Spring is Bustin' Out All Over!

Love the flowering trees!
Wish they lasted longer!

Dandelions! 

I have never seen such huge and healthy
dandelions as are here in Norway!  

We finally stopped and took a picture
of this rock bridge on the way to Mandal.

Have I mentioned how much water there
is here?

Tulips in Oddbjørg's rock garden.

(The hill is rock)

Many homes have real rock gardens.

A unique flower pot

Spring green is the best!

All kinds of new life.

Airing out the dynes.  If we lived in an upstairs

 apartment, I would be airing ours out too.

Syttende Mai

Every country has a national day but probably very few of them are so enthusiastically and uniquely celebrated like May 17, in Norway.
Parades, children, flags, hot dogs, ice cream and bunads
are all part of the celebrations!  Everyone dresses up - men in
suits, women in bunads or other dresses.
(It's about the only day that the missionaries don't stand out.)

The streets were so crowded!  These
people had a bird's eye view of the parade.

Bunads - the national costumes.

There are many different bunads -
 depending on which area of Norway you are from.

They are all very beautiful and very expensive!
The silver jewelry, buttons and decorations
 alone, cost about $3000.00

This is a picture of Elders Drage and Dalton,
in Oslo, with girls wearing bunads from several
areas.

We were invited to the Torjesen's for

breakfast and to the celebrations in Søgne.

We love this family!

We attended the flag ceremony first thing in the morning.

Bishop and Ida McFadzeans with Åse
and three of the cute McFadzean kids.


May 17, was a Sunday so only Sacrament Mtg.
was held.  It was so fun to see so many dressed
in the national costumes.

Miriam and this cutie!

Carlos.  Love his toothless smile!

Tone, Ingvild and Emma
Ingvild made these beautiful bunads
for herself and her daughters.

Ingvild and Emma

May 17th is also the last day of Russ. Russ is the monthlong celebration for those in their last year of high school.
They all dress in red overalls and have freedom to do 
whatever and act however they want to.  We didn't witness  anything too bad - just a couple of girls "walking" dead fish
 down the sidewalk.  
We hear it can get pretty crazy sometimes.

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Lilacs are in full bloom! 
 Lilacs always bring back memories of Memorial Day
 because growing up in Ephraim, Mary and I would pick lilac blossoms, put them in quart canning jars and decorate the graves with them.

Haylie, Macie, Tate and Cade
decorated the graves in Arizona.

Mandy was in Idaho and took a drive to
Hyrum to decorate Mom's grave.


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Loving Springtime in Norway!