Christmas in Switzerland

Well we had a great Christmas! We went up to a cabin in the tops of the mountains with all of Andi's family and spent the week skiing, sledding, and building an amazing igloo. Andi's sisters got here from Austria a week before Christmas and we all went together to visit Andi's grandparents. Then Andi and I headed up to the cabin before most of the others and spent our first day with me learning how to use the lift with a snowboard. The lift they had was the kind that, for a snowboarder, hooks under one leg and pulls you up. Firstly, I am not a snowboarder. So after a few failed attempts, we went over to the kiddy hill where it's slightly easier. Then, after a few failed attempts there and a very patient lift operator, I made it half way up the hill! He let us go back up for free once we got back down. I'm sure he felt so sorry for me. After that however, I was riding it without too much trouble. Andi went snowboarding and skiing with his sister once I decided to go in the house and the rest of the family started to arrive.

The next day was a perfect day for playing in the snow and we all starting working on a big igloo. I wasn't as enthusiastic as Andi and his brothers, and they worked on it for two afternoons until it was absolutely dark outside and they couldn't possibly do more. Once they finished it, the other skiers walking past would come explore it and take pictures. The Suter boys did an awesome job.

We spent every night playing games until we couldn't keep our eyes open and it was a lot like being home for me. On Christmas Eve, we had a dinner of Raclette and Cheese Fondue and then acted out the Nativity. Andi and I were angels (not much acting needed of course) and sang "O Come All Ye Faithful." It was beautiful. Then we all exchanged our gifts and opened them. One of my presents (and one I had asked for) was blank canvas. I was so excited! I had opened it with the back to everyone else and they said, "Oh, he got you a painting!" I said, "Nope," and flipped it around. Everyone immediately went awkwardly silent and then I realized why. "I paint," I said, and everyone started breathing again "Oh!" It was hilarious! We spent the rest of the night (and some of the next morning) playing games of course.

The next day, Christmas, we didn't do too much. Obviously Christmas is more celebrated on the 24th here. Andi's family does have a fun tradition of playing BINGO every Christmas and we won some great prizes though. It was just a really fun, relaxing week for us with the family. And the best part is...

Andi took me sledding on our last day up there, and it was with the real, wooden sleds that are made for sledding on hard ice, so they close off some of the roads and use them for sledding hills. We've gone once before, but it wasn't very steep and Andi and I were together, so he was the one steering and stopping (done with your feet). So I was just learning. At first it wasn't steep at all and I was having a blast. Then, the road suddenly turned a 45 degree angle and went straight down. Needless to say, I crashed, flipping forward about three times. When I looked up and straightened my head out, I saw my sled turning the next corner (it suddenly had no problem staying on the road). And I panicked, yelling to Andi to catch my sled as he flew by. He did a great job chasing it, but my sled only stopped when it went down into a stream bed. I was laughing my head off.

So I secured my sled more securely to me and tried again. I won't bore you with all of the crashes in between, but one of them sent me into a creek...almost. I was having trouble turning again (ha ha ha) and saw that I was about to run into one of those flagger poles. As this was happening I thought, "Are those there to mark the road?" Nope, they're there to say, "Hey, there's a deep drop-off into a creek right here." Now I know that. You can see the drop off in front of me in the picture, but of course I'm still smiling, I couldn't see it yet! When I went over the edge, I kicked my legs out and caught the bank. I kept myself from falling into the water and rocks, and I can almost walk normally again 5 days later!

Okay, one more good story. After that, I told Andi I don't want to ride by myself anymore (and was still laughing my head off with all of the spectators around me). But then the road was really flat while we rode together and we were hardly moving, so I decided I could handle it. We got back onto our own sleds...and the road got steep again. At the steepest part, the bottom was lined with spectators and children. Andi considered warning them that I was coming. From my point of view, I just saw Andi disappear all of a sudden and I immediately slammed my feet down to try to stop. No luck. So on my way down the hill I was thinking, if I crash once I get to these people, I'll kill someone, so I'd better do it before. It's the only way I know how to stop! Well I didn't try to crash, but I did, and flipped and skidded to a stop just a couple of feet before a man and his son. He, of course, didn't take one step out of the way (a lot of faith in a person flipping down the hill with her sled instead of sitting on it). First, he asked me if I'm okay. I said yes, and that I always stop like that. He then thanked me for not running over him and his son. Ha! It was the best day ever and I am absolutely covered in bruises!

So we hope you enjoy all of the pictures and have a Happy New Year! I'll be hobbling around like a pirate, proud as ever of my incredibly capable-on-ice husband. I think he's amazing.