Generous Sister Springer offered Daniel's dad, Jon, 100 crowns if he could get Daniel to wear the bowtie.  It worked and took the family to dinner.  Had a great time with an awesome family!

Trondheim had a great branch choir, led by Vera Dahlo.  Every Christmas they sponsor a musical evening, attended this year by about 100 people.  Loads of fun.

Michael and Sarah, a wonderful, caring couple in Trondheim, had us to dinner.  Michael is from Germany and Sarah from Utah.  They met at the U of U.

Trondheim Branch President's children modeling traditional Norwegian children's hats.  Cute kids! 

Girls' night at Turid Hansen's home; had a wonderful Norwegian dinner.  Front we have Sister Brown, Dana, Torunn.  Back row is Sister Grass, Sister Reardon, Sister Mergens, Turid and her sister, Brit, Sister Floyd.

Moves Day just before Christmas.  Sisters with their smiling faces include Grass, Brown, Mergens, Springer, and Floyd.  Dignified-looking are Springer, Strange, Bolt, Wilkins, and Bischoff.  Wilkins and Floyd were both transferred to Olso; Sisters Brown and Mergens returned home.  An awesome group.

They're really not as snobbish as they appear to be.

Sunrise in late December, taken in front of our apartment at about 11:30 a.m.  

Sunset at about 1:30 p.m., late December in Trondheim.

While visiting our good friend, Catherine, who lives about 40 minutes south of Trondheim, we admired the beautiful lake she and her family see from their home.

Sisters Grass and Floyd had to read their meter in their apartment which required pulling out the washing machine and doing some acrobatics to find it.

Torunn and Faviola helping clean up after our relief society dinner.

Mali, Daniel, Robin, Silje, Maria, and Audhild were some of the YSA present who made Christmas cards for people.  

Of course, we had to serve delicious Norwegian waffles at our Christmas card extravaganza.

Hundreds of chairs in the Center but Sisters Floyd and Brown choose to sit in their favorite spot to eat their Norwegian waffles.

Lots of ice during the winter months in Norway; spikes on the bottom of your shoes helped keep old folks like us from falling.

Benedicte and Camille prepared a wonderful typical Norwegian Christmas dinner for Elders Bischoff and Bolt and us at our not-so-spacious apartment.

Gjermund, the Bearded Viking, hosted a tea for Sisters Mergens and Grass, Hande, and Sister Floyd.  He found several types while on his trip to England.

Brothers Aaron and Sam, despite having to prepare for college finals, invited us over for Sunday dinner.  Here is the ever-handsome Aaron.

Awesome Silje came to help Aaron and Sam with dinner.

We finally received our first snowstorm on December 4th, but not before a rose in front of the church decided to bloom.  Weather has been a little warmer than usual for this time of year.

The awesome Silje came over to help Aaron and
Sam prepare us dinner.

Sister S. and Gjermund try out the new, improved YSA room.  Thanks to the Hansen's and Brother Henden, we now have beautiful new flooring.  As a surprise they did the project during the week we were away at the temple.

Jo-Ann was baptized, taught by Sisters Grass and Brown

Jo-Ann with her good friend, Sister Kimo.

Sister Grass cooking up some famous, delicious Norwegian salmon.  Because of the great downtown location of the church, missionaries eat lunch and dinner at the church.  We enjoy interacting with them every day.

We had Thanksgiving dinner!  Here we are visiting with Mali and Daniel's parents and with Corrie.

Etornam, Aaron, Sister Floyd, and Hande.

Elders Bischoff and Bolt with Mali, Daniel, and investigator. Of the 40 people in attendance at the Thanksgiving dinner we were excited that 14 were not LDS.

Rodrigo, on the left, invited several friends from his homeland of Bolivia.

Thanksgiving dinner spread showing Gjermund, Elder Wilkins, and Myhren, with non-member friend in the background.

Aaron, Sister Floyd, and Hande.

Sam and Silje

Beautiful, delicious Thanksgiving feast.  Very thankful for our blessings.

Thanksgiving kitchen slaves, Robin and Sister Mergens

Our good American friend, Mac, cleaning up the turkey, preparing it for soup.

American and newly-wed, Krystal, cooking up a Thanksgiving storm.

Many hands helped prepare a really nice Thanksgiving dinner.

Kitchen angels, Corrie, Sister S., Audhild, and Krystal

Kitchen policewoman, Audhild, telling Elders Bischoff and Bolt how she wants it done.

Elders Carmichael and Facer came for a visit.  P-Day found it rainy and the missionaries, in this case, Elder Carmichael, were literally climbing the walls trying to entertain themselves.

President Johansen came for a special district meeting.  It had rained so much that Elders Strange and Wilkins' shoes and socks were soaked, causing them to go throughout the day barefoot.  At least they had their suits and ties on, although Elder Strange's suit was also soaking wet because a passing bus on the street sprayed him with a huge puddle of water.  Tough elders!

Despite the fact that they had finals and papers due, brothers Aaron and Sam invited us to their bachelor pad for Sunday dinner.  They're awesome.

We finally got our first real snow on December 4th, but not before this rose outside the church decided to bloom.  It's been delightfully warm.

Our branch had a party, celebrating the near-completion of the building being remodeled.  Here are the awesome Paulsen's.

Elvis is alive!  Linda's dad agreed to come sing some Presley songs at our party.

Daniel and Mali and their parents invited us to their farm.  Wonderful people.

Yes, a lot of people did help Dana after she had her surgery.  But being the independent woman she is she found several ways to do things herself.

Temple trip! We were able to be with nine of our young adults as we attended the Stockholm Temple again.  We arrived at different times.  Here's the crew that came on Wednesday:  Left to right are Audhild, Pelle, Mali, and Torunn.

Stockholm Temple, dedicated in the 1980's; a beautiful, smaller temple.

On Friday those who had arrived toured downtown Stockholm, including the palace.

Stockholm

Taking the 30-minute train ride from the temple to city center.

Preparing to enter the temple Saturday morning.

YSA women preparing for the temple Saturday morning.  Torunn, Sister Springer, Corrie, who arrived Thursday, Audhild, Mali, and Maria, who arrived Friday.

Pelle, baptized last summer, attending the temple for the first time.

Audhild's first temple trip.

Mali's maiden voyage to the Holy Temple