~My Baby Blue~

~We had originally planned on going to Switzerland.. but while we were in France we asked Mom & Dad if they could go anywhere in Europe... where would it be? We quickly changed our plans and decided to go in the opposite direction and head north to Denmark. We stopped at this German village along the way to have lunch and stretch our legs~


~There is a lot of hype about driving on the Autobahn in Germany... although it can be very exciting at times.. we have definitely become quite fond of how fast you can get from point A to point B.. This is not the sight you normally want to see when you are going 100 mph (and being passed like you are standing still)... The driver's side cup holder has a huge German beer in it.. anyone thirsty?~


~We had to document it.. just to prove that we really were going 100 mph while we took the beer picture. This is the standard speed on the Autobahn.. honestly though.. if you drive an Audi wagon..you usually would be going 140 mph.. ahh.. we are going to miss this so much when we come back to the states and have to drive snail slow~


~We arrived into Denmark and it just had such a wonderful feeling here. Very laid back, clean, and welcoming. I am so glad that we were able to come to Denmark and learn a little more about Dad's Danish heritage~


~We drove up to our vacation home and were so excited that it was a huge, old (1595) farmhouse. It was surrounded by acres and acres of wheat and pastures. We were welcomed by the owner and we immediately made ourselves at home~


~Steve made us incredible Italian dinners every night, and we ate outside on the picnic table in front of our house. It was so quiet here, and serenely beautiful~


~The look on Dad's face says it all! We drove the 10 hours up to this area of Denmark so that Dad could see where his relatives once lived. Once we were surrounded by all of Dad's "Peeps"... so many things started to make sense. It was priceless to see how happy he was to be here~


~After our dinner we walked around and looked at the horses and enjoyed being together as a family. The kids played on the swings and we took in the scenery. The boys absolutely loved having Papa around to play with~


~It was going on 10 p.m., but the sun was still giving off so much light. We played many rounds of Bocce ball and then ate some ice cream~


~We really did luck out with weather while Steve's parents were here. We enjoyed this, and many other sunsets while in Denmark~


~It is now after 10 p.m. and we are enjoying some family pictures in the wheat fields around the home~


~Does this look like a happy couple, or what? Mom's lovin' on her Danish man~


~While Steve was eating some of his delicious Italian dinner... he all of a sudden bit down on something really hard :( It was his crown that fell out of his tooth. I told him he needed to make an emergency dental call? Oh wait.. he is the dentist.. he just kept it out, and decided that the exposed tooth could wait a couple of days for him to enjoy the rest of his vacation..hint, hint.. future patients.. he doesn't like to be bothered on his weekends/vacations.. if he can wait.. so can you :)~


~We did some research on a family history website to find out exactly where Papa Mark's ancestors are from in Denmark. We came across a tiny Denmark island called Sonderho... This was where the Anderson family was born and raised - Niels P. Andersen (they changed to Anderson when they arrived in the U.S.) He was Mark's maternal great grandfather. His Grandma Lana's father (who he was very close to)~


~You could see the excitement on Mark's face when we were on this ferry going over to where his family came from. It was a special time for all of us to get this once in a lifetime chance to experience this family history treasure~


~It was so fun to listen to all of the stories that Papa could remember from his Grandma Lana and the Denmark traditions that she passed along. The island doesn't seem like it has changed very much.. so it was very easy to visualize the people of the past~


~We were so happy when we came upon this old antique store. Papa was so excited when he found this old ebleskiver skillet. He remembers when he was a little boy how great it was when his Grandma Lana & his Mother would make these delicious, round Danish pancakes. I cannot wait to get this recipe and try them.. yummy!~

~We also came upon another treasure in this store. We found an antique Danish Clipper Sailboat. Papa's eyes lit up when he saw this. He told us the story about his great grandfather Anderson who had made a boat similar to the one we saw. He said that it sat on the chest of drawers in the bedroom that he slept in as a little boy at his grandmother's house. When we saw how special this was to him... we had to get it for him. I hope my boys remember this boat now when they go and visit their Nana & Papa - and appreciate their family heritage more~


~We all loved the thatched roof cottages in Denmark. The tradition of thatching has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. It was very fun to see these unique roofs made from wheat straw. They say that there are actually advantages to these roofs such as low maintenance(need replaced every 15 years); It is weather resistant.. and can withstand lots of rain; It is also a natural insulator because of all of the thousands of pockets of air that exist between and within the stems on the roof. The air pockets give the roof the ability to insulate in both warm and cold weather. I just think they look awesome..I wonder if I can find someone to do one for me in Oregon?~


~It looked like a painting to me everywhere we looked. I loved the long grass that blew in the breeze, the boats and the water.. it was peaceful & picturesque~


~This cute little boy came flying down through town on his bike and came running out to the water with his little net. He could not speak English.. but he showed the boys exactly what was in the water.. they loved it~


~This boy is a great example of what you look like when you are born in Denmark. There was so much blonde hair around with these bright blue eyes. This is what Papa looked like when he was a boy. I was wondering where those beautiful, blue eyes of his came from.. and now we all know.. there is a country full of them~


~We had a good time walking through this small cemetery in the center of Sonderho. We wanted to see if we could find anymore of our ancestors names that we could recognize. We were looking for Anderson, Sorenson, & Nielson.. which we found many with this last name. We loved going back in time...remembering our ancestors~


~All the boys standing together in this beautiful, old cemetery. This was a very special experience for us & we really gained a much greater appreciation of our past. There are so many people in our family from hundreds of years ago..who have made such huge sacrifices for us and who lived so much differently than we do today~


~This cart was actually used to pull a little boy around town. It seriously was like time had stood still on this little Denmark island. It was so refreshing and simple~


~In the center of the island was this beautiful windmill..


~Denmark was a fabulous experience for us. I am so glad that we got to do this trip of a lifetime with Nana & Papa. It meant so much more going with Papa and getting to hear the stories and experience the sentimental moments together~


~Now we understand Papa & his "peeps" just a little bit better. We now understand so much of why he is so wonderful and what traits he picked up from his amazing Denmark relatives~


~Incredibly enjoyed this time together as a family.. but all good things have to come to an end..this place will always hold a very special place in our hearts~