Handy Andy is back!!

Yes - Handy Andy has returned to the Rasmussen household.

For those of you who follow this blog regulary, you will know that my husband is wild about motor sport and he himself races every week with a bunch of other crazy people. He has been wanting, for months, to change our wee office into a racing car setup. Well today he did it!


When he told me what he wanted to do today I thought it was a great idea.

We could take the opportunity to clear out some of the rubbish we had collected over the years. So while Kristian worked on taking the computer apart, I sorted through boxes and sorted out the office. (still have 1 shelf to finish - amazing the stuff that can be stored in one wee office.)

I found some interesting things - a box filled with about 250 cassette tapes. These were our "letters" to each other while we were getting to know each other. When we started corresponding with each other (all those years ago) we sent a tape once a week, then as we got to know each other better it was twice a week. When we got engaged it was every other day that we made tapes to each other. It´s been 18 years since we have heard these tapes. Would be fun to lock ourselves away a weekend and listen to them!
I also found a box filled with love letters, cards, and emails, that we had sent to each other through the years. Finding all this was getting me all sentimental and I was not getting very much clearing up done.

I finally got myself going again and finished the clearing up. Meanwhile Krsitian worked at different set-ups for his car. Finially he got one that he thinks he´s happy with.

I think it looks rather ugly (sorry honey, but that´s the truth - looks better sitting in the car seat looking out!) - anyway I made a quick trip to Ikea this evening to buy some curtains.

When he´s not racing we can pull the curtains and hide his ugly "car" away.

I have had one last idea...I am thinking of painting the walls around the "car" like a racing track. When Kristian is sitting in his seat it will feel like he is looking out the window at a racing track. (Well that is the idea, don´t know if it will work in practise - probably could do with some help from you Lorraine!) So I might get started on that to-morrow.

I have a very happy wee husband tonight (bless his heart!) But truthfully, isn´t it ugly??? Let me know what you think girls!!

On the move again

Since arriving home from Ireland we have just been on the move. It has been so nice to have a few hours at home each day, (so Kristian could look for jobs) and then leave the heat of the apartment and visit friends and familiy, or just go out into the country side and enjoy Gods wondeful nature.

Today was another day for getting on the move. The weather was fantastic - 30 degrees, a little too warm for being indoors, we just had to get out.

Well, the morning started with a wee celebration. It was Winnie´s (Sara´s friends) 18th Birthday so we just had to make a few surprises for her. She was totally not expecting anything as she held a party a few weeks ago and got presents from us all. But you can´t wake up the morning of your birthday to nothing. So I had a look through my gift box (I have a box filled with things that I have bought on sale, that would do as a present,) I had a few things that would do an 18 year old girl. So we wrapped them up and decorated the house. We woke her by singing to her. She was just soooo surprised.

After a quick breakfast we drove the 3 friends up to Winnie´s parents at their caravan. They would spend the day with Winnie´s family celebrating her birthday.

Leah was not home as she was staying overnight at her cousins. Andrew was going over to his friends, so that left Kristian and I with a morning to ourselves. (We had been up early this morning, so by 10 am we had taxied everyone to were they should be.) So after we dropped Sara and her friends off we decided we would drive the coast road home. It was just sooo beautiful that we HAD to stop the car and go for a walk. We enjoyed sometime walking, and sometime just sitting appreciating the nature around us. It was soooo wonderful.

We could have stayed there all day but decided we better head into one of the big towns and do some shopping for Andrews birthday. (He has a birthday in 1 week!) So that´s what we did. It was such a cosy town, really old buildings. I´m not saying if we bought Andrew anything or not....just in case he´s reading this!! But we had fun!!

After an hours shopping we were straving....but all the restaurants and cafés were so exspensive. So we decided to buy a hot dog - more along our budget!!! They were absolutely delicious, (I don´t usually like the taste of Danish sausages,) but I suppose anything tastes good when you´re hungry.

Don´t know why Kristian is looking so sad and disappointed in the picture below. He loved his hot dog!!

Now we have been home a few hours. Kristian has been looking for more jobs to apply for and I have been updating my blog. (something I don´t do too often!! haha)

We are both about to boil over with the heat - it is 32 degree´s in our apartment and we have all our windows and doors open. (that doesn´t seem to help at all!)

We shortly will head out again, we need to go and collect Leah at her cousins and they have invited us to stay for dinner. (Another night out on the town eating!! Love it!)
So no doubt there will be more updates later!!

Taxi Driver

If you´re a parent I am sure you know exactly what I mean by the title - taxi driver. We spend a lot of time taxi-ing kids from one place to another. Normally it´s Sara who is being taxied around, but today it was Leah´s turn. Leah had been invited down to her cousins house on the farm to spend the night with the dog, cats, kittens, horses, rabbits and off course her cousin Annie. So late afternoon we drove down to Kristian´s brothers house and dropped Leah off.

Annie and Leah

Anders (Kristian´s brother) and Kristian - I can never get a photo of Anders without him making a crazy face.

Before going down with Leah we went by our good friends Jette and Filip to visit them and their little son Jonatan. We spent a lovely afternoon with the three of them, sitting out in their garden eating danish pastry!!

Sara has two friends staying here - Winnie and Thomas. It is Winnie´s 18th birthday tomorrow. We have a few surprises planned for Winnie in the morning, before we drive all three of them up to the camp site so they can spend the day with Winnie and her family. (Taxi drivers yet again!!)

Living it up

We are really living it up these days. Another evening spent out, eating at someone elses place....I really could get used to this! haha

Today started with a good lie in to recover from our fun night at Anne and Peters. While we were lazying around trying to decide what we should do, the phone rang. It was Krisian´s sister Hanne. She was wondering if we had any plans for today and if not, would we like to come down to a BBQ with them. Didn´t take us long to make up our minds - Hanne is a brilliant cook!! So late afternoon we headed down to spend some time with them. We ate a delicious dinner and spent the evening being cosy with them out on their balcony.

Flemming (Hanne´s husband) looking after the grill.

Christine (our niece) and Hanne (Kristian´s sister).

Leah and Christine.

Me trying to look cool!

Kristian with big sister Hanne.

Kristian enjoying a ice coffee drink that Flemming made.

When the evening got a bit cooler, we moved into the living room for a cold coffee drink. Wasn´t sure if I liked the drink (sorry Flemming!) but then again I don´t like coffee! Christian (our nephew) and his girlfriend, Tanja, also came by. (Good to see you guys!)

It was such a cosy evening! It was hard to stop talking and head home. It is actually really late as I write this. (Like 1.30am!!) Ah well, the holidays are coming to an end and we´ll all soon be in bed at a reasonable hour! Thanks Hanne and Flemming for a great evening.

Family fun night

Every now and then we hold a family fun night with my crazy friend Anne,(see picture below) husband Peter and their two boys Emil og Lasse. Us women and kids go a little crazy, while the men, (a bit more sensible,) sit together and solve the worlds problems.

We usually start by eating together. The weather was so lovely yesterday that we sat out in their garden. With such lovely weather, lovely company, a couple of Play Stations, and a Wii machine it was bound to be a great night!!

After eating we played some games out on the grass and then ventured inside to try out their new Wii machine. We don´t have one so we were all looking forward to having a go - what a laugh we had.

Here we have Emil and Lasse racing against each other

My lovely, crazy friend Anne.

My turn to try out the Wii machine. (My favourite was tennis)

Time for a break, some coffee/tea and some ice cream.
It was a really brilliant night, filled with chatter and laughter, as always. They really are special people, who we love to be together with. The evening flew by and we left their place a 1.15am this morning!! Thanks for a great night you guys!!

The Final Countdown

It was finally the last 24 hours in wee Northern Ireland. I dont know were the 2 weeks went - they just flew by. It has been a great 2 weeks and I have come to realise that even though you take the girl out of Northern Ireland, you can NEVER take Nothern Ireland out of the girl!

Our last day was a busy one. We spent some of the morning up at my mum´s grave. It is 7 years ago today that she died. I can´t believe it is that long. Even after all this time I still miss her. It´s strange not having her around. You always knew where you stood with mum, she told you her mind! Yet she was so full of fun and laughter, you couldn´t help having fun around her. She was a true servant, loved to do things for you, nothing was too much trouble for her. She loved us with all her heart, we never doubted that. So we spent a bit of time today, remembering her.




It was then home for a quick lunch before starting the job I hate the most -PACKING to go home! We (the WE being Sara and Leah!) had so much stuff from Primark,that I was really worried we weren´t going to get it all fitted in the cases. But with a little help from THE MAN below, (not the devil - I mean the man in the picture...Kristian!) we got it sorted.

With the packing finally finished it was off to the Subway for a feast, at least for Sara, Andrew, Leah and me. Dad and Kristian went off to some chip shop to get a fish supper. (Yes - Kristians third one in the last 4 days, how disgusting is that!)

Just before we left for the bus, Billy, Winnie and Maud called in. ("Old" friends of the family.) It was soooo good to see them. Some things in life just dont change and Billy is one of them. He is a real comedian and he had us all in fits with his stories and jokes. (Forgot to get a picture of them!)

Finally it was off to the bus station to get the 9 o´clock bus to Dublin Airport. A looooong night lay ahead of us at the airport, as our flight was first at 6.40 am.

A rare happening in Northern Ireland

Today we awoke to something very rare in Northern Ireland - blue skies and sunshine!! It`s the first ray of sunshine we have seen since arriving 10 days ago!! We were all on a high and just had to get out and explore the country side....

Our journey took us up north to the coast. We stopped first at the Giants Causeway. What can I say - breathtaking as always!! I stand in awe at the beauty there. I just love that place! I will let the pictures speak for themselves...

On our way back to the car I happened to hear some people speaking Danish. How funny - some other Danes in wee Northern Ireland. So I went over and spoke to them, (much to my kids embarrassment). The Danes also looked a bit stunned, wasn`t too much conversation out off them! (They had probably been saying something nasty about someone, thought no-one could understand them, and then I popped up and said "Hello, now there`s a language I understand!" Poor Danes didn`t know what had hit them!! haha)

We drove further on around the coast road to Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge. You actually have to pay to get across the rope bridge so we dropped that idea, but decided to walk down to it and have a look. However we didn`t make it the whole way down (what a walk there was!). The weather was quickly changing and rain was on it`s way. Kristian should have been a weather man, he predicted that within 20 minutes we would have rain. He thought we should head back. He was right. We just made it back to the car when the rain came on. It didn`t last long and by the time we drove round to Portrush, the sun was out again.

By now we were straving, so we found a nice wee restaurant. I did something today that is a very rare happening in my life....I ordered an Ulster Fry. It was delicious. Tasted just the way my mum made it.

Since we arrived here, Kristian has been dying for fish and chips. Today his wish was fulfilled.

After dinner it was a quick trip down the main street of Portrush. I love all those wee knick-knack shops. Then we headed down to the beach and had some fun running away from the waves before they hit our feet. (Little amuses the innocent!) It has truly been a wonderful day.

First Impressions

First impressions last....isn`t that what they say!? Well today we met some relatives for the first time. They made great first impressions on us all. In fact they just won our hearts.

My cousin Lorraine has 3 children whom we have never met. Lorraine and I grew up together so we have A LOT of memories together. Since it has been a good few years since we last were home, we never got to see Lorraines kids. Well today we made up for that. We called by her house on our way to Bangor and met, Molly, Simon and Olivia. I fell in love with them immediately! We spent a little over an hour with them, before we had to move on. They are great kids, full of life, (especially Simon!:-) full of fun and really loving.

I thought I had settled in Denmark, well, I have settled in Denmark, I am settled in Denmark!!But the more I stay here in my wee country and the more I get in contact with old friends and family, the more I realise what I am missing.I could actually see myself today, living close to Lorraine, having close contact with my family and my friends. I could see us dropping by each others houses. (Sigh - It might be hard to settle back again after this trip!)

After the short visit to Lorraine we travelled down to Bangor to Gillians (my sister-in-laws). We were hoping to head out to Scarbo tower in Newtownards - unfortunately it started to rain, so we headed into Newtownards shopping centre instead. (Now I know why us irish shop soooo much. It`s the weathers fault!)

After a few hours out shopping we headed home for dinner with Gillian, Lauren and Lewis. (Oh I got myself a lovely blouse in Primark for £3 - now thats what I call a bargin!)

There is one thing I love about Ireland, and that is that no-one rings or makes arrangements to pop by, they just come by. The last time we were at Gillians her aunt just popped by. Tonight after dinner the doorbell rang again, this time it was her sister-in-law who just popped by. We got to meet her and spent the last part of the evening having a nice wee natter! Thanks Gillian, Lauren and Lewis for another lovely day together.