Spring!

No matter how long the Winter, how hard the frost,

or how deep the snow; Nature triumphs.

No season is awaited so eagerly or welcomed so warmly as Spring.

Blog marathon

Dear Friends & Family,
I apologize for the Blog Marathon you'll find here by the Kaufmann's. What can I say, life has been busy and blogging has been put on the back burner....I'll try to do better in the future. :)
We love and miss you all.

Morning, Day or Night!

With the yard finally finished we thought it would be fun to get a trampoline for all the kids. (FYI....in Switzerland it is very common to have multi-families living under the same roof; each with their individual apartment. We live in the same house where Mandel's brother, mom, and cousin live with their families.....just to clear up any confusion.)

Back to the tramp...since we got it assembled, it's all Bode wants to do....whether it be first thing in the morning still wearing his PJ's, right home from church in his Sunday best, or late evening hours...he just can't seem to get enough of all this JUMPING!!!

Great toddler entertainment!

So the newest additions to Dorengaden have now arrived. Yes, the Bunnies are here and Bode is once again in 7th heaven! Three babies and a mommy. They are darling...and a great way of keeping a 2 1/2 yr. old entertained.

Finally finished!

It all began last Fall when we decided we needed more lawn and less garden so the the kids had plenty of room to play.....and now I'm happy to say that as of last Friday this very long, hard, back-breaking, at times frustrating, and exciting project is now complete.

We're loving it, and know that all the hard work was well worth it.

BEA 2008

Since the first Spring Mandel and I met each other, we have made it a tradition to attend BEA the Country Fair every May.
Now with Bode it's turned into an even bigger event. From animals, to rides, machines galore, and especially the over- sized balloons and gummy spiders...Let's just say this kid was in KID HEAVEN!

Faces of Bode

So I know every mother feels the same way...but I mean come on....just look at him....I know he stole my heart a long time ago. You're the best thing in my life honey...Mommy loves you!

Cows, Cows and more Cows

Like mentioned before Mandel's family has a dairy farm here in Grindelwald, and often when they are out of town, we are asked to step in and help get the chores done. We love being around these beautiful animals and enjoy the quality time it provides for our family to spend together.

Then here are some fun pictures of another Fehe show we went to that was held here in G'wald. Bode loves to be with not only the animals but also his silly cousins. They have a great time together!

Day at the lake.....

When Spring just doesn't seem to want to come to Grindelwald, we will often take little day excursions down to the valley where you'll find everything in bloom. Here are some pictures from a wonderful afternoon spent at the lake of Thun.

Moo says the Cow.....

Dairy farming is a huge part of the Swiss culture. It's a way of life that is rooted deeply in the Swiss way of life, as well as Mandel's family.

In the Spring and Fall they have Fehe shows. At this particular one they let the little kids show their calves too. Here are some darling pictures of our cousins dressed in traditional clothing with their calf and their dad participating in the cow show.

Like-a-Bike

One more thing that makes a vroom-vroom sound. The like-a-bike has arrived and our little man lives it!

Tier Park

One beautiful day back in MARCH (sorry I'm so behind) we headed to Bern to go to "Tier Park". Bode loved the animals, of course, and the playground was a major hit. Funny thing is that this is the same park I use to spend hours at with Svenja. I never knew then that nearly 10 yr. later I would still be visiting this same park with my own child.

Crazy where life takes you.

It's time....

Yes, most kids would have experienced this long before now...but we're happy to announce that it was finally time for Bode to get his FIRST hair cut.

He sat there for all of 5 min. and then the whole event was over. I don't think he even realized what happened only that mommy was sitting teary eyed in the corner as the little pig-tail curl was cut from the back of his neck. Needless to say, it's almost been a month since then and his hair has grown back so fast and thick. 2 1/2 years for the first cut. 2 months later for the second.