Having Fun In Oslo

We are in Oslo right now and we are basically just waiting for all the paperwork to come through so we can make our big move.  We have been trying to squeeze in a few fun things that we have wanted to do before we leave Norway.  There are a ton of things that we haven't gotten the change to do here in Norway, but we have decided that we will come back here on vacation one day when all of the kids are older.  Then we can do all of the fun hikes and tours that Norway has to offer.

Oslo does have some fun activities while the weather is nice.  There is a beach in Sandvika that we have wanted to take the kids to.  This is the same spot that we took the kids out sledding on the ice.  It is amazing how much the area changes through the seasons.  

Now they have a fun set of inflatables out in the water and a cute little beach.

The only draw back?  You guessed it, COLD water.

Garrett was not sure how he felt about all this.

I love this sign where they tell you that the water is cold.

Jon was trying to get himself ready to go under.

I was so proud of him, he is such an amazing dad!  They ended up not making it too much further out.  It was dinner time and we had not planned to stay that long.  In case you were wondering I was siting on the beach in jeans and a t-shirt enjoying taking photos.

The next few pictures were where I started to do the 10 on 10, but I got lost somewhere around nap time.  I thought the pictures were still cute enough to share.

My superhero kiddos wearing long sleeves and jeans in July.  Norway has some crazy weather.

Addie went to the grocery store with me.

Wild strawberries growing in our yard.

They are so cute and tiny.

Ben- Ben wanted me to take his picture.

Jon's faithful car has been sold.  We are in the process of selling my car.  There are so many things to do now that we are ready to move.

Saying good bye to friends is always a hard part of moving.

Tonight we had a family outing that might not seem like that big of a deal, but we had a really good time as a family and that is nothing to take for granted.  Jon spent 3 1/2 days of last week in Paris and the kids and I missed him a ton.  Tonight we decided to head into town for dinner.  Right now Jon and I do not have a valid driver's license for Norway so we got to make the 20 minute walk to the closest T-bane station.  We rode the T-bane, or subway, into downtown and then we walked around.  Here is Addie in front of one of many beautiful flower displays. 

We headed to Aker Brygge, a very popular area with a lot of restaurants right on the water.  There were musicians performing and it was a very festive atmosphere.  There were also a couple of people blowing giant bubbles for the kids, they were one of the more clever street performers I have seen.  

Our kids LOVED the bubbles.  And yes, we let our boys bring their plastic swords with them.  They were going to check out a pirate ship later and they needed to have their swords with them.

I love this one of Ben about to attack that bubble.

All of the kids were having so much fun.

It was such a fun time.

Then it was off to find a place to eat dinner.  There are a ton of restaurants, but so many of them were full.  We kept walking and went around to a more secluded section of the strip and found a great place that was not busy at all.  We were able to sit on the patio and enjoy a really good meal.

This is a picture of the kids meal.  All three of our kids asked for the salmon.  I wasn't sure if they were going to eat it or not, but they all did great.  I love how fancy the presentation was, even for the kids meal.  Ben did seem confused and kept asking me about the grass on his salmon.  Once we got that out of the way he was an enthusiastic eater.

Another enthusiastic eater was this guy.  He ordered the mussels and he was very excited to dig in.

The Norwegians use an empty shell to pull the mussels out of the shell. 

We discovered that Garrett likes mussels too.

After dinner we walked along the water, had a yummy treat,  and enjoyed a beautiful evening.  Here is Addie on the dock of Aker Brygge with Oslo's City Hall in the background.  

More beautiful flowers and happy kiddos and momma!

That is a 27 week belly shadow.  Malachi is doing great and is a big mover and shaker.  The kids love to put their hands on my belly and feel him kick.  Jon could see my belly moving from across the room today.  I love feeling all of his kicks and rolls!