Andrew Christiansen Photography

Lutefisk Lament

2012-01-05T21:36:00.000-08:00

A New Person to the Family must earn it

So my cousin Jeff brings his girlfriend to christmas Eve dinner to meet the family. The evening is an interesting night of opening stocking filled with soap, flashlights, chocolate, and something random like big red wax lips. Then we try to cram all of us cousins on one couch for a picture, which is much harder now than it was 15 years ago... Before all of that we have dinner, now dinner consists of:

Potatoes

Gravy

Pickles

Swedish Meat Balls

mustard

Lefsa

crackers and dip

and

Lutafisk

So this is Lutafisk

It can't be that bad

ummmmm

Swallow

Good it went down

Well I am glad that is over

I Did It!

Well she must have passed the test because Jeff asked her to marry him the next night.

Lutefisk Lament

Charlie Boone & Roger Erickson

'Twas the night before Christmas with things all a bustle

As Mama got set for the Christmas Eve tussle.

Aunts, uncles and cousins would soon be arriving

With stomachs all ready for Christmas Eve dining.

While I sat alone with a feeling of dread,

As visions of lutefisk danced in my head.

The thought of the smell made my eyeballs start burning.

The thought of the taste set my stomach to churning.

For I'm one of those who good Swedes rebuff:

A Scandahoovian boy who can't stand the stuff.

Each year, however, I played at the game

to spare mama and papa the undying shame.

I must bear up bravely, I can't take the risk of relatives knowing I hate lutefisk.

I know they would spurn me, my presents withhold,

if the unthinkable, unspeakable truth they were told.

Then out in the yard I heard such a clatter,

I jumped up to see what was the matter.

There in the snow, all in a jumble,

three of my uncles had taken a tumble.

My aunts, as usual, gave them "what for",

and soon they were up and through the door.

Then with talk, and more cheer,

an hour was passed as Mama finished the Christmas repast.

From out in the kitchen an odor came stealing,

that fairly set my senses to reeling.

The smell of lutefisk creeped down the hall

and wilted a plant in a pot on the wall.

The others reacted as though they were smitten,

while the aroma laid low my small helpless kitten.

Uncles Oscar and Lars said, "Oh, that smells yummy,"

and Kermit's eyes glittered while he patted his tummy.

The scent skipped off the ceiling and bounced off the door,

and the bird in the cuckoo clock fell on the floor.

Mama announced dinner by ringing a bell.

They pushed to the table with a yump and a yell.

I lifted my eyes to heaven and sighed,

and a rose on the wallpaper withered and died.

With wooden legs I found my chair

and sat in silence with an unseeing stare.

Most of the food was already in place;

there remained only to fill the lutefisks space.

Then Mama came proudly with a bowl on a trivet.

You would have thought the crown jewels were in it.

She placed it carefully down and took her seat,

and Papa said Grace before we could eat.

It seemed to me, with my whirling head,

the shortest prayer he ever had said.

Then Mama lifted the cover on the steaming dish,

and I was face to face with the quivering fish.

"Me first," I heard Uncle Kermit call,

while I watched the paint peel off the wall.

The plates were passed for Papa to fill.

I waited in agony between fever and chill.

He would dip in the spoon and hold it up high.

As it oozed on the plates, I thought I would die.

Then came my plate, and to my feverish brain

there seemed enough lutefisk to derail a train.

It looked like a mountain of congealing glue:

oddly transparent, yet discolored, the hue.

With butter and cream sauce I tried to conceal it;

I salted and peppered, but the smell still revealed it.

I drummed up my courage, I tried to be bold.

Mama reminds me, "Eat, before it gets cold."

I decided to face it, "Uff da," I sighed.

"Uff da, indeed," my stomach replied.

Then I summoned that resolve for which every breed is known.

My hand took the fork as with a mind of its own.

And with reckless abandon that lutefisk I ate,

within twenty seconds I'd cleaned my plate.

Uncle Kermit flashed me an ear-to-ear grin,

as butter and cream sauce dripped from his chin.

Then to my great shock, he whispered in my ear:

"I'm sure glad this is over for another year!"

It was then I learned a great and wonderful truth,

that Swedes and Norwegians, from old men to youth,

must each pay their dues to have the great joy

of being known as a good Scandahoovian boy.

And so to you all, as you face the great test:

Happy Christmas to you, and to you all the best

Christmas and Naomi's birthday

2012-01-05T21:29:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving is a matter of perspective.

2011-11-26T17:08:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving comes around every year and people start talking about what they are thankfully for but soon after black Friday and cyber Monday are over the thankfulness ends. We get caught up in the distractions and soon loose the mindset of thankfulness. After thinking about this I came to conclusion that if the mindset can be lost it can be gained and maintained.

How to gain and maintain thankfulness

Gain

Realize that you are not being thankful.

Find and tell yourself 3 ways to be thankful about a hard situation

Tell God what you are thankful about

Maintain

Keep positive thinking in the forefront of your mind

Choose to be thankful

Have a mind change

Turning on thankfulness is like the same change when god changes us into a new person and gives us a new heart and a new mind. We have a paradigm shift and start thinking different. We must change our thinking, we must let Christ change our thinking into his thinking.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Let Christ live in your life today...

grandparents

2011-11-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

A day at the park

2011-09-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

smiles

2011-03-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

daily photo

2011-03-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

Sweater = Bible Case

2011-03-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

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2011-02-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

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2011-02-22T10:59:00.000-08:00

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2011-02-20T16:28:00.001-08:00

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2011-02-09T08:05:00.000-08:00

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2010-12-13T09:26:00.001-08:00

senior's

2010-11-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

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2010-11-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

click on the picture

2010-10-31T16:32:00.000-07:00

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2010-10-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

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2010-09-04T21:18:00.001-07:00

Malachi Uriah Christiansen

2010-07-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

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2010-06-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

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2010-05-30T08:30:00.001-07:00

/Volumes/EOS_DIGITAL/DCIM/100CANON/IMG_9787.JPG

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2010-05-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

Naomi playing baseball

2010-05-04T18:44:00.001-07:00

naomi sleeping on the steps with snowy

2010-04-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

Sent from my iPhone

coffee table from a door

2010-03-03T18:37:00.001-08:00

over last homeleave I decided to make a coffee table out of an old steel door that was in a junk pile behind the school. it took about 3 days and alot of grinding and scraping of paint. but i think it turned out nice, it is one of a kind that is for sure..

daily photo

2010-01-24T21:56:00.001-08:00

Christmas

2009-12-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

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2009-12-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

feet in the sand

2009-11-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

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2009-11-05T08:43:00.001-08:00

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2009-11-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

2009-10-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

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2009-10-27T13:17:00.001-07:00

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2009-10-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

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2009-10-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

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2009-10-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

Read God's word...

2009-09-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 10:11

Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

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2009-09-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

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2009-09-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

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2009-08-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Water

2009-08-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

water

noun

1 a colorless, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms.

faces

2009-07-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

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2009-06-06T12:06:00.001-07:00

"this water is really good"

2009-05-28T05:17:00.001-07:00

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2009-05-27T08:55:00.001-07:00

me

2009-05-26T14:54:00.000-07:00

A picture of me taking pictures at Luke and Ingas wedding

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2009-05-22T00:22:00.001-07:00

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2009-05-21T00:06:00.000-07:00

Luke and Inga's wedding

2009-05-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

just wanted to post a few of the pictures that I took at a wedding on the 17th of may

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2009-05-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

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2009-05-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics that I have been needing to post but time is running away from me

2009-05-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

walking to church

I can't hear you!

I'm trying, can't get a signal the connection must be bad.

What was that?

The American Gothic

still can't hear you

adventures of the week

2009-03-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

bad breath, blocks and music

2009-02-22T09:26:00.000-08:00

2009-02-15T07:25:00.000-08:00

snow!

2009-02-14T07:47:00.000-08:00

walking, talking and squishing

2009-02-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

SNOW(click on the pic to see it better)

2009-01-30T06:52:00.001-08:00

pictures of christmas

2009-01-18T07:15:00.000-08:00

Best friends Snowy + Naomi (well most of the time)

Teeth coming in!

Our little elf

The best part about christmas is the wrapping paper. Naomi loved the tensile, it was soon all over the house, under everything and on everything.

Naomi + lemon juice= christiansen

knows nose and mouth not ears

2009-01-17T15:35:00.001-08:00

yellow

2009-01-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

7 min of Naomi's life for you to see

2008-12-05T05:49:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

interisting

2008-11-09T06:05:00.001-08:00

standing

2008-11-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

Tribulation=Hope

2008-10-15T11:02:00.001-07:00

For the past 40 posts on my blog I have put either pictures or video, although I am a firm beliver that a picture is worth a thousand words and pictures give and insight in what i am doing, it does not however replace the written word. so I have been enspired by one of my fellow bloggers Mel C. to put more content on my blog. I have been reading through the bible and I am in romans now, and i came across this and thought it was inspiring.

Tribulation

Hope

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:1-8)

Sunrise and Dirty window

2008-10-14T00:08:00.000-07:00

Black and White

2008-10-02T02:31:00.000-07:00

I took some pictures this last week and I thought they looked good in
black and white so here they are

Naomi and Reuben

2008-10-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

our good friends Jason and Maggi had baby his name is Reuben

Naomi really like him and so do we

Naomi sleeping after her batteries ran out

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2008-09-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

New Jonny Jumper

2008-09-04T01:38:00.000-07:00

Grandma sent a jonny jumper and Naomi likes it allot much more than
peas and carrots

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2008-09-01T01:50:00.000-07:00

1

2008-08-26T10:19:00.002-07:00

2008-08-25T02:02:00.001-07:00

B AND W

2008-08-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

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2008-08-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

summer in a nutshell

2008-08-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

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2008-07-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

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2008-06-17T09:17:00.001-07:00

last post before Leave to the states

2008-06-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

Vanessa these are for you:)

some pictures from Jason Harral

2008-05-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

jason took some pictures of naomi this weekend
>

New Growth

2008-05-21T02:07:00.000-07:00

There fore if any man be in christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.(2 corinthians 5:17)

sleeping

2008-05-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

>
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2008-05-11T07:27:00.001-07:00

our weekend

2008-05-08T01:05:00.000-07:00

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2008-04-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

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2008-04-17T02:16:00.000-07:00

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2008-04-15T04:50:00.000-07:00

sleeping & boxing

2008-03-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

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2008-03-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

tight squeeze

2008-03-01T11:53:00.000-08:00

last week lindsay and I went to Oslo to the US embassy to get a
passport for Naomi and we drove by this car that was as long as the
other cars where wide I thought it was funny

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2008-02-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

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2008-02-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

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2008-02-15T01:03:00.000-08:00

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2008-02-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

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2008-02-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

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2008-02-08T01:01:00.000-08:00

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2008-02-07T12:28:00.001-08:00

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2008-02-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

playing in the snow

2008-02-04T01:10:00.000-08:00