My list

As we count down to Christmas I have found myself actually coming up with things I would like this year. I'm putting it out there, just in case anyone is looking for any last minute gift ideas.


Dear Santa Claus,

I have been good this year. Really good.
I've made lunch and dinner for my family almost every day.
(The kids come home for lunch and there's not much takeout in Switzerland)
I grocery shop 2-3 times a week AND bag my own groceries.
I don't think I'm asking for much.


1. I'd like breakfast from The Potato Shack.
A chocolate chip or blueberry pancake would be great.
I can't eat a whole order of American fries but I'd share some.
A glass of fresh OJ would be nice too.


2. I'd like lunch from In N Out Burger.
A cheeseburger without grilled onions, an order of fries
and a pink lemonade would really hit the spot.

3. I'd like dinner from Rubio's.
2 fish tacos with some chips and beans and a limeade would be delightful.

This may be asking for too much and if it is, feel free to simplify.
A round trip ticket to Southern California would suffice.
I can pay for the food myself.
Thanks in advance.

Your biggest fan,
Christina

PS-Mint chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin Robbins is really good too.

A few of my favorite things

When Pete and I were first married, we lived in Bountiful, Utah. One of my favorite places to eat was Cutler's. Their sandwiches are the best, nothing beats their homemade soups in the winter and year round their cookies are unbelievable. My two favorites are the sugar and brownie mint cookies.

Last week a package arrived from my thoughtful mother-in-law. Among the treats for the kids were 8 cookies carefully wrapped and packed with bubble wrap...from Cutler's. I was in heaven. Although I wanted to hide them for myself, this isn't the season for stingy misers. Pete and the kids and I savored every bite with cold glasses of milk. Isn't it nice when Christmas comes a little early?

Candy Christmas Trains

Our friend Jessi is so creative. She is always coming up with fun ideas and crafts. Last year she had a Christmas party for all of the kiddies and made graham cracker houses for all of them to decorate. I can't remember how many but I know there were more than 15!

Last week she had us over while Pete was out of town on business. She let the kids help her make homemade pizzas and they also put together the cutest trains out of candy. My kids were in heaven. Thanks for a fun time Jessi!

Christmas sing

This year the school held a Christmas sing. Each class sang one song and then they all sang together. It was all over in about a half hour and then they served us vegetable soup that the kids had made in school that day. It was quite the Swiss experience. Beware: You won't recognize any of these Christmas carols.

Kindergarteners singing about Mary the mother of Jesus

First and second graders singing about snow

The entire school singing about the wise men

Day trip

A couple Saturdays ago we took a day trip to Lyon, France. Pete and I have both been on our own, but we have never been together as a family. You may remember that Lyon in the second largest city is France and the day we were there it was packed with people. We were also unlucky to have more rain (can you see the pattern here) but we made the most of it anyway. We ate Japanese food, did a little sight seeing, listened to a band and I perused the Christmas markets while Pete let the kids play and ride the carousels. We finished it off with another trip to Subway and listened to Alex and Henry sing Christmas carols most of the way home.

Ruby, Christina, Alex and Henry

Ruby playing the drums with her chopsticks from lunch

Christina and Henry with part of the old town in the background

Alex crossing one of the many bridges in Lyon

Christmas fun

Last Christmas, in a village below ours, they decorated their fountain in such a fun way. Every time I drove past I would remember that I needed to take a picture and post in on my blog. Obviously I kept forgetting and it never happened. This year I vowed to remember. Although it's not the same as last year, they still get an A for effort. It's pretty cool at night because the igloo is all lit up. The Christmas decorations are one of the many things I have come to love about Switzerland.

Chocolate cauldrons

Every year on December 12th, Geneva celebrates Escalade. Back in the 1600's, the story goes that a woman stopped a middle of the night attack on Geneva by pouring hot soup and the cauldron it was in on the men climbing up ladders over the city wall. The invasion was stopped and Geneva was saved. In order to celebrate this day, they break chocolate cauldrons of every size (some quite large) filled with marzipan vegetables. They also serve soup and sing a really long song in French retelling the whole story. Although we skipped the official parties, we had our own little celebration at home.

Ruby, Christina, Henry and Alex

Our chocolate cauldron

So long, farewell

After a fun three months, we had to say goodbye to Caroline. It was a sad day and there were a lot of tears shed by Alex and Ruby. Before she left, we took one last quick trip to Annecy, France. We have never been there in the winter and it was fun to walk around at night and see the lights and the mini Christmas market. It was Caroline's only trip to France although now she can brag to her friends that in three months she visited Switzerland, Germany, Italy and France. Not bad for a 14 year old. Unfortunately, we didn't stay too long as it started to rain and we were unprepared with no umbrellas although we did make time for Santa.

Clockwise: Christina, Caroline, Alex, Henry and Ruby

Santa and Ruby

Santa and Alex

Stopping in to eat at Subway, which is a real treat because they don't have any in Switzerland

Christmas at Edwards

Every December, Pete's work has a Christmas party for families. This year it was held at the new building and was quite the party. It was in the morning so of course there were lots of yummy pastries. The kids weren't too interested in the food though...and why should they have been. No Christmas party would be complete without the following:

1) face painting

A soon-to-be Indian Princess

2) arts and crafts

Ruby was in heaven with all of the glitter

3) a playground made up of squishy blocks

Roar!

Alex and Emma with Caroline in the background

4) a clown, St. Nicolas and his helper

St. Nicholas reading in his book of names about Alex

Ruby's turn

Henry seemed excited for his turn and then burst into tears. Pete, Ruby and Alex did their best to console him.

Ruby, Henry, Alex and Caroline

Gobble Gobble

Without the Atchley family (who moved back to the States this summer), we weren't sure what to do for Thanksgiving. Penny and Dave had so nicely invited us, along with several other families, to have Thanksgiving dinner at their amazing house last year. The thought of having dinner with just our little family seemed a bit boring, so we decided to invite families to our house this year. It was quite the group (12 adults and 15 kids) but it was fun and there was a TON of yummy food to go around. I took a few pictures before everyone came and then set my camera down and forgot about it the rest of the evening. Thanks to Alma who shared her pictures with me.

The adult tables

The kids all sat together at these tables that we rented from our community

A few of the dishes people brought. FYI:the sweet potatoes were to die for!

The cooks: Suzy, Christina, Alma, Sarah, Aimee and Jessi

The kids working on turkey and the fixings:
Jakob, Henry and Evan
Claire, Elsa, Ruby and Asia

Alex working on a drumstick