Merry Christmas!

Mum and dad

Dear friends and family! This year we welcomed a new grandchild, and two more are announced for 2021! We attended two baptisms – one in February, with lots of guests, and one in November, with very few. Both were lovely. In March, Astrid’s father passed away. It was very sad. The funeral was beautiful, but only 25 people were allowed to attend, due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

In 2021 we hope to travel a lot. We are so glad that some were able to travel this summer, so we could receive some visitors. Magne spent a lot of time this summer reading, wood chopping, and fixing up the garden. He has started up a whole new section. Astrid still works at Hordabø school. Every day she really experiences the weather, as she bikes in. In Dynaplan, where Magne works, home office is the norm, so no big changes there. Without traveling, they have this year gotten new costumers both in Europe and further away.

We are looking forward to restrictions being lifted, so we again can attend church and spend time with friends and family without masks and continuous distance monitoring. It seems, Høye must have been thinking of us especially when making the Christmas regulations. We are preparing to welcome both Solbjørg, Magnar and Ingrid with families. Beds are made up and the fridge is full. We are ready for a very merry Christmas.

Ingrid, Jørgen, Sigve and Johan

Dear everybody! This has been the year when Johan learned to walk and Sigve to ride the bike. It has been the year for a big carrot harvest in our garden, and a quite small strawberry harvest. It has been the year to travel little, but we still managed to take a trip to Denmark together with Jørgen’s parents, sister and brother in law, where we celebrated Gunnar’s 60th birthday. We had fun in Legoland and picking pebbels at the beach. Johan (1¾ years) started kindergarden in September, at the same time as Jørgen started a new job as a doctor in Bergen, after six months paternity leave. Sigve (4½ years) has developed a taste for drawing and Hama beads, and it turns out he is highly creative. Ingrid went back to her job as a youth pastor in March, after her maternity leave, just in time for everything to be shut down because of the pandemic. So this has also been the year for home office and a lot more spare time than usual. Just now in December we got the news that yet another little boy will be joining the family. He is due in the end of May. So Ingrid feels quite outnumbered, but can’t deny that she is enjoying life with all her boys. And luckily she has got a niece whom she can spoil. We wish you all a merry Christmas and God’s blessing over the new year.

Magnar, Lillian and David

The biggest change this year has been Magnar’s socialization-level. He has namely gotten a physical colleague! Lillian has set up home office a mere meter away. It works very well. The productivity is maintained, while lunch time has gotten an upgrade with enjoyable moments and sometimes even a dance! Lillian went back to working in Riksrevisjonen in august, after her maternity leave, while Magnar started his paternity leave. He and David was very lucky with the weather, and spent a lot of time out with the bicycle trailer and in “open kindergarten”. After a successful cleft palate operation, David started in kindergarten at the end of October. David seems to enjoy kindergarten, and really digs all toys with wheels. Magnar still has 40% paternity leave, so David got a smooth start in kindergarten. Just before Christmas, we found out that David is getting a little brother in the beginning of May, which we are really looking forward to. Yippee doodle doo! Merry Christmas ❄

Solbjørg Makalani, Mathias, Bjarne and Astrid Synne

Dear friends and family!

What a year! Overall, 2020 has been good for us, especially after I was done being pregnant 🙂 Before that, I slept and Mathias starred as a single dad. Bjarne loves his funny, playing daddy (as do I 🙂). In September, Astrid Synne arrived. She is so content and beautiful, we are so fortunate. According to Bjarne, she, biking, baking and chocolate must have been the best things of 2020. We have really missed spending time with all of you. But we have been very fortunate with regards to COVID-19. We, and family, have stayed healthy, and we spend most of our time at home doing kid-stuff anyway 😉 We are really hoping to spend more time with loved ones in 2021. And now – it’s Christmas! Bjarne is so looking forwards to Jesus’ birthday, when we all get gifts! “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) Merry Christmas and lots of love from Solbjørg Makalani, Mathias, Bjarne and Astrid Synne