HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, KRISTY AND TODD!

The newlyweds with their "kranse kake"
a Norsk cake for special celebrations

Johnson/Ledene Family
September 27, 2003

Eight years ago we were attending a lovely wedding at Salem Lutheran Church in Scandia, Alberta.  The bride was Kristy Jayne Ledene of Brooks, Alberta and the groom was our youngest son, Todd Erick Johnson.  The two met in 2002 at a training event for Bible camp counsellors in Alberta on the last evening of the training event.  They discovered that Todd had graduated from grade 12 with Kristy's sister, Jolene, at LCBI Outlook.  In fact, when we looked at our pictures taken at Todd's grad, we spotted Kristy's parents and grandparents a couple rows ahead of us.

Todd onstage with his diploma, May 1995
Kristy's grandma Wanda in purple, Grandpa Mike, Helga and Dan

Four days after their wedding, Todd and Kristy flew to Kristiansund, Norway where Todd was playing volleyball in an elite league.  They thought it would be a great experience for a year or two.  Eight years later they are still in Krisiansund, but now both are employed by oil companies and volleyball is for recreation, not to pay the bills!  They have invested in their own home and just finished gutting their kitchen, taking down a wall  and installing Ikea cupboards and new appliances in the process.  They are currently enjoying a visit from Kristy's parents, Dan and Helga Ledene.  The four of them are planning a trip to Prague and Vienna in early October.

We have enjoyed four trips to Norway in those past eight years.  We have been there for the 17th of May, for Christmas and New Years, for Easter and for Todd's birthday (well almost).  We have yet to visit in the summertime!  This week crowds of people are heading for Host Fest in Minot, ND. I tell people that we don't take that in anymore. Thanks to Todd and Kristy living in Kristiansund, we go to Norway instead.

Todd and Kristy have taken advantage of living close to many other Scandinavian and European countries.  They have made pre-Christmas trips to the capitals of all the Scandinavian countries, as well as to St. Petersburg, Russia. Although they are across the ocean we stay close through email, Skype, Facebook and Sask Tel's bundle plan which lets us call Norway for three cents a minute.  We just have to remember that Norway is eight hours ahead of us, seven in the winter when their fast time ends.  We exchange lots of pictures too so I'll share a few of those now.

Celebrating a volleyball victory

Hosts of a fun Hallowe'en party

Taking part in the Klipp Fisk musical

Easter morning 2008 at Ledene's in Brooks

Attending a wedding by the sea

Kristy wearing her new bunad, and Todd new glasses

A dream come true for Todd, a forever Flyer fan
attending a game in Philadelphia, April 2011

and a chilly Phillies game in the same trip,
on their way home to Canada

Cheering for team Norway. who spoiled Canada's perfect
record in the round robin in Regina, April 8, 2011
(but Canada went on to win the gold in Men's World Curling!)

Celebrating Todd's 34th birthday, April 15, 2011
his first at home in eight years
("Kiss me, I am Norwegian"pin on the cake picture!)

Rolf, Ruth and family
your dear friends in Kristiansund
(so thankful they can be your "Norsk family")

And with this last picture, I will end this blog with our wishes for a very Happy Anniversary.  Tuesday is another day at work for both of you so you'll have to make this upcoming trip an anniversary celebration.  Lots of love and prayers from Mom and Dad Johnson

Todd and Kristy 2011