Goodbye ISB

I attribute a large part of our happiness here to the International School. It has been such a nurturing environment for my boys and they have really thrived there. They have made wonderful friends, and I made some very dear friends as well. In fact, lots of times my kids had to drag me away from the playground after school because I wouldn't stop talking to them.

Luke had the perfect teachers for him this year. They were extremely caring and really took the time to attend to the individual needs of each child. On the other hand their class motto was "c'est la vie"- which translates to be "that's life". I think that is hilarious for a bunch of kindergarteners. Luke's favorite aspect of kindergarten was "Waldkinder"- which is where the class would go out into the forest about once a week. He also loved hanging out with Sammy and his friends on the playground.

Sam is my child who L-O-V-E-S school. He literally would wake up every morning and say, 'Yea! School today!" It left Andrew and I scratching our heads, but we hope this enthusiasm continues. He had a lovely teacher this year, and I really can't tell you what he loved best because he loved it all. Music, computer, German, PE, math- you name it.

I'm actually really sad to be leaving the ISB, but I'm so glad that the boys will be going back to a fabulous school in The States. Like most things concerning our move back, it is all a little bittersweet.

Sammy at this music concert. I was dreading hearing a bunch of 2nd graders play the violin, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.



And lastly here is a link to Sam's German play. Becca, I know you are the only one who will watch this- Sam comes on at 1:13 and is the one in red.

http://youtu.be/krvnz-UrM3U

More Alpine Heaven

Soon after my family left we took an over-nighter up in the Alps. I think we could go back every weekend and still discover new things. This time we focused on the area surrounding Meiringen and Hasliberg. Our first stop was to Reichenback Falls, which is the setting where Sherlock Holmes had his supposed death.

Towards the end of the hike, we got a little lost and somehow ended up in the middle of a sheep field. I may or may not have slipped on some sheep poo and twisted my knee. Luckily only the sheep were around to see me.

After that we headed to The Aare Gorge which has a wooden walkway that allows you to walk along it. It was amazing- even if I did have a death grip on our children the entire time. That water was raging.

The next day was Sunday, so after heading to church we finally made it to Ballenberg. This open air museum is comprised of over 100 original buildings taken from all over Switzerland to show the various architectural styles of each region. Some are as old as 500 years. The backdrop was magnificent, and they did a fabulous job making you feel like you were seeing the home in its original setting. The kids loved all of the animals and seeing the different demonstrations such as making cheese. It was the perfect ending to our weekend.

Week 2 of the Walkers

The remainder of my family's trip went by way too quickly. We saw lots, laughed lots, and soaked up each other's company. The best part is that saying goodbye wasn't painful at all this time. We simply hugged and said, "See you in a couple of months!"

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

I wasn't expecting much from this landmark, but I was pleasantly surprised. That sucker really is leaning! Would I recommend making a separate trip to see it? Probably not. But if you are in the area (we were for church), it is definitely worth a visit.

The Berner Oberland

We love it here, and visiting with my mom was a riot. I think she was going to die from sensory overload. Everyone was in awe, and we were glad that my family loved this place as much as we do.

Colmar

No one can visit us without making a trip to this magical place.

Backyard Fun

Aside from hikes and castle visits in our area, we spent a lot of time in our back yard. The kids absolutely fell in love with Jacob who spent a lot of time playing baseball and soccer with them. There were also a couple of water fights which my kids are still reliving in their minds. The highlight however was when Ashley and Jacob called the kids over and told them they had a "surprise" for them. The surprise turned out to be leftover birthday cake smashed into their faces. Oddly enough, my kids thought it was the coolest thing ever.

When the moon hits your eye like a bigga-pizza-pie...

...that's amore.

So here's the deal. When you're a Mormon and have been dating someone for, oh let's say, 5 months or so, EVERY other Mormon you know starts to wonder when the heck you are going to get engaged. We're freak shows, I know. For example, my sister Ashley started dating a guy last year and when they were still going strong 6 months later we all started to wonder when they would get engaged. Again, no need to point out how crazy we are. We are fully aware.

Nevertheless, things were serious between those two and my parents and sisters brought the boyfriend (Jacob) in tow with them when they came to visit us this past May. Of course we all kept wondering if he would pop the question in Europe, and luckily for us, we didn't have to hold our breath for long.

Jacob ended up proposing to my sister in Italy. As luck may have it, my younger sister and I stumbled across the happy couple right in the middle of the proposal. It was dusk and Becca and I were taking a walk along the nearly deserted beach. We saw a couple ahead of us, sitting near the water with a bonfire lit up behind them. As we approached we stopped dead in our tracks when we realized who it was and what was happening. The surge of excitement we felt was unreal, and somehow Becca and I managed to keep our squeals down as we clung to each other and backtracked along the beach. We also manged to get off the beach unnoticed (even with me snapping pictures like a crazy women), but once we got to the boardwalk the flash of my camera gave us away. Ashley started calling our names, and then finally yelled, "I'M ENGAGED!!", which led us to screaming and running back to the beach.

Seeing my little sister get engaged was one of those perfectly beautiful moments in life. The bond I share with my sisters is so strong and I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to witness this huge event. I'm over the moon with happiness for those two and we cannot wait to have a new brother/uncle in our family!

This is what Becca and I stumbled across on our walk. Could there be a more romantic proposal???

Italian Riviera: Round 2

Out of everywhere we've visited, I think the Italian Riviera is my favorite. We've gone twice now, and if we were staying around another year we would likely go again. It's not just the beaches and the scenery which I love, but the entire cultural experience. I could watch Italians interact forever, and the food! Don't even get me started on the food. It's been weeks and I'm still craving fresh focaccia and pesto. This year we stayed in Lavento, which was extremely family oriented, absolutely gorgeous and a stone's throw away from the other Riviera villages. We went biking, boating, hiking, shopping and of course lounged on the beach. Andrew and I even managed to go out on a date (family was with us and watched the kids). I don't think we've ever had a more relaxing vacation.

As I just mentioned, we took this trip part of my family which included my parents, two sisters, and Jacob... who came as my sister's boyfriend and left as her fiance (more of that later!). In a nutshell the trip was perfection. Maybe someday we'll pick up Italian and retire there. I wish.

Boat ride from Levanto to Riomaggiore, and then hike from Riomaggiore to Manarola.





Bike ride along the coast and beach at Monterosso

Mom/sisters night out. See the couple in the background in the picture below? When my sister turned around the man blew her a kiss (the girlfriend was turned the other way). How can you not love Italians?!