Christmas year 2002

The Christmas letter-writing season is back. Another year has passed by, and as last year (and years before that), we often wonder why time is passing by so fast.

More of our Danish friends have left the area in the beginning of this year:

In April Veronika and Finn left Baltimore and went back to Denmark. Finn was on his way back to Crisplant in Denmark to start he new job as Service Manager World Wide.

Konnor, Andrea and Thomas left in May heading for Tennessee, where Andrea has most of her family. They had been talking about moving to Tennessee for some time.

In July Sofie, Kim and Gitte left. They stayed in Denmark for a short while, and later they ended up in Stockholm where Kim now is working for Crisplant (Arlanda Airport) as Site Manager.

It became a little quieter after this, but of course, life goes on. This way we possibly got to know more US friends.

We have had visitors from Denmark: During Eastern we had our lifelong friends the Family Rafn here for 10 days. We had not seen each other for more than 2 years, because the Rafn’s left from Aarhus June 10. 2000 on a circumnavigation of the globe on the ship Naveren. They returned to Aarhus 1 year later, and at that time, we had left for the US. The ship Naveren is still out there in the Pacific if you want to check the web page www.naveren.dk. It was nice to see the Rafn’s again. We went to NY/NY and the Niagara Falls. It was cold but very beautiful at the Falls with all the ice

The first week of our summer vacation we spend at Myrtle Beach in SC. After Myrtle Beach Peter, Lone, Anne Sofie and Nicolai stayed with us in Walkersville for 2 weeks. Again, we visited NY/NY and stayed there for a couple of days. The drive from here is only 4 hours.

In September, John’s Sister Kirsa and her boyfriend Lars came to visit us. They had started their vacation in NY/NY so our kids were happy they didn’t have to go back to NY again. Kirsa and Lars spent a week with us.

It was nice to see our family and our friends again. They all brought snacks with them from Denmark. Here in the US we can get nearly everything, but specialties like: rye bread mix, vanilla sucker, special pudding rice AND the Danish cheese.

Our kids has had a good year too. They all develop as expected. We are hoping that spending 2 years in a multiethnic society as this, will give them enough understanding towards the fact that not only blue eyed an blonds are the correct types.

We said goodbye to Line in July when Peter and Lone left. Line is now living together with Peter and Lone. She had to attend to 10th grade in Denmark to prepare for the Gymnasium. Not only Line but also Jakob, Anna and Emma misses each other, which has made them understand how important it is to take care of each other. Line is today a very sensible teenager who has learned to adapt herself and merge into another family without any problems. She (AND the rest of the family) have learned a lot by being apart for 6 month! Line will join us for Christmas: we gave her an air ticket (CPH to Dulles) for her 16 years birthday Nov.22. She is very exited about coming back for 2 weeks, and so is her US friends! Bedstemor (Besse) is coming with her, and we are all looking FW to see them both.

Jakob is now 13 and growing! He is close being taller than Charlotte, but still not as strong as her. (Yet). The hormones are a little disturbing to him, and makes him a real teenager. Luckily wise one of the more pleasant ones. Jakob’s confirmation is in May, so we have been in contact with our Danish priest, and she has sent us in church here as a prep for Jakob.

Anna is also getting taller. She herself is certain that she now is taller than Besse. That's possibly true, but only when Anna is measuring by herself. She is still talking (and talking and talking …) as she has always done. She mixes English and Danish a lot when she speaks with us. Anna have a sense of humor so when Anna and John watches funny movies there is a lot of noise! Anna is still scouting and she has got a lot of proficiency badges this year, so her uniform is nearly full. She participated in a 1 weeks scout camp this summer. Charlotte also spent 4 days helping. Emma was there too and had lots of fun. Schools goes well for Anna. She writes and reads in English.

Emma has really learned the English language this year. She speaks English without problems, and like Anna she has started to mix Danish and English when speaking Danish. Emma has every week been 4 times in Kinder care at the YMCA, while Charlotte has been exercising.

For the time being Charlotte is taking care of Sarah in the morning and after school. Sarah is Emma’s friend, and the daughter of our friends. Emma is really happy to have Sarah here to play with. The only really problem we have had during these 2 years was that Emma didn’t have any friends in the neighbor hood. Emma still speaks about her friends from the Danish Kindergarten even she doesn't remember any of the kids from there. Emma also does not know how our house at Strindbergsvej in Denmark looks, but of course when thinking about it: Emma has spend more than ½ of her life here in the US.

Charlotte is doing well too. This year has passed by fast. She is now used to be a house wife, which she finds very pleasant. She has to learn to be more efficient again, cause only 2 things to do can often be a load for her. She is really looking FW to get back to Denmark again. Mostly to start working and to start playing EURO Handball. The scale is telling that she has lost 23 pounds since May, so she is really fit for fight on the Old Girls Handball Team!

John must have been an American in his former life. He does not want to go back to Denmark at all. Also John has lost weight: 16 pounds.

Charlotte and the kids are leaving January 9 and arriving in Aarhus January 10. John will leave a little later. He isn't ready to leave together with the rest of the family.

Our furniture's wont arrive in Denmark before February, and it is the plan that John will arrive some few days later. So our house will be nearly empty until furniture's arrives. Friends and family has promised to help out with temporary furniture's and so on.