Cousin Kali sits on the answer to number 3: Love Sac. This is a bean bag, but not made of beans, but foam, which makes for a much more comfortable and less noisy seat. I would love to have one of these "Love Sacs"

One of the answers was "Space Needle", which my team found on this postcard, but mom and Maren were looking for a very specific Space Needle, so we got half points for our answer.

Kami, Paul, and cousin Fritz (Imants) study the scavenger hunt clues. They were on the same team, which tied with my team, but because they called Maren for clues ( -2 points) it was decided that my team was the winner!

Here are the clues (and the answers) to the scavenger hunt. We had a lot of creative freedom, but there were also some specifics that my mom and Aunt Maren were looking for in the answers.

Aunt Maren gives the family directions on the process of our First Annual Digital Scavanger Hunt. We met at the Alderwood Mall food court on Dec. 23rd at 9:30 p.m. where we were then formed into groups and set out through the mall to answer all the clues. It was a lot of fun, but really hard!

So long 2004!

One more day and we are in the year two thousand and five! Oooh. Exciting...but maybe this year will be the last normal year we know, considering the Earth got knocked off it's normal rotation from the major 9.0 earthquake in the Indian Ocean last Sunday. I guess we will have to wait and see!

I had a great Christmas this year with lots of wonderful family around me and some really delicous food! :) I started my Christmas festivities by going to a Danish church service here in Seattle and singing along in the choir! It's nice to sing out-loud with people who will also sing out-loud. Then, after the service I drove back up north and joined my family (including all my cousin's from my mom's side) for the First Annual Digital Christmas Scavanger Hunt at Alderwood Mall (see the pictures). That was a blast...especially because my team won! :) On Christmas Eve I was at my aunt and uncles with my family, family from Denmark, and newlyweds Andy & Seana in Edmonds to celebrate with a Danish pork roast and rice pudding for dessert (my brother found the almond and got the prize). Christmas morning we opened our packages and had delicious homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Christmas night we had the family from the night before and the Gibsons from Bellevue (Uncle Ron, Aunt Maren, Kali & Bryn) at home for Christmas dinner. The 2nd Christmas Day (the 26th) we had everyone and "their mother's" at our house for Swedish pancakes, sausage souffle, cinnamon rolls, sausages, Mimosas, and more (breakfast). We were up to about 35 people! It was a lot of fun to have so many great people there to celebrate the holiday! Family is definately the best part about Christmas!

And finally...on the 27th, my mom, Aunt Maren and I drove down to the Oregon Coast where we stayed with my mom and aunt's cousin Elsa in Manzanita. OH MY GOSH!!! The Oregon Coast is one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world! The waves of the Pacific Ocean are so blue and the sand so smooth, the beautiful hills of forests along the coasts, and the enormous rocks that jutt out of the coast line! Why had I never been down there before?! I loved it! It is a perfect place for a photographer and anyone who loves the outdoors. I can't wait to go back and spend more time walking the beaches and hiking in the hills. The views are incredible. I recommend the Oregon Coast if you are planning a trip to the Northwest.

We arrived in Manzanita when it was dark, but we made our way down the main street to the beach to enjoy the view by moonlight. The night was surprisingly warm for a December day, but we welcomed the heat of abandoned coals, which Elsa got going into flames. The fire warmed us as we enjoyed the sound of the surf and the view of the starry sky.

In the morning, Mom drove us around Manzanita and showed me all the places they had camped when they had been down in the past. Then, we met up with Elsa's friend Judy and we had breakfast at Wanda's cafe in Nehalem. That is also a very cute town just a mile south of Manzanita. Then we went out to Judy's place and saw her studio where she makes ceramics and her husband's who is a carpenter. After that, we drove to Elsa's property on a hill in Nehalem and saw her view. Then we drove down highway 101 and saw the view of some huge rocks out off of Rockaway Beach where we took some pictures. And then we drove down to Tillamook where I visited the Tillamook Cheese factory for the first time! They make the best chedder cheese in the whole world! And of course we had to try their ice cream! I got wild mountain blackberry ice cream! So fresh and delicious! Then we drove back to Elsa's and we watched a couple movies: Waking Dream (weird) and Ever After (I cried) and we had Uncle Milton's (Elsa's late dad) spaghetti for dinner! It sure is good!

On Wednesday, Elsa made us french toast and bacon for breakfast and then we went a block away to the shops in Manzanita and looked around. They have so many great little butiks to look at and so much fun stuff! I can't wait to come back when I have a job and I can buy those little things that you can't live without, but really can! ;) We then said goodbye to Elsa and we headed up the coast and stopped at Oswald and hiked down to the beach and tried to look for agates. I found a really, really tiny one, but my best prize was a great looking heart rock. The view from Oswald beach is awesome and there were also a lot of surfers out taking advantage of the winter surf. Although the water is quite cold, the air was pretty warm at the beach for that time of year. We then hiked back to our car and we drove into Cannon Beach and I saw Haystack Rock for the first time! What a landmark! It's so beautiful! We walked through some of the shops in Cannon Beach, and then caught the sun set over the Pacific before we headed back up to Washington. I can't wait to go back to the Oregon Coast and spend more time. It is a WONDERFUL place! Check it out at: http://www.visittheoregoncoast.com/.

So, now I am home with less than a week before I return to Denmark. I feel like I have so much to do before I leave, but don't know where to start! I wish everyone a great new year and much joy!

Just a quick note... about the picture of my house below. It is the trees on the RIGHT that were Christmas trees. I get those two directions mixed up sometimes! :)

This is my neighborhood...looking down the street from our driveway. My bus stop, when I went to junior high, used to be on the corner where the car is coming out. And the path to the school where I went for 6th grade is right across from that corner.

For those of you who live far away...like on the other side of the globe, I thought you might enjoy seeing the house where my family has lived for the last 16 years. This is it...taken from across the street. The driveway has been ideal for down-hill sledding and is usually occupied with 4 vehicles, but no one is home except me. I ride my bike! :) The two trees on the left were once Christmas trees...um, but they have now extended far beyond the roof line!

I had to share this picture! My wonderful friend Martin took this last Sunday in a forest just south of Aalborg. I didn't believe he took it! It looks like something so magical and peaceful! I love it!

My project is DONE!

Yesterday, after getting my project bound not the way I wanted it at Kinko's and finding out that they could send my 3 copies of my total 43 page project (that includes a long appendix) with FedEx for $70 or $50 to Denmark, I said forget it, I will go to the United States Postal Service. USPS were able to help me stuff my projects in an envelope and tape it up and I paid only $9.00 to send that puppy with arrival after 4 to 5 business days. Who is going to read it anyway during the holidays?!

Although I am very relieved that my project is done, I still feel the stress over what the grade will be. I feel my project could have been better, but didn't know how to fix it in the short time I had left. I had to make due with what I had already written. I also have to prepare for the defense of this project on the 20th of next month, and the academic communication exam on the 12th. I still have to think of a topic for that...anyone have any ideas? I guess I will try to enjoy this time before the holidays and relax and not worry about my upcoming exams for a few days.

My mom and I went to Ikea today! It is 'Lutefisk' week there, and my mom got it to try. I had a bite, too, and we both agreed we didn't have to have it again. I enjoyed my Swedish meatballs with lingenberry sauce! That's good! After Ikea, we rushed to the airport to pick up some Danish relatives who had a very crappy trip! There 5 suitcases didn't make it, but ended up somehow in Minneapolis! They did say they will arrive in the morning, so I hope that is the case. That is not a good way to begin a vacation...especially when they are going on to Hawaii, too! But we are all glad they are here and look forward to spending the holidays together with them in Seattle!

Now, I am going to get back to some relaxing reading with the book "The DaVinci Code". I hear they are going to make this into a movie starring Tom Hanks, so I recommend y'all out there to read it! It's very exciting so far!

Over 'n Out!

Look! I have visited 6% of the world! I guess I have a lot more traveling to do! I can't wait!

Here is Aunt Maren, Cousin Britta, and my mom patting the cookie dough in the santa molds.

Oops! A pan accidently got dropped coming out of the oven at our family's annual Santa Cookie making party.

"You go girl!" Here I am singing with Norah Jones on the PlayStation kareoke game at my brother's place! I am actually not half so bad...at least I got some good points and impressed the crowd!!

My project is almost finished!!!

I have been working non-stop...at least from the hours of 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on my semester project. I was so stressed 3 weeks ago and now I have calmed down a bit as I hit my 20th page mark. Now is actually time for the worst of it...the editing and revising. But with mom and dad around, I'm sure they will put in some good red marks on my paper that will improve my project, although I would like it perfect the first time, but that is not possible.

It has also been nice to have the msn messenger support of friends in Denmark who are stressing through the same project. At least I don't have to worry about slacking group members. I just have to worry about my procastinating self...like right now, when I should be revising my project and reading through it a hundred times. Well, I don't like to get that close to my work...even if I'm writing about Starbucks and loyalty marketing. I really don't need to go to Starbucks again anytime soon! I can probably wait the 6 months or so until Copenhagen finally has their first! Yeah!

Anyway, that's a little update from this corner of the globe. I'll add a few pictures, too! Good luck to all those project writers and finals takers out there! We are almost done!!

Over 'n Out.

The newly married couple Seana and Andy Kromann walk through a shower of bubbles as they prepare to leave in an old fashioned Rolls Royce limousine.

My sister and I at the reception after the wedding. We danced a lot! Great music, great food, and great fun!

The wedding party poses for the photographer at Balboa Park in San Diego.

My brother Paul, sister Carley, myself, cousin Andy and cousin Erik at the rehearsal dinner on Coronado, across the bay from San Diego.

The walking/biking/rollerblading path along Mission Beach, which crossed right in front of the house we were visiting.

My aunt Kirsten assembling the traditional Danish wedding cake "Kransekage", which we enjoyed on Thanksgiving day.

Me enjoying one of the warmest Thanksgivings I have ever experienced with the Pacific Ocean in the background.

The house on Mission Beach in San Diego where we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and Seana's (cousins wife) family.

On the trip down to San Diego we stopped at a Vista Point to enjoy the view of Mt. Shasta in the background. The small people are my mom, sister, dad, and myself.

My sister and I at Pea Soup Andersen's...a restaurant off Interstate 5 in California. We got our meal free after I found a cigarette butt in my frikadeller meatballs. I don't think I will eat there again anytime soon!

Here I am at my friend Jenni and Dave Yager's Oktoberfest in Novembeer party. I am holding their sweet little baby Kaylyn.

Tailgating after the football game in my mom & dad's 5th wheel trailer. Here is my mom, cousin Bryn, brother Paul & his girlfriend Kami.

My ol' band friends sitting in the Alumni Band section in the endzone: Conrad, Carley, Jen, Brian, and Michelle

My sister Carley and me at the last home Husky football game of the season. We lost, of course. The worst season on record!

Is it December already?!

San Diego is so beautiful!! I just love the warm, comfortable temperatures and the cool coastal breezes. Everything was so bright and colorful, a nice change from the dark, soggy, wet winter of Seattle. Everyone should take a tropical vacation in the winter time. It does so much for the soul! However, I recommend that you don't drive, because over 3000 miles round trip is a little hard on the patience and your ass! ;)

The whole weekend in San Diego was wonderful. My cousin Andy and his bride Seana went all out to make sure that their out-of-town guests enjoyed themselves during their stay away from home during the Thanksgiving holiday, which was two days before the wedding. Seana's parents rented a house right on Mission Beach in San Diego. Imagine Baywatch, and you are there. The house was beautiful. The view was beautiful. And the Thanksgiving spread hosted at the beach house was delicious...probably because my aunt Kirsten was there to help out in the kitchen! The whole experience was amazing! I wished I had a surf board so that I could have joined the many others riding the waves on the perfectly gorgeous Pacific coast!

After we enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving spread by the beach, we went up to the hills to my brother's girlfriend Kami's dad's house in San Marcos. The house is on top of a hill that looks right over the San Diego valley and the hills surrounding. It was an amazing view and later when the fog came in, it eerily reminded me of the movie E.T. I just expected one of those aliens to pop out of the trees...although an avacoda falling suddenly from a tree scared me enough!

Friday morning we joined Seana's family (except the girls, as they were out getting their nails done) and my family: my sister, dad, cousin Erik, Andy, and myself (we aren't that many on the Kromann side) for a game of softball not too far from where Andy and Seana lived. There were some really good players on the field! Even the little ones could swing the bat better than I could! Erik definately made a home-run or two! It was great to be out playing in the sun, wearing tank tops and short pants, squinting with the sun in my eyes! I think I got a little bit of color...although I know it won't last! After playing, my aunt Kirsten and uncle Rob brought lunch for all of us and we enjoyed sitting on the grass and eating our hot dogs and nibbling on fruit. Good times.

That evening was the Rehearsal dinner. I had never been to one before, so I was excited to be invited. The dinner was on Coranado in San Diego at Peohe's, a restaurant right across from downtown San Diego. We met out on the deck, dressed in our nice clothes, and enjoyed red wines from California and white wines from Washington. Servers came around with trays of sushi, calamari, and spring rolls. I tried not to fill up on the good startes, because I knew the dinner was likely to be quite delicious. And I was right. I had a delicous green salad with candied walnuts and mandarine oranges in a balsamic vinagrette. My main course was a sweet and spicy chicken with rice, and for dessert a macadamia nut ice cream pie. YUM! The evening, the view, the company, and the food was all incredible. Andy and Seana went all out to make the event a classy and romantic experience.

Saturday morning, we drove out to Pt. Loma around the sound from San Diego. There is a lighthouse there you can visit, an information center, view point, tidepools, and some trails to explore. Point Loma is primarily military occupied, but the tip is a national park. The view and the terrain are incredible to visit and I only wish we had more time to explore, but we had to get back for the wedding.

The wedding took place at Balboa Park in San Diego. This park is incredible and is home to several national museums, ampitheters, and botanical garden. The architecture is in a romantic mission style. The wedding was small and held outside with trees in the back ground. There were two levels and close family was seated in the lower level close to the bride and groom. The ceremony was short and simple and afterwords we had cocktails in the courtyard before we went in to enjoy the delicous meal at the reception. The details were simple, yet luxurious. There was a simple, yet elegant cake, and to accompany the cake, there was a fountain of chocolate where you could dip your strawberries, bananas, marshmellows, or sponge cake. The service was great, the music you could dance to, and the bar always open! Andy and Seana did a wonderful job on their wedding!

I am glad I came back from Denmark for the wedding. It was most important to be there for my cousin, as we are family and I wanted to be there at his special time. I took so many pictures and I will definately try to post some pictures as soon as possible. I really would love to share the beauty of the experience of being in San Diego for Thanksgiving and the wedding. Now, I have to crack down on my project! I have lots to do!