TALLINN!

 Finally we arrived! I wish I could say that everything went smoothly and that we were all packed and ready by time our deadline came around, but...well, I don't think I have every seen Christofer so stressed out and I don't think I've ever felt so overwhelmed, but, thanks be to God, we were able to calm ourselves down and made it in the nick of time! Of course, we forgot a few things, but we came to the boat in time and that was that was the principle goal. We spent the evening in our little cabin, munching on snacks and watching Finland beat Sweden. Taaniel and Christofer each bought a can of beer in order to watch Hockey 'the way it should be watched' according to Taaniel. The funny thing was Christofer doesn't even like normal hockey and it was the girls team that was playing, but it turned out to be an entertaining match even though Sweden lost. Morning came and we piled into the car and drove to the office first. Here in Tallinn they do things a little different so we had to pay for the office and apartment in cash, but it all worked out and everything went smoothly! After lunch at Vapiano, our favorite restaurant, we met up with Aivo and we were able to move everything into the office and apartment. Aivo then went off to a church meeting and Taaniel, Christofer and I crashed onto our new, tiny furniture. Taaniel then took the bus home and Christofer and I went out to Vapiano again and had a lovely dinner. It is so wonderful to be able to walk out your front door and find yourself smack in the middle of city, a little city, but still a city! Neither Christofer or I have ever lived in a city before, it's exciting! We couldn't contain our happiness when we realized the restaurant was open until 11pm! Even in Stockholm things close earlier than eleven.
    Today, we are off to buy the things we need for our apartment and office. I forgot to mention that the apartment did not have a single kitchen appliance, and we didn't bring anything with us. Oh well, I suppose thats just part of the adventure.
                
                                                  
                                  Christofer relieved that we made it!

The boat had a ton of mirrors, my feet!

Aivo, Taaniel and I checking out the office

Vapiano!

Our first night on the town!

 Lots of love from a new city dweller!

Day 2

A very productive day! I finished filing, Christofer ran around realizing that there is no way he will be able to fit all his work into two days. Poor Christofer, he has a ton to do, I have a lot to do too, but on my part it is sort of refreshing to be extremely busy, usually I end up waiting for Christofer to finish up his work and now we both are busy all day long, oh, and night too. Though we can't complain because we only have two days left! We have to basically pack our whole entire life that we have had together the past four and a half years away into boxes. Rather crazy, but very, very exciting! Though it was sad to have to say goodbye to the Leaders group at our church and our cell group. Last night we had a meeting with our Leaders group and tonight we ate dinner together with our cell group, oh, and Robert came over and worked out with us before.
  We are going to miss everyone, we haven't really realized how impacted we have been by every single one of them until we started comprehending that very soon they won't be apart of our daily lives. Yet, I am positive that all of them will still be close, even if we do live an ocean and a land mass away. After all we need Dannie to keep us entertained, Miriam and André in the backdrop to spice up Dannie's jokes, Kevin to play the guitar and comment on our unhealthy eating habits, Alex to cook amazing dinners, Matilda to make us smile, Anders to drive us around and to work out with us, Robert to give me a hard time and to always take Christofer's side, oh, and to help Christofer work out harder, and, well, the combination of us all together, we have had such splendid times.
  Of course I could write many pages about the funny, wise, and encouraging things Randi and Sveneric, Hasse and Gerturd, Mats, Åke and Lise have said and everyone else that I haven't mentioned. However, we will be back, if not to live, definitely to visit, many a times over...så vi kan med gott mod säger farväl men inte adjö. We will see everyone soon.

*sniff*

*sniff*

Booo bahhaaaaa...

'I'm not crying its just the rain falling on my face'

Day 1

For some reason today seems significant, significant for our journey that starts for real on Thursday. Perhaps its the fact that Christofer and I all weekend have been ignoring the ever growing list of things we have to do before we leave. On Friday, my birthday, we spent the morning watching the Olympics, the afternoon we went bowling, ate pizza, and actually watched 'New Moon', bad idea, more on that later. The evening was spent at Hunga were we, along with Christofer's parents, enjoyed a spiced up chicken dinner with really good white wine. We ended the night talking to my family and Caroline, Abe, Emelie, and Ethan. It was a great birthday!
  Saturday we cleaned and baked for a huge Birthday/going away party. We were around 30 people and we had so much fun! I'm sure going to miss everyone from around here, they are such wonderful and caring souls. We then had to brave the crazy snowstorm to dig out Robert and the three Kogners. We all bundled up and ran around trying to help the gigantic tractor that actually did do all the work. Sunday Christofer preached for his last time as a payed pastor, everyone was really emotional, even though his teaching was about thankfulness. We then all sat down to a yummy fika and enjoyed each others company. Later Robert prepared an amazing dinner for us and afterwards I helped him clean his kitchen...what we found there I'm not a liberty to disclose but lets just say he is a conformed bachelor! We had loads of fun and an hour later the kitchen was sparkling! Chritstofer, of course, was fixing Robert's huge home theater system. We then skyped Uncle Anthony,Taaniel, and Bethany, then we went to bed. Ahh, that was exhausting just writing, imagine that we actually squeezed all of that into three days!
  Back to today. I have loads to do like cleaning, filing, moving, and well, the likes. Yet, today seems significant because Christofer is having a really important meeting with a client that is thinking about investing! Underbart! Oh, and a Realtor is coming today to look at our apartment. So, lots of large steps forward....Only two and half days left! Galat!

/lize

Humility

I have recently been contemplating the true nature of humility. I believe, correct me if I am wrong, it is something everyone struggles with whether you are a person who believes in yourself or a person with extremely low self esteem. I, as many girls do, battled a very low self image for many years. For a time, perhaps unconsciously, I thought humility was the act of thinking and speaking good things over others and thinking meanly of yourself. After a while I began to realize that not only was it a distractive behavior, but that it went completely against Gods word. I then switched to the mind set that humility must be that you don't think about yourself at all and instead focus all your energy and strength on others. However, since then I have come to the realization that humility, as many things in life, is about balance. The scripture 'Do not think more highly of yourself than you aught to,' is so down to earth and simple. Do not think your great, but do not forget that you are worthy of greatness through Christ. Charles H. Spurgeon sums it up with "Humility is to make a right estimate of one's self".  I love that! Humility is so incredibly essential to the Christian walk. Yet, it is not easily attained, I'm pretty sure it's a life long pursuit, but it is a pursuit that will reap life long rewards.

    'Humility, that low, sweet root, from which all heavenly virtues shoot.'

                                         - Thomas More

Fat Tuesday

Fettisdagen, yeppers! The day when you're allowed to eat the most fattening food you can find. That, in Sweden at least, is a semla. Really, really yummy round things with lots and lots of whip cream. I'm going to make them soon, but first I'm waiting for Christofer who has been really slow today. We are suppose to be finishing up unloading and organizing everything from his office, but he has been moaning and groaning and doing everything else except helping me help him! Sound confusing, it is. I could just decided to throw out everything, but for all I know the mother board might be a really expensive and important graphic card and visa verse, so its probably better that I wait for him. Then after we finish up throwing out the excess he has a job in Trosa and I will bake smelor, after skiing and working off the fat to come, and perhaps eating a little dinner, did I hear some one say lasagne. Yum!

  Well, Christofer seems to have found his way here and from the look on his face, I'm guessing we are going to start working. Hope you all are having a more productive day than us, but not to worry we will soon be flying back and forth with overflowing boxes.

  Have a great day, I know I will!

Love love love....Oh, and eat a semla for me!

Some pictures from the move from the office...lots of computer stuff....

The movers, Alex, Isak and I..we are trying to show off our muscles!

Today, waiting for Christofer....what a mess!

                                            
Off to work....

Keith Green

    

   I was feeling down and out from all the depressing music that I allow myself to listen to on Spotify, so when I was trying to find something uplifting to listen to I turned on Tobymac, nothing against tobymac, but after about 10mins I had heard enough. I started looking through Spotify's suggestion when I happened upon Keith Green. It makes me nostalgic listening to him. My dad use to always always play his records, yes records, those huge round things from the dinosaur age. My dad had a phonograph in his shop and when my mom use to send us down to get him for dinner or to ask him questions. The phonograph would be playing loud and clear and my dad would be singing away from under some sort of hood, a car or a mower... How life has changed. Everything seemed so straight forward and easy back in those days and then I grew up. Yet I know Gods promises still ring true even if others chose not to embrace them...

Keith Green – Make My Life A Prayer To You (No Compromise Album Version)

 Make my life a prayer to you
I want do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise

I want shine the light you gave
Thru your son you sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know you're really there

Well I want thank you know
For being patient with me
Oh it's so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess I'll have to trust
And just believe what you say
Oh you're coming again
Coming to take me away

I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free....

NEJ! JA!

No, I will not linger on facebook.

No, I will not eat any sugar today.

No, I will not worry about our future.

No, I will not complain that Christofer's working too much.

No, I will not get frustrated with work.

No, I will not judge others.

No, I will not think troubled thoughts.

Yes, I will finish reading my book.

Yes, I will work out.

Yes, I will be thankful for what the future holds.

Yes, I will rejoice that Christofer has so much work.

Yes, I will be happy at work and enjoy my last few days.

Yes, I will pray for others.

Yes, I will think good thoughts.

Monday

 Weekends and weeks for that matter sure do fly by. Only two weeks left until we are in Estonia and therefore I did not have the heart to say no to my boss five minutes ago when she called and asked if I could work in an hour. I dislike last minute work days, but I shouldn't complain because soon and very soon we will be in Estonia working all together and I will most likely miss working with my kids.
 
  Our weekend was busy but it was a very enriched busy with a wonderful lunch with Lovisa, Church both on Saturday and Sunday, a skiing excursion with Matilda, and Sunday evening with Kogners, Alex, and Matilda. I'm grateful for good friends, a good church, and a loving and forgiving God.

  Life is beautiful.

Off to work I go...

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I hate titles. They are so incredibly important, but I can never ever think of a good one, and therefore hate them. When I write e-mails I always leave the subject out because I dislike using clichés and subjects and titles are evil traps for clichés. hmm, random, but it has been on my mind all day so....

  Okay, on to something else, Christofer has been getting the car stuck recently, yep, on Wednesday we went to say goodbye to Andrea, youngest Karltorp, who is moving to Malmö, and it was just another common Swedish day, which means snow falling in feet! So, we came to his family's driveway and it looked, well, we couldn't really see the driveway at all, so I suggested we park on the road and walk the half mile up, well, Christofer was, as always, stressed because he had five jobs lined up and it was already mid afternoon so he started driving up. The driveway is long and the first challenge is a little curving hill, well he didn't make it up and instead starting sliding to the side and getting stuck in about three feet of snow! I jumped out shoveled around it with my hands and we were able to back down, well, he couldn't really see anything since the driveway was buried so I walked besides him telling him where the tire tracks were. About more than halfway out of danger he started picking up speed and was just about to make when he slid right off and into even more snow. I was standing in front watching and couldn't help but laugh. It looked so funny! Well, we both started digging and pushing and pulling but it didn't work and we ended up walking up anyway and Gunnar, Christofer's dad, had to pull us out with the tractor. Well, this morning we slept in and had breakfast together since Christofer has been working until 10 almost every night and I don't have to work today. Well, anyway about a half hour after he had left he called me and told me that he had been stuck in our driveway for over 20 mins but he didn't call me because he kept thinking he was almost out! He is so silly! But ahh, it at least gave us something to laugh about!

  Today I have about a mile high pile of clothes to wash and three sink loads of dishes to scrub, but the sun is shinning and I am itching to go skiing, so I'm thinking about forcing Christofer to come home before it gets dark and making him go with me. After all he probably put in a 50hr week in four days so he should take some time off. Don't you agree? I do, whole heartedly! Now, off to a productive day!

Girls just wanna have fun!

The weekend flew by once again. On Saturday I ended up joining Linn and Andrea on Linn's recurring quest to find a wedding dress. She actually found her dream dress, but it unfortunately didn't have a dream price tag. She was a little discouraged and we were all very cold, that being that it was -18c outside, but then Andrea took us to 'Stockholm's best coffee place' and that cheered us all up! We then all three used one subway ticket to take the subway to try and find our way to Stockholm's bridal trade show, after finding our way to Slussen, we took a buss and Andrea and I tried reading the signs as they zoomed on by. We ended up getting off at the right stop and still a little worried that we might not find it Andrea and I ended up asking three girls holding pink paper bags if they knew where the bridal show was, they informed us in a rather short tone that it was right around the corner and there were large archways at the entrance. Andrea said we could blame our stupidity on me since I was from America, thanks a lot. Upon entering we were met by quite a crowd and lots of people trying to sell things. Since they often wanted to talk to the Bride, that being Linn, Andrea and I went around eating the candy, which almost every stand had, and filling out almost every contest. Our labor was not in vain however, because I actually won! Yep, we had just finished up drinking free espresso's with dark chocolate and we went back to a stand that had a drawing and my name was on the board. Of course they spelled it was wrong, but I was given hair products worth up to 600kr, at least thats what he claimed it was worth. I gave Linn the wedding magazine since that came along with it and Linn charmed one of the guys into giving Andrea a magazine as well. We ended the round with sorbet and Linn trying on a rather ugly but cheap wedding dress, so perhaps it wasn't the most successful day but it was fun and the best part was that we found a band that might possible be the band for the wedding, and of course it is always fun to spend some quality time with my sister-in-laws. It was only poor Caroline whom was missing, I bet she is having an absolutely awful time in Ohio ;)

Off to make some chocolate chip cookies.