2016

2016 we welcome you with open arms. 2015 was good. No no no, let's actually put a GREAT-stamp on 2015 and smile to ourselves a little bit. Not enough to make us look creepy but just enough to make us feel warm and gooey inside.

The year was very upside down and sideways-crazy, but in every way wonderful.

Let us look back shall we?

Before we start I just want to warn you, my memory is horrible. And when you have a kid everything kind of turns into a big mush. I mean one moment your baby is just learning how to smile and the next she's throwing you a tea party with all her stuffed animals. It's hard to remember anything when new things happen every day. You think you know what life looks like but then a new phase comes and punches you in the face. OH WELL. 2015 here we go.

Shabaam shabaam! 2014 ended at church with the coolest kids on the block and a spectacular new years feast! We partied, ran back and forth to make sure baby was asleep and ofc watched the fireworks as the clock struck 2015.

We moved Chloe into her own room. Watched as it filled up with toys. Watched her learn to crawl. Watched as she learned how to walk.

We had a blessing for her in church and afterward opened up the house for anyone who wanted to come and saw how many people we could fit and had fika together.

In March me and Simone spent days untangling little sisters dreads.

I turned 25 and two days after Chloe turned one. Had a big open house party (again for whoever wanted to come)

Decided afterwards not to have open house parties again. Knew in my heart it wasn't the truth.

Went to Norway. Planned to stay for three weeks. Went home after one.

Recreated old photos with my siblings and made the tiniest photoalbum for my parents 30th wedding anniversary.

Went on a cruise to Estonia with all siblings. Played board games in the hallway outside our room, eat buffet food (drank all their smoothies and tried to hide the evidence), saw a huge Estonian seagull and more. (Stole picture from Ellie. Thanks ;))

Luke started a garden project.

Celebrated three years of marriage.

Became a mother of two.

Spent Christmas with family. Ended the year at home with just my little big family. Loved it.
Bring it on 2016. I know we have plenty of amazing things to look forward too this year as well!

Thanksgiving 2015

Yesterday, we got together with the other two Swedish-American couples from our church and had this years thanksgiving feast. Yes I realize that means I've only made ONE blogpost since last year... Haha blogging is not one of my strengths.

Anyways, this year I feel thankful in many different ways. We've had a wonderful but also very rough year. Thankfully these past few weeks God has reminded me of His faithfulness which calms my sometimes very torn heart. We are getting more and more convinced that we're not supposed to stay in Sweden. I often feel scared about leaving my home for real but Gods promises for us and the hope we have in Him makes me remember what I believe His calling is for our lives. And with that, doing anything else seems crazy.
I know our future is in His hands and boy am I thankful for that! No matter what happens I KNOW He only wants the best for us.

I am thankful for our now 1,5 year old little sillyputt. Chloe is growing so fast and has turned into a very stubborn, caring, mischievous, happy, adventurous, silly, beautiful, messy and completely wonderful little girl. She amazes me every day in different ways.

Not only is she running around, she has realized how fun it is to hide from people. As soon as she hears someone walk up the stairs or knock on the door she rushes to find a good hiding spot and whispers "hide, hide!!" to herself.
She loves her stuffed animals and puts them down for a nap at least once a day. They get put in a line and as she covers them with a blanket she says "na na" (night night).

We are trying to prepare her for our second baby that's due in about 2,5 weeks. Everytime i tell her there's a baby in my belly she lifts up my shirt and tries to see for herself. She loves her book about becoming a big sister and loves caring for her baby doll.

She is happy and healthy and loves building pine cone piles and dancing in the kitchen. I am thankful for every little inch of her.

I am thankful for our next baby. I am thankful for the pregnancy almost being over. I am thankful for my amazing husband. I am thankful for Christmas coming soon. I am thankful for family. I am thankful for prayers. I am thankful for candles helping dark days don't seem so bad. I am thankful for Chloe attacking me right now wanting me to get off the computer.

I am filled with joy and thankfulness. My heart is full. Thank you Jesus.

Three years ago

 

 

  

I am so grateful for these past three years and can't wait to find out what's ahead of us.
I love you Luke and I'm so glad I get to share this adventure with you. 

Thanksgiving

We have been back in Sweden for a couple weeks now and even though the feeling is a little bit bittersweet, I have so many things to be thankful for.
Coming in to Sweden is never too much fun. It's normally cold and dark (I always fly back home in November for some reason which is also known as Sweden's worst month.) and it's absolutely nothing like coming in to Hawaii where you get to walk out straight from the airplane and be welcomed by a wonderful warmth hitting your face. This time was different though. Both Luke and I felt very happy to be home. I really feel like our time in Hawaii couldn't have been better but it did feel good to be home.
Not because our 26 hours of traveling were finally over or the fact that we would get to sleep in our own bed for the first time in almost three months but because we both feel like we're supposed to be here and we're happy with it.
We're obviously not stoked about it getting dark at three in the afternoon and that the temperature is hitting freezing point, but it doesn't bother us that much still.

About a year ago we prayed about our future asking God to lead us. We want to do missions someday and have had the Philippines in our thoughts for a while, so we didn't know if we're supposed to stay here, go into some mission school to prepare or move somewhere else. God answered by us getting pregnant which we took as a sign to stay here but even still we've felt like we couldn't put down roots here really. But now we feel excited to invest in people here and see this as our missions field which is a great feeling.
Thinking this is only temporary and dreaming about a future somewhere will truly make you miss out on life here and now and not take advantage of what's around you.


Yesterday we celebrated thanksgiving with two other Swedish-American couples from our church. It's a few more days to the actual thanksgiving but since this was the only day we could do it, we went ahead and celebrated a few days early.
I love going around the table and hearing what everyone is thankful for. It gives you perspective and reminds you of things to be thankful for. At first it can seem hard to find things to be thankful for, but once you get going you see all the little things that makes your life a little bit more magical.

No matter what and no matter where I want to follow the bible verse below. Always always always thankful, not just on a too-early-thanksgiving day.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Right now I am so thankful for those two couples. It makes it easier and more fun for all of us having people around us that knows what it's like to move across the big blue to be with your spouse.

The reason we're here

I've been wanting to write about Brenda's memorial service for a week now but just haven't been able to start. I guess I'll start from the beginning and we'll see where we end up.
 
We found out Brenda had cancer early this spring. From being a healthy and active woman her body started working against her and completely locked her in. She could no longer run around to garage sales, go grocery shopping or even get to the bathroom without being in pain. We skyped her when we had the chance and tried to keep in contact.

After Chloe was born we were able to Skype a couple times before she disappeared for a while. She didn't reply on Facebook and was never online on Skype. Getting worried we contacted Luke's brothers and found out she had been staying down at their beach house because of frequent hospital visits.
I think we got to Skype her once after she got back and then we just got to hear updates from a pastor that spent a lot of time by Brenda's side and Luke's brother who was able to call on the phone. They told us she most likely had one more month to live but soon it changed to a week and then a day. We booked the tickets to fly out but unfortunately she passed four days before we came in.

Our plan from the start was to come over here for about three months to either be able to help around the house and spend time with Brenda or help out preparing for the funeral. When we got the news that she didn't make it we knew the trip would be focused on the funeral, so this whole trip that is what we have been waiting for and now this past Saturday it was finally time.
It was hard having to wait for it for so long because to me it felt like we didn't just wait to say good bye, but we were also waiting for the moment we could grab a hold of the fact that she's gone. It's still hard to understand that she's not here anymore but at least the funeral gave a little closure.

The memorial service was beautiful. It was a very loving atmosphere which was all we really wanted. Around 100 people came to celebrate the life Brenda had and to remember what an amazing woman she was.
She was so much more than a mother-in-law to me and I am so grateful for the little time I got to spend with her. I feel really selfish the moments I wish she could come back because I know she is in  a much, much better place. But believe me, she was extraordinary. She loved Jesus with all her heart and you could see it in everything she did. She was so full of life and it rubbed of on everyone around her.
We will forever remember her as the wonderful woman she was and we will tell our kids stories about their nana.
Sure it feels like we're all suffering a great loss, but lucky for us, it won't be long till we'll see each other again.

Elias, Nathan, Allen, Zachary and Luke. Brenda's four sons and husband.

Brenda

Location of the Memorial Service

Our new friend Bethel wrote a blog post about the memorial that I think you should all read if you have the time. Click on the link and it'll take you there. Link to Bethel's blog.

Hurricane varningar

Det är alltid spännande att vara här på Hawaii för man utsätts alltid för något. 

Tidigare visiter har det varit jordskalv och tsunamivarningar, men i år bjöds det varningar om Hurricane Ana. 

Det gick från att vara hurricane till att bli kallad en "tropical storm" som var på väg precis där vi befinner oss till att gå tillbaka till hurricane-storlek fast åka bort från ön. 

Allt vi fick tillslut var regn i ett dygn och lite vind. Annars hände det inte så mycket. Det kom lite vågor så Luke passade på att ta ett dopp. 

Det har varit en mysig dag. Här uppskattar man regniga dagar när man har svenskt "måste-vara-utomhus-då-det-är-soligt"-samvete och när man som jag, saknar hösten litegrann. 

Nu har vi i stort sätt bara 2,5 vecka kvar så snart kommer jag få ångra att jag längtar hem till hösten. 

Nattinlägg

Här sitter jag i mörkret och räknar ner timmarna. Bara sju timmar kvar tills jag ska upp igen för en ny dag för sover Chloe längre än klockan åtta blir dagsrytmen lite knäpp.
Luke är ute och nattdyker efter hummer och sa bestämt åt mig att jag inte fick lägga mig innan han kom hem. Dock trodde han att han skulle vara tillbaka runt halv tolv så jag tänker att om jag går och lägger mig klockan ett och han inte är tillbaka, får han inte bli sur. :)
Jag har nattbakat för att hålla mig vaken och skypat med moder och fader och nu senast kollade jag runt på gamla blogginlägg. För nästan exakt två år sen hade mina fina vänner möhippa för mig och att tänka tillbaka och minnas den dagen är fantastiskt roligt. Jag har verkligen väldigt tjusiga tjejkompisar med otroligt livlig fantasi.

Nu tycker jag mig se ficklampor komma in från havet-hållet. Hoppas verkligen det är dom som kommer tillbaka och inte någon hemlös som letar plats att sova på.