Lugano/Como Trip

I have found my happiest place on Earth and it isn't Disney World...it is the Parco San Marco Hotel on Lake Lugano!  We were lucky enough to go with 4 other families and have a fabulous 3-day vacation.  George and the kids didn't even leave the resort until we checked out.  And they had a blast!  Check it out...

The resort was built into the mountain side.  The kids were give a treasure map of the hotel and sent on a treasure hunt to get to know the grounds.  As a reward they received a compass.  So cute.

Our room was in that yellow building behind us.  It was a beautiful view from almost any where on the resort.

They had these cute dog statues that lined the entrance to the lobby and Allison hugged and pet them every time we passed.

Yummy breakfast every morning.  

An incredible playground on site.  The kids played their for hours.

  

An outdoor kids pool with slides and fun.  The water was a little to cold for me, but they didn't seem to mind.

Allison just relaxing on the balcony before dinner.

Alex ran around the resort with his friends Patrick, Sam, & Grant (not pictured) the whole time.

  

Rock climbing...way to go Sammy!

 Archery for the boys.

Every night we dropped all the kids off to the kids club where they played and ate dinner, while the adults had a nice kids-free dinner all together!  Magical!

One day the moms snuck away to Belagio off Lake Como in Italy for some lunch and shopping.  A much needed kid-free afternoon.

After checking out we headed to Como for a beautiful dinner on the lake.  The food not so good, but the atmosphere was amazing!

We walked along the lake for a while and then headed home.  A much needed vacation and I am already planning a trip back!

Rest of Ascension Weekend

After a gorgeous day at Pilatus we had a few rainy days.  Here is how we spent the rest of the weekend!

Nothing better than swimming on a rainy day.  We headed to Baar pool where Clara could show off her new swimming skills and the kids could play with some friends.  We were even brave enough to do the outside slide despite the cold.

After swimming we played at a park in downtown Zug before heading to eat at one of the only Mexican restaurants.  I wish I could say it was amazing food, but at least it was Mexican food:)  I don't know how the kids stand these spinning things...makes me nauseous just watching.

 Allison one again loving the swing!

  

The next day we decided to head down by Bern (the Swiss capital) and this cute town called Murten.  The have the old city surrounded by the wall still intact.  We walked around & shopped a little.

 We climbed up the old wall and walked around it for a while.

 Amazing views from up there!

We then headed to Avenches, just a few miles away and yet on the French speaking side of Switzerland.  Here they have old Roman ruins.  This use to be the capital of Helvetia back in the day.  

The Roman arena.  

 You could see how big it once was.  It would have been a sight to see.

Out in this field there is an old Roman theater.  It was amazing to just wander around and explore.

 Sammy & Clara climbing on the once walls.

 Alex can't help himself and takes advantage of a little make-believe time.

 Across from the theater is the ruins of a Roman sanctuary.  It was quarried for many years, so not much remains.  But you can see the outline of what it once was.  It was huge and beautiful.

 One of the last standing columns.

I am always amazed at all there is to see in Switzerland alone.  There is so much history here.  I love this opportunity we have to explore it all!

Pilatus!

Switzerland has all these crazy Christian holidays through out the Spring.  I can't complain much because it just gives us more school days off and more time to explore this wonderful place we live!

For Ascension weekend we decided to head Pilatus...a mountain peak by Luzern.  It had been a cold week before we went so we prepared ourselves for some snow.  We went with some friends of ours, the Gyslers, and rode the cogwheel train up (the world's steepest)!  Once you get to the top you can't believe how far you've come!

A beautiful view from the top!

Just can't get over how those Swiss mountains seem to go forever.

This view is from the opposite side looking down on Lake Luzern.

One of my favorite parts was watching them make music on the alphorns.  It was beautiful and felt a little like I was in a Ricola commercial.

We were right in preparing for snow...there was a ton on the top making all the hikes closed.  So we opted for a snow ball fight instead! 

 We rode the gondola down the other side and found ourselves in Spring-like weather.  Quite a change from the snowball fight we just had:)  We played in this amazing park for hours!  Allison just loves to swing.  She almost fell asleep in it.

We grilled up some swiss sausages & ate a yummy lunch.  The Gyslers accidently left their food bag up top, so it made for a little adventure trying to find it.  Alex loved helping his dad build the fire!

Sammy cruising down the zip line.  She helped a the little kids get on & off safely.

Clara holding on tight.  She did the for about an hour! 

Alex and Samy roasting some bread...a yummy Swiss way of eating bread.

It was a fantastic day and one of my favorite Swiss days so far!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers!  I hope you each got a day to relax and be reminded why being a mother is the best.  I know I sure did.  It started off with breakfast in bed, church, a nap, scrapbooking, dinner, & playing at the park.  I am happy to be the mom to Sammy, my best helper; Alex, my comedic relief; Clara, my stylist; & Allison, my cuddle bug! 

Time Flies By

It amazes me how quickly time goes by.  Lately, I have been trying to catch up on my scrap booking (about 6 years behind).  And it has made me want to take some more pictures to capture every moment.    So here are some of my favorite shots over the last month.  

 

Nothing like an afternoon snack of Nutella and crackers.  A little messy, but worth it!

 

Clara has swimming lessons every Wednesday, so we make a trip of it.  Emily came with us on this trip.  The girls had a blast together. 

 

A little cuteness before bedtime--often my favorite time of the day. 

  

Allison loves the park and being outside!  This is the play ground at the kids school and she loves to roam around and especially play with Sammy.

 

 Allison makes me smile all day long.  She loves to say "cheese" and does the perfect poses!  She is into dressing up and doing what the big kids do.  She is growing up way too fast!