Winter in Geneva

This week in Geneva it felt a lot like Minnesota.  We spent a lot of time enjoying outdoor winter activities-

On Monday night, it started to snow in Geneva, which is rare, and continued through Tuesday- by Tuesday night we had about three inches of very thick snow.  So, of course the girls and I headed outside to play in the snow- it was the first time in a long time when I actually enjoyed playing in the snow- no blustery winds and negative degree wind chills- 

Our girl snowman- Eliza was too scared of her to stand with her!  

Tongue hanging out  = fun!  

On Saturday, we headed back out to ski at Samoens.  Adalyn had her second lesson, which went well- still is a bit hesitant before the lesson, but at the end is all smiles.  

Riding up the "magic carpet" 

Loving life!

This week, I even tested out my skiing skills, I probably should have been in the lesson with Adalyn! Instead, I decided to wing it- the snow plow is my technique- thankfully it worked and no broken bones!  Chris and I skied for about three hours together while Eliza was at garderie and Adalyn was at her lesson. It was super foggy, which was a bit scary- at times you couldn't see much in front of you, so you didn't really know where to go- I just followed the crowd- which thankfully worked out!

Date day!

On Saturday night, we went out to eat with friends- as you can see the girls were very excited!

On Sunday afternoon, we decided since it was a clear day, we would head up Mt. Saleve, the mountain very close to our house, and go sledding.  It seemed like the perfect idea... unfortunately, we hadn't thought about the road leading up to the mountain which is basically a one way with two way traffic.  It was icy, snowy, and crowded. Apparently, a lot of people thought it would be a fun afternoon outing.  So, what was intended to be a stress free afternoon turned into Chris white knuckling the drive and just praying we would get back down the mountain.  We did go sledding for a bit and Adalyn had a blast- Eliza was not so sure about the snow-   

Ready to go!

She kept saying, "Go home..."

Action shot!

Sledding hill- on top of the mountain...

I do appreciate winters in Geneva- you get minimal snow in the actual city, yet you can see snow in the mountains.  This is a picture from our backyard- w still have very green hedges, trees with leaves, yet you can see the snow on the mountain where we went sledding.  

Mt. Saleve

We are looking forward to continuing our outdoor activities next weekend, we are going to Chateau-d'Oex, which is in Switzerland, and attending an international hot-air balloon festival. I had heard that it was a fun family event, so we thought we should check it out.  Hopefully the weather cooperates and they are able to fly the hot-air balloons.  

Passez une bonne journee!

Adalyn goes skiing!

This week we were back to our routine and catching up with our friends in Geneva.  The girls were happy to see their friends again! Everyone struggled a bit with the jet lag, but by Wednesday night everyone was back on track.

Wednesday afternoon we went to an indoor park with some friends, and the kids had a blast!  Eliza is finally at an age where she can independently get around safely, which was wonderful since I didn't want to roll around in the ball pit!  We even ventured out for our first dinner out with all the kids- which was a success, once we found a place that would serve us dinner before 7:00.

So happy! 

Saturday was a very exciting day for us- first time skiing in the Alps!  There are so many different ski resorts within an hour of Geneva, so it was a bit overwhelming choosing where to go.  I had heard good things about Samoens ski resort, so we decided to go there.  It is located in the French Alps about an hour away.  We were worried about the snow conditions since it has been unseasonably warm here, but thankfully snow moved in Friday and all day Saturday, so there was plenty of snow.  The ski resorts around here are very family friendly.  In the village, there is a garderie where you can drop off kids from 6 months to 6 years for care.  So, we dropped Eliza off and headed up the mountain for Adalyn to ski.  There is about an eight minute cable car that takes you to the main area of the mountain where the ski school is located and all of the other runs connect to the main area.  Adalyn looked like she was on a nordic track while trying to walk in the snow with skis- it was pretty funny!  We met up with our friends, so their daughter also did a ski lesson with Adalyn.  While the girls were in their lesson, the guys skied, and my friend, Nicole and I hung out at the bar and drank hot wine- it was a perfect morning!  Adalyn enjoyed her first lesson and is looking forward to going back- Eliza did well at the garderie, so she will be back, and next weekend I hope to hit the slopes- checking out all the bunny hills they have.  We are looking forward to weekends in the Alps and hopefully no trips to urgent care.

Ready to ski-

A little nervous- but still smiling!  

The snow was coming down pretty heavy and steady- 

so it was hard to get a good picture of the views- everything was a blur- probably for the best that I wasn't skiing- I prefer to see where I am going!

Adalyn and her friend, Avery.  

We only spent the morning skiing, so in the afternoon we came back and decided to have an impromptu get together for dinner with some friends.  We had thought about going out to eat, but the restaurants here are not the most kid friendly, so we decided to try pizza delivery- which I had no idea was an option for us- so it is nice to know we now have the option.  It was a great night- all the kids got along, and the adults were actually able to talk and enjoy themselves!

Sunday, we had a pretty low key day- Chris left for Brazil Sunday night for the week- so he spent a lot of time playing outside with the girls.  Adalyn and I planned our "Girl's Week", she was excited to plan the meals and what we would do each day.

Avoir une super semaine!  

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  We have just returned from our three week holiday back in Minnesota and we were able to connect with so many friends and family- I don't think we ever had a day without seeing someone- the girls are definitely going to miss all of the attention!

After this trip, I have come to the conclusion that a "perfect flight" does not exist- at least for us!  This past trip we experienced missed connections, weather delays, and turbulence that caused Eliza to get sick on the plane- my worst fear!!  Even though it never went as planned, it was definitely worth it to be home for the holiday.

Eliza cruising around the airport- 

What do you do during a five hour delay? Crawl around window sills of course!

While back in Minnesota I was often asked what felt more like home, Minnesota or Geneva.  I honestly have to say at this point, both do, for different reasons.  Chris and I both grew up in Minnesota and a majority of our family and friends live in Minnesota, so in Minnesota I feel at home being surrounded by family, friends, and I know where everything is.  On the other hand, I feel that in our first six months living in Geneva, we have established a routine, made friends, explored new places, and in a sense have created a second home.  Is it tough being away from family and friends?  Absolutely.  But we are still happy with our decision to try out a new "home" for awhile too.

We arrived back in Geneva on Saturday and we could not have asked for a better welcome, 59 degrees and sunny!  It felt like we had landed in the Caribbean after being in negative 30 degree temps in Minnesota.  The girls had so much fun playing outside- Adalyn even asked if Chris could put the sprinkler up!!

Waiting for the taxi- soaking up the sunshine!

We went to Annecy on Sunday to get some fresh air to help with the jet lag!  

This week, we get back to our routine- hopefully both girls get back on Geneva time quickly- Adalyn can't get to sleep at night and Eliza wakes up for about three hours in the middle of the night ready to play.  This weekend we hope to go skiing and get Adalyn on the slopes for the first time.  Will keep you posted on how that goes!     

Bonne journee!