back in the USA!!!

 Coming home from Europe is tiring.  We got up at 4:45, made it on to the bus before six a.m., headed two hours north to Oslo to the airport.  Our flight left at ten something, then we landed at one something.  An eight and a half hour flight, but the time change, so the day went on and on...the shuttle from the airport to where we parked, then on the road a bit after three.  Home by nine at night.  What a day.

The airport:  on the way there, oh the line to get through security!  I can't believe I walked!  :). The way home, security was quick, but of course I beeped.  I told them I had a new knee, and yes it set off the alarm, so I had to go through the other machine.  We went in the duty free shop and got chocolate, then through passport control...the line was long, and it was very warm in the airport.  ugh.  I walked though!

Our vacation was wonderful.  God is good.  The bottom bunk wasn't wonderful, but I managed to sleep okay, in fits and starts.  I think the key was to have such amazing fun filled days, I would get so tired.  One thing that was special:  Paul and I stayed in the same place as Kathryn and Darius and the kids, and I would be so happy to see them every morning.  One fine morning, I was fast asleep (it's the only thing I do fast, ha), when I heard Jamie say, "I slept like a good boy!"  oh, the cuteness!  

The fjord...yes, beach days in Norway!  The sun doesn't set there until almost eleven at night!

Kaia is a beach baby...a Norwegian beach baby (her daddy is Norwegian).  She got to see her other grandma, and I did too!  

Me...the beach was a long haul from where we were staying, but I did it, I walked there!  (Thank you to everyone who was so patient with me!)

Tennyson, Wulf in the background

Blythe

My friend Janette with Kaia

Rhys and Charlotte Claire on the bus

Getting the luggage...Kathryn, Ben getting his, some grandsons...Ashley and Anya, Darius

Emily and Blythe on the plane

Anya, Achilles, Elise

Declan, Elise, Rhys

Rhys with Char and Camille

Paul and I

Emily and Blythe on the fjord, we rented a boat

Jamie and his grandpa Paul

Jamie and Blythe with Aunt Emily

Paul and I

Darius, Adrian the boat pilot, Em....we took turns going out on the boat.

Ashley and I on the beach

Emily and I

The view from outside the meeting hall

Declan and Anya

That's Paul down there digging with the grandkids

Sonja and Kaia with Rhys, Jamie, Achilles, and Ellis in our suite.

Jonny and baby Emilia visited too

Bill (my dear sister Cheryl's husband) and Paul 

Achilles, Tennyson, Rhys

Emily, Rhys, Char

Blythe, Jamie, Wulf with Darius, and Margaret

I got to go to the candy store with two of my sister's girls, Janet and Susan...these two girls are Janet's...love them so much.  

Margaret, Wulf, Blythe, Tenny, Adrian....they are going to have a new one in the new year!!!!!  

From the fjord...I stole this pic from Marge

Tenny, me, Blythe

Waiting for the shuttle...

Wulf, Emily, Ten...stole this pic too...

And this, Ellis, Jamie, Wulf

The fjord at night, stole this pic from Camille...

And one from Emily...

That was rather disjointed, but then I am feeling rather disjointed!  I enjoyed my sleep so much last night in my big comfy bed!  If you ever want to totally fall in love with your bed, spend ten days or so in a bunk with a thin-ish mattress!  One thing that was a lifesaver though was a travel fan, I put it right next to my head, and it gave the illusion of cool-ness.  You would THINK it would be cool in Norway, but it was quite warm most of the days, and they do not have air conditioning in the suites/apartments.  

Home....ahh, home.  I was so happy to walk in the door here.  Miss Kitty Kettler has barely left my side.  She even follows me into the bathroom, my little shadow.  She was taken care of when we were gone, a few different people came over and fed her and made sure she had water, but oh dear, she missed me.  Shh, I missed her too, a lot, in fact.  If that makes me crazy, then oh well, I am crazy.

(this was taken before we left)

This fine day, I washed three loads of laundry, vacuumed, puttered around, went for a swim with Sonja, Oscar, and baby Kaia...then Paul grilled burgers and made us arugula salads with cucumbers.  Not to knock Norway, but meat is pricey there, and ahh, burgers!  

It's quiet here, as Miss Char and Miss Cam are still in Norway until next week.  I'll be going with Mariel to Newark, New Jersey, to pick them up at the airport.  

Oh, there are funny stories and I had such an encouraging time, I met up with Joy from Salem (and didn't get a picture, but it DID happen!), but alas, I am so tired...so goodnight, and it's good to be back!!!