Are we getting any rest?

In a conversation with my mom today she expressed concern that we weren't getting any rest, and isn't that why we moved to France? While this first month has had a lot of "firsts" (which Geoff keeps reminding me will be hard and inconvenient), and it seems from my posts that we are constantly on the go, we are still getting good down time. I write about the things we do, not the things we don't do. How interesting would it be to read over and over again that we stared at the sea? Or that we read another few chapters in a book? Or we played another round of Old Maid with the girls? I have photographic evidence that Geoff rests. I've snuck up on him a few times and captured some of his favorite spots.

Our balcony is private, with a nice view of the sea. This is Geoff's favorite morning spot. (He does scheme how to cut down those trees in the middle of the night when no one is watching...)

Poolside naps happen frequently (when he's not on lifeguard duty...)

This hammock has a nice view of Italy and the sea

Our side patio has a nice bench to lounge on when watching the girls dance around or put on plays

The Temple

Being at the Temple was like visiting home; everything was familiar and comfortable. The grounds were immaculate, the workers in white were as kind as angels, the decor beautiful and functional, the artwork symbolizing whose house it is, and the general spirit comforting and peaceful. While there I stepped away from the efforts of adjusting to a new culture, language(s) and house/town, the busy-ness of housekeeping, the relentless demands of motherhood, the physical, emotional, and mental requirements of homeschooling, the limitations of Geoff's condition, and my own personal weaknesses and struggles where sometimes my "eyes cannot see far off" (Moses 6:27). I regained a clear perspective of who I am, what I'm doing and where I'm going. It is no wonder life goes smoother, and is more peaceful, when regularly visiting the House of the Lord.

It had its differences. The Swiss Temple serves many different languages and your preferred language is noted on the small slip of paper carried through the Temple so the workers will know what language to speak to you. Temple sessions are in different languages (determined by the native language of the majority of people in the session), and translation headphones are passed out upon entering the session. There are workers from all countries so that somewhere someone can speak to you in your native tongue. Turns out there was a young gal and her family from St. George, Utah (my home town) who was marrying an Italian! Thanks to our dominant numbers the session was in English.

Because so many people travel long distances to this Temple it has dorms next to it and we spent two nights there. This was a unique and memorable experience. Our room had six bunks, some lockers and a small bathroom. Usually people share the room with others they don't know, but we got a whole room to ourselves. The girls loved the bunk beds (jungle gym), and Geoff and I felt like we were sleeping in a family-style DT room (dorms) at BYU. It was perfectly practical and basic.
In the basement there is a large dining area with three long tables and two round tables. Along the wall there are metal baskets where individuals can keep victuals, and several glass-doored refrigerators to hold perishable items. The kitchen had 10 sinks, stoves and ovens. Each person was responsible to clean up after themselves. The French couples that were there (one of which fed Geoff once on his mission!) always set out a tablecloth and settings. They revere mealtimes!


As a family we are focusing on becoming a "Zion" family during this year together. Our home school is even called Z School. We are studying the people of Enoch, and discussing what it means to have "one heart" and "one mind", and how we can "have no poor among (us)". We're working on sharing and eliminating "mine" from our family vocabulary. We're learning how to be "pure in heart", and we acknowledge and applaud Zion behavior. We have a lifetime to go but it is a focus, and we hope for even a small improvement in our family dynamic.

The temple was an amazing example of the Zion feeling we have been trying to teach the girls. They noticed how everyone helped to keep things tidy, and willingly grabbed the broom to sweep up our messes, or the sponge to wipe off our table so they would keep the spirit of it all. One mealtime the girls were fighting over who got the last of a banana. A nearby Italian father said, "Sister, I have an extra banana", which immediately dispelled the argument. His willingness to share what he had when he saw the need impacted the girls. As a result, we created the "Banana Award" that goes to anyone who gives when there is a need. They all noticed the good feeling there and consider it one of their favorite places. Hearing that, of course, was the best moment of the whole trip!

First temple trip

The nearest temple is in Bern, Switzerland. We rented a car the size of a matchbox and took the scenic route up the border of Italy and France. We saw old Roman roads, picturesque villages, WWII shelters and bullet holes, flatlands, numberless hillside hamlets with stone churches, and in one valley maybe 45 minutes long we counted 26 castles from the 1100s to the 1800s! We broke up the drive by stopping for the night in Chamonix (shAw-mon-ee) at the foot of Mont Blanc. We stayed in a cute little inn with lodge-like interiors. The room had all sorts of nooks and crannies and the girls played hide-and-seek for an hour without running out of hiding options!

This is a view of the mountains casting a shadow on the clouds...magnificent!

A walking street in Chamonix with Mont Blanc in the background

We loved this place so much we changed our route home to pass through and stay again. It's Swiss/French architecture, relaxed attitude, spectacular scenery, and amazing bakeries made us

dream of frequent returns and a chalet of our own. I kept wishing that all of my friends and family could experience it, too, but all I can offer is a few point and shoot photos. I hope someday you can pass through.

On the way back home we stayed with an older couple (like a bed and breakfast without the breakfast) in a quintessential chalet with it's overflowing flowers and tidy wood pile ready for the cold weather to set in. The girls were such amazing travellers we bought them a huge sucker at a fun candy shop in town. For those who know how rare this happens, you can imagine their utter happiness.

From Chamonix we drove through "other worldly" (as Geoff commented) mountain passes into Switzerland, grabbed a picnic lunch and headed up to L'Abri, the little Christian commune where Geoff's parents were married in 1971. It still exists and young people these days come to stay and study about God, and find themselves. We were able to tour some of the chalets, visit the chapel, and imagine Keenan and Mesha in their wedding gowns starting something that is continuing strong today!!!

The girls on the stone fireplace in the chapel were the wedding ceremony took place

A 200 year old barn in Huemoz, the tiny town where L'Abri is located

Ceci trying to make a good choice

We love Switzerland. We couldn't look hard enough at the green pastures along the freeway that rolled up the mountains, lakes that weren't overcrowded with development (at all), mountain peaks and rivers that made our eyes pop again and again. I love their chocolate, the cows with heavy utters and clanky bells, and their modern and efficient design mixed in with the old as the hills villages. We stopped at Vevey because didn't Ian serve as a missionary there? This is a "Swiss Riviera" town on Lake Geneva that is loaded with charm and we were remiss to only pass through.

The temple was amazing and I'll write a post about it tomorrow. It was a fabulous trip. We got a crash course in European driving, basic communication in Italian and German, local histories, exchange rates, and sufficient public bathroom knowledge to make an addendum to the Lonely Planet books! The girls were squished in the backseat for long hours and kept themselves busy for the most part; they are great travel companions!

A common sign...just missing the bell!

Ceci's birthday!

Sorry we haven't posted anything for so long! The internet was down and then we left town for a few days.

Last Saturday, September 20th, Ceci turned four! We made a decision with the girls to have birthday Adventures while here, instead of birthday parties. With Geoff and Ceci's birthdays so close together we had three days of birthday fun. Ceci's long-standing adventure wish was gelato in Italy. On Friday afternoon we made our first trip across the boarder to Ventimiglia, a 10 minute train ride. The only thing on the agenda was finding a gelato shop (pretty cool when you can "go out for icecream" to Italy!) We asked around for the best in town and everyone recommended the same place. Turns out it was all-natural and made in house! After sampling nearly every flavor we all committed to come back on each of our birthdays...and not count it as an adventure.

Saturday we went to a circus in Nice. It was a mix between Ringling Bros. and a minor league Cirque du Soleil. Circuses are an eerie form of entertainment. Humans and animals alike are doing totally unnatural feats, and they look half submissive, half crazed! The girls didn't notice; they loved it!

Ceci loved the extra attention, the traditional treasure hunt, and the chocolate-frosted cookies. It was a great day.

Geoff's Birthday, with a capital B

Geoff's mother (a mother of eight!) made each of their birthdays spectacular every year. This made for a magical childhood but I've always felt the pressure to live up to the annual expectation of an amazing day. I've gathered groups of friends for unique restaurant experiences, and plays, and one year I even rented him a convertable Porche for the day. This year I didn't plan anything, and Geoff's only hope was to "swim in the Mediterranean on my birthday". Whew! I could pull that off! The girls and I woke up early and hung up some balloons and made signs to hang on the wall, each one saying something we loved about him. We had pastries for breakfast, and then we sent Geoff to the beach while the sea was calm and the sun warm (the afternoons have been breezy the past few days). He swam out a ways in the sea and said he could see at least 15 feet down, perfectly clear! He lay on the beach for an hour; fulfilling his one birthday wish to be at the beach. He rode the scooter to the next town over, Roquebrune Cap-Martin, and explored the coast and small roads. He came back rosy and alive, and feeling completely fulfilled. We swam in the pool this afternoon, relaxed, and then set out for dinner. We discovered that French restaurants don't open until 7:30PM so we hung out on a rocky beach looking for sea glass and shells, and other sea treasures. We ate at a restaurant right on the beach, and we were alone on the patio. The table was set like a fancy wedding party with sparkling glasses, a bouquet of flowers, a basket of wholesome bread, and white linens. As the sun went down Old Town Menton lit up and the air warmed a bit. We took our time eating, although the girls were tired. We just got them to bed at 10:00. Geoff said it was his best birthday ever. That is hard to acheive...and I didn't have to do anything!

Swim status

There isn't much exposure to swimming in Washington. Tennie took many private swim lessons and can swim decently, although doesn't have much form. This past summer, in Geoff's parent's $129 Walmart pool, Adele broke through the face-in-the-water stumbling block. She even swam around a bit, but always had the safety of being able to touch the bottom. At summer's end Ceci complained if splashed on and wanted her swim vest on even though she could touch on tip-toe.

Now that we have a pool Tennie continues to swim and jump off the sides with ease. Adele jumps off the side to Geoff and swims a foot or two to him without plugging her nose! Ceci walks on her toes through the smaller pool and is starting to blow bubbles; occasionally dipping her nose in. We're making progress! The weather is cooling a bit, and school keeps us from swimming as much as we'd like, but we're hoping that we have three full-fledge fish by the time we leave. By writing their status now, we'll have a clear picture of their progress when we leave!

I'm sure there is a good caption for this picture considering Tennie's face and hand...but I can't think of one. Any good ideas? She is swimming against a jet that is like swimming laps in place.

Let's see...today was Sunny!

Adele's math curriculum asks her to chart the weather everyday on a graph. The choices are Sunny, Cloudy, Rainy or Snowy. Every day this week we've looked out the window, looked at each other, smiled and said simultaneously, "Sunny!"

Geoff and Ceci went on a scooter ride last evening to a waterfront park

We've accumulated 100 pictures of Tennie playing in the sand over the years...but she is clean in this one!

Adele's sand castle masterpiece

Cuisine de la Mediterranee

This is Geoff with my first post...

I'm taking the opportunity of this year to develop some creative talents and hope to experiment with cooking and drawing. Knowing this, our great friend Ashley Serafin gave us a wonderful cookbook before we left called "Raw Food Made Easy"- perfect for all of the fresh veggies here. It's taken us this long to feel organized enough to try out recipes, but this weekend Darcie and I put together a menu using Ashley's book and a French cookbook called "Cuisine of the Sun". Armed with a shopping list, Ceci and I set out for the market this morning. She was a great helper and picked out 6 beautiful peppers, a sweet cantaloupe, great apples, pears, pickles, and an eggplant, among other things. After an hour and a half (including a ride on the carousel), our bags were full and we had all we needed. Except, it should be noted, for cooking spinach. When I bought spinach, the farmer said - "This is for salad, you know, not cooking. It's too fresh to waste on cooking - and too expensive. Buy it frozen." He was right - it was 10 euro (~$14 a kilo)! Luckily 4 salad servings was less than a dollar.

We got home and started unloading and I was struck by the colors and smells of this amazingly fresh food and I had to try to capture it in a photo. This doesn't do it justice, but it's a start.

All this for 45 euro, plus 15 euro for some fresh spices

Here's Ceci trying to figure out what she thinks of the sardines

The menu tonight was from the Cuisine of the Sun and included Sardines Grillees (grilled fresh sardines with parsley and garlic), Riz au Safran (saffron rice with nutmeg) and Haricots au Beurre (green beans with butter). The girls all rotate days cooking with us and today was Adele's day (she really likes to cook and is becoming quite good). She was totally grossed out by the "yucky, bloody eyes" on the sardines and refused to touch them. I did convince her to at least receive them in a strainer after I cleaned them, which she did, before unceremoniously dumping them onto a paper towel to dry them.

I should mention that "cleaning" them here means washing them, not scaling them, removing the head and innards, etc., since you eat them whole. The 'whole-ness' of the fish grossed all of the females in the house out throughout the process (from buying to eating them). We grilled them, drizzled them in olive oil and fresh lemon juice, then garnished them with fresh parsley and garlic.

Here's how it all came out.

Adele announce that, even though she had spent 30 minutes helping prepare them, "even the thought of eating the sardines give me goosebumps!!" Darcie told her that was too bad since we had chocolate pudding for dessert, after which Adele decided to try "just a small bite". She did and, with a big smile said, "Mmmm, I like it. It tastes like Salmon with potato chips [the bones]!" The girls all ate a complete sardine and Darcie awarded them each an "Adventurous Eater" certificate. It was a good day.

Geoff

First day of school

We started school at home today. I wouldn't say it was flawless, but it went pretty well considering Geoff and I crammed our preperation the night before! The girls were excited to get started, and it is true that it will go much faster than a normal public school day. Due to a little disorganization it took us a few additional hours...but that will get better. Once things settle into a regular pattern I'll let you know what we do each day of the week. One thing is for sure, our days are going to be full! Fortunately, full doesn't mean stressful here because there is no time stress. We don't have to be anywhere by a certain time, and things don't have to be completed on a deadline. We have absolutely no commitments. Sure, we have the responsibility to teach the girls a year of schooling, but if one day it takes a little longer it is ok.

Since we've been here I've noticed myself feeling antsy, like I'm not accomplishing much. Before we had the Vespa we would have a list of errands and one of them would take an entire day, and I would self-impose a lot of stress. I wanted to cruise through the list! Now that I think about it, why? Because then I could create another list and fly through that one, too!? The reality here is, if we don't get something done we can do it another day with minimal consequence. This was likely the reality at home, too. Earlier this year I read a book called Performance Addiction that talked about the need to be accomplishing things being an actual addiction. Some introspection revealed that I based a decent amount of self-worth on how much I accomplished. After this realization, I made a deliberate effort to stop doing so much because, in my drive to prove how much I could accomplish, I would neglect more important things, like time with the girls. As I pulled away from aggressive to-do lists I felt a longing and emptiness; an uncertainty of whether or not I was worth anything. If I wasn't the head of this or that committee, or getting oohs and aahs about some activity I organized or cake I decorated or how organized my cupboards were or whatever it was I had on my lists...then what was I contributing? What value was I adding? What was there to admire about me?

In a deliberate effort to be fully present for the girls, and learn to be ok with who I am regarless of what I accomplish, I didn't bring books or projects to France. I still feel a little antsy. I sometimes pick up a broom and sweep the floor just so I can sit down and look at it and feel like I did something. On the flip side, I'm also spending more time with the girls. When they ask for a story I'm available. When they ask for me to watch them swim I've got time to applaud their growing fins. Maybe, if I overcome my preoccupation with myself just a little, I can build their self-worth. A self-worth that doesn't need the world's adoration, or isn't based on a comparison to someone else, or isn't measured by what they do, but a feeling that they are great just because they are! A belief that because they were born they are somebody special. Our American culture sure doesn't support this idea much, but maybe while I'm seeking to help the girls feel it...I'll find it in myself, too!

Blogs to mention...

First, Tennie has created her own blog! She designed it, uploads her own photos, and does her own posting. I showed her the spell check option and she said she wasn't interested. To quote her she said, "I don't want to spell things right. My friends know I don't spell well and I want them to know I wrote it!" There is a link to it on the right column of our blog, but for a first quick peek you can visit www.tenniedavis.blogspot.com.

We got permission to use the photo at the top of our blog from a woman named Jilly Bennet who has a blog at www.menton-daily-photo.blogspot.com. We frequented her blog to keep us motivated when the days of moving were long! We loved this picture and thank her for her willingness to put it on our blog! She has some great pictures of Menton if you're interested in browsing through her blog sometime.

Ants and scarves

We have ants. They come in through the front door and wander around. I was nervous they would make their way down the hall to the kitchen and set up house so I've been sweeping them out multiple times a day (like that does anything!) I remembered a book I read before coming to France called A Year in Provence. The man in the book had ants and put lemon juice down the ant home; it took care of the problem. I cut open a lemon (a lemon only costs $.25 here!) and squeezed juice all over the front door area. I knew I wasn't getting to the source, but wanted to see if it worked. I took a picture of the carnage...

Sure enough they fell dead the second they had contact with the citric acid. I kept the dead ants laying around to warn any coming ants of their pending fate. For two days we didn't have ants, but the lemon juice dried and today they are back. I won the first battle but the war goes on! To be continued...

We deliberately didn't bring many toys with us. It took a few days for the girls to adjust to not having a closet full of Barbies. I marvel at a child's creativity with what they have. The girls have created paper dolls out of pictures in the Friend magazine, the pool noodles come to life with personalities and voices, and they take endless videos of each other on Tennie's new camera (she earned $40 to pay half!) We brought some scarves that the girls received years ago from my dad and Babs. These are the most versatile play items we own! They dress up in them constantly, and use them as tents, leashes, baby blankets, etc. Here is Ceci posing as a fairy princess.

It is interesting to see their transition from being used to having a lot of exterior stimulation from toys and friends and errands and outings, to having to create entertainment on their own. Not that we've ever provided unlimited activities by any means, but we are spending a lot more time at home with far fewer toy options. Some days they get cranky and bored, but today Adele started sweeping the side porch while waiting for lunch! Let's hope this kind of behavior continues!

The market through Adele's eyes

Geoff took Adele to the market and let her use the camera...

Last day of summer

Today was a beautiful day; the last day of summer. We start school on Monday, and tomorrow the temps drop and Fall begins. Geoff is mourning the end of hot days. I'm glad temperatures will be a bit cooler. We really differ in our weather preferences. He loves HOT and sunny. I like anything between 65 and 72...I'm sort of particular!

Today was about 80 and we spent the afternoon at the beach lounging and swimming in the sea. Geoff took this picture of me playing with the girls in the water because it is such an anomaly for those that know me well. Water has to be really warm for me to get in...and there I am.

After sitting on the beach and observing a little, it is clear that people don't obsess about their bodies here. People of all sizes are lounging comfortably in tiny bikinis, many without tops. No one wears shorts to cover up the extra pounds, or sits covered up because they're self-conscious. No one is walking around trying to flaunt anything, or get attention. No one has a boob job. Men aren't walking around looking tough and muscular. They are what they are...they don't think of it. It is such a contrast to the same scene on an American shore. How sad that in our self-absorbed culture we place so much emphasis on how we look. How unfortunate that it often defines people, and gives or takes away self-worth. I loved having my girls there not overhearing comments like, "Wow, you are looking so thin!" Or, "Wow, where did you get that swimming suit!?" The absence of that focus would allow them to be who they really are, and not worry about insignificant comparisons. A good lesson from the French.

Ceci had her first ride on the scooter today.

There is a great little park right by the beach. Here is a nice pose from Adele. (She is suddenly asking to have her pictures taken and loves to give this smile.)

And the verdict on French wheat...

As some of you know we as a family have troubles with gluten. Our doctor, who is also sensitive to gluten, told us that once while in France he tried a pastry and didn't have any problems. We were very hopeful that we could eat pastries and breads galore but...we as a family still have troubles with gluten. Bummer. You may still see us eating it...

For the record...

The advertisement for the house said there were 52 stairs down to the villa...there are 101. I counted.

The Vespa

Geoff and I did yoga on the patio today (I caught this photo of Geoff afterwards so you could see the view). And it was a good thing because we set off to buy a Vespa afterwards...and we needed the "calming energy that flows from the universe".

We thought it would be a quick trip to town. We caught the bus right on schedule, walked to the scooter dealer, and realized...it was just before noon. Scooter dealers, insurance agencies, and any other store to keep us busy was closed for lunch...until 2:30 or 3:00 (at their pleasure). While this was hugely inconvenient for us, I admire the attitude that things (work, shopping, life...) can wait for people to take a break during the day. Life is for enjoying, too, right? We stopped in a cafe for a panini (and to kill a few hours!) The girls were admiring the beautiful pastries pointing out every one they would love to have when Adele, looking at a green lump of pastry, said, "I've always wanted to eat playdough, and now is the time."

So we let her have a try. It was a lot of sugar and figs. She gave it a big bite and...

(Geoff took a bite and spit it into his napkin...) While walking around we passed this little car that was so full of character I asked the entering owner if we could get a picture...check this little modified Fiat out!

It took us about 3 hours to buy the darn Vespa. They had to charge the battery and order a few addditional things, the sales guy left for awhile to pick up his daughter from school, the lady who does the final payment went shopping for food (what was she doing during lunch!?) and the insurance place was a 10 minute walk (and we did it twice), plus you know how fast it is to get insurance. But we got it! And now we can make a quick trip to the market when we run out of something, and only one of us has to go on boring errands instead of dragging three kids along, making every outing an all-day affair! This was the last big errand to set up life here (yeah!!) And to top it all off, we'll get most of our money back when we sell the Vespa next year because half of Menton drives a scooter!

(Helmets are cool. Helmets are cool. Helmets are cool.)

Down day

Today is the kind of day we came for...slow. We read, napped, laid in the sun and ate all of our meals outside. I've been working on organizing the schooling materials, schedules, and yes...chore charts. Food still has to be made and cleaned up, toilet bowls scrubbed, beds made and laundry done. Laundry...our washer is fit for a small load only, and takes one hour and 50 minutes to run it's cycle. We have a dryer, which isn't common around here, and it does dry the clothes when the door is rigged shut with a hair band.

The girl's highlight was capturing a huge, bright green grasshopper. It jumped so high it freaked Tennie and Adele out every time it moved. Ceci stared and it and then picked it up. She is so adventurous, and open to trying new things (she ate a strong-tasting olive and sun-dried tomato yesterday, swallowed a pill the day before, jumped off some rocks into the sea after some fish yesterday...). It is fun seeing her little personality develop!