Happy Birthday, Kiley!

The Lord has sure blessed us with the presence of a beautiful new soul in our lives. We're thankful that the small world of volleyball (and subsequent crazy amount of connections) brought Kiley Anne to Lausanne again this season and that we were able to meet her, befriend her, and fall in friend love with her.

We had a mini birthday celebration where we toasted her favorite beer and got our sugar fix with Funfetti cake and frosting.

Cheers KH! Thank goodness Harry was there to help blow out the candle. I'm really not sure what you would have done without him.

on to the next one...

Ti amo, Milano!

Without fail, every time I return home from Italy, I find that I've have left my heart in whatever city I've just been - again. And again. And again.

We popped down to Milan for a quick trip with Kiley this weekend. After a jam-packed Saturday in the city, we TRENITALIA-ed out to the suburb of Crema, a perfectly charming little town just an hour away. We wined and dined until our heart's content before cozying up in sweet little apartment for the night (thanks Pao!).

How can you not love a bustling Italian city like Milan? It's not Rome. Or Florence. Or even Venice. But it's not trying to be. Sure, it's known more for shopping and rail thin, high-fashion models than it is for must-see attractions and to die for Italian cuisine, but it's lovely. Absolutely lovely.

Amidst many (MANY) laughs and memories made, we enjoyed the:
- Food
- Wine
- Churches
- Street performers and musicians
- American-English speaking tourists (and Chinese and British and Indian)
- Celebrating Carnevale with the locals
- Italian culture - how can you not?

Prayer candles for our grandparents.

 Dance pose, Lauren.

Amore.

 Hand-crafted fresh vegetable art.

 We like braids.

 The home of The Last Supper.

 Carnevale confetti.

 Playing along with the paraders.

 A little bit of home away from home.

Le sigh.

Thank you, California Bakery, for the best breakfast of life.

Eagerly anticipating our next great adventure and hoping (praying, crossing fingers-legs-and-eyeballs) that it's just around the corner. If you're not sure if I'm alluding to an upcoming announcement or not, that's the point. Details soon. Maybe.

on to the next one...

When Harry Met Skippy

Last week, Skippy (Timea's pup) invited Harry over for a play date.

Harry's typical "play date" usually involves running around, chasing, nipping at the ankles of Bentley, Jack Winder or any almost unassuming pooch at the dog park. It's not often Harry is the bigger or faster dog, but Thursday night's against a one kilo Chihuahua afforded him the unique opportunity.

Harry is excited to get back to all of his friends in the states, but first another adventure awaits!

on to the next one...

Fancy in Annecy

Having lived in Europe before, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into coming overseas this volleyball season. I'd wander aimlessly through the streets of Florence, exploring every nook and cranny the city had to offer. I found the little trinket shops charming, the bakeries irresistible, and a walk along the Arno a quick fix for just about anything.

Fast forward to Lausanne. A bigger and bustling city than most I've visited and enjoyed in Europe (aside from Rome of course but there is, in fact, absolutely nothing that can be found wrong with that city). There is traffic, big name grocery stores on nearly every corner and some questionable extracurricular activities that aren't even given a second glance by most, even as people engage in them during daylight hours in the middle of the city.

We had a day off on Friday so I jumped at the chance to get the heck out for a few hours. Our destination: Annecy, a quaint little town on the northern tip of Lake Annecy and just a quick drive from Geneva.

I'd visited this wondrous little lake town in high school, on a visit to my sister who'd spent the summer studying in Lyon. Between angsty outbursts about missing my boyfriend and sweating so much that the makeup was melting off my face (seriously, sixteen-year-old Kate?), I didn't quite appreciate it as much as I should have. I wanted a McDonalds Big Mac more than I cared to indulge in the local delicacies. I was with my two best friends, my mom and my sister, flitting about one of the most beautiful places I'd ever had the pleasure of visiting.

And cue the February 2012 visit...

I'm not sure Evan could have been happier to see a Subway!

Safe to say visiting ten (?!) years later with my husband and two buddies, Kiley and Evan, in the dead of the windiest winter this area has seen (75 km/h gusts, might I add) in awhile, was a much different yet equally wonderful experience. We couldn't stay long, but enjoyed the time away while we could.

Thanks for the company, friends!

on to the next one...

Fed Cup

The guys' teammate and friend, Yohan, was able to score us some tickets to the Fed Cup in Fribourg this past weekend. His girlfriend, Timi, is one of the Swiss National Team players and invited us up to watch. I've never been very into tennis but as I've started to learn more about it, I'm finding that I quite like it. I'm even considering tennis lessons summer. Plus, how could I possibly complain about watching some of the top women in the world kick butt on the court from the first row?

We arrived early in the morning to watch Samantha Stosur - currently ranked 5th in the world - take on the top Swiss women's player and Evan's soon-to-be new girlfriend, Stefanie Voegele.

Ultimately, Australia came out on top but we didn't let that stop us from enjoying a day away from Lausanne.

on to the next one...