The Gyllenhammars: September 2008

Fall is arriving again here in Sweden. Time really flies. It is hard to believe that this will be our 4th fall here. I have just been thinking back over all that has happened since our move 3 years ago. When we moved Alex was just 9 months, not able to walk, talk, etc. Now he is running in the Trosa race, talking like crazy, and has become a young boy instead of my baby. Isabella was born here the second fall, we moved to a larger house that following winter, and then our 3rd fall we celebrated Alex and Isabella's 3rd and 1st birthdays. Now we will be celebrating their 4th and 2nd.
As for myself, I never imagined I would learn a language well enough (don't get me wrong, I still have a lot to learn. Swedish is a tough language.) to be able to work where you need to speak that language. I also never expected to actually become influenced by another culture as much as I have. For example, Erik better not let me catch him throwing a plastic, paper, aluminum, or glass container away in the "everything" garbage because I am a recycle freak! Also, he doesn't get a very happy response from me if he doesn't choose an ecological alternative (ex. milk, butter, flour, veggies, etc.) instead of a regular. He thinks that I take it a little overboard.
Another thing that I have adjusted to is how to dress the children for cold weather. I never knew it involved so much and every year the first couple of weeks after winter has arrived the kids are always late for daycare because I am trying to adjust to the earlier time we must wake up in order to get all of the extra clothes and gear on!
Although, I have deeply missed family and friends back home and have had days that I would love to just reach out and be able to touch and see them, I have also had a wonderful time living here in Sweden. I have been able to really get close to Erik's family, meet amazing new friends, be at home with my children more, develop new lifetime ideals, expand my hopes and dreams, become more accepting of others and their ideas and ways, become closer to Erik, and learn more about myself as a person.
Life is good!

Two more notes:
*For those that read this I have a couple of prayer requests.
1) My grandfather (my Mom's Dad) will begin chemotherapy treatments (he is 82) this week for colon cancer. So please pray for him to have strength, high spirits, and positive results with this treatment.
2) My friend from college, Julie Cossar Jones. She has had a VERY complicated child birth. You can check out her caring bridge site from my links on the left of my blogspot.
Thanks for your prayers!