We Are...

 Enjoying Basel and the surrounding area!

Grateful for our family this holiday season.

Slowing down and enjoying that pace.

Watching Tessa embrace the potty.

Loving the sounds of Lord Huron.

Relishing in hikes with sweet lady friends.

Setting the record straight that we are quite content with our family of four.

Looking forward to awesome travel in 2014.

Taking it all in!

 Hand -n-hand down town.

 The urban bike scene...AKA Basel!

 Ready to build something serious with his new tool kit!

 A little holiday reading.

 Watching the fog roll in and out!

Loving where we live!

We Are...

We Are...

Off to Bern tomorrow to renew Noah's passport...already!

Gearing up for the holidays.
So proud of Robert for his recent patent!  Go get 'em babe!

Enjoying the rain.

Inspired by a lady I met on the street who is well into her 60's and running her 50th marathon!  Wow!

Listening to Christmas mixes from an old friend.

Hoping all of our Christmas cards make it to the States this year - oh, postage.

Grateful to have watched the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3q03XG0pPQ

Looking forward to some much needed downtime.

Wishing our sister a beautiful birthday!

Happy 5th Noah!

Noah will be 5 tomorrow.  Did I type that correctly? 5 (gulp).

I am not sure how that happened, but it is indeed happening.

For as much as this little man has blessed our lives, challenged us, taught us the most valuable of life's lessons, for all that his is, and all that he will become, we are grateful that he is indeed our son.

 I need to remind myself as I ask him to sit in his seat, to listen, to be kind to his sister, that he is learning, that we are all learning together. 

I thank Noah for not being my "Yes Man," for challenging me, for pushing me to my limits at times and for always having a heart that knows genuine kindness, sorrow and joy.

For being that child who eagerly greets each new day.

For welcoming each sunrise and sunset with joyful anticipation.

And I promise you if he had a tail, it would wag at the mere smell of fresh air, the chance to run and the opportunity to be free.

Oh God, I love that child and I am so fortunate to call him my son.

So, happy, happy birthday Noah and know each day as you stride through your life that you are truly and genuinely loved.

That you are the child we always wanted and always dreamed of.

You are the such a miraculous gift.

We know you will make 5 absolutely magical!

We Are...

We Are...

 

Embracing the cold.

Preparing for five.

Listening to Alice Phoebe Lou and thrilled to have heard her in Berlin.

Still smiling when I think of Berlin.

Busy as busy can be.

Grateful for our health.

Missing the Alps.

Looking forward to a birthday party this weekend.

 

 Reflecting on our incredible summer in the Alps...doesn't get much better than this!

We Are...

 We Are...

Grateful for a beautiful and memorable fall.

Happy to have thoroughly enjoyed Herbstmesse this year!

Celebrating friend's birthdays.

Leading walks through the woods with some great people!

Bracing ourselves for the cold months ahead.

Looking forward to a long weekend away with friends.

Happy to have new friends right in the neighborhood!

Hoping Tessa's teeth come through quickly.

Smiling as Tessa asked me the other day, "Mom, can we be friends?"  I whispered back, "Yes, my love, we can always be friends."

Unable to believe that Noah is almost five and wondering where on earth the time has gone?

Looking forward to Thanksgiving with a dear friend.

Thrilled that we were able to attend a recent TEDx talk in Basel!

A Belated Halloween

 Thanks to an incredible friend and neighbor, our children and roughly 60 other children in our neighborhood were able to celebrate a proper American Halloween for the third year in a row.

With 28 homes to visit on a well - marked map, our little ones set out to gather their goods and have a great night out.

Noah was a roaring tiger and Tessa was a princess.

We all had a great time and beautiful memories were made.

Thanks Anastasia for such a fabulous evening!

 Noah might just try out for the next casting of Cats!

 A serious Halloween pose!

 Right before the festivities.

Getting ready to collect the goods!

Noah

 As it turns out, our little man is well on his way to being a BIG five - year -old.

How did that happen?

I still have no idea, but as five quickly approaches my heart welcomes the spirit of our son.

He constantly surprises us with things he says, things he does and how well he has embraced the local Kindergarten, a new language and all of his new little buddies.

Simply put, if we could have created a son placing attributes on a piece of paper that would one day miraculously turn themselves into a little person that we could call our very own, Noah would be it.

We adore this child for all that he is, all that he is becoming and all that he will one day be.

Noah, thank you for being our son and filling our lives with such tremendous joy.

You are so very loved!

 Noah riding an incredible steam train on a "dude day" with dad!

 One happy little boy for his love of trains has not slowed.  Nope, not one bit!

 Riding the train in beautiful scenery.

 A wee bit of soot on the face never hurt anyone!

 Noah basking in the fall!

Fall...Moments Are Fleeting

 It is quite possible that we were given seasons as a way to capture and take in the moments that
make - up our lives.

Each moment is fleeting, each moment is special and so is each season of our lives.

And therefore fall is my favorite. 

A season rich with colors - vibrant colors that dance across a landscape that has etched itself into my heart and soul.

A season that symbolizes warmth, slowing down, coming together and taking the time to nurture those we love.

So, for now, we must take it all in.

For these moments, much like the leaves on the trees that will soon find themselves bare and covered in snow, are passing ever so quickly.