Yup, I don't know either!!!
I'm sorry that I don't have a camera that works right now because both girls are running (I mean swimming) around the house wearing their bathing suits. They are bubble cuppies and as such have been playing very immaginatively for the last couple of hours!!!!
Daddy just came in from working outside and his hands were freezing. The girls have now dubbed him "Ice man" and he's a superhero who can freeze ducks and fish that are bad.
My saturday has been full, but the girls were super pretty much all day, I've been washing and folding about 6 loads of laundry, made Spatzle to feed half and army, muffins and a big batch of rabbit stock.
Tonight Jeff and I are going out for dinner to celebrate our 12th anniversary (tomorrow). Tomorrow we're going to our old church in Elmira and then visit with friends for lunch. In the evening another group arrives at the Liebenzell Center and so the week starts again. I hope you have a great weekend and a super week.
God bless, Ursi
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Since we've been home
It's hard to believe it's been less than 3 weeks since we've come home from Cuba. The vacation seems like years ago. Life is back to normal and the girls finally seem to have readjusted to the fact that they don't have the grandparents's full attention - and that they have to share toys, books, games, etc. After a busy couple of weeks of preparing for Jeff's teaching at the mission, we are now settling into a better work routine.
I'll just share some of the things we've been up to over the last couple of weeks. Hope you enjoy the glimpse into our lives..
Katie kept herself busy while I was tucking Maya in for her nap. When I came back to the living room Katie had made a 7 car train, with the babycrib as the engine
The two girls busy helping me sort the laundry...
...or at least entertaining me while I work.
Maya is pretending to be a college graduate decked out in Mommy and Daddy's unmentionables.
Going for a Sunday walk on the swamp. It was too warm to skate, but still lots of fun to wander through.
silly girl
Together with our visiting friends, we got a "little" fire going in the middle of the ice. Fun was had by all the pyro inclined participants.
Going for a "winter" walk in February. It felt more like end of March/ beginning of April. We definitely enjoyed the sun and the girls worked together nicely. It was either Katie pulling Maya, or Maya helping push when I pulled Katie.
Helping Daddy deal with some wood. First we empied the truck and then went to get a little bit more from the bush.
both girls did a great job helping.
Happy Birthday Daddy!!! We enjoyed a wonderful birthday dinner at Jeff's parents house. For the actual birthday we ate filipino food with the group that stayed at the Liebenzell Center. (So I didn't cook for Jeff's B-day at all)
Katie's kindergarten class hosted a Valentine's lunch on Mon 13th. Each child's Valentine was asked to bring a special lunch for the child and themselves. Katie and I had a wonderful meal together and I enjoyed getting to know a couple of mom's better.
The entire class then presented a cute poem for the parents/grandparents and special friends. So cute, I wish I had the camera ready to video instead of taking a picture. Next time I hope to remember in time.
And then there was white again!!! Even though the snow is melting fast in the February sun and above normal temperature we had a lot of fun building a big snowman together. Probably the last one this winter.
I'll just share some of the things we've been up to over the last couple of weeks. Hope you enjoy the glimpse into our lives..
Katie kept herself busy while I was tucking Maya in for her nap. When I came back to the living room Katie had made a 7 car train, with the babycrib as the engine
The two girls busy helping me sort the laundry...
...or at least entertaining me while I work.
Maya is pretending to be a college graduate decked out in Mommy and Daddy's unmentionables.
Going for a Sunday walk on the swamp. It was too warm to skate, but still lots of fun to wander through.
silly girl
Together with our visiting friends, we got a "little" fire going in the middle of the ice. Fun was had by all the pyro inclined participants.
Going for a "winter" walk in February. It felt more like end of March/ beginning of April. We definitely enjoyed the sun and the girls worked together nicely. It was either Katie pulling Maya, or Maya helping push when I pulled Katie.
Helping Daddy deal with some wood. First we empied the truck and then went to get a little bit more from the bush.
both girls did a great job helping.
Happy Birthday Daddy!!! We enjoyed a wonderful birthday dinner at Jeff's parents house. For the actual birthday we ate filipino food with the group that stayed at the Liebenzell Center. (So I didn't cook for Jeff's B-day at all)
Katie's kindergarten class hosted a Valentine's lunch on Mon 13th. Each child's Valentine was asked to bring a special lunch for the child and themselves. Katie and I had a wonderful meal together and I enjoyed getting to know a couple of mom's better.
The entire class then presented a cute poem for the parents/grandparents and special friends. So cute, I wish I had the camera ready to video instead of taking a picture. Next time I hope to remember in time.
And then there was white again!!! Even though the snow is melting fast in the February sun and above normal temperature we had a lot of fun building a big snowman together. Probably the last one this winter.We hope you are doing well and enjoyed reading about our life. Blesssings to all, Ursi
Friday, February 3, 2012
CUBA!!!! Part 1
We are back home, reality set back in, but we had a wonderful time in Cuba. For those of you interested in details, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy, for those of you who don't have time to sit and read I just want to tell you that our resort was wonderful, the ocean blue and warm, the people great and the food was as expected. I would definitely recommed this resort if you are looking for some quiet, restful time in a beautiful rugged setting.
We started our trip at 2 a.m. on Wed morning to catch our 6:30 flight to Santiago de Cuba. We got there at 10:30 and after a 45 min bus ride arrived at Bucanero Resort.
The view from our balcony was awesome! A few palm trees, coral shore and then the ocean!
Our room was great, with the ocean facing wall almost entirely glass.
Enjoying our first meal, with now interruption or jumping up. So nice
We ate most of our meals just outside the main dinning area. You could see the ocean from just about anywhere on the resort.
We had a bit of a walk from our buiding to the pool and dining area, and even further to the beach, but we didn't mind at all. (The little yellow tower was the sound booth for the entertainment and was right beside the pool)
View from our "regular" beach chair.
Soaking up the sun, and I've got the tan to prove it:)
Mountain Hike
I thought our guide was kidding when he told us that this is where we were going..
...but no, he proceeded to scale the cliff. I went right after him, and I was glad I did because if I would have watched people climb up that steep rock, I don't think I would have done it. I was a little nervous once I was 1/2 way up, not rope, no protective wear, nothing. But we all made it up unscathed.
The pictures don't quite capture it, but I think you get the idea.
The view from the top though was definitely worth the tense moments of the climb. It was beautiful!
We started our trip at 2 a.m. on Wed morning to catch our 6:30 flight to Santiago de Cuba. We got there at 10:30 and after a 45 min bus ride arrived at Bucanero Resort.
The view from our balcony was awesome! A few palm trees, coral shore and then the ocean!
Our room was great, with the ocean facing wall almost entirely glass.
Enjoying our first meal, with now interruption or jumping up. So nice
We ate most of our meals just outside the main dinning area. You could see the ocean from just about anywhere on the resort.Heading back to our room, (A la carte restaurant, lobby and pool bar in the rear)
We had a bit of a walk from our buiding to the pool and dining area, and even further to the beach, but we didn't mind at all. (The little yellow tower was the sound booth for the entertainment and was right beside the pool)
View from our "regular" beach chair.
Soaking up the sun, and I've got the tan to prove it:)Mountain Hike
One of the activities that the entertainment team offered right on the resort was a mountain hike. We thought we would try it. So we met at the bar and then went basically across the street and looked up at the rockface.
I thought our guide was kidding when he told us that this is where we were going..
...but no, he proceeded to scale the cliff. I went right after him, and I was glad I did because if I would have watched people climb up that steep rock, I don't think I would have done it. I was a little nervous once I was 1/2 way up, not rope, no protective wear, nothing. But we all made it up unscathed.
The pictures don't quite capture it, but I think you get the idea.
The view from the top though was definitely worth the tense moments of the climb. It was beautiful!I had some issues loading the pictures so I had to do two different blogs. Check my "older posts" for the second half of the vacation.
Cuba Part 2
Jeff came up a couple people behind me. He loved the climb!
This hike would be a liability nightmare in Canada!!
And we did it!
As I sit here typing in sweater and long pants, it's hard to believe that less than a week ago I was wearing shorts, tank top and was hot!
Back toward the beach through a beautiful gorge. The temperature dropped at least 5 degrees in there.
The trees were incredible. 20 feet up in there air, haning on to the side of the cliff with advantageous roots hanging down (roots take up moisture and nutrients from the air)
One last 15' drop to the bottom of the gorge (this time there was at least a ladder)
And out to the beach are we hike.
We did not have the typical whilte sand beach like the north shore of Cuba (Veradero, Cayo Coco), but we had amazing variety and number of beautiful fish only 10 feet into the water. Snorkling was awesome!!!
In the early evening we enjoyed playing Carcasonne. Very cool game, and easy to pack.
Evening walk along the shore. A little precarious in birks, but it was fun. Reminded me of mountain hikes in the Swiss alps as a child.
Walk to the Village
This hike would be a liability nightmare in Canada!!
And we did it!
As I sit here typing in sweater and long pants, it's hard to believe that less than a week ago I was wearing shorts, tank top and was hot!
Back toward the beach through a beautiful gorge. The temperature dropped at least 5 degrees in there.
The trees were incredible. 20 feet up in there air, haning on to the side of the cliff with advantageous roots hanging down (roots take up moisture and nutrients from the air)
One last 15' drop to the bottom of the gorge (this time there was at least a ladder)
And out to the beach are we hike.
We did not have the typical whilte sand beach like the north shore of Cuba (Veradero, Cayo Coco), but we had amazing variety and number of beautiful fish only 10 feet into the water. Snorkling was awesome!!!
In the early evening we enjoyed playing Carcasonne. Very cool game, and easy to pack.
Evening walk along the shore. A little precarious in birks, but it was fun. Reminded me of mountain hikes in the Swiss alps as a child.Walk to the Village
Our resort was at the end of the road, but one day we cut across the mountain to the closest village.
Up the gorge and then through pastures.
Brown landscape is much more beautiful when the temperature it 30 degrees rather than 3!
Local transportation :)
Huge "holy" tree in the gorge. Jeff and another arborist we met were almost drooling just thinking about climbing it!
Yup, I was sporting a two piece the whole week. Working on being comfortable in my skin, as it is. And it's Cuba so who cares?!?
Small but beautiful beach. It was a fairly small resort so it didn't really feel crowded.
We got picked up at the beach, then went up the shore to go snorkling (not as good as right in our own bay though).
Ready for the sun!
Our resort from the water.
We were able to hang out on the net up front. It was fun getting spashed by the bigger waves.
After snorkling we went down along the coast to Santiago de Cuba, about 3 hours on fairly rough water. No problem with sea sickness though.
Approaching the Santiago Bay with the Moro Castle at the right hand side.
The view from the restaurant in the Santiago Harbor where we had a yummy lunch.
Another picture of our room. We didn't mind the 2 single beds, and loved the walls made of natural rock.
Up the gorge and then through pastures.
Brown landscape is much more beautiful when the temperature it 30 degrees rather than 3!
Local transportation :)
Huge "holy" tree in the gorge. Jeff and another arborist we met were almost drooling just thinking about climbing it!
Yup, I was sporting a two piece the whole week. Working on being comfortable in my skin, as it is. And it's Cuba so who cares?!?
Small but beautiful beach. It was a fairly small resort so it didn't really feel crowded.Catamaran Excursion
On Monday we went for a paid catamaran trip to Santiago de Cuba. It was awesome!
We got picked up at the beach, then went up the shore to go snorkling (not as good as right in our own bay though).
Ready for the sun!
Our resort from the water.
We were able to hang out on the net up front. It was fun getting spashed by the bigger waves.
After snorkling we went down along the coast to Santiago de Cuba, about 3 hours on fairly rough water. No problem with sea sickness though.
Approaching the Santiago Bay with the Moro Castle at the right hand side.
The view from the restaurant in the Santiago Harbor where we had a yummy lunch.Back to the Resort
Another picture of our room. We didn't mind the 2 single beds, and loved the walls made of natural rock.Date night
Dinner at the A la carte restaurant. i enjoyed getting dressed up a bit.
Local wild life: iguanas. they were out almost every evening, after the heat of the day warmed up the rocks. They were quite tame and seemed to pose for the tourists.
View of the beach as you exit the canyon.
Snack bar at the beach. Great french fries!! You could also order lobster dinner ($15) or Shrimp dinner ($6). If we come back here I would definitely try them. They looked great but we didn't eat at the beach until the last day.
Dinner at the A la carte restaurant. i enjoyed getting dressed up a bit.
Local wild life: iguanas. they were out almost every evening, after the heat of the day warmed up the rocks. They were quite tame and seemed to pose for the tourists.
View of the beach as you exit the canyon.
Snack bar at the beach. Great french fries!! You could also order lobster dinner ($15) or Shrimp dinner ($6). If we come back here I would definitely try them. They looked great but we didn't eat at the beach until the last day.And home we go
ready to head to the air port. Enjoying one last sunrise
Last day I figured I better take some pictures of the facilities. This obviously was the dinning area with buffet meals.
Outside the dinning hall.
The pool bar and snack bar. The stage for nightly entertaiment in the back.
At the air port. Walked on with a full water bottle in my back pack. I guess security isn't the same in all places.;)
We had a wonderful vacation, but were ready to come back home and see our girls.
ready to head to the air port. Enjoying one last sunrise
Last day I figured I better take some pictures of the facilities. This obviously was the dinning area with buffet meals.
Outside the dinning hall.
The pool bar and snack bar. The stage for nightly entertaiment in the back.
At the air port. Walked on with a full water bottle in my back pack. I guess security isn't the same in all places.;)
We had a wonderful vacation, but were ready to come back home and see our girls. They did awesome by the way for the grandparents and everyone involved thought we could definitely do this again sometime.
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