Snøen dalte stille ned over de norske fjellene, og dekket landskapet i et hvitt teppe.

The snow fell silently over the norske mountains, covering the landscape in a white blanket.

Midt i denne magiske vinterverdenen, stod en koselig, liten trehytte.

In the midst of this magical winter world stood a cozy little wooden cabin.

Den var omringet av høye furutrær, og inne i hytta var det godt og varmt fra peisen som knitret lystig.

It was surrounded by tall pine trees, and inside the cabin, it was nice and warm from the fireplace that crackled cheerfully.

Det var jul, og Lars hadde samlet familien for å feire.

It was Christmas, and Lars had gathered the family to celebrate.

Lars, en snill og noe engstelig far, ønsket å skape en harmonisk jul for sin sammensatte familie.

Lars, a kind and somewhat anxious father, wanted to create a harmonious Christmas for his blended family.

Ingrid, hans datter, var skeptisk.

Ingrid, his daughter, was skeptical.

Hun følte at faren var mer oppmerksom på den nye kjæresten og hennes sønn, Marius.

She felt that her father was more attentive to his new girlfriend and her son, Marius.

Marius, på sin side, kjente på nervene ved å feire jul i Norge for aller første gang.

Marius, on his part, felt nervous about celebrating Christmas in Norge for the very first time.

"Lars ønsker å tenne julelysene," sa Ingrid surmulende.

"Lars wants to light the Christmas lights," Ingrid said sulkily.

"Han bryr seg ikke om meg lenger."

"He doesn't care about me anymore."

Marius, som ble rød i kinnene fra kulden utenfor, forsøkte å skjule hvor kald han egentlig var.

Marius, who was red-cheeked from the cold outside, tried to hide how cold he actually was.

"Jeg vet ikke helt hva jeg skal gjøre," sa han stille.

"I don't really know what to do," he said quietly.

Han hadde aldri opplevd en norsk jul før, med tradisjoner som virket både rare og spennende.

He had never experienced a norsk Christmas before, with traditions that seemed both strange and exciting.

For å bringe familien tettere sammen, bestemte Lars seg for å lage en tradisjonell, norsk julemiddag.

To bring the family closer together, Lars decided to make a traditional, norsk Christmas dinner.

Han ville at Ingrid og Marius skulle være med på å lage maten.

He wanted Ingrid and Marius to join in preparing the food.

Kanskje dette kunne bygge bro mellom dem.

Maybe this could build a bridge between them.

"Kom igjen, vi lager ribbe og pinnekjøtt," sa Lars med et smil.

"Come on, let's make ribbe and pinnekjøtt," Lars said with a smile.

Ingrid var nølende, men Marius virket nysgjerrig.

Ingrid was hesitant, but Marius seemed curious.

Sammen begynte de å rulle kjøttkaker og forberede kålrotstappe.

Together they began rolling meatballs and preparing mashed rutabaga.

Stemningen virket lettere.

The atmosphere seemed lighter.

Latter og gode dufter fylte rommet.

Laughter and good smells filled the room.

Inntil...

Until...

"Ingrid, du gjør det feil!" utbrøt Marius plutselig, litt for høyt og uten å mene det vondt.

"Ingrid, you're doing it wrong!" Marius suddenly exclaimed, a bit too loudly and without meaning any harm.

"Jeg vet hva jeg gjør!" svarte Ingrid irritert, og dermed var en liten krangel i gang.

"I know what I'm doing!" Ingrid replied irritably, and thus a small argument began.

Lars, som fryktet dette, tok en dyp pust og samlet dem.

Lars, who feared this, took a deep breath and gathered them.

"Hør nå," sa Lars rolig.

"Listen now," Lars said calmly.

"Vi skal feire jul sammen.

"We're going to celebrate Christmas together.

Vi er en familie.

We are a family.

Marius, det er ikke lett å være et nytt sted.

Marius, it's not easy being in a new place.

Ingrid, det er annerledes med en ny familie.

Ingrid, it's different with a new family.

Men, vi har hverandre."

But we have each other."

Etter en stund, roet de seg.

After a while, they calmed down.

Ingrid så på Marius, som tydelig prøvde å tilpasse seg.

Ingrid looked at Marius, who was clearly trying to adjust.

"Jeg vet hvordan det er å føle seg utenfor," sa Ingrid stille.

"I know what it's like to feel left out," Ingrid said quietly.

Marius nikket og innrømmet at han også hadde vært nervøs.

Marius nodded and admitted that he too had been nervous.

De fortsatte med julemiddagen, denne gangen mer samlet.

They continued with the Christmas dinner, this time more united.

Da de endelig satte seg til bords, var det med et nytt samhold.

When they finally sat down to eat, it was with a new bond.

Ribben var sprø, kjøttkakene saftige, og praten fløt lettere mellom dem.

The ribbe was crispy, the meatballs juicy, and the conversation flowed more easily between them.

Kvelden endte med latter og vennskap.

The evening ended with laughter and friendship.

Ingrid begynte å akseptere sin nye familiedynamikk, og Marius følte seg mer trygg og selvsikker i sitt nye miljø.

Ingrid began to accept her new family dynamic, and Marius felt more safe and confident in his new environment.

Snøen fortsatte å falle utenfor, men inne i hytta var det varmt, og julen ble slik Lars alltid hadde håpet—en fest for familien.

The snow continued to fall outside, but inside the cabin, it was warm, and the Christmas turned out just as Lars had always hoped—a celebration for the family.