men jeg ved også med mig selv, at jeg ikke kan trives sådan her i længere tid.

Drengene oplever også samme følelse af, at der er masser af skønne ting ved det liv, de nye rutiner og oplevelser vi har fået lov til at dele og opbygget hen over de sidste 6 måneder. Men det er, til tider, også tydeligt at mærke, at de har et savn der stikker dybere og som kommer til udtryk på forskelligvis.  

Vi ved, at der ligger mange spændende, lærerige og fælleskabende oplevelser og venter de kommende måneder. Så derfor glæder vi os både over at vi stadig har knap seks måneder tilbage her i USA (og af eventyret) og samtidig glæder vi os til at komme tilbage til Danmark igen.  

English (AI translated):

Last Friday (Jan 9th), we marked the exact halfway point of our family adventure with a three-course dinner. Then, this past Friday (Jan 16th), we also celebrated that we have now lived in the USA for 6 months. On both days, the menu included homemade pizza—of course—since that has been our Friday menu for the last 10 years or so!

Time has flown by, yet it has also felt slow in the sense that everyday life here feels very natural. In fact, our lives are filled with several of these "both/and" situations. We are really happy with our daily lives here in Minnesota. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that we are enjoying it 😊. But at the same time, all five of us feel the longing for family, friends, and life in Denmark. We are incredibly happy and not ready to leave here yet, but at the same time, we look forward to going "home-home," as we call Denmark (since our "home" right now is, after all, in Minnesota). It is a strange paradox to live in, and it can be somewhat confusing at times. So it helps to talk about it and put it into words—something we are all trying to do.

Another major "both/and" relates to our work. We are both enjoying our (new) daily work lives. Mary is still employed at the local public school as a permanent substitute. She clocks in at 8:00 AM every day and is off again at 4:00 PM. She rarely knows much about what the day will bring before she arrives, and plans often change throughout the day as well. She really enjoys having colleagues, teaching the kids, and not "taking work home" with her. But at the same time, she misses the predictability, the shorter days, and being able to organize her own schedule—though it is also nice to have a "break" from exactly that.

For the last 6 months, I have experienced life in a completely different gear. The feeling that there aren't a million things that need to be handled once the boys get home has been fantastic. It has created a natural sense of presence and mental energy. But along with this, I also miss my normal daily life with lots of balls in the air, decisions to be made, and lots of people around me. I really enjoy my new daily life and everything it entails, but I also know deep down that I couldn't thrive like this for the long term.

The boys are experiencing the same feeling: that there are plenty of wonderful things about this life, the new routines, and the experiences we’ve shared and built over the last 6 months. But at times, it is also clearly noticeable that they feel a longing that runs deeper and is expressed in different ways.

We know that many exciting, educational, and bonding experiences await us in the coming months. So, we are both happy that we still have just under six months left here in the USA (and of the adventure) and, at the same time, looking forward to coming back to Denmark again.

Juleferie / Winter break

Dansk (english below): 

D. 19. december kl. 16.08 rullede de sidste 3 af familiens medlemmer ind i opkørslen. Nu var der for alvor dømt juleferie - eller "Winter break" som det hedder her. Som allerede nævnt, så var december mere stille end normalt og det gjaldt for så vidt også hele juleferien, men vi hyggede os gevaldigt med både store og små ting og kunne nyde det i et afslappet gear. Men mest af alt nød vi alle afbrækket fra hverdagens trummerum hvad enten det er fuldtidsarbejde (Mary), fuldtids-skole fra kl. 8-15 eller 9-16 hver dag som drengene eller stilheden og roen som er blevet min hverdag gennem de sidste 3-4 måneder.

Der blev tid til forskellige besøg bl.a. hos Marys moster, onkel og kusine (inkl. familie) i Winona, hvor vi nød at blive forkælet med lækker mad, masser af familie-kærlighed og kælketure i hundredvis. Vi blev også inviteret hjem til et par fra kirken, Bruce og Kristi (dem som lånte os de 4 kasser julepynt). Kristi har norske slægtninge i familien, så det var sjovt at se billeder fra deres besøg der og høre ”Sissel Kyrkjebø” - som er total jule-nostalgi fra min barndom. Vi tog igen også turen op tæt ved St. Cloud hvor vores gode venner Holly og Dave bor med deres 3 skønne børn. Vores børn er nærmest vokset op sammen (hvis man kan sige når man kun ses 1 måned om året) da det var dem vi boede hos i flere år når vi var på ferie herover, før de flyttede nordpå. I Minnesota er ”Snow tubing” også en ting, så det skulle vi selvfølgelig også prøve af. Det var supersjovt og vi nød alle endnu en solskinsdag i sneen og hvad bedre var, det var sammen med vores (specielt Marys) gamle venner Andrea og Jason og deres to drenge. Så alle var godt underholdt i flere timer.

Ellers var det også året/ferien hvor Benjamin blev grebet af at stå på skøjter. Dagen hvor de gik på ferie var alle 5. klasserne en tur i den lokale skøjtehal som en slags klasse-/årgangsarrangement. Han havde glædet sig i flere dage op til, selvom han aldrig rigtig har fået knækket (skøjte)koden helt. Så jeg mødte ham der og han strålede mens han kørte omgang efter omgang. Selv da der blev annonceret, at der var varm kakao til alle der havde lyst blev han ved med at skøjte og var nærmest den sidste der gik fra isen. Siden har vi alle været afsted på den udendørs ”ice rink” som ligger bare 5 min. gang fra vores hus. Det er sjovt for Mary speciel, da dele denne aktivitet med drengene. Planen er, at onkel Johnny skal med os, så vi kan få spillet noget mere ishockey også. Det håber vi snart sker. 

Nytåret fejrede vi med endnu et hold gode (gamle) venner. Vi var inviteret hjem til Julie og Josh og det blev en dejlig afslutning på et helt specielt år for os som familie. Vi havde taget noget af maden med og resten stod de for, så det var overskueligt for alle. Og selvom også nytåret er fyldt med traditioner i Danmark som lækkert mad, festlig tøj, sjove hatte, bordbomber, nytårskrudt, 90 års fødselsdag og løjer, så havde Mary og Julie fået det arrangeret så fint med en afbalanceret blanding, og Julie havde endda købt lidt ”fyrværkeri” (det man nu kan få lov til at købe er i Minnesota) for vores skyld - tror jeg. Mary havde bagt kransekage som vi kunne spise da vi, ved midnat hoppede ned fra sofaen, inden vi gik ud for at fyre Julies krudt af - som de eneste i hele området!! Kongen nytårstale fik vi også set, dog var den tidligere på dagen pga. tidsforskellen. Denne gang fik sætningen ”dem der må fejre nytåret udenfor landets grænser” en særlig betydning.       

I starten af det nye år skulle drengenes julegave "afprøves". De havde fået en dagstur til skisportsstedet ”Powder Ridge” som ligger 55 min. fra hvor vi bor. Vi har i mange år haft lyst til at drengene skulle prøve at stå på ski, så i år skulle det være - når det, afstandsmæssigt, er så nemt her. Vi tog afsted, så vi var der kort efter de åbnede kl. 9.30 og tog først hjem igen kl. 18.00 så det må vel bare ud fra dette kunne konkluderes, at det var en succes. Drengene fik det alle hurtigt lært, så efter 1½ time på børnebakken (”The Bunny Hill”) var de alle klar på at prøve nogle længere og lidt mere krævende ture. Det var sjovt at få lov til at prøve som familie, så det er godt, at julegaven faktisk var 2 dagsture, så vi kan komme afsted igen - snart!! Så snakker vi ikke om de ømme ben vi vågnede op med dagen efter.. og den følgende😜.

Nu er juleferien så gået - ja faktisk har vi været i gang med hverdagen i en uge nu. Det var hårdt for de fleste, at få startet op igen mandag morgen efter 16 dages ferie, men nu virker det til at ”møllen” kører igen.   

The Ice Rink at Rainbow Park (5 min. away)

Snow Tubing

Benjamn's skating party

Sledding in Winona

Familie time

"All" the boys in Winona

Afternoon walk on Lake Independence

Nintendo Swicth time with Uncle Johnny

Time with the Koslazk's (Holly & Dave)

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Skiing at "Powder Ridge"

Skiing at "Powder Ridge"

Skiing at "Powder Ridge"

Englsih (AI translated):

On December 19 at 4:08 p.m., the last three members of the family rolled into the driveway. Now Christmas vacation had truly begun—or “Winter Break,” as it’s called here. As already mentioned, December was quieter than usual, and that was also true of the entire Christmas break. Still, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves with both big and small moments and were able to take it all at a relaxed pace. Most of all, we all appreciated the break from everyday routines—whether that meant full-time work (Mary), full-time school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day for the boys, or the silence and calm that has become my everyday life over the past 3–4 months.

There was time for various visits, including one to Mary’s aunt, uncle, and cousin (and their family) in Winona, where we enjoyed being spoiled with delicious food, lots of family love, and countless sledding trips. We were also invited to the home of a couple from church, Bruce and Kristi (the ones who lent us the four boxes of Christmas decorations). Kristi has Norwegian relatives, so it was fun to see photos from their visits and to hear “Sissel Kyrkjebø,” which is pure Christmas nostalgia from my childhood. Once again, we also made the trip up near St. Cloud, where our good friends Holly and Dave live with their three wonderful children. Our kids have practically grown up together (if you can say that when you only see each other one month a year), as they were the family we stayed with for several years when we vacationed here before they moved north. In Minnesota, “snow tubing” is also a thing, so of course we had to try that as well. It was great fun, and we all enjoyed yet another sunny day in the snow—made even better by spending it with our (especially Mary’s) old friends Andrea and Jason and their two boys. Everyone was well entertained for several hours.

This was also the year—and the vacation—when Benjamin caught the ice-skating bug. On the day school let out, all the fifth grades went to the local ice arena as a class/grade event. He had been looking forward to it for days, even though he had never quite cracked the (skating) code before. I met him there, and he was beaming as he skated lap after lap. Even when it was announced that there was hot cocoa for anyone who wanted it, he kept skating and was almost the last one to leave the ice. Since then, we’ve all been to the outdoor ice rink that’s just a five-minute walk from our house. It’s especially fun for Mary to share this activity with the boys. The plan is for Uncle Johnny to join us so we can play more ice hockey as well. We hope that happens soon.

We celebrated New Year’s Eve with yet another group of good (old) friends. We were invited to Julie and Josh’s place, and it was a lovely way to end a very special year for us as a family. We brought some of the food, and they took care of the rest, which made it manageable for everyone. And even though New Year’s Eve in Denmark is filled with traditions like great food, festive clothes, silly hats, party poppers, fireworks, "Dinner for One" (comedy sketch),  the New Year’s speech, and various antics, Mary and Julie had arranged everything so nicely with a well-balanced mix. Julie even bought a bit of “fireworks” (what you’re actually allowed to buy in Minnesota), I think just for our sake. Mary had baked marzipan ring cake (kransekage), which we ate at midnight when we jumped off the couch before heading outside to set off Julie’s fireworks—as the only ones in the entire area!! We also watched the King’s New Year’s speech, though earlier in the day because of the time difference. This time, the phrase “those who must celebrate the New Year outside the country’s borders” carried special meaning.

At the start of the new year, it was time to “try” the boys’ Christmas present. They had received a day trip to the ski resort “Powder Ridge,” which is just 55 minutes from where we live. For many years we’ve wanted the boys to try skiing, and this year it was finally going to happen—especially since it’s so easy distance-wise here. We left so we arrived shortly after they opened at 9:30 a.m. and didn’t head home again until 6:00 p.m., so based on that alone, it’s safe to say it was a success. The boys all picked it up quickly, and after an hour and a half on the kids’ slope (“The Bunny Hill”), they were all ready to try some longer and slightly more challenging runs. It was great fun to experience it as a family, and luckily the Christmas present actually includes two day trips, so we’ll be going again—soon!! Let’s not talk about the sore legs we woke up with the next day… and the day after 😜.

Now the Christmas break is over—actually, we’ve already been back in everyday life for a week. It was tough for most of us to get started again on Monday morning after 16 days off, but now it feels like the “mill” is running again.

Nu’ det jul igen

Dansk (english below):

Sikke en skøn jul vi har haft! Vi startede faktisk julefejringen midt i adventstiden, da Grandpa og Liz skulle på ferie hen over julen. Så d. 6. december var vi samlet hos dem sammen med onkel Johnny til hygge, aftensmad og masser af gaver. Skønt at kunne fejre det med vores amerikanske side af familien igen. Julen er fyldt med traditioner og måske det bliver tydeligere når man er væk fra det vante og kendte. Ingen klippedage, nissevenner, julemarkeder, julefrokoster, julekoncerter, snaps, gløgg, juletræsdans, Disneys juleshow eller ”Det’ jul, det’ cool” bare for at nævne nogle. Blandet andet derfor blev optakten til julen, på mange måder, også anderledes end vi plejer og i hvert fald markant mindre stressende, da der var færre ting der skulle ”klares” og arrangeres.

Der er flere highlights som foruden de tidligere nævnte julekalendere mv, blandet andet konfekt og småkagebagning, skøjtning og peberkagehuse. Men jeg vil gerne fremhæve to særlige oplevelser som vi ser tilbage på med stor glæde.

Den første var min fødselsdagsgave - en koncert med et af familiens ynglingsband ”For King And Country”. Allerede tilbage i juli hørte vi, at de skulle spille to julekoncerter i Minneapolis d. 10. og 11. december, men efter lidt (meget) betænkningstid besluttede vi os for ikke at købe billetter - troede jeg. Mary havde andre planer og på selve dagen, tog hele familien til koncert (selvom Benjamin egentlig skulle spille koncert med skolebandet - han spiller percussion). Det blev en fantastisk oplevelse som vi kunne dele som familie og så var julestemningen i hvert fald banket op ad.

En anden større oplevelse var også midt i december hvor flere børn og unge fra kirken opførte stykket ”We Knead a Little Christmas”. Alle kunne børn kunne være med og der blev øvet til ”børne-/juniorkirke” om søndagen og om onsdagen i forbindelse med fællesspisningen. På mange måder mindede det om de stykker som Mary og Gospelteens har lavet med skuespil, kulisser og sang til back track. Så det blev faktisk ret ”nostalgisk” for Mary at sidde på bænken og se på for en gangs skyld. Vores børn ønskede ikke at være med, så vi kunne alle nyde stykket og budskabet - hele to gange, både til generalprøven og til gudstjenesten hvor den blev fremført. Stykket var både sjov, rørende og med et dejligt julebudskab. Jeg ved ikke om Mary allerede er gået i gang med at oversætte stykket til dansk, men i hvert fald havde hun svært ved at sidde stille på bænken og bare nyde og lytte😊.

"We Knead a Little Christmas" MPCC 2025

Selve juleaften to vi til gudstjeneste i kirken ”Westgate Church” som ligger tæt ved Marys kusine (Sam) som vi var inviteret hjem til kl. 17.00. Vi fik sunget mange skønne julesange med et moderne udtryk, så selvom vi desværre ikke kunne deltage i gudstjenesten i ”vores” normale kirke (Maple Plain Community Church), så blev juledagene skudt godt i gang. Herefter gik turen videre til kusinen hvor, traditionen tro, alle fra Marys mors side af samles. Vi var (igen) ca. 30 i alt til en hyggelig aften med overdådigt sammenskudsgilde til aftensmad og dessert. Aften bød også på pakkeleg, som altid er en oplevelse i sig selv. Selvom vi havde set flere af familiemedlemmerne i løbet af de sidste måneder, var der også nogen vi endnu ikke havde være sammen med, så det var dejligt at været og få snakket sammen igen.

Christmas service at "Westgate Church"

about a 1/4 of the Christmas Eve feast

Pakkeleg /Dice game

Glædelig jul / Mary Christmas 2025 

d. 25. startede stille og roligt og drengene fik åbnet deres ”stockings”. Vi havde inviteret Johnny til brunch og herefter åbnede vi gaver. Resten af eftermiddagen slappede vi af, legede med nyt legetøj og så Vikings spille. Endnu en skøn dag som blev afsluttet med kalkun og risalamande til aftensmad.

Silas got the almond in the Risalamande

Så selvom tingene ikke var helt ”som de plejer” denne december, så må vi sige at vi har haft en dejlig juletid med meget mindre stress og mere tid til at være sammen med hinanden.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas at Grandpa and Liz' house

Konfekt

Pebernødder og brundkage bagning

Gingerbread house #1

Gingerbread house #2

One of many Christmas movies 

Grandpa and Liz' stopped by to say farewell

Obligatorisk Risengrød d. 23. december (nu også med Mac'n'Cheese)

English (translated by AI):

What a wonderful Christmas we’ve had! We actually started celebrating Christmas in the middle of Advent, since Grandpa and Liz were going on vacation over Christmas. So on December 6, we gathered at their place together with Uncle Johnny for some cozy time, dinner, and lots of presents. It was lovely to be able to celebrate with our American side of the family again. Christmas is full of traditions, and perhaps that becomes even clearer when you are away from what is familiar and well known. No paper-cutting days, “nissevenner” (secret Santa friends), Christmas markets, Christmas lunches, Christmas concerts, snaps, mulled wine, dancing around the Christmas tree, Disney’s Christmas show, or “Det’ jul, det’ cool”, just to name a few. Partly for that reason, the lead-up to Christmas was in many ways different from what we’re used to and, at least, noticeably less stressful, since there were fewer things that needed to be “taken care of” and organized.

There were several highlights which, in addition to the previously mentioned Advent calendars, etc., included making candy and baking cookies, ice skating, and gingerbread houses. But I would like to highlight two special experiences that we look back on with great joy.

The first was my birthday present—a concert with one of the family’s favorite bands, For King & Country. Back in July, we heard that they would be playing two Christmas concerts in Minneapolis on December 10 and 11, but after some (a lot of) consideration, we decided not to buy tickets—or so I thought. Mary had other plans, and on the day itself the whole family went to the concert (even though Benjamin was actually supposed to play a concert with the school band—he plays percussion). It turned out to be a fantastic experience that we could share as a family, and it certainly kicked the Christmas spirit into high gear.

Another major experience also took place in mid-December, when several children and young people from the church performed the play “We Knead a Little Christmas.” All the children could take part, and rehearsals took place during children’s/junior church on Sundays and on Wednesdays in connection with the communal dinner. In many ways it resembled the productions that Mary and the Gospelteens have done, with acting, sets, and singing to backing tracks. So for Mary, it was actually quite “nostalgic” to sit in the pew and watch for once. Our children didn’t want to participate, so we were all able to enjoy the play and its message—twice, both at the dress rehearsal and at the church service where it was performed. The play was funny, touching, and carried a lovely Christmas message. I don’t know if Mary has already started translating the play into Danish, but in any case she had a hard time sitting still in the pew and just enjoying and listening 😊.

On Christmas Eve, we went to a service at Westgate Church, which is located close to Mary’s cousin (Sam), where we were invited for 5:00 p.m. We sang many wonderful Christmas songs with a modern feel, so even though we unfortunately couldn’t attend the service at “our” usual church (Maple Plain Community Church), the Christmas days got off to a great start. After that, we continued on to her cousin’s home where, as tradition dictates, everyone from Mary’s mother’s side of the family gathers. We were (again) about 30 people in total for a cozy evening with an abundant potluck dinner and desserts. The evening also included a gift exchange game, which is always an experience in itself. Although we had seen several family members over the past few months, there were also some we hadn’t been together with yet, so it was wonderful to see each other and catch up again.

December 25 started off quietly, and the boys opened their stockings. We had invited Johnny over for brunch, and after that we opened presents. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing, playing with new toys, and watching the Vikings play. Yet another lovely day, which was rounded off with turkey and risalamande for dinner.

So even though things weren’t quite “as usual” this December, we can say that we’ve had a wonderful Christmas season with much less stress and more time to be together.

Merry Christmas! 🎄