More snow fun with the kids

It is winter in Austria and this year especially we got lots and lots of snow. So many times we are just outside playing in the snow: skiing, sledding, shoveling snow, building snowmen or just plain climbing up piles of snow. Here are some pictures from last Sunday when we went to Schetteregg to play in the snow.

Cousins

I think it is always hard to get a good picture where more than one kid is looking good (and my camera is not a good one - just a small little one). Therefore I was happy to get these cute shots of Finn and Lilly and Hannah and Lara.

Dino Show

There is a traveling dino show that finally came to a town close by and Ben took Finn and Philipp to see it. Even though it was not as large as they expected it to be, they still had lots of fun.
Finn is still really big into dinosaurs and we have all learned a lot about them since his dino phase has started :-)

XRace in Alberschwende

Last Saturday I participated in a fun ski race here in Alberschwende. It is one of those long races, where you ski every lift around the mountain and every minute another 4 skiers take off at the same time. I was not going to participate, but my friend Michael signed me up for it as they needed another person for their team and I am glad he did.
It was a beautiful day, the snow was nice (too soft, but better than too icy) and we had a lot of fun. We did not finish last and hung out with lots of friends.

Markus and Ines

Michael and I

Valentinesday

Valentinesday is not very big in Austria - you might get some flowers for your loved one, but that is pretty much it. So this year we did not do anything crazy for Valentinesday either - we just made some cards for our loved ones.

Snow in Alberschwende

I know there was a big storm in the Northeast and they did get a lot of snow - but nothing compared to here. A few weeks ago it had been snowing for days and the amount of snow is just crazy. Good for skiing and sledding and building snowtunnels - just not for shoveling snow :-)
The kids absolutely love it and we are outside a lot!

Opa built Lilly a snow tunnel

Snow up to Ben's shoulder

Fun in the snow

Lilly Birthday

Last Saturday Lilly turned 2!

She has become such a big girl with an even bigger personality. 

As her birthday was in Fasching, we decided to have a dress up party for her and here are some pictures of the fun and busy day.

Lilly our princess

2 candles on Lilly's cake

Finn was "Mike the knight"

Even the adults came dressed up - our clowns with their little gnom

Lilly opening her presents

After the sweet cake we needed some other food: a big stuffed bread in the shape of 2

Lilly and her little friends in their costumes 

(Vinzenz, Lilly, Finn, Hannah, Luise, Marie)

Hannah

Meredith Visit

This week my friend Meredith came to visit us. It was a short visit, but really great to see her and have her meet my little family.

Meredith and I met while working together at Cultural Care Au Pair in Boston 8 years ago and she is now married to a Swiss Man and lives near Zürich.

She took the train over to Austria on a snowy Tuesday morning. I picked her up from the train station and we went straight to the mountain. We both really like skiing and we took advantage of the kid free morning and hit the slopes for a couple of hours.

We then had lunch together, spent the afternoon with the kids at gym class and made dinner together. After a wake up call from Finn and Lilly, we had breakfast and Meredith took the train home again.

Thanks for visiting us and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Grown Ups Faschingsparty

I have posted a lot of Faschingspictures from the kids - but sometimes the adults get to party as well :-) 

The last Friday in Fasching we went to a costume party in Dornbirn with some of our friends. We all met up before for some snacks and then headed to the party. 

There was fun music, lots of drinking and meeting people I have not seen in a while.

My cousin Franziska did not come out with us - but her husband Günter dressed as a pirate

Even my dad showed up on his way home from work

Ready to leave the house - Ben decided to borrow a costume from Finn

Claudia and I were cowgirls (I have to admit an easy costume)

London

About 25 years ago my friend Sandra and I went to London on a student exchange. We have been friends ever since and talk about that trip often. We finally decided that it was time to go to London again. When her daughters (10 and 12 years old) found out, they wanted to join us. And as my kids are too young (3 and 2 years old), I decided I was going to be the cool aunt and take my 3 nephews and niece with me (11, 11 and 13 years old).

The reactions to that were very different: either "Are you crazy going with 5 kids/ teenagers to London?' or "That is such a cool idea!".

For a moment I doubted myself, but I have to admit, it turned out to be a great trip and we had an awesome time. The kids were actually the perfect age for this trip: they all had learned some English by now and could practise, they had learned about London at school and they knew what they wanted to see. They were also not too little that I had to be worried all the time, but they were not too old that they did not listen anymore. 

Here are some details of our trip:

• Cheap and perfect Ryanair flight to London
• Train from and to Stansted worked great
• Loved riding the Tube and the red doubledecker bus
• Saw Big Ben
• Visited Madame Tussauds (which was really great for the kids)
• Had Fish&Chips at a pub
• Went on the London Eye 
• Looked at Buckingham Palace (and missed the changing of the guards by a day)
• Squeezed everybody into a red phone booth
• Had a fine little hotel with 4 beds in a room and good breakfast

The kids (and we) had a fun time and we might have to plan another trip soon!

Powder Day

On Saturday February 2nd we had a great powder day - well most of our skiing days this season have been powder day. But that Saturday was great. We went to Diedamskopf, our favorite resort and had a great day skiing (while my sister watched the kids and make us all lunch - thanks Marion!).
There were no people and every run was another great powder run.

The view was not the best, but that did not bother us too much