Goodbye 2008

Bring it 2009 :)
We're ready for more adventure!

Read more!

Merry Christmas everyone !

Here comes the third annual 'Ferrin Christmas fun' card. We put the girls in front of the camera and asked them what they thought about Christmas and this is a little of what came out ;)

You can catch the previous years here and here.
It's amazing how much the girls have grown the past years.

Read more!

Read more!

Lussa på Djurparken

As many of you know, we live RIGHT next to the Borås Zoo. It is a BIG zoo, and a fun one to visit. Our city and the zoo has a project going where they want to integrate kids with animals and nature. We just happened to get lucky and belong to the day care that got picked to be a part of this program. So two days out of the week the day care kids walk to the zoo and get to learn about the animals. One day out of the week the zoo keeper comes to day care and they have some kind of nature/animl activity/lesson. They get to do all kinds of fun stuff from helping make penguin food to riding the ponies and getting the first glimps of the new baby elaphant. They also go out in the forest to learn about exciting stuff. I think Elsa and possibly Kajsa now know more about animals than I do =)

Anyway, as a result of the fact that they have a lot of connection with the zoo the older kids at day care got to go and "Lussa" at the zoo. I happened to have the day off but Elsa got to go anyway. Lucia is a celebration in Sweden (Inspired from a saint in Italy) and is celebrated on Dec 13th. (Or on the days surrounding it) Lucia,a girl, wears a white simple night gown and wakes her family early in the morning with candles in her hair and breakfast in bed. She sings "Sankta Lucia" As she wakes everyone up. It's a SUPER DUPER cozy and fun tradition. I'm posting a little clip of Elsa right after they went and sang at the zoo. Kajsa and I went out to meet them and were greeted by a very happy Elsa.

P.S. December 13th marks my 6th year in Sweden.
I arrived in Sweden with Elsa in my tummy on 13 Dec 2002

Read more!

Catching up

It's been a busy two weeks here with work and lots of play. I haven't really had a whole lot of time to update. My throat is starting to hurt and I seem to be getting sick again, so I took the day off to rest (I have quite a bit of flex time saved up at work which comes in handly for times like these) This weekend I have fri-sun off and I've planned a fun little girls night out with a bunch of friends and I REALLY don't want to get sick...er. So, cross your fingers that this day of rest will do me good. Thanks to the fact that I'm sick at home, you all get a little update =)
P.S. I just want to inform that our immigration process is moving along nicely!

So here's a little slide show to give you

a glimps of what we've been up to.

Read more!

KYCKLINGPAJ= CHICKEN PIE

Okay Stacie, here's the recepie I promised you.
I got this recepie two weeks ago from an elderly lady at work. I tried it and it turned out really yummy and it was SUPER easy to make. I thought I'd share with the rest of you who want to try something new.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T HAVE DECILITER MEASURING TOOLS HERE'S A LITTLE HELP:
1 dl = just shy of 1/2 cup
225 C=437 F

Preheat oven
Pie Crust:
3 dl flour
125 grams butter or margerine (one stick)
2-3 tsp cold water
(I put a tad bit of salt in there as well)
*use your hands to mix (room temperature) butter and flour together, add water.

Filling:
-1 grilled chicken (small)
(I'm cheap and used 3 frozen chicken breasts and fried them and then cut them into small cubes...it worked great)
-leek or green onions
-4 dl creme friache (you can use sour cream instead if you can't get creme friache)
-curry (use as much as you want...you probably won't need much)
-salt
-1-2 tbs chicken stock (if you don't have the liquid stuff, just use normal bullion)
-grated cheese.

*Pre bake the crust for 10-15 minutes (don't forget to poke the dough with a fork before you bake it)
*Cut chicken into cubes and lay in the pre baked pie
*Chop onion into small pieces and fry
*Add creme friache (to the onion in the frying pan)
*Flavour with curry, chicken bullion, and salt, let is cook for a minute or so
*Pour over the chicken and cover with as much cheese as desired
*Bake in oven at 225'C Untill the paj has a nice color (about 30 minutes)


Enjoy! Read more!

OH My!

This tagging thing is starting to spiral out of control. Alas, I can't turn you down Chelsey...I just love ya to darn much ;) K, I'm gonna try and get through this one fast.

TAG! YOU"RE IT! If I say your name, you have to do it too!


Who was the last male you talked to? Thaddeus, on the phone!

Who is someone that can always make you laugh? Johan Glans, Morgan Pålsson, David Batra..these are all Swedish comedians. I'm not sure if I have an "instant make me laugh person" on hand.

What were you doing at 10am this morning? Ironing clothes

What were you doing an hour ago? Dishes...random nothings

Do you plan on moving within the next year? Yes! Yes! Yes!

Are you wearing anything on your feet? Nope

What are you looking forward to in the next 3 months? Taking maternal leave and chillin' with my girls.

Do you remember your dreams? Most of the time.

Where did your last hug take place? This morning. Kajsa was not feeling well, and I held her....Mmmm cozy.

Have you been to a baby shower? Yes

What cell phone company do you use? cash card-comviq kontant.

What color is your hair brush? Black and grey, it's a big one!

Do you watch the Super Bowl? When is that anyway?

What about World Cup? Nope.

Do you sleep with a teddy bear? No

What is the last movie you watched? Full movie, like all the way through? I can't remember, sorry.

What movie do you think everyone should watch? Borat, it was just hilarious.

What is your middle name? Rebecka Viola

Do you have your future children's names picked out? Kind of.....If it's a girl I like Majken (but Thad doesn't like that, so then I like Cecilia. If it's a boy, I don't know....boy names are much harder to pick.

What color is your mailbox? We dont' have one. We have a slot in the door, it's metal (silver color)

Do you have to drive over a bridge to get home? Well, that depends on how far away you're coming from. But there is no bridge really close to where we live, no.

How many cars can fit in your driveway? That's kind of a trick question for us. But I guess you'd say 2...maybe three..

Who was your Kindergarden teacher? I didn't go to kindergarden.

Are you taller than your mom? YES

Do you have any bruises right now? I'm not sure...I'm not going to check.

Are you cold right now? No

Do any of your close friends have kids? Yes, lots of them.

Do you know anyone who is pregnant right now? Yes, a few (Kirsten...Avery, and then some)

How many years older and younger than you are you willing to date? I'm already taken ;) But I don't think age is THAT important.

What brand are your favorite jeans you own? Gina Tricot

What is the closest red object to you? There's a red heart on a bag with dirty laundry on the floor next to the laundry bag, hope that counts...cause I can't see a singel red object anywhere close to me.

What is your favorite video game? I'm not into video games....I guess mario brothers...you know the ones they played in the early 90's...... :)

Do you play games on your cell phone? No

Do you look more like your mom or dad? I dunno. This one has puzzled me before. I'm not sure that I belong to my parents, j/k. I guess I'm a good mix. Thad says I look more like my mom though.
(I have to agree with Sara when it comes to you Chels, you look a ton like your mamma:)

Have you ever broken an pinata? Don't think so

Do you have an iPod or Mp3 player? Neither :(

Who was the last person in your bedroom? Me...as I type.

What are your plans for this weekend? I'll be working. Blahhhh. But I did take Sunday evening off, so we can have some fun. I'm hoping we'll make it down town and go ice skating.

Have you ever crawled through a window? Yeah, too many times.

Do you lose your keys often? No, but if I happen to put them out in the open somewhere the girls will kife them!

How many keys are on your keychain? 5

When was your last encounter with the police? Haha, they rang on our door and asked if we'd seen the neighbour pizza place transporting sheep. Funny huh? It's a long story and pretty funny.

Do you sing in the shower? Most definitely

Do you always wear your seatbelt in the car? Always.. Always, always, always, why would you not? It takes a second to put them on. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain.

When do you start Christmas shopping? Usually last minute. This year though, all of the girls presents are bought and wrapped.

Are you finished shopping? Not quite.

How many people are you buying for? Eh, stupid question.

What are you leaving out for Santa? Either Chocolate chip cookies n' milk, or risgrynsgröt. But I'm not sure if we're leaving anything. It depends on if the girls want to or not.

Name 3 things you want for Christmas: My paperwork to get done fast. My paperwork to get done faster. I wanted to not have to work the holidays....but that's not going to happen.

Are you traveling this year? Sadly, no

If so, Where to? We'll be home. Just the four of us.

What kind of stockings are hung at your house? We haven't hung them yet. Honestly I'm not into the whole stocking thing.....we never had them growing up, and I just hasn't grown on me yet. But we do have two for E and K. Thad's grandma made them. And I have bough a bunch of junk to put in them ;)

Do you have a fireplace/chimney? No

Favorite things to get in your stocking? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?

Any family traditions? Christmas dinner, Swedish style. In Sweden Santa comes on Christmas eve and delivers the presents, gives them out....... and you get to hug him. The past 5 years we've done a good share of mixing traditions....I'm not sure if we've really found our own way of celebrating yet.

What foods does your family have every year at Christmas? Ham, köttbullar (meat balls)

Who is the most fun to buy for? The girls

Who is the easiest to buy for? The girls

Who is the hardest to buy for? Thaddeus, he never asks for anything.

Who gives the best gifts? Thad?

Any movies/specials you have to watch every year? Swedish TV always broad casts a bunch of small disney clips. Same one every year. It's a MUST see for all kids here. Usually the grown ups gotta watch it too.

Who passes out the presents? Santa

Main stores you have shopped at this year: Albrekts guld (shhhh, don't tell. Elsa is getting sparkly stuff)

What kind of tree do you have? Haven't gotten it yet. Oh my, we had planned on getting one today!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good thing, I filled this out. I almost fogot.

What are your 3 favorite ornaments on your tree? I dunno.

What adorns the top of your tree? A star

Do you collect anything Christmasy? Nja, kind of

Whose kids are you buying for this year? My own and Ida's.

Can you name all 9 reindeer? Haha, k...Rudolf, donner and blixen, dancer, prancer, fancy pantser...I don't know anymore.

Ever watch Ernest Saves Christmas? No.

What's your favorite Christmas drink? JULMUST.

Do you like Eggnog? Not really. But Thad made this one egg nog for Thanksgiving and it's the first time that I didn't think it tasted nasty. Maybe he'll make it again....

What flavor candy canes do you like? I don't really like them.

When do you take your tree down? Usually right after new years.

Is Christmas still magical for you? Well, it's great for the kids. And I LOVE getting the girls presents and helping them buy presents for eachother. But Magic, no.

What is your favorite thing about Christmas? The tree, and getting together with everyone. Christmas songs. Buying presents that make people happy.

Do you donate at Christmas time? Sometimes, but not anything big

Do you make sure to remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas? True meaning? As in?

How many nativity scenes do you have in your house? NONE!

Have you been naughty or nice?
Hmmm, I have my nice streaks but mostly naughty

And I TAG: Stacie, Kirsten and Anja. Read more!

16 things you never knew you didn't want to know.

TAGGED
By Michaela

Yes, it’s the same game as below. This time, however, I (Thaddeus) will be sharing completely unnecessary information about myself. So I’ll just get it over with.

1.) I don’t like to talk (write) about myself. I figure that if someone wants to know things about me, then they would ask. Even then, the subject of me is quite an uncomfortable topic. It just feels to egotistical, which, I guess I am not.

2.) Music is my passion. I love it. Couldn’t live without it. It’s hard to really nail it down and say what my favorite type of music is. I just like good music. From drum corps, to the symphony, to simple guitar, to groovy. It makes me happy.

3.) I love to drum. I’m pretty good at it too, or so they say.

4.) I have an awesome family. I know that sounds like a cop-out answer, but it’s true (also cliché). I have extremely adorable and talented kids, and a super-sweet beautiful sexy Swedish babe of a wife, who also happens to be a very kind and caring person. I love you Michaela!

5.) My Swedish is now nearly as good as my English. Which isn’t as amazing as it sounds because I swear my English is getting worse by the day. It’s one thing to sit and write or talk with Michaela, but as soon as I start speaking English with someone else I start to stumble all over my own words. It’s embarrassing…

6.) I am a pacifist. I can’t even imagine becoming violent with someone. I really struggle to understand what would drive anyone to violent actions.

7.) Reading used to be one of my favorite pastimes. Nowadays though, books are few and far between. I used to read all the time but at some point I stopped because I think it started to interfere with my life. I remember several occasions in college where someone would hand me a book and suggest I read it, and I would end up reading all night long and finish the book the next morning. Obviously this wasn’t good for my attendance record, because I would end up sleeping the rest of the day away. It’s an addicting habit.

8.) I hate hassle. If given a choice between several alternatives I will most likely choose the most convenient one. But not necessarily the most convenient for me. Because…

9.) I also hate to be a hassle. I don’t like to impose upon or complicate things for others. Sometimes I can go so far out of my way in order to not be a hassle for someone, that it’s ridiculous.

10.) Stressing out is not something I do. At least not often. I’m usually as cool as a cucumber.

11.) I consider myself a rather optimistic person.

12.) The world fascinates me. In fact the entire Universe fascinates me. It’s just so vast and puzzling. I wish I knew everything. The whole universe is so interesting , I wish there was some way that I could just take it all in and understand…

13.) But I wont. I do like to learn things though. I love to read through scientific articles and see how much we (humans) are learning everyday. I think science is really cool, and although don’t have a very scientific mind, it is one of my interests.

14.) I’m not the real social type. It’s not that I’m anti-social in anyway. I do like people, and I think it’s fun to hang out. But I don’t have a need for being around people all the time.

15.) I am an atheist. A little clarification for those who are curious, because I know you wont ask. I don’t believe in magic, fairy tales, superstitions, the paranormal, UFOs, psychics, reincarnation, gods, pseudo-science or an afterlife. And I hate to say it… But Santa Clause isn’t real. Sorry. I guess you could say I’m somewhat of a skeptic.

16.) It may seem bizarre to some, but I’m a socialist. A social democrat really. Don’t worry, I’m not a communist. Here in Sweden I’m considered more of a moderate.

Well, there you go. 16 unnecessary facts about me. I now have no one left to tag so jag bjuder på den här :) Read more!

Christmas Concert

Here are a couple of pics from the
Borås Homeguard Band's
traditional Christmas Concert from this thursday.
The pic in the bottom right hand corner is me;
lighting was not optimal for picture taking,
not with a cheap camera anyway :)

Here's a tiny clip of "Bereden väg för Herran"
a Swedish Christmas Psalm

Read more!

TAGGED by Avery
(the prego one :)

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 16 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

1. Fact: I have lived in the US for a total of 12.5 years and in Sweden for 14 years. Just about 50/50 in both countries. So do I feel like an American or a Swede? Well, I feel like I'm about a 50/50. This is a huge dilemma for me. When I am in Sweden I miss the States and when I'm in the States I miss Sweden. I don't think this will ever go away for me.

2. I am not the kind of person that likes to beat around the bush. If I have an important issue to talk about I like to get it out in the open, say it, talk about it, get it over with. This way I feel like all the weird tension won't have to ruin the conversation.

3. I love clothes. When I was growing up we could NEVER afford to buy new clothes for us kids. We went to D.I. before every school year and got a "bishops order" and got new school clothes. Woo hoo. I thought it was super duper embarassing, and I usually could never find anything good. I remember buying my very fist pair or "real" new jeans when I was a senior in High school. A pair or silver jeans and Jodie went with me to find them. I had to buy them with my own money! As a result I think I've gotten a little TOO into new clothes now that I'm not dirt poor. I can just itch to get new clothes if I haven't bought anything new for like two weeks. I love H&M and Gina Tricot. I could go shopping for hours and hours, as long as I don't have the kids with me......cause that's a whole other story.

4. Candy and Chocolate make me sick. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to eat both and I crave them all the time. I'm addicted to sugar. But, too much chocolate or candy makes me sick. And when I say too much, I mean it doesn't take a whole lot. I can feel literally sick to my stomache after eating one single candy bar. One would think that this would mean I wouldn't eat too much of it then. But no, not me.....I eat lots of it and as a result feel sick quite often. Sometimes I think I'm allergic to sugar. I tell Thad like every day that I swell up when I eat sweets, but then I just keep eating them anyway. I'm pathetic!

5. I love to tan. I realize that a lot of people enjoy this as well. I feel like I've been deprived of the sun for 6 years now. Borås has the reputation of being the rainiest city in Sweden, and I can say that it's reputation is a true one. It SERIOUSLY rains here just about every day, and if it doesn't it's usually gray. It is soooo depressing. I miss the sun so much and whenever it comes out it just feels so wonderful to have it shine on my skin. I've always liked to tan and get brown during the summer, but now that I haven't had a whole lot of sun during the summers as well, it feels like I need to tan, not to get brown, but rather just to feel the light on my skin. I can't wait to be in Idaho this summer ;)

6. Unlike many (Thaddeus) who enjoys being indoors for long periods of time. I can't stand to be inside for more than one day. I start going CRAZY if I'm indoors too long. It almost feels like my lungs run out of oxygen and I'm gonig to suffocate if I stay in any longer.

7. I love mossy forests. You can imagine how much moss there is in the forest here since it rains ALL the time and as a result the forest floors and trees are COVERED with moss in many areas. They call these kids of forest "troll forests" and it's one of those things that's always been a childhood memory of Sweden for me. I always feel nostalgic when I go out in a mossy forest.

8. I generally really like people. I honestly believe that all people are good; That there is no such thing as a "bad" person. People become bad when they've been raised in a bad way and put in terrible situations. I believe that if you are loved and cared for you will become a loving and caring person.

9. I like to make people laugh. Even if it sometimes means I have to make a fool out of myself. I get a natural high when I can make people happy.

10. I am not shy, not in the least bit!

11. I love my girls more than anything on this planet. I'm sure that wasn't a secret or anything. But I really didn't know that you could love someone as much as this. I tell Elsa all the time that she'll never be able to love me as much as I love her and that when she has her own kids then she'll understand.

12. I am a very social person. I LOVE lots of people getting together and celebrating. It can be a birthday party or just a holiday (like a parade)..etc etc. Anything really. I'm a people person. The more the merrier.

13. Fact: I am 165 cm tall

14. I used to be a very religious person and somhow always feelt like there was something missing or I always felt like I was searching for something...trying to figure something out. But now, I'm an Athiest and I've never felt more at peace and happy about my life then now. Ironic isn't it? Since religion is usually associated with helping people find comfort through life. They often say that without religion life has no meaning, but I feel just the oposite. Without religion I feel like life has all the meaning in the world, since this is all I get. This is it, I feel it is a privilege to excist in the first place, a privilege I don't want to throw away.

15. Goal: I have a goal to live in the NOW. To not stress myself out about things I can't control anyway....(like the afterlife, which I believe doesn't exist) But rather enjoy the things in life I often take for granted that are real, like Thaddeus and my girls. My good health. My friends. My family. That I have a job and can help support us. This planet. My goal is to learn to step back and see what's really important in life, what really makes you HAPPY. Truely happy. Life if short, for many it is far too short. So spend it with the people you love, and show them that you love them, don't just tell them. This is something I'm trying to work on. It will be on my new years resolutions list this year...again. I difinitely have room to grow in this area.

16. I LOVE TO WORK OUT! I love a good work out. It can be just about any form of work out. Swimming, dancing, jogging, yoga, kick boxing, hiking. Whatever. Working out is investing in your future... it really is. We only get one body and I don't want to have all of those aches and pains that you can get so easliy by neglecting your body some good old fashioned excersice. Sooo, do something for your heart, (you know that little thing that keeps you alive) and go for a walk. Show your body some LOVE LOVE LOVE.

K, I dont' think I have 16 blog buddies to tag. But here's everyone on my list that hasn't been tagged yet (that I know of anyway) I guess I'm supposed to tag you back Avery...is that right? Then I tag Thaddeus, Stacie, Ellen, Anja, Terra, Clara, Jodie, Kirsten, Katrina, Kellie, Terrah, and Amy....and If I missed anyone that hasn't already been tagged then I tag you to ;) Read more!

Thanks Anja.......You just have too much fun stuff on your blog :) I couldn't resist.

Who was your last text from?

Thaddeus

Is your phone close to you?
Yup, on the desk

Bet you're missing someone now?
Tons of people....I don't even know where to start.

Last place you ate?
At the kitchen table.

Have you ever been cheated on?
I don't think so, not that I am aware of anyway :)

Is anyone interested in you right now?
Well, there's this one guy Thaddeus.....he's sooooo hot! I think he likes me ;)

Do you get along with girls?

Yes, girlfriends are great.

Have you ever been given an engagement ring?

Yes

Where does most of your family live?
Depends, most of my close-related family lives in Idaho, but I have more faimly here in Sweden

Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced?
It has probably crossed my mind...but I don't think it's for me.

Rent a movie or go to movies?
Go to movies

Are you happy with life?
Most of the time, Yes difinitely!

Could you cry right now?
No, what a weird question

Are you a jealous person?
Yes! It's terrible and even embarassing, but it's true.

What were you doing this morning at 7am?
Just punching in at work

What are you listening to?
Nothing, I can hear the kids breathing from the other room (they're asleep)

Is there anything that you are craving right now?
Not really

What do you need to be doing right now?
Getting ready for bed

Where have you lived throughout your life?
Hjo,Sweden; Rexburg, Idaho; West Yellowstone, Montanna; Borås, Sweden

What were you doing at 1 AM this morning?
Sleeping

Whose house were you at last?
House? Apartment? Hmmmm, it's been a while since I've been anywhere. I was at work today, does that count?

Where were you friday night?
Home celebrating Thanksgiving (Mia was at our place :)

Do you wear a seat belt in the car?
Always always

Next vacation you're going on?
Hmmm, well...I'm not sure. We'll probably be really tight on money for the next five years or so. I really really hope that Thad and I will get to celebrate our wedding anniversary for reals this time though. Maybe we'll just drive down to Vegas, or even just to Lava hot springs since we stoped by there when we got married. I'm hopoing that babysitting will be much easier to come by once we're in the states again ;) Hint hint, any volunteers?

Do you like to text or call more?
Call, I don't really like to text very much.

Would you forgive your best friend for hooking up with your love interest?
Mmmm, I think not. I guess if depends on the situation. But in my relationship I couln't emagine that happening ever so, No

Who did you last talk to on the phone?
Thaddeus ;)

Where will you be in an hour?

Still home, hopefully in bed.

When was the last time you slow danced with a boy or a girl?
hahahaha, this is really funny. I actually danced with an old man at work today for like 10 seconds. (He must be well in his 80's) He had this really cute music on an so I went along and danced with him. (slow dancing....I'm asuming that means real partner dance, cause I didn't do the bear hug thing with the old dude) I love old people!

How late did you stay up last night and why?
I went to bed around 9.00. I know that's way early, I usually don't make it to bed that early. But then Elsa woke me up cause she had to go to the bathroom (I don't understand why I have to know) .....then I fell asleep again. Then my mom called and woke me up again. Tonight I just won't go to bed as early.

What's the connection between you and the last person you texted?
He's my lover, a.k.a. husband

Who last sent you a myspace message?
Leah, my new sister-in-law. I don't use my myspace a whole lot anymore though

What are you doing tomorrow?

Working down town as a massage therapist, then I've got a rehearsal with the home guard band.

What does your hair look like today?
I straightened it today. (Yesterday I had curls ;)

Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Lazy people (which sometimes includes myself! ) Not having enough time to work out as much as I want to.

Have you spoken to your mother today?
Nope

When was the last time you talked to one of your siblings?
I talked to Matt on the phone on friday. We usually chatt quite often though. I'm pretty sure I talked to Shirley yesterday, but it was a quicky.

What does your last sent text say?
Hahaha, do I have to do this one. I think I'm going to skip it!

Would you ever take someone back if they cheated on you?
Maybe...depends on the circumstance. Years ago, I'd say no for sure......but I think my look on life has changed a bit when it comes to those kinds of difficult questions.

Do you get drunk every weekend?
Nope

Have you ever slept in contacts?
Nope

Have you seen the movie Thirteen?
Nope

Are you in a good mood?
Sure

When is the last time you held hands with someone?
This morning (Elsa and Kajsa on the way to Day care)

Does it matter to you if your boyfriend/girlfriend drinks?
Well, it depends on the occation. Thaddeus wouldn't drink in an unappropriate time or place so, No.

How many [Alvedon/Asprin?] do you take at a time?

2


Have you ever fallen asleep in someone's arms?
Mmmmm, yes!

What's on your mind right now?
Gotta type fast, gotta type fast

Does anyone have feelings for you?
Feelings for me? I hope so....is that supposed to mean "lovey duvy" feelings?

Does the last person you held hands with mean anything to you?
They sure do, they're my little treasures!

Anything you're giving up on?
superstition. I'm still concidering not ever doing music again....but somewhere way down there I still just want to play music for a living :(

Do you care what people think about you?
Sometimes, yes. But most of the time, honestly: NOT AT ALL. I am pretty much an open book. I have nothing to hide, and I love straight forward, honesty.

Is there anyone getting on your nerves at the moment?

K, I just went on the honesty rampage.....so a few people at work..........most of the people I work with are really great though.

Is there a person of the opposite sex who means a lot to you?
That would be Thaddeus

Do you have a best friend to lean on?
Yes! And I concider myself lucky for it.

Do you still talk to the last person you kissed?
Yeah, duh!

Could you go out in public looking like you do now?
Yes. K, on Sunday I went to the store and had rollers in my hair and a bandana tied up around my head and NO make up on. This is nothing I like to sport around in....but I really needed to go to the store and couln't take the rollers out yet. (I hadthe concert that eveing) You're still the same you under all of your clothes and make up. I do have to add that I ran into someone I know....go figure!

Where is your phone?
Land phone is in the hallway, cell phone right next to me

What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night?
Brushed my teeth, flossed, rinsed with my super strong cavity killing mouth wash. washed my face.

Do you call anybody by their last name?
Hmmm. I'm not sure

Have you ever been called a bad influence?
Yes I have, when I was pretty young too, and it hurt my feelings pretty bad. I was a "bad influence" on lots of people all through high school. I realize now though, that I wasn't a "bad" influence, rather an influence.....and since I've always believed in beeing me, which many times entales going against the grain, being the so called "bad influence" is just a small price to pay to being happy in my own skin and honest.

When was the last time you wanted to punch someone in their face?
Hmmmm, When prop 8 was passed. I just thought it was so discrimminating. I didn't have any specific person that I wanted to punch in the face though.....and I didn't really want ot punch someone in the face, but it was the last time I really got upset, really.

What did you last cry over?
I can't remember.

Where did you go last night?
I was home

Has someone put their arm around you in the past 5 days?
Yes sir

How many windows are open on your computer?
Two

Where will you be 2 hours from now?
Hopefully in a deep sleep

If the last person you kissed said they loved you, what would you say?
Right back at you hottie

Do you believe that any of your ex's think about you?
I think so, I still think about all of my ex's every now and then. I believe that there's something good about everyone that you've been together with, that's how I see it anyway. Why else would you have cared for them?

Tell me about the shirt you're wearing?
It is gray, very plain..long sleeved. I am wearing a tunnika/dress over it. (it's also gray...just in a darker shade)

When was the last time you were outside?
A few hours ago

Are you afraid of the dark?
Hmmm, sometimes. It's just that you can't see so well when it's dark. Has anyone else noticed that?

Who did you last say I love you to?

Kajsa and Elsa at bed time. Or maybe I threw in a fast "I love you" on the phone when I talked to Thad. It's very possible!

Read more!

Första Advent

In Sweden the four Sundays prior to Christmas are celebrated by lighting candles. A candlestick with four holders= Adventstake. The first Sunday, you light the first candle and let it burn for a little while, then the second Sunday you light the first one and the one right next to it. And so on and so on until all four candles are lit on the last sunday before Christmas. The fourth Sunday before Christmas is called "Första Advent". This Sunday is usually looked forward to more than the others as this one is kind of an official welcome of Christmas. (Kind of like the day after Thanksgiving, minus the shopping frenzy) It is often celebrated with church services, and mass. I was asked to play in a little quartet at one of the big churches down town, Gustav Adolfskyrkan. So of course I said yes. I didn't get a whole lot of good pics since it was already dark at 5 p.m. when it started. And I didn't have any family or friends with me to play camera dude/dudette. So here's what I got. I also included a pic of our little "Adventstake" that the girls and I lit Sunday night while eating ginger snapp cookies and dipping them in milk.

I'm not sure, but I think it's supposed be Moses,
I just thought it was kind of cool with a face sticking out of the wall :)

This was a picture carved out of wood

Some pretty paintings at the front of the church

This is the back of the Church where the big Organ is

The Four musicians :)

Here's a little clip of the girls downing their treat. Sorry, it's all in Swedish ;)
Here's a little Advents poem

Read more!

TAGGED

I've been Tagged
(I love being tagged)

4 RANDOM THINGS I LIKE ABOUT MY HUSBAND:
1- He's a lover not a fighter
2- He is tall (I never thought I'd get a tall one ;)
3- He is great at making dinner
4- He knows just how to handle me

4 JOBS I'VE HAD
1- Life guard
2- Locker room attendant
3- Personal assistant
4- Home health care

4 TV SHOWS I WATCH:
1- Bolibompa? (It's a kids program)
2- Crimes shows (sometimes)
3- The news
4- I'm struggling with this one........I REALLY don't watch much T.V. at all

4 PEOPLE WHO EMAIL ME REGULARLY:
1- Stacie (What are friends for huh? LOVE you babe)
2- ?
3- ?
4- ?

4 OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:
1- Salmon, just about any way
2- Mediterranean foods (Especially Greek....tzatziki...OOOh I'm drooling)
3- Spicy stuff, Mexican
4- Salty licorice shots (does that count as a food) ?

4 PLACES I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT:
1- Italy
2- London
3- New York (been there, but it was too short and fast of a visit)
4- Grand Canary Islands

4 THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE COMING YEAR:
1- Just being at home w. my family (I stole that one from you Stacie)
2- Going Sledding (Stole that one too)
3- Moving to the states!
4- Seeing lots and lots of family and friends that I haven't seen for a long time.

4 PEOPLE I TAG:
1- Chelsey
2- Sara
3- Jodie
4- Kellie
(and anyone else who wants to play)

-Michaela-

Read more!

We love to play

Can you imagine; it's raining today...again! I have the day off so we decided to do something fun indoors. We went to Lekborgen to hang out and play with great friends. Ida and her two kids met up with us to play. It was a blast! We just love Lekborgen, and it sure doesn't hurt that it is just about next door. Boy are we going to miss the Horvatic family when we move :(
Thanks for a great play day.

Read more!

The paper work has been started!

So we took another (some of you know what I mean) trip to Stockholm to get our paper work started for my green card. Lucky for us, our girls are really nice on road trips. All they needed was a few coloring books and a barbie doll to keep them happy (and some candy).

We decided to make this trip an over-night-er. We were able to see Mathilda perform with her guitar on Friday. She is quite the talented woman. For those who don't know, Mathilda is my half sibling on my dad's side. She is fourteen and is really good at playing the guitar.

We squoze in a fast visit at the Bautista's new place. They are some friends that used to live in Borås. Elsa played a lot with their daughter and Elsa still talks about her ALL the time. (Sorry Anja, we would have dropped by your place as well if we had had more time) We spent Friday night at a really cheap motel place called Formule 1 in Stockholm. We had a tiny room with a double bed and then a single bed which was above (bunker style) the double one. The girls slept with me in the double bed. Need I say, I hardly got any sleep at all. I kept waking up every other hour cause the blankets were all over the place and the room was freezing.

Saturday we went to the castle and just hung out. We walked around and tried to gather some pics so that the girls can look at them when they're a little older and perhaps don't remember being in Stockholm. It was a super windy day (like usual) and rainy and gray (like usual) but we had a good time anyway. Then we went to the mall and met up with Mathilda and her family. We walked around there for a while. I didn't buy anything. Amazing! We were quite short on money this month since this was our 2nd trip to Stockholm in one week and my paperwork had a hefty fine that accompanied the filing process. Then we went home with the Holsts and "fikade". Kajsa manged to drop a glass bowl on the floor and it shattered into a thousand pieces. Oh, the joys of children. Elsa told us that she wants to live with Mathilda and we had to bribe the kids with more candy to get them to come with us home. We made it home in one piece and honestly I'm looking forward to the next Stockholm trip. We should be doing another one here shortly for my interview. But for now, we should be busy busy with lots of paperwork.

Here are a bunch of random pictures from our little trip and a little video.

Read more!

Kajsa Cutie!

Here is an adorable picture of my baby.
I'm not going to post the other ones......We're saving them for some Holiday fun :)

Read more!

Lookie Sara, I did it!

Okay, this is my VERY first attempt at playing with photo shop stuff. I didn't really do much to the picture. I Just kind of made it "softer" But it was lots of fun. It took me FOREVER just to get this little pic done. What I am most proud of is that I did it COMPLETELY on my own. (From opening the paint program to doing this post......Thad is sleeping. He's going to be so proud of me) I am not good at computer stuff, and the fact that I figured out how to change this picture into a jpeg format must be the coolest thing I've done in weeks. I ALWAYS, ALWAYS get Thad do to stuff for me on the computer that I don't know how to do. Well, there ya have it. This is a picture of Elsa that I took today just for fun. I got the girls all dressed up and bribed them with candy if they'd cooperate with me. I got a TON of good pics of both the girls. Due to the late hour and because I'm super slow at this stuff I'll have to post a cute pic of Kajsa later.

Read more!

We support Barack Obama!
(Ja, Jag snodde bilden från dig Anja)

Read more!

Halloween Party...again!

On Saturday evening we were invited to go to a friends Halloween party. Since Kajsa was sick with a fever, Thaddeus volunteered to stay home with her. So Elsa and I went alone. Elsa borrowed Kajsa's Ariel costume....and Kajsa borrowed Elsa's Belle costume here at home :) It was lots of fun. I didn't get a whole lot of pic and instead tried to kife some from from someone else....but my technology skills are lacking, so I only ended up with these few.

Read more!

Halloween Party!

Well, we finally had our little Halloween Bash. It seemed as though all of the kids had lots of fun so I'm going to claim it as a success :) Like always Thad did most of the work (I mostly delegate) Lucky for us he had friday off. He carved THE perfect pumpkin and made a great dessert (no pic of it..we ate it to quickly) He also made sugar cookies for the kids to decorate. We had a few different games/activites. The most fun activity we did was have a scavenger hunt, but sadly it was sooooooo exciting that we forgot to take pictures! I guess that can be a good thing too :) Here are some cute pics of the evening. If Kajsa looks a little tired and worn out it's because when the night was finally over we noticed she was quite warm, when we took her temperature she had a pretty high fever.
39.3 C Poor kid

Read more!

Watch for falling trees!

The past two days they have been cutting down HUGE trees right outside of our window. This morning the girls and I spent quite some time watching this very exciting event. Watching trees fall while you're sewing a Halloween costume is great as a little break every now and then. There was also a pretty rainbow that only lasted for a few minutes. It was really big and complete...but I couldn't fit it in the camera :) So, here's just a small part of it. Hope you enjoy this very unimportant post.
P.S. I just want to thank everyone for all of the Halloween tips! I think I'm ready to go now.

Read more!

A big boy!

My Darling husband turned twenty-eight today. I know when you get older that birthdays don't feel as special. That presents don't really matter. That often you don't even bake a cake. Well, I still want to take this little opportunity and just say how special Thaddeus is to me. I am so happy that I am married to him and not to someone else. Thaddeus always treats me with respect. Living in the world that we do, where many women are oppressed some even abused I am grateful that I have such a loving husband. He not only loves me and is a terrific father to our two girls but he also pulls half or more of the weight at home. He does just as much dishes and laundry as I do. He picks up the kids from day care. He goes shopping and he cooks and he does it without complaining and he does it great. He is my own personal superman. Thaddeus you are amazing and I love you with all of my heart. And thanks for being so Damn Sexy ;-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE

Read more!

HALLOWEEN HELP!

HELP!

I have planned a little Halloween party for the girls and some of their friends on the 31st. We're keeping it super small. It'll just be their cousins and their closest friends. The ages range from having just turned three to Elsa being the oldest at five. The only problem is I'm not quite sure what we're going to do. I'm thinking of having a really easy and fun craft for them to do and then maybe just a few Halloween games? Only, I don't know any Halloween games. If anyone has any ideas on fun activities, crafts, desserts, anything really, PLEASE share. Oh and if anyone has a tip on how to make a "Little Mermaid costume", feel free to share that one as well. Kajsa really wants to be Ariel for Halloween :)

Thanks - Michaela

Read more!

Hubby Tag

I've been Tagged by Kirsten!

It's the Hubby tag I guess you'd call it. I'm pretty sure that just about anyone that reads our blog already knows a lot about Thad. I'll do my best though, to share some terrible family secret :)

Here is a little clip of Thaddeus and the girls from this summer!

1.Where did you meet? Thaddeus Marshall Ferrin and I met in Rexburg. Krista Perkins and I picked Thad and a friend of his (Fred) up in my white beat up '84 Dodge aries and we car-pooled to The Boise airport. We flew to Washington DC for the George W Bush inaugural parade in January 2001. We played with the Troopers in the parade. Thaddeus had just joined the Troop and I had just quit and begun with the Blue Knights from Denver. Anywho, Thaddeus and I enjoyed eachothers company. I actually do remember sitting in his lap and being a HUGE flirt the first day that we met. Shame on me, but hey....here we are years later still going strong!

2.How long did you date before you were married? Lets see, we met January 2001. Started "real" dating that fall. And then married in May 2002. So only like 9 months if you don't count the months that we hung out "as friends"!

3.How long have you been married for? Six years and five months exactly on Saturday.....which also happens to be Thad's birthday! Hurray

4. What does he do that surprises you? He never seems to get fed up with me. I can be quite selfish at times, and lazy. Somwhow he never says things that hurt my feelings. And it really surprises me as to how he is just so consistently sweet and caring towards me.

5.What is your favorite quality about him? Do I seriously have to pick just one! Okay, I'm going to have to go with the fact that he is smart. It's not just the fact that he learned Swedish in like 3 months and can now spell and use the Swedish grammer better than I can; but I also love the fact that he doesn't just buy what anyone tells him. He does his own research and thinks things through. He isn't easy to fool, and I love that.

6.Does he have a nickname for you? Hmmmm, he does call me "Hey Sexy" a lot.

7.What's his favorite color? I'm not 100% on this one, but I'm pretty sure that it's dark blue. He likes to buy dark blue t-shirts anyway :)

8. What's his favorite food? He really likes Hawaiian Pizza from the little pizza place up at Sjöbo Torg. He also likes beef...although we don't have it all that often.

9. What's his favorite sport? Does Drum Corps count as a sport? If it does, then that's definitely it. He also loves to ride his bike, but he's not all that into sports otherwise.

10. Who said "I love you" first? I'm not quite sure about that? I know, is that terrible? I think it was him though.

11.When and where was your first kiss? Thaddeus, Lise, Matt, and I were in IF eating out at Chili's for Lise's birthday, November 10th (2001). Thaddeus and I were pathetically drewling over each other. We kept passing ice between our mouths ;) Then we went to the arcade place by the cinemas and bought some of those small glowy-stick things and started passing those between us instead. Then on the way home in the car we FINALLY kissed...... and kissed and kissed and kissed. Ah the memories!

12. What's your favorite thing to do as a couple? I'm pretty sure it's making love (sorry, Thad. There went the huge terrible family secret!) We also enjoy going out to eat and having cozy fridays at home. Thaddeus and I also enjoy music a lot together and if we had the money and time I'm sure we'd go to a lot of concerts and musical events.

13.Do you have kids? Yes, two adorable, bright, and silly girls. Elsa who is 5 and 1/2 and Kajsa (pronounced like Ky-lee only Kaj-sa) who is 3 and 1/2. Someday we're hoping to be able to have some more when the time is right :)

14.What's a hidden talent he has? He can sing. I'm not sure if anyone know's that. Everyone knows that he writes music right? But I'm not sure if everyone knew that he can improvise his own bass line to go along with any song. He's super good at harmonizing anything. He is also a very VERY good teacher. I really hope that one day he'll go back to school and become a teacher if that's what he wants to do.

15. How old is he? 28 on Saturday!

16. What's his favorite type of music? Classical (He really likes Wagner) and Drum Corps (The Cavaliers, Phantom Regiment, Santa Clara Vanguard, Blue Devils.....among others)

17. What do you admire most about him? I'm gonna have to agree with Kirsten on this one, Like she said about her hubby, Thaddeus also has the ability to just take things calmly. He never gets worked up about stupid things and always ALWAYS keeps his cool. I think I can count the times that we've raised our voices to eachother on one hand. Sometimes it does get on my nerves though, I'd have to admit. I even think I'm guilty of maybe taunting at him just to get a reaction sometimes. But I really do love the fact that he's calm, it helps balance me out.

18.What's his favorite pastime? Drumming, Listening to or arranging/writing music, and of course sex (there I go again, but hey....I'm just being honest.....and it's not like he's the only one, I mean come on)

19. Will he read this? Eventually. It might take a while though, he's not as pathetic as I am and checks our blog several times a day.

Done! and now I tag.... Avery!

Read more!

Universeum

Universeum is a science center in Göteborg (Gothenburg, Sweden)
We bought a years pass last year and have only been there twice. Go figure, so yesterday we decided to go and make sure that our passes had been worth getting since they expire at the end of this month. Then, on the other hand, we ended up buying food there, cause we're too lazy to pack a lunch. Lets just say it was expensive with a capital E. It cost us a whole whoppin' 75 dollars to eat! 75 dollar! Let me just say that one more time, 75 dollars! And we didn't get that much. Thad and I and Elsa had a burger, and Kajsa had spaghetti. And we all got a cookie (or equivalent) for dessert. Ouch! Hahaha, good thing we went so we could get that moneys worth out of the passes huh?
But, on a lighter note, we had a blast. It's a HUGE place with TONS to do. We were there for 5 hours and I don't think we even made it through half of the exhibitions among other cool stuff. Here's a link just incase if anyone feels like waisting time out in the deep internet ocean.
http://www.universeum.se/index.php?lang=en
And of course.......here are a few videos of the girls. I tried really hard not to be a phyco with the camera and instead just let them play without having to stop and pose for me.


I don't know how many times Elsa walked across this little bridge! I have to admit, I think it looks kind of fun as well.


Never mind the HUGE sharks and phyco looking fish and eels. Kajsa found NEMO and his mom and his dad. She was so excited, she could hardly get it out of her mouth to tell me about it :)


This was definitely a HUGE favorite. Kajsa made me race her several times. She won every time, that bum. Thad and I even got to race. Fun stuff. I love getting to be a kid and feeling like I fit in :) Read more!

LEKBORGEN

Lekborgen translates into "The play fortress"

Lekborgen is about a block and a half from where we live.
It's a pretty fun place to hang out. The kids have a blast
and me too (although grown ups really aren't supposed to
go into the play areas, sometimes I tend to forget this)
We were there this past week and had a great time.
Here are a few pics of my adorable girls.

My little Kajsa

My big Elsa

Seriously, how did she get this big?

My babies are not babies any more!

Elsa-girl showing off her trick

Kajsa-varg showing off her trick
(It's hard to see but she's walking on tiny little squares)

Read more!

Kypegården

We decided to go on a little adventure today. We hiked through the forest to a cute little lake called Kypesjön. The girls were way excited about it and even carried their own lunches in their back packs. They even put up with the photographer enjoying the fall colors along the way ;) They walked the whole way there and back;
approximately 4 kilometers.

Elsa and Kajsa thought it was super fun to feed the ducks.
And I had a great time watching them.

Read more!

Switzerland 2008

I had the opportunity to fly to Switzerland with the Borås Homeguard band that I am a member of. It was quite a fun trip. I've never been to Switzerland before, and it was a beautiful country. We flew out Wednesday and then came home on Sunday. I've never been away from the girls for that many days in a row before. It went just fine though.
You might also notice that I cut and dyed my hair. I've never been a brunette before, but I think I kind of like it. I'm just starting to get used to it after one week. I do love how fast I can get ready in the morning.
Hope you all have a great September month.
Kiss and Hug
Michaela

Read more!

Created by OnePlusYou - Online Dating Site
Hey Thad, looks like I win.
Don't worry, I'd give you mouth to mouth
if we were out in space and you run out of air ;)
That way you could live another few seconds longer
-Michaela- Read more!

How long could you last?

~Thaddeus Read more!

Banana Caviar

Kalles banana caviar.
I know it sounds CRAZY. I thought it sounded crazy when it first came out. Banana flavor and caviar!?!?! When the first commercial came out I really though, maybe it's a joke. I HAD to taste it cause I was just dying of curiosity. I figured, oh well, I'll just through the rest of the tube out, but turns out I just love this stuff. Can't get enough of it. Every now and then I get THE biggest craving for some "knäcke bröd" and banana caviar. Mmmmmmmmmmm, you should all try it ;)
They might have it at your nearest IKEA : - )
-Michaela-

Read more!