Life

London with the gals

2012-01-11T10:29:00.000+01:00

My girlfriends and I took a trip to London back in November. We had a blast and I think the video sums up our trip well....

Happy 70th Dad

2011-12-16T12:22:00.001+01:00


My Dad 70?! I know it's so cliche to say I have the best dad, but honestly I do.

Today is my dad and his twin brother's birthday. They are 70! WOW!!! Happy Birthday Dad and Uncle Harold!

I have never met anyone so caring and generous as my dad. He has the heart of gold and takes amazing care of his wife, 6 daughters and 2 sons. He has always taught me that anything is possible and I love him for that. Sorry we can't be there to celebrate with you, but remember you moved out of California first..... :)


I love you Dad! Happy 70th! And here's to many, many more years.

***Being so far away it's hard to celebrate but I wanted to do something special. I stumbled upon a friend's blog who had executed the perfect birthday plan for her dad. The idea was simple. Mail out 70 postcards to family and friends. Have them write a memory and return the postcard on his birthday. I know the postcards are trickling in now and my dad is loving it. So thanks to all of you who participated.***

Happy 12th Jacob

2011-12-16T10:16:00.000+01:00

Our bright blue-eyed boy turned 12 last month. Seriously, how did that happen so fast? Jacob is a joy to raise. He is a caring, sensitive, funny, easy going, intelligent.......and handsome young man.

Jason would say we over-celebrated his birthday this year, he's probably right.
We had 3 separate parties {Swiss Friends, English friends, Family}
On Jacob's actual birthday he invited some friends from school. lt was the easiest party I have ever thrown. Fed them lunch, cake and ice cream. After I dropped them all off at the movies and picked them up when they called. Best party thrown yet! Then on the weekend he had some other friends over to spend the night. That was a little crazy but the boys has a blast. I think Jacob felt well loved and was excited to turn 12. We love you Jacob!

Halloween

2011-12-15T23:10:00.000+01:00

There is something about the last 1/4 of every year that seems to go by in a flash. For that reason, I bring you a blog post about Halloween right before Christmas.

Halloween isn't really celebrated here. Germany seems to be a little more Americanized than Switzerland so we decided to get into the spirit of Halloween at Europa Park this year.


We surprised the kids with the trip. We gave Jacob an early birthday present and told him to open the card. After he read his card{and let out some squeals of excitement}we were in the car within 1/2 hour on our way to Germany. The kids were beyond excited, their faces say it all in this picture. {no really, they were excited}

They did an amazing job decorating the entire park. Josie was heard repeatedly saying "scary, scary"

You couldn't blame Josie though, the costumes were kind of creepy. The guy in the green pants kept walking by us and giving us weird faces with his freaky black eyes.

Josie spotted this lady {not sure who or what she was} but she kept yelling"Princess, Princess" and ran right up and held her hand.

Jonah having some fun with his brother

She's a big girl now......which means she doesn't want a stroller........which also means...... daddy becomes the stroller.......

Taking a bite out of one giant apple

Memorized by the lights

After we returned from Europa Park we celebrated the next night with a few friends.

We've enjoyed years of little goblin boys and are now loving have a little princess in the mix. {Not to mention, Jacob's costumes are becoming increasingly creepier each year.} We felt this year we got a great feel for Halloween.

They have a cute little ride only for little kids. Parents can follow behind, if you feel your kid will jump out.....

Sleepy Jonah

2011-11-30T13:44:00.001+01:00

For as long as we can remember Jonah has been falling asleep everywhere. For sometime we have joked about him randomly falling asleep but after a while we thought maybe there was something more to it. Jonah has always had an off sleep schedule. Often he wakes in the middle of the night to play and he can fall asleep almost instantly during the day.

We finally decided to address this with Doctors over the summer. We have been working with some great specialists in Zürich . Jonah has had some tests done and they think it may be narcolepsy, of course we are hoping this is not the case. Tomorrow Jonah is going in for extensive overnight testing and we are hoping to get some answers. {They will monitor him through the night with an EEG. Then Friday he will be asked to fall asleep every 2 hours starting at 10 am until 5 pm. They monitor how fast he can fall asleep. For example, if he can fall asleep every 2 hours within 1 minute, that is a problem.} He is a little nervous about spending the night but we are trying to make it sound positive. Poor guy just needs a good nights sleep.

Strasbourg: Girls only

2011-11-28T14:32:00.000+01:00

I have an awesome husband, so awesome in fact, he watched the kids for a long weekend so my sister and I could have sometime together. We chose to go to Strasbourg, France for a few reasons....
1. The food is delicious 2. The drive isn't so bad ( 2 hrs ) 3. Boutique shopping at it's best.
So Jen and I hit the road for our girly road-trip. And by all means it was girly. Jason, I am sure, is more than relieved he didn't have to endure our craziness. And there was a lot of it.....in between the shopping and eating, of course.

During the day, we hit the streets shopping......

Modeling one of her purchases, a beautiful white coat.

We shopped. High quality pictures, I know. We were too busy having fun to pull out the real camera.

I introduced Jen to the world of Tarte flambées

We purchased, and attempted to eat, square suckers, too big for the mouth

And then the nightlife came and we got a little crazy. {But we were being chased by a guy named Jimmy} After dinner one evening we made our family a few AMAZING videos, ok more than a few {15} These were top notch, high quality. Unfortunately you won''t have the pleasure of viewing them all but if you want a taste of our pure awesomeness {maybe, slightly silly} then click on the video below. You have been warned.

Engleberg with Jen

2011-11-28T11:57:00.000+01:00

We decided to take Jen to Engleberg to experience a little of the Swiss Mountains. Engleberg has one of the boys favorite trails so when the sun came out.......we headed up.

They have a great trail surrounding a small lake at the top of the Mountain. It's a trail where you get to experience textures barefoot, from rocks to mud, and to what the boys claim to be cow poo (gross).

The boys riding the rodelbahn down the mountain.

Feeling the Chi

Views from the top

Riding the lift up and giving Josie a lift

Back in the valley

More of the trail. The mud bath is a favorite.

Making our way down the mountain, Sound of Music style

And now a little ride down the mountain.....

Verona & Lake Garda

2011-11-25T15:06:00.000+01:00

In Verona, I was having flashbacks of when we took Meg . We thought (well maybe not Jason) what a blast that would be if ALL of my sisters could come over together. *idea girls*
Anyways back to blogging, I mistakenly deleted a bunch of our pictures (opps) but at least I figured it out before they were all gone.


"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?		"

Enjoying dark, creamy, Italian coco.

This little girl is so in love with her big brothers

The boys absolutely loved having their Aunt Jen here. She was so great at showering then with attention.

The little Navigator - And where should we go next?

Playing following the leader.....

Ahhh, gotcha!

Lake Garda


This one is for you mom and dad. You would be proud to know I have a little girl just like me :) When you call her name, she turns and runs.....

Just another castle on a Lake :)

The wisteria behind us was gorgeous. Wish I had a vine like that growing up my house.

So many flavors. Gelato is a daily snack, 1,2........5 times.....yummy!

I have beautiful sisters. We had a great trip to Italy with Jen!

Venice with Jen

2011-11-24T14:28:00.000+01:00

Being her first time to Europe, Jen wasn't sure where she wanted to visit. So of course, we decided for her, our favorite place.... Italy. We took a little road trip down through Verona, Lake Garda, and Venice. We stayed in an Agriturismo within driving distance to all 3 places. The weather proved to be better than Switzerland, no surprise there. The food was fabulous and the company awesome. We just love having family (and friends) visit!

Piazza San Marco - the bird even posed for my picture, perfect!

Chasing the birds can last for hours, at least with my kids

Feeding the birds.... they are aggressive, the birds, not the kids

Beauty of Venice, everything about Venice is awesome, from the delivery carts to the police boats

How would you like that to be your front door? Boat needed of course.

Kids posing for a picture with Jonah taking stand still to a new level

Time for a little nap

The sun was out, the weather was perfect, so nap-time was in order

Jen and I. I really enjoyed showing Jen around Europe.

Love all the little waterways

One of my most favorite places to just sit and watch - Piazza San Marco

Jen and Saffron. Jen thought it was so crazy how much attention the dog got. At one point, Jen had me take pictures of all the people surrounding Saffron, pretty funny site.

I blogged more about the details of Venice on my travel blog.

And I'd like to leave you with the ultimate in entertainment. While together Jen and I mastered the "split". The basics of the split are....1. you want to split up people while walking 2. you must do this by looking the other way.

Jenny-Penny (Jenny-Pig)

2011-11-16T10:37:00.001+01:00

Jen made her first ever appearance in Europe last month. The kids were more than thrilled to have their Aunt Jen here.

And now a funny little story........Jen's ongoing family nick name has always been Jenny-Penny. Jonah has heard us say this for years, but has decided we were saying Jenny-Pig. So, with that said, Jenny-Pig was his way to address Jen. We've never had the heart to tell Jonah it is really Jenny-Penny. So in Jonah's mind Aunt Jenny-Pig it is, (with no relation to a pig) just a term of endearment for him.
Our adventures with Jen to follow.....once I conquer that pile of laundry.......

Katie and Andy's Wedding

2011-10-26T20:42:00.000+02:00


Aren't they the cutest couple?

My sister Katie just got married. I had not met Andy before the wedding but the minute I saw the 2 of them together, I fell in love with him. He is amazing to/for Katie!

Dad treated us all to Mexican food, yum!!!

To say my trip was a whirlwind would be an understatement. Literally, I think I slept a total of 20 hours in the 6 days I was in the States. My family had the wedding weekend jammed packed with fun.

I got to hang out with my darling nephew and nieces. (Me & Carter, Katie's little guy)

Performing a double-drive through. My sister really wanted us to get giant cups of ice so we were silly and went through the drive through double.

We enjoyed a night up in a Canyon

And a trip to the states means overindulgence in food I miss- Grilled cheese animal style from In&Out - YUM!

We got our hair and nails done

My sister-in-law Megan drove down for the weekend with her adorable girls


Amye and Katie getting the royal treatment....all of this was leading up to the big day

It's Official - Andy, Katie and Carter

What a beautiful bride! xoxo

My sisters -just missing Meg!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Family!!!!

My brother David and wife Christina with my sister Jodi (husband Kyle peeking through)
It started pouring rain right after the wedding

My mother-in-law and I comparing our height with heels on :)

I also got to meet my nephew, Lucas, and niece ,Elle, for the first time. Love those little cuties!

The happy couple cutting the cake

And they are married........Off to the Bahamas they go!!!!

This trip I stayed at my sister Jodi's house. I just love her adorable little girls, all 4 of them.

Summer wrap up.....

2011-10-07T15:13:00.000+02:00

It's hard saying good-bye to summer but now that October is here I need to come to terms summer is over, so sad I know... For a few weeks during the summer we had Kathy here and it was enjoyable giving her a glimpse into our lives. While she was here we......

Feed the ducks/swan/mean birds

Enjoyed a summer night movie on the Lake

Climbed down an old Italian well

Strolled the cobbled stone streets

Took breaks on many dirty steps

Went camping in France

Climbed a few mountains

Checked out a bird refuge

Had Picnics on the Lake

Ate one too many pastries in France, or is that possible?

Dressed up as Princesses and Knights in a Castle

Rode up a few Gondolas

And went fishing.....

Pompei & Naples

2011-10-07T15:11:00.000+02:00

Jacob (11), Abby (11), Lance, (9) Jonah (7), Josie (2)

Our main reason for going to Naples was to meet up with the cousins. Their family won a Mediterranean cruise through Nickelodeon (How cool is that!) So we meet them at the port in Naples. The kids were so excited to see their cousins, a trip highlight for sure. They were way more into each other than Pompei. It was so fun to hear them catch each other up on their lives.

Abby spent days reading up on Pompei beforehand, so she was our tour guide, it was great!

A not so good tour guide

The kids were mesmerized by this body cased in plaster.

Mount Vesuvius hovering over Pompei, I think I would have run when I saw is spewing ash.

Grandma and Abby

And after our tour in Pompei it was back to Naples for some more PIZZA

Uncle Rob, Jonah, Jacob and Lance

The boys, scarfing their pizza while enjoying a break from walking

And of course a meal is never complete in Italy without GELATO!

Cousins having some fun together

Positano & Meta

2011-09-29T15:38:00.000+02:00

Wow, I am seriously behind on blogging!! Let's see if I can at least catch up on the rest of our summer.......

Positano is a popular destination on the Amalfi Coast. The winding roads leading there are famous. I am not sure what we were thinking but we decided to take a bus instead of driving ourselves, we had heard this was the better option. Ummm, crazy! We all about threw-up, it didn't help the bus was jammed packed and we had to stand the whole way, but we finally made after a grueling 40 minutes.

We were all smiles after we piled off the bus. This was the view that awaited us, then we proceeded to walk down into the cliff town. It reminded us alot of the Cinque Terre but with WAY better beaches.

Pizza on the beach, the way a relaxing vacation should be

All smiles before her nap.

After our day at the beach came to an end we decided we did not want to ride the bus home. So we opted to take the boat, a way better, less crazy, option.

Waiting for the ferry to arrive

And the views were awesome. The boat was a welcomed alternative to the bus.

Check out that smile, the little girl of course, she is such a crack up

And never fail, poor Jonah was exhausted and enjoyed a little nap on the deck of the boat. It was an enjoyable ride back to Sorrento and great way to end a perfect day.

Another day we spent at the whole day at the beach in Meta. About a 5 minute drive from Sorrento. Their beaches were a lot better than Sorrento. Much more family friendly with tons of activities for the kids.

Josie swinging with Grammie

We rented a few chairs and the required umbrella and moved right in.

They had a little water slide and Josie surprised us by going down it, again and again.

Aww, What a bunch of cuties!!

A view looking down on part Meta's beach front

And of course, being an Italian beach there has to be some dance lessons for the kids. Jonah was their biggest fan.

Sorrento

2011-09-05T15:43:00.001+02:00

We rented a beautiful villa in Sorrento for our stay in Southern Italy.

The view was gorgeous and we enjoyed many evening meals on our balcony.

In the distance you can see Mt Vesuvius. Jonah went to bed nightly asking what would happen if the volcano erupted again. The idea that a whole town was buried in ash disturbed the poor kid.

Josie getting her own look at the amazing sunset

Enjoying some of the local produces. The lemons were enormous, more for show than taste.

Kathy getting a look at the beach front

There were not many beach fronts in Sorrento and most were small and costly. We found better beaches in the neighboring towns.

Taking a break while walking through the old streets of Sorrento

A view of Sorrento from a boat ride

When we weren't exploring towns we were hitting up some of the local beaches.

Josie is lucky to have such great big brothers, they are so protective of her.

We found an amazing local restaurant only 3 minutes from our villa. We enjoyed an evening all together there and one evening Kathy watched the kids while Jason and I dined alone, major benefits to traveling with grandma :)

Boys enjoying a bubble bath back at our villa. Check out Jonah's eye, he got bit by a mosquito and it swelled shut, poor kid

We really enjoyed the villa and area we stayed in. Sorrento proved to be the perfect home base to explore Naples and the surrounding Italian cities.

Jason and I out on a date, alone, sharing a delicious lobster pasta for 2, so romantic :)

Bear Encounters

2011-09-03T22:14:00.000+02:00

Our families closest encounter to bears this year....

I can now breath a sigh of relief....... for 2 weeks I have gone to bed hoping for the best but always thinking the worst. The unknown was just about driving me crazy but this evening I was beyond ecstatic to get a call from Jason! He was on top of Mt. Whitney, with spotty cell service, but enough to tell us he was safe and on his way down. His backpacking trip of over 200 miles will be complete in just a few hours after the decent of Whitney. I'm glad the bears steered clear.

Verace Pizza Napoletana

2011-09-02T15:23:00.000+02:00


Yes, that sign does say: Pizza 1 Euro

Naples is the birthplace of Pizza. So, we devoted a whole day to just eating Pizza in Naples, the way it should be done. We are talking about a self guided tour through Naples finding multiple award winning restaurants and between us ordering over 15 pizzas all within a 4 hour time span. Sound up for it? We were. YUM!


Every Italian pizza kitchen should require a wood burning stove and a guy smoking a cigarette

Making Pizza is an art in Italy. To be part of the Verace Pizza Napoletana you need fulfill these requirements:
1. Wood Burning Oven around 800 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Fresh natural ingredients from Region in Italy, mozzarella, tomatoes, olive oil, basil.
3. Kneed the dough by hand

The requirements go a little more into detail but that is the basic. Pizza is simple in Naples.Our first was a Restaurant on Via Tribunali. We ordered 6 margherita pizzas, 1 fried pizza and 1fried dough ball with rice and cheese.

The test tasters-
You would think that would have been enough food for us but we couldn't stop there....

Our second stop was Il Pizzaiolo del Presidente, only 300 meters away from the first. Not even enough time for us to digest. Il Presidente changed their name after Bill Clinton visited. We all ordered ourselves another margherita pizza and they were just as delicious as the first. The ingredients were so simple but really cheese and tomatoes, on hot bread, how could you go wrong?

Jason in front of Il Presidente. You can see the picture of Bill Clinton to the right above the pizza boxes.

Another requirement is the pizza must easily fold. It sure makes for easier eating!


Our 3rd stop on Pizza Excursion was Da Michele

This was obviously the most famous, at least with the tourist. Way too many guide books direct you to Da Michele and it is also referred to in the book Eat, Pray, Love. The line to get in was outrageous. A number was required for seating. We opted for take-out.

The oven in Da Michele. Wonder where all the workers are? They get smoke break every 15 minutes. Yep! They make pizza for 15 mins, then break for 15 mins, and repeat. No wonder it's such a long wait.

And they are back, making more pizza. On the far left, is a picture of Julia Roberts eating at Da Michele, but no they didn't change their name after her visit.

After a 30 minute wait for take out, probably better for digestion, we had our pizza and indulged. End Result to our Naples Pizza taste test.... They all tasted about the same, deliciously good!

On the news front....

2011-08-30T21:01:00.001+02:00

They are somewhere in the middle....

We got a report from the news front on Sunday, well it was a super short email from Jason, but that was exciting in itself....

"Things are going well for us and we will
probably be done on Monday or Tuesday. So 8 days from now. I'm going to pull out my phone on the next couple of high passes and see if I get a
signal....."

They made it to their resupply point at Muir Trail Ranch. They shipped themselves food before they left, which they loaded into their bear canisters. This is their last resupply so let's hope it's enough food to last. Apparently the Ranch has internet from a satellite but no phones... Bummer! We thought we were going to be able to talk to him. But at least they are surviving and ahead of schedule. Let's hope it stays that way. Can't wait to talk to him!

Child of another family...

2011-08-28T09:26:00.001+02:00

How the adoption took place......

It started off with me taking a picture of Josie on her Daddy's shoulders. Then I realized I wasn't the only one taking the picture.... It seemed to me the lady in the red dress was snapping the same shot....

Yep, I was right. Then it progressed. Josie soon had new friends and was the center of attention.

They wanted to pose with her....

So she climbed off Daddy's shoulders and became best buds with her new pals, smiles and all.

Everyone wanted a turn with her....

We had the lady who just wanted to cuddle with her.

We had this adorable girl who was so sweet with her.

And then we had the girl who almost dropped her.... *note, she's holding on for dear life*

Then we proceeded forward with a few more shots

Then they adopted her. Josie was more than a good sport for this photo shoot with random people. Though I must say they were super friendly, showering her with gifts. Josie walked away with boxes of cookies and crackers. In the end we adopted her back, cuteness and all.

Road Trippin'

2011-08-27T10:20:00.001+02:00

We've conquered the first week of school tear free, so I figured I could manage blogging about our summer escapades. Since we knew Kathy (aka Grammy) would be here most of the summer we began planning a road trip. We had initially planned on going north but when we heard our niece & nephew were going to be in Naples, we decided to re-route. We loaded the car, cargo box, 3 kids, 3 adults, 1 dog, & bags all into our car (should have documented that) & we were off. We were not sad to say goodbye to rainy & cold Switzerland & head south. Our first stop 3 days in Florence...

6 1/2 hours later we were all anxious to pile out of the car.

The Dog wins the award for the best car traveling companion, Josie wins the anti-best award.

We've been to Florence a few times but obviously haven't seen it all. It was a welcomed change to see a few different things, such as The Santa Croce Church and visit the Uffizi Gallery.

The David (Michelangelo)

The original David stood in this square Palazzo della Signoria but was later moved to the Accademia Gallery in Florence. We figured we'd just tell Kathy this was the original but Jonah was too kind to take to our little game. The minute we walked into the square he informed her of our scheme.

We enjoyed lunch off the square of Piazza di Santa Croce. Thus kicked off the start of our over-indulge-in-pizza-nightly-fest. Not a bad thing for a food lover but not a good thing for the waste-line.

Josie and Grammy

Somehow we managed to pass Piazza della Republica nightly on the way to our hotel. Josie has a radar for Merry-go-rounds, so of course the 2 year old prevailed and enjoyed many rides around.

She also enjoyed home made rides around by her daddy

The Duomo Climbers- Jacob, Jonah & Kathy

Jason and I sat this climb out and let the boys lead Grandma up the stairs of the Duomo, all 400+ stairs. The ceiling of the Duomo has a beautiful painting of the Last Judgement.

As the others took to the stairs, we sat down in a nice little quiet cafe and enjoyed some drinks and people watching.

We did get a break one day in our pizza over-consumption and indulged in the Italian cured meats at the San Lorenzo Food market.

Taking street art to a new level

The boys enjoyed climbing on this statue in the Palazzo Pitti. I have to admit, it is one cool statue.

Trying to strike the same pose

A view from the Ponte Vecchio

An added benefit to traveling with Grandma was a date night! We got to get away for a few hours without kids in Florence &,WOW, that felt so foreign to us, but was well received on our part.

And lastly, we did manage to find time get in our ~~daily~~ hourly intake of Gelato

"Water Treatment"

2011-08-26T10:23:00.001+02:00

Josie not getting her way.....

Apparently my parents used to have a child just like the one above. They would refer to the "water treatment" as a means to stop tantrums. A nice pitcher of cold water usually did the trick.
Rumor has it, this same child moved onto stomping her feet when she didn't get her way (may have proceeded into teenage years, my poor parents) Let's hope Josie grows out of this after 2, not 16. *ha*

I haven't used the water treatment yet, but with all the back arching, kicking and screaming, I may have to succumb.....

JMT & Mt Whitney

2011-08-23T23:20:00.000+02:00

Jason & Mike about to embark on the JMT

The trek is underway. Hiking the John Muir Trail has been high on Jason's list for years. So when the opportunity arose for Jason & Mike, the planning began. This trek is the result of months and months of planning. Menus were made, exercise regimes executed, equipment accounted for, dymoxin taken, permits secured and tickets booked. The guys have 211 miles (340 km) to hike from Yosemite Valley to Mt. Whitney, hiking around 10,000 feet in altitude the whole way. WOW, that's exhausting just thinking about it. I am so proud of Jason for executing his dreams.

1st Ascent - Rob, Rob, Jason & Bob hiking Mt Whitney

Before there was the JMT there was Mt Whitney. With the completion of the JMT, this will be Jason's 3rd time summiting Mt. Whitney, which in itself isn't an easy task. Hiking MT Whitney is so popular there is a lottery to get a permit.

2nd Ascent- Jason & I hiking Mt. Whitney (no making fun of the outfit, it was FREEZING)

The 2nd time around I got to join in with the guys on the hike. (Jason, Mike, Rob, Troy and I) For me, hiking Whitney was the most strenuous task I've ever completed. I've run my token marathon and still think the 22 mile hike, with an elevation gain of 6400 feet, has a marathon beat. I think our hike was especially hard because wanted to summit before the sunrise (which we did) but this meant we had to start hiking at midnight. That was crazy in itself!

I still can't believe that when they complete over 200 miles hiking they will have to finish climbing Mt. Whitney at 14,497 ft (highest point in the lower 48). But what a better way to finish such a feat, with a view like no other. I am beyond excited to hear about their experience when they are finished. Good luck guys!

Nostalgic

2011-08-22T12:33:00.000+02:00


It's time to go Nostalgic. Our boys are growing up way too fast. Jacob started the 7th today and Jonah the 2nd. Really? Where has time gone? Seems like just yesterday Jacob was starting 2nd.

4 years ago this month, Jacob started the 2nd in California and Jonah preschool. A few weeks later we moved to Switzerland. We're so proud of our boys but still wish we could pause the clock sometimes.

Summer Wrap up

2011-08-21T08:18:00.000+02:00


Seriously, summer must you go? It's crazy to think summer is officially over, especially when a heat wave has finally hit us. We have had a great 6 weeks off and have filled it to the brim with adventures, I will blog more on our escapades when the kids are back in school. But before we rush out the door to school, let's reflect a bit on our summer fun.........

Trampolines have been jumped on......

Pizza has been consumed over and over again....

Swings have been swung for hours on end.....

Multiple camping trips have taken place, resulting in many multiple marshmallow roasting sessions....

Fishing has been done.......

Backyard berry picking almost daily.....

Walks with Grammie have taken place......

Multiple sitting breaks......

Rodelbahns have been ridden......

Italian Dance parties have been participated in.....

French countryside hikes have been taken......

Dancing on a Glacier has been completed......

Birds have been fed......

Bubbles have been blown.....

Open-Air movies have been watched.....

Pinocchio has been sat by......

Boats along the Amalfi coast have been ridden......

Scout camp has been attended......

Beaches with black sand from Mt. Vesuvius have been relaxed on......

Deep Wells have been climbed down.....

More swings have been swung......

And we are finishing the summer off by saying good-bye to Jason this morning. He left for California to hike the John Muir Trail with his friend, Mike. We are excited to hear all about his adventure. My biggest fear, A bear attacks. His biggest fear, he gets a blister. It's nice to see his worries aren't as big as mine. He will do great. It's over 220 miles and will take 3 weeks! WOW! That's a lot of hiking at high altitudes.

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate & Cheese

2011-07-21T18:27:00.001+02:00

This past weekend I overindulged in chocolate along with the rest of my family. We visited The Callier Chocolate Factory which is every kids dream (and chocolate lovers).A chocolate factory with all you can stuff.your.face.with chocolate. Yum!

The factory just opened in April and was by far the best Chocolate factory we have visited. The factory was crowded when we arrived and we had to wait over an hour. We spent the hour wisely, buying chocolate and watching movies about chocolate. Not a bad wait if you ask me.

Each tour group consisted of about 20 people. We toured through many rooms telling a story about the history of chocolate.

When the tour began we were in an elevator that lowered, kind of like the haunted Mansion in Disneyland. Josie started yelling "Scary" which she continued until a conveyer belt of chocolate, being powered by a bicycle, appeared. Then she proceeded to yell "Chocolate" at the top of her lungs.

After our brief history of chocolate we entered the factory.

Checking it out


It's a 3 step process..... 1. Look at the cocoa beans 2. Look to see if your parents are looking 3.Eat them as fast as you can and then spit them back into the container of beans

Honestly the aroma of chocolate was overwhelming and preparing us for the end result, chocolate overindulgence.

We thought this is where the tour ended. We were all happy to help ourselves to a few pieces of wrapped chocolate. This man couldn't resist Josie and must have given her over 20 pieces of chocolate, she kept going back for more.

And then, the big question....."For you, when is it time for chocolate?" Our answer "All the time!" We thought we were leaving the factory but to our surprise when went through the curtain it was a giant chocolate tasting room! OH boy!

Really, one sample of all every kind of chocolate they make. You should have seen the light in the kids eyes.... the sampling was on......

For Jacob it was also a 3 step process. 1. Smell the chocolate. 2. Ponder the chocolate. 3. Eat the chocolate. His process was on repeat mode. This kid ate one of every sample.

Rounding the corner in the testing room


I thought Jonah would have been the kid to taste 1 of everyone but he made himself sick 1/2 way into the testing. Grandma took the more adult approach, 2 or 3 look good for tasting for her.

And more chocolate......

Realizing it may be a bad idea to eat over 40 pieces of chocolate but on the home run stretch

And the tour is over, spiting us out into a store full of more chocolate, which in our case, we were too sick to buy anymore. But we did have a little klepto on our hands. Check out her face in this picture. She ran off with 5 bars and started opening them on the floor.

Goodbye Callier Chocolate Factory, we love you!

A day at a chocolate factory with Grandma, what more could a kid ask for?

Having some fun in the rain

Daddy and his little girl

After stuffing our faces with chocolate, we needed something savory. So off to the cheese factory we went. We have visited the factory before, but thought it would be fun for Grandma and Josie to check out since neither had been.


The taste test panel.... tasting 6 month, 8 month and 1 year aged cheese. We left Gruyére feeling like we had overindulged in cheese and chocolate. But I say if you have to overindulge what two better things could you ask for?

Aletsch Glacier

2011-07-18T21:08:00.000+02:00

Saturday we woke up early and headed to the largest Glacier in Switzerland, Aletsch Glacier, a UNESCO World site. We have wanted to go for awhile but the 2 hr+ drive kept us away. It was worth the drive though. A beautiful Glacier, very different than a lot of the Mountains we have climbed.

We took 2 Gondolas to the top of the Mountain and made it just time before all the clouds rolled in.

I find it amazing that even when you are high above the clouds in the Swiss Alps you can always get some Rösti and Brautwurst.

I love this picture of Jason and his Mom

Jonah sliding on down. Every mountain needs a slide or as Josie calls it a "Weeeee"

Trying to climb up her weeee slide.

And every mountain also needs a couch .......

For when you need to take a nap

Hiking along the trail

Building some rock sculptures along the path

The kiddos


Off along the trail, hopefully we will get to show Kathy more of the Swiss Alps before she leaves.

Entertaining herself throwing a rock

She's here

2011-07-18T20:28:00.000+02:00

It's been over 1 1/2 since the boys have seen their Grandma Steenblik, so they were beyond excited when they found out she was coming to spend the entire summer with us.

We have booked the 5 weeks solid with adventures and the kids are soaking up all the attention they are getting from Grammie. Yea for family!

Blog funk

2011-07-14T08:59:00.000+02:00

I am in a blog funk but need to get caught up before the kids get out of school tomorrow! and our summer adventures begin. So in a nutshell....

We had a low key July 4th enjoying it with our American friends at our local park. The boys enjoyed lighting off firecrackers.

We've been working hard to get Jason in shape for his upcoming 3 week backpacking trip (more to come on this adventure).

Monday morning we said goodbye to Jacob, off on a 3 day school camp-out. We really missed him, Josie especially. She would knock on his bedroom door yelling things that I interpreted to be "Jacob where are you?"

Lately we have lucked out with weekends full of sunshine. We've enjoyed adventures including riding ponies, swimming in the lake, water fights, BBQ s, and climbing mountains. Although as I write this it's raining, so let's hope it doesn't last. Jonah asked me this morning if it was going to rain and I said yes. He replied "Why do you always say it might rain everyday?" I reminded him we live in Switzerland where it can rain at any moment.

Another school year is coming to a close. It's hard to believe Jacob will be in the 7th grade already. All the parents of the 6th graders put together an end of the year celebration for the kids. There are only 6 of them in his class, all moving onto different schools and teachers. Jacob has really ejoyed these past few years with his friends and teachers. Hopefully 7th grade will be the same.

And we are off to climb another mountain this weekend but the best part is we will have Jason's mom to join us! The kids are beyond excited to have Grammy arrive in the morning.

And I'll leave you with a "SLURP" video. You have to listen closely but when Josie wants a Popsicle she makes a slurping noise. She usually says "Mommy, *slurp*" She's a crack up.

Der Hund geht zur Schule

2011-07-08T08:20:00.000+02:00

Jonah was so excited to take Saffron to school yesterday. It was really fun watching him answer all the kids questions about the dog. He took some treats to show off some of her tricks. Enjoy the video.

Cute but slightly crazy

2011-07-05T13:23:00.000+02:00

This little cutie has the face of an angel but can be quite the opposite.

Seriously she get's into everything...

Jacob will affrim. We are having him do a summer writing project and just read his last paper titled

"Ein paar Dinge die ich über meine kleine Schwester nicht gern habe."

He wrote a whole paper on things he doesn't like about his little sister, it was actually quite humorous about her getting into his stuff.


Then she smiles and melts our hearts. Life with a 2 year old is busy but we wouldn't change it for the world. (Thanks Aunt Amye for all the dress up shoes)

Happy Birthday Josie!

2011-06-27T11:29:00.000+02:00

We can hardly believe our little girl is 2. Yesterday we had a BBQ at the park for her Birthday

Vanessa, Josie and Kahri

Jacob is Josie's go-to guy, she loves him so much and he is the best helper.

Every morning Josie waked up she says "Kahri" Meaning she wants to go play with her little friend :)

Blowing out the candles

We hardly saw this guy, he was off having fun with friends

Playing in the water

Happy birthday little one! We can't imagine life without you, you are such a joy, tantrums and all!

Schweizer Frauenlauf

2011-06-24T11:48:00.000+02:00

The Bern Frauenlauf is one of my favorite races to run. It's an all woman race and they have races for everyone, they even have nordic walking if you can't run. It's a great event. I ran again this year with the same group of gals from last year. We make it a fun girls day out, riding the train in together, all racing, and then going out to eat. So fun! The only stinky part this year was the train going to and from Bern was so full we had to stand the whole way (1hr), not fun when you've had a long day on your feet.

My friends were making fun of me because of my water belt, so they had to document it with a picture, but really I need it for my ipod :) I didn't think I'd be running this year because I hurt my knee a few months back and have not run at all. I signed up for only a 5k just in case. My knee starting hurting the last 1 km, but overall I felt pretty good and thought I did ok for taking a few months off of running. ( 27.09 mins)

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-06-23T12:15:00.000+02:00

The cake maker and decorator

The kids were all very excited to help out with Jason's birthday. He came home early from work and the kids all stayed home from their activities so we could have a fun birthday evening together.

The official taste tester and cake ruin-er

The candle man and lighter


Happy Birthday Jason- We love you! *Enjoy the video of some serious cake decorating skills

Sommernachtsball

2011-06-21T12:13:00.000+02:00

Every year they set up an open air Ball in the Zurich train station and every year I want to go. This year, we did. (I know, my husband is a good sport)

The Austria board of tourism was in charge of the event and they had the Vienna Ball Orchestra playing.

I loved how they transformed the train station into a Ball.

I know this picture sucks. We learned that night we have no clue how to ballroom dance. It was pretty hilarious, I made myself dizzy from spinning in circles. So I guess we better sign up for a few lessons before our next Summer night ball.

Random Happenings

2011-06-16T16:28:00.000+02:00

Seems like summer is in full force here. We've been spending some relaxing weekends at the lake. We've also been busy.....................

Standing on our heads.....

Making huge messes in the kitchen when Mommy's back is turned.......


Pretending like I can roller-blade and making Jason come along to knock over if it was needed

Trying to keep up with my awesome Roller-derby gals:)........

Relaxing at the Lake......

Hiking mountains to eat Bratwurst

Enjoying carnivals in Stuttgart

Roasting more Bratwurst....

Playing on weird street art........

More Picnicking at the lake........

Feeding ducks..........

And reading our days away.........

Little girl Tea Parties

2011-06-09T15:07:00.000+02:00

I am getting into the world of being a girl mom and just witnessed the cutest thing ever..... little girls having a tea party. Josie's little friend, Kahri, invited her over for a tea party. Her mom, Megan, made some tea and cookies and let the girls have at it, thanks Megan! What a fun idea, if you don't have a guest like Josie.

Erdbeeren

2011-06-05T13:39:00.000+02:00

We went strawberry picking today and picked some of the most delicious strawberries, yum!

To say the lady who runs the Strawberry field is controlling would be an understatement. She controlled the rows we picked, where and how. We also had to pick the bad berries for her in another basket. In the end she said we were required to pick 1 kilo per person. 5 kilos for just eating, that's a little much for me. I told her next time and we quickly biked away :)

We all have bikes now so it makes for some fun family bike rides.

Only 1 kilo of strawberries this time.

Can you see Josie back there?

Round and Round

2011-06-03T16:28:00.000+02:00

This little girl loves Merry-go-rounds. What a good Daddy who took her on it, not once, not twice, but 6 times in a row...........I got dizzy watching

Circus KNIE

2011-05-31T14:02:00.000+02:00

The Circus is in town so of course we had to go. It comes the same time every year and it seems like every year we've gone it's been raining. Not this year, it was over 80 degrees which is HOT for here but inside a non-air conditioned Circus tent with 1000+ people it felt well over 100 degrees. Neeeless to say we were sweating like crazy.

In years past we have always arrived early and the boys have been able to participate in little contests they have. This year it was a sack race and they both won a hat and blow up mustard from a Swiss mustard company, just what everyone wants :) My kids loved them!

(Bad pics -we didn't have our camera)

After the circus we walked around the Lake and enjoyed cooling off outside the million degree circus tent.

Who ever thought a giant mustard guy would be so entertaining.....

I remember last year Josie just sat and watched but this year she was really into it. She stood on my lap and clapped and clapped. It was really cute. She was a little affraid of the elephants but the horses were a big hit.


For all my Swiss friends who haven't gone this year, I'd say the performances in years pasts were much more enjoyable. But the kids had fun.

Riding the train home with his new friend ,Thomy, the mustard man

Var Visits

2011-05-29T09:51:00.000+02:00

LaVor, Jason's brother, came to visit us for a few days on his way home from a business trip in Saudi Arabia. Jason took a day off and we drove up to France for some good eats and shopping.

She's too quick to snap a photo.

She was so fast I turned around to see her climbing into the fountain, she had on lookers laughing


Before we left we had to pick up some baguettes for dinner & Lavor ate a macron for you Kimberly

For dinner we returned home and made our way up to the Wald for a little sausage roasting. We ran into our friend, Meike, biking home from picking strawberries, so she joined us for dinner along with her basket full of strawberries :), yum!

We lit our little fire while Jacob whittle away some sticks to roast our Bratwurst. We had a great few days with Var, thanks for taking the time to visit us!

Sportverein

2011-05-23T15:11:00.001+02:00

Saturday morning we were up bright and early (6:00) to get Jonah off to a Sports competition for our town.

Some of the events he had never done before but enjoyed giving it a try

The kids were only able to try and hurdle over the pole, no jumping, interesting take on the high jump.

Tongue out = Pure Concentration

And they are off......Way to go Jonah. It was so fun watching him participate. He was home 12 hours later, long day, where he instantly fell asleep on the floor. That's a long day for a little boy.

When the sheep come to town.....

2011-05-21T17:36:00.000+02:00

....It entertains a little girl for hours on end

We have visitors in our backyard during the spring/summer to help keep the grass under control. They all wear bells and give us some great entertainment, especially the kids. When Josie wakes up and the first thing she says is "Baa,baa." The only non-fan is the dog.

Big Day

2011-05-18T14:45:00.000+02:00

Someone got braces today!

Where has my little boy gone?

Dreamy Beaches

2011-05-14T09:51:00.002+02:00


Jacob wishing he was still dreaming on the beach....

Last week we spent a relaxing week in Sardinia

This week we are back to reality....

A beach vacation with kids is really the way to go. Fun for the kids, relaxation for the parents.

The water was crystal clear, we were still off season, so we had the beach to ourselves.

Sand can entertain for hours. Josie has a few sand tantrums, but it's a great place to roll around in.

Jonah and his friend, Max fishing..... Our friends were staying about an hour away from us and we were able to have a few beach days together, good fun.


One day it was really windy at our beach, note the kids hair, so we ventured off to another beach

Josie sat down and posed like she was relaxing, so funny

There was a Parade in Cagliari and the kids had fun in the Rose petal aftermath

Enjoying a little break


Not so many waves and thankfully no spider fish attack this time

Climbing the Rocks like her brothers

Getting ready to throw sand, notice the mischievous smile

Seriously so beautiful

We played a lot of baseball on the beaches

Trying to pole-vault into the water

Gelato Galore

3 of our favorite beaches

Cagliari

A great big brother hanging out around the docks in Cagliari

Enjoying the beach for hours on end

Our friends snapped a family photo for us

Finding some sticks to play with

Eat Pizza, Pasta, Pizza, Pasta.....repeat

Cheesy smile

Daydreaming on the beach


Goodbye Sardinia, we love you...

Easter

2011-05-09T08:04:00.000+02:00

The kids had almost 2 1/2 weeks for Easter break so we planned a few holiday getaways. The day before we left we dyed Easter eggs in our backyard, the weather was beautiful. The next morning we drove down to the Cinque Terre.

The boys were mostly excited for some beach playing and gelato eating, both of which were had.

Enjoying some gelato, I lost count of how many they had.

We hiked the trails between the towns, some of the trails are very steep and narrow, the kids did great. At one point we ran into 2 guys delivering a fridge to someone out on the trail, talk about a hard delivery.

Jonah is our little clown. Always finding something funny to do. The picture on the far right is Jonah with "no head" We sat for about 2 hours and watched the boys play a tag game where they had to find each other with no head. They had a lot of people entertained. I will post the video below.

Jacob picking a perfect apple to eat. The beach behind him in Vernazza is the same beach he found 5 euros a few years back, no luck this time.

What a nice daddy to give shoulder rides.

I love this picture of father and son.

So many fun narrow streets.

We've been to this area before and enjoyed this little town the most so we made it our home base for 4 days. It's a tiny town so after a day you start recognizing all the locals. Most tourist leave in the evening leaving the town pretty empty.

Locking up our apartment as we are off for a hike.

Hiking the beautiful trails. I think the sun was too bright for the boys, hence the funny faces.

Waiting for the train between towns. Poor Saffy has to be muzzled for the trains, not her favorite.

Liguria is the birthplace of the pesto and home to foccacia so we had lots of good eats.

The Easter bunny made his appearance. Jonah was excited he brought them Swiss chocolate.

Those are some steep stairs for a little girl.

What a little cutie, enjoying the beach.

Spring has Sprung

2011-05-06T14:07:00.000+02:00

My girlfriend, Tanya, put together the most delicious picnic for us a few weeks back. We all met up in Germany at Mainau Island just in time to see the beautiful flowers in bloom. We had an adult table and a kids table, the spread on the adult table was exquisite, thanks Tanya!

Look at all those flowers in bloom, so beautiful, along with the little cookie monster on the right

We have had fantastic weather lately. As we were standing in line a guy asked where were from and I told him California, he procedded to tell me that Konstance, Germany was the California of Germany, not sure I'd go quite that far dude, it was beautiful but the weather is no where as good as CA. :)

Getting the wiggles out with their dad. The boys had a great time playing with their friends, I think I was too busy chatting with my girlfriends to get any pictures of the kids at play. It was a great way to spend a Saturday with friends though.

Seasoned travelers

2011-04-28T14:13:00.001+02:00

Can it get any cuter than that? Big brothers taking turns pulling their sister along in the Cinque Terre

Our Easter started off rough with an emergency baby root canal but ended off on a good note in the Cinque Terre. Spring break has just began, so we are trying to load up with adventures, next stop Sardinia. Holidays and medical emergencies have come hand and hand, hoping not so this time.

Spoons

2011-04-28T14:01:00.000+02:00

If you need another option for carrying spoons, you always have pockets.....

The last few days with my sisters...

2011-04-26T09:23:00.000+02:00

I am way behind on posting. So I will wrap up the last few days my sisters were here. After Rome, we came back home for a day, spent it at the Lake and then left in the morning for Germany.

We drove up to the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.

Amye and Jodi absolutely loved the castle, it would have been so fun to show to their girls, next time :).

Ate some more German food. By the end Jodi was so done with German and Swiss food, bring back the Mexican!


We visited Munich and experienced the Hofbräuhaus.

We finished our trip with a very humbling experience at Dachau.

The boys and Aunt Jodi enjoying a boat on the Zürich lake. It was so fun having Amye and Jodi here. It went by WAY too fast. I am so glad they made it possible to come and can't wait for them to come again, hopefully soon! :)

Rome

2011-04-26T08:46:00.002+02:00

Friday morning we were up at the break of dawn. Took our luggage out the door, hopped on the bus, a train, and then the plane. 2 hours later we found ourselves in ROME! I was so excited to show my sisters Rome. Rome is one of favorite cities and I love the history, food, museums, architecture wonders, dirtiness, the whole works.

We took a taxi from the airport to our hotel and dropped off our bags. We were informed the trains were on strike that day so that meant, walking for us. Our first stop was the Colosseum. Pretty amazing site no matter how many times you see it. We clocked over 20 miles the first day.

After the Colosseum we set out to find lunch. Amye and Jodi would say I took them on a wild goose chase but in my defense, the streets in Rome can be very confusing. We were in search of little recommended pizza place.
Now another story to tell. Amye is my blunt sister, she tells it exactly how it is, and I love that about her. Well we walked probably 3 miles looking for lunch, and everyone was hungry. After we finally found it, Amye was not happy. Long story short, she let us know her dissatisfaction. :) love ya Aim!

Loving all the garbage in Piazza Navona

Resting our tired feet on the Spanish steps.

We didn't want another 3 mile meal search so we settled. We ate in Pianzza Navona, pre-warned, by me. I warned my sisters the food would not be good in such a touristy area. It was gross! Jodi, let the waiter know it too. :) Embarrassing but funny, my sisters tell it how it is, gotta love them for that!

Enjoying some of the liveliness of Rome.

Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and the Pantheon.

Pantheon at night, Collesum, The Vatican and The Trevi Fountain.

Inside St. Peter's and a snapshot of the Swiss guards at the Vatican

The Vatican, we had such a great trip together!

My Garden Gnomes

2011-04-18T21:30:00.000+02:00

Got Tulips?

2011-04-17T08:28:00.001+02:00

Apparently my neighbors don't. Yesterday morning I got a knock on the door from a neighbor (who frequently preforms neighborhood watch for us) to inform me of this news. My son and his friend were out picking the neighbors tulips. A big Opps. I apologized in all the ways I knew how to in German. And these are the ones that had stems, half were just the tops, yeah over 50 tulips. Don't worry, they were talked too, lesson learned. Positive from it all, I have a beautiful bouquet.

And once again.....Colmar

2011-04-12T11:16:00.009+02:00

If you come to visit chances are we will make a day trip to Colmar, France. It's such a quaint little town and fun to get a taste of France. So Colmar was first up on my sister's itinerary.

One of the best parts about France is on every corner there is pâtisserie or boulangerie and maybe 2 or 3 right next door, no joke, they are everywhere. So Amye, Jodi and I did what me know best, eat. And it was delicious. Now a story to tell....... We entered into one pâtisserie and purchased multiple delicious pastries and promptly began over indulging.

After our purchase, and in between bites, we went next door to bakery #2 to find a certain type of eclairs we wanted. In my non-existence French I tired to find out what type of eclairs they had. The lady seems to be laughing at me. After I stepped away, Jodi informed me I had croissant all over my face, and within the same second I informed her that her face was so messy. HA, we looked like the biggest pigs, I am sure those ladies laughed the rest of the day about those crazy piggy Americans. :) We couldn't stop laughing, I really wish we had video clip of that.

Our food journeys don't end there. We went on to have lunch at a little local restaurant and all of us ordered delicious Tarte flambées. Then onto another pâtisserie for goodies for the boys back home and onto another for giant meringues. Finished off with a stop at a boulangerie for some baguettes. Needless to say we left France filled to the rim not needing to eat for days.

We took a little train tour around Colmar, seeing the town highlights. Top highlight.... the designer of the Statue of Liberty, Frederic Bartholdi, was from Colmar. We've done this many times but this time I got a new experience along the way...
We were the only 4 passengers on the train, as we were coming around a corner the whole street was torn up. If you've been to Europe you know how tiny streets are and how it can be impossible to turn around. Well it was impossible. So we sat on the train while the drive told off the construction crew, then the crew, took their tractors and filled in the giant hole in the road for us, so we could drive over. Not a happy day for them but an experience for us.

In between all of our over indulgence in goodies we did manage to get in some shopping and then headed off to Engusheim, France and then on home.

Engusheim is a tiny, tiny town, but not to be missed because it's just so cute! Along with the little cutie on the right who traveled with us that day. We had a great day trip, I love France but sharing the experience with my sisters made it even better.

When Sisters come to town......

2011-04-08T15:02:00.009+02:00

Two of my sisters came to visit last week. It was their first time to Europe, so I wanted them to see as much as we could fit in. It seemed like a whirlwind trip but was such a blast. Amye and Jodi flew in last Wednesday and we had quite a full itinerary:
Here's a little glimps:
Wednesday: Pick my sisters up at the airport and the mission was to fight off jet lag and keep them awake. So we ran home, picked up the kids from school, and headed into Zurich.

Thursday: Drive to Colmar, France and eat our way through France

Friday: Fly out to Rome at 6 am - Walk over 20 miles around Rome

Saturday: Clock more miles in Rome

Sunday Fly home from Rome, head to Zürich Lake for the rest of the day

Monday: Drive up to Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany and then onto Munich

Tuesday: Leave Munich and drive to Dachau

Wednesday: Take a breather, pack up

Thursday: They flew home :( Wow, that made me tired re-living that :) . I loved every minute with my sisters and hope they come back soon :)

Happy Anniversary!!!

2011-03-28T21:43:00.002+02:00

Thanks for making the last 13 year journey of marriage a fun adventure with me! xoxo

Just like her brothers

2011-03-27T21:08:00.003+02:00

Sevilla

2011-03-24T08:34:00.017+01:00

Our last day in Spain was spent in Sevilla and well worth the drive from Malaga. Truly, a wonderful city. This is the Plaza de España, was beautiful.

We took horse ride around Sevilla. Josie was in love with all the horses and we were just happy she was finally herself again.

The Sevilla Bull Ring had tours running daily and was a great site to visit. The boys particularity enjoyed it.

Inside the ring. Below outside the ring.

Really, what a beautiful city and I thought it was relatively clean. This little plaza reminded me of the clean streets of Disneyland.

Out for a stroll with her daddy.

Loved all the plazas; the familiar looking trees and the weather made me homesick for California

Torre del Oro and the gates into the Bull Ring

When in Spain, you must indulge in Tapas, and that's exactly what we did

The boys were trying to pick an orange off the tree

I think every great city needs a waterfront, river, ocean, lake, whatever; in my opinion it makes the city

Loving all the tiled benches

The boys taking a little break on the bench outside the Cathedral

Our photographer, inside the Sevilla Cathedral

The Cathedral was originally a mosque. The minaret is now converted into a bell tower you can climb. We climb to the top and, pictured above, is the look from the bell tower.

Do we really need to hold hands?

Behind us is the converted bell tower - Day and night view. Sevilla was a great end to our trip.