Einsiedeln
We went to Einsiedeln, a traditional Swiss town
just an hour away, to see the town and go sledding. We went to an old traditional gingerbread bakery and to see a large nativity scene in the town. This was also the first chance we had for the kids to use their new sled 
(as we didn't have snow at our house during the week after Christmas). The kids had a great time sledding at the big hill behind the monastery in Einsiedeln.Bern
We went to the city of Bern, Switzerland, to the LDS temple.
It was the first LDS temple in Europe and it was wonderful to be able to visit it (there is translation into all different languages, of course). The kids were taken care of by some friends from our ward while Dave and I went to the temple. 
Then, we all went into the city of Bern for lunch and a visit to the Bear Pit - Bern was named after Bären, or "bears", and there are some brown bears on display in a habitat in the center of the city. Einstein's apartment is also in Bern, but was closed the day we were there - so of course we'll be back!
We went to the city of Bern, Switzerland, to the LDS temple.
It was the first LDS temple in Europe and it was wonderful to be able to visit it (there is translation into all different languages, of course). The kids were taken care of by some friends from our ward while Dave and I went to the temple. 
Then, we all went into the city of Bern for lunch and a visit to the Bear Pit - Bern was named after Bären, or "bears", and there are some brown bears on display in a habitat in the center of the city. Einstein's apartment is also in Bern, but was closed the day we were there - so of course we'll be back!Circus Connelli
We went to a Christmas circus in Zurich that was incredible! It was in a big tent right on the bank of the river and included acts from all over the world (the group from the US was a gospel choir from the South). It was a very fun event, with amazing acts of juggling and acrobatics. We were sitting on the front row, so Nathan and Elise were each handed a sparkler as part of the finale (very exciting!).
Wintersports
We went skiing, sledding, and ice skating several times during the holidays.
There is a sledding hill very close to our house, which is great! Our favorite day for skiing was at Flumserberg, a resort about an hour away from our house. It was so majestic - 
while the valley was in the fog, we passed through the fog layer on our way up to the mountain and it was clear, sunny and beautiful at the resort. The Alps seemed to circle the place! 
Elise skied on her own (sometimes with Dave) and did a great job. And, Nathan went on the kids' magic carpet and came down with help from Mom or Dad. And, it clicked! 
Nathan kept working at it, and by the afternoon, he was saying, "Ready, Setty, Go" and squealing as he went down the hill. He learned how to slow down and turn, and then he felt really confident. It was so fun to see him learn this! And, while William really wanted to ski too, he was fairly patient being pulled around on the sled. Elise, Nathan and Dave went ice skating twice, and Elise went two more times during her last week of vacation. Each of these two times, there were kids there that she knew from school, and she ended up having a great time with them. I am so impressed with her for being so flexible and open to new friends and experiences!
New Year's
We celebrated the New Year at a very fun party at the house of a family from our church congregation. While the kids came in pajamas and had videos, games, dinner and snacks galore upstairs, the adults had a beautiful dinner downstairs. That was followed by a white elephant exchange for the adults,
fireworks outside for the kids, and an incredible local fireworks show in the little town. These friends live on the other side of the lake from us, and at midnight there was a fireworks display that could rival many we've seen - and it was done by an individual, not the town! It went on for such a long time, we joked that next year they would have it synchronized to music. While it hadn't snowed since before Christmas, there was a big snowstorm the evening of Dec. 31st (called Silvester in German). So, the drive to the party wasn't so easy, but it was really, really beautiful! The kids all stayed up until midnight to ring in the New Year! This will be a hard tradition to beat!
Shopping in Germany
Switzerland is expensive! We heard this before we came, and it's very true. Many people go shopping in Germany, France and Austria to get better prices. We're 45 minutes from the German border, so we decided to go to Konstanz on a shopping trip (Dave and the boys went to an aquarium for part of the time - as shopping is not their favorite activity!). It was fun, but we didn't really end up buying too much (although groceries, especially beef, were much less expensive). Given the high prices here, it seems that the Swiss just don't focus quite so much on shopping. The Swiss have very nice quality things, but don't seem to amass as much as is typical in the United States. That is evident in things like the smaller size of houses / apartments, people always out walking and enjoying nature, and a real focus on recycling. It's more about experiences than things! That's a lesson we hope to make an integral part of our lives!
We went skiing, sledding, and ice skating several times during the holidays.
There is a sledding hill very close to our house, which is great! Our favorite day for skiing was at Flumserberg, a resort about an hour away from our house. It was so majestic - 
while the valley was in the fog, we passed through the fog layer on our way up to the mountain and it was clear, sunny and beautiful at the resort. The Alps seemed to circle the place! 
Elise skied on her own (sometimes with Dave) and did a great job. And, Nathan went on the kids' magic carpet and came down with help from Mom or Dad. And, it clicked! 
Nathan kept working at it, and by the afternoon, he was saying, "Ready, Setty, Go" and squealing as he went down the hill. He learned how to slow down and turn, and then he felt really confident. It was so fun to see him learn this! And, while William really wanted to ski too, he was fairly patient being pulled around on the sled. Elise, Nathan and Dave went ice skating twice, and Elise went two more times during her last week of vacation. Each of these two times, there were kids there that she knew from school, and she ended up having a great time with them. I am so impressed with her for being so flexible and open to new friends and experiences!New Year's
We celebrated the New Year at a very fun party at the house of a family from our church congregation. While the kids came in pajamas and had videos, games, dinner and snacks galore upstairs, the adults had a beautiful dinner downstairs. That was followed by a white elephant exchange for the adults,
fireworks outside for the kids, and an incredible local fireworks show in the little town. These friends live on the other side of the lake from us, and at midnight there was a fireworks display that could rival many we've seen - and it was done by an individual, not the town! It went on for such a long time, we joked that next year they would have it synchronized to music. While it hadn't snowed since before Christmas, there was a big snowstorm the evening of Dec. 31st (called Silvester in German). So, the drive to the party wasn't so easy, but it was really, really beautiful! The kids all stayed up until midnight to ring in the New Year! This will be a hard tradition to beat!Shopping in Germany
Switzerland is expensive! We heard this before we came, and it's very true. Many people go shopping in Germany, France and Austria to get better prices. We're 45 minutes from the German border, so we decided to go to Konstanz on a shopping trip (Dave and the boys went to an aquarium for part of the time - as shopping is not their favorite activity!). It was fun, but we didn't really end up buying too much (although groceries, especially beef, were much less expensive). Given the high prices here, it seems that the Swiss just don't focus quite so much on shopping. The Swiss have very nice quality things, but don't seem to amass as much as is typical in the United States. That is evident in things like the smaller size of houses / apartments, people always out walking and enjoying nature, and a real focus on recycling. It's more about experiences than things! That's a lesson we hope to make an integral part of our lives!
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