Today was a GOOD day

Nous sommes revenus!!! Today brought our summer to a screeching halt as school began for Brayden and Landon. I have a good bakers dozen worth of posts to catch up on from our summer of play, but for today I am talking Back-to-School!!

After thinking and praying much this summer (see this post)I made the decision to have Brayden go into 1st grade here and continue his studies in French. At the end of the day, it wasn't a very hard decision to make, but getting over nerves has been another issue. Brayden started openly talking about being nervous last week (1. That his french wasn't good enough & 2. That he wouldn't have any friends) and while I remained calm, cool, and collected on the outside (or so I would like to think), I was probably more nervous than Brayden. Having talked to some of my friends and neighbors who told me what to expect as far as the curriculum goes, it made me wonder if Brayden actually would be ok as the curriculum seems quite intense for 1st graders. Add to it the fact that the curriculum is in French, and I was shaking in my boots. I had such a nervous stomach this morning I thought I was going to throw up my breakfast. However, when we got to school, a huge blessing arrived in the form of a 6 year old non-French speaking, English speaking boy in Brayden's class name Lucas. He just moved here from the UK last week and I'm pretty sure he was more terrified than Brayden and I combined. As Ryan and I chatted with his mom, the boys became quick friends and one of Brayden's biggest fears (not having friends at school) was now gone. Not only that, but Brayden gained an extra measure of confidence knowing that he was no longer at the end of the imaginary french-speaking totem pole (thus severely diminishing his fear of his language not being good enough). I don't remember a time I have been so proud of him as I watched him march into his class all full of new confidence. It was a sheer blessing and a tender-mercy from the Lord. The rest of the day went well for Brayden and he was happy at the end of the day, full of new stories for me.

Landon also did really well today. He walked right into class, happy as could be and never looked back. I requested one of the strictest teachers for Landon this year knowing that Landon a. works best in a rigid environment and b. only someone with a nose for discipline could handle Landon, and it seems as though the teacher is living up to his reputation. On the way home from school Landon kept saying, "Charlotte can't go to school yet because she wouldn't be able to sit still and be quiet. I have to be quiet at school." He must have told me this same thing 10 times which makes me think maybe he was told to keep quiet a couple of times today??? Some of his friends from last year are in his class, and although he misses having Brayden at school with him, I think he likes feeling like an older kid at school and the responsibility of being on his own.

I'm not going to lie, after the anxiety I have been feeling about the boys starting another school year, I was on cloud nine this morning after drop off. I love when things go well, and I hate it when they don't, so today was a GOOD day. Hopefully we have more to come! Stay tuned for our summer re-cap!

Questions - Answered, FINALLY!

I am currently sitting in an apartment in Madrid, Spain hurridly checking my emails for matters of "important business" and a random thought occurred to me that I never posted these answers like I promised in my last post. I'm sure none of you have been holding your breath, but here they are anyway. Any more Q's? Leave me a comment and I'll get to it...eventually :)

I want to know if you are still using the crock pot and if you have any new good recipes :)

Yes, I still am using my crockpot, and no, I don’t really have any new good recipes. I have purchased few small appliances here, but my crockpot was one of the first. Soup seems to be a big deal here and in the winter some of the vendors at the market will sell fresh soup in large glass bottles and occasionally I will buy that and warm it up in my crockpot with some chunky vegetables thrown in there. Sunday dinner is still it’s primary use though. Sorry! Wish I had something new for you!

I want to know if there is still a possibility of you coming back to Oregon. I also want to know your favorite memory of your time so far.

There is a chance that we may return to Portland. That being said though, there is an equal chance we could end up in any other of the 49 states upon our return. I think we have decided that we would like to return to the West coast, but that isn’t set in stone either. My thought on the matter can be summed up in 2 ways: I either want to live close to family, or I want to live somewhere cool. If we could accomplish both that would be great, but I'm just shooting for one. :) We should find out where we are coming back to after the new year. To say I can’t wait to find out is an understatement. As far as favorite memory….this is hard! I can’t pick one, but this one stands out as a defining moment on this whole experience: We had just arrived in Brussels. We were crazy-jet lagged and had absolutely no orientation to ANYTHING around us. We were put up in this old apartment building that I thought was a little creepy (which looking back was not that bad) and we were ALL ALONE. Ryan and I looked at each other and said, “Well, we did it!” (referring to making this journey as a family and leaving all of our possessions and everything and everyone we knew behind) and I just remember feeling a complete adrenaline rush and being so excited for what was to come. I guess you could say it was the beginning of many good memories.

I want to know what you are currently reading...you always had a stack of books here...

Recently read: Jane Eyre (had never read it before, loved it!), The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (again, loved it! It made my cry and those of you that know me well know that it takes A LOT to do that) 3 cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen, In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen. Next up? Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Wish me luck.

Have you bought many kids clothes out there...still finding great deals? What's the cutest article of clothing you have purchased?

I have not purchased too many kids clothes here. Compared to the US, kids clothes are way expensive here. It’s unfortunate really because the clothes are just to-die-for cute and given an unlimited budget, I’m pretty sure I could dress Charlotte like a supermodel. I mostly stick to H&M and Zara (both of which can be found places in the US) for the necessities. Cutest thing I have purchased was probably Charlotte’s flamenco dress from Spain.

How much vacation time does Ryan get with his job? It seems like you're gone for a week every other month or so. (OK, so I'm jealous...but I'm also curious.) Ryan gets 20 some-odd days (22, 23, 24?) plus standard holidays. It’s the same amount of time he had in the States, but for some reason we actually get to use it here. :)

Out of all the places you have seen which is your favorite? Where would your dream vacation be? This is the last question I have for you. How long are you planning on living there?

1. Favorite place? Switzerland. I have really enjoyed other places, but Switzerland was definitely my favorite. As far as cities go though, Paris or Barcelona.

2. Dream vacation? I think this is un-answerable for me. You name a place I haven’t been and it’s my dream. Tops of my list that I haven’t seen yet: All of Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Finland); Moscow, Russia; Turkey; Cairo, Egypt; Tokyo, Japan; New Zealand. I think Ryan and I have started a hobby that cannot be satisfied. :)

How long are we planning to be here? Current contract is up in July 2010. However, we were recently told that they would love to keep Ryan around if everything (meaning the economics of it all) worked out.

When are you bringing Ryan and the kids back to the states? Do you have a set timeframe, or can you extend indefinitely? ...or do you even want to come back? :)

I addressed the timeframe question above, but as far as wanting to come back I can say this: The longer we are here, the more I want to go home and the longer I want to stay here. I know it sounds strange phrased like that, but I really go back and forth as to what I really want. I feel better about the education my kids are receiving here (even though I have never had a US public school experience), I love the cultural experiences and traveling opportunities that we have here, but I miss America! Being away from America has really made me realize what a great country America is (despite its issues) and I am definitely proud to be an American. Who knows though, if the US becomes a socialized nation while I am gone, I may just stay here forever. :)

2. What do you "miss" about the states? I miss root beer, Café Rio, and the English language.

3. What does it mean in Europe about "holiday"/does that affect you? if so, positive or negative? Holiday is the British word for “vacation” that has been adopted by all of Europe. In fact, most anyone in Europe that speaks English speaks British English and so they talk about going on “holiday.” I would say that word is used very positively at my house.

4. Do you have family planning to see you while you are in europe? Well, my brother and my parents were just here, and Ryan’s parents are planning to come soon. We have a couple of other siblings who have expressed interest in coming, but I haven’t heard many updates….so you tell me siblings – are you coming??? Aside from siblings, are any of you planning to come make a tour guide out of me???

5. What is your favorite daily activity that has been influenced by your new culture? Hum…..either hanging laundry outside or buying fresh bread.

6. Do you think you've changed or widened your perspective to the world/culture/etc? This is a definite, loud, YES!! I don’t quite know how to explain this without going on and on for many paragraphs, but yes, my perspective has been both widened and changed. I am a much better person for many reasons for having lived here and I think my kids are too. We have met so many people from so many different countries and cultures and at the end of the day, one thing that I have realized (as simple as this is going to sound) is that we are all human having a human experience. No matter what language we speak, or what culture we are from, I think we all want the same things out of life and I think we have a lot we can teach each other. A humorous note to a perspective change: Brayden thinks he has brown skin. Don't get me wrong, that kid can get a mean tan, but he's still definitely a whitey. A lot of the kids in Brayden’s class are black or middle-eastern and have darker skin. Since Brayden tans so well, he has adapted himself into this circle and colors his skin with a brown crayon whenever he does a self-portrait. It’s hilarious.

The End. Happy Summer. See you soon! 

Summertime...

Summer has officially hit Brussels and I've decided it's time to put the blog on hold until the kids go back to school. Summer break goes from July 1st - August 31st, and we are planning on using every minute of those 2 months to scour Europe, or at least plan our adventures to do so. As such, besides maybe the occasional check-in, I'm signing off for the summer. The kids have been using this last week to learn how to be nice siblings (I'm quickly realizing why parents are so eager for summer vacation to be over!) and we have been hitting up as many venues around Brussels as possible. Yesterday we headed up to Antwerp to check out the cathedral there and we also hit this really great Antique Market. Ryan picked up this fantastic old telescope that will be perfect in his office/den/man room someday and we bought Brayden a super-old-school magnifying glass that will be perfect for all of his adventures. I think he's going to be stoked when his birthday comes around. I'll leave you with some pictures of what we have been up to the last little bit. {pictures courtesy of my brother Nathan}

                     

Brother!!

Yesterday morning my youngest brother Nathan came for a visit. My parents are coming next week and so he came a bit early to play. It's been so fun to have him around (wicked British accent and all) and my cheeks are sore tonight from laughing so hard today. The boys insist that he plays endless games of soccer and reads their bedtime story, and Charlotte refuses to hold anyone else's hand but his when crossing the street. Today was our first full day out and about and we had so much fun!

I'm pleased to announce that Nathan was officially introduced to the world of public transportation:


We hit one of my favorite places in town, the flea market:


and found these amazing, not-very-well-pictured, emerald green strands of beads from Ghana. I'm stoked and I'm sure Nathan's girlie-friend back home will be too. ;>


And then stopped for lunch at my favorite fry ("frites") place in town at Place Jourdin:


We walked around a bit more and made it back in time to pick up the boys from school. We have many more full days ahead of us and I am so excited to have him here!

ps - more of your questions are coming up soon....I'm not avoiding the answers, I'm just a little behind :>

Happy Father's Day!

Often times, I have a hard time adequately expressing myself with words. I know what I feel, I know what I am thinking, but I just can't seem to find just the right words to express it. Today is one of those days. My heart feels full. My reflections on fatherhood mirror my thoughts on the examples I have had in motherhood. I have been blessed to have good men in my life, my own father, my father-in-law, and especially my husband. Today, instead of fumbling for words, I will just say this to Ryan: your family loves you, your family honors you, and most of all, your family is grateful for you. Every. single. day. Thank you for the sacrifices you make and for the man that you are. Happy Father's Day!

Accidentally Potty Trained

Yesterday morning a funny thing happened. As I was getting Charlotte dressed and ready for the day she told me she wanted to wear underwear. The day before, she had seen a small stash of underwear I had purchased for her in preparation for [hopefully] potty training her this fall. She wanted to wear a pair. So, I let her run around for an hour or so in her underwear. Nothing eventful happened and I didn't think a thing about it. When she announced again yesterday morning that she wanted to wear underwear I gave it very little thought knowing that I would be at home cleaning most of the day anyway, so I allowed her to slip on a pair. Not wanting any more of a mess to clean up than I already had ahead of me, I told her if she had to go "pee-pee" to go in the potty. She did. Multiple times. One thing led to another [including an extreme amount of motivation on her part] and now we've gone 2 full days with Charlotte in underwear and had only 2 small accidents. She's not only peeing in her little potty [she's actually scared of our big toilets...haha], but she's done the difficult #2, and has stayed dry through the night and naptimes. Is this what people meant when they said that girls potty train easier than boys or is this merely the result of a neglected 3rd child who can't stand sitting in dirty diapers?? Whatever it is, I'll take it. Having potty trained 2 other children I know that it's not necessarily a golden road from here on out. I'm sure there will be many more accidents to come and hurried rushing to public toilets while I hope and pray that my newly-potty-trained-child can hold it long enough to get there. But somehow, even with those things, I can't help but feel a bit [dare I say...] excited. No children in diapers? No more scented diaper sacks and endless packages of wipes? I don't want to jinx myself so I will say this very softly...yippee!

Premier Année

I went to my neighborhood Primary (elementary) school yesterday to sign Brayden up for Premier Année (first year, aka: first grade) for next year. I filled out the requisite paperwork, met with the school secretary and the principal, and asked as many questions as I could in French (seeing as though they spoke no English). When I left the school, I had mixed feelings of complete excitement for Brayden twinged with self-doubt as to whether or not I am doing the right thing.



Last August when I signed Brayden up for maternelle school here, I had a clear vision of what I wanted for him out of this international experience. I felt 100% confident in the schooling decisions we had made. The night before the 1st day of school last year as I was getting things ready, I sat on the couch, with all of that confidence gone, and dissolved into a puddle of tears. "What am I doing to my just-barely 5 year old?" I sobbed to Ryan. "Is it wrong for me to send him into a new school knowing no one and having no way to communicate?" "Are the kids going to be nice?" "Is his teacher going to be nice?" "Will his tender heart survive this experience?" "Am I going to permanently damage him?" and on and on I went as Ryan so gently calmed my nerves and fears about Brayden. He assured me he would be fine, he would make friends, he would learn French, and all would be well. And admittedly, he was right. Brayden has made friends, Brayden now speaks French, and all is well. We've had our ups and downs this year - kids being mean, Brayden lashing out a bit at home, a bit of confidence shaken, but through it all has emerged a really strong kid. A good kid who has learned a lot about a culture different than the one he's used to, a kid who has learned to keep going when it's hard, a kid who has made friends despite language differences, and - maybe more than anything else - to turn an undesirable situation (in his mind) into a really great learning experience.

As I think on his growth this past year and my desire for his French to become a very strong second language, the path seems clear for him to attend premier année next year. He will learn to read and write in French, 2 tools that I think will be vital for him if he is to retain his French once we return to the States. However, in the back of my mind, I can't help but think of the things he will be missing in English that he will have to catch-up on when we return to the States. "Will his reading in French hurt the progress we have made in his ability to read English?" "Will he be behind academically with his peers?" "Will this shake his confidence?" and on and on my doubting mind continues. Admittedly too, it's hard for me to let go of my little man and throw him into the big world of Elementary school, after-school activities, and homework. Because as much as I want my children to grow up and be independent, part of me wants to keep them home forever, playing games, going to the park, and making cookies. Part of me wants to homeschool, to have an educational experience within the bounds that I choose, and have the opportunity to grow as a family in this way. I can't help but feel though, that to choose this homeschooling route would be to deprive Brayden of some significant cultural experiences, learning experiences, and lessons in coping. I could also deprive him of the ability to say, at the end of the day, "I did it! I conquered 2 grades in a foreign language!" and the confidence that could come as a part of that. Can I take that away from him?

So, my mind continues to wonder, and I think, and pray, and discuss, and pray some more and through it all, I'm sure the right answer will come. I know whatever the decision is, it's going to be a great school year next year and I have an entire summer to decide.

Questions Answered, Part II - FOOD

Question from Ann: what meals do you typically cook/make? tell me about the markets? i want to know all about what you're eating day in and day out!

So here's a bit about our food life: This is my first time ever living outside of the US, and when I thought about all of the different things I would encounter here, for whatever reason food was never a thought. I am someone who loves food, loves to eat, and I pretty much assumed that food was, well, FOOD, anywhere you went. That being said, the first 6 months we lived here, Ryan lost 20 pounds! I didn't even know he had 20 pounds to lose! You could say that suddenly I couldn't find any ingredients I was used to and wasn't quite sure what to cook. I actually made a goal that on our 1 month anniversary here I would make chocolate chip cookies from scratch because I was unable to find even basic things like brown sugar and vanilla extract (which doesn't exist here as I've mentioned before...). We didn't have any snacks at night, or frilly thing, just the bare basics of fruits, veggies, etc. I can't say that part has changed much in these last 5 months, but we have discovered the wonderful world of Belgian treats (pastries, candies, etc.) and that has allowed us to stay quite insulated from the cold winter. Me probably more so than Ryan. :>

One of the greatest things about the food here in Belgium is the fact that it is so fresh! I have to grocery shop several times a week because things only last 2-3 days in the fridge once you have purchased them. Even if things did last longer, I would have no room to store them as my fridge is no bigger than a large mini-fridge you might have in your personal office. For 7 months I didn't even have a freezer until we were able to buy one secondhand from a friend. At that though, my freezer is only the size of 3 kitchen drawers, so I can't freeze much. I live very close to 2 different outdoor food markets and am able to shop at one of them 4 of the 7 days of the week. I buy all of my produce at these markets, as well as most of my cheese. I've mentioned this before, but I love these markets not only for their fresh food, but also for the fact that I am talking with the hands that made the food. I think there is something fulfilling in helping someone earn a living in this way. I buy my bread from bakeries in whole loaves and then they slice it fresh for me. I have to buy bread about every other day because it starts to go stale after that time (admittedly though, a loaf of fresh whole wheat bread hardly lasts that long at my house!) One of my biggest food challenges has been with milk. The milk here is so yummy (I compare it to drinking white chocolate) and comes in whole and 2% (we drink whole). We have a high level of milk consumption though and fresh milk is not always easy to find conveniently. If I were driving around (which I am usually not) it would be easier to acquire, although still a pain so often. I have come to find that most Belgians drink "boxed milk" or "long-life milk" a kind of milk that you can keep un-refrigerated for up to 6 months. I personally think it's gross and refuse to drink it. I buy my meat either from my local (2 blocks away) butcher or from the grocery store. That about makes up what we eat. I still struggle to find snacks here (or anywhere for that matter) that I deem healthy enough to continually buy and my kids are usually relegated to a piece of produce or slice of bread when hunger pains hit.

As much as I enjoy the fact that everything is so fresh and I know it is so healthy, I still find the whole eating thing a little daunting here. I always feel like we are out of food and I feel like I am constantly "on the hunt" for our next meal. With 5 voracious appetites to feed (yes, Charlotte included - that girl has skills!) we can go through an alarming amount of food in just 2 days. Another aspect of high quality food is the fact that my monthly food bill has doubled (taking exchange rates, etc, into account) since we moved here. Food is just so expensive! Very very good, but very expensive.

A typical breakfast for us would include yogurt and granola, or eggs and toast, or oatmeal - fairly standard things. I do a lot of pasta for lunch preparing it by making vegetable broth and then adding whole wheat noodles and whatever veggies I have on hand (spinach, broccoli, etc) and top it with cheese. Gouda and Swiss have become our two stand-bys, although I would still love to find a good Cheddar. I have regained respect for Grilled Cheese sandwiches as well, prepared with fresh bread and gouda cheese. Ryan got me a Belgian cookbook for Christmas (in an attempt to gain some skin back on his bones no doubt) that I rely on a lot for dinner. The recipes are so good and all of the ingredients are things that are readily found here. I would recommend the cookbook alone just for it's Strawberry-Rhubard Meriange Pie.

Overall, being interested in both food and nutrition, I think that Europeans know how to eat. As much as I miss Costco and my enormous fridge and freezer, I'm not sure I will be able to completely go back to the way that we ate before. I had posted in October (we had been here about 3 months) about finding some of our familiar foods and the food that I bought for myself was cream of chicken soup. At the time, I was so excited to find this that I bought many cans thinking back to how often I had wanted this the previous 3 months and couldn't find it. If you go to my shelves today, you will see all but 1 or 2 of those cans still sitting on the shelf. I'm not even sure what to do with cream of chicken soup anymore and I don't think we are any worse of for it. I don't mean to paint too healthy a picture as I consume enough pastry to not only override any health benefits I may be receiving, but also add to my "winter coat", but I do appreciate the freshness and overall health of our general meals.

Ann, did this answer your question?? :>

Questions - Answered, Part 1

Good questions everyone! Thanks for giving me some blogging material! I will try to answer them very soon and keep the questions coming if you feel so inclined.

Round 1: Questions from Lara (aka The Interrogator ;>)

Do you think you will have another baby while you are living there? No. This has been a decision that was made pretty much day 1 of our deciding to come here, and we remain firm in this position. A lot has nothing to do with the fact that we are in Europe (ie. I have 3 kids within 3 1/2 years of each other and need a serious sanity break, if not a permanent hiatus from childbearing) and some is definitely situational. I worry about language differences, the cultural differences of childbearing here, as well as the additional daily challenges a baby would add to my already very busy life.

What do you think about the school systems? I have to preface my thoughts here on the fact that I am having my first school experience here. Brayden is in Kindergarten and so I have never dealt with an American elementary school. That being said, here is my breakdown:

Positives:
1. The schools are very strict (at least in my estimation). The kids are taught to be respectful of adults and taught a lot of independence and from what I have seen the kids know what is expected of them and they perform.
2. Hot lunch is amazing. Real, fresh meals, catered in.
3. I like the flow. I appreciate that kindergarten is laid back. Kindergarten is still part of the "maternelle" school (ages 2.5 -6) and they don't go to the Primary school (US equivalent of Elementary school) until first grade.

Negatives:
1. No playground or social supervision. The Belgians believe that kids should "work it out" at all costs. Let's just say there is a lot of inappropriate physical contact and mean-spirited kids on the playground (I don't know if it's the same in the US or not). This has been a bit of a struggle for us, as Brayden has been the target of some of these altercations. I believe that kids should be working it out, but at some level I think there needs to be some measure of involvement from the adults.
2. Cleanliness standards are not quite the same as in the US. I don't think hand-washing is nearly as emphasized here.

Overall, I am very happy with the school and with what the boys are learning - Brayden especially. Brayden's teacher is wonderful and has really helped him along in his ability to grasp French. She has been patient and kind with him and I think she has definitely been influential in his fluency now. The discipline aspect of the school makes me think of the US circa 1940s-1950s and my boys (Landon especially) has been positively affected by this.

Are you still trying to learn the language? Um....YEAH. Did you know learning a different language is really, really, really, hard?! I didn't know that before, but I do now. I'm trying, I'm learning, maybe I'll be able to have a real, good conversation before I leave. I have now what I call "survival French." Meaning, I can communicate what I want and what I need, standard greetings, some polite phrases, but that's about it. My first phone conversation in French took about 15 minutes to communicate what I could have done in English in 2. I do understand quite a bit more than I can personally communicate, and basically, I just need to practice one-on-one conversationally more. Some days I am so frustrated by my inability to effectively communicate I could scream. I have a hard time remembering what life was like when it was all in English...

What language does Ryan speak at his job? English. The business (corporate) language here is English and all of his colleagues speak English - along with 4 or 5 other languages. It's amazing.

How are you enjoying the church there? When we first moved here we attended an International Ward, in English, that was full of mostly expats from various places. We loved that ward and it was my "happy place," my little slice of America every week in my French-speaking world. In December, the Stake disbanded the International Ward and assigned us to 2 struggling French wards in the area. I was called as the Young Women's president of our new ward in January and have been limping along the last 5 months trying to establish a program and bridge the differences in cultures (and languages!) between both the leaders and the girls. When I reference to the fact that this European experience has been hard, a lot of my "hard" references have to do with my calling. Talk about growing experiences!! In general though, we enjoy having a more local experience with church. One of my goals when we came here was to try and integrate, and church is definitely helping with that!

Stay tuned for next time - I'm excited to answer Ann's questions about food!! :)

Questions Anyone??

I've slowly realized that my blog is becoming more of a travel log than an actual representation of our life. That's not to say that we don't spend a lot of time traveling, but outside of that, we have real, everyday, boring lives too. :> However, I'm not so eloquent about describing our daily life. So, it got me thinking....what would you like to know?? Do you have any questions you'd like the answers to about our daily life here? Leave your questions and I promise to answer. Don't be shy...what do you want to know??

Switzerland

Ryan drove up to Amsterdam tonight for The Killers concert. Tomorrow he and I are headed to Paris to see the French Open. Monday is a holiday and we're doing something, so lest I get behind in my blogging, here's Switzerland! We have found when traveling with our kids on a longer vacation that it is much easier to have a "home base" as opposed to moving around from place to place. It also helps in keeping the cost of our trips down as we can eat breakfast at home and cook dinner at home, if so inclined. We employed this technique on this trip and had our home base in Grindelwald, a small little village about 30 minutes SE of Interlaken. We stayed in a small, 2 bedroom chalet that was cozy and mountainous and perfect. We spent all of our time in the Jungfrau Region, riding trains, catching cable cars, and hiking. We would wake up every morning, eat breakfast, consult our maps, pack a lunch, and head out for the day. Except for one day of rain and fog, the weather was gorgeous. Even though we were early in the season, we were able to do everything we had planned except for 2 hikes and a cable car ride that was closed due to snow. We ended everyday with a good meal, warm showers, and games. Uno Junior anyone? Overall - like I said in my previous post - it was the best family trip ever. There were times as we were hiking between no-car-villages that we literally had to pinch ourselves at the beauty that was surrounding us. I remember saying to Ryan one day, "I've never been so happy," and in that moment, I don't think anything could have been better. Communing with nature surrounded by those I love so fiercely...the thought makes me want to go back right now. :> Since I have posted so many pictures, I will only add captions where I deem appropriate. (pictures posted in no specific order) The view outside our chalet (side door)