U.N. for 2012

Laura has decided to be a student member of the Worldwide Organization of Women as an observer and recorder. Last week, we took our official accreditation letters in to get our U.N. badges. It took awhile for the accreditations to be approved and Laura was excited to go down to get the badges. We caught the bus in our village and stopped at the Appia entrance to the U.N. We had to go through security, much like at the airport. Next, went to the desk to take care of business. After showing our passports, residence cards and answering a ton of questions, we got our badges.

Note: To have a badge for three months that is renewable for someone under 18 years of age is rare. The woman at the desk kept talking to her supervisor and then he spoke to his supervisor. Everyone was talking in French, so we thought it would be a no go. :( Then the head of the accreditation asked Laura some questions.....WHICH SHE ANSWERED IN FRENCH. He then proceded to ask what school she went to and what her non government organization was. She answered and smiled and I think it melted them all. He turned to the woman at the desk and said, "OK" and with that, she was IN.

Now, Laura can attend the Human Rights Conference with me and enter the panels and general assembly on the rights of the child etc. She is pretty excited to delve in, learn, take notes and write up reports.

Suisse Snow Day...Finally!

Today we had a real snow day. We have had snow fall a couple of other times, but it was hardly worth mentioning, as it was gone hours after it fell. Today, we awoke to a blanket of snow on the ground and our car. I cleaned off the car while Paul and Laura got ready for work and school respectively. After breakfast, I drove them to catch the train at 7:15 AM, and then returned home to take these pictures. They are of our backyard from the living room, the backyard from our upstairs bedroom window, out our master bathroom window, and a bush by the front door. In a couple of the pictures you can see the netting that we use as screens for our windows. BRRRRRRRRR

Our Dear Friends...we miss them already!

We had a great trip home to Colorado for Christmas break. Before our visit, our friends prepped our home for Christmas. Our neighbors next door, as well as our neighbors across the street, made our welcome home a beautiful, lighted and warm experience for our homecoming. We had a new candle to light, fresh milk, bread and a yummy breakfast casserole provided for us! We are so grateful for such wonderful neighbors and know that it took, thought, time and love to do all of that.

We also found out that our good friends had taken a new job and would be EXPATS in Chile!!! They are so excited and we are excited for them. We spent Christmas evening, New Years Eve and New Years evening with them playing games, and reminiscing over the good ol' times, when we lived across the street from them, went to Women's Conference, on the Trek at Martin's Cove and sometimes played games together in the evenings. Some friends are just GOLD and the Dean's are just that. They are like second parents to our daughter, Laura, and we feel blessed to have them in our lives.

The last night with them, for this vacation, was teary for us women. Goodbyes, if even for a short time are just hard! Once again, thank goodness for Skype! We have a lot Skyping to look forward to and future meet ups in France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Chile, Colorado, Utah...the possibilities are endless.