Christmas Time!

I was a little bit anxious about spending my first Christmas without my family, and of course I thought about them a lot and missed them, but thanks to the kindness of wonderful friends here, I had the most wonderful Christmas.

The festivities started a few weeks ago with two connect group Christmas celebrations. The first was a joint celebration of two of the English speaking groups - a bring and share Christmas lunch one Sunday after church - which was a tasty and happy occasion. The second was a full roast dinner for the Monday night connect group I attend which was a wonderful celebration of the friendship we have shared this year! And then of course there have been a few trips to Christmas markets to eat fondue and crepes, and drink hot wine :)

The festivities started with dinner at the parents-in-law of a good friend - we had Chinese fondue and gifts were exchanged. I spent most of the evening happily chatting away in French and kept having to remind myself that I was indeed spending Christmas Eve with a dear family in a small Swiss village - unreal! I was exceptionally grateful to this family for opening their home to me.

I slept over at my friend's house and we started Christmas morning with pancakes before letting her boys open and delight in their gifts! We spent the morning preparing our Christmas meal and mid-afternoon some other friends joined us for a very delicious meal of turkey, roast potatoes, garlic carrots, green beans, peas and broccoli with chocolate cake and Christmas cookies for dessert. We spent the rest of the day playing lego and once the boys went to sleep we watched a movie together. Overall, it was the perfect Christmas day - relaxed and joyous with happy hearts and full tummies!

My hosts kindly invited me to stay the night again, and on the morning of the 26th we woke up to a Winter Wonderland and the snow continued to fall all day - what a treat! Some friends came from brunch, so we indulged in more pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausages and happy fellowship for a few hours before playing more lego, playing games and reading books together. We then bundled up and went for a walk in the snow :)

I took the day off on the 27th to finish the Christmas week off in the mountains for a perfect day of skiing!

Overall, it was a happy, blessed and peaceful Christmas, and I am so grateful for the kindness and generosity of my friends - they welcomed me into their home with such warmth and love and I was so happy to be a part of their family for a few days!

Family Time

I have really come to appreciate my family in new ways since I have lived in Lausanne - growing up, not being at home anymore, and experiencing more of life have all shown me time and time again how wonderful my family is. I am so grateful for each one of them and the completely unique relationships we all have with each other. Spending time together over November was food for my soul!

The marriage of my gorgeous sister to her prince was the reason we all came together, and it gave us a perfect opportunity to celebrate family. It was an honour to be a bridesmaid for my sister and witness her union.  I met my two brand new nieces - they are both completely delightful. (Little darlings with sweet smiles, sleeping peacefully in my arms, snuggling up to me - nothing else mattered in those moments).  I spent time with my precious and gentle nephews and it was such a gift to see their sweet characters developing, they really are little people now :) (Bed time stories and songs, preparing food for little people, playing trains, spontaneous laughter, cuddles and games in the garden - what more could I want?)  I savored time spent with my siblings and their spouses and children (who are completely part of the family!) and my parents - what a fantastic group of people (Each one is fantastic, gifted and wise in unique ways). We are now an immediate family of 19 and the love I have for each one of them runs deep.

Every day was full - between babysitting, wedding preparations, food preparation, hosting events and social activities with friends - my arms and heart were full! It was an abundant and blessed time and I soaked up every minute of it.  I continuously had two scriptures running through my mind that captured everything perfectly...

..."My cup runneth over"... 

..."A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap"... 

Life Lately

It has been a while since I last posted something, so I thought it was time for an update! I have been back in Lausanne for two weeks now after a wonderful 3 weeks in South Africa (post to follow about my trip) and I am back to my full and lovely life here:

• It is definitely winter - it is cold and and the day is short. The sun is rising at 08:00, and setting by about 16:30/17:00. Thankfully we have had some sunny days! Personally I love the combination of winter sun, blue skies and crisp fresh air.
• It is time to find some snow and do some skiing! I took my skies to be serviced and I bought some ski passes already, so it is time to go :) 
• Lausanne is an especially magical city at Christmas time - I am enjoying the festive atmosphere and the beautiful Christmas lights that are everywhere. And as a major bonus - it is Christmas market time.
• This is such a social time of year and we have done some fun things lately - Christmas parties, dinners, drinks with friends and a super fun clothes swop which has to be the best way to clean out your closet, get some "new" clothes and enjoy an evening with the ladies. 
• I signed up for another half-marathon in February, the Romeo and Juliet half-marathon in Verona :)  Recently I have enjoyed a lot of swimming, so I need to fit in some more runs.
• Salsa dancing still has to be one of the best ways to de-stress and have a lot of fun. 
• Next year is going to be a full year with some extra commitments at work and at church - I am excited and trying not to have too much "anticipatory stress". 
• I had an absolutely wonderful 27th birthday here - my friends and colleagues did an exceptional job of making the day special, and I felt so loved and appreciated. 
• I am still taking French lessons every week, but I am making good progress and feeling more and more comfortable with the language. 
• Although it would be lovely to spend Christmas at home, I am really looking forward to spending Christmas here celebrating with good friends, enjoying the festive atmosphere and having a few days of rest. 
• My gratitude grows each day - I am abundantly blessed in every area of my life and I am grateful. 

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. (Melody Beattie)

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. (Denis Waitley)

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/gratitude.html#8Aj22zx1o537ugrp.99

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/gratitude.html#8Aj22zx1o537ugrp.99