While there we enjoyed dinners with some old (from childhood) and new friends. Since there weather was so lovely most meals were taken “en plein air” and I had to share some images of those dishes. My mouth is salivating just remembering some of those. Time to try and replicate a couple of these dishes at home.

Our first stop after getting off the plane was at Rheinfall which is the largest waterfall in Europe. It is quite a sight

Then we enjoyed some time in Mulhouse where my parents live

Then dinner with friends and had to take a photo on their cute son.

My nephew Lucas

Our little man Ezra

Rochelle with her intense eyes

Niece Alicia

Enjoyed dinner right outside the barn on the far right

My parents

Now onto the quaint villages

Cousins

Lovely lunch of tarte flambee

Even enjoyed a little seranade with our meal.

The Alsace is know for their white wines. While there we toured the Schmitt winery. I highly recommend it!

Part I: Switzerland

The trip started in Zurich right after Seth and Britta landed. Little did they know how much was already going to get crammed into the first day. If you’ve never been to Switzerland, it is an impressively clean country and the water is the blueist I’ve ever seen.

Our kids are always this jovial

Our trip later took us to Luzern, at the foot of the Alps.

Enjoying a tasty and $$$ fondue dinner.

Finally making our way into the Alps after a short visit in Interlaken. Bellow Seth and Britta:

This village was shot from the train as we were headed up the mountains. Talk about idyllic!

The view made this the best picnic ever!

Yep Ezra, I’m sure the binoculars are being really useful right now.

A variation of this image made it on our Christmas card.

Goat at the train station.

Finally the last day in Switzerland with some time in the capital Bern.

Rochelle discovered a love for posing on this trip and Ezra just enjoyed being his goofy self.

One of my favorites from the trip.

More to come…

Since her birthday falls in the cold month of February and with close proximity to Valentine’s day, I’ve often taken the easy way out: heart shaped decorations with pink and red for colors. Not this year! I knew she would probably remember this birthday and I hoped to make it something memorable for a little girl. I might have secretly lived out a little fantasy of my own for her birthday (which I guess is no longer a secret now). This year, despite the cold outside which is still lingering, I decided to make it feel like spring inside.

For having just turned five, she has quite a mind of her own. While I would like to say I have no idea where she gets, I actually have a very good idea where it comes from: me! She comes from a long line of highly opinionated women and I hope manages to make lasting friendships nonetheless. Right now Rochelle loves: dancing in ballet class or around the house, pumpkin scones, wearing dresses and skirts, helping me in the kitchen, acting like a mom to her brother Ezra, drawing (yep another artist), singing, posing for the camera, the color purple and having long hair.

Happy birthday sweetheart! We are blessed to be your parents and love seeing the person you are becoming.

Now on to party photos and a few portraits of her: tasty treats courtesy of White Flower Cake Shoppe. The mini flower cakes, cupcakes and shoe cookies were delish!

For any tea party, it is appropriate to have scones … so we did. I made Rochelle’s favorites: pumpkin scones. They were gone in snap.

Birthday girl:

All the little ladies

While I know she can do a great posing for photos, I still prefer the images where she isn’t trying so hard for the camera. I love authentic photos that show feeling and moods and this one bellow is probably a new favorite.

Here is the story in photographs:

Rochelle tried finding the biggest tree but it was a little sad looking

James has an audience!

Time for cookies and hot cocoa before the tractor ride.

It was a pleasant afternoon and I higly recommend taking time with loved ones to do fun trips like this. If you find yourself in the need for a live tree next be sure to check out For Ever Green Tree Farm.

We make an effort to capture our children for each of their birthdays and this year we brought Ezra to the studio. He was ecstatic to have the studio to himself with mom and dad’s undivided attention. If you’ve never met him, these images are an accurate representation of his normal temperament (minus the fits) and how he greets most everyone he sees. I hope these images put a smile on your faces as they do with us!

Hopefully he’ll forgive me someday for putting him in a salmon shirt for his birthday photos

Those eyes make me melt

Attack of the chicken

Mischevious Rochelle

I’m still crazy about Ezra’s blue eyes!

I am proud to say these are (hopefully) the last photos of Rochelle twirling her hair and sucking her thumb

Probably one of my all time favorite images of father and son. Wonder if he’ll pick up his Dad’s musical talent

Before Paris we did some touring of Bretagne:

Of course I had to drag James to Mont Saint Michel which is sight to behold

I’ve recently been asked what I photograph for fun. The answer would have to be old stone buildings such as monasteries, churches and such. I love the history contained in their walls, the weathered feel of the stone and the rows of pillars/columns. Here are som favorites:

Finally Paris:

also a favorite:

Rochelle’s gift from grandpa: a small basket that never left her side. She still carries it almost everywhere

Hard not to like the baguette! In this case it was bigger than Ezra

This next one was totally unstaged by me.

While I like how geraniums look, I can’t stand their smell. So if someone is ever thinking of buying me flowers, just skip over these. In these photos they simply remind me of older and simpler times.

Our 30 seconds in front of the camera

Lovely Kerbors

Views from our house

The name of the restaurant says it all

There’s apple juice (above) and then there is Apple Juice (below). We enjoyed the later which is a little too strong for children