Nor-way??

Get ready for information and picture overload! It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged, and there’s a LOT to share. First off, I got to have the experience of a lifetime!! Mom and Dad took Bridget and I on our senior trip (2 years late…) to the beautiful land of Scandinavia, specifically Norway and Sweden! We had originally planned England and France, but things just kept not working out so we changed our plans. Dad’s side of the family immigrated from Norway, so we have some family ties there, though we didn’t meet any family there and weren’t able to see the exact place they were from. It will be really hard to not make this post super long so I think I’ll break it up between different places and have mostly pictures so it’s more fun.

First: OSLO, NORWAY.

            We got to fly business class from Seattle to Iceland to Oslo, which was super nice! We got fancy meals, movies, and even these cute little overnight bags. 

Overnight bag: lip balm, skin balm, eye mask, ear plugs, toothbrush and mini toothpaste.

Reykjavik, Iceland from the air

Day 1: City Hall, which is said to be more ornate on the inside than the royal palace because it is the place of the people. It was ornate, but we didn’t have the chance to go to the royal palace so I wasn’t able to compare.  

Outside Central Station

City Hall

Then the rest of the days filled with museum, museums, and more museums.  First, we went to the Folk Museum: over 35 acres of old log cabins from the 1600s-1800s, and employees who dress up and do daily tasks like how they used to.

The garden entrance

So many little huts had the cute huts had grass roofs. Love.

so much ivy! 

Then we went to a Viking museum, with a bunch of old, original Viking ships, obvi, and that was neat. These ships weren’t very deep, but they sure were long! 

Next was the Holocaust museum.  This was very different from what I was expecting: it didn’t have normal and stereotypical pictures and displays you would expect from a Holocaust museum, but rather it was just walls of information about the history of the war and the occupation of Norway. Still very interesting and sobering, but just different

The Holocaust museum

After that was the Kon-Tiki museum. The Kon-Tiki was a raft made to sail the Pacific to prove a theory that the Polynesians occupied the Pacific Islands before the settlers came. No one believed the theory so this guy made a raft out of materials they might have used, a good size, and sailed, and was successful.  It was pretty neat. They’re making a new movie about it that I’m going to see when it comes out; check out the trailer here

The Kon-Tiki Raft

Easter Island stone

Our last museum was the Fram museum. The Fram ship was used in the first expedition to the Arctics. It was the original ship, but it was resotred/preserved in a way that the visitors were able to walk around on the ship and see all the levels of it, which was pretty neat. 

   Here's a few pictures from the pier while we waited for the ferry back to the city.

Once we got back to the city, traffic was crazy, so we started walking. Once we got to central station, there was a mob of people, mainly young teenage girls, outside the hotel there, most of them wearing ‘I heart Justin Bieber’ t-shirts. Um, what?? Yes, that’s right, Justin freaking Bieber was giving a free concert on the roof of the Opera House that night, in Oslo freaking Norway! Seriously, what are the odds that he would be here, of all people and in of all places, while we’re here, giving a free concert???? Needless to say, Bridget and I wanted to go. We wanted to just hang out there in the square with the crazy teenage girls and then just follow the mob to the Opera House but we went back to the apartment and decided we’d come back at the time of the concert. 

9:30pm. We go back to go to the concert. Only we find mobs in the streets half way there, screaming and running around every where. We take our time getting to the central station area because these mobs were crazy- there were cops on horses yelling at us in Norwegian: please, watch this video to catch a glimpse of what it was like.  

So we make our way to the Opera House, super excited, only to find it like this:

Empty. Completely empty.  Best and worst day of my life. Haha We were pretty bummed that we had missed a chance like that, cause let’s be honest, when am I ever going to be that close to going to a Justin Bieber concert again? Never. While it was a bummer, we got over it quickly and just thought it was cool to have had that experience. Oh, and I saw him wave out of this window. No big deal.

Day 2:  We travelled out to the Holmenkollmen Olympic Ski Jump, and that was awesome. We stopped at this restaurant first where I tried reindeer. Quite good.

On our way to the restaurant

View from the outdoor cafe

Their famous apple cake. Nom nom nom

The restaurant

At the ski jump, you can take an elevator to the very top and get a 360 view, and that was really neat.  It was really cool to be at a place like that, that I don’t imagine a whole lot of tourists think of going to. 

The Ski Jump

Panoramic view from the top

A view down the jump

We got new winter jackets there. Yes! Hooray for early Christmas

Then we went back to the city and went to the Norwegian National Gallery, and THAT was cool. Can you name these artists? 

Yup, that's Rodin, Van Gogh, Manet, Edvard Munch, Degas, Monet, and Picasso. 

There were obviously a lot more, but those were the most famous I figure most people would recognize.  They also had an exhibit room for Edvard Munch that featured ‘The Scream’, but we weren’t allowed to take pictures.  It was super cool to be there and see so many originals of these famous artists that I’ve looked up to and admired and imitated within my personal art career.  Neato!

After the Gallery, we went to the Vigeland Sculpture park: a park dedicated to Gustav Vigeland, the artist, that has over 200 sculptures he did throughout his life to represent human relations. It was simply beautiful.  Take a look yourself

Day 3: We headed out of Oslo on the Norway in a Nutshell train ride, one of the most scenic train rides in the world. This train took us to Flam, where we caught a boat to Aurland where we would be staying. There’s not much to describe the train ride other than it was beautiful, and it reminded me a lot of home.  Check it out. 

We had to wait in the snow to switch trains. 

There was a LOT of snow is some places. 

That about sums up this post, I’m going to move on to the next places in my next post. Note to anyone who might be going to Norway, if you go to Oslo, get the Oslo Pass: it will get you in for free into most museums and you get free public transportation-pays for itself almost instantly! 

...Sacrifice et le Petit Prince

 I know, I know. I'm slacking in this whole blogging business, but life has become super crazy and very hard in a lot of different ways, so I've kind of had my mind occupied.  However, some fun and awesome things have happened that I want to share. Even though I should be taking this time to study for the 6 tests I have to take by Wednesday....

First off, Bridget is in a photography class, and for her final she had to pick a theme for her pictures. She chose "adults doing kid things" to show that we don't grow up completely. But then while she and I were taking some pictures, she got some good candid shots, so she decided to combine the two. So, one weekend, she recruited some friends (Ariel, Darren, Ryan, and I) to do some kid things while she took pictures. We went to the local park and played on the playground, blew bubbles, had a squirt-gun fight, did hopscotch, and even ate a cake with our hands. It was a good time. Check it out!

Blowing bubbles with hard double bubble is harder than it sounds...

Ahh! Blowback! (10 points to whomever can name that movie)

Bubble Shark!

Darren was the last one to survive on Lava Monster

Darren snuck off to refill the squirt guns and came back for a surprise attack

Ryan was really into that cake....

So those are just a few of the pics we took. It was a blast and a half! Then after that Darren, Ryan, Hannah and I all went to Final Cut and then watched Midnight in Paris because I got credit for it as a cultural activity in French. Score! It was an evening well-spent. A good way to unwind before we all became completely over-wound with finals. 

Then we had the last three days of classes, which is always awesome, and then finals! Yay finals...? This semester, I not only have a final for each of my 5 classes, but I also have two tests I need to take to become officially certified/licensed to spray pesticides! Though if anyone is thinking of asking me to spray their yard with some heavy duty stuff, please don't ask. Haha I'm still working on being able to get the calculations right for how much to use, and we wouldn't want to spray too much, now would we?   Anyways...so classes ended on Wednesday. That night, Bridget, Heather, Darren, Ariel and I went to a University Choral choir concert for our friends Catherine and Hannah. It was actually really good! And they did a French song, which makes it that much more awesome!

Then came Thursday. When I got home from work, we headed out to a ropes course with our roommies from last year: Rachel, Amanda, Catherine, Ariel, Bridget, and I. And our friend Jared tagged along to make our group 7.  It was so much fun! Heather works there, and she did all of this for us without being payed, so a special shout-out to her saying thanks again for being so awesome and letting us have such a fun time there with you!  First we did a zip line, which was my favorite thing. Then we all swung in this giant swing- it's crazy! Your group members pull you up really high using a rope, then you let go whenever you're ready, but your first swing is backwards! Such a rush! It's like being on a roller coaster!  Then you can do fun things while you're swinging, like flips and such.  

Catherine, ready to go!

Ariel on the zip line

Bridget clinging for life on the zip line....

Heather. A beast.

Catherine getting ready for the swing.

The team, ready to go!

Getting ready to pull!

After the swing.

Okay, so this next one needs a little of explaining. For the last 'course' there was this tall tree trunk with stakes in it to climb, and a small platform attached to the top.  Our goal, climb the tree. Stand on top of the platform. Jump off the platform and try to grab the bar that was hanging from another line which seemed like forever away. Oh yeah, and the tree was not completely secure-it wobbled. So you have to keep your balance pretty well too.  Climbing was easy. Trying to stand up on that platform wasn't scary, but maybe a little challenging. The hardest part, at least for me, was to actually jump off, because that bar seemed so freaking far away! But I did it. We all did it! Jared was the only one to actually grab the bar with both hands and hang on, but we all climbed and we all jumped. We are awesome, it's true.

Rachel, all ready to climb!

Bridget ready to go next

Catherine-no fear.

Me on top, ready to jump.

It was way fun, and totally worth the $6! Especially since we all got to do it together! After, we all went to the Creamery for some delicious milkshakes and a good chat. 

Next was Friday, obvi.  I studied, then went to work. After work, I headed out to our Final Ward Social at an elementary school. It was a 90s themed field day! Woot woot! I didn't get there till about 90 min after it started because I had been at work, but it was still fun. I finished watching a game of kickball that was going on, then Bridget and I dominated in a three-legged race. That's pretty much why I came: to show how we are invincible when it comes to stuff like that. =)  Some people called it cheating; I prefer to call it as using my resources. I can't help it if she's my other half and we can practically do things as one person. Just how it works.  So that was fun.

Then on Saturday I was studying ALL morning for my French final that afternoon. I think it went pretty well. Hopefully it'll help to raise my grade, because I could use that. I mean, I certainly learned a lot in that class, and I really enjoy French, but the grading system does NOT show an accurate determination of what you know. Oh well.  As long as I pass right...? Which I will.

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Now for Sunday. The most important day of the week. Oh my goodness! I just realized I did not post anything for Easter!! Happy Easter everyone! Easter is my favorite holiday. It didn't used to be, but the more I have learned, grown, matured, and expanded my knowledge of the Atonement, crucifixion, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, it has become such an important and necessary part of my life that I just can't help but love the Easter season more than anything.

Anyway, please enjoy this beautiful hymn in the background while you read, if you so desire.

Church today was exactly what I needed. Though I was able to have some fun on a few days, the last few weeks have been some of the most difficult, challenging, testing, and straight-up hardest weeks I have had in quite a while, for many reasons, most of which are completely unrelated to school.   And having 7 tests to add on top of that for the next three days doesn't really help either. So I've been feeling a bit run-down and overwhelmed to say the least, while struggling with these internal battles and feelings of inadequacy and self-esteem. Anyways...not my point. Today's topic in sacrament meeting was sacrifice. Which is ironic, this being finals week, and it being the same topic that my French teacher talked to us about on the last day of class. While the word sacrifice can be derived from Latin, it can also be derived from French: sacré and faire, which literally means 'to make scared'.  To me, sacrificing can be seen as sanctifying, making something sacred to you. In the talks today, it was mentioned that we can make sacrifices in temporal things, such as time and money, in relationships, as well as to sacrifice our will, and an interesting point was brought up in relation to that. The speaker that mentioned those three types of sacrifice, which was actually Heather, mentioned a quote from an Apostle (I don't remember who) along the lines of our will being the hardest thing for us to sacrifice, because it really is the only thing that is OURS to sacrifice; everything else we have that we 'sacrifice' has already been given to us by our Father in Heaven. Everything we have is from Him, but our own will, that is something that we personally get to choose as to whether or not we will give up for Him.  There were many other good points made in the talks, but I don't want to write a novel here. And it was a point like that one that made me realize that I have not been sacrificing all that I have for the Lord like I should. While my relationship with my Father in Heaven has developed into something strong and impenetrable, there are still many things within my life that I should be doing to show my love for Him that I have not been as good at doing. There are much better things I could do with my time and resources to help in building His kingdom, to strengthen those around me and to serve, and to build up my own testimony as well. These talks were just an eye opener for me and helped me to realize some things I want to become better at and things I want to change. Plus, I really feel like making the sacrifice in my time and resources to serve those around me and do what the Lord would have me do will help me in the other aspects of my life and will help to relieve the burdens I'm bearing, and to provide comfort and guidance in the struggles that are starting me right in the face. Some people look at sacrifice as a burden. I see it as a privilege. Our Lord Jesus Christ has sacrificed everything for us; He is the ultimate sacrifice. If we truly love Him for what He did for each of us, why wouldn't we want to sacrifice what we have, even what He has given us, to show Him how truly grateful we are? It is a blessing and a privilege to be able to sacrifice for our Lord and Savior, and it is something that I feel we all need to have softened heart towards, including myself.  

Now it's story time! In French when Mlle Hendry was talking to us about sacrifice, she spent some time reading parts of this:

The Little Prince. We didn't read all of it, and I haven't had the chance to read it all myself yet, but basically there's this boy from another planet who falls in love with a rose. Then he comes to earth and sees that there are so many roses, and is sad to think that his rose is no longer special because there are so many. Then he becomes friends with a fox, who he tames and becomes friends with. But then he must go back to his planet. This is the conversation between the boy and the fox before he leaves:

So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near--

"Ah," said the fox, "I shall cry."

"It is your own fault," said the little prince. "I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you..."

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"But now you are going to cry!" said the little prince.

"Yes, that is so," said the fox.

"Then it has done you no good at all!"

"It has done me good," said the fox, "because of the color of the wheat fields." And then he added:

"Go and look again at the roses. You will understand now that yours is unique in all the world. Then come back to say goodbye to me, and I will make you a present of a secret."

 ***

The little prince went away, to look again at the roses.

"You are not at all like my rose," he said. "As yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one. You are like my fox when I first knew him. He was only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But I have made him my friend, and now he is unique in all the world."

And the roses were very much embarassed.

"You are beautiful, but you are empty," he went on. "One could not die for you. To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you-- the rose that belongs to me. But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have watered; because it is she that I have put under the glass globe; because it is she that I have sheltered behind the screen; because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars (except the two or three that we saved to become butterflies); because it is she that I have listened to, when she grumbled, or boasted, or ever sometimes when she said nothing. Because she is my rose.

***

And he went back to meet the fox.

"Goodbye," he said.

"Goodbye," said the fox. "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

"What is essential is invisible to the eye," the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

"It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important."

"It is the time I have wasted for my rose--" said the little prince, so that he would be sure to remember.

"Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose..."

"I am responsible for my rose," the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

   

I think this story is so cute, and I can't wait to read the whole thing. The English translation isn't as good, but it's not bad. Referring to sacrifice, Mlle Hendry mentioned the second section I attached here: if we take the time to care for the things that are important to us, to really sacrifice our time, skills and resources to building it and making it grow, just like le petit prince did for his rose, that one thing we sacrificed for will become so precious to us it will not be anything ordinary to us. It will be unique in all the world. And it's the same with Jesus Christ. He sacrificed everything for us; He suffered for each one of us individually and personally, because we are His brothers and sisters. Because He loves us. 

I also like the secret the fox tell to le petit prince: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.  I think that is so true. The mysteries of God are not made manifest to the world, but we must seek them out within our hearts, personally with Him.  And, I believe, it is only with our hearts that we are able to make those decisions that are best for us, that we are able to see what we can do for others, that we can really come to be in tune with the Holy Spirit and what God has in store for us. Those things that are essential are invisible to the eye. What things do you consider essential in life? For me, these are a few things I find essential: love at home, faith in Jesus Christ, a broken heart and contrite spirit, service (which if done with the right intention will not be visible to the eye of those you serve), love for your fellow man, happiness, knowledge and understanding, and so much more! Take a moment today to reflect on what you find essential in this life, and see if you are doing what you need to to make have those actually be a part of your life. Take a moment to see if there is anything you can do in your day to day life that might be a sacrifice to you, but one that would help to show that you love God, or even that you're grateful to be here on Earth, to experience mortal life, and to have received the blessings we've all been given. 

Okay, I don't want to make this post any longer because it's already pretty ridiculous. Enjoy your Sabbath, everyone. And to those other students out there- good luck with finals when they  come your way, and may the odds be ever in your favor.  I'm sorry I just couldn't resist, I set myself up for that one! =)

...Pictures and Priorities

Here I am. Sitting in my room. Contemplating how to spend my time because I'm already done with my homework, not feeling like really doing anything. Drinking apple beer. Listening to great music. And, oh yeah, freezing!   For the last two weeks, it has been simply B-E-A-UTIFUL!  It was sunny, blue skies, warm (between mid 50's and high 60's), flowers blooming...it was Spring! Or so we all thought. I guess Utah just wanted to torture us and give us a taste of the good and happy life, only to laugh in our faces and pile on the snow and cold on Sunday.  Unfortunately, our thermostat had been on "cold" during those last two weeks, and was at least on "off" Saturday night as it rained and snowed, but by the time we got back from church on Sunday, our apartment was so freakin cold! And it still is-our at least our room. It's probably a good 5 degree difference between our room and the rest of the apartment. Not quite sure why. All I know is that I hate being cold....

On a happier note, during the beautiful weather we had, Bridget, Heather and I decided to go take some pictures together one sunny Sunday evening.  Take a look!

Bridget and Heather both took their cameras, so naturally I became the bag-holder/model...

So that was a fun time, but it was a little colder than it was back in Provo, so we made it quick.  Other than that I haven't done much else. This last week was way relaxed in terms of what was actually required to do... On Thursday I went to a French cultural activity with Ariel and that was fun. Friday I didn't do much of anything- I watched Nacho Libre while making dinner and that was just fantastic. Sometimes I simply forget how great that movie is, and how it reminds me of Karch. =) On Saturday, believe it or not, I actually worked out and did laundry! Woot woot! Then Bridget and I took our cousin Jessica out for lunch and that was a blast! She's-a gettin' married!! 

We felt really lame for missing her birthday and not celebrating her engagement yet, so we took her out to celebrate, and to spend some time with her before she's completely taken away. =)  Plus she got into the El. Ed program! Yay!  It was so great to be able to spend time with her- I always forget how simply crazy we are together and how much I freaking love that family! 

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On a different note, my friend Ryan gave a good spiritual thought at our Family Home Evening yesterday and I just thought I'd share a few comments on the topic. His spiritual thought was on priorities, which is something I think everyone could always be reminded of every now and then. He read from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:24 - "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannont serve God and mammon."  I think, especially in today's world and busy lifestyle that surrounds all of us, we try to do everything at once, not really putting our best effort into one thing.  I think that, with having so many things to do, it can be so easy to become distracted from what really matters in life: specifically family and God. I am guilty just as much as anyone of not taking the time to really put my priorities in the right order, which can really makes things difficult sometimes. But I firmly believe that if we make the time to put the important things first everyday, that we will be helped along the way in completing everything else we need to do. I've had times in my life where I put God first 100% and it was amazing to see the blessings in my life and how He helped me to find the time and ability to not only get everything done, but in a timely manner, and done with the accuracy I would have liked. But of course, it's only natural as human beings to fall back in our priorities after we have received so many blessings, almost as if we expect them to come just as easily no matter what. Granted He will always bless us, but it is so important to take time just for Him every day-to talk to Him, to read His words, to feel His Spirit, and to do what He has asked of you, to draw closer to Him.  I just personally believe that we will find so much more joy and happiness and beauty in this life if we make the time for what is important, and take time to reevaluate our priorities every now and then.  And this doesn't always have to relate to religion, but just in general, with everything you do, make sure your priorities are straight to where you can really make the most of this life and take advantage of the time you have with the people around you and those you love.