long lost ancestors!!!

I am sitting on a ferry heading back to Bergen from Stavanger. What a funny interesting time we had in Stavanger!

We arrived at the airport and our distant relatives on dad’s side, Bergie and Carrie were waiting for us. We rented a car (ps: don’t ever rent a car in another country- hugest hassle ever…) and followed them to their home. Carrie is the one who documented our geneology years ago so she had lots of photos and so much cool information about our ancestors. We read some remarkable old letters from a woman named Anna who settled in North Dakota in the 1800s (this Anna is the woman who links us to Norway). Her notes home were so powerful to me, and it really made me feel guilty about ever being homesick! She was so depressed for the first many letters- she wrote a great deal about how she is looking to the Lord and Savior, she quoted a LOT of hymns, and she ended with prayers and reminders that ‘God is in control’. It was so inspiring and moving. How brave they were to travel to a new world not knowing if they would EVER see their families again. It just amazes me how strong these young people had to be… she was just 26, and I think that is older compared to how young some people where when they came over.
Bergie and Carrie’s children came for a late lunch, as well as her sister and her brother-in-law (they were my favorite… 70s, great English and hilarious). We ate, had 3, Yes THREE, deserts over the course of the next 4 hours and it was a lovely afternoon of visiting.

We went to our hotel in Stavanger and dropped off our stuff then we went into town for a bit of food. (Nachos! Yum!) The following day –today- we drove to the island of Rennesoy, the island my cousin Rennesoy is named after. It was soo beautiful! It was the cutest country area with cows, sheep and pasture everywhere, not to mention rolling hills and the ocean and mountains in the distance. We pulled into the driveway of the address that was my dad’s ancestor’s homestead and asked for Svien. . . conversation after that was very interesting. We stablished they were our relatives we were looking for but couldn’t speak a word of English. So the man and woman went on and on in Norwegian. Then suddenly the man tapped dads shoulder and pointed to his car, then to our car and waved to follow him. We followed him to another house where we found his daughter-in-law who could speak great English. She showed us her home and some old family heirlooms. Eventually we went back to Svein’s and had some pancakes with him and his wife and another cousin (or something) came over to translate. What a hilarious morning.

The rest of the afternoon was spent searching for the stupid car rental drop off, and shopping in the over priced boutiques. Definitely no purchases made today. But I am happy to say that Norway is my favorite place to see so far. I adore the mountains and the beauty it offers, but its nice to have a city right in with all the nature. I’ve been in so many busy bustling cities that are starting to seem like just streets and buildings that I am so glad to be in nature again. I have found that my favorite vacationing is outside in the thick of creation. Being in majorly populated cities all the time really makes me feel my small town girl come out. :)