Norway 2011: Family Reunion

While we were in Norway, we were lucky enough with our timing that we were able to attend a family reunion for my dad's side of the family. It was a great chance to get to see a lot of family members all at once, and to show Nick the area of the country where my family comes from. And the fact that the reunion was being held in a swanky-pantsed cabin at a ski resort didn't hurt either :) So off we went for two days of intensive family-ing it up in the mountains of Valdres.

We saw aunts (including my favorite - you know who you are! :) ) and uncles and cousins and second and third cousins. I was especially happy to have a chance to see my grandmother. She celebrated her 90th birthday in December, and is just an all round great lady. Remind me to tell you about her sometime.

We were also happy to get to spend some time with my cousin Wendy and her family. We read each other's blogs and stay in touch a lot through Facebook, so it was fun to see each other in person. I was especially excited to meet her youngest son, Dylan, for the first time. He and Espen are less than a year apart in age, and so we have been interested in each other's experiences as the boys grow and develop. And of course it was just fun to see them play and have fun together!

My family has lived in Valdres for hundreds and hundreds of years. In fact, I believe my dad has traced some of our ancestors back to the 13th century (right, Daddy?) So when we stopped by an old church on the way back, it wasn't too surprising to see that we were related to half the cemetery. My maiden name is Robøle, and if you look at the head stones in the photo below, we are well represented. Creepy? Or just nice to know where you come from?