Mettes corner

Proud!

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Finally I feel proud again! Proud of being me! You may wonder what I’m talking about! So let me explain:

My over weight has always made me feel small, made me want to hide. My jobs in customer service is a job many people can do with out any education! When I had a job as web assistant I finaly could do things not every one could, but my coworkers didn’t belive it and in the end neather did I.

I started on my education, and my head had to work again. We had mathematics and it was fun! I did good! But still it was hard to learn so much new!

Now I’ve been sugarfree as I like to call it! I haven’t eaten sugar (carbonhydrates) for 79 days! And what a different it makes!

I can feel my self again, I recognize ME the ME I once was! I found a person who is glad, hard working, and most of all I’m doing good in school!

So I’m very proud! Proud of who I am! Proud of the good results in school! Proud of being sugarfree! I feels so good to be back!!

Linnea

Princess Linnea posing

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Linnea’s mom loves to take photos of her so normally she hides her face or turn her back  to the camera!!! But sometimes she actually wants to pose for the camera! So here I present you with a large photo of my China Princess in her princess dress. The photos are taken 2009 August 20.

princess_linnea_090820

Holiday

Holiday 2009 Part 2

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We had a plan to relax at home after the holiday in The Netherlands and Germany, but that hadn’t happend!

First we had a great time in Germany. The appartment was very nice! I think we calculated that it must be 27 years since I was there with my parents and my grandmother. But it was a big dissapointment to find out the pool was with out water and closed. It was ok to go back after so many years but I was a little unprepared for these changes at the holiday park: No pool, no shop, no restaurant and a reception only open 3 half days every week.

We had a lot of food with us all the time because of me and Hans: We do not eat bread, pasta, rice, potatoes or food with sugar. So for the first time we had a holiday where we cooked food everyday.

Another thing missing was the internet! Sure I’m addicted to my mail and Facebook but that was not the problem! The problem was that we wanted to go see things and had some folders to read……. in German!!! A language we learned in school….. 1986-1988!!! So we wanted to look up places to visit in the hope of an English text!

The most fun we had was visitning The bobsleigh in St. Andreasberg and in Thale. Linnea LOVES driving fast and had sooo much fun!

We also visit a cave in Bad Grund. It was cold and wet 🙂

Twice we took a cable car to the mountain top – the first in Hahnenklee where we lived and we walked down – About 5 or 6 km – Linnea walked 4,5 km and was carried by her father the rest of the walk.

The second cable car was in Thale and took us both up and down!

Hans got a trip of his own trying to get some exercise…. He walked from Hahnenklee to the bigger town Goslar a walk mostly downwards! Totally 13 km!!! Linnea, my mom and I drove in the car.

It was a long drive home where we made a stop in Copenhagen for my mother to repack and get all she bought out of the car! We were at home just before midnight on Thursday last week. On the way home Hans talked to his mom who told that Hans grandmother had died on Wednesday. She was old and just moved to a small appartment in a elderly peoples home.

On Friday at lunch we left home again to visit Astrid Lindgrens World. Astrid Lindgren was a Swedish childrens book writer – the most famous stories must be those of Pippi Longstocking. Linnea loves Pippi and this year we had Linneas kindergarden friends Mathilda & Anton (& parents) with us. Hans gets free tickets from his work!! 🙂 We had a great time!

Both in Germany and in the hostle close to A.L.W. Linnea slept together with my mother – Linnea loved it but my mom woke up many times every night to see if she was all right 🙂

We were back at home on Sunday finding out that our file server had had it too hot and crashed! So Hans started to work on it in the hope no files were lost! Now it’s almost ready again and the files were ok. But he had to drive to Malmö to get spare parts. (100 km).

Linnea and I both went to the hairdresser! Linnea is sooo good! She sits all still and behaves. That it the fun part with Linnea: She’s like a monkey climbing on everything, jumping and running all the time. But when she has to she sits still and behaves nicely!

We went to Copenhagen on Wednesday so Hans could do some work and I could visit my niece and her 3,5 month old daughter, and my brother and his wife. Linnea and I had a great time!

Again when we went to the funeral on Thursday (in Denmark) Linnea was behaving perfectly. I think it took half an hour in the church and she was quiet or whispering, reading small books or looking around. She had around a couple of thousands questions about being dead and it was a test to try to explain it to her. Finally we said that her great grandmother was in heaven sitting on a cloud like the Care Bears in the cartoons! So later when we went to Tivoli (Copenhagen) with Hans’ family Linnea and I tried the “Wheel with “air” balloons” and when we were on the top of the wheel Linnea said: Now we’re almost up at great grandmas! She thinks a lot this little girl!

Linnea and I was trying a lot of things in Tivoli but her favorite is the fast roller coaster – we had to do it 3 times! She’s crazy our little girl! Or should I say big girl now? She has been 94 cm for more than 6 months but has now grown to 95,5 cm and 14 kg – has no diaper in the daytime since april and none in the night since a couple of months!

She speaks Danish and Swedish and learned to say “Thank you” and “Danke schön” (Thank you in German) and when we were in The Netherlands she began to repeat the Dutch too!

Today we have fixed things at home and tomorrow we’re going to Abbekås on the south coast of Sweden, where we used to live (99-02). Hans is working with a friends computers.

Sunday will be the day off and the day we prepare us for kinder garden, school and work! But I think Linnea looks forward to meet all her friends again! Next Saturday (29th) she will start at Swimming school with her 2 best friends Mathilda & Isabell.

Times fly! I have been home from school for 11 weeks – I hope I haven’t forgotten too much!

We hope all of you have had a nice time – not summer because in Australia they’re a little off with the seasons 🙂 They have summer holiday in December/January…..

Soon I hope to update our gallery with a lot of holiday photos!

summer_linneasummer_linnea2

Friends

Holiday 2009 part 1

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On Sathurday Hans got an idea: Why not leave sooner than Thursday? So we started to call some people:

  1. Jet in The Netherlands
  2. My mom
  3. The dog pention
  4. My mom again
  5. Jet again
  6. The cat sitter

These phonecalls ended up in packing all night on Saturday and we left home on Sunday at lunchtime to drive to Copenhagen. In the afternoon we went to Tivoli a big favorite of Linnea and on Monday at lunchtime we left for Germany and The Netherlands.

We arrived in Hardenberg, The Netherlands at 22 o`clock Monday night! Linnea was fantastic on the whole trip even though she asked many times when we’ll bee there! The ferry was a hit and she slept for 2 hours, perfect when we arrived so late.

Jet & Henk had prepared 2 rooms for us, one for Linnea and my mom and one for Hans and me.

Yesterday we went on sightseeing while Jet & Henk were working. We saw the mill in Ommen and went on a boat trip on the canals in Geithoorn. We had a very warm and sunny day.

Today we’ll be on tour with Jet and the children to a small “museeum” village, where we’ll be aple to see Dutch hand craft and a park where we have to go through a tunnel to get up in the hights where there is a beautyful view.

I am taking a lot of photos because I got a new camera on Sunday morning, a small model easy to bring with you. Check it out here!

Now I hear Jet and the children so soon we’ll be eating breakfast! I’m hungry!

Have a great day!

/Mette on holiday with my hunband, my daughter and my mom!

Adoption, Friends

What a wonderful world!

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When I was a child my parents took me traveling. I had a friend in England when I was 5 and another in Austria when I was 12.
I remember that it was exiting to get to know other people from other countries and cultures. I remember my father enjoying talking to new people! (English, German and a little Spanish)

My father had a friend when he was a teenager. As an adult his friend emigrated to Australia, but they kept in touch. When I was 10 or 11 he came to Denmark with his family to visit his mother, and we were invided too. He had 2 sons 1 and 2 years older than me, they were very shy because I was a girl.

After the visit my father kept saying to me that I ougth to write them letters and he discused it with his friend in their letters.

When I finally learned English I wrote one and got an answer! A friend in Australia!

It was so far away but my dream was to go there one day! I wrote an essay on Ayers Rock and one on coala bears.

I don’t think my father had any plan for me other than learning English, but he started a friendship with a link to him self, an importen thing for me today!

Almost a month ago David came to Sweden, with him was his family. I have met his wife twice before but not the children!

Now our children spend the weekend together, they became friends – I can see my father smile! Third generation!!!!

palle_sommerMy father Palle Sömberg 1932-1993

alex_linnea_nikThird generation: Alex, Linnea & Nik

This summer we also met with our friend from Belarus and Switzerland – 16 years after my visit to Belarus! And with our parents and children! Also here tree generations of friend startet by the middle generation 17 or 18 years ago! Time flies! But the friendship is strong as ever!

I remember writing to Belarus many years ago that I was dreaming about the day when our children would meet! Hopefully the girls friendship will last too.

belarus_copenhagenAlexandra, Doris, Elin, Hans, Linnea, me, Oleg & Tanya (Mom is behind the camera)

Our friends from The Netherlands just left us yesterday morning after a very good weekend together. The Children – in total 3 are all born in China became friends very quickly and had a great time! Now I just hope that the familys dream about a Swedish summerhouse will come true so we’ll be able to meet more often!

n_l_r_090713

Norah, Linnea & Robin

So my father didn’t just teach me to be better in English but also to make friends outside my world! And so I did as a young teenager and now because of the adoption! Mailinglists with Swedish adoption families, another with families from all over the world! New friends with an adoption story to connect us. Something in a mail catches you eye and you got a connection that leads to friendship and visits!

It might sounds odd to say but adoption is absolutely “it” for me! All these people I now know because of the adoption and of course the internet is something I never expected! But I just love it!

I hope is that Linnea will treasure these people as I do and will understand the beauty of an open heart and mind! What you can get from being friends across borders and cultures!

Then of course there is the new “family members” too: Linneas foster family in China who gave her the start in life every child should be entitled to and the sponsor that made the foster family possible! People we’re forever grateful for, they cared for our miracle and still do!
A month or so ago we actually showed Linnea the picture of me and her foster family together the day we got her.  Here we are!

fosterfamily
The son Huang zhi feng, his wife Wu jia hui, me, foster mother Zhang Yun Zhi and foster father Huang Guang Shun.

Linneas reaction was: “Where is dad?” and I told her, that he was at the hotel with her! And that was it! So 2 days ago she got her 2 photo albums – one from the foster family and one from the orphanage. I the showed her all the photos we got from Grace & Hope for Children and promised her a copy for the album! It is both a relief and very sad that she has forgotten her family, but we will make sure to keep them alive in her mind and heart till the day we meet again!

And that leads me to the fantastic idea that we could meet up with the Wagner family from USA in Nanning – gues what my dear Karen said? YES! But I do hope to meet the Wagners before the China trip…….

So my hope is to teach Linnea to make friends not only at home but in the whole wide world!
To make conections lasting over generations, carrying a story from the past into the future!

Lots of Love, you are forever in my heart!

Mette

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PS Linnea said to day that she wanted a big lollipop when we go on holiday, this is her danish words: Jeg vil ha en stor lollipop!
So I asked: What is a lollipop? and she answered in Swedish: En klubba! And smiled! She is on to her third language 🙂

When we speak English to our friends, Linnea only speaks Swedish – and of course Danish to us!

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Adoption, Linnea

Why? Why? Why?

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A question we hear 1000 times a day! Everything we say is questioned by Linnea with a why?

And we explain… and she says: Why?
Sometime she comes with more than just why?

For example:

Why are you my mother?

Dad and I wantet a gril – a Chinese girl!
WHY?
Becaus I couldn’t have a baby in my stomac but instead we could have you!

Why was I in your stomac?

You were in you China-moms stomac.
WHY?
Because all children start their lives in a moms stomac.

Why didn’t I drink milk from your brests?

I could not get any milk in my brests.
WHY?
It didn’t work.
WHY?
I don’t know. But when we got you in China you didn’t want milk, you wanted water or tee. You were no a baby.

Why are you married?

We are married because we love each other.
Why is no all marries? (Linnea language – sometimes she misses words or how it ends!)
You don’t have to – but we had to other wise we couldn’t adopt, so we had to be married to get you!
I would have been sad Linnea answers!
We would have been sad to! We wanted you! I said!

One day Linnea was a little sad and mumbled something about Mormor (my mother) and I asked her: Do you miss mormor? YES.
And a little after – like she was thinking: I just love her! Then we picked up the phone and rang mormor in Denmark!

Our little prinsess is a very caring little person! And she thinks a lot! She often says: I’m glad! or I love my kinder garden!

The other day at kinder garden she said: I was in the stomac in China then mom and dad came for me!

What a miracle that we got her! Our Linnea Sunxue Erika Sömberg 🙂

In the photo from left:

Linnea & Elin her friend from Swizerland, Linnea reading her small books out on the deck, Linnea & Mormor, Linnea & Mathilda at Kinder garden.

collage_spring09

Adoption

2 år / years!

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I dag för 2 år sedan ringde min mobil kl. 12:30! Det var Mona ifrån Barnens Vänner! Vi hade blivit utvalda till flickan Sunxue!! Vilke glädje men också lite skrämmande!!! Och nu har det redan gått 2 år! Nu ligger hon i sin säng i rummet är intill och läser mina gamla Pixie böcker och sägar glatt: “Godnat mor!”

To day it’s 2 years since the phone rang at 12:30! Mona from our adoption organisation said we had been chosen for the girl Sunxue.
Now she’s reading my old small books in her bed – and says happily: “Good night mom!”

walking_w_v
Now she can hold Valde too – and it seems like he knows when it’s her so he’s more careful! 🙂

Adoption

Att vara utvalt / To be chosen!

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”Istället för att fastna i att man blivit ”fråntagen” upplevelsen av en graviditet och förlossning eller att i sitt barn kunna upptäcka sina egna personlighetsdrag och anlag, började upplevelsen av att vara utvald att dominera.”

Så skrivar Anna Elias om att bli adoptivföräldrar och det är sååååå sant!!!

Vi är en utvalt familj!

Och vi har lärt känna sååååå många underbara människor just därför!

Kram

Mette – En stolt adoptivmamma!

“Instead of getting stucked in “we didn’t get” to be pregnant and give birth or to see the similarities in our children, the expirience of being chosen started to dominate!”

So writes Anna Elias about adoption and it’s sooooo true!

We are a chosen family!

And we have met som many wonderfull people because of this!

Love

Mette – A proud adoptive mom

LCHF

2:nd week – 2:a veckan

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So first week of my new life/diet went well, the second……not!

I used to like to cook but over the years food has become an issue for me so now Hans cooks a lot – he likes to try new things and up to 99% of the time it’s really good.

Last sunday he got a fever and did not eat much until Thursday – and I had to cook….meaning I eat a lot while I cook and less of the food when it’s ready. I also turn to dishes I know how to make and had both potatoes and white bread… this led to wanting more carbon hydrates, the spring sun was warm and my “sweet-love” were screaming ICE CREAM NOW! So I did eat ice cream and that led to candy, cola and chips…… finally my stomach got upset again, I became more angry and of course head ache!

I was amazed how quickly I felt better with the low carbon hydrate food – but even more amaze how fast I was feeling bad again and how fast the weight goes in the wrong direction +1,5 kg in one week!!

So now I’ve started again yesterday – I have to cut of as much carbon hydrates off my food as possible…..

And the weight….. take a look here.

The more I see on TV, Videos, DVD etc I know I want to be able to DANCE on my 40 birthday – in 3 years…. I used to dance a lot and I do hope to start going to Line Dance with a friend or two in the fall!

Well take a look on these 2 dance videos on You Tube.

Evolution of dance (Has been viewed more than 11 million times!!!)

Evolution of dance 2

Sorry I haven’t time to write this i Swedish too.

Mettes corner

When Life gets scarry!

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To day I realised that an old friend of mine lost her boyfriend whom she had lived with for more than 10 years! They have 3 children, a 2 year old and twins age 1!

He felt sick and went to the doctors but something went wrong and he died! 38 years old! That’s when life gets scarry!

Ever since Linnea came to us I’ve been thinking more about LIFE – I want so badly to live with her – to be here for her! And I want Hans to be a part of it too. I can’t imagine my life with out them – NEVER EVER! That’s too scary a thought to think!

Maybe that’s why I think so much of my obesity – at least 40-45 kg!

If  life was unfair to me – when my father died I was 21 – I would say it’s so much more unfair to these 3 little children loosing their father and a young woman her man!!

I wish all the best for my friend and her children – And I wish it wont happen to any other family on earth!

Some people come into our lives and quickly go,
others stay for a while an leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never the same

(By unknown to me)

About a family with 3 countries in their hearts: Denmark, Sweden & China!