Do you know about the Brambly Hedge series of books? I just discovered them and I have a big crush on all the little mice that make up the Brambly Hedge world.  **** Warning for Grandma C. — lots of pictures of mice coming up! **** I spent a lot of time as a kid…

We made some bread yesterday (Fannie Farmer’s wheat bread). Later I also made some chocolate zuchini bread. Bea tried some of the chocolate bread which is really like chocolate cake after dinner. She ran into the kitchen and said “Mom, there’s someting green in my cake!” Then she begrungingly liked it even though it had…

The Zurich Slow-Up is a day when they close the big road that goes along our side of Lake Zurich and you can ride your bike on the road. Bea has really loved the Slow-Up in the past – she thinks it’s neat that we can ride down the middle of the road. And she…

This week has not been our easiest. Mostly because Bea was sick and home from school for most of the week. She had a bad fever for 3 days and then has been spending the rest of the week getting her strength back. She’s back to school today and the sun is out so I…

As soon as I sense a little bit of Fall in the air I start to feel crafty and I think of the holidays coming. I’m really enjoying embroidering on felt right now. And here’s Bea with a bubble hat:

I’ve felt like sewing lately… more than anything else. Just lock me away in the sewing room and I’m a happy girl.  My furniture is really getting abused by my children and it shows. So I made this quilted cover thingy to cover some of the stains on my chair. I quickly pulled all the…

Yesterday Brian went for a bike ride – he went really far and really high. Like over one hundred miles with an elevation gain of 9 thousand feet. This trip was part of his goal to bike from our house to each of the countries that border Switzerland. Sometimes I forget how fit and fanatic…

We had two beautiful sunny days this weekend so we visited two pretty towns. Rapperswil: and St. Gallen: We were all good and tired on the train ride home:

This morning I’m trying to get the house back in order after a crummy week and I’ve gotten distracted by these pictures that Mom and Dad gave us last Christmas. Look at cute me and cute Jennifer and the clothes – especially the litte nautical outfit that Jenna has on – I just love it.…