11 days to school and Counting....

So I haven't blogged since we had the big Year anniversary. Yeah I am a terrible person. BUT I will update you now! (I know it is not the same but give me credit for trying.)

 March: Tyler and Andrew had birthday's and got the Priesthood.

 April: General Conference! Whooo. Tyler and I also had the opportunity to go to Balliaden, which is basically the Norwegian version of Youth Conference. We went down to Oslo and spent three nights sleeping in a school. There were a few dances and activities during the day, Tyler and I took an electronic and scrap booking class together. We also moved across town, which meant we had a lot of help from the great missionaries here! (they help us/others move a lot)

 May: I TURNED 17!!

Which means I have had two birthday's here in Norway. I can now,  uh... nothing fancy comes with 17 like it does with other birthdays, like dating or anything.(Dang it) My brothers did make me and my dad a cake. It had a balloon in the center, which I suspected, so I had my dad cut it. Thankfully it didn't explode (it was sad for my brothers) instead the layer of frosting just collapsed into the hole. I took my Math test. The first part was way easy, everyone finished early (including me). The second part was RIDICULOUSLY hard NO-ONE finished including the geniuses in my class. Then I had to sit back and wait until July to find out if I passed. And just because I can you will have to wait too. (Don't worry it is only a few lines down) Also in May was the 17. Mai, or Norwegian National day. That was a lot of fun. We spent it with friends, possibly missionaries, it is all a blur.  OH also in May we had about 80 youth from the stake, come up to see Trondheim. (It was the first time for several) We took them all on a tour by giving them a scavenger hunt. Then they spent the night, went to church with us the next day and then left! So it was a good, 20 hours with the youth.

June: This was the most pointless month of school EVER I spent a full month doing science experiments and talking about a huge report. About the second week of June all classes except Chemistry and Physics were pretty much cancled. Then the last week we just had one meeting about the report, then we were supposed to come to school the other days and work on it by ourselves. Yeah that didn't happen. We came to school but one day someone brought an X-box and I learned how to play that. Another day we walked around town, by the river, and up by the University. So yeah pointless weeks of school.  We also had a long weekend so we went to the Atlantic Coast Highway, as a family.

This is a bridge we have to cross before we get to the Atlantic highway.

BEAUTIFUL Views of the ocean.

Look at this!! 

These are called God's rays, we saw them the whole time because it had rained while we were there. 

We found jelly fish but were afraid to touch them with our hands.

Here is the actual bridge that is so famous. We crossed over this twice.

This is Trollstigen, it translates to Troll's Ladder

July: On July 2nd my Grandpa McKenzie came!! Yay! We took tours of the city with him! We went to Hell, because no tour of Norway is complete without a trip to Hell.

So because this is the ocean, it will eventually get to the US!  

So I wrote messages to everyone. 

These are the 7 sisters of Geiranger. They are all unwed, but have been asked several times. They just refuse the suitor from across the fjord.

This is the suitor. After being rejected 7 times he has turned to the bottle for solace.

Geiranger fjord!!!! From the top of the hill. It was a big fjord and big hill!

We had picnics, in the rain.

a closer view of Trollstigen

 So Just enjoy a quick over view. We went to the armory, the Nideros Cathedral, Geiranger Fjord, Trollstigen - That was a lot of fun, and an aquarium. It was a lot of fun to go out and explore Norway.
July 4th was a holiday in the US, but I celebrated here too. I found out that I passed my Math exam!!! I PASSED!! I was so am happy.

Watch out for trolls. 

What else in July. Ummm, I started working on the report. I chose to do it in English, I am writing about how Fantasy heroes are poor role models in real life. It has to be 4000 words. I am currently at 2, 6-something-something.

August: Worked a lot on the essay. I am also coming up on to school, I start again on the 19th!! AAAARRRGGGGHHHGG!! I don't know if I want it to come yet or not! The week before school starts I get to go to a meeting where I learn how to welcome the new kids. I get to show them around the school and make them play get to know you games with each other.

Things coming up: Skylee turns 8 in September and will get baptized. And Nothing else exciting!

Thanks for reading! And I will try to keep this more updated, but I can't promise anything with all my homework that I expect to come.

Love to everyone!!!! 

Alysha

1 year (et År)

Oh my goodness. I have been in Norway for one year. ONE YEAR. I cannot believe what has happened! Where has the time gone?!?!?!
To celebrate I am going to do a list of what has happened (main things mind you) to me and the fam in the past year:
March
I went to the Declo "I haven't got a clue" play and the next day or so drove down to Salt Lake to get on an airplane.
Flew to Washington D.C.
Landed in GERMANY!! (yeah I got to see Germany!! Of course it was just the Frankfurt airport, but still German soil.)
Got my passport stamped in Hell!
Started Norwegian Public school, it actually wasn't that bad and I learned basic Norwegian really quickly.
April
Went to Oslo and was able to attend the confrence in which the second stake of Norway was organized.
Snowed on April 1, I thought it was a very cruel joke.
May
I turned 16!! I had the Sister missionaries over for cake.
We celebrated our first 17 Mai, or Norwegian national day.
June
I was accepted into the International Baccalaureate program.
I gave my first talk (and so far only) in Norwgian.
Wittnessed the "Midnight Sun" actually it was only about 11:30 but close enough
July
Summer break began!!!
I went to EFY all by my self (I sound like a little kid there "I'm a big kid now!") It was in Sweden and was a ton of fun!!
Honestly I don't remember much about July I assume we did a lot of hiking and lazing around.
August
I started the IB program. Which I am now determined to get through no matter how hard it gets. :/
And I am pretty sure that during July and August we mostly just hung around Trondheim and went exploring. I honestly can't remember what else.
September
Skylee turned 7
This was also our 200 day anniversary!
October
Halloween here isn't much but I dressed up as the Queen of Hearts!!
November
I went down to a Super Saturday with the youth in Oslo, there was a dance. It was a bit of a let down, because I was new everyone avoided me.
We had a ward Thanksgiving party which was pretty fun!
December
Secret Santa began!
Shortest day of the year, it was also one of the coldest. My mom insisted we got pictures out in the freezing windy weather.
We had a typical Norwegian dinner of Ribbe (ribs)
Christmas of course was a big part of this month (how could it not have been?) I got a camera!! We also had the threesome of Elders over to Skype/google/call their families.
New Years Eve party that was TOTALLY WICKED!! We had all the missionaries (about 10) over, along with a friend who lives here and is married to a Norwegian but is origionally from Texas, and another friend. So our house was full to bursting.
January
Exhastion  from New Years Eve Party didn't last long! My insane family all joined the Polar Bear Club (and in my opinon the crazy club) by jumping in the fjord!!!!!
I can't remember what else happened in January isn't that terrible?
February
I went to the Stockholm temple! It is really little on the inside only 6 youth can be back at a time.
Started to watch and get hooked on Doctor Who, the television series, I am not that far yet so don't say anything if you watch it a lot.
ummm...nothing really happens now, things are slowing down with the winter.
March
Ok. this is more recent I should do better. :D
We found ourselves a house! We are moving across town, our landlord decided to rebuild his current house and needs some where to live; namely our house.
Tyler turned 14!! A.J. is almost (on the 16th) 12! Which means those two will advance (recieve) in the Priesthood on the 17th together!

Ok that last one was a bit ahead of the time but it is exciting and upcoming times now!
I will be going to Balliaden which is kinda like Youth Conference.
I will be taking my Math Exam in May and (cross your fingers) passing it. Because I really don't want to take it next year.
I will be turning 17 in May!
The youth in Trondheim are responsible for a dance in May. All the youth in Oslo will come visit us.
Some of our friends here in Norway are getting married in June!
School ends for the summer in June! (about time too)
Grandparents will be coming for visits during the summer.
August will be the start of my SENIOR year!!!
Skylee will be baptized in September!!
And of course Christmas in December is always looked forward too. :D

All in All it has been a pretty good year this past year and I am looking forward to more to come!


P.S. A few things that didn't have an excat date to them from our past year.
We got to meet our 3rd (? yeah his grandma and my grandma are cousins) cousin Elder Argyle! I honestly don't know what his first name is.
I am now doing Seminary in Norwegian (that is a weird thought, only Norwegian.)
Tyler and Skylee can speak more Norwegian than me. :( But I am practicing!!
I got a few babysitting jobs so I can buy candy and presents for birthdays. (the candy is mine not for birthdays)
I started helping out at the local English elementary school. I help with the Preschoolers afterschool program, the kids are all really cute! They call me Miss Mack because they can't say "Miss McKenzie" I think it is too many m's and "s, z, c" sounds.
I became friends with a Canadian! Imagine that I travel half way around the world and the person I get along best with is from Canada. It's kinda ironic.

But yeah that is my year in review, and a bit of a look on my future year. I hope everyone has the best of times in their future and can remember more about their past year than me. :D Wishing everyone a fantabulous Spring break (coming up I know) and A great day!
Alysha