The Clothes, the Shoes and the Chocolate

I had the chance to shop a bit when I went back to Geneva recently. You may ask why...things are so much more expensive there... I guess the answer is, because I miss it.



I always loved the clothing and especially the shoes that I found for Rebekah in Europe...I just detested the prices! When we lived in Geneva, I dreamed of shopping in North America. Whenever we traveled back to Canada, I went crazy buying things that the kids would need until the next visit. The things from Canada were unique when we lived in Geneva.



Now, things have reversed. Now that we live down the road from a large American outlet mall, I want the things from Europe. What is that saying? The grass is always greener....



Anyways, it worked out fairly well. I was able to get a few new things for each of the kiddies, for reasonable prices by Geneva standards. I then also picked up a load of clothes from my friend, Tobi, for Rebekah. I also had had another friend shop for some shoes for Rebekah during one of the two sales per year that happen in Geneva. I was able to pick those up from her while there for my visit also.



I can't tell you how many people stop and comment on Rebekah's clothing and shoes when we are out in public and she wears something from Europe. The boys' clothing is less unique...although they do have great shoes. Noah is at the stage that he couldn't care less about what he wears...as long as it is comfortable. Bekah, however, loves to dress up, and she loves the attention that she gets when we are out. So, if I have the opportunity to re-stock while in Geneva on a visit, then why not? It is my way of keeping the ties back to Geneva and our old life there strong.

Here is one of Rebekah's new outfits. How cute is that?!

It even has a jacket to match......

:)

Old Friends

During my visit to Geneva, I got the chance to visit with lots of old friends. Here are a few photos of the ones that I managed to catch before they ran away!

This is Karen and I. The poor thing was in the middle of moving house....literally....and she left her husband packing on his own so she could come over and say a quick hello. Wasn't that sweet?!

This is me with my dear friend Stefanie. We became really close when her family moved to Geneva one year after we did. They are Canadian also, and moved with a very new baby....just like us! We bonded over our homesickness and similar circumstances. :)

This is me with my friend Tobi. She is also Canadian (do you see a pattern here?!) and she is my supplier of great European children's clothing for Rebekah. *smile* Tobi's daughter is the same age as Rebekah, but she is larger in size. Her hand-me-downs become our coveted treasures!

And lastly, this is most of our Nordic walking group. My friend Joy, (in the pink shirt) was kind enough to host a dinner so that we could all get together during my visit. We used to walk (a.k.a. hike/climb) every Friday morning as a group. Just to get some exercise, and have a bit of time to chat. I loved those Friday walks. From left to right: me, Julie, Joy and Stefanie

Somehow, I missed photos with my friends Penny and Nicole. I guess that just means that I will have to go back and visit again! :)

Some Exciting News!

I have some exciting news to share! Go check out this link, and be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom!

Earth Hour

Hi Family and Friends!

Have you signed up yet? It’s easy, and all you have to do is turn off your lights for one hour. This is a great symbolic gesture to do with your kids too. With any luck there won’t be any clouds and it will be dark enough for you to do some amazing star gazing and think about your place in the universe.…

For more on Earth Hour festivities check out the article at http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/earth-hour-47032705?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist
From wwf.ca

Saturday is Earth Hour!
With Earth Hour almost upon us, there is a definite buzz in the air! In a few short days, people around the world will be joining together to turn out their lights for Earth Hour, sending a very strong message that we need to do more to fight climate change.

Earth Hour is a World Wildlife Fund led initiative, therefore we want all of our WWF-Canada supporters to be active participants.
If you haven't already signed up for Earth Hour, please sign up today! If you are planning on participating but have not yet signed up at earthhour.org, please do so now. By signing up, you are sending a strong message to our government, and governments around the world, that Canadians want to take action on climate change.

Here's what you can do
1. Sign up at earthhour.org
2. Turn off your lights on March 29 at 8 p.m.
3. Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to participate

According to a recent poll, conducted on behalf of Virgin Mobile, a staggering 70% of Canadians have said they will be participating in Earth Hour! Join the rest of Canada in making Earth Hour a huge success.

Sign up at earthhour.org and make your voice heard around the world!

Thanks for taking the time to show you care about the planet in this symbolic gesture…..

Closure....

Being back in Geneva has been strange...but in a good way.

I have begun to realize that with the passing of my aunt, and my very sudden departure last April, I didn't really have the closure that I needed. I was remembering Geneva in a very nostalgic sort of way. I was pining for it a bit...remembering more of the good things...kind of filtering out the bad.

Coming back for this visit has allowed me to see it in a more realistic light....and recognize that although there are still many things that I miss, there are also many that I don't.

We are really building a wonderful life for ourselves in the USA now. I love the conveniences and the choices. I love how my children can try almost any activity they can dream of! In only 10 months since we have been back, Noah has been able to play soccer, learn to swim, learn to ice skate, ski, and play t-ball. Bekah has taken swimming, ballet and gymnastics. We can do all of these activities in our native English, and they offer large parking lots in which to park too!

All in all, this trip has given me a healthy sense of closure on that chapter of our lives. Although I will still miss all of the opportunity we had to travel Europe while living here, I realize that I love our new home too.

Oh, and did I mention how much I love the convenience of pay-at-the-pump?

I've Made it to Geneva!

Hi! I'm here....in Geneva, that is!

The flight was good...actually the easiest international flight I have ever done (also the first without being pregnant or having small children with me!) ....minus the really snippy woman I had to deal with at the check-in counter.

I was able to sleep a bit, and I even managed to stay up until 10:00 pm Geneva time last night (despite having missed pretty well an entire nights sleep the night previous) and adopt the new schedule immediately.

I didn't have to rush in the shower this morning. :) No kids banging on the door, no school bus to catch, no lunches to make or breakfast to prepare.....it's so nice...

Unfortuately, the weather...ummm....not so good. Despite the fact that it was 18 degrees Celsius (65 degrees F) last week in Geneva, we awoke this morning to snow, wind and now, rain. Not a good day for a walk in the vineyards. :( Hopefully, tomorrow will be nicer. I am afraid to check the weather at this point....

In other random news, I fogot my book on the plane. :( It was brand new too! Into the Wild....if anyone has it and would like to share so I can finish it...please let me know! :)

The Last of the Pics.....

These are the last of my pics from our weekend in New Hampshire. Finally!

The kids were completely excited when we entered our hotel room and they saw bunk beds. Noah was excited to claim the top bunk and Bekah was excited to be able to sleep in a 'big girl bed'. At home, she still sleeps in a crib. So, everyone was happy!

One of the concerns was how low the ceiling was... We told Noah, make sure you watch your head! We had visions of him sitting up in the middle of the night and wacking his head on the ceiling. Sure enough, at one point in the middle of the night, we heard, CLUNK! No crying followed though...so we went back to sleep. :)

Bekah LOVED jumping on the bed. Check out that pony tail movement!

There was a TON of snow there! We had to be careful not to lose the kids in it! There were many people out shoveling off their roofs. We also saw a few that had collapsed with the weight of the snow! Check out this one in the pic above!

Rebekah refused to admit she was tired, but she asked Kevin for a piggy back ride (um....like that wasn't a sign?!). Here she was nearly falling asleep on his back during our hike.

I enjoyed taking some pics of the sunshine shining through the trees...

I really like this pic of Noah...trying to make snow balls....

Check out Bekah's smile in this pic....priceless! I want to crop this one and blow it up....

Noah leading the way across this little bridge we came across...

Overall, we had a wonderful weekend. I can't wait to plan the next trip! *wink*

Guess Who's Going to Geneva?!

So, I am assuming you can see where this post is leading...

Yes, I am going to Geneva to visit all of my friends! I have known for a while now...since Valentine's Day, actually. I was caught totally by surprise.

If you come and visit me here regularly, you already know that my Christmas gift was a trip to California, on my own, without Kevin or the kiddies! After that five days away in January, I really didn't think I would be going anywhere buy myself for a very long time.

So, imagine my surprise when Kevin surprised me with a ticket to Geneva for Valentine's Day! He said that he had been listening to me talk for months about how I missed Geneva, and my friends who are still there. So, he took it upon himself to send me back for a visit.

I think he enjoyed being with the kids on his own, when I was away last time, more than he admits. It is something that he doesn't get to do very often.

So, I will be away from March 19-25th, and Kevin will be on full time 'daddy duty' for six whole days!

Be sure to tune in for pics once I get back!

Some Food for Thought

I have stumbled upon some great quotes lately...and I wanted to share them with you!

"The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value."
-Theodore Roosevelt-

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, one finds it attached to the rest of the world."
-John Muir-

"We must strive to become good ancestors."
-Ralph Nader-

"The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery, not over nature but of ourselves."
-Rachel Carson-

I hope these quotes provide you as much food for thought as they have for me!

They're Naturals - Part II

As I mentioned in my previous post....the weekend we spent at the Purity Springs Resort was spent doing lots of new activities with the kiddies. While they both were naturals at skiing, skating was a bit of a bumpier road.

Noah has skated before, but this was a first for Rebekah.

Every photo I managed to get of Noah, he looks totally out of control. He used to just walk on his skates....always the picture of caution. Well, then he learned how to propel himself...push, push, glide....and he hasn't slowed down since. Now, the faster he goes, the better.

Here I am with Noah...a bit blurry due to our speed (*wink*). This was my first time on skates in about 10 years...and I even managed to stay on my feet!

The only reason Kevin was taking photos of me was because he was hoping to catch a wipe out on film!

Rebekah's first time on skates!

Look, Daddy left her standing all by herself..... :(

Oops.....down she goes!

Family photo!

Unfortunately, I won't have any tubing photos to share....we were too busy speeding down the hill to take them. Stay tuned for some hiking photos to come!

They're Naturals!

One of the reasons that I haven't posted in a few days is because we were away in New Hampshire. We went to the Purity Springs Resort....a family kind of place with lots to do with the kiddies.

I am posting the pics in the reverse order....I don't know why, other than that is the order I found them in!

We went tubing, swimming, ice skating and skiing. Skiing was on the last morning, but like I said, those are the pics you are going to see first.

This was a first for both of the kids. Even though we lived in Switzerland, we never took them skiing. Bekah was too small, and I think with Noah, it was a language issue. We just didn't put in the work to see if we could find lessons in english for him.

So, fast forward to last weekend, and we had two kiddies on skis for the first time. I have to add here, that I don't ski either. Kevin is the only capable skier in our family. I have a skiing story that I could share (actually, two skiing stories), but I will save that for another time. This post is going to be long enough as it is.


One of the things that we have learned about Noah since we moved here, is that he learns phenomenally quickly. When he is given the time, one on one, he can learn anything. It has happened with swimming, skating, and now skiing. He can also tell you all about 'mach' and the speed of sound too. That came about because Kevin is working on the launch of Mach 3 Disposable razors for work. When Noah heard Kevin talking about his launch, it turned into a science lesson about the speed of sound and 'mach' because the questions just kept coming...one after another, after another.....

So, back to the skiing. One or two wipe outs, and he was on his way. Very soon after we got to the bunny hill, Noah was going up the 'magic carpet' on his own, coming down the hill on his own, and even turning and stopping, on his own. It was very cool to watch.

And then, there was Bekah. At first she was hesitant. She wanted us to hold her hand and pull her along the whole time. But, within the hour, she was going down the hill on her own. We still had to help out with the magic carpet but she was lovin' the independence!

It's too bright, Mommy!

Bekah seemed to have an issue with turning to the left. It was the funniest thing. She would take a 90 degree turn about half way down the hill. Sometimes the turn was a completed 180, and she would end up facing UP the hill! Then she would be stuck and Kevin would have to go and turn her back around....only to have it happen again. We tried to get her to shift her weight to her right leg, and by the end of the morning she had improved a lot.

Considering both kids screamed and cried when we left, I think it was a hit.....

Two Rooms Done....Numerous More to Go

We finally finished Rebekah's bedroom. So now Noah and Rebekah each have a completed room...the rest of the house still needs work. It's all of the finishing touches that take so much time....finding the right frames to hang our travel photos, finding affordable fabric for window coverings, planning out the garden for spring, etc, etc, etc.

The main item that was keeping Rebekah's room in the 'incomplete' category was the wood trim. While house shopping, one of the houses we visited had a very nicely decorated girl's bedroom. It had wood trim going around the room about 2/3 of the way up the wall. The trim had decorative pegs about 12 inches apart all the way around the room. We really liked it.

Once we bought our house, we decided to add this same type of trim to Rebekah's room. It was an ongoing project for a long time. It turned out to be a lot more work than Kevin expected when he decided to take it on himself. I am sure a lot had to do with having the proper tools...he was making due with what he had. A 'real' carpenter could probably have blasted through the project in no time. The cutting was very finicky....then there was painting, sanding, filling, more sanding and painting touch-ups to do. Now, it is finally done! And, I must say, I love it!

This is the name plaque on Bekah's bedroom door. I had to custom order it because you never find 'Rebekah' spelled the way we spell it! Anything with her name printed on it, is always spelled 'Rebecca'.

In this pic you can see the wood trim that Kevin worked so hard on! Those are little Dora decals on the wall above the trim....and yes, that is Dora all over the curtains too!

This is Bekah's rocking chair and Dora pillow. Those are her princess dresses hanging on the pegs in the background.

Her Dora lamp....when we chose a theme....we go ALL the way!

Bekah's ballet slippers and skirts.

Her memory box...once again, a custom order!

Rebekah's Dora jewellery box. When you open the lid, Dora stands up and spins around while music plays. This was a gift for Rebekah's 2nd birthday from her little friend, Cameron, in Geneva. She absolutely LOVES it!

This is Rebekah's Dora vanity. Santa brought it for Christmas.

Books, books, books!

This is a little sign that I bought in our village of Bernex, when Rebekah was a baby. In Switzerland, it hung on her bedroom door. It says "baby is sleeping".

A 'Bekah sized' wicker chair with her teddy and slippers.

Lastly, Bekah's bed...yes, it is a crib. No big girl bed yet. We are going through a bit of a rough patch right now, and the crib is the only effective place for a time out. I tell ya, two was a breeze, I think it should be called the terrible threes!