Switzerland, Day 3: Checking out Schwyz

Today, Ryan & I went our gender-separate ways.  He & our host, Christophe, headed to work and a Drupal meet-up. Christophe owns a business and has been a user of the Drupal software Ryan writes since the beginning.  He thinks he was the FIRST user of Ubercart in Europe, and met Ryan at DrupalCon Barcelona... which we attended as newlyweds 5 years ago.  [I just went back and dredged up blog posts from that trip, for anyone wanting a throwback: "Hola de Catalunya," "Thoughts on Picasso," "Ryan's First European Meal" and "I Got my Paella!"  Fun times!]  ANYWAY... Ryan was gone all day.

Super-old Door in the Bethlehem House

Sabina offered herself as tour guide around, and to take me wherever I wanted to go.  I slept in a bit, tried to get Liam to eat, sent out postcards through this nifty little site, and we had lunch at home before venturing forth into the fog & chill.  The drive to Schwyz (capital of the canton Schwyz) was unwordly and a bit creepy-- the fog went all the way to the ground and was so thick that nothing was visible until BOOM! It was at arm's length.  I've read descriptions of objects "rising from the mist" and that was exactly what it looked like.  Anyway, I enjoyed the old city center, with its cobble stones, street-level shops with family dwellings leaning over the eaves, chapel spires, church bells and clock chimes.  We toured the oldest wooden house in Europe:  the Bethlehem House, built in 1287--it's as old as Notre Dame and predates Switzerland as a nation, as well as the later family mansion known as the Ital Reding House.  Both belonged to the Reding family, whose austere portraits we scrutinized in the 2 floors we could see of the 6.  Sabina is so easy to talk to and very considerate and helpful.  The perfect hostess and a wonderful tour guide!  She explained several aspects of the houses to me, as there were no tour guides-- I couldn't believe it when they unlocked the houses for us and turned us loose!

Oven in typical green tile

I was suddenly famished as only someone eating for 2 (haha or more, in my case) can be, so we walked through the downtown again for my first Swiss supermarket experience.  Don't worry, female friends:  I am bringing you back PLENTY of chocolate.  Also the biggest Toblerone I've ever seen (600 g) and sweet chestnut paste, which is a wonderful crepe topping.  Swiss chocolates are just amazing, and their combinations are superb:  my new favorite is milk chocolate with raisins & almonds (with NO plastins and NO vanillin, take THAT Hershey!!).  Honey is another popular filling.

Our last stop was the Swiss Army Knife factory store, where I picked up several Christmas gifts at a great price.  They have knives with EVERYTHING on them-- Sabina and I laughed that you don't even need to open them to use them as a deadly weapon-- just hold them like a rock and bash someone over the head with it!  We actually had a running joke about all the things we could use as weapons, starting with a truly hefty candlestick in the Reding House.  I had an "Aha!" moment which led me to explain the game "Clue," which as you probably knows, lists "candlestick" as a possible murder weapon. Anyway, I also was tickled at the Swiss Army PERFUME lines!  A sniff proved that it was not Eau de Sweaty Boy.  I'm pretty sure no army smells like anything anyone would WANT to exude.

Dinner was me, & Sabina, and the 4 teenaged young men living in her house.  It was great.  Amazing salad, shepherd's pie, songs sung in canons in several languages, and jokes, lots of jokes-- all of the knock-knock, pun, blonde (or Austrian), or "Your Mama" variety.  The Gallis are raising some stellar boys and are a great inspiration to Ryan & I with our little man (hopefully men someday =D).

Enjoy these pics of the Bethlehem House:

Fish Font- obviously these folks weren't strapped for cash

The ceiling was WAY low-- I could stand up straight in the rooms but not through the doors

Original Stone Sink (drains straight to the outside)

Cast-iron Skillets

Can you imagine learning to walk on this floor? 

Cloth bag filled with cherry-pits that were warmed in the tile oven and then taken to warm the beds.  Sabina remembers using some like these as a child!

And these from the Ital Reding House:

The Deluxe Version tile oven, with paintings representing each canton.  This one is for Schwyz.

Dining room with gorgeous paneled ceiling!

Can't believe our time here is almost over!
-Christina

Exporing Switzerland, Day 2

Just really quick, because I'm dead on my feet, but I do have a few pictures to share!

At the suggestion of our hosts, we boarded a train that took us about 2 hours from Zurich, up to the top of Mt. Rigi, called "The Queen of the Mountains," boasting a key triangulation point at her summit (the "Rigi Kulm").  We rode a public-transit train, then switched in Goldau to a "rack railway," with a cogged wheel to grip the mountainside and ascend despite the steep grade.  We rode that all the way to the Rigi Kulm!  I think it must have been senior-citizen-discount day, because the cars were crammed full of Swedish octogenarians, all of whom gushed over Liam in fluent Swiss German-- I heard the word "hertzig" a lot (meaning "cute")... I just smiled and nodded and thanked them ("danke" is one of the few German words I know).

Our hosts, Christof & Sabina, had told us that we would be above the fog on the mountain top, and that it would be sunny and warm up there, but it was hard to believe them as we climbed through the densest grey fog I've ever experienced and pulled our jackets on.  Then, we could see the mist thinning around us and see blue sky at the top of the pines... and then... wow!  We burst through into a sunny warmth that had me longing to take off my shoes and run barefoot!  The only sounds were happy human voices, the occasional train departure, and the tinkle of goat bells.

We enjoyed a nice heavy Alpine Swiss meal of "Rigivurst" (pork & beef sausage), applesauce, french fries, Swiss cheese (artesanally made on site) and chocolate. Some Swiss genius decided to make a milk chocolate bar with raisins and hazelnuts in it... wow.  I am a believer!  Ryan & I walked to the top of the mountain, climbed the satellite/TV/radio/cell tower, and explored a little.  I sat in the grass with Liam while Ryan played mountain goat and jumped down some pretty steep slopes!  Thank you, Lord for this blessing I never even knew to ask for!

See more pictures here!

That's not a lake behind me:  it's fog!

It was SO BRIGHT!

Standing up in the communications tower

Last Day in Paris... with BOTH of my Boys!!

Today (Sunday) was our last day in Paris, and our first real full day together as couples.  Liz & I had decided we'd spend the day down near the true city-center of Paris:  l'Ile de la Cite.  Some of our favorite sights & sites down there:  Notre Dame de Paris, la Conciergerie, Berthillion ice cream, the little park Square René Viviani, the fun little book store "Shakespeare & Company" (where authors can live for free for a year in exchange for helping in the shop and actively writing), and traditional Breton "gallettes de sarrasin"-- crepes made entirely from buckwheat flour. Liz & I both prefer to have at least a checklist, loose schedule-goal, or flexible plan.  However, being too OCD about timetables or to-do lists can be so restrictive and lead you to majorly stress out for no reason, and miss out on all those spontaneous opportunities you can NEVER predict.  Oh yeah, and you might have to stop and change your baby.  So we went with the "loose goals" approach. :)

Josh & Ryan entertained themselves in line

We headed into the city around 11, taking the metro in. We came up on the south side of the Seine right in the heart of the college-y district, and (everyone but me) grabbed a sandwich lunch from a street vendor. Then it was off to Notre Dame, checking out the old-book & poster sellers on the riverbanks on the way.  We decided the day was perfect enough to go up to Notre Dame's "very tippy top" as I put it, which Ryan had done but none of the rest of us.  They only let up a group at a time, and the line was very long, so Liz and I let the boys stand in line while we went off for Berthillon ice cream, which is still, in my opinion, the best in the world.  Sorry, Haagen-Dazs.  You got nothing.  Every year we have come, Ryan & I have tried to find the original Berthillon "salon," where they make the ice cream served all over the city.  Liz had looked it up online and was pretty sure it was on Ile-St-Louis just like the window shop we'd always bought our Berthillon.  This time I was smart and actually ASKED that shop owner, and he told us the address, which is only about 3 blocks down from the window.  On the way, I thought the crepes (sold through another window, through which we could see them being made) smelled amazingly appetizing, and on a whim I asked if these were made with any flour.  The cook, who appeared to be a young foreign student, immediately asked if I was gluten-intolerant, and confirmed that, yes, these were made with 100% buckwheat flour & are gluten-free.  So I enjoyed a piping hot salted butter caramel crepe as we walked.  It's rare that I get to eat so simply, and so commonly (if that makes sense), so I doubly enjoyed my crepe.

Vue of Notre-Dame from Notre Dame

After several false alarms, Liz & I found the REAL Berthillon ice cream salon, complete with the stained wood paneling Liz had read about online.  We decided to bring the boys back later and in the meantime bought a few scoops --mine were bitter chocolate, salted butter caramel & candied chestnut-- to share with our men.  It was fun licking them as we weaved among other shoppers back across the Isle-St-Louis and across the picturesque bridge connecting it to Isle-de-la-Cite.

Notre Dame did NOT disappoint, and the weather was gorgeous!! Warm sunshine, but not too hot.  It's hard to remember that Victor Hugo made Quasimodo up; the story is so ingrained in Notre Dame's history now-- there are even quotes from the book (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) all over the balconies, walkways & towers!  I would love to read a historical fictional account set in Notre Dame's heyday-- perhaps a young monk or acolyte? (if anyone knows of any please pass em on) -- I can imagine so many adventures and holy encounters in that place!  Alternately soaring, menacing, glorious and foreboding... and the bells!  Oh, the bells are so romantic! Heheh... I definitely felt the 400+ steps in my leg muscles!  Ryan & I took turns wearing Liam up, and he was duly admired by visitors from all over the world.  Apparently his charm is international-- like father, like son!

After Notre Dame we rested a bit in the charming little park Square René Viviani, home of Paris' oldest tree. Unfortunately the spot's beauty was partially marred by an inebriated and possibly insane bum singing, dancing and urinating in it... along with the dozen other homeless folks camped out there.  Too bad.  We played around with Josh & Liz's new camera, taking all sorts of crazy-face pictures (that just never gets old!). It's pretty amazing how expressive humans are!  Just mind blowing.  [Mike Mason has a quote on that... I'll dig it up when I get home.]

Taken from Square Rene-Viviani

Shakespeare & Company is a crazy fun little book store that I highly recommend!  I started reading Lois Lowry's new sequel to The Giver, and can't wait to get back to it in the US. We tried to see the monument to the deported Jews of Paris but it was closed... and Liam started screaming bloody hungry murder.  The child refused to nurse and had finished the bottle we'd brought with us.  My only option (besides going back to our apartment) was to get to him to suck a pacifier to sleep and then try to nurse him in his sleep.  Not the easiest thing to do in downtown Paris on a Sunday afternoon.  However, it actually worked!! Thanks to my Ergo and a nursing cover and a lot of walking & patting and trying not to turn beet red as my son screamed loud enough to clear out six blocks, he finally conked out and then ate perfectly in his sleep.  I certainly hope he outgrows this soon.

Amidst all this we made our way back to the Berthillon salon.  There was quite a line... but I think it was worth the wait!  We didn't let our dessert ruin our dinner, though:  I led us all back to that same little creperie, and we all watched in fascination as our various crepes were made:  Emmental (cheese)-ham-and-sauteed onion for me!  Munching them as we made our way home over the Seine's ancient bridges in the gloaming dusk somehow captured all that Paris is to me.  What a great last day. :)

In front of Paris' oldest tree

Peeping through some ruins in the Square

Goofing off

Family pic in Maison Berthillon's Salon de The-- Ryan & I split a "Coupe Belle-Helene" and yet another salted-butter-carmel scoop. :) 

Just for old time's sake, here are pics from our first taste of Berthillon ice cream, also a shared Coupe Belle-Helene, at the Cafe Panis (just across the Seine from Notre Dame de Paris) in February 2010, accompanied by another bald, blue-eyed teething baby...

Paris with the Conqueror, Day 5

the ubiquitous symbol...

Once again, trying to feed The Small King meant we got out the door around 1 pm.  Oh well.  I felt like a super-cool Parisian resident with my Navigo metro pass; no more fumbling with paper tickets for us!  I just waved my pass over the machine in the "Navigo only" lines, and voila!  I'm on my way.  Hehehe of course I still look like a tourist when I stand slightly furrow-browed trying to figure out which metro lines to get on once I'm past the turnstiles...  I can't ever seem to remember off the top of my head, but instead obsessively check the maps whenever I see them.  I wouldn't make it as a secret agent, nope.

My main goal today was to try some Parisian second-hand stores-- something I've never before tried.  A bit of researching had suggested that Guerrisol would be my best bet, since I wasn't particularly set on any one brand or vintage item, but rather would enjoy looking and seeing what I could find.  On my loose "list" were:  French-made/designed children's clothes (I have a whole host of cousins, nephews, nieces, friends' children and then my own that I can buy for-- so much fun), sweaters for Ryan, and leather boots for me.  I didn't find any boots in my size (40/41 are hard to find in Europe, much less second-hand), but that's ok.  I'll keep looking!  I did grab some adorable kids' clothes, though; I absolutely love French styles for children.  I tend to avoid the American teeny-bopper style that's flashy and sequined and prefer more classic simple childish-looking items.  I also did find several men's sweaters by good French brands for 2 euros a pop!  I guess one fellow shopper could sense the deal-hunter in me because he came over so excited to show me a men's coat selling for 5 euros that he knew retailed for over 500 -- he just had to tell someone!  There was also this really stylishly-dressed older man (maybe 65) who was getting sweaters, and I kind of watched what he went for and copied him, since he managed to pull off quite a good look. :)

Our Small King

After my purchasing, Liam was beginning to get heavy, and I was pretty hot from wearing him and all my cool-weather clothing in that overheated store.  It was starting to rain a bit, and a Starbucks beckoned across the street.  I grabbed a black-and-white mocha, refusing to think about the price, as well as a mug of hot water to heat up a bottle for him.  All the workers seemed to be African/Arabic immigrants and they absolutely swooned over the baby.  I've had about a dozen people come up to me and start telling me just how beautiful he is.  I must say I agree. :)

We people-watched (I tried to identify the languages around me) and enjoyed our respective snacks.  I let Liam lick a bit of my goat-milk-yogurt and he couldn't decide if he loved it or didn't.

Afterwards we hopped back on the metro to the next stop of the Basilisque du Sacre-Coeur (Church of the Sacred Heart) on Montmartre hill.  I always enjoy walking up the cobble-stoned streets to this district, lined as they are with stores hawking every sort of tourist paraphernalia, or fabrics.  This time, since I was pretty encumbered with baby & bags, I took the "funicular" (cable car) up to the top of the Butte.  There were some pretty impressive street performers!  One ripped African climbed a lampost, held a soccer ball between his foot & chin while performing acrobatics... another, fully covered in gold paint, sounded exactly like a bird when he moved.

Sacre-Coeur... never gets old!

It was starting to sprinkle as we walked down the hill back into the metro stop.  The metros were P.A.C.K.E.D.  One nice lady was trying to help me --making sure I got a seat, advising me to wait til the next train, etc.  It always does my heart good when a capable young man gives up his seat without being asked, to me as a young mom or to an older man or woman.  Decency in my fellow man is always good to see.  (understatement I know).  Now I'm back in the apartment unwinding and trying to hold off eating until Ryan gets home.  Someone is cooking in one of the other nearby apartments and it's mouth-watering.  French cuisine, you know... Lumiere had it right "the dinners here are never second-best!"

View from Montmartre

Eiffel Tower of Chocolate

Paris with the Liam, Day 4

It was a cold, rainy afternoon 'round here... of course.  I say of course because it was the day I'd planned to meet a friend across town, so of COURSE it would have to be our coldest day yet.  Liam & I had a late start.  I'd arranged to meet her at 14 hr (2 pm), and when I looked at the clock after finally getting both of us fed, dressed & happy, it was 1:20.  The metro system is amazing, though.  We were across the Seine in the outskirts ("banlieus") of Paris 20 minutes later.  The metro went above-ground as we crossed over the river, granting quite a lovely view of the city before dipping back underground.  We emerged in a part of Paris I'd never explored before:  la Defense, which is their new buisness district.  It was completely unlike the Paris I'm familiar with:  towers and new buildings everywhere, and not a church spire or cobblestone to be seen!  I misunderstood my friend's instructions about which metro stop to get off at, so I ended up walking for quite a while in a downpour.  Liam was snug as a bug in a sling under my rain poncho.  I, however, didn't realize how wet I was until I arrived at my friend's house! Oh well, it was cool to walk through another part of the city.  The little township of "Puteaux" was quite nice-- residential  with schools, grocery stores and shops all stacked neatly like in all french towns.  This one just has the advantage of being a short metro ride or walk over the Seine from Paris.

I'd been looking forward to seeing Cecile probably more than almost anything else this trip.  She took a half-day off from work just to hang out, drink coffee (and munch on Trader Joe chocolate-salt-and sugar-covered almonds.  Addicting another continent, one person at a time, oh yeah!), swap babies and catch up.  Centuries-old buildings are great, but you can't put a price on friendship.  There's something so encouraging about seeing someone once a year or so and picking right back off where you left off-- watching them faithfully serve Christ and continue to grow in godliness.  It's like when you both have the same best friend, you always have lots to talk about.  I was glad to see her and meet her new little girl and see how much her little boy had grown (he's a month older than Eowyn).  We got to go pick them up from school/nursery, shop at their local little store, and "bavarder" (chatter/talk).

Around 7, just as it began to get dark, Liam and I hopped on the metro again and got off one stop later towards town in Neuilly, a rather nice suburb in the northwest of Paris.  As has become our tradition, Ryan's CEO Fred & his wife Claire played their roles as amazing host & hostess & treated us to a lovely French meal.  I FINALLY got to meet their 3 munchkins, who have always been off visiting grandparents when I've visited before.  Sweet kids who absolutely adored Liam.  I thought of our little Eowyn when their 3 year old daughter declared herself her daddy's princess. :)  Little girls and daddies the world over...

Dinner was pumpkin soup to start, then pork filet mignon with honeyed gravy, turnips and dinner wines followed by several types of cheese, figs & grapes.  So good.  Claire always impresses me by how amazing she makes simple food taste with a few well-selected spices, and in typical French fashion, it's all presented beautifully.

Our taxi ride home late gave us a beautiful view of the city at night, passing the Arc de Triomphe and going down the lit Champs-Elysees. Our taxi driver said he's lived here 40 years and that sight never gets old.  Paris is one city it's hard to take for granted!

So blessed to be here,
Christina

Book Review: Surprised By Oxford (Carolyn Weber)

Fun little story about this book:  I got through the bulk of it on our recent trip to & from Portland, Oregon-- well, more precisely Boring & Damascus, Oregon.  While we were there, we attended and enjoyed the Church of the Good Shepherd.  Our friend who invited us there talked a bit about their founding pastor, stating he was in the special forces a long time ago and was friends with folks high-up in the military, so they do a lot to honor veterans & current soldiers.  As I was reading this book, I "met" the narrator/author's future father-in-law, who was a pastor in Boring, Oregon-- he founded a church out there after serving as a Green Beret in Vietnam and feeling a call to leave military service and enter pastoral.  The thank yous in the back gave his name as Stu Weber.  A quick google revealed that he was indeed the founding pastor of the church we'd attended on Easter morning, mere days before I read about him on the page!  Kinda cool, huh?

Ok, anyway about the book itself.  Reminiscent of Sheldon Vanauken's A Severe Mercy in both setting (Oxford) and content (beautifully written account of grappling with the Gospel and coming to faith in Christ) and of Lauren Winner's Girl Meets God in both content and layout (the liturgical/scholastic year), it is a memoir narrating the author's journey into academia and faith.  Carolyn is a diligent Canadian graduate student who arrives in Oxford from a broken but loving family, with her work ethic and literary bent to stand on, and the nagging memory of a favorite professor who happened to be a Christian.  She is surprised to find herself befriended by several Christians who are surprisingly normal, especially one American Oregon boy she dubs "TDH" (for Tall Dark & Handsome).  Surrounded by fellow searchers as well as those who claim they've been Found, she is surprised that her former categories for the Believing are hard-pressed here.  She meets Christians in all sorts of surprising places, from the Provost to respected professors, all in the intense intelligent atmosphere that Oxford exudes.

I highly recommend this book, both as an engaging story (it's a romance, it's a faith journey, it's a coming-of-age) and as a Biblically-sound apology of Christianity. In fact, the human romance is a mere reflection of the Divine Romance unfolding in Carolyn's life.  There is meaning her nickname, "Caro,"-- Italian for "beloved." She realizes just how Beloved she is, and it sets her free. Some passages I highlighted with specific struggles of my own in mind.  Others I marked thinking of friends who seem to be struggling to believe.  I hope this book's story helps me portray the Story all the better to those around me still in darkness.  Fans of Lewis & his ilk will also smile to find nods to him in particular passages.  Fans of Milton will rejoice as well.  Personally, I'm motivated to read Paradise Lost!

The writing is beautiful.  Many thoughts are profound.  I dog-eared many pages, starred passages and underlined many a line.  This book re-kindled in me a desire to embrace poetry, particularly ancient poetry.  I love Oxford more than any place I've visited, and it was wonderful to read about events occurring in places I myself had been.  (It seems Oxford has the same effect on many people.)  For those who have never been to Oxford, you'll want to go.  Mrs. Weber does a great job bringing its sights, smells and feel to life.

Teachers and parents-- especially mothers-- take heart!  You will be encouraged as you see how much influence you can have and just how valuable your work is.

Perhaps the book could have been shorter... but she is an academic, so what do you expect? :)

4 1/2 stars.

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this book through the Book Sneeze program in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Using Ryan's computer while on vacation has led me to discover pictures I'd never seen before, or never have had the opportunity to upload... I uploaded them for old time's sake, and really have enjoyed looking at pictures of us- especially marveling at how much E has grown!

If you want to, you can jump in and see... pics from our trip to Paris, pics from our 4th Anniversary visit to Versailles, and Halloween!

Oregon Pics

See some more pics from beautiful Oregon in the spring here.

Eowyn's Easter Basket

Eowyn's Easter Basket

This year we are again at Ryan's dad's house in beautiful green Portland, Oregon!  (See pics here and here.) We'd been experiencing a lot of very wet weather (par for the course in Oregon's spring?), but Easter dawned bright & beautiful!  I can't fault the rain when it means everything is so lush and vibrant!

The first words out of Eowyn's mouth were "now I can open my last egg and get my purple basket with my white shoes and new books and treats!"  Doesn't forget anything, that one.  She was just as excited as she'd hoped to be about her purple Easter basket, most especially her new white "church shoes."  More on the basket & its contents in a minute.

Ryan, E & I attended a local Easter service with one of Ryan's "Drupal connections"-- so nice to have those pretty much all over the world. :)  The service was beautiful, with a good message on both the historical reality of the Resurrection AND its relevance to us today.  (Eowyn especially rocked out to the Hallelujah Chorus!) We found the people very friendly, from Steve's kids jumping right in to playing with Eowyn to strangers striking up conversations with us to free espressos at the in-house coffee bar!  The setting was absolutely gorgeous- so much so that we came back later in the day just to walk their wooded trail and play on their playground.

Note:  I forgot to get a picture of her basket
before she broke her tools in "helping" in Savta's garden...

We came home and, as mentioned before, got to enjoy a brunch with more family than we'd expected!  Honestly, I really really like the idea of making an Easter brunch our family tradition (rather than the ham, etc.)-- it's so low-stress, easy and yummy! Once they left, Ryan hid the Resurrection Eggs we've been opening every day in the front yard while Sabba & Savta gave E their little treats for Easter-- a stuffed dog that looks like their toy poodles in a fun Spring-colored purse, and healthy treats like dried fruits and fruit chews and peanut-butter cups. Eowyn insisted on carrying the purse on her egg-hunt.  We all helped Eowyn find the eggs (the dogs would have liked to help more, hah) and then she and I opened each one in order and told the whole Easter story.  She was surprised to find that the last egg was empty-- just like Jesus' tomb!

If you are looking for a great tradition that helps keep Easter about Christ's work and not rabbits, we really have liked the Resurrection Eggs!  You can buy them (made by FamilyLife and sold in many Christian bookstores) or put them together yourself, as I did when I was preschool teacher.  They are very inexpensive to make, with many items you can make or find around the house, but you may have to raid the dollar store and/or craft store for a few items.  There are different lists, like this one, or this one, and some families go beyond just the eggs and make an Easter tree too.  The FamilyLife eggs have an optional accompanying story book called Benjamin's Box (Melody Carlson) which is really good-- a school-age comprehension level, so I had to paraphrase some for Eowyn this year, but we both appreciated the pictures and the sweet story.

I was surprised at how much Eowyn got "into" Easter this year, actually!  She would wake up from every nap asking if she could open the next egg (usually remembering exactly what color it was), and we'd have to explain that it wasn't tomorrow yet.  She remembered the story in quite a bit of detail as we opened the eggs each morning and told a little bit more.  Next year I hope to add Scripture memory to our eggs.

Here's our take on the Easter basket:  white dress shoes (for William they'll probably be just new dress shoes), an age-appropriate story Bible or devotional, book(s), and either a new outfit or other treats.  So far every year grandparents have added stuffed animals and edible goodies, too.  This year Eowyn got her beloved new shoes, the Beginner's Bible, Benjamin's Box (from Nina),  a set of 3 Little Chick board books (motivated mostly by the long plane ride home), and gardening tools.  My mom had already given her a beautiful smocked dress for her birthday that I'd set aside as the perfect "Easter dress," so we swapped out the dress for child-sized gardening tools (a shovel, spade, trowel, rake, and watering can).  [Most items in the basket were bought consignment or on clearance after last Easter, I must confess.]  This has so far gotten Eowyn excited and commemorated Easter as a celebration but also been both practical and Christ-centered.

PS- E is still wearing the new shoes.

What Easter traditions do you have in your families?

Our Christmas 2011

The Thursday before Christmas, Ryan & I loaded up our car (and child) at a record early time despite my "bad pregnancy morning." The normally-5-hour trip to Grandma's stretched to 8+ due to weather, a very-slow-eating two year old, and bad traffic.  Poor Ryan.  We passed the time with Fablehaven on Audiobook, naps for Mommy & baby, Christmas music and some library DVDs for Eowyn, and finally made it to Grandma's in time for dinner.

At Grandma's, Eowyn enjoyed all the music-making Christmas ornaments & toys, dancing & singing to her heart's delight (Jingle Bells is her favorite), the toys Grandma & Grandpa still have-- especially the train set that her daddy & uncles enjoyed-- not to mention all the attention & affection of her aunts, uncles, cousins (first-once-removed, to be precise), grandparents & great-grandparents.  She is so well-loved.  Christmas Eve we went to the service at Grandma & Grandpa's church, then drove through the local Christmas lights show at the Bristol Motor Speedway (very cool).  That night Eowyn opened her customary books & home-made PJs (from upcycled fabric; this year from my old flannel pants...yes I will eventually run out of old jammies, I know).  She LOVED her "p'itty p'itty jamas" as well as her new books The Tower of London, Paris, & If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.  We adults did our "White Elephant" gift exchange-- Ryan got his prize RC helicopter, I got an amazingly-scented candle & some chocolate.  We also opened one gift, this year from Ryan's parents ("Poppy & Grams" to Eowyn).

Sunday morning, we opened our gifts & stockings before heading off to church.  Eowyn's wardrobe received a massive increase in cuteness, let me tell you.  Seriously, I'm almost jealous. ;)  She and I also received digital cameras... mine's an SLR & hers has thumbnail-size resolutions, but hey, in her words "We match!!"  I still haven't worked out how to um, work, mine fully... but I LOVE it and am enjoying playing immensely! (Thank you, Babe. =D)  The "worst" part of the morning was having to be opening gifts by 8 am (pregnant me does not do mornings so well), but hey, I will not complain about getting amazing gifts with the people I love! :)  The Lord was gracious & gave me a reprieve from sickness after we opened gifts, for the whole day!  [please excuse the paltry photos here- we have more on my new camera as well as my cousin Kasey's, but they will be forthcoming]

Note how her necklace is currently a crown. 
A moment before it was dangling on the bridge of her nose as her "glasses."

Modeling her new nightgown on Christmas Eve

Singing carols on the way to church Christmas Morning  (LOVE her Christmas outfit)

Christmas dinner was plentiful & delicious, as were the games of various sorts we all played over the next few days-- Ticket to Ride, Agricola, Carcasonne, and Scene It: Harry Potter.  Have I mentioned Grandpa's fudge (as my dad later put it:  "I think that might have been the best fudge I ever had.  I need another piece to decide.")?  Or the mountains, and I mean MOUNTAINS of cookies & baked goods amassed on ever flat surface?  I think Greg & Kendi brought 200 cookies with them, not kidding.

Tuesday afternoon we drove down to Greenville, SC, to celebrate a second Christmas with that "side" of the family.  This kid is going to think she gets presents for a solid month every December, lol.  I'll put up more on the Greenville leg of our trip- all the Ruiz clan get-togethers, the times with the sisters, etc- tomorrow or sometime after my mid-night snack. :)  In the meantime here's one of my favorite shots of my daughter perched on my mom's counter, watching the morning, snacking on cereal, and waiting for Nina & GB to wake up.  It reminds me so much of my own childhood in this very same house.

Little Bit of Mid-Winter Sun

She was intimidated by the waves, and just
wanted to curl up and "sleep" for quite a while.

Ryan's company had a retreat & then hosted a Dupal Commerce training near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida this past week (in Hallandale/Hollywood, FL).  He pitched the idea of us coming along a few months back, but I wasn't sure I'd be feeling up to traveling.  However, as the day drew nearer, I was more afraid I wasn't feeling up to being alone!  So we bought tickets and began to look forward to a few days in the warmth.

I am SO thankful we got to do this.  God gave me a wonderful break from pregnancy-sickness and I felt much better than I had in a while.  The warm sun & cool water felt great on my poor ol' legs, and Eowyn had a blast splashing in the pool and kicking over my sandcastles (with absolutely no remorse).  The hotel was quite nice, with a pool & hot tub that we got to enjoy the first night because the thermostat was turned way down (yay!).  Every morning Eowyn & I would head to the beach for a few hours-- she was mostly terrified of the waves, and the water was too cold for my liking, but it was very warm (70s-80) in the sun, and we would spread a towel or grab a lounge chair and read books or play in the sand.  She loved burying her feet and then fake crying "Mama, I lost my feet!  I can't find them!"  She also enjoyed sprinkling my legs with sand and wanting me to cry... One morning I had the idea to bring along a plastic cup and that was definitely her favorite-- she dug and poured and loved watching me build, the whole time asking "I knock it over now?"  Once the sun had risen a good bit and the shallow end of the hotel pool was in full sunlight, we would go to the pool & splash around.  She absolutely loved it!!

We took nice naps after lunch, and in the afternoon did a variety of things.  Once we walked with a friend to get some Ben & Jerry's, another time we were stuck inside from the rain & watched cartoons.  Once we went back to the pool.  Eowyn learned to "play" Angry Birds on our phones.  Everyone doted on her; some of Ryan's business partners even bought her an Angry Birds Hallandale Beach t-shirt!!  Totally the perfect souvenir...

Ryan's business partner Tim had arranged all sorts of fun food outings for us, and we enjoyed sushi on the Broadwalk (no, that's not a typo), catered food by the hotel pool, excellent seafood, huge juicy burgers (though we were terrorized by giant crows dropping sea grapes on us... seriously, they left purple stains on Ryan's pants!), and a memorable middle eastern restaurant -complete with belly dancer -where Eowyn learned to shout "Opa!" and throw napkins in the air.

I was shocked at how FEW families were down there-- we saw maybe 2 other young children on the beach when we went.  Everyone else was at least 65.  I can't wait to homeschool and just head down to the beach in December "because!" :)  The first afternoon we arrived, Ryan, Eowyn & I were splashing around in the pool, almost delirious because it was 80 degrees and it was due to snow back home, and we were in swimsuits, and I remember saying "coming here was the best idea we've ever had!"  So, thank you, Commerce Guys, for making it possible, and ultimately, thank You, Father, who delights to give your children undeserved, unexpected good gifts.

Just not sure about those waves...

Finally, a grin!  (I showed her how to "lose" her feet)

One of our lunch spots

Looking for the birds

They're cute now... wait until they're dropping stuff on your head

Playing in the hotel pool

Found it!

Chillin' like a villain

Another favorite pastime: splashing

Mr. Tim entertaining her with his iPad

Cup +Sand = FUN!

Told you everyone doted on her...

She was absolutely taken with this little "P'incess" book, given her by the hotel staff