When You Live in the Alps...

So, every morning walking Sadie Mac to school we see huge tour buses and kids with skis preparing for their class trip up the mountain for a day on the slopes! Seriously... every morning. And it seems like all grades go. I know at least the 8 year old class goes. So, why not the French School that we go to as well!

Yep, we had a school field trip to go skiing! (And, basically we needed the brain break from all the French we've been drowning in!) We got a good deal to rent skis because of a good relationship this place has with the school and we all decided to go. (Sorry Noah, maybe in a few years!) We thought it best to get Sadie use to the feeling of how it was going to be and take a practice round at a park nearby. Last week we had a good snow and it has stayed around because it's been so cold. Good thing for our practice day! We headed out with a scarf in hand to practice. Sadie did great and we enjoyed a good time playing as long as we could stand it!

Stephen, pulling her. (Kinda seems like water skiing!)
Noah, all smiles as he LOVES to be outside!
FIELD TRIP DAY!!!

Climbing up the mountains... they are amazing and beautiful. I still have to pinch myself that I live here. Never in a 1,000 years would I have thought I would. But, for this season... I'm going to soak it in and enjoy every moment.
When we arrived in the ski village, we were all amazed at how much snow was on each roof top! The place was really cute with lots of shops and restaurants for the non-skiiers! But, we were all game for trying.

This was my second time skiing (the only time before was in 7th grade) and for Stephen and Sadie, their first experience of skiing was the French Alps! Sadie went with me a few times, but wasn't really that impressed. I think her age was still kinda young with all the coordination it takes. Wait... can I use that excuse, because Stephen and I struggled too. Oh man, and are we sore today!

Daddy with skis on and Sadie... photo opp!

All smiles after her few times coming down the "bunny slop"... (check out the mountains behind her!)
At the end of the day... we're all tired, but in good spirits! We had a great time... got a little bit of sun and wind burn... but it was well worth it!

Class is in Session

Oh the holidays in France... we LOVE 'um!!! So, this week there was a "celebration" (sort of), it was national crêpe day on February 2nd! You can always have them/get them here, but it was the day for our class to learn to make them! Here is my class for the last 20 minutes on Friday...
I decided to try to make them at home. Crêpes are basically a very thin pancake with all sorts of yummy fillings. Sugar is the most common along with nutella (oh my... so good!)... fruit, jam, cinnamon... whatever. It's all good!
And the result: A VERY satisfied customer!!!

A Party fit for a Queen!

Last week we were invited into Sadie Mac's class for a King's Cake Party. The children had made the cakes the day before and all the parents were invited. This is a special time for any parent... to see their child interact with friends, teachers, and in "their environment". I am the typical obnoxious mom who takes pics of everything (sorry Sade... but, your grandmothers need to see your world!)

Sadie has started to speak some French, which we're thankful for... and last week she told Stephen to, "Regarde!" ("Look!"). She counts and today she told me, "Ex squeez eah moi" (for excuse me!)... melt my heart!

Her "little best friend"-'s mom stopped me last week and told me how much her daughter LOVES Sadie Mac, "but she doesn't understand her!!" I just laughed and can see Sadie Mac just chatting away... in English to her friends and teachers, whether they understand or not! (I didn't say she was fluent, but she is saying some things!!)

I can't even tell you how thankful my heart is for how well she is doing! The first several days/months were heart wrenching to leave her... but she has adjusted quite nicely! (Better than me, I think!)

Here is little Miss Priss at her table with her "little best friend" in her class...

Her first "best friend"

The Kings Cake!

One of my most favorite things about living in different places around the world is taking on different cultural traditions, like the King's Cake! Early January marks the time when where the wise men went to visit Jesus and took their gifts to him. So, we have the "Kings Cake" (Galette des Rois)!!

At EVERY bakery and store in France, they have rows of these specific cakes and on them have little paper crowns. A friend brought us one and it had 2 crowns, and so this means there are 2 surprises inside!
So, my teacher taught us... how the French "do" the Kings Cake. The youngest child in the room gets under the table that the cake is being served on. (Under the table so not to see which piece is being cut). The mother (or whoever) cuts the first piece and asks who each piece goes to. (First piece goes to dad, second to sister.... etc. or whoever the child chooses.) In each cake there is 1 (or more) little pieces (token like figures). Whoever has the token in his piece gets to wear the hat and is "KING!" Our kids loved it... (granted, they just wore the hats), but as they grow, we'll have to do the normal tradition!

This is (part) of our cake... but it was basically this in a circle!
This is one of the little tokens in our cake! (Plastic wise man)

Top 10 Favorite Pics of 2011

So I started going through pictures the other day and looking at all that 2011 held for our family. So many changes, unexpected happenings, life turns... and it's fun to catch it on the camera. I wish I could post a Top 100 photos...

Most of these pics would not qualify as a "great picture", but for me... it's what's behind the picture. What was going on, and the treasured memory it holds. Not in any particular order... here are my top 10 favorite pics of 2011...

Stephen telling Sadie Mac about the cross (Albertville, France)

Noah starting to eat solid food... and making a mess (Boone, NC)

Fun family times at a 3D film (Atlanta, GA)
Planting a garden with my mom ("Our Yellow House", NC)
The Cascade Waterfalls with Grandma and Poppie (The Blue Ridge Pkwy)
Noah, catching some shade (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
My two treasures (my heart will always smile at this pic)... (Boone, NC)
Daddy and his princess at her 3rd birthday party... (Valle Crusis, NC)
An amazing sunrise (near Albertville, France)
God's amazing creation (France)

Christmas Morning!

We have a family tradition to read the Christmas Story in Luke 2 with our families before we go out and open presents. We had a special time this year because we were doing it with our friends AND they had a really cool nativity to play with as we talked about the story! Each child opened a piece of the story (Mary/Joseph/Jesus)... (the Shepherds/angel)... (wise men) as the part of the story was read. We really enjoyed doing this and it was good to help keep the kids focused on the real meaning of Christmas!

The kids waiting at the door way as we got all the last minute things set up... "can we come now? can we come now?"
Stocking FUN...Sadie Mac's "Rapunzel hair"!

In the afternoon we went to a park that is near their house and enjoyed playing and taking pics...
Zip line, that even Noah tried! ;-)

Bubbles!

Two little princess friends
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas like we did!

An Italian Christmas

Being away from family during the holidays can be hard. Skype and pictures on Facebook can be great... but it can also remind you how far far away we really are. We have some friends who we have known since before we were married. We were there the day they had their first child and have walked through life many transitions together... through the good and hard.

Well, we're blessed that God has placed these friends just two hours away from us... in Italy. We feel like they are our family-away-from-family. We all understand what it's like to like to live in 4 different countries in 3 years... what it's like to have babies where they don't speak English... the joys and trials of living overseas... (even if it is in France or Italy)... and we're thankful we can be so close.

They live in Torino (Turin) Italy and so we were able to see some sights in their town one day.

Sadie Mac running from Micah in one of the town squares
A large art stage in the center of town with Christmas decorations and a large nativity
Our 5 kiddos in front of the nativity
Stephen counting with the kids the metro stops until "ours"

Merry Christmas... 2011

From our family to yours...

Some of Our Christmas Crafts

I have mentioned before that I'm trying to be a crafty mom for my little treasures. Sadie LOVES projects and so I'm learning more ideas, things to use, and how to engage my children in the real meaning of Christmas. So... this year as my project portfolio grows, here are a few things we have done to get ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus!! Some are Christ centered (our goal...) and others are just ideas I found.

Here are my two little angels (and their coffee filter wings glued onto milk bottles)... all "blinged up" with stars and stickers!
The angel appeared (to the Shepherds) and the Glory of the Lord shown around them... Lk2:9
Fun ornament making... (thank you KG for your recipe)!!

1 C. applesauce + 1 C. cinnamon + 1 tsp. glue... roll out into 1/4 inch thickness... cookie cutters or trace hands. Cook on low temp or let dry for a week.


More ornament making... which is better to decorate, or eat the decorations? (These ornaments are cookies, thank you IKEA)

Christmas wreath made of my favorite little hands
Playing Nativity with play mobile figurines
Colored nativity glued onto a pizza cardboard circle
Face painting (at a friend's house)...