Lift Off!

I'll be in my own (unbelievable, amazingly, ultra, fantastically, super soft and comfy) bed tomorrow night!!!  That's only if Adam and Helen haven't stolen it already and kicked me out to the hall! I'll cry!  I am sooooo excited to be going home!!!  I'm trying not to think about the masses of Uni prospectus that I know are piled up in my room, or everything that I left on my floor because I re-packed my bag 10 times before I left.  Can you believe it's been 4 months since I left home!?  I have been away 4 months!  4 months people!  It'll feel good to be back!  I can't wait to see the Christmas lights as I drive (Ralph will be driving actually, it may be unsafe for me to do so!) up to the house.  I'll be wanting some eggnog to celebrate!  A last minute Christmas shop and a whole load of wrapping is in order too!

I have been looking after the boys everyday, ALL day this week!  It actually hasn't been that bad.  They can be really cheeky and annoying for spurts of time during the day, then all is well.  It's been fun, challenging and entertaining.  Caroline and Emanuel have even given me an extra few days of paid holiday because I have been looking after them more than usual.  Bonus!

On Monday I woke up to snow!!!!!  I actually didn't realise there was any snow till I got upstairs (My room is in the basement, so my window looks up to a grate!).  I was glad it had snowed before I went home for Christmas, I've been waiting for it long enough!

Thumbs from Nathan and I.......

This is my house by the way.....

The boy's and I took Leja to the airport, after a little play in the snow.  I was sad to see her leave!  However I am totally going to visit her in Sweden and get me some real Scandinavian jumpers!  It's been great getting to know her though, she is a laugh and the best film buddy going!  I feel that loss, what will I do without her?!  Haha!

After taking Lejla to the airport the boy's and I went back home for some fun in the snow!  They got all suited up, I put on my raincoat, and we built an amazing snow man!

Raphael, Bobby and Nathan.....

Sadly Bobby toppled to his death about 10 minutes later, and has now been reduced to a few nuts surrounded by ice.  We didn't get much more snow after Monday.

I'm leaving here before 8am so I need to get some sleep so I can be wide awake for the festivities to begin when I get back home tomorrow!  It's going to be fun squeezing the cheese into my bag in the morning!  I'll be home for 2 weeks, and there's a lot to fit in, Christmas shenanigans, double birthday, New Years party and seeing as many people as I can whilst just chilling out too!

Je rentre chez moi!

That Christmas Feeling

December is my favorite month of the whole year.  You get to wrap up warm and hopefully play in the fluffy white snow.  You always get some time off for a little holiday break from whatever you are doing (which is usually being a student for me, haha!).  The main reason I love December is of course that it is the Christmas season!  In my family I am the one who on the 1st of December insists on getting out all the decorations!  I climb a precariously placed ladder to get into the tiny man loft tunnel in my house where all the decorations are kept.  As I squeeze myself around the boxes and army crawl through the tunnel my mum nearly wets herself with laughter at the sight me getting in and out of this tiny hole!  This year my sister Ashley did the honor of retrieving the decorations.  I love driving up to my home seeing all the pretty white lights twinkling from the trees.  a you walk through my house you see the collections of nativity scene placed anywhere that a space can be found.  At this time of year you do Christmas shopping, baking and seem to be constantly busy going to a million different Christmas related activity's.  you spend time with friends and family, simple celebrating the season.  I cant get enough of it.  For me right now however I am missing out big time!  It really does suck to not be at home right now, knowing that all my family are there getting ready for the big day!  Finally though, that Christmas feeling has showed up this past week1  It's got me all excited!

My last French lesson of the term was on Thursday morning last week.  everyone had to do a presentation showing how we celebrate Christmas in our home country.  Myself and a fellow English friend, Fiona, had prepared one together a couple of nights before (all in French of course, with a little help from Google!  Shhhhhhh!).  The presentations were followed by a Christmas food fest!  It's fairly safe to say that we were sufficiently  STUFFED with sugar by the end of class.

Dig in girls..............

Rosie modeling the mince pies Fiona brought......

Liz and her classic stack of biscuits........

On Friday the boys I look after had a Christmas Carol concert at their school for parents to go to.  I picked up the dad (Emanuel) and we met the mum (Caroline) in the crowded school hall.  It was full of excited parents with cameras, getting in everyone's way as they take photos of their precious children!

I took a photo too....haha.....

It was a really good little concert actually.  As the school is an international English school it is full of students from all over the world!  Each class sang a song from a different country, the classics from England (yes to the 'figgy pudding'!) and The States songs to songs from places like Germany, France, New Zealand, Thailand and Africa.  My favorite one was the Caribbeans rendition of  'The twelve Days of Christmas', I'll take the 'three treasure chests' and the '6 hands hooks'.

Myself, Caroline and the boys went to get a Christmas tree after the concert.  We searched high and low in a small marquee outside one of the supermarkets for the perfect little Christmas tree.  I was rather happy to have been able to help decorate a tree!  The boys created a MEGA nativity set underneath it, it's impressive.

It's not just a stable...................

Saturday I woke up to SNOW!!!!  Yay, finally!  I was expecting to snow long before now, but glad that it did before I went home.  I guess it was lucky that it didn't snow before then, as I was only able to get snow boots off my mum the week before (her snow boots!! haha!).  It was my last chance to spend a day shopping for presents, before I go home for Christmas.  I decided to go back to Annecy, as that is THE place to shop, plus it's pretty come snow, rain or shine!  I picked up Lejla from the extremely snowy hillside, she was spending her last weekend here with me, so I could then take her to the airport on Monday morning.

The drive to Annecy was beautiful......

Guess what the family is getting for Christmas....

It was a successful day for shopping, spent all my money!! Haha!  Just got to get a couple more things during the week before I go home!  Stocking up cheese and chocolate of course.

We took a break for Crepes.......

Lejla and I with our spoils.....

I was so up for going on the lake in a pedalo.....

We were FREEZING...........

 The prettiest sight of the day......

Glowing lights.............

I love cows, they are my friends.....

My wonderful friend Elisabeth (Baird) has come to the end of her journey here in Switzerland.  She left today (Tuesday) to go home to the O.C.  I'll miss her!  She is an amazing person, so creative, kind and spiritual grounded, an inspiration to me for sure!  I went round hers after Annecy with Lejla for a little farewell dinner with a few other people.  The dinner was Amazing to say the least!  Elisabeth's host mum, Roberta had made us all the most delicious (non traditional, so it wasn't all stodgy) fondue!  We finished off with cake too.

From the left...Lejla, Laura, Me, Shelly, Elisabeth.....

We had a great night together.  Stuffed ourselves as usual, but finished off the night with a good old fashioned sleep over.

We all went to church together the next day too.  It was a Christmas service (Elisabeth sung) which made my day!  Farewells and holiday wishes were said all round, as everyone is off somewhere else fro Christmas, or leaving altogether (Elisabeth, sigh!).  I'll be moving officially to the Geneva English Ward in the New Year, as I am no longer in the Gex Ward boundaries.  I could move to the French Ward, but I just get more out of the English one.  I will be visiting though.

Lejla and I headed back to mine after church and had a great chilled out evening eating pasta and watching (one of favorites!!!)  'The Family Stone'.  We ended the night watching the Christmas Devotional from church, which had my favorite Christmas Carols sung in it.  I couldn't have had a better weekend getting into the Christmas spirit!

Joyeux Noël

Can you see the lights?

Yes, the girly family long weekend finally happened the week before last (with just two weeks until it would be time for me to go home for Christmas) it was a blast.  I went strait home after my French lesson to pack my things and wait for the arrival of the motley crew (my mum, sister and niece).  It was a beautiful day for them to arrive, with snow topped mountains in view.

Sun and snow................

You shall have to indulge me, as I show far too many photos than is needed to illustrate the weekend we had together.  this is me 'cutting' it down to just a few!  We went to Geneva, Bern and Annecey, all the best places, a good mix of the French side and The Swiss side.

They arrived (having got sufficiently lost of course) at my house adorned with gifts!  Yay!!!!  I will happily receive anything remotely English.  A big THANK YOU for that!!

My buddy Izzy instantly making herself feel at home.....

Christmas in our hotel........

Ashley and Izzy, waiting for some food........

When we got the food though it rather gross, that would explain why it was so cheap in a silly expensive place!  Mistake!  Unfortunately mum had been puking while we were at the cafe (lack of sleep and food) so we took her back to the hotel for a rest while Ashley, Izzy and I went to do some French food shopping.

The person we parked next to had already done theirs......

Izzy couldn't believe that THIS was a daily snack for French kids......

I woke up mum via the flash......

Since Cazza was feeling better we went for a little wounder around Geneva.  All the Christmas lights were up, so the city was pretty.

The lovely ladies.................

Tree hugger's............................

 A pop up winter restaurant.........

 Izzy discovering the international message board.....

'Yes I will!'..................................

We found a deliciously posh pizzeria in the 'posher' part of Geneva to eat in.  Chandeliers and an Italian chef.  It didnt even serve Hawiann!  Izzy was not amused!

Pout..........................................

We sat at a table right next to the guy making pizza (because we were such obvious English tourists!). We  were able to watch him show off his dough swirling skills! ).  Izzy, being the special pretty blond girl she is, got to make her own pizza!

A new pizza lady is in the house............

Being taught by hand..........

 The rest of us were just excited to get some FOOD......

The pizza guy even made it smile....

Tasty....................................

Satisfied....................................

Waiting for the tram to get back to the hotel.....

The next day (after just a little lie in!  Hehe!) we set off for Bern, the capital of Switzerland to see the Christmas markets.  The city is German speaking, so we couldn't test our French skills (lucky thing too, seeing as we were lacking them).  Izzy and I's mission was to discover bears int he city! Bear's are the founding animal of the Bern, because bear pits for were found from years and years ago in an old part of the city.  Everywhere you go a bear can be found.

Busy Bern.................

The first sighting....................

A bridge crossing the valley.........

Tangled moment...................

 A welcome to the markets by birds.....

Market stalls...............................

Bang bang...................

BEAUTIFUL cup case's........

The best high street in the world..........

Water running under the pavement....

These were everywhere, yet I didn't taste one (sad).....

 Izzy was way too excited that she found this bear.....

The moulder tower we got to look at whilst we ate......

The traditional hot German drink was calling us from a far, Glühwein (we had the kids version of course!).  Snuggeled into a tent with a bunch of other shoppers, we warmed up!

Cazza looking sly................

 Mum was disputing me keeping the mug.....

I got to, for memory's sake......

 Cheers........................

Lazzzzzzzzy eye...................

Fish lips...................................

Not so sure we gave Izzy the kids version though.........

Izzy's mission in life is to kiss me.  I flat down refuse every time, she attacks me out of nowhere me, so I have to be on my guard at all times.  She caught under the mistoletoe though,  I didnt know what to do!

Eeeeeeekkkkkkk..................

As we are walking down the high street again later on, me and Izzy recognize a familiar smell.  With whisper's from mum and Ashley to walk faster I realise there is something they don't want us to see.

Behold....LUSH!!!!!!!.............

Izzy was way excited to get a little something from the shop, and I had to promise to have a 'Lush' bath with her later on.

Making my mark one Lush shop at a time.....

Just being a bear........

There is a place in the city that has a place for live bears to roam in a special enclosure, where you can see the for free.  We only learned where this place was after the little bears were tucked up in thier beds!  Next time I come here I am seeing them for sure!

Map of the city..........

Every stone around the enclosure has a name carved into it.  I have no idea why!  I will solve the mystery next time I am there.

Names.......................

Be a bear....grrrrrrr.................

'Can you see the lights?'........

 Meine Mutter und ich................

Goodbye beautiful Bern...........

After a great day in Bern (my new favorite city in Switzerland!) we got back to the hotel for a GOOD sleep!!!  First me and Izzy had our 'Lush' bath!

Glorious glittery purple........

On the Saturday we drove to Annecy, seeing as I had been going on about the place to them for a while, and apparently I am the tour guide here, so it's my call!

Annecy.......................

It's Venice like feel.......

HUGE blocks of nougat.....

Just a slice for dad................

An unexpected Christmas market again......

Posh Ashley.............................

Failing to be as posh?.............

The girls....................................

My favorite little shop..............

FONDUE........................

Too much for mum me thinks.....

Beautiful Izzy............

For the best view of the city.......

My best view of the city.........

Somebody pushing their luck........

Pigs do fly........................

I think this place is gorgeous.......

My arty photo for the day..........

Izzy's first crepe, filled with Nutella..........

All together now...........

Roof tops in the evening......

Annecy by night............

Writing on walls............

Izzy wouldn't believe that the water really was pink........

That night we got back to the hotel for a last girly evening together.  We ate all the food we had bought on the first day, got in P.J's and watched a film.  Nice evening well spent.

On the final day of visiting (Izzy wanted more time off school to stay longer, ahahaha!) we went to Gex ward, so they could experience the French overload I get when I am there!  After that there was only time for a quick bite to eat before they had to sort out there stuff to leave.  Already!!!

A little shocked at having to leave?.....

Kissy kissy goodbye?  No!.......

Smug to be going home..........

Au revoir....................

It was a really good weekend!  I am glad to have seen my mum, sister and niece, and that they came all the way out to this ridiculously expensive place!  However I will be seeing them soon!

Salute!