Laowai

I need a word

a brand new word 

nobody ever heard

I need a word

that can express

you are the dearest 
on the earth

  – poem by Monique and Hans Hagen

Today is our 17th wedding anniversary!

Today spring seems to be back on track.

We took a bike ride along the lake and stopped at the grounds of Schloss Au for a picnic. 

Then Claire went to a birthday party for her sweet friend Clara.

They made crowns from flowering branches and they got to hold chickens. 

What happened to my Spring???

I inherited some fabric from my Grandma Dice and I’ve made it into a tablecloth. I think grandma used this fabric as a tablecloth, but it was never hemmed. I can picture the fabric on the little light blue wooden table that grandma kept in her carport. I can picture her milk glass hobnail pitcher filled with lemonade sitting on the tablecloth.

It’s the most happy and summery fabric and thinking of it at Grandma’s house gives me a smile in my heart.

There is something so nice about showing your loved ones all around your world. We showed Jenna and Jennifer and Grandma our everyday places like school and the grocery store. And we showed them some Swiss highlights like the trains and mountains and chocolate. We packed a lot in and it was so fun!

The girls went for a walk soon after Jenna arrived:

Chocolate shopping:

Claire showed off her school playground:

Riding on the train:

Jennifer shrunk and Jenna grew at the science museum:

We put Jennifer to work cutting the bread for our fondue dinner:

My girls had to go to school (sad) but the rest of us enjoyed a lovely drive to an animal park:

We had to visit a mountain top – especially since we had a beautiful sunny day:

Tired on the train ride home:

I’m so happy that they visited. See you in Summer Mom and Jennifer and Jenna.

Bea learned about the Mexican folk art called Alebrija in her art class. Here’s the great example that she made.

Grrrrrrrr.

Jennifer and mom and Jenna are here and we are having so much fun! 

Jennifer arrived from her meeting in Holland with tulips for me – so pretty.

We’re off for one last adventure today and then they have to leave on Sunday. I’ll have lots more smiley photos to post after they’re gone.

Mom and Jennifer and Jenna are on their way to see us right now! We’re so excited. I had to look back at some photos from when they all visited last – When Claire was 10 months old and Bea was four and Jenna was five. Time flies.