Poopid and Stupid

This past week I had to ask myself, do I really say STUPID alot and just not know it? Chance tends to keep me honest by repeating what comes out of my mouth, and as he has started with the word STUPID this week, I have to wonder. This morning
I was "Stupid MOM". He got to sit in time out a couple times for that one. Then while in time out he proceeded to say instead "poopid" over and over. I was trying to hold it together and act mad, but I just couldn't stop laughing in the other room. Kids! Guess I need to watch my mouth!

Mexican Food and BBQ

Our 20 days or so in Texas was really nice, not very relaxing, but still very nice! 2 days after Chance and I made it in to Austin, Ryan followed and the next morning we drove straight to Dallas to Christmas up there. Ryan's brother Randall and his family flew in from Florida, and it was the first time in 18 months that we were all together in one place with Ryan, his parents and siblings. Chance was in heaven with all his cousins, and it was the first time that they all interacted with each other so much. We drove in and immediately went to Chuckie Cheese, where Chance and his cousin Garrett both celebrated their 4th birthday's together.

We also celebrated Christmas with the Baganz family while there, and as usual there were so many presents! Ryan captured this picture after Pappy had asked the kids who wanted to open the next present...

Back in Austin, Ryan only had a couple days until he had to fly back. Those days he spent in the office talking with partners, and we got to go out one night with my brother Drew and his girlfriend Andrea, and another to the work office party. I got to see lots of old friends (thanks to mom graciously watching Chance everyday for me!), and catch up on girl time with my mom in the evenings when Chance was in bed. We got to spend time with my dad and grandparents too. And topped it all off with multiple birthday celebrations for Chance's birthday as well. Here's a pic of Drew, Andrea and Chance riding the train at Zilker Park.

So all in all it was so nice to be back. We loaded full of family, friends and the food we love and miss, and headed back to the cold winter ahead in Zurich (snow yeah!). Hotel Baganz is in full swing again and filling fast, so check out our calendar at the bottom of the blog and see when there is space for YOU to visit!!! We love visitors!

White Christmas

We made it back in one piece from Texas, to meet up with Ryan who had flown back last week, so we could all be together on Christmas. We arrived Christmas morning and postponed celebrating until the 26th so that we could make cookies for Santa to leave by the fireplace, and wake up to the traditional Christmas morning. It was our first ever to celebrate alone just as out family, and it was very nice and relaxing after the whirlwind that was Texas. And best of all it starting pouring snow, so we had a real white Christmas.

Santa brought lots of things, most notably the electric milk frother that Ryan got me...luxury at it's best. It makes the most beautiful white froth, better than Starbucks I might add. Heaven. I am drinking too much caffeine cause I just want to make more froth. Oh...back to what Santa really brought.....a Diego bike for Chance. So we ventured out today to try it out.

So pictures and stories of our Austin adventures are forthcoming, I just have to get them loaded and find the time to write. Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Texas Texas Yee Haw

Bags are packed and we are ready to roll.....we've done some "Strategic, expandable packing"....we have bags inside bags so that we can bring back all our loot. And there will be a lot of loot! Here's a nice pic of Austin to kick off the trip.

Excuse Me Santa

Seems like the last couple weekends have been packed full of things....shuffling Chance from one social activity to another. Last weekend we had a great time at Jack's 4th birthday party at a place called Kindercity where Jack and his 3 best buddies: Chance, Gabriella and Ava got to make chocolate snowmen and cookies; play fun games like tug of war and potato sack race; eat yummy pizza and cake, and have an all around good time. It is so fun to see the 4 of them in action. They are so accustomed to being around each other on almost a daily basis that they all have a certain rhythm and place within the group. We feel really blessed for Chance to have found such close friends, and for us as parents to be friends with their parents.

This morning we went downtown to the English bookstore Story Hour, where Santa made an appearance. Chance and Gabriella attended together and were really excited to see Santa. There was about 50 kids there, all snuggled in to a corner of the store with their parents looking on as Santa was about to start reading some Christmas stories. He gets through page 2, all the children are nicely sitting still (except for mine who is preoccupied with the fact that Gabriella is not giving him enough room on the bench), the onlookers are patiently and quietly listening to the story as Santa tells it, when all of a sudden Chance decides to shout out "EXCUSE ME SANTA.......Excuse me Santa....." Santa stops his story, all eyes in the room turn to us and Santa says "Yes, can I help you".....Chance proceeds to say "Well, My name is Chance". And that was it! He needed so desperately to tell Santa his name. Santa reads on a bit, then all eyes turn on us again as Gabriella says "EXCUSE ME SANTA"......."Chance was being very naughty when I was at his house yesterday". At this point I am asking myself why I am sitting by the only 2 kids in the whole place that need to draw attention to themselves? Oh well, it was cute and will definitely go in to the memory bank of Chance moments!

Yankee or Dixie?

What are you, yankee or dixie? I was 79% Dixie, showing some Texas roots.

http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/yankee_dixie_quiz.html
(Sorry I can't get the link feature to work, so you'll have to copy and paste in to a new browser)

Happy Thanksgiving

Being overseas makes holidays hard not being with family. We are so blessed to have found some wonderful friends this past year, and so we all pulled together to have a wonderful Thanksgiving meal this weekend. At the last minute Chance's friend Jack got sick, so we missed having the Sacarro family as a part of our celebration but it was still great to all be together and have real Thanksgiving food. We all brought different dishes and it was so yummy! The kids had a blast playing together and the adults did too! The above picture is of Chance, Gabriella and Ethan eating at the "kids" table!

Let It Snow

We woke up this morning to snow on the ground. Chance ran all over the apartment, looking out every window to make sure there was snow at every angle of the house. It was so cute. He was so excited that he couldn't get dressed fast enough to get outside and feel it. He kept telling me that on the way to school he was going to make snowballs and throw them at me, but to his dismay there was only a tiny bit of snow cover, hardly enough to pick up in your hands. On the way to school Chance had to stop over and over to let the snow fall in his mouth.

After dropping Chance, I had a productive morning. I found a dress for the EY work party in Austin that we have to attend, and bought a couple x-mas presents. Being out this morning, with the snow falling and the sun peeking through the clouds made me nostalgic. It was just beautiful and I had to remind myself just how wonderful it is here. It is truly a daily rollercoaster ride between loving it here and missing home. Our thoughts on it change daily, sometimes more frequent than that. We were told at the year mark the homesickness would subside, and it has a bit. Seems like the longer we are here, the less we miss home except for family, friends and an occasional taste of real Mexican food and BBQ. Homesickness really sets in after we have seen family.

Being out today made me appreciate our new city. I love the snow, it makes me feel like it is a REAL winter as it should be. I am amazed at how it isn't very cold outside, or as cold as I would think it should be. In all my walking around today I was never once cold. The old snow covered buildings look so magical and the view of downtown Zurich with all the church steeples is a site in itself. When they chime, it is even better. I will miss hearing church bells chiming frequently through out the day when we move back. Something about the chiming makes me smile. Hopefully the snow will keep coming so that we can get out and enjoy it more this weekend. Let it snow, let it snow!!!

Here's a cute picture of Chance and Gabriella at their school Halloween party

Wine Boats

Last weekend our friends Josh and Katherine ventured over to Zurich from Geneva (where they live) for a weekend of fun. Unfortunately for them seeing Zurich for the first time, the weather didn't cooperate and our attempt to sightsee was dampered by the rain and horrible wind. The wind even ate my umbrella, leaving it a mangled mess! Nonetheless, we strolled around old town, stopping for some hot chocolate and St Gallun sausages. At night we left Chance with a sitter and ventured down to the head of the lake to do some wine tasting aboard the 12 ships in the harbor at the VinoExpo. It was lots of fun and we can't wait to see our friends again! Thanks guys for coming!

Pizza Made of Gold Apparently

Chance has been sick the last couple days and so I haven't been making my daily grocery runs. We have nothing to eat in the house and Ryan isn't making it home before the stores close at 7 p.m. So, I took my chances on this pizza delivery joint down the street, ordered a pizza about the equivalent of a large Gattis with mushrooms and pepperoni, American crust (not the tiny European crust), and the delivery man arrives at the door with a 40 Franc bill.....that's like 35 bucks. Ouch. Apparently it is pizza made of gold!