Siena's birthday

September was Siena's birthday. She woke up with balloons covering her floor and presents, what more could a kid want! She is our big 6 year old now. She is really excited to help with the new baby when she arrives. She even wants to change poopy diapers! Emeri is also asking all the time how much longer till the baby comes. It has been so much fun to watch their excitement as they think about having a new sister. Hopefully by next weekend!

Siena is in her second year of Swiss Kindergarten. She really likes going to school and has picked up quite a lot of Swiss German, with a great accent! It's so fun to hear her speak, but she won't do it on demand, only if she is with her Swiss friends.

They have a tradition in her class that on your birthday, you wait at home and the whole class walks to your house to pick you up. They sing to you, and then you get to wear a birthday cape and ride back to school in the wagon. The kids love it. We are very lucky to have such a great teacher! Here is Siena in the pink shirt while they are singing at the front door of our apartment. Then she is in the wagon in the red cape.

She got rollerblades for her birthday and had a great time trying to get the hang of them (which will take a little longer than she wishes, of course). Emeri would pull her up the little sidewalk and Siena would rollerblade back down the small hill. They had fun.

Herbst- Autumn

I love the fall. My Indian Princesses, carving pumpkins, and gorgeous orange leaves!

An Apostle in Zurich!

We had the neatest experience this week, Elder Bednar from the twelve Apostles came to Zurich and did a "let us ask questions to him" type fireside for our stake (over 1000 people came)! After listening to him teach us through his inspired answers (and his wife also spoke some) for about 2 hours, I knew without a doubt, he has been called of God to be an Apostle and to testify of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I could have stayed all night soaking up the wonderful Spirit that he brought with him. And he is actually a very funny man too, with a fun sense of humor. I left feeling totally uplifted and ready to be a better disciple of Christ and thus a better mom, friend, wife, etc. What a cool experience for us!

The girls are doing great too. Here is a few updates...

Emeri- learned to go potty on the toilet, yipee! Most often used sentence, "I do it all by myself!" Yes, she is three. She also learned to pedal on the tricycle through the house and as she zooms around the corners she yells, "ARRIBA" (from Dora). Emeri's favorite thing to do lately is sledding. She would go all day!

Siena- Still changes her mood from one extreme to the other very well. She was telling me this week "I'm going to be sad that we don't have school for 2 weeks!" mom says- But last week you told me more than once you didn't want to go. Siena- "Ya, but now I LOVE it!"

She wants to be an astronaut and fly to Saturn, and after that she wants to be a mom. She loves anything to do with space right now. She is a great support for whatever new thing Emeri is trying to do and is very enthusiastic about her new "potty" experiences. Every day she comes home from school and asks very first, "Did Emeri go potty on the toilet?"

Siena was not a happy girl at this hour and Tony got a few funny shots of it!

We have to have the frown's to appreciate those beautiful smiles from her when we get them!

"For it must needs be that there is opposition in all things."

2Nephi 2:11

Joy to the World, My Christmas Post!

Here is some of our adventures over the holidays in Utah. Always filled with family and fun!

One of the best things about being in Utah over the holidays was watching Papa Leon play with the grandkids. He had as much fun as they did!

What a blessing to have my Grandma and Grandpa Hansen there with us for Christmas morning! It is always a joy to see their smiling faces.
Playing Christmas songs with chimes was a great laugh for us all. It was loads of fun! The girls danced around Christmas eve with their new music toys from Nanny and Papa.

Notice Papa dancing along with the kids! He was so much fun!

Of course, we have to get new jammies on Christmas Eve, one of our little traditions. Emeri was ecstatic to have Dora pj's, and Siena was equally thrilled with Princess ones, and even better that they were pink! Yes, she is still our little Princess.

Acting out the Nativity was definately one of the favorites of Christmas Eve! We thought we'd have a fight over who wanted to be Mary, and were fully prepared to have atleast two, but the girls were very sweet to eachother, and Siena ended up getting her wish!

Amy the Angel




Andrea and Lyla, the wise (wo)men.

Shawn was an excellent Joseph.

This is what the girls did after all the Christmas Eve festivities... good luck getting them to sleep!

Christmas day was filled with many smiles and warm hugs. Thankyou Santa!

The girls loved playing with their Mascaro cousins and Nana Zena and Papa Cal! The cousins all gave Siena and Emeri a "build-a-bear" experience, with a heart inside their animals from each cousin. So sweet!

That's a lot of grandkids!

Amy and Snow in Switzerland!

Florence and Pisa

The Dolomites

In and around Zurich

We had such a great time with Amy and Snow here. Siena was in heaven having a cousin at HER house this time. I don't think the girls hardly even fought the 2 weeks they were here! We were even blessed with gorgeous fall weather. Thanks again Amy for making the huge trip out here to visit us! We love you!