We are still waiting to get the internet. It has been a very frustrating process with no real answers. We feel like we are living in the 1970’s having to wait so long for a phone and internet. We do have a phone, finally, now. They installed it on Friday. We are thrilled that we have at least that now. We have heard that DSL is not possible at our home. We think that’s the real story…but we might be able to get the internet through a satellite dish, not very fast, so we’ve heard, but we’ll take it. It’s all been a bit nerve racking to be honest. I feel so out of touch with everyone. I try to email at the school but the computer for the parents only works sometimes so it’s not a very consistent effort. Sorry to those of you who haven’t heard from us, we really haven’t fallen off the face of the earth.
We have enjoyed the fall here. The changing of the leaves was beautiful to see again. Some of our children don’t remember it. Luke asked one day on the way home from school if the leaves changing colors and falling off the trees was normal. I asked him if he remembered it in Michigan and he said he didn’t. Three years in Jakarta erased his memory of fall. Mallory was quite intrigued by it as well. She has kept an eye on the small red maple tree outside her window and kept track of the leaves falling off. She says that once the leaves are gone, it snows and she can’t wait for that.
We did enjoy a couple of nice trips in October. We took a long weekend and went to Switzerland. We had a great time going up Pilatus and staying the night. The trip was meant for Creed and the boys to hike to the top, but when we arrived we saw that the weather wasn’t going to cooperate. It was freezing and snowing about half way up the mountain so instead, we all took the train up to the top, spent the night there and then came down the next morning. We had fun anyway.
We also took the kids for one night to our favorite place, the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It was clear and you could see the alps from our windows at the hotel. We really enjoyed it.
A couple weeks after that was our Italy trip but plans changed when Creed found out that it was not a good week for him to leave work. I wasn’t going to hang around here with the kids off for a week so we decided I would drive to Paris with the kids and go to Disneyland and Creed would meet us there.
The drive was an easy drive (thanks to the navi system in the car!). We checked into the hotel at Paris Disneyland and got up early and went to the park. It was great fun. It wasn’t too crowded so we didn’t end up waiting in too many long lines. Creed took the train Wednesday night and met us there and we went to Disneyland one more day. Friday morning we went into Paris and went to the apartment we rented. It was within walking distance to the Eifel Tower. It was a great location and was so nice to be able to cook and have space.
We managed to haul the kids to most of the sites in Paris in two days. We even made it to the Lourve and the Musee d’Orsay! We ran through them though, with four kids, just seeing the things that I imagine they will study in school. The kids really enjoyed it.
We are ready to have Thanksgiving next week. A friend of mine, whose husband is in the military, was kind enough to go on base and get me a Butterball turkey! I am so excited for that. We have also scrounged up the rest of the makings of a perfect Thanksgiving meal between visiting the tiny American food shop in Paris and smuggling things from Indonesia (canned pumpkin in the bottom of the boxes). It should be a good day. Creed is going to take Thursday and Friday off and we’ll eat when the kids get home from school.
Christmas decorations and things have already gone up around the cities here. It’s really beautiful. European Christmas’s are magical and we are excited to see it all. We are excited to have a real Christmas tree and be in our cozy house when it’s cold outside. The kids can hardly wait to get the decorations up.
We hope you are all doing well. We will be thinking of you all and missing family during these holidays but you are all in our prayers. Happy Thanksgiving!
Millers in Shanghai
Friday, November 21, 2008
Photos: Oct 2008 - Disneyland Paris
Mallory loved the parade -- her hand never stopped waving.
Luke lining up for some pancakes.
Photos: Oct 2008 - Paris
It doesn't take much to get these kids to want to pose. Nash actually knew who this guy is - I forgot who, but he recognized him because of the hat/helmet on his head.
Tears of joy at seeing the Mona Lisa.
Coronation of Napolean.
Cold Play, anyone?
Grant "accidentally" dropped a 10 cent coin over the edge to the area where Napolean's tomb is.
Musee D'Orsay
Crepes and waffles.
Photos: Oct / Nov 2008 - Halloween and St. Martin's Day
The night before Halloween was a bit of a circus -- carving the pumpkin, making costumes (that's Grant under the sheet), and the usually playing around and posing for pictures that normally happen in our house.
Luke was Dracula, Grant was....I'm not sure what (he chose this costume rather than the ghost costume Heidi made the night before), and Mallory was a princess.
A few days after Halloween was St. Martin's day, which is pretty big here. It is in memory of a guy, Martin, who gave his coat to someone who was cold (at least that's what my kids told me).
Basically, all the kids make a lantern, then follow a guy on a horse around for a little parade through your village...
And then you make a big bonfire.
Photos: October 2008 - Switzerland
The kids and I had the first Friday in October off school & work, so we went to Switzerland, with the intention of stopping in Luzern (above and below), then going to the top of Pilatus to stay the night -- the boys and I wanted to hike up, while Heidi and Mallory were going to take the train.
A snow storm came in the day before, so our hiking plans had to be postponed, but we all went up anyway.
Luke forgot to bring up his hat, so after a while, Nash had the great idea for Luke to put a pair of underwear on his head to keep warm. It started out as a joke, but Luke actually did it.
And he enjoyed it...
Every once in a while, there was a break in the clouds and we could see down into the valley.
We then drove from Luzern down to the Lauterbrunnen valley. It was a beautiful drive.
We went to the Truemmelbach falls.
Grant was very proud of this action shot -- nearly horizontal, but in mid-air.
We then checked in to a hotel - the boys liked the chess table in the lounge.
In the evening after dinner we walked up to the waterfall coming off the mountain on the right side.
Standing behind the waterfall.
On the way back we stopped by the temple near Bern.
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