Life In Basel

It's official!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 17:28:00 +0000

Ok...so maybe you are wondering why I am cleaning out the kitchen and trying not to buy uneccesary items? Maybe you aren't wondering anything! Well, first of all...yes, it's great to clean out the kitchen and be frugal with your money and food. However, there was something that has made me more prone to start this project....moving! Yes, we are moving back to the US. Where? We aren't positive yet but we have a couple of options to look at. So, that is my biggest motivation to clean out the kitchen and at the same time I hope to learn some great ideas about how to be frugal in the kitchen and in the home.

We are excited about moving back but we will also miss many things that we have come to love and enjoy in Switzerland.

I love homemade food!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 15:45:00 +0000

What is better than homemade food? For one thing, you know what you are putting in the recipe, its cheaper than buying it from the store. Here are two main staples in my home that I try to make often. It's a great way to save money and it's getting me through my challenge this week! Homemade bread and Homemade Mac and Cheese!

Week 3 of my challenge: Beans

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 16:38:00 +0000

This is week three of the challenge for myself to use up the food in the cabinets. Believe me, many times I have thought...mmmmm it would be nice to have this...and that but I'm reminded of my challenge. So, I opened the cabinets and found lots of beans. Black beans, lentils and chickpeas. Well, with beans we always eat rice but we are out of rice. So, in order to eat beans I made to the store this week has been to the Swiss stores. I went and just picked up basic items like milk, fresh salad, mayo, and today rice and nutella. I will make some bean dishes this week with rice and throw in some seasonings here and there. I've decided not to follow a recipe because ...well...I won't have all the ingredients and I think that it's hard to go wrong with beans and rice:) Here is a picture of our dinner tonight. I just threw together a can of lentils and diced tomatoes. I cut up some fresh carrots and after they were cooked I put them in the pot with lentils. With a little bit of seasonings...BAM you got some dinner on the table with rice!

So far so good....

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 14:35:00 +0000

This week has been quite easy to stay on my meal plan and budget...however, I wouldn't suggest to make the Tuna Pasta in my last post...We weren't too excited about it and in fact it was very fishy tasting. I like tuna but not with this recipe.

The only thing I didn't plan in my weekly menu was the Asian dish we had Saturday night. I was excited to try this new dish. My friend, Kay, took me to the Asian market on Friday and showed me all different kinds of fresh vegetables and ideas that I could bring to our dinner table. So, I brought home some Okra, Asparagus, some Satay, and edadame beans. I want to introduce new vegetables to our kiddos and Saturday night I made a yummy stir fry! At least I thought it was yummy! Oh my goodness, the crispness and freshness of the Okra and Asparagus were amazing! My children liked either the okra or asparagus but not both. My hubby, well lets just say he is not much of a veggie type of guy...he is a meat man. At least they tried it! I will make that dish again!

Today, I'm going to look in my cupboards again and see what kind of recipes I can come up with.

I have no more rice!! Yikes! Rice is a staple in my home and we are out of it! However, I have SO many different kinds of pastas! I try to stay away from pastas all the time but we need to eat them up! So, this week I will try to make more pasta dishes.

Let's see...Last week we had the "Chilbi" which is like a fall fair but very small. Isaac won some Chinese noodles and chopsticks with some sweet and sour sauce. So, I think we will stick with a Chinese noodle dish. I'll purchase some egg rolls and use up the Asian sauce that Craig's mom bought while they were visiting. (she made a yummy Asian recipe while they visited us)

Rebekah also won some egg noodles too! Two packages! So, I think I will make Fried noodles (my mom's awesome recipe)

Dinners:

Chinese noodles with sweet and sour sauce and egg rolls

Fried noodles with veggies and fish

Pizza (for my bday) and cupcakes

Tonight we are having the tortilla egg roll ups from last post

Hearty hamburger soup http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hearty-hamburger-soup/detail.aspx

Lunches:

Sandwiches (many varieties....what we have in the cupboard:) )

homemade cheese pizza

apples/bananas

fresh veggies

Ramon noodles

Breakfast:

English muffins with eggs

cream of wheat

Granola

cornflakes

I have pretty much everything to make all of these meals except for some items. I'm sure I can stay well under the 50 euro budget this week!

Basel Run to the Beat Half Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 15:10:00 +0000

I have been training almost 9 mths to run a half marathon. I finished my first training in the middle of June ( long long training time) but I did not have a race to run so I then started to train again right away for the Basel Marathon that happens every Sept. I needed a goal. It was difficult, especially in the end part of training. The long distances were hard on my body but finally I ran the Half on Sept 22 this year! My hubby and I both ran it. Of course Craig is much faster than I and he beat his time from last year. I finished in 2:19 minutes. Whew! I was so glad to accomplish this goal. Now, time for my body to heal but I am looking forward to start back at running again. Not too long of distances but just to keep my endurance up and to keep myself fit. My next run will be the Basel Stadt in November which is held every year. This is only a 5.5 km run. http://www.stadtlauf.ch/
Isaac, Elsah, Craig and I all ran this last year. We are hoping that Rebekah will join us this year :)

Habitual shopping routine

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 14:56:00 +0000

So it's been a while since my last post. Lots been going on here.

For those who know me, you know I love my kitchen. I love baking new meals and trying new recipes. My fondest memories are always involving food and the love of a enticing meal. The smells, the savory taste of a freshly baked food that is in the oven brings me such joy. I love making meals and desserts and sharing them with people or giving them away. That is who I am.

However, the one thing that I have a hard time with is looking in my cabinets and just concoct a meal without going to the store. This is why I always end up making a weekly meal list from recipes I find interesting. I go purchase the items for those meals. Then when its time to prepare dinner I may choose to make something totally not on my weekly menu. Just because I'm not in the mood for that. Have you ever done this?

So, this week I have been wondering why I go get groceries every week, get the same items if not more to stock up on, and yet I wonder why I'm not saving or being wise with what I already have. I have been reading frugal blogs on http://www.pinterest.com/ and thought to myself: "You know, I could do this...I could make food from just what is in my pantry and if needed I could go get a few groceries." I thought again to myself..."But, when I think about doing this I get enticed to buy this or that because...well just in case we may need it and I'm within my guided weekly budget." Hm mm...really? Just in case? Within my weekly budget? I looked around in my kitchen...my goodness gracious I have tons of food in the cabinets. I don't "really" have to go shopping for a full list of groceries just "Because" its my habitual every Wednesday habit!

That's the problem. A weekly habitual habit. For many years, 12 now since I've been married...I have always had one shopping day and a budget to spend. However, I always have food that is just sitting in the cabinets, never used or used only once in a while. I keep adding and adding to the cabinet. I know that I'm not alone in this, am I?

So, I'm going to challenge myself to accomplish the unthinkable in my mind and that includes the following:
1-stay under my budget per week
2-not spend more than 50 Euros a week for a family of 5. ( This doesn't include my milk and other Swiss products that I buy here in Switzerland.)
3-make meals with what is in my cabinets for meals
4-make things from scratch

I am hoping that I will be able to use up many of my items in the cabinets and know that I am not wasting my food.

So, here is a couple of things I have made or plan on making this week:
For Breakfast I made:
1-Cream of Wheat
2-Homemade granola from this site http://www.you-can-make-that.com/2011/11/homemade-granola.html
3-Breakfast burritos idea from this link:http://wearethatfamily.com/ I won't actually be making the whole 18 and freezing them. Im just going to use the idea for breakfast.

For Dinner:
1-Cheesy, crumb topped chicken casserole from this site: http://pintsizedtreasures.com/2013/09/12/crumb-topped-supreme-chicken-casserole/
2-Tuna Pasta with Tomatoes: http://shushanik.hubpages.com/hub/10-Best-Canned-Tuna-Recipes

For Lunches:
1-kid friendly recipes hot dogs with spaghetti: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/54/3b/1f/543b1ffb2909ffda9e83e18858c059ca.jpg
2-pizza burritos
3-chunky greek salad: http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Chunky-Greek-Salad-Recipezaar

So, that's a bit of my plan. Let's see how it goes next week:)

Isaac's Music camp recital 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 11:05:00 +0000

Isaac's piano recital from after 4 days of Music camp.

He played with a violinist and a cello player

http://youtu.be/FVxdG8bEaM0

Isaac's last piano recital for 2013: duet with his piano teacher

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 16:30:00 +0000

The Lord gives friends for our journey!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Over a period of two years I have come to know a very special lady. She is amazing and the Lord has truly changed her heart and continues to lead her. I will miss her dearly as I have developed an amazing friendship with her. One that is like no other. I am blessed to be her sister in Christ! We may not see each other again in person but we will see each other in heaven one day. What a wonderful thing! However, it would be so nice to see her again in person....Lord willing:)

Debbie is the lady on the far left! We are missing two ladies this day:(

Summer break begins

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 15:48:00 +0000

Last Friday was the beginning of our summer break. I love this time of year. When I try to explain what summer in Basel it sorta like it goes like this: The sun is hot, people are grilling out all over the place, cold refreshing water to put your feet in to cool off, basking in the sun, Indie having lots of fun running in and out of the water, the younger two skipping rocks, feeding ducks, going to the pool. This year I'm going to try to become more "swiss". Every year people grill out by the Rhein. Well, this year I've decided to take Isaac Elsah to the forest and start a fire for cooking sausages and making some smores. I'll take some pictures so you can see. Isaac has already sharpened the perfect grilling stick for us with his swiss army knife! (You can see it here in the first pic)

Here are some pictures of our lovely adventure today by the Birs which is a small river that runs into the Rhein.

Rebekah's voice recital 2013: I Dreamed a Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:23:00 +0000

Wonderful visit with Mike and Sarah

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:20:00 +0000

Our trips in Switzerland with my brother and sister in law

First trip to Fluh: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM72YE_Flh_Switzerland_Leymen_France_Hiking_route_to_castle_Landskron

elsah on the road to the castle Landskron

Elsah and Isaac in jail (ha ha) in the castle

eating our lunch in the shade...whew it was hot!

Daddy and Elsah

Mike, Sarah and Rebekah at the top...the other two towers were under construction

Elsah on our way up to the Toboggan run at Mount Pilates

Mount Pilates and the swiss alps behind us

family!

Luzerne

Trip to Prague

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:51:00 +0000

During the weekend of Mother's Day, I got to enjoy myself with my family on a trip to Munich and Prague. We left Thursday morning about 9am. First time ever driving anywhere for a long time since moving to Switzerland. We got everything packed and were on the road. Car seats in and all the kids with their gadgets. The car ride was an experience and I think I have decided I love the trains, trams and buses over cars. In fact, I think our whole family does too. Elsah did not like driving as it made her feel ill. Last time Elsah was on a trip for a long time was over 3 years and she would've been 2.

Here are some few highlights of our trip:

The autobahn: Many people rave about going on this. I thought that the Autobahn was just one highway but it's all the highways in Germany. It isn't that exciting. The view is not beautiful because it looks like any other highway in the states. The only thing that is exciting and it would only be exhilarating if you had a really really fast and top notch car to go 150 MPH. The fast we went was about 110MPH because that was the main speed for everyone. However, it is really dangerous and I don't believe worth the risk. So, the autobahn is not really all that hype.

Our first stop: Munich. We arrived around 3pm and got settled into the hotel then hopped on an underground subway to take us to the English Gardens. Note that this was a holiday and everything is closed on these days. However, everyone was at these gardens soaking up the suns warmth and we got to eat at the Beer Garden. We had one day here which is not enough time at all to see anything, so if you ever go note this.
Here are some pics from Munich:

Our next stop: Prague
Yeah, we are on our way to Prague! I never thought I would ever go to this part of the world but I'm glad I did. We went because my hubby was running a marathon on Sunday. He had been training since January and here we were getting ready to cheer him on in this amazing event of his life.

Friday: We arrived around 6pm. We checked into Louren Hotels...which I highly recommend if you ever travel their. Great service, wonderful breakfast and very close to the underground and trams. We did some sight seeing as you can see from these pics below. The shopping was awesome and the cost to eat unbelievable!! I wish we had a bit more time in Prague to see all the other historical places.....

breakfast at the Louren Hotel

On the Charles Bridge

the kids enjoying their dead skin being cleaned by fish

they said it tickled

Desert bread with all different toppings. This recipe came originally from Romania.

eating the yummy bread

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Astronomical_Clock

Craig at the starting point of the marathon

Rebekah

ready, set, run!!

side street...love the cobblestone!

Finally, to the main event of why we went to Prague!! Marathon Day! Craig did awesome! Ran it in 3:56
I'm so proud of him! I love these pics!!

Elsah at the 25 km mark getting ready to cheer on Daddy!

Isaac patiently waiting!

Craig coming around the bend at the 25 km in black shirt. Looking great!

hugging Rebekah and Isaac on the way round the bend

Isaac and I are headed down to the finish line to wait for Daddy!

the underground is very underground

At the end of the marathon with Isaac

Whew hew....3:56

Meeting with Elsah's Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:25:00 +0000

Today I met with Elsah's teacher for the yearly review. Rebekah was my translator since I do not speak Basel Deutsch and my German level is still not up to par....

Elsah is speaking Basel Deutsch with the children now.
She also understands High German which is what the teachers speak in class.
She can say little sentences well and is now starting to try to make bigger sentences.
They will continue to provide her with extra German lessons in smaller groups since this is where she does the best at learning and speaking.
She speaks very softly in big groups
She can count all the way up to 39 with no difficulty in German and then she gets a bit mixed up
She loves art and drawing pictures (she makes like three or four for me everyday! You should see my pile)
She is organized, neat, observes everything that is going around her and pays attention to details
She knows patterns and can look at a group of items and is able to say how many there are without counting with her fingers
She loves singing and dancing
She gets along with all the children
She is very athletic
She is able to walk home on her own from school

So, she has integrated quite well. She is up to par for her 1st year of kindergarten and the only thing she has to work on that is required to go into elementary school is ....get this. Drawing arms and hands on a person. With 5 fingers on the hands. They give all the children a test in the second year of Kindergarten which is in December. This gives the teachers an idea if the child is able to move up to 1st grade.

Another thing the children are required to do: walk to school and back home on their own.

I'm so thankful that she is doing well. I'm thankful that God has given her teachers who enjoy children and care about them. I thank God for this opportunity that He has provided for us and our children. Even when it's difficult I don't think Craig and I would ever think this wasn't a good move for us. There has been too many positive outcomes to say different. So, I m thanking Our Glorious Father in Heaven, who has given my family all things, and knows all things and who is full of loving kindness, merciful, sovereign, omniscient, true, omnipresent and faithful....even in the midst of difficult circumstances. His character never changes. He can't change. Only we change.

Isaac's Celebration concert for Crescendo 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:14:00 +0000

The Crescendo is Switzerland's music exam that happens at the end of the year. During this exam, Isaac performed three different pieces of music. One of the pieces I already posted and this is another.
Isaac played this song which is a classical piece by I. Berkowitsch. for this celebration concert.

Since I have no music knowledge I rely on my hubby for all of that. Below is how he explained what Isaac is playing.
The first part of the piece is the main theme and then he plays 3 variations on the theme. There are 7 variations in total, but he had to cut out 2-5 due to the length of the piece.

Theme 6 and 7 are the best in my opinion!

Theme (start to 26 second mark)

Variation 1 (27 to 54 second mark)

Variation 6 (54 to 1.17 mark)

Variation 7 (1.17 to end)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kdGyUsLxjU&feature=youtu.be

Honesty, a virtue that is not the norm anymore

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:54:00 +0000

Yesterday I was at the park with Elsah and Isaac came and said "I have a situation." Hmmmm...I was thinking okay...this could be good or bad. So, I said "What's up buddy?" "Well, I was at Migros and a lady dropped some money, so I picked the money up and gave it back to her. Then she told me to keep it." It was 6 Francs.

I continue to be amazed at the way the Swiss reward children for honest and good behaviour. I was talking to a friend when this happened and she said that this happens a lot. Wow. Isaac was so excited that he got to keep the money but I hope in the end he learned that integrity is a good virtue and it is worth being honest even if you don't get rewarded.

Whenever Isaac is in the store the older ladies are always giving him something or if he went to the store and miscalculated and item and an older lady was behind him they always gave him the extra change. These are kind things that go unnoticed a lot.  The kindness of the ladies I pray will impact my son in the future.

This got me thinking a bit....now don't go there! I do think... a lot! Anyways, I was thinking about what I would do if a child was honest and did the same thing that my own son did. Would I give them the money to reward them or would I say Oh thank you and keep it? Hmmmm....I guess it would also depend on the amount of money too or should it matter? If you lose 100 dollars I think one's reaction may be different compared to 5 dollars. So, how would I respond? I hope that if this ever happens to me I would reward the child...if I lost a lot of money or something very valuable I would hope I would reward them with a reward of some amount. Would I also be kind enough in the future to help someone in front of me who did not have enough? Would I do a kind deed just to see the smile on that persons face? The glow and sunshine in Isaac's face that day was so cool! He was shocked and he really felt bad for keeping the money but she wouldn't take it.  What was he to do? So, he took his friend and they got a couple of treats to share among others. I am thankful that my children for the most part are honest.

Lord willing, I pray that I will be generous and thoughtful of good virtues and that I would be looking out for them too! Life can get so busy that we miss the opportunities to share God's love.  What would you do if a child was honest to you? How will you respond?

Isaac's Piano recital April 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:18:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfmk5G1Fqf0

Birthday dinner for Debbie and Monica

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 19:15:00 +0000

These are some of the wonderful women who I have come to know and love. I thank God for these women in my life!! What a great time we had at Tenmanya!! Awesome Food (oh yeah) and the best fellowship!
From left to right....Katherine, Alicia (Me), Debbie, Jing Jing, Lovette, and Monica

Amazing Blessing: Friendships

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

After pondering for a while about the purpose of me being in Basel and what difference it has made in my life I have come to the conclusion that God meant it for good. Everything that He does is good. However, sometimes when you are in the midst of a trial or circumstance its hard to see anything good. What has living in Basel accomplished for myself?

God has blessed me with amazing friends who are really close friends. While growing up and even into my adult life I never understood what true friendship was like. Friendship at the time just consisted going out, having fun, laughing and giggling, shopping and eating. All the while, deep inside I yearned for closer friendships. Before leaving, my close friendships consisted of about 4 which were knitted together because of our love for Christ. (ones that you can email or pick up the phone and just start talking like a day had not gone by and that would speak truth to you no matter what) Kathy and Judy are two I would consider my mentors and the other two Thea and Meghan are my wonderful, honest and loyal friends. I adore all of these ladies back home and that was the start of understanding what consisted of true friendship. Moving here I have learned even more about the meaning of friendship. God has given us eachother to help us through difficult circumstances, to encourage us through our walk in Christ by speaking truth, to teach eachother truth, to hold eacthother accountable in our walk. What is at the core of these friendships in Basel? Again, Christ. We are from all different walks of life, different cultures and upbringing yet we can find our core existance in Christ. We walk with Him together, we talk of Him together, we make eachother important to one another, we give ourselves and our time to meet for tea or coffee together, we live our lives out in front of eachother. We are actually mentoring eachother. These kind of friendships don't go stale because Christ is at the center. Two of them will be leaving soon. To go back home. I'm sad that they are leaving but am so thankful that God placed them in my life to encourage them. We will always have Christ at the center of our friendship. No matter where they we can still communicate and if anything I know I will one day see them in heaven.

I now see friendship differently. It's actually taking the time for the person God has placed in your life. It's mentoring one another. To be the light of Christ in their life. I had those kind of women back home and Im so thankful that because of them they gave me the ability to see what mentoring starts like. Now, I know one of my purpose's here in Basel. Of course I have learned a lot more but this one has been stuck in my mind for a couple of weeks. The blessing of friendship Christ has given me. Thank you Lord! My question to you is....Do you have a mentor, a close friend?

Attitude and lifestyle

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:29:00 +0000

Today has started off quite draining. No sleep with a kiddo that has the stomach bug. Poor guy....however I don't think he minds watching The Lord of the Rings while he is sick.

We got to welcome home Daddy last night. He had been gone to the U.S. for business. The kids love it when he comes home because he brings so many goodies. It's been almost three years since we left the states and my younger two have a hard time remembering what it's like. Especially Elsah. She thinks her home is Switzerland. So, when Daddy brings home goodies it s a special time. They embraced the moment of being with Craig and enjoyed opening up their new found treasures. (not that they don't get cool things here too) Isaac would ask Craig...so what's America like? I never thought any of my children would ever ask that but for Isaac this question is just like him. What is America like? Well...Craig was in Philadelphia and NJ. It was loud, lots of lights, lots of noise, tons of stimulation. We live in an area that is quiet and peaceful...not blasting with advertisements to tempt you to buy that latest gadget. I've gone back and forth many times thinking how nice it would be to move back.....Yes...it would be nice....ummmm....no it would put my head in overdrive. After pondering these thoughts, it really doesn't matter where we live. We would make it the best wherever we go. It's all how you choose to live. Our family can choose a life that doesn't require us giving up family time, we can choose not to watch t.v. and instead engage in boardgames, going outside, walking, and staying active. We can choose not to use the latest gadget every moment of the day. One picture that has stuck in my mind that I pray our family will never become is this picture: At a restaurant, with your hubby and children all on their I phone or whatever new gadget they have, not engaging in each other but in the online world. What is this? How can a family go out together and not really be "together". Why go out at all? So, all in all I believe wherever the Lord leads us in the future we will end up getting use to that environment and I hope that I can use whatever I have learned here to maintain this attitude and lifestyle and not get sucked into the North American way.

Finally, back to posting.....

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:41:00 +0000

Well...I decided to sit down and check out how long it has been since I posted...holy cow! almost a year and some! Well...for those who have been out of touch with me and for those who I talk to all the time.... life is still going on here in Basel. We have settled in well. For the past year my hubby and I have been running. I ran a 7k last September while my hubby ran a half marathon. Currently, he is training for a full marathon which will be in Prague.. I m so proud of him and the hard work that consists in this type of training. I am still running, mainly to keep healthy and to fit into those jeans, shorts and shirts that are starting to get a tad bit too tight:) At the moment I have no desire to run a marathon like my hubby but maybe one day I'll get to a half.

The older two have done really well in school and have kept up in German and swiss german with French and the third language. Elsah started kindergarten this year and lately I have heard her speaking swiss german to her friends at school and on the playground. She is not fearful or worried that no one will understand her. She is also very determined to meet new people and speak with them.

We had a wonderful Christmas again in Basel, nice quiet and relaxing. The winter months however seem to go on and on and on. I have been told by others that this is the longest winter...and it's the beginning of April. At least I see some signs for Spring...flowers coming up, birds chirping early in the a.m. and the days are getting longer. I love the longer days!

Well...that's it for today...will start posting more often. I hope to post more pics!

Isaac's pictures and video from Piano Recital

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:39:00 +0000

This is the correct link....the one before did not work...Thanks for letting me know Thea:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDzq0wSEes0&feature=youtu.be

Come join me for an online bible study blog!!

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:19:00 +0000

Do you want to do a bible study but not too sure about what to do or just don't have the time to join a class....For 6 weeks...(only six weeks) we will be doing an informal type of bible study. It's called Sweeter than Chocolate blog study. You can find out all of the details in the following link. It would be awesome if you would join me. Should you decide to join please comment or email me, facebook me...whatever is easiest so I can be praying for you.

http://iwant2knowgodsword.blogspot.com/2012/04/sweeter-than-chocolate-hebrews-11.html

Pictures of our time in London

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

In order to see this you may have to sign into Google.

https://plus.google.com/photos/116230282306999662018/albums/5728237216943146609?banner=pwa

15 things to do with Children while in London

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:27:00 +0000

What can you do with children while visiting London?

1- Go see a musical.
We took the kids to see Phantom of the Opera (the older two). They both enjoyed it very much and said that it was one of their most favorite to do while visiting London. Craig took Elsah to see Shrek and she was very shocked to see that it was a live production and not a movie!

2-Go to the Westminster Abbey during Evensong service.
This was a highlight of our first night in London. Craig and I both enjoyed it very much and the kids were able to hear the Abbey Choir sing a 40 minute service. If you plan on going to this, make sure you get there a bit earlier than 5pm so you can get a good view of the Abbey Choir. No dressing up needed which was perfect for our situation.

3-Visit the London Tower and see the Queen's Jewels.
In the London Tower there are men who are called Beefeaters who give a great tour which is free. They do a superb job at telling stories about the Tower and keeping your attention. While we were there, a reenactment of the Tower of London took place which was great for the kids because they were included in the re enactment. Before leaving, the kids were able to make there very own crown of jewels and pretended to be a King and Queen. Isaac liked this idea very much and Elsah, well she is her own princess and didn't need a robe to establish her royalty. She is definately my little princess.

4-While visiting the London Tower head on over to the London Bridge
We walked over this bridge and it is quite amazing.

5-Hop on a double decker and sit at the top.
During one of our walks that was described in Rick steve's London, we chose to hop on a Double Decker to Regent Street where you can shop until you drop. It was a nice ride and I think all of us enjoyed the scenery and the ride.

6-Go to Hamley's on Regent Street.
Ok...let me warn you ahead of time that if you take your children in here you may have to come back again and again with them. This was Isaac's favorite place of all. They had men out in front handing out Swiss chocolate (that would get anyone to come inside) and as you step in you are surrounded by toys, toys and more toys. A little bit like Santa's workshop. It has 5 levels and they have employees on all floors demonstrating cool gadgets and toys. Isaac was fond of the magician and his magic boxset. He finally decided, after a couple of days in London, to get this Magic Box set with his hard earned money. I thought he may buy more things but he is a lot like his Dad. He decided to save the rest of his money for our next big trip we go on. This will be to Canada come Summer. What surprised me was that our little Elsah was not fond of the toy store at all. She actually wanted to leave.

7-Go to H and M, Gap, and all the teen stores possible
This may only be for our family but our eldest daughter wanted to shop too. However, for her age it's no longer toys...it is clothes, shoes, and all that kind of stuff. Elsah came along too.
This was her favorite shop as she got herself a pretty dress. Rebekah did find some trendy clothes and was happy with her choices.

8-Go to the M and M store near Piccadilly Circus.
Before you go in take a deep breathe....then be prepared for an enormous amount of toys, clothes, M and M's, gadgets and gidgets of all M and M's. This is 4 levels and can be overwhelming however the kids really loved it. May I also mention overly priced and loud music blasting. We spent a fare bit of time in there but were M and M'd out.

9-Take the City Walk tour from Rick Steve's book.
The best part, I think, of this walk is just seeing the layout of London, the busy streets, the hopping people, The Royal Courts, St. Paul's Cathedral ( you have to pay to go in...I think we have seen enough churches in Europe to get the idea of what these churches look like so we didn't go in), and my favorite spot of all...Twinings Tea which has been there since 1704!! I picked up my favorite tea, Chai and Earl grey for a great price.

10-Go to Nero's
This is mainly for the adults and teens....those who like tea and coffee

11-Go to Buckingham Palace and watch the changing of the guards.
This ceromony is over rated. I do think it is nice to see how they do the changing of the guards and the history that is behind it but it's not the top of my list for London. We got there at 1030 a.m. but got held up at the Tube. The ceromony starts at 1130am. You definately need to get there a bit earlier to get a good spot. We weren't able to get a good spot but because we were using Rick Steve's handing little book he gave us some advice that if you get there too late to get a good view head on over to St. James palace about 1215noon and you will see a changing of the guards with almost no crowds and he was right. So, we got to see that but like I said is over rated.

12-Watch the Buskers at Covenant Garden
We decided to go to Covenant Gardens during our City walk tour and have a bit to eat. It was such a splendid way to enjoy the sun and watch the Buskers perform for the audience. We really enjoyed it and if you enjoy shopping there are neat little stores throughout the area.

13-Take the Tube
Ok...you have to take the Tube if you are in London. However, it is quite the experience to any foreigner not use to public transportation. Since our family now lives in Switzerland and have experienced public transportation daily we are a bit use to it but it was still quite an experience to go on the Tube.

14- Eat out
This may not be any different for you depending on where you live but in Switzerland we do not eat out much. Mainly because it is sooo expensive to eat out. In London, we found it a bit cheaper and it was nice to actually eat out in a Restaurant. It's a plus too because then Mom doesn't have to make food for the family back at the place they are staying:)

15-Go to Oxford Street
This is a busy busy street that is lined with clothing stores, eateries among other things. We went in one store and the line to check out was huge. We then left because ....well it's way to overwhelming and it felt like a TJ Maxx. (a store back in the US) We did take one of the side streets near Oxford St. and went to a Lebanese restaurant.

So there....15 things you can do with Children while in London. Over all, London is not my top place to go visit for history like Rome and Spain were but it would be great for shopping:) Speaking English again and understanding what is going on at all times was a huge plus for going! However, it was nice to come back to clean Switzerland where the air is not as smoggy and the streets are not too busy.