Since we are moving home in a couple of weeks we didn't go back to the states for Christmas. It was a quiet but wonderful Christmas. We weren't distracted, we weren't super busy, we couldn't Christmas bake like we do in the states due to lack of ingredients and cooking supplies, we didn't attend any Christmas parties, and we were on the other side of the world from our families. While we did miss being with everyone I was grateful that our focus this year was completely on Jesus Christ and His birth with no distractions.
On Christmas eve, we decided we would go downtown and look at all of the Christmas decorations. It was a ghost town which is typical of Geneva since everything closes by 6 during the week (except for Thursdays when stores are open till 7) whether it's a holiday or not. We walked around and treasured having the whole town to ourselves and I was telling David how I can remember the first week we were here feeling like nothing would ever feel normal. I remember feeling physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted at the end of each day. Now, everything is so easy...so familiar....so normal. There are times when we go back to the US and it doesn't feel the same. Then there are times where even though everything is still normal here in Switzerland you still feel like an outsider. It's a strange thing to feel like you fit in both places but yet you don't fit anywhere at all. Such is our nomadic lifestyle I suppose and yet we are so grateful and feel extremely blessed for the experiences that we have had! I know home will always be wherever we are together because in the end it is all temporary.
So here is the randomness of our lives since fall!
We love spending time down by the lake on the weekends!! We've been trying to soak it up these last several months
We had to renew our Visa's and transporation passes to get us through a couple more months.
Man have we spent a lot of time at this bus stop over the last 18 months!
Outside the transportation office at the train station!
The sun shining in Geneva!
We went searching for an apple orchard again this year. We ended up back at the same places we went to last year. Most people will sell their pumpkins on the side of the road. We did get a very unusual pumpkin and some of the best pears we've ever had!
One of our friends, who also works with David's, came to Geneva to do
some work. The day he got in, we drove over to Chamonix, France and also
drove into Italy. We ended up in a cute little town called Aosta, Italy.
Chamonix, France
Aosta, Italy
They were loving these Cannolis!
We traveled home for Thanksgiving to do a little house hunting and also to spend some time with our families and our puppies!
We had a surprising amount of snow in Geneva the beginning of December. Last year it didn't snow hardly at all and when it did it was later in the season.
After the snow
Some of David's co-workers took us out for a going away dinner!! We drove to Annecy, France and had fondue and Raclette!!
Fondue
Fondue in a bread bowl
Raclette Machine
Christmas weekend was pretty low key. We hung out a little downtown by the Christmas market. We had a gorgeous and warm Christmas weekend. Christmas Eve we walked around downtown Geneva to see it all lit up! On Christmas day, we hung out in our pajamas and watched Christmas movies all day.
Christmas Market
A swiss Nativity scene. Complete with a wise man in a Burberry scarf!!
Since I don't have room to cook a whole turkey in my tiny little oven we went to a deli and bought some Christmas steaks!
Looking at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve.
Partridge in a pear tree
