Tis the season to be jolly.....

Dear Lerhol Family and Friends....

Well here I am...alone with a glass of wine and a very quite house.  Scott  and Alex are in Las Vegas for our brother-in-law and niece's very special birthday celebrations...50th and 21st respectively.  Sondre is tucked away for a good nights sleep in preparation of a full day of  Nordic skiing at Trollhagen in the morning. I think he is worn out from doing his Christmas shopping tonight.  We have to get the package in the mail soon to make sure it arrives in Vang Norway for Christmas.

The last few weeks have been action packed, as usual...an AFS fundraiser, the Reindeer Run, Christmas tree shopping and decorating and the year-end football banquet...and Nordic skiing of course.

Nordic skiing is going well...it takes a great deal of discipline and physical capability.  He has practice every day after school and on Saturday's...so between school and sports he is pretty busy. He was asked to practice with a group of the more elite skiers...so I suspect he will have a good season.  Oh yeah...his grades continue to be good too. 

Last Saturday Sondre had to work at an AFS fund-raiser.  All of the AFS students had to sell fruit to raise money for the program.  He actually was the top-seller...thanks to many of our family and friends. The kids had to work in the warehouse and pack all of the boxes and then deliver them.  While Sondre was doing that, Scott and I were participating in the annual Reindeer Run/Walk.  It is an annual holiday event where everyone dresses up in holiday gear and run/walk around Lake Harriett.  After the event we went back our good friend's house...the Paulson's for a great brunch and laughs. 

Mr. and Mrs. Claus cheering on all of the runners.

Not a bad crowd...for a pretty cold day.

After the Reindeer Run, we picked Sondre up and went to pick out our Christmas tree...we found a really great one.  Sondre can tell you just how picky we are.  We are known for our Christmas tree, so we are very selective.  The best part was that we had extra muscle to get it in the house this year.  Normally, I am the one that has to drag the tree in the house with Scott but this year I was able to "direct" Scott and Sondre and not get tree sap all over my hands...it was nice.  We put on some great Christmas music on and enjoyed the evening very much. Amelia slept over that night so it was even more special to have a curious 3 year old helping us.   "Pretty, what's that", but her best line was...Glamma that was fun". I nearly melted.

"Is it straight?"  We have to tie it up...because in past years we have had a fully-decorated tree tip over.  Now that is NOT fun...trust me.

Thank goodness they are both tall...

Then we decorated the house for Christmas...but Sondre won't let us post any pictures because he wants to surprise Torstien and Knut when they arrive in Minnesota in a few weeks.  Stay-tuned for more pictures then.  We are expecting 50 people for Christmas dinner so we are already in preparation for a big day.  Our heated garage will be full of tables, people and good cheer.

Christmas is a very emotional time of year for my family and me (Mom and sisters).  When I was in high school, my little brother Billy and his best friend  Mark were both hit by a car and both died.  It was paralyzing for our family, community and church.  He was a wonderful and beautiful 12 year boy whose life was cut tragically short. Our family survived because of the unbelievable courage of my parents and the love and support from our community of friends.  I cannot wait for you all to meet my Mom (my dad died 15 years ago). She is the most inspiring woman in the world and has been a role model for me, my sisters and our children.  She was able to work through unbearable grief because she had four daughters to raise.  Frankly, she is the rock star of our family.  She is loved by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren too.  God works in mysterious ways...because 9 years later (just 2 hours from the anniversary of my brother's death) my life changed in the the most wonderful way when my daughter Courtney was born.  Not only did I find out what unconditional love was it made a reflective time of year for our family very joyous.  She is now a wonderful mother...and in a few months a new little member of our family will be arriving.  Happy Birthday Courtney Anne.
On Sunday we had the end-of-the season football banquet....it was a very nice event.  There was a fun video of the season highlights (Sondre has a copy), great food and lots of speeches by the coaches.  When the head coach got up and did his "top-ten list" for the season, we were pleasantly surprised when he said one of his season highlights was having "a Norwegian, who had never played football as a wide-receiver".  Scott and I were really proud at that moment...we channeled our inner Jon and Sigrun so you could be proud virtually.  His wide-rreceiver coach also mentioned him...and the crazy "small-world" story about how he and Sondre are actually distant relatives.   

The video....a picture of Sondre with us

Sondre shaking the hand of his wide-receivers coach...a wonderful coach and teacher.

Getting his "letter" for completing his football season.

We are looking forward to all of the activities around the house in the next few weeks and especially excited to have Knut and Torstein experience an American Christmas with us and  also their relatives in Minnesota.  We have a ton of fun stuff planned so get ready boys.  The added bonus is that Pamela and Jackson will be here for nearly two weeks.  We will miss Billy while is out on deployment  with the Navy but he will be with us in spirit as will Synne, Jon and Sigrun.

Lots of love,

Alix and Scott Colehour

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

I might have to blog twice this week....lots going on!!!!

Dear Lerhol Family and Friends...

Well the lull in our schedule is already over...we are back to an action-packed week.  Last week was busy and exciting and this week is unfolding as a busy one too.

I will start with last week...

We had a wonderful time in Winona with all of the kids.  The most exciting part of the weekend was that Alex played most of the game as the Quarterback vs. UMD.  We were all enjoying the game and all of sudden Courtney said "Oh my goodness...Alex is putting on his helmet! He is putting on his helmet" and then she started to cry she was so happy that he was going into the game.  She is emotional anyway but since she is pregnant she takes emotional to a new level.  Anyway...we all started to cheer for him.  The Warriors did not win but Alex played really well in spite of the loss.  It was fun to watch the game with Sondre...he has become a very seasoned football expert...he uses all of the lingo and football terms just like he has played football all his life.  We just learned tonight that Alex will be starting this weekend vs. Augustana (Sioux Fall, South Dakota). Very excited for him!!!

Alex and Amelia after the big game!  CUTENESS!

After the game we went back to the house we rented and had a bonfire...the kids stayed up until 3am.  We old folks went to bed a little earlier than that...but not too much earlier.  :)  I think we will rent that same house in May when Alex graduates from college...it was perfect for a big family. 

Sondre was awarded the "Minnetonka Champion of the week" for Football.  He was recognized for his hard work and dedication and for how much he has improved since football started in August.  The coach told us that he has been making some pretty amazing catches during practice.  As usual he has football this weekend.   

Tonight Scott and I attended parent-teacher conferences at the high school...it has been a long time since we have had to do that...not sure but we may have been the oldest parents there.  We met with most of Sondre's teachers to see how he is doing and I am happy to report his grades are very good and all of the teachers were very complimentary of Sondre as a young man.  I just cannot imagine going to school in a different country and learning in a different language and getting As and Bs. 

Scott has finished editing Sondre's senior pictures and below is a link so you can see them all.  Take a look and let us know which ones you like the best and we can order some and send to Norway.

Sneak peek at one of his senior pictures...here is the link to the others. 

http://gallery.me.com/scolehour/101524 (username: sondre password: sondre)

So...on Sunday I will blog again and tell you about his busy weekend.  On Sunday we get to meet the King and Queen of Norway!  How exciting is that?  We get to go to church with them and also attend an invitation only reception afterwards.  If they are anything like the English royalty I will be ready to put a "birds-nest" on my head as a hat and rub elbows with them.  :) 

On Sunday afternoon we will be hosting all of the AFS families at our house and since we are the hosts, Sondre has to do a presentation.  He did a nice job with it...it is about Norway, the culture and traditions, his family and about him too.  We will take a video of it so we can show you all.  Also, we are supposed to serve some Norwegian fare and we found Lefsa and some of the wonderful Norwegian chocolate too.  We will also be displaying all of our beautifully hand-carved wooden pieces (by Tore Gloppen's grandfather) that the Gloppens have given us over the years.  We also have our Norwegian flag on the front of our house...so we should be all set.   

This was a really big week for the Lerhol's and especially for Torstein since the documentary about Torstein's life had its grand opening to rave reviews.  We are a little worried with all of this fame that he might be too cool to hang with us regular folk when he is in the US.  We will see.  :).  Congrats Torstein!

More to come on Sunday...have a great week all. 

Love, Scott and Alix

Life in Minnetonka is getting pretty normal....

Dear Lerhol Family and Friends:

Sorry I have not blogged in a few weeks but I think life is getting pretty normal.  Sondre has been busy with both school and football and he has not been feeling too well for the last 3 weeks.  He has had a nasty cold that just does not seem to want to go away.  He missed one day of school and the big football game vs. Wayzata last Friday.  They lost...their first loss of the year--must have been because Sondre was not there.

In a few weeks it is Senior Night at a football game and all of the players that are Seniors and their parents are introduced.  They are doing a catalog of the kids and wanted a picture of when Sondre was younger so we used this one (cut out of a picture that Synne set me before Sondre came)...look at what a little cutie he was. 

Sondre as a kid (not sure how old he is)

 Sondre (17)...his taste in suits certainly has not changed. :)

Tomorrow we are all going to Winona to watch Alex play UMD (University of Minnesota--Duluth)...we rented a house (way cheaper than a bunch of hotel rooms) that sleeps 12 so it will be perfect for us.  Courtney, Ryan, Amelia are coming with Scott, Sondre and me and then my nephew (Ben) and his girlfriend  (Ala) will join us there since they go to college in Winona.  Alex will join us after the game for a bonfire and Scott's famous roast beef sandwiches.  The adults may have a beer or glass of wine too. 

We have had unseasonably warm weather so it still feels like summer...which we love.  Sondre is getting ready for winter and ordered a new winter jacket from this great little Ski store in Wayzata.  He said it is so much cheaper here in the US so I guess it is a good deal.  Not sure when the cold weather will hit, but he will be ready. 

School seems to be going well...his grades are good and it does not seem to be too hard for him.  Once football is over I am sure there will be more time for social activities but the coaches keep these kids pretty busy with practice and games.  He is trying to decide if he wants to play a winter sport like Alpine skiing.  More to come on that.  Scott is going to strongly encourage that he join the ski team.  The coaches love Norwegians on the team...they think you all were born with skiis on our feet.  :)

Will blog again soon....hope you are all doing well!

Alix and Scott