Thanksgiving, Nordic Skiing and Birthdays....

Dear Lerhol Family and Friends,

Wow...what a week!  It started with a meeting with the Nordic Ski team, coaches and parents and then Thanksgiving, a surprise 80th birthday party for my aunt Margee at our house, then family game night and birthday celebration for Alex....who is 23 years old today.

Nordic Ski Season begins:
Tuesday evening Scott, Sondre and I attended a pot luck (pot·luck  (ptlk) n.

A meal at which each guest brings food that is then shared by all) at the high school for the official kick-off of the season...we met the coach, other parents and several of the athletes.  From what I understand these kids are really good kids...dedicated to the sport, their fitness and their school work.  Those are the kind of kids you like your kids to associate with!

I am excited for the season to start.  Sondre has purchased his equipment and is ready for more snow so they can practice on their skis.  The school has provided Sondre with some "roller" skis that he can use for dry-land training.  He took them for a spin yesterday and said it was very hard work, but enjoyable.  Scott has again offered to be the team photographer (he was for the football team) so we look forward to sharing some beautiful pictures with you over the next few months. 

Unfortunately, Scott has to have surgery on his knee in a few weeks (second surgery on the same knee in a year.).  He was running at one of Alex's football game to capture a picture of a great play and landed on it wrong and re-injured his meniscus.  He needs to recover quickly because he is gong to Vail skiing at the end of January with all of his buddies. 

Thanksgiving Celebration: 

On Thanksgiving morning most of our family and relatives did the 5k Turkey Trot at Minnetonka High School...it was a beautiful morning and we all got some much needed exercise.  Everyone came over to our house after the race for an informal breakfast and then at 2pm we all went over to my sister Anne's house for a wonderful Thanksgiving feast and family time. 

This year was really special because my Aunt Margee, my cousin Edd and his two kids joined us.  Margee lives in Florida in the winter, Edd and Erik live in Colorado and Julia lives in San Francisco, CA.  They were in town for Thanksgiving and for a surprise 80th birthday party for Margee. 

 Pretty good crowd!

 On your mark, get-set, go!

 The finish line...26 minutes.  Well done Sondre!

 Let's talk Turkey!

 The Family

It was a very nice day so we were able to be outside and play the game cornhole bags and let the little ones run around.  (The game of Cornhole is similar in concept to Horseshoes or Lawn Darts. However, instead of pitching heavy iron horse shoes or throwing sharp pointed darts, you toss corn-filled bags into a hole.) Our family is crazy about this game and play it all the time.  I am not very good at it...but Sondre sure is.  He and Scott were the champs of the day.

 A little rough-housing with Owen (6 year old nephew)

 Sondre's first Thanksgiving (of many we hope) in the US.

 

The big kids table...and my Mom (Grandma Floss)

Surprise Party
On Friday we transformed our garage into a Cantina for a Mexican fiesta themed surprise party.  We gathered about 45 people in the garage and when Margee got to our house we just pulled up the garage door and sang her happy birthday.  She was really surprised and laughed and cried.  My niece did a wonderful video of her life that was really heartwarming. 

I think Sondre had a good time and is starting to figure out just how big and close (and crazy) our family is.

 The birthday girl

 The birthday girls singing karaoke...she was hilarious!

 Now...time to get after the pinata!  .

My niece Meghan and her Dad Ross...the one with the large chile pepper on his head.  :)

 The girls....Angela, Shannon and Amelia.

My favorite 3 year old girl!

Courtney Anne Dirks...22 weeks pregnant!

 Alex, Sam and Sondre "hamming" it up for the camera. 

 More fun...this time with the girl cousins!

 This picture does not even need a caption! 

It was nice enough to sit at the bonfire...without jackets on.  Sondre loves Norman (the dog) 

Alex's Birthday:
Last night we decided to take it easy and just stay home, have a good dinner and play some fun games.  Courtney, Ryan and Amelia slept over too.  In this family we play a lot of games and Sondre fit right in...he was very good at a game that is similar to Charades.  He has no challenges at all with understanding the themes he had to act out.  I really am amazed just how fluent he is...he just gets it.  Sondre made Alex breakfast this morning since it is his birthday!

Here he is acting out the theme "hiding places".  Yes that is a bannana...you could use props that are around the house to try to get your team to get the right answers.
It was very funny! 

Today...is going to be a low key day.  Probably will watch the Vikings game and not do much of anything else.  Scott makes the worlds best Turkey soup so we have a great dinner planned for later today. 

Looks like you guys got some great snow...please send it our way!  Sondre is going to write the next blog...so next week you will hear from him.  :)

Best,

Alix and Scott

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!! The Nordic Ski season begins.

Dear Lerhol Family and Friends:

Hello from snowy Minnesota.  We got our first snow of the season yesterday...it looks so pretty and makes it feel like Christmas time.. 

The last few weeks have been about new beginnings for Sondre.  With the Minnetonka football season ending Sondre was not sure what to do with his time.  Well, that did not last long, since after just a few days off from football, Nordic skiing (cross-country) season began.  He has practice every day after school where they primarily focus on edurance and conditioning before they begin to actually train on skis.  After football season Sondre is very fit...and this will make him even more fit.  It is very hard work but will prepare him for Rugby next Spring. 

I think he is going to enjoy this program.  The kids seem to be really nice and it is more co-ed based with the girls and boys teams training together (I suspect there are a few cute girls he will be spending time with....) There are a few "out of town" competitions that will be a lot of fun and a great way to really get to know the other kids.  He and Scott went to a couple of sports stores yesterday to find skis and other equipment he will need.  I think it was a little more expensive than he expected so he will be calling back home to talk to his Mom and Dad (Jon and Sigrun) to get their advice on what to do. 

Our Road Trip to Nebraska...
Last week-end we made the trek to Wayne Nebraska to watch Alex's last game as a college football player.  We decided to get there in style, so we rented a motor home so we could be comfortable for the 12 hour drive (both ways). 

Scott's Mom (Sherry), his brother (Danny), my sister (Katie) and her husband Scott, along with the three of us (Scott, Sondre and me) all piled into the motor home and made the drive to Wayne.  It was so nice to be able to drive in comfort, have a bathroom, snacks and not have to stop all of the time.

 The "rig"...motor home before we left for our trip....

  Sondre traveling in style and comfort......

When we got there we met up with many of the other parents of the football players and had a tailgate.  Not sure if you all tailgate in Norway before soccer matches....but if not here is the definition:

In the United States, a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating often involves grilling food.  Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games and concerts. People attending such a party are said to be tailgating. Tailgate parties have spread to the pre-game festivities at sporting events besides football (e.g. basketball, hockey, soccer, and baseball.)

We had a wonderful time and enjoyed a really good game.  WSU won but unfortunately the win was not enough for the team to advance to the play-offs.  We really have mixed emotions about Alex's football career coming to an end...since we enjoyed watching him but we are also excited to have him back.  As a football player he has sacrificed a lot personally and has missed family vacations and family events.  We are excited to support him as he moves into the next phase of his life. 

The GRANDKIDS!
What would  a blog be without me bragging about our adorable grandchildren?  So here goes.

Courtney and Ryan found out that the baby is a BOY.  We are very excited for his birth in March.  They have planned to name him Maxwell (which I love).  Amelia will be a great big sister. 

Jackson turned 3 and got this super cool motorcycle from his Mommy and Daddy...pretty cool huh?

Dancing Queen:  Amelia at her dance class.  She is the last one on the right w/ the black shirt & hot pink skirt

Dinner with my cousin Trish:
Last Wednesday we went out  for a birthday dinner with my cousin Trish and husband Russell.  Trish and I are only 12 hours apart and have celebrated our birthdays together since we were born.  They loved meeting Sondre....we had a great meal and wonderful time.  They are really special people; Trish is more like a sister than a cousin to be honest.

Next week is Thanksgiving in the US.  We are all going to my sister and brother-in-law's house (Anne and Paul) for Thanksgiving dinner.  There will be 30 of us...should be fun.  This will be Sondre's first...so we want to make sure he gets the full experience.  There is a race that morning called the Turkey Trot that we all participate in (you can run or walk) so we can make room for all of the calories we will consume later that day.  I love this holiday...it is just about family and being thankful.  Scott and I have so much to be thankful for....really we have been very blessed with a wonderful life.


I will blog again soon....have a good week and thank you for sharing Sondre with us.  It is hard to believe he has already been here 3 months.  Where does the time go?

Here is a link to a story about Colehour Family history that you might find interesting.  Enjoy.

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S2371657.shtml?cat=26


Lots of Love,

Alix and Scott

Kings, Queens, Football, Friends and Family!!!!!

Dear Lerhol Family and Friends,
I cannot believe it has been three weeks since I updated Sondre's blog.  Do I need to reintroduce myself to you all?  So many exciting things to tell you all about.  Starting with our brush with Norwegian Royalty three weeks ago today.  Then I have to fill you in on all of what is going on in football for both Sondre and Alex.

The Queen, King and (in our opinion) the "crown prince" of Norway: Sondre Lerhol. 
Three weeks ago today we were able to join many Norwegian students and many Americans of Norwegian descent at a church service at Augsburg College.  Even though my sister Anne is a graduate of Augsburg College I had no idea of the connection to Norway. 

Augsburg was the first seminary founded by Norwegian Lutherans in America, named after the confession of faith presented by Lutherans in Augsburg, Germany, in 1530. Augsburg opened in September 1869, in Marshall, Wisconsin, and moved to Minneapolis in 1872. The first seminarians were enrolled in 1874, and the first graduation was in 1879.  Here is a link to its history for you to review. Here is a link on the college history is you are interested in learning more.  http://www.augsburg.edu/about/history.html

The service was wonderful and done just beautifully in both English and Norwegian.  We were excited to be able to meet Mary Quanbeck Barber at church (who is a relative of Sigrun's here in Mpls).  We also met her Mom and Dad and her brother who is a professor at Augsburg.  I am starting to think Sondre's has as many relatives here as I do.  After the service we were able to go to a reception in in honor of the King and Queen and I was amazed at just how close we were able to get to them.  They seem like very lovely and warm people.  I think Sondre really enjoyed the entire morning...Scott and I sure did.

 The King and Queen...can you believe how close we were?

 Sondre, Mary and her parents

Sondre and me standing by as the Queen and King walked over to the reception.

AFS Party and Presentation: 

After the brush with fame and church service we went home to get ready for the AFS party at our house.  Every month one of the AFS students must host all of the other students at their house and do a presentation on their home country.  Sondre did a great job and was both interesting and funny.  Everyone was extremely impressed with him, but also so interested in this wonderful family he has in Norway.  Scott and I were very proud of the job he did and we think the other kids will have a "tough act to follow" after the great job he did.  Sondre made Lefsa for his "dish to share" and every single bit of it was gobbled up by the kids.  They seemed to love the ones with Nutella in them.  Nutella has become a staple around our house since Sondre joined us....I had never had it before now. 

 All of the kids waiting for Sondre to start his presentation.

Sondre giving his presentation to a very full room of kids and their American parents.

Later that evening we watched Torstein's documentary and all we can say is WOW.  Sondre translated it for us so we got a very good idea of what was going on.  We loved it and now feel very honored that someone of Torstien's fame will grace us with his presense this Christmas in the US.  :)  

Minnetonka Football...an amazing season comes to an end:

It is hard to believe that the football season for Sondre and the Minnetonka Skippers has come to an end.  They played well all season (the Jr. Varsity team was undefeated) and the varsity team had only lost a few games against extremely tough opponents.  (Wayzata and Eden Prairie).  Friday night they had to play Eden Prairie again to advance to the State tournament and sadly they lost a heart breaker by only 3 points.  I think Sondre was surprised by how overwhelmed he (and all of the other seniors) were by the loss.  He said there were a lot of tears in the locker room afterwards and the coaches were emotional too.  We are so happy that he had such a wonderful experience and was part of such a great team of young men.  Next....he has to decide which sport he wants to play this winter.  His football coach thinks he should be on the wrestling team....so we will keep you posted on if he decides to do that or skiiing.  Either way...he will meet more kids and keep active. 

Frank and Buehla were able to come to one of Sondre's games in the last few weeks!

Winona State Football:  Alex has been the starting QB for the last 4 games!!!!

Scott and I have seen more football games in the last 10 weeks than in our lifetime.  We have enjoyed it immensely but have had some scheduling conflicts trying to be in two places at once.  Alex was not expected to be the starting QB this year but circumstance with the other QBs changed that and Alex has started the last four games and has led the team to three victories. 

Yesterday,.Scott, Sondre and I got up really early and drove to Bismarck North Dakota to watch Winona State play University of Mary.  It is a LONG drive...6.5 hours each way but was worth it.  Alex played really well and Winona State won in the last 2 minutes after a long offensive drive down the field led by our favorite #18 Alex.  Here is a link that was in the local newspaper about the game.  Next weekend we are going to drive to his final regular season game in Wayne Nebraska.  We might rent a motor home since it is another long drive.  Sondre will now be able to say he has been to North Dakota and Nebraska in just two weeks. http://bismarcktribune.com/sports/college/football-u-mary-falls-to-winona-state/article_f9868b42-0826-11e1-90e3-001cc4c03286.html

All of us on the field after the game....it is strarting to get cold her so we are all bundled up.

Family:

Sondre was able to spend the weekend with Frank and Buehla when Scott and I went out of town to one of Alex's game.  They also had dinner at Deb's too.  Sondre really enjoyed the time he spent with all of them and is very lucky to have such a wonderful family right here in Minnesota. 

Two weeks ago Courtney, Amelia and I flew to Virginia Beach Virginia to visit Pam and Jackson.  Billy (my son and Pam;s husband) is out on deployment with the Navy until January so we like to keep Pam company and try to visit often.  We had a great time and really enjoyed spending time with Pam and loved watching Jackson and Amelia play with one another.  Pam and Jackson will be home over Christmas and are  excited to see Knut and Torstien too.  I am really blessed to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law.

  Amelia and Jackson giving each other a little smooch. 

Me reading to the kids before they went to bed.  How lucky am I???

Last Sunday we all went to Amelia's 3rd birthday party at Courtney and Ryan's house.  Sondre was able to meet a lot of relatives that he had not met before and they all enjoyed meeting him.  So many people remark about how fortunate we have been to get two Norwegian exchange students that are so cool. 

Tomorrow Courtney and Ryan find out if their baby is a boy or girl.  I think it is another girl...we shall see in less than 24 hours.  Courtney is about 20 weeks pregnant and feels really good and looks adorable. 

Today we are just hanging out, doing some grocery shopping and errands and then off to another AFS meeting tonight. 

Hope you are all doing well.

Lots of Love,

Alix and Scott