It's beginning to look a lot like...

Well I can't completely say Christmas. True, Lars has been to two work-related Christmas parties, we had the Christmas beer tasting, we have put up our little tree, AND I have wrapped all the presents we've bought so far...

...and taken out the hand-made doilies that one of Lars' aunts made us last year and the little Santa statues that are our entire collection of Christmas decorations. I've even started baking cookies and trying to make fudge.

All the shops have Christmas stuff everywhere and I am daily popping some chocolates out of my advent calendar. I am also lucky enough to be trying my luck on an scratch ticket calendar as the days tick down to the 25th, courtesy of Lars.

(No big money yet.)

There is til og med a huuuge Christmas tree up in Østre Torg...but I have to admit something fairly important is still missing. Maybe I am spoiled but, um NO SNOW!?? What is Christmas in Norway without snow? Blasphemy, I tell you. Blashpemy!

(This picture was taken over a week ago, even that snow is GONE)

This time last year I was practically snow-swimming to and from my Norwegian classes and now I am instead greeted with the slush and mud of a typical Pacific Northwest winter. Varmegrader is the name of the game lately (which literally means warm degrees) That's the term Norwegians use to describe any temperature above freezing.

(Even if it's not much.)

The point is--I actually want it to get COLDER so the slush can turn back into snow and it can hang around for awhile! Who would've thought? But regardless of what the weather situation here in Hamar is, I am confident there will be snow waiting for us in Tynset and that's where we'll be for Christmas, and most likely New Year's too!

Even without the snow, I can't help but get in the spirit. I frickin' love Christmas.

(Although I do still maintain that Halloween is my favorite holiday.)