happy birthday america!

we celebrated sans fireworks but with a lovely bbq with some locals and their tots. owen had a great time drinking fizzy drinks, coloring with sidewalk chalk (he told me that janniche lived on "norwegian sesame street") and getting to know elias the norwegian tug boat in the wading pool. there was also a silly seagull who jumped into the potato salad and a gorgeous view of the water and the yellow schoolhouse. on the way home we ran into some of our other friends who invited us for dinner at their place on tuesday. so it goes, just when you make a new place your home it's time to return. perhaps that's a sign that you've earned the ticket back ;)