We are back from our trip, and the washing machine is running with all of our dirty clothes. I thought I’d take a moment and post our pictures. It may only be my mom who reads all of this, (thanks, Mom!) but for those who would love to see the beauty of Montana, you are welcome as well:
Our trip started out slowly, as we stopped through a town that had a reputable heating place that sold fireplaces. Knut spent some time asking questions and getting quotes while I took the kids to a nearby park. Elias really enjoyed the sand.
David found a sandbox too. Unfortunately, the slides were all wet, so we didn’t stay for long, and soon went back to annoy Knut and the salesman.
Our next stop was to Fargo/Moorhead. I know we go there all the time, but how often do we go as tourists?
The visitors’ center had free maps for our whole trip, and we had a wonderful picnic on the lawn.
And then Elias surprised us with a new tooth on top. It surfaced for the first time that morning.
When we were almost in Dickenson, ND, we stopped at a landmark that looked cool!
We saw the Guinness World Record certificate, for meeting the largest in some sort of class of sculpture.
And we read the article about all of the statues by this one artist. We looked closely at the picture, because behind us…
we saw the actual artist! He came to work on it that day, to remove some rust. He talked with us for awhile, and told us about the next statue he’s working on, which he said will be a spider’s web. It was very cool. I’m glad Silje got her business done behind the landmark before the artist showed up. Ahem.
We spent the night in Dickenson, ND with Knut’s Uncle Tim and Aunt Sharon. We had some great fellowship with them, and I soaked in lots of garden information from Tim’s amazing back yard. I’ve already got some plans in the work inside my head for changes next year to my flower gardens.
The next day we drove through the bad lands. They were beautiful, not bad. Apparently it was named by the Sioux indians.
We stopped for a picnic in a little town just across the boarder of Montana. It was just so charming!
And the kids took their naps in the car.
Before stopping in Billings for the night, we stopped at Pompey’s Pillar, and brought out our old hiking backpack for Elias.
We all got to see William Clark’s (from Lewis and Clark) signature carved into the rock there.
Knut wished that we would have studied up on Lewis and Clark before we got there so it would be cooler for the kids. I think we’ll research landmarks ahead of time for the next trip.
There was so many stairs to the top. The kids loved that part!
We stopped in Billings, MT and stayed with Knut’s old youth paster, and his wife, Matt and Kristen. They have 2 daughters, Maren and Siriana. We really enjoyed them.
Silje especially enjoyed their daughter’s large dress up closet and huge American Girl doll collection. This is a bad picture, but that case next to her is holding the doll shoes. She’s wearing one of the many outfits she tried on. Needless to say, Silje saw no reason to move on to the Bible School that was our destination.
On the way we passed Manhattan. It’s not like the movies. 😉
Matt recommended we stop at this little bakery on the way up.
We got this huge cinnemon roll and a large cup of coffee for $3! Who knew a place just outside Manhattan was so cheap!
We made it to MWSB that afternoon. Knut graduated from there in 2000, and I know it was one of the best years of his life. There was an all class reunion that we came for, and this was my first time seeing this school that Knut spent so many letters writting to me about while I was in Bible school in downtown Chicago.
Elias enjoyed sitting in the grass. Look at that mohawk that he’s growing in!
The kids went straight for the playground.
We didn’t know until we got there that they provided a “kids club” for our 2 older kids during a few hours of the day so Knut and I and Elias got to spend some time doing whatever we wanted! We were able to talk with others there, or go off for some devotions in by the creek, or just sit and read a book. It was so wonderful!
Not the best picture of David, but the boys wore matching shirts the first day out at camp just for fun.
Knut and I each had a bunk, but the kids enjoyed sleeping in the cot style bunk beds. They both wanted a top bunk, so we let them. They couldn’t climb out so…bonus!
Knut went on a longer hike with his old roommate, Shane, and 2 other alumni. They climbed Twin Buttes, (well they actually only summitted one Butte.) It took them all afternoon, and had some very steep places. But the views from the top were worth it!
He got a great picture of the campus of MWSB.
Althought that was zoomed in. This is how high he actually was when he took the picture!
God’s glory was so evident wherever we went there. What a perfect place for a Bible school!
Here’s Knut at the summit, with “Steamboat” mountain behind him. He summitted that one when he was a student there.
Here’s Shane and Knut. I guess you’re supposed to put a rock on top when you get there. Shane and his wife Deb and their 2 little boys are leaving to be missionaries at the end of the year. They’ll start out in India, and then hopefully move to an unnamed country where they’ll be working. We are so excited for them, and we invite you to pray for them as well.
Knut was so amazed that the beautiful flowers were just growing on the rock, without any soil!
We went on a small hike as a family. Knut figured the kids are always brimming with energy, so the hike would be no problem. However, about 5 seconds into the trip the complaints about tired feet and tired legs began. David dragged his feet most of the way, and on the way back, stopped completely and just sat down in protest. Fortunately, another family with a boy about David’s age walked past us, and David’s competitive spirit brought him to his feet, and he ran the rest of the way back. I actually had to run to keep up with him, but I was not about to tell him to stop, because I didn’t know if we would get him started again after that!
We covered our eyes because the sun was just burning!
The beauty was just overwhelming.
Knut bought Silje a candy necklace in the little store they had there. She was delighted!
They had an awesome rock wall as a part of their new gym, and Knut was the first in our family to scale it. Unfortuantely I have no pictures of him on the wall, but believe me, he did it!
The staff at MWSB offered for Silje to climb too, but she said no. A few hours later, she surprised us, and said she was ready to go up! So they harnessed her up, and up she went!
Climbing was really tricky, and she let go about every other rock, and after awhile she just touched them for show as the wonderful staff below just pulled her up!
David said no at first too, but he was not about to be out done by his sister, so he agreed to go up as well.
I got to climb the wall twice. Like my kids, it was my first time rock climbing and it was so much fun!
David looks like he’s climbing, but this picture was staged.
He really just enjoyed hanging there.
Silje entertained Elias while I was on the wall.
One of the staff members out at MWSB was also named Elias. Elias was just crazy about Elias, and vice versa. We had to snap a picture of them together.
Our last stop was in Williston, ND, where we stayed with my mom’s cousins, Terry and Karen. Terry had already left for work before we could get a picture with him, but we had so much fun talking with them, and they threw a wonderful BBQ for us. They invited my Uncle Si and Auntie Signe (my grandpa’s brother and his wife) and their son Stewart. Almost all of Terry and Karen’s children and I believe all their daughter-in-laws were there, and their new little granddaughter. She even invited some family of mine from my grandmother’s side, Craig and Martha, who just moved to Williston. I wish I would have taken pictures at the party, but we were so into talking with everyone, we just forgot!
My computer saavy 90 something year old Uncle Si had seen Knut and David’s fishing pictures on facebook, and commented to Knut that they caught some really dinky fish, and told him some great fishing stories when he used to go fishing up in Canada. I’m so glad that these precious family members of mine got a chance to meet.
We got to see so many loved ones, and met so many people at MWSB that I hope we always keep in touch with. Thank you to Tim and Sharon, Matt and Kristen, and Terry and Karen for putting us up in the evenings, and to John and Terri, the directors of MWSB for doing all they do. Thanks to Richard and Linda and Lars for looking after our place when we were gone, and Grant and Sharon for looking after Lena while we were gone. We hope that when we pick her up in the morning, she’ll actually want to come home with us. Sharon said she’s been playing fetch with her about 9 times a day, and I know she has been so spoiled while we were gone.
J and K Smith says
July 29, 2009 at 11:50 amIt is a little bit strange to see your kids on the same swings I spent so much time on with Knut. We would sit and Knut would talk about a certain girl who was in Chicago at the time. 🙂
a.swendsrud says
July 29, 2009 at 2:07 pmThe picture of the Eliases make me laugh. I know Eli (the elder, specifically), and when your Elias was born, I had to tell him because he said he rarely had heard of another Elias. I’m glad you had a good time. It was fun to see these pictures. Wow, I miss that place.