Rold

Lars picked me up from work at 2pm and we had a very uneventful drive up to Rold. It's a drive of 4-4.5 hours depending on traffic, so we arrived just after 6:30pm. We got ourselves checked in, and went up to our rooms to change for dinner (I don't know whether it really is a fancy enough place to get changed for dinner, or if it's just so much of a tradition that we never stopped to question it. Hmm... guess I just did! I'm not about to change it though - it's all part of the experience! :-) ) To our great delight the very first waiter we saw was Agent Waiter!!!! I have no idea if he remembered us, but it was great fun seeing him again :-)

Dinner was delicious as always, even if a tad too slow for the temperaments of the youngest, so they were sent to bed immediately after dinner, while the rest of us disappeared into the pool room for a couple of games and general catching up. It's always fun to see the "BIL-club" (that's what Peter, Christian and Lars call themselves) get together. We're fortunate that they always have a great time together. My two cousins fit in well too, and I quickly felt superfluous as the only girl still awake. They very obviously had no need at all for me ;-) Which is all good, even if it did take a bit of getting used to, not being my oldest cousin's preferred "play mate" any longer ;-)

Saturday and Sunday was spent going on walks in the area - Rold Storkro is situated in the middle of Rold forest and right next to Rebild bakker, so there's always opportunities for long walks... or not so long, when you have kids with short legs along ;) - playing billiard, going for swims in the pool, practicing ax-throwing and eating FAR too much FAR too good food :-D I think I got to read all of 100 pages while away, because I was up and about all day, and at night I was so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open past 10pm! That's what fresh air and young kids'll do to you ;-)

Sunday Nina and Christian had to go back home to their church, as Christian was playing worship. I'd gotten "Miriam-duty" and had to put her down for her nap almost immediately after they left which was a LOT easier said than done. Miriam knew exactly what was happened, and felt completely abandoned. I felt terrible! She was crying, calling for her mum, and kept jumping out of bed to run over and try to open the (now locked) door that she'd seen her mum disappear out of. It was heartbreaking. I know enough not to take it personally, but still felt like an awful abuser. In the end I grabbed a handful of books, and sat down on her bed holding her tight while reading out loud. After the first she'd stopped crying, after the second I was allowed to lie down with her, and after the third she was half-asleep. Phew!

... But of course we had "round two" after she woke up :-/ Thankfully this was a lot easier solved. I've always known that the way to Miriam's heart is through her stomach and this was no exception. She woke up while the lunch buffet was still on the table, so I took her for a walk around that, "Look Miriam, here's an apple... and an orange... here are some shrimps..." "Shimp!!!" "You want some shrimps?" "Yes! Many!" And voila - all was well again :-) I wish you could have seen her eyes when she said "Shimp!" though - they lit up like candle sticks!

Unfortunately I had to stay home from all walks Sunday. My legs were absolutely killing me, and my bad ankle had swollen up :-( Mum theorized that since I can't move the ankle as much as a 'normal' person, I can't "pump the blood around" so to speak, and that's what makes it swell. Could be... I've considered asking my doctor for a check-up on it. After all it's been almost 20 years since I had it checked last - a lot of things could've happened since.

Agent Waiter was as much fun as ever :) Isabella and Jordan asked for straws for their sodas Sunday evening, and he returned with a handful of black straws, and asked them which colour they wanted, "Here's a red one for you, and a blue one for you..." - cue giggling ;)
Nina had asked for her dessert to be delayed so she could tuck in the kids without worrying that her ice cream melted and had it brought out to her when she came back down. She was in the middle of telling cousin Peter something, and due to PERFECT timing ended up raising her hand just as Agent Waiter came through the doors. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Never get between a lady and her dessert!"
Heehee!

Since Christian hadn't been able to get off work Monday, he had to go home Sunday evening, so I spent the last night in their room to help Nina with the kids... to Jordan's delight and huge surprise when he woke up the following morning sleeping next to "Auntie 'Ria"! His facial expression was worth gold - it was very obvious that he hadn't equaled "Maria is sleeping in our room" to "Maria will be there when I wake up!" Cute!

All in all it was a really, really great trip. I had such a good time, and the nostalgia did not disappoint :) It brought back great memories, we had an excellent time together and revived a wonderful family tradition. Isabella and Jordan asked their parents to build a house near Rold so they could stay up there all the time ;-) Safe to say the younger generation had fun too! Hopefully we won't have to wait another 6 years before going next :-)