Haars visit from US - 1 of 2

We enjoyed a very lazy first week of summer and then Sydney was off to skating camp for a week.  It is hard to believe how much she has grown up and that she was off to her first sleep away camp.  She had a wonderful time and we were counting down the days until we could see her and hear all about her week.  She refused to take our prepay cell phone, so there was no communication for the entire week!!  Here is a little program she did with her skating friend Maeva.  She also showed us her new routine, but I will save that one for when she competes : )

The day after we picked her up, The Haars arrived from Cedar Rapids for 2 weeks.  Hailey was bouncing off the walls as this meant her best friend from CR was here and they were going to have a 2 week sleepover!  We mostly did sightseeing around here, but did go to Wengen for one night and Paris for two.

Our first outing was taking the boat to Château de Chillon, which was Annie's must see during their visit to Europe.  It was a beautiful day and fun to get close to the other side of Lake Geneva, or Lac Leman, and France.

Aaron loved watching the motor turn the paddle wheel on the boat.

Kids and I with Chillon in the background.

After Chillon we took the train into Montreux so Chris could see the Freddie Mercury statue.  Our next stop was the Gruyere region where we stopped at the Gruyere cheese and Callier chocolate factory.  The endless tasting room was the favorite part of the day for everyone!

Annie and Hailey pose for a quick picture.

It was now time for our first overnight trip to the Oberland Bernese region which includes Interlaken, and the valley separating Jungfrau and Schilthorn mountains.  We stayed in Wengen on the Jungfrau side of the valley since we planned on heading up to Jungfrajoch or Top of Europe at 11,332ft.  The weather was going to be very questionable, but with this most likely being the only time Haars will be in this area we decided to make the best of it.  We took the Goldenpass on the way there which is more scenic as it goes up into the mountains rather than directly.

After getting checking in we were off for a short hike before Randy joined us for the rest of the weekend.  It was a dreary day, but off we went.  We took the cable car up for our hike, which allowed us to take all modes of public transportation in Switzerland - boat, bus, train, and cable car.

Kids ready to head up on the cable car.

Quick stop at the playground before heading off for our hike.

Kids exploring the mountainside.

The kids adding the the rock sculpture.

After a wonderful meal and our first meal out since Haars arrived, Melissa and Chris had experienced just how expensive things are here in Switzerland.  Although, it wasn't as much of a jaw dropper as what happened before dinner!!  As we were waiting for Randy's train and keeping the kids entertained, they asked if they could go back to the store to get some colored pencils for some activity books they got at the train station.  Chris gave Lizzy 30 and I gave Sydney 40 so they could each get a small pack. Well they came back for a big pack of ~85 colored pencils.  Well great, that should keep them busy.  I ask for the change and Sydney hands me 20 cents.  Where is the rest, well there wasn't any they just paid 69.80 CHF for colored penciled, now they were watercolor pencils, but oh my goodness, those must be some pencils!!  Fortunately all we could do was laugh and protect them with our life and I trust the Haars still have ALL the pencils and keep them locked in the safe : )

The next morning we were off to Top of Europe and Jungfraujoch.  It was a 1 1/2hr train ride and conditions were not going to be good.

Sydney was deep in one of the books the Haars brought from the US!

We finally arrived around lunch and after our tummies were full it was time to head out into the winter wonderland.  As you can see from the pictures, visibility was poor, but we had fun playing in the snow in the middle of July!

Looking back at the mountain.

Kids coming up the ramp after their first sledding (or sledging) run.

Randy making Aaron give it one try.

Aaron loved it and went with mom as Sydney led the way.

Aaron tried to bring the snowball home and there were tears shed when the last little piece melted inside!

There was also glacier we could have walked on, but as Melissa and I were watching the kids a couple came up and said someone slipped and fell through a crack in the glacier.  I had a pit in my stomach and hoped he was ok and they would find him.  They sent someone out on skiis and harness and started to bring in some equipment.  After awhile they closed the area, but my thoughts were still with him and hoping everything would turn out ok.  As we were waiting for the train there was a lot of commotion and soon they were bringing someone through on a stretcher.  It was great to see that they found him and he seemed to be ok.  On our train ride down we sat next to the couple and they said the rescuers said he was lucky to have survived.  It was a young threesome that was backpacking through Europe and guess he will have quite the story to share!

He fell where the person in the background is, you can also get a fell for visibility.

Even with the bad weather, there was still a not to do and see at the top.

Heading into the Ice Palace.

There were many ice sculptures and of course a character from Ice Age.

Quick family picture before heading inside.

Things clearing up a little as we head back down to Wengen.

Looking back at the valley with a waterfall on the right middle.

You can barely see toward the left the cable car we took when we went on our short hike.

We headed back to Wengen and Lausanne where we had one day to unpack and repack for 2 nights in Paris, which I will continue with in my next post.

Last Day of School

We finally made it to our last day of school on Wednesday, June 27th.  Although, they do have a promotion program on Friday with lunch at the school afterwards.  It has been quite a year, from Aaron walking off campus by himself to Sydney passing her Delph A2 test and Hailey receiving an award.  In case you aren't familiar the Delph A2 it is a test to determine ones proficiency with a foreign language.  She went to Geneva for 2 days to take this test and passed with flying colors.  Sydney and Hailey had great years and let's just say Aaron had a year of adjustment.  I can't expect too much when he started school at 3yrs and was thrown into a truly academic program in a foreign language.  They expect him to sit at his desk and complete his work without disturbing his neighbors.  That is hard for a 5year old to do at times let alone a 3-4 year old boy.

He did make progress and by the end of the school year he wasn't disturbing his neighbors and seemed to be in less time outs.  He was also interacting with other kids and the bus driver in French.  Wow, we were finally getting into a groove, or so I thought.  When I picked him up on the last day of school I realized the reason he wasn't disturbing his neighbors was because his desk was next to the white board and he didn't have any neighbors.  Oh, sometimes ignorance is bliss : )  I am confident he will have a better year next year when he is a little older and more familiar with the school.

At the promotion ceremony they announce three prizes.  One for the highest GPA of the class, another for merit (motivation, hard work, and progress), and lastly for camaraderie or friendship.  The merit prizes is decided by the teachers and the camaraderie by the students.  We were very proud to learn that Hailey received the merit prize for all her hard work and progress.  She worked very hard all year and by the end of the year had caught up with her classmates with the exception of grammar.  Each grade also performs a dance.

This year it was like the Oscars when there were different films nominated and they performed a song from the winning film.  Aaron danced to Rio, Hailey to a French film called Cloclo, and Sydney to another French film Le Petit Nicholas.  I have included video clips from each one.

Our niece, Shelby took a break from her studies in Spain and came to visit for the weekend.  It was a great weekend with the kids program, exploring Lausanne, and spending a day at the pool.  She brought the warm weather with her just for a couple days.  It has been unusually cool here, but it is suppose to warm up for our visitors in July and then we are off to Spain for a week!

Survived our first year

June 1st marked our first year and we have come a long way and all survived! We enjoyed a day on the lake and pizza at the same restaurant we ate at when we first arrived.  It is hard to believe we have been here one year and it is amazing how far we have come.  We arrived in a complete fog and no idea what we had gotten ourselves into. We didn't know the language, what the rules were for parking, or how to manage everyday shopping.  This all provided quite a few laughs along the way and I am sure there will be more to come!

We rented a boat and the kids enjoyed a swim in the lake, which is still pretty cold.  Here are a few pictures.

Afterwards we had pizza and ice cream before heading home for the day.  The kids had school until the end of June, so summer vacation was still a ways off.

Venice

Randy and the kids had a couple days off for Ascension so we decided to head out and explore another destination.  We were originally going to go to Munich, but decided against it since we were having a hard time finding lodging and I wanted to wait to go to Lego land since we just did Disney.  When we found out there was a big football (soccer) match we officially switched gears and set our sights on Venice.  We tried out VRBO or Vacation Rental by Owner, which is cheaper than hotel for a family of 5.  Hotels do not have rooms to accommodate a family of 5 and you can't put 5 in one room so you end up getting 2 rooms.  VRBO has a great selection of apartments and houses available all over the world.  We settled on a 3 bedroom apartment between Rialto bridge and San Marco square, a great location!!

Kids on Rialto bridge.

This would also be our first road trip since I dragged my feet at making train reservations.  Randy was wanting to go a road trip, but not sure if this one was on top of the list.  While it was cool to take in the scenes and go through St Bernard tunnel, it was a bit stressful getting used to driving in Italy.  Let's just say they are a little more aggressive than what you would expect in Minnesota.  We arrived at the parking garage, grabbed our luggage, and were off to the Vaparetto, or boat to get to the apartment.  We were finally settled and ready to head out for a bite to eat right after Randy got his phone connected to wireless internet.  That didn't go as planned and Randy ended up cutting his hand on the glass table he was "gently" sitting on.  He cut himself pretty good, but my non-MD opinion was a big bandaid and we would be good to go.  We would avoid a trip to the hospital and head off for some yummy Italian food.

Our first full day was a busy one with mask painting in the morning and a private walking tour in the evening.  The kids were very excited for both, but the mask painting definitely topped the list.  We went to Ca' Macana where they have a store and a workshop for mask painting.  We learned a little about the history of the Venetian masks, but the kids were very excited to get started on their masks so we got straight to work.  They could each paint 2 and mom and dad even got to paint one while the other took pictures and helped Aaron.  Here are some pictures from our mask painting.

Aaron and I painting our mask.  Aaron had his own vision while I was getting instruction on a specific technique.

Hailey painting her first mask, which was a little dark, but very cool.

Sydney putting on the final touches to her first mask.

Randy even gave mask painting a try.

The kids with one of their finished products.

We took our time walking back to the apartment to rest before our evening "Ghost Tour".  The kids were very curious what this tour would entail and while it wasn't really a ghost tour, we did get to see parts of Venice we wouldn't have seen or noticed otherwise.  We learned about why all the corners had cement or marble shelves in them, which werent' really shelves.  They were used to prevent thief's from hiding around a corner and robbing someone walking in the streets.  They were built such that you couldn't sit or stand on them, and the kids tried to on practically every one we saw.  We learned about how it was built and how the wells were used in the middle of most squares.  Our guide was wonderful and would have taken the kids home if we let her.  The kids loved her and we just walked behind and she held their hands or they would run ahead and she would yell "stop", which they promptly did.  How come that never works for mom and dad???

We stopped by the Ferrari shop to get a quick picture.  Aaron thought the store was awesome!

Picture of Grand Canal

The kids, or should I say Hailey and Aaron, having fun at the water fountain!

On our tour we stopped at a wood shop where they were making oars and other parts for the gondolas.

Randy and the kids on Rialto bridge.

Saturday was our relaxing day where we took in some shopping and finally took a gondola ride.  The kids were most excited for this part of the trip after seeing them in the canals.  It was a very relaxing ride and it was sad to see it end.  As I mentioned early we decided against Munich because of the soccer tournament only to learn the Venice was hosting the America's Cup.  We did go down before they were starting and took a few pictures, but it was time to get back since Randy had arranged a sitter so we could go out for dinner without the kids.  The kids had a great time with the sitter and we had a wonderful meal.  I had the best tiramisu I have ever had, it was delicious!!!

Quick picture for the end of our gondola ride.

Waiting for the start of America's Cup.

Hailey with her Venice purchases - purse and hat.

Bridge of Sighs - part of the old prison that connected it to the interrogation rooms.

Saturday morning Randy and I woke to the apartment shaking and we couldn't figure out what was going on.  Randy thought there was a big truck or something, but that was clearly not possible since there aren't motor vehicles in Venice.  In the morning I asked Randy if Italy has earthquakes.  We weren't sure so I googled to only learn that there was an earthquake that had killed 7 people.  Fortunately the kids slept through it and there wasn't any damage to Venice because of how far away we were from the epicenter.  We made it safely home and am looking forward to some time at home, so I can plan our next vacation : )

Newest addition and Parc Adventure

Well, we finally caved and Randy and the girls were off to the animal shelter to rescue a cat.  Sydney has shed many tears over the loss of her cats that we left behind when we moved.  Sydney learned that her teacher was giving her pet to the shelter and she was insistent that we needed to rescue and welcome it to the Rude family.  Here is a picture of our rambunctious cat named Saucisse, which is sausage in french.  The girls wanted to keep his given name.  I am sensing a trend with our animal names...  We had two guinea pigs named Fudge and Cheese and now we have Saucisse, hmmmm.

Our newest addition, Saucisse.

Sydney had a birthday part at Parc Adventure with is a tree climbing obstacle course.  We all gave it a try even mom and dad and now the kids are wondering when we are going back.  The kids were out among the trees tackling difference obstacles to get from tree to tree for almost 3 hours.  We all had a blast and will definitely add it to our destination list for visitors as it is something I have never seen in the US.  I am not sure if they even exist given the potential risk and liability.  There were a number of zip lines and one very long one where you finished on a platform you had to jump from and then were slower lowered by another line.  The zip line was a blast, but I had a very hard time jumping and ended up sitting and slowly lowering myself off the platform.

Aaron on a wire towards the next tree.

Hailey on the boards towards the zip line.

Sydney making her way to the tree.

Randy on the long zip line that starts at the tree in the background.

Casey and I getting ready for the swing obstacle, yikes!

It was a great day and we will definitely be checking out the other ones that are nearby!  We also finished our last step in our move.  We finally have our Swiss drivers license so we don't have to worry about taking the exam in French, which is required if you wait more than 1 year from your arrival.  I can hardly believe it will be 1 year next year.

First trip to US

I haven't forgotten about the blog, it has just taken me over 2 weeks to recover from our first trip back to the US!!  I figured I better get caught up before I get too far behind.

The kids were finally off school for 2 1/2 weeks for April vacation and we were heading back to the states.  Bags were packed, including two empty suitcases packed into each other and we were on the bus heading to the train station.  We arrived just before midnight on Thursday and the kids were exhausted.  They went straight asleep and slept all night.  That was much easier than I thought, although they did hit their wall late in the afternoon!  We had a great first couple of days with Papa, Nana, Chelle, Shelby, and Lizzy in Fort Myers.

Chelle, Shelby, and Lizzy flew in to see us for a few days before we headed off to Orlando where we met up with my dad, step mom, aunt, and brothers.  It was great to see everyone greet us at the airport even if we were exhausted!  My first order of business was a massage and pedicure while Randy was getting his hair cut on Friday.  Exciting stuff we had on our list of "must do's"!!  On Saturday, we enjoyed a day at the beach while Randy and his dad golfed.  The weather was absolutely beautiful and we all had a great day playing in the sand and ocean.  Although Aaron got a little carried away and threw a couple handfuls of sand in the air where the wind blew it onto this lady relaxing in her chair.  Oops : (

Aaron on the beach trying to stay out of trouble.

Easter egg hunt with Lizzy and Nana.

We spend Easter Sunday with Randy's family and friends before heading off to Orlando for the week.  The kids had a great time on their Easter egg hunt and some more swimming in the afternoon.  We then packed up the car and were off to Orlando.  This trip was going to be a challenge with our luggage and the fact we only had a car vs a van.  It would definitely be a problem if my shopping got out of hand!!  We managed to get everything in both ways, but it wasn't easy.

On Monday, everyone headed off to Universal Studios while we were off to Animal Kingdom where we met up with Sydney's friend from skating and her family.  It was a wonderful day and the kids had a great time with Maeva and Elena and I even got to hear them use their french!  I was exhausted by the end of the day with keeping up with the kids and having to use french all day, but it was worth every minute.  What better way to practice what you have learned!

Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom

Maeva, Sydney, Aaron, Elena, and Hailey waiting for Wild Rapid ride.

The skating trio after getting their faces painted.

Tuesday, the girls went shopping for Randy birthday.  Hailey decided to stay back and swim with all the boys.  Our last stop was Target and Sydney was like a kid in a huge candy store.  It was so funny to see the stuff that jumped out at her and suddenly had to have because we can't get it in Switzerland!!  She totally worked it and Grandma Jan and Bette were more than willing to play along ; )  Wednesday we were off to Blizzard Beach while Bette and Jan did some more shopping.  We found a spot in a sandy part so the kids could dig in the side while we took a break from the water.

On Thursday I headed over to Tampa to meet up with my friend Niki who was there on business.  We spent the evening shopping and getting things crossed off my shopping list.  It was great to catch up and shop at the same time.  It was sad to say good bye again, but hopefully I have planted the seed to come visit and we will see each other on my side of the pond next.  It was a very successful trip and I was back on the road early the next morning to celebrate Randy's 40th birthday.  Everyone was heading to Magic Kingdom for our last day where we planned to stay for the parade and fireworks at the end of the day.

Aaron getting to visit his favorite character.

Getting ready to go down Splash Mountain.

And down they go....

We said our good byes and were on our way back to Ft Myers on Saturday before flying out on Thursday.  Randy and I got away for one night to Hollywood Hard Rock Casino while the kids stayed back with Papa and Nana.  We finished off the rest of our shopping list, packed up our bags before saying our last good byes.  The kids seemed ok with heading back for the most part.  There were some tears, but after a week we were all back into our normal routine.  We had a great visit and are still trying to decide if and when we will come back before it is time to move back.  We may use that time to see other parts of the world, stay tuned.