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.

When Snakes Attack

We attempted feeding the snakes today. It was actually kind of...like watching a horror film. I didn't mind holding the snakes at all (Andi says I'm super brave, which makes it worth it...and the picture was a joke of course), but I was nervous when I was watching the snakes with the rat.

Firstly, snakes are very patient and move incredibly slowly...until they attack that is. We were watching and waiting as one of the snakes slowly crept toward the rat and stared at him and suddenly, quick as lightning, he snapped at the rat. The rat jumped and freaked out, then I jumped and freaked out, clinging to Andi's arms. Heinemal! (That's my Swiss German word for Holy Smokes.) After watching for a while though, Andi and I left the snakes to their meal. When we came back to check on the in a couple of hours...the rat...was still there. Everyone was just staring at each other, bored. So we put the rat back in his cage and the snakes back in theirs. Looks like the rat got lucky this time. We wonder if the rat's not too big. He is fairly large, and the snakes kept stretching their mouths open and looked like they were measuring him. It was certainly an entertaining evening anyway.

As far as everything else goes, I've got the house all decorated and we are having a great time here. We got all of this snow in the pictures in one day and got to use our chains on our car for the first time. It was also the same day we went sledding in Soerenberg, last Saturday. We used the wooden sleds with runners and went sledding down a mountain road that's closed off to traffic. Those sleds work best on hard ice. It was such a beautiful day and we had an amazing time. Now I'm looking forward to getting together with Andi's family for Christmas. Merry Christmas to you all!

A House for Christmas

We got our own house for Christmas!

Okay, not really, but we get to house sit for a family we know for the month of December while they go to Australia and we're really excited about it. I love my in-laws, but we really are needing our own space, even if it's just for a little while. The house is in Horw, which is where we would like to move to, and we'll be watching their pets for them: 1 cat, 1 dog, 2 snakes, 2 lizards, 1 turtle, and 1 rat...for now. We're supposed to feed the rat to the snakes (yes, 1 rat, 2 snakes, don't ask me). It seems pretty brutal to me, but I'll do my best. I kind of think snakes are cool, so we'll see.

The cat's name is Maple and she is the cutest cat I have ever seen. She's half Persian, and I don't usually like Persians, but I guess she got the right half. She's got huge owl eyes and reminds me of Puss in Boots from Shrek when he makes his cute face. You'll see what I mean in the pictures.


I'm excited to decorate the house for Christmas and I run and play with the cat for hours, go for walks with the dog, and am trying to shake the feeling that I'm sharing the house with several other people. We're alone! It will be lovely, and we've got a great view. Hope everything is going well for everyone!

Samichlaus and Christmas Market

Yesterday was a full Swiss Christmas day for me. Today is officially Samichlaus (Santa Clause) day, but it was celebrated all weekend. We started with a ward temple trip (always an adventure in the Swiss temple) and then went with the kids into the forest next to the temple where we met Samichlaus. There, he got out his golden book, read each of the kids the good and not so good things they had done this year that he had written in his book, and then gave them a little pack with nuts, chocolate, and gingerbread. Samichlaus told one of the little boys (about 3 or 4 years old) that he had been a good boy, but that it would be a good idea to stop opening the Christmas presents at home before Christmas. (Parents give him a list prior to meeting.) Afterward, the little boy's sister asked, "How does he know all of that stuff?" Samichlaus also usually asks for something extra to earn your treat. This is usually a little rhyme or sometimes a song that the child has memorized and recites for Samichlaus.

After that, we went home where the city Samichlaus was making his rounds to the houses that had asked him to come. This is a really cool procession, and completely different from our American Santa Clause. Samichlaus, looks a lot more like a Catholic priest than a jolly, magical figure. Obviously this is closer to the real, Turkish "St. Nicholas." He's not chubby, not wearing red, and does not have a sleigh, reindeer, or a white beard. Personally, I was a little intimidated by this Samichlaus. He's not quite as jolly as ours, but it was still really cool to see.

So Samichlaus walks through the down going to different houses and has in his procession: a donkey, several helpers in white who either carry huge clanging black bells or whips that they crack all along the way, and several helpers dressed in black with black faces who carry Samichlaus' bags of goodies and help him with the kids. The black figures are called Schmutzli and come from a legend of a woodsman who helped Santa one year and has continued to do so ever since. The Schmutzli usually has a whip, and his hands are black. He marks the bad kids by smudging black on their faces, so a lot of kids are afraid of him. I've added a picture of one, and this one happened to be very nice. Andi and I felt like the paparazzi trying to get a picture of Samichlaus. Our flash would go off about 5 times before it got a picture since it was at night. A little embarrassing.

We did all of this on our way to the Christmas market, which was absolutely beautiful. This is a picture of the market we went to. It's in the oldest part of town and is just a romantic little open-air market filled with the smells of delicious sausages, raclette, and warm drinks. It was a wonderful date to just wander around, eating our sausages and trying to keep warm. So far this has proven to be quite a magical Christmas. If my family were here, it would be absolutely perfect. Andi and I are so lucky to have each other. Merry Christmas!

Grittibänz

I ate the cutest little bread man in the whole world today. They are called "Grittibänz" and are a Christmas tradition. I call them "Gritty Pants". They remind me of our Gingerbread Men, just made out of bread instead and we eat them with butter and honey. I had a great time playing with mine, but I forgot to take a picture before biting his head off, so I took a picture of this other one who isn't quite as cute. I'm so excited for this week. The 6th of December is the day Samichlaus (Santa Clause) comes, and I think we might go to a Christmas market this weekend. This is easily the best time of the year.

Snow!

Today was finally our first day of snow in Switzerland! Everything really is run like clock-work here. Saturday was the official day that we were able to start celebrating Christmas (Weinachten), and now the snow comes. Everything in Switzerland knows when it's time for what. It's just barely cold enough for snow, but I was beginning to feel like I would never see snow here. I always thought Switzerland always got a ton of snow, but I learned that they usually don't get snow until after Christmas. Anyway, I am ecstatic today. Frohe Weinachten!

A Successful Thanksgiving

A few of us Americans put on a ward Thanksgiving yesterday and it was a wonderful success. The members of our ward really enjoyed it and I felt like Betty Crocker (or Betty Bossy in Switzerland). I was baking pies all yesterday and the day before and they were gladly devoured last night. The chocolate cream pie was, of course, a huge success, and everyone loved the apple and pumpkin as well. The lemon meringue pie was a new one for almost everyone and was also well loved. One couple told us that, when we invite them over for dinner, I can make lemon meringue pie. I had been feeling a big under appreciated the last couple of weeks (just feeling "poor me"-ish) and the gratitude of the members of the ward made me feel like I would love to do this for them every day! I do love baking, I've mastered the pie crust, and I finally had something to occupy my time. It really felt like Thanksgiving too with the mad schedules, kids running into my legs while I'm balancing steaming hot dishes and perfectly styled pies, and talking, laughter, and dishes galore. I am so grateful this week for my ward and my family. Happy Thanksgiving!