April happenings in the LaRochelle family

April showers and flowers have arrived.  I thought I'd give you a picture update as a way to catch you up on our lives.  We haven't changed too much, but our kiddos surely have.  Though, by the look of the pictures, it may seem that we spend our time vacationing, we mostly live a pretty simple life in our tiny apartment hunkered over books, studying French.  Thankfully both Patrick and I have 2 local french language partners who patiently let us converse with them weekly.  It's amazing how the more you learn, the more of a language beginner you feel you are!  We're both getting along in French quite well now though, which is encouraging.  Ok, on to some pictures to highlight some life happenings....

Miriam is getting bigger and happier by the moment.  She giggles at her big brother, actually, she giggles at just about everything.  We're loving that she's in our family!

This is daily life for us, playing with Luke outside after our classes are over and he is out of nursery.  The sandbox is right outside our door.  Her he is with two 3 year old girls- a couple of the numerous children who are always out and about the school.

Patrick was invited to snowshoe to the top of a mountain with a doctor from a local church and a friend from school.  Not too shabby of a view.  Miriam's refusal to take a bottle kept me at home... It's a good thing she's so dang cute...I might have been jealous otherwise!

For our April vacation, we started out with a few nights in Chamonix at the base of Mount Blanc, the highest peak in Europe (15,779 ft).  It impressively rises 12,000 feet above Chamonix.

We had the chance to ride a little train up to this glacier called 'La Mer de Glace' (the sea of glass).  The surrounding Alps were breathtaking.  

At 'La Mer de Glace'.  Luke loved sporting the sun glasses.  

We rode a cable car down to the glacier and went into a man-made cave to see first-hand the ancient ice.  The glacier goes hundreds of feet down and is solid ice.  It was incredible.  

Happy girl and happy Dad.

Next we went to Merligan, Switzerland, situated on Lake Thun, near Interlaken.  We were welcomed by a group of protestant brothers who have given their lives to the service of others and God.  They were lovely people and took excellent care of us!  Spring was in full bloom, the lake was gorgeous and the Alps were still snow capped.  This was our first actually relaxing vacation, as they cooked 3 meals a day for us!  

The protestant brothers "castle."

Sunset at the 'castle'

Luke made his debut on the lake learning how to row with Dad!

The Lautterbrunen Valley was 30 minutes down the road.  It seems to be the Yosemite of Switzerland.  I (Anna) loved seeing it again after having visited with my family when I was 12.

Hiking on the hills above the Lautterbrunen Valley.  Thanks to Luke, we can hike a few miles, but feel like we've done a peak climb :)

Good friends, the Paulus family, came and spent a week with us from Scotland. We had a great time AND survived 5 children under the age of 5, wheew!  We were often found like this: wearing our littlest ones and corralling the other 3, while trying to sightsee a bit.  At the end of each day we felt as if we'd completed a marathon! 

Back to 'La Mer de Glace with them so the kids could see snow and we could enjoy good views.

Sam Paulus and Luke loved time together!

Patrick and Luke sledding, trying to enjoy the snow before we land in the tropics!

Next we went on to L'Abri, a Christian community in Switzerland that was started years ago as a place for people to come, study, and ask any question about life and God.  We stayed in a Chalet with the Paulus' and relaxed while the kids played outside.

Patrick and Ben enjoyed reminiscing about the old days of being guides together at Noah's Ark in Colorado.....

Luke playing in the dandelions. Seems angelic, right? Don't forget he's still two!