A Snowy hello!

Good morning! We have seen our first snow in Denmark and although it wasn't much, it lasted through the night with a dusting on the ground and roof tops. The kids had fun making snowballs, Miles even made a 3 inch tall snowman who is now in the freezer(which is constantly in a quite snowy state due to it's non frost free status!) Anyway, today I think we will try to get a fire started in our wood stove and hunker down. Owen and Weston just went exploring the parks around here to check for accumulation!

I would absolutely LOVE to send out some pictures of our snow, but am again without a camera. Hopefully Brian will be bringing one back along with a GPS and about a million other things I have given him a list for. Did I mention the "feeves", as Miles calls the thieves, stole my makeup bag? I didn't realize it until the next morning. I guess that will teach me not to leave my makeup in the car. Basically, if I am lucky enough to actually get time to apply makeup it is in the car in the parking lot of wherever I am going. At least then Miles is locked in his car seat and I know where he is while I concentrate on my face. Brian is going to the mall to get me more with my list. Hope that goes well!

Anyway, there are not a lot of new, exciting European discoveries to report. Once you are anywhere long enough you find that humans are designed with this amazing adaptive quality that enables them to get along pretty much anywhere. I was in awe when we first arrived and the differences were so exciting. Then I went through a phase of really liking the way they do things, then a phase where I really thought I had better ways. I guess that's just the cycle of newness. Now I am at the place of, "I am proud to be an American. I naturally think my ways make more sense most times and am loyal to my country and background. But, hey this place is cool for a while...as long as I am secure in the fact that I am going HOME!" One of the things I thought was so cool when I first got here was the simplicity in commercialism or a semi lack thereof...now I miss my home where I can get what I want, when I want AND at a decent price. If there is any fault in the American system of availability of STUFF, it is when I lack discipline and allow myself to think buying stuff actually makes me happy. If I use it to my advantage, it is so great to go out and have choices about what I buy, etc...to fill my needs. We really do have it so good, I don't think we realize it. We probably just abuse it by not knowing when to stop. That's a hard skill to learn! I surely haven't yet. We talk about Americans problems with obesity, debt, etc...These are not problems with availability but with discernment. Boy, if we could get that, we'd be set! Maybe that's just a human dilemma. Here they don't have the choices we have to the extent we have them, therefore they have discernment imposed on them from another source. Our freedoms are so great if we use them wisely. I guess it all goes back to moderation, which is basically mine and Brian's motto. Do everything in moderation.

As far as getting stuff in a convenient way, take medicine, for example. NOTHING is over the counter here. Benadryl, Advil...everything is under lock and key. AND they aren't sold at grocery stores. There are separate stores. Not very convenient. Well, that's just one thing.

Also, I love the zeal Americans have for stepping out on a limb and following our dreams. We have this zest for creating and pushing forward to new frontiers. I think a lot of that is stunted here...most likely by the confines of being under more government control. What I mean is the government does so much for the people and in turn takes so much from them, that it seems as a general rule they don't question much. They take a number EVERYWHERE. I went into the empty post office one day and didn't even think to take a number, I mean who really pays attention to those machines except my kids who like to play with the little numbers they spit out!!???!! The lady looked at me like I was crazy and pointed to the number machine. And nobody dares to cross the street when the "do not walk" sign is lit, even when there is no one there...anywhere. Maybe it's just me, but I would want to GO!!!! And sometimes I do go, with many dirty looks directed at me. It's also cool when you think of how Americans have changed the world with inventions...computers, lightbulbs, phones, Levi's...all things of great modern importance to the world. I know other parts of the world have had these great periods of advancement of thought way before we even came on the scene, but I think we have done pretty darn good in our short history. Compared to places over here...America is a baby. Correct me if I am wrong on any of this, but I am proud of our brave new world! At Thanksgiving I am really drawn to giving thanks for this country I am a part of who started as a little settlement by brave people who wanted something more...and we still have it. No it's not perfect by any means, but if we can hold on to the ideals we started with through the adolescent growing pains we are now a part of, I think we might just come out OK.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. I hope someone maybe got through all that! I am going to inlude a cool link of Thanksgiving info I found that is very web interactive and the kids really enjoyed as part of their morning assignment. Well, Owen enjoyed it...and Weston mostly tolerated it...uhmmm, I enjoyed it anyway.

This weekend we are going to the little island of ÆrØ to a town called Ærøskøbing that Rick Steves raved about. I'll hopefully have my camera by then and can postsome pics of our adventures when we return.

We miss everyone!
Love, Amanda and fam...