We have all the rain gear there is, but sunshine is lurking around the corner!

I can't remember one singel day the last three weeks with no rain or snow.
That means we have had our pools and puddles in the backyard. But now it seems the ground is getting used to it and sucks it all up.
We don't have showers of rain - this has been one big never ending shower of rain!
Every morning the choice is easy. We choose rain boots, rain coats, and rain pants. Mittens should be waterproof.

No problem jump roping in the rain and puddles!

Water in the bucket is always a success!

Water guns can be lots of fun also on colder days!

But suddenly in the middle of all the rain and all the gloomy days some sun shows up anyway!

Like today when my two 10 year olds came home from school. One of them jumping into my lap and telling me how much he loves me! And both of them being so full of smile and hugs, so full of happiness and warmth. Wow this seriously is sunshine in my life!

Or my little nephew running toward me and totally embracing me with his little arms when I come to pick them up!

Or what about my princess not stopping hugging me when I tell her goodnight!

And last but not least my youngest nephew laughing on the top of his lungs because I make some funny sounds at the dinner table!

I have so much sunshine in my life though the rain keeps pouring down here. And ok, I'll admit I would like some sunny days, but I can live for quite a long time with the sunshine the kids give me too!

Happy birthday princess!

7 years ago a beautiful girl was born. She was so much bigger than her brothers were three years earlier. Still she was so little, so fragile and with so many challenges.
Now she is the most beautiful 7 year old in this world. Fragile to me, but quite robust though.
She was so happy when we came in to her room this morning, singing Happy birthday.
And she loved having her birthday dinner with our substitute grandparents. The only catch was daddy couldn't be with us.
But we already celebrated with him before he left for the US.
We ended the day sitting in her bed reading about the little princess Lillifee - a book she just loves as she loves the Fancy Nancy books. I can't believe my baby just turned seven!

It's been raining cats and dogs for weeks

I'm so longing for colder weather, light and beautiful snow falling from the sky making perfect skiing conditions. But it seems like I'm waiting in vain.
I just can't put the winter behind me yet - it doesn't feel right. Sunday my hope increased when it suddenly started snowing big, peaceful snowflakes.

But it only lasted until next morning.

Maybe I'll be better off if I wait for the spring because so far most of the snow in our backyard is gone. Well no - it's not gone, it just looks a bit different and feels very different too.
It looks like this:

It just turned into a lake. And as we all know, lakes are funny for little boys and not so little boys ;-)

Little boys also love puddles. 

But most of all it is interesting to know where the water goes!

Here little big brother is peeking through the manhole cover to make sure everything is in order down there.

Happy birthday!

Ten years ago I gave birth to the most beautiful two little boys this world has ever seen!
So perfect with their little toes and fingers everything so wonderfully good.
Since then we have had ups and downs. We have had good days and not so good days. We have been crying and laughing. Raising kids is not an easy task.
But though it is not easy it still comes with so much joy! Seeing them grow stronger, older, brighter and more independent, is both good and frightening at the same time. In so many ways they are som mature. Still they are so immature in so many other ways.
Being a mother is like going for a ride on a roller coaster.

Today the Norwegian and the Malagasy flags are flapping from our balcony in honor to celebrate our boys.
I love to see them on the mornings of their birthdays. Their lying there on their beds, eyes ajar, waiting for us to come in and sing Happy birthday.
This morning Princess gave them the most wanted gift these days! They got their bows and arrows. Not real crossbows, but still pretty fancy bows. They also got a pair of skis each. So far they've had waxless skis. But it definitely was about time to get on non-waxless XC skis.

Now I'm just waiting for the rain to stop pouring down. We're celebrating with about twenty boys outdoors tonight. BBQ-ing, skiing, playing and having fun.

More skiing

I just have to show you the beautiful weather we were blessed with today!

Another lousy pic from the iPhone, but it certainly shows the weather.