Two questions we always get-

How life has changed with her in it and since living here!

Before we leave Switzerland and get all caught up in everything happening when we arrive in the US, I thought I would share two of the most common questions we get from people when they hear we're leaving Switzerland and returning to the US- and more than that, we're returning to where we came from. Most often people want to know: What will you miss the most? and What's the most significant thing you think you'll take back with you?

What will we miss the most?
I can honestly say I think we will miss the lifestyle, including travel, the most. I have really come to love that you're forced to live more intentionally. From costly trash bags that force you to recycle more to all the stores being closed on Sunday and having to plan ahead for that, you have to think about what you're doing in your daily life much more than when you're in the US and everything is open all the time, every day, nonstop, and always available. You also think more about the food you consume, as there are not really a lot of options between McDonald's (at least double the cost as in the US) and a sit down restaurant (also about double the cost). Additionally, you can't get everything all the time at the store. You typically eat fruits and veggies that are in season and meat is extremely expensive. Again, it just makes you think.

I also love that you're pretty much forced to be more active in life, especially in our case, when we didn't have a car for the first-year-and-a-half we were here. Even if you take public transport, you likely have to walk to the bus/train/tram station from where you live, then also walk to your final destination upon arrival. Whereas in the US, it's a struggle for me to get any walking in. The beautiful scenery you're surrounded with in Switzerland doesn't hurt either. On Sundays when everything is closed, often people use it as an opportunity to get out and enjoy the outdoors, hiking, biking, strolling along the lake, kayaking, or whatever suits them.

Ah yes, and I can't forget the travel of course. BK and I obviously love to travel and I can truly say I think we made the most of our time here in that respect. Switzerland is so central in Europe, and you can get nearly anywhere on about a two hour flight. And a cheap flight, at that! I will definitely miss exploring new cities all over Europe, discovering new cultures and sites in those places.

What's the most significant thing we'll take back with us?
This question is not asked in terms of physical thing, but more in the way of, how have we changed and what will we carry back with us. This has a lot to do with my answer above, as far as what we'll miss the most, but I hope we are more intentional in our lives in general.

Again, from thinking more about recycling and our usage of things in general, to being more conscious of how much food we buy, where it comes from and how it's produced, I hope we're more mindful. We've also talked some about how we'll live a few blocks from the park, and there's no reason we can't get out and walk or be active in some way in the mornings and on the weekends. I want K Bear to be outside as much as possible, regardless of weather.

And again, the travel. I'm looking forward to traveling in the US like we have in Europe, and looking forward to it even more because now there are grandparents and siblings near us who can keep K Bear and Baby H! Woohoo! There's no reason why we can't travel in the US just like we have in Europe. Like we've done while living in Switzerland, in November I fully intend to sit down with BK so he can map out when he can/wants to take time off from work so we can go ahead and get some trips and long weekends away on the calendar for the next year. I also have my mind made up that he and I will go on a kid-free trip before the end of the year, but I'll have to keep you posted on that one.

The movers arrived this morning, so things are getting real and the move will actually happen. They'll be done tomorrow and then K Bear and I leave the next day. Wow! See you soon, Texas!

What happens when we get there?

Our first night in Basel and totally clueless!

Now that you know we're moving back to Texas, having baby number two, and going through what feel like a million other transitions at the same time, you may be wondering how we're going to manage all of this. Don't worry, I'm asking myself this same question, and wondering how things will go.

When someone moves abroad it is considered expatriating from your home country; when they move back it's called repatriation. When we moved abroad I was constantly running across articles and blogs that talked about the difficulties of repatriation, or going back "home". At the time, when I was having many days when I felt like my head might literally explode, I could not fathom how this could possibly be the case. But now we're here, and I totally get it.

So how do I really feel about moving back? I think petrified is too strong of a word, but sometimes it feels close to that. Am I happy to be going back to Fort Worth? Absolutely, so please don't take this post as indicating anything else. But do I think it will be difficult? Definitely.

I know you're probably thinking, "But you're coming back to where you came from. How can it be that different?" 

For me, it just feels really different. We've been gone for over three years now. Life has gone on, people have changed, situations have changed, and things have happened in that time. The Fort Worth we left is not the Fort Worth we're going back to. By no means did I think things would stay the same, but I think when we get back I will truly recognize how much things have changed.

I say others have changed, but look at BK and me. When we left, we were two people who had always lived in Texas, near family; were both working; had no kids; went out all the time; and hadn't traveled nearly as much. And now...we've been on our own, where it was just BK and I relying on each other alone; K Bear has joined our family, with Baby H on the way; I haven't worked in three years; we're much more intentional about living life; and have truly discovered how much we love to explore new places. I would say, as individuals we've changed, as a couple we've changed, and as a family- well, that's completely new since we've been abroad.

I've talked some to BK and a little to my parents about this, and I think they worry about me. I don't want you to be worried; I think I'm just trying to prepare myself for when our new reality sets in. I think we'll experience some growing pains as we figure out life in a new neighborhood, new house, new phase of life, new family of four, different relationships with family and friends, new career opportunities- the list goes on and on.

So bear with me if you think I'm a little slow to get on board and seem like I'm fully back "home." It will be a process, but stick with us (me) and we'll get there.

Believe it or not, I am actually counting down the days. Two weeks from tomorrow the movers come and we'll be on our way!

Travel versus vacation

Soaking up some sun!

Is there really a difference between the two? For a long time, I didn't really think so, but in the past couple of years my view has changed. 

Since moving to Europe a few years ago, BK and I have done some serious traveling. Not so much on the vacationing side of things, but big time travel. I think both are important, but for us, I've discovered they both have their specific purposes. One of our main goals of moving abroad was to travel and explore places that we had never been. And at the time, vacationing never really crossed our minds. We both had good jobs and worked hard, but for us relaxation was exploring and being active in a new place. 

For us, when we travel, it is full steam ahead, how much can we possibly cram in while we're there to make sure we see everything we possibly can. We're not there for rest or relaxation, but instead we're there to experience all we can off that culture- the sights, the architecture, the food, to name a few- soaking up all we can during the time we have. 

But now things have changed a bit. And yes, I'm sure it's partially because of our little person, but I've heard similar things for other expats as well. It's almost like after a while we all start to get travel fatigue. And typically you'll find that most expats in Europe have been more places than native Europeans. I used to wonder why all these Europeans would say that, no they rent the same vacation home every summer and go to relax. Now I sort of get it.

So yeah, vacationing...we're working on it. We are on our first vacation in over two years. We're in the Canary Islands, and we chose them not because it's somewhere we were dying to go, but because we wanted somewhere that would have tropical weather in February and wasn't a crazy long flight from Switzerland. So the Canary Islands is was. 

We're even at a resort that we don't necessrily have to leave if we don't want to. Very not us. Of course it does also have a nursery for Baby K- good for her and good for us. And what are we doing on vacation? It's up in the air- we came with no plans set in stone, a couple of spa appointments made, and not much else on the agenda. Weird...but good.

Not to worry though, we'll be back to our usual traveling selves quickly after we get back. I'm not sure when our next true vacation will be, but I have a feeling it will be after we return to the US and it will not include Baby K. Grandparents, take note! 

Some things I noticed

On the plane headed home!

We made it back to Switzerland in one piece and are very happy to be back! Of course we love being in Texas and seeing all of our family and friends, but five weeks is a really long time to be away from home. Baby K was good on our flights home; she slept about four hours on the long flight and then was extremely tired, but playful on our second flight. The Tobster is having a hard time getting used to being manhandled by Baby K and has been a little snappy. We're going to have to work on that.

It's funny, being in Texas for five weeks, I noticed some things about the US that would have never even crossed my mind had we never lived abroad. Some are funny, some make me seem old, but here it goes...

• I found myself often sitting in the right lane at red lights and not turning right on red. Finally one time, BK asked me if I was going straight or something. I then realized it hadn't even crossed my mind to turn right on red. You can't turn right on red in Switzerland and I guess I've gotten used to that.
• There is SO MUCH STUFF in the US. Target is specifically very overwhelming. I mean, seriously, there are about a million different choices of cereal. It's so overboard.
• The service in restaurants in the US, in general, is awesome. It's a dining experience, instead of them making you feel like you're lucky to be sitting at the table and they don't really care if you're happy with what you got, or if you ever come back.
• Driving in the US is a bit chaotic. In Switzerland it is illegal to pass on the right, and I like this rule. In Texas it feels like people are all over the place on the highway.
• Food is so ridiculously cheap in the US (as is everything). In Switzerland it is rare that BK and I can even get "fast food" for less than about $30. In the US the three of us can eat for around $15. Crazy.
• BK has an insatiable appetite for Mexican food, specifically Tex-Mex. I seriously think he must have eaten it about 10 times while he was there for 15 days. On the other hand, I didn't have it before he came, and tried not to have it after he left. I'm good for another six months, and even then it will not be my first stop when we get back.
• There is a lot of really bad music on the radio. Ick. Country, pop, alternative; it all runs together and it's all typically bad. The song "Stressed Out" specifically grated on me. It was on four radio stations at one time. Is it really that good?

One last thing. Baby K's English vocabulary exploded while we were in the US. I'm always thinking about her picking up French and how that is going, but I often fail to think about the fact that BK and I are really her only regular exposure to English. In the US we were constantly around about 10 people at any given time, and she gained so many more words and phrases. She talked a lot before, but now it's even more. She's a busy little thing.

This week it's back to normal for us- BK to work, me to French class and Baby K to creche. We have a busy spring coming up and I'm sure I'll have much to report!

Hello 2016!

Happy New Year from Baby K!

I'm happy to say that I welcomed 2016 in just the way I resolved to do so last year...by being in bed before midnight! I know, it seems SO not exciting, but I started 2016 a much happier person as a result.

Although, once again, Baby K woke up last night. It's like she knows it's New Year's Eve or something and she wants to be up. BK and I then made the mistake of putting her in bed with us, thinking that she would go back to sleep quicker. Little did we know that our tiny person would literally take up the majority of our king sized bed. That was the first and last time we do that- so not a good idea.

2015 was a great year full of new experiences as a family, lots of travel and more adventures living abroad. At the beginning of last year I resolved to let life happen a little bit more, and not feel the need to plan everything all the time. I am absolutely still a planner and want to know how things are going to go. But, I do think I did a little bit better this year, loosening up about the order that must be had. I'll probably keep working on this one, keeping in mind that as Baby K gets older, she will also have her ideas about how things "should" go. We'll see how that works out for all of us.

2016 is sure to hold many new adventures for BK, Baby K and me. Looking out to the first few months of the year, we already have a number of trips planned to places we haven't been before, and both my mom and dad have scheduled trips over to visit us. Baby K will continue to go to creche, and I'm thinking about only taking French once per week so I can join a hiking group and explore more of our area. As cliche as it sounds, life is good, and we're extremely fortunate to be where we are.

And...if I'm completely honest, BK and I are getting closer to being ready to come back to Texas. With Baby K getting older, it is killing us that she only sees our parents and her cousins two times per year. And seeing her have so much fun with them when we're in Texas really drives that home. Even though we love living abroad, it's just so far away from everyone we love. Lots of things have to fall into place for this to happen, but we'll see what life brings this year. 

2016 should be a good one! Best wishes for a wonderful year to all!

A taste of Texas, en Suisse

Purple is the only color allowed on game days

First things first, let me say, GO FROGS! It's a Saturday night in Switzerland, and they have an 11am game, meaning we get to watch the entire game!!

Sometimes when you live outside of Texas, you have to bring a little taste of home to wherever you are. This was the case for us twice in the past few weeks, when we had a little Tex-Mex fiesta for BK's team, and then again tonight when we needed a little bit of home while watching college football. I also wanted to share the recipes I used in case you're a Texan (or American who likes Tex-Mex) in Switzerland or somewhere similar. 

BK's team enjoying the terrace

We hosted BK's team for dinner at our house a couple of weeks ago. Baby K entertained everyone for a little while before she headed off to bed, and then we enjoyed a Tex-Mex Fiesta for dinner. When we do something like this, BK always asks for menu ideas, and I always lean toward this one. I think it's because typically we're having Europeans over, so this will be something very "us" and not something they have on a regular basis.

I was pleased with how everything turned out, and hopefully people enjoyed it. Here are the recipes I used for our fiesta:

• Fajita seasoning: I used this for both chicken and beef; we grilled 2lbs of each and I doubled the recipe. I would probably quadruple next time and let it marinate a little longer.
• Salsa: I've used this recipe a couple of times, but we don't have Rotel in Switzerland, so you have to adjust by taste accordingly or it turns out extremely tomato-y.
• Guacamole: This is something I think you really have to make based on taste. We use avocados, tomato, onion, garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, cilantro (called coriander here), and chicken bouillon.
• Mexican Rice: I had never made this recipe, and it turned out great!
• Refried beans: I used canned ones that we can get here, but typically add salt, pepper, and garlic, then top with cheese.

Tonight for the TCU vs Texas game I really wanted some tailgating food to enjoy while we watched our game. BK loves Buffalo Bros in Fort Worth, so I thought I would give some wings a try. We also made guacamole again, and grilled some corn. The combo may seem a little random, but it was really good.

Wings, guac, and grilled corn

I was surprised to find wings at Coop (grocery store) that were only drums. I bought two packs and made one with buffalo flavor and one with Asian flavor. Surprisingly, the buffalo ones were way better than the Asian ones, as they had a much stronger flavor, and had quite a bit of heat to them. I chose two recipes that required baking the wings as opposed to frying, as the last thing I need is one more mess to clean up.

Here are the wing recipes I used:

• Easy Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings: I used Cholula hot sauce, which I found in our local grocery store. I wouldn't do anything different on this recipe.
• Honey Soy Chicken Wings: these didn't have as much flavor as I would have liked, so we added some teriyaki sauce afterwards. I'll probably play around with this recipe next time to improve it.

I did have one fail...I attempted to make ranch dressing as a dipping sauce for the buffalo wings. It was pretty much a complete fail. I used a Pioneer Woman recipe, but it just was not right. I'm not sure if the mayonnaise has a stronger taste here or what, but it was not good. I'm sure I'll try again at some point.

To end this post on a very positive note, TCU just trounced UT, beating them 50-7. Can't say it enough...GO FROGS!

Who doesn't love a weekend at home??

Ah, weekends at home...they're so nice. We made a little trip to Ikea and bought Baby K a couple of new things for her room and play area. She and BK started Friday off with breakfast together at her new table.

We enjoyed a rainy Wear Purple Friday, always supporting the Frogs.

Baby K has also recently discovered she enjoys sitting by herself on the bus and train when we go places. She loves to talk to everyone around us.

Friday night we went out with some friends to a great little restaurant in Montreux, Le Museum. It primarily has typical Swiss food. We had the charbonnade, which was a dish in which they bring out a charcoal grill to the table and everyone grills their own meat. I know you're thinking a charcoal grill inside? Us too, but it was really good!

Monday is a holiday in our canton, so we spent the day Saturday making sure we had everything needed to have one of BK's colleagues over for dinner that night, then also for hosting dinner for BK's team on Monday evening. The grocery store is much more fun for Baby K when BK is around.

Dinner was good Saturday night, then Sunday Baby K treated us by sleeping in until almost 8am! Even though it's only 45 minutes or an hour more than normal, it seriously feels like about three more hours of sleep!

Since we got so much more sleep we decided to take a hike up the 1000 steps to Glion, just above Montreux. It was a great workout and way to get the day started. Tobs loved being off the leash in the mountains too.

The bottom of the 1000 stairs

Up we go

Tobs led the way

Some walking time at the top for Baby K

Enjoying her ride

View from the top

Headed down

We're hosting a Tex-Mex dinner tomorrow night for BK's team, so the rest of my day will be spent getting ready for that, doing some chopping, prepping and baking.

Hope you enjoy your Sunday as much as we have!

We've officially adapted

Baby K on her first full day of creche- it also happened to be a game day for TCU

I am very happy to report that Baby K has made a smooth transition into nursery school. It's called creche here, and I have a hard time not calling it that since no one here is familiar with the terms nursery school or day care. I've mentioned before that Baby K has had a regular babysitter for the time I had been attending French school. This fall the babysitter started university, so she was no longer an option for us. Thankfully this happened right around the time Baby K was nearly 18-months old, the golden age for when you can finally enroll your child in a private creche and get off the public waiting list.

After moving to Montreux I quickly realized how much smaller it was than Basel. Before Baby K had come along, I visited five or six nursery schools in Basel, all of which had space for her for when she would be around six months old. When we moved to Montreux, it was a completely different story. I was informed that the commune (city) controlled the garderies (day care, starting at four-ish months) and you had to get on a list to get into one. The problem for us was that there are only a couple in Montreux, and we were at the bottom of the list due to only one parent working (and rightly so). So, a babysitter it was.

But now we've reached the age when it feels like many more doors open for your child. I have no idea if this is the case in the US, but it seems like it is here in Switzerland. For some reason when your child hits 18-months here, many other activities open up to them. I'm guessing it's because they are now officially in the toddler stage and are much more interactive? Not sure, but it's been good for us this month.

I toured a couple of creches before coming to the US in July, and reserved our spot at one that is about a 10-minute walk from our house. We chose a creche associated with a bilingual school, as hopefully this will be the case for Baby K. The creche part of the school is purely French speaking though, so she's immersed all day, two days per week. The school did not feel this would be detrimental to her English development since it's all English, all the time at home.

When starting creche here, each child and parent goes through an adaptation period to help the child adapt and get used to being at creche and away from their parent. Adaptation went like this for us:

• Monday: 30-minutes at creche, Baby K and I together
• Tuesday: 30-minutes Baby K by herself (from now on)
• Wednesday: One hour
• Thursday: Two hours, including snack time
• Monday: Three hours, including lunch
• Tuesday: Five hours, including naptime
• Thursday: Full day, pick up at 4pm

Now we're pretty much settled into the regular full day. There were other kids going through adaptation at the same time, and I swear the kids were crying every time I was there. Whereas, each time we arrived for some time at creche, Baby K pretty just waved and said see you later.

Each day when I pick her up, I get a report on what they've been up to that day, which usually includes a walk by the lake together, among other things. Right now she's still working on learning how to get a good nap at creche, as sleeping on a mat on the floor with other kids is new for her. They typically report that she is a bit fussy after naptime, but the other day the teacher giving me the report said she felt that this was quite normal when they were just starting, which made me feel better. Of course, the report is in French, which is also great practice for me.

For those of you who are wondering, I have no idea how a parent who works does the adaptation period. My guess would be that they either take off work, or a nanny/babysitter/grandparent takes and picks them up. Switzerland is not designed for two working parents, but that's a whole different post.

One other bonus...the school provides all of her meals while she's there, lunch and snack. I'm not sure why I like this so much, but maybe because I know she's getting a healthy hot meal for lunch, and I didn't have to make it! This is the norm here for all schools. I think I've seen one too many posts on how to change up your kid's boring school lunch, that makes it sound so tedious.

So there you have it. We've successfully gone through adaptation and I now have two afternoons free and am continuing French classes. Now you also know why I've managed to post three times this week :) Hope to see you again soon!

A weekend close to home

The view...never gets old

Living in Europe, it feels like we should be going somewhere every weekend, getting in all the travel we possibly can. But sometimes it's so nice to be at home and relax, and do whatever we want to do. This past weekend, we sort of had one of these weekends, taking turns sleeping in (woo hoo!) and enjoying the beautiful weather.

Taking a quick dip

We were around Montreux all day Saturday taking it easy. Lately, walking Toby and Baby K has been quite fun, as they both look forward to getting down by the lake. Toby wants to be with his people all the time, so he's happy where ever we are. But he's especially happy if he can take a quick dip in the lake. Baby K also likes to dip her toes in as well and enjoys getting out of her stroller whenever
possible.

Happy Baby K after dinner

Sunday we went to Bern to visit some friends. They have a daughter who is a couple of months younger than Baby K, so we had fun seeing them together and letting them play. I haven't ever been to Bern before, and I enjoyed seeing some of old town and the river. As the weather was really nice, there were lots of people enjoying swimming in the cold mountain water to cool off.

Aare River

We strolled around the river, walked through a small part of the zoo, let the girls get out to play at the playground, enjoyed some refreshments, then walked through old town to see just a bit of the city. It was a really laid back visit, which was really nice. Here are a few pics I wanted to share of our visit.

Crossing the river

Walking through the free part of the zoo

Parliament building behind us

Bern's famous clock tower

The start of September means that things get somewhat back to normal for us. Baby K has just started going to creche (daycare/nursery school-more on this later) and I am returning to French class as well. We're headed to Basel for the weekend to spend time with other Americans and enjoy the start of college football season. We're looking forward to a busy fall with lots planned before Christmas rolls around, but hopefully some weekends at home as well.

And in case I don't get back before Thursday, and just to put it out there...Go Frogs!

Back home again!

Ready as we're going to be for the long-haul flight

I thought I would take a minute and update you on how we're settling back into life in Switzerland. We've been back for almost two weeks now, and I have a hard time posting about jet lag until I know Baby K is fully past it; I'm always worried I'll be all excited that she's back to normal, then out of the blue she'll throw us for a loop and be up all night.

Watching all the other kids run around

The flights and jet lag weren't too bad coming back this way. DFW Airport really needs to up their game on the whole kids area situation. I've gotten used to traveling in Europe, where virtually every airport has an enclosed kids/family area. The big blue sculpture thing in Terminal D was the best I could come up with at DFW to let Baby K walk around and get some energy out pre-flight. It sort of worked.

Trying hard to settle in for the flight

I think the worst thing about our flight from DFW to London was the sheer amount of time it took them to do meal service for the flight. Our plane took off around 6pm and the lights finally went out around 10pm. That is a long four hours on a plane with a baby girl who really needed to go to sleep. Then for breakfast they turned the lights back on about an hour before we landed, waking Baby K right back up.

Ridiculously tired during our stop in London

Luckily, we sat next to another mom and two-year-old daughter who were also flying solo. Both Baby K and the other little girl were great little travelers. One other thing about our flight I have to note...there is a huge difference in women versus men flight attendants. All of the ones on the way over were females, some with children, and on the way back it was all males in my section. There's just a big difference between being willing to take Baby K so I can grab a bite to eat or go to the bathroom (women) and offering me more wine with a look of sympathy as the most helpful thing you can offer each time you pass (men). Just saying...

Exhaustion finally wins on the way to Geneva

We used Baby K's jet lag to our advantage the first couple of nights back by going to dinner and celebrating Swiss National Day. We stayed at a friend's house for dinner and socializing until around 10, and Baby K hung in the whole time, like a champ. For the first four or five nights Baby K would wake up somewhere between 8pm and 11pm, play for an hour-ish, then go back to sleep. Not too bad, and it seems kind of normal after our third trip to the US.

Feeling good after a short nighttime "nap"

Now, since we're back to life, August is the month of holiday in Europe. Not that everyone gets a month off or anything, but the majority of people go on some sort of vacation, and many of the smaller shops and restaurants close down. Needless to say, both babysitters are on holiday until mid-to-late August, so Baby K and I have a lot of time together to get back into the swing of things and get the house back in order after being gone for a month.

"Helping" in our garden

Of course, one thing that's different for us is that we're a one-dog family now. BK reported that Tobs had much more pep in his step after Baby K and I returned. He's started playing again, lets Baby K "love" on him quite often and is generally very happy to have his people around. Tobs is a much better traveler and socializer than Tanner was, so he's been to dinner with us, been on a car ride with us, and rarely barks. To be completely honest, when we got home the first thing I felt was relief. Relief that Tan was no longer in pain, relief that our days were no longer scheduled around when he needed insulin, relief that I would be sleeping through the night, relief that our life just got much more flexible. That may sound bad, but it's the truth.

Happy that his baby was back home

So there you have it- what we're up to. We're being spontaneous this weekend and heading off to Berlin; it's been somewhere we've wanted to visit for a while. Monday, BK suggested that we see if we could make it happen, and so we did. I have the essentials booked- flights, hotel, and babysitter. We'll take it from there when we arrive!

A great Easter holiday

Making a mess with peanut butter

Despite Switzerland not being an overly-religious country, they love to take public holidays around all kinds of religious events, with the most recent obviously being Easter. Some people in the US get time off, but in Switzerland Good Friday and Easter Monday are both public holidays, and sometime companies throw Thursday in there as well as a "bridge" day.

A four day weekend at home with BK? We'll take it.

I can honestly say we had a really great Easter weekend. It's funny because BK and I kept commenting to one another what a great weekend it was, which would make it seem like others aren't so great, which is not the case, but this past weekend was just really good.

We debated on what to do for the weekend, and ended up just kind of exploring around. Friday we went to Vallorbe to check out some caves we read about online. The Vallorbe Caves are some of the biggest in the region and are near the French border. The caves were really cool and something different that you don't see every day. As always Baby K was along for, and enjoyed the ride.

BK and Baby K in the cave

Straw formations in the cave

Cathedral room in the cave

After the cave, we drove around in the region a bit, stopping in Yverdon-Les-Bains. It's a bigger city than I realized, but most stuff was closed, as it was Good Friday. Yverdon-Les-Bains is on Lake Neuchatel though, so you do get some great mountain and lake views.

Lake Neuchatel

We then journeyed further north and went to Creux de Van, which is a big canyon with great views of the countryside. It was a bit cloudy and there was still snow on the ground, but it was a nice little climb to the lookout. There was quite a bit of snow at the entrance to the park, including a car that was stuck, so we parked the car and got out for a 10ish minute walk. I was not prepared with the right shoes for snow (neither was BK) so we didn't do much more than hike up and then come back down. I'll be interested to go back during the summer.

View from Creux de Van

Snow...a little reminder that we are still in Switzerland

Saturday was what a typical Friday is for me. We headed to Villeneuve for some shopping and home improvement stuff, had lunch out, then came back home for everyone (including the parents!) to nap for a few hours. The whole nap deal was probably why it was a good day...our happy little Baby K makes the day pretty good too :)

Of course Sunday was Easter, and after two years of being in Switzerland we finally tried a new church. It just felt kind of weird to not go to church on Easter, so we went with one in Vevey that I had seen an "English Church" sign for. And it was exactly that- a Church of England church, and we really liked it. The people were really welcoming, the message was great, and Baby K met some other kids too. We will definitely go back.

Baby K's Easter outfit...couldn't do a dress in 45 degrees!

Sunday and Monday included more relaxing, having lunch out together, and enjoying the outdoors when we could. Maybe it was just nice to have a weekend with no real agenda at home; it will be a while until we have another one. As much as we love to travel, it's always nice to have a little time at home too. Until next time!

Spring, is that you?

Tons of flowers blooming on the lake

Dare I say it? Could it be that Spring has finally sprung in Switzerland?

Time by the lake with the babysitter

This week I have been really excited because the sun has been out every day. BK and I recently discussed that in Texas we kind of take it for granted that it's going to be sunny. In fact, during the blistering heat of the summer all you want is for it to go away. But with lows still hanging around in the mid-30s and highs of maybe 50, the sun makes a huge difference. And when the sun is out in Switzerland it typically makes for a picture-perfect day.

Baby K LOVES swinging

Baby K and I have tried to be out quite a bit this week, taking Tobs on longer walks, going to the park, and generally just trying to be outside to soak up the weather. The wind still bites a bit in the mornings, but by the time the afternoon rolls around, it's perfect.

The neighborhood view

On a different note, now that she doesn't have to wear a winter hat all the time, we've started practicing wearing bows and headbands for Aunt Linds' wedding in July. All I can say is that we have more work to do. Luckily we have a little bit of time to get ready.

Not going as planned...need more practice

I've mentioned before, but we're headed to Spain and Portugal next, where they're already enjoying temps in the 80s. I cannot tell you how excited I am to not pack a coat for the first time in about six months. I feel like I don't even know what to pack, especially for Baby K, considering she won't need numerous layers.

As always, fun times are ahead; just wanted to share some pics from this beautiful week. Enjoy!