It's you, Anki!

(this is NOT an advertisement, but when you find something good, you should share it, right?)

I have spent a good chunk of time laughing at my husband as he sits (seemingly) endlessly clicking his way through his daily portion of Anki.

And now I am seeing the light and joining in!

Aren't you curious what Anki is?! 

http://ankisrs.net/index.html

So here's the deal.  Anki is a program for computers and smart phones, that lets you make and sift through flash cards.  Sounds simple, right?

As you go through each card, you decide whether you need to repeat the card or have already got it down pat...and it will act accordingly and either increase or decrease that card's amount of repeating.

I am a terrible memorizer, but this has really helped me in my 2013 goal to memorize a lot more scripture!

Praise the Lord for his word, which gives us life.....

And thank you Lord for programs like Anki.

Now, are you ready to join me and memorize scripture together?

Do I dare?

While my parents were visiting for Christmas, my dad shared in our church, and once again I heard him say (as I have heard many many times from him) how important scripture memory is.

And this time I want to really do something about it.

1 verse a day, 365 days.....

This will include some verses that I "know" but may not know well, or don't know the chapter or verse.

Please feel free to comment with some verses you think I should memorize this year!

Can I do it?!  Don't know but it is worth a try!

Here are the verses from week one:

Psalm 90:14

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 

Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? But to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

2 Corinthians 4:18
as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

  

Lamentations 3:22-23
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;  great is your faithfulness.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8,9For by grace you have been saved through faith—and this not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not a result of works,  so that no one may boast.

Olof and Hanna's wedding!

When my now-husband Daniel was dating me, he invited me to come to Sweden to meet his family. 

I also got to meet a lot of his friends and try to find out if Daniel really was the great guy he seemed to be (yes, he IS). 

One of Daniel's first friends that I got to meet was a sun-browned blond haired guy wearing jeans shorts that were rolled up (let's just say that was not a typical American trend), who took us out flying over Varberg in a  3 person airplane! We had to pick him up because he didnt have his own car to get there....(and still doesnt). 

And that is the Olof that just got married last week...Congratulations, Olof and Hanna!

Both of their fathers, who are Lutheran priests,  shared in leading the service.  

A few memorable bits from the wedding...

Olof shouting his "I DO!", and Hanna sweetly tearfully answering with her vows. 

Several sweet harmonious songs, including a Keith Green song I have never heard in Swedish before. 

A very cold hip hip hurrah out on the church steps followed by some glogg (cider) to warm up with. 

I don't know if they forgot or chose not to do it, but there was no "you may kiss the bride" moment...

Notice here, Hanna's little crown that was pinned in her hair...very sweet and very Swedish?

It's cold but they are both so happy!

Ha, at least this couple has some common sense.  Last week at Gothenburg's amusement park  Liseberg, we saw a bride walking around with a strapless dress and no jacket in below freezing weather!  

Nice matching scarves...

My sweet husband being blocked by the apple cider bottle.  It was a luxury for us to be out without the kiddos, and we enjoyed it!

And then comes the food, skits, speeches, and even some dancing!

Everyone is busy reading the wedding booklets....something that America should start doing...it is a really cool habit!

Apparently Hanna's family are big board game kind of people, so the bride and groom got to play a life sized board game with each of the guests as the spaces to move around on...it was fun to see them both creatively cheat to try to get to the finish line first. 

And just in case the food was not enough, there was a huge table of cakes, which i think were made by various relatives.  That is also a cool tradition that America needs to consider!

Not just one little bride and groom statue, but four!

 Olof and Hanna, if you read this, thanks for letting us come to your wedding!  What a wonderful evening, and we wish you a lifetime of serving and loving God and each other!

In summary, some things that are cool/unique about Swedish weddings:
The wedding booklet
The family made cakes
cool flowers in the hair
lots of funny skits
(this wedding even had a little book in each toilet stall for guests to sign their "well wishes")
The fact that often the waitresses and waiters are volunteer friends who then usually get others to repay the favor when their own family members get married.
When the bride goes out of the room all the single girls are allowed to come and kiss the groom (usually on the cheek), and vice versa.

Gingerbread men and houses

Swedish people take their Christmas gingerbread very seriously.  

(I haven't found Molasses anywhere here, and their little g.men and women are usually thin and crispy, so there are some big differences from American gingerbread!)

 The family gets together (as much as is possible), heaps of dough are made and at the ready, and off we go.

Lydia is finally old enough to enjoy making shapes, seeing the process, and eating enormous amounts of gingerbread cookies...

 Markus, not quite ready to help.  He spent most of his time being dressed up in his sister's apron and hair cover, chewing on the plastic cookie cutters and rolling pins, and being cute.

 And then we discovered this beauty...Ikea makes and sells plenty of furniture that you have to assemble yourself, but did you know that they sell gingerbread kits with a great step by step assembly book!  I was NOT disappointed.

Here's a step by step glance of our house building...

1.  Make sure all the pieces are there!  *I wonder if Ikea would give us a free replacement door or roof if one piece was missing like they do with real furniture?*

2.  Get the "goods" and don't eat them yet!

 3.  BE VERY CAREFUL....I have never seen this in America but it works great!  Melted sugar is a much better cement than icing, and works almost immediately.  No more waiting three hours for the walls and roof to "dry" together.  But on the other hand, hot melted sugar burns can really hurt.

 Here is the assembled kit.  Hands are unburnt, house is stuck together better than crazy glue, and here we go!

 My sweet Mother in law Monica was also doing a house...and Lydia ran back and forth helping both of us.

Green?  Bold choice for a roof...is it gonna work out?

 Markus wants to help with the icing process...ha, no way!

 Lydia is delighted to get a piece of broken candy cane....

 And here's the final result! Lydia and Markus spelled out with black licorice...

And here is Farmor's sweet house...which looked much sweeter with a layer of fresh snow all around and some little people standing outside.

And we are still trying to eat up the last bits of gingerbread men.  I am confident Lydia is up for the job. 

Christmas 2012

Where to start!?  This was a full and FUN Christmas!

Blogs are like plants...they seem to get a little wilty when they are neglected, and man they need regular care!

But the care is worthwhile as they bloom (i.e. share our lives with those few people who read this blog. )

    This Christmas, my parents came to visit, and it as a sweet time!

This is Lydia's new skill, "over-cheesing".  We're working on it....

We spent half of the time in big old Gothenburg, and half of the time in Horred, a wee little town in the countryside.  And when you are in the countryside, you have time and space to make stuff like this:

Jonas is helping Lydia with some finishing touches....

More to come....