Three Countries In One Day

Thursday, February 28, 2008 Yesterday we went from Switzerland into Germany. Since that was so easy, today we decided to go from Switzerland into France. From France we took a foot bridge over the Rhine to Germany. The spot where Germany, Switzerland and France come together is called Drielandereck. The marker is located on a dock that juts out into the Rhine River from Swiss side.

I love this picture of the ladies feeding the birds. They had caused quite a stir on the once quiet beach with all that bread.

The upper left photo is Drielandereck. Drie in German means three. (Now you know that I have learned at least one German word! ) It is quite interesting to be able to travel from country to country so easily. I read that each day 30,000 workers cross the borders to come into Basel. And many folks travel into France and Germany to do their shopping due to prices that are a little less expensive and more variety.

The primary reason for our trip today was to shop at the Carharrt Outlet that we spotted yesterday on our journey. That was fun. Keaton and Landon both got new jackets which they just happen to be wearing in the lunch photos below. Also pictured is a donor kabap. YUM!

We are leaving tomorrow for a weekend in France! More mountians and snow!

Zurich

Monday, February 18, 2008 Our day trip to Zurich had one goal: toys! Zurich is home to Europe's largest toy store, Hans Franz Weber, a toy museum , and a toy store specializing in wooden toys.



Once we managed to get out of the Zurich train station and figure out which direction we should go, we headed directly to Hans Franz Weber. Four levels of wall to wall high quality toys. A giant dragon slide that goes from the entrance level to the ground level greets visitors. Kids all of sizes were taking their turn entering the mouth of the dragon and sliding out the tail!

The top level was definitely the favorite- Legos, Playmobile, Schieff, train sets, remote control cars and more! Even an Olivia sized Playmobile man.







Next stop was the Lake Zurich for a picnic lunch.

Then on to Pastorini. Five floors of wooden toys, games, musical instruments, craft supplies, books,.... The handmade German wooden playsets were just precious. And the dollhouses and furniture! I had to drag Olivia away from the finely detailed dollhouse furniture. These toddler playsets were adorable and durable.

Our final stop was the Zurcher Speilzeugmuseum. The oldest toy on display was this chicken coop made in Switzerland in 1800. When the handle on the side was turned the chickens would peck!

Imagination Unlimited!

Friday, February 15, 2008 For several hours I heard children exclaiming. laughing in delight, and watched them walking around moving sculptures trying their best to take it all in when we visited the Museum Tinguely in Basel. Incredible creations! And inspiring to boys who love to save stuff.

We had a brief introduction to Jean Tinguely's sculptures when we visited Basel last May. We frequently passed by a...it is really hard to describe...a water feature in a plaza with multiple sculptures all moving and spraying water. You just have to see . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx7e5BRekIA&feature=related From the You Tube link there are other videos to watch. But it is nothing like standing in front of these enormous moving monsters watching everything move and hearing the banging and clanging. One sculpture even played the piano and a drum!

Yes, that is Keaton and Olivia ON the sculpture! These two were fascinated with all of the creations. Landon was more contemplative. He needed to think about each one and figure the workings.

Go to: http://www.tinguely.ch/en/museum/index.html for more info.

Treasures

Monday, February 18, 2008 As the saying goes "the trash of the Swiss is the treasure of the Americans." Very true. Monday is trash pick up day in our neighborhood. Everyone puts their blue trash bags as well as other items out. As we were leaving the apartment, we caught sight of a treasure on the sidewalk. Keaton, Landon, Olivia, and I walked slowly by the items neatly stacked against the building next to ours. Then we backed up and looked more closely. It did indeed look like a treasure. But we walked on to our tram stop. For a few seconds we thought and stared at one another. Then the agreement came with few words. We should seize the treasure! Olivia and I remained at the tram stop with the boys backpacks while they hurried back across the street to gather the treasure and take it safely up three flights of stairs to our apartment.

In just minutes the boys were back at the tram stop with their mission accomplished. All of the treasure was on our dining table with not one bit of treasure left on the sidewalk or broken climbing the stairs. When we returned from our day sightseeing in Zurich, we more carefully examined the treasure and put it in the dishwasher. It really is a beautiful treasure. Not a complete set, but valuable to us anyway.

Now the task of getting it back to the states. Such a find cannot be left behind!

NOTE: Comments can be left without a google account now. The setting could be changed. I am so glad!

The Top Of Eurpoe

Saturday, February 23, 2008 What a day! I don't even know where to begin. Maybe in the middle with the children sledding in the alps? Or with the train ride up the mountain that only got more incredible as we ascended?

Interlaken is about a two hour high speed train ride from Basel to almost the center of Switzerland. (Interlaken is between two lakes as the name implies.)

Interlaken was beautiful as the photos above show, but no snow. The small village is surrounded by snow covered mountains. Seeing it just wasn't enough. So we went to the ticket counter and asked where we would need to go to get to the snow. The ticket agent named a few places. We chose Kleine Scheidegg because of its proximity to the very top! The Top of Europe it is called.

We excitedly boarded a little train with windows that opened and wooden seats. Everyone else aboard sat quietly and composed in their seats. Not us. We quickly opened the windows, hanging out like tourists oohing and awing!

There was an English man on holiday watching all of the activity we were creating running from side to side of the train snapping pictures and pointing. He warned about hanging out the window too far. Within minutes we appreciated his warning when the train entered a very narrow tunnel.

With every turn the view became more beautiful. The grassy hillsides soon turn to snow covered hills then to snow capped mountains.

Then the we reached our destination. Robert and the children spent the rest of the afternoon sledding and exploring. Not being dressed for sledding, I people watched, took pictures and enjoyed God's creation. Sunset was glorious.

The kids old and young a like had a wonderful day! Lots of kid photos on the gallery http://www.photos.5plus1ranch.com/ .

Photo Gallery

They are there! The photos of the Wartenberg Ruins are up on the gallery link http://photos.5plus1ranch.com/ . Just a hint: if you go to the filmstrip tab you can see the pictures much larger than the thumbnail (you might think that it obvious, but it took me a bit to figuer it all out) and then you can read the captions. When I looked at the thumbnails, I couldn't figure out where all of captions had gone! Silly me.

Good News!

We finally have an internet connection in our apartment. I no longer have any excuses to get behind on posting our exciting adventures and getting photos up on the gallery at http://photos.5plus1ranch.com/ . Watch for Part 2 of the Wartenberg Ruins post. That was such an intersting trip with much to share and I was having an impossible time posting text or photos. Although I am several trips behind on my postings, the children are keeping up with their journal/scrapbooks. After each outing they are quick to print their favorite photos and start recording memories. The purchase of a small HP photo printer at a bargain price was a wonderful investment. (Might have even been a good at full price. ) Be prepared to see lots of pictures when when get home. With four of us snapping pictures all over the world there will be lots see from several different perspectives!

The train photo is for Mrs. Ladelle. The other proves I am really in Switzerland with Robert and the kids.

Wartenberg Ruins

Today we ventured out just a 30 minute train ride from our apartment to Muttenz then hiked 45 minutes up very steep terrain to the Wartenburg ruins in Switzerland. After a little research I learned that there is a location in Germany by the same name so thought it best to be specific. This website a little history:

http://www.muttenzdescendants.org/exhibits/muttenzhistory/middle.htm

To our surprise we also discovered several WWII era bunkers on the castle sites. Of course, the boys, Robert, Keaton and Landon had to crawl inside one of the bunkers that was filled with leaves. Olivia not to be outdone was close behind. They reported the inside height to be about 6 feet.

There are three main sites on the hills behind the community of Muttenz. The photo above is from the first area. This area included a cistern and several exerior walls which begged to be climbed.

Basel Web Links

Here are a few links about Basel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB_t-am9cjU&feature=related

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?=vas625yFmNk&feature=related

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en.cfm/home

http://history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz.ch/

http://babelfish.altavista.com/ translater

http://www.basel.ch/en/basel Official Basal site

Look at the photo carefully! It might fool you. Did me at first glance.

All the Way to the Top!

We did it! Actually the kids did it and I almost did. Being the brave children they are they made it all the way to the top of the Basel Cathedral tower. I made it the level next to the top. I had been so brave. Really I had. The spiral stairway on the outside of the tower leading to the last level had iron railings that allowed one to see off the side. The other sets of stairs, ladder steep stairs, had all been enclosed making me feel safe except for the brief bouts of claustrophobia. Fortunately (for scared moms) the stairway is so narrow it was impossible to turn back or fall for that matter. The top left photo is from the second level ledge!

The photo above is of the LAST staircase that wound up to the very tip top. The kids called for me to come up. Even begged. I was not going. They did admit once we were within the safety of the cathederal they were a little scared. You can see the staircase on the outisde in the photo below. The level with the arched open windows was the third level. Below it, the railing is the second level.

This was our third trip to the cathedral and we were finally able climb the tower. We all agree, it was worth the wait.

Scooting Around Town

We searched high and low, long and hard for affordable bikes for the Keaton, Landon and Olivia. We looked at our new favorite store, Salvation Army, at various sporting goods stores, and bike shops. Our conclusion was that affordable and bikes are words not used together in Basel. Before completely ruling out a bike we thought it would be wise to find out the rules for bike ownership. So off we went to the information center. Bikes must be registered with the police and a fee paid for a tag. Also it is more expensive to take your bike on the tram than to take yourself on the tram.

The decision was clear, we would shop for scooters-the kind without motors. Again the price comparison shopping began. Off to Salvation Army, various stores and pricing online. Do you know what it costs to ship anything to Switzerland???? A lot. After several days we found the perfectly priced scooters. Each child grabbed a box and we proceeded to pay for three brand new shiny scooters. Their faces were glowing with excitement. The poor little things would soon have transportation and freedom again.

Their first free day was Sunday. Keaton and Landon took their tram passes and a cell phone and they were off. Freedom! They checked in by phone several times. Came home to eat and use the facilties. And stopped by Haden's apartment for a visual inspection. Then they were off again to get a donner kabab and head home.


A kabab is the same as a schwarma if you have traveled in the middle east and sort of like a gyro in the states. Most of the stands are owned by Turkish families. The freshly made pita is filled with shaved lamb, lettuce, tomaotoes, cilantro, a spicy sauce and cumcumbers. Yum! Our apartment is above a store that sells the best tasting and best priced kababs in town. The store owners recognize us now. The other night Robert made an attempt to introduce himself to the shopkeeper. Hussein's, the shopkeeper's, best attempt at pronouncing Robert was "Bobert." Close enough. We frequently go downstairs for milk, eggs, candy, and produce. Olivia talks her daddy into going to the store most every night for a sweet treat.

Although the boys have freedom to roam about on their scooters, Olivia does not. Daddy has become her escort. Needless to say, he is getting lots of excercise.

Being Spirit Controlled

As I was seeking the Lord, He spoke this to me about our emotions and feelings. Hoping it might be an encouragement, I want to share it with you.



Many times when I hear teaching regarding being spirit controlled and not operating in the flesh, it leaves me with the impression that as Believers we shouldn't have emotions and certainly not have days we have emotional battles. We should be so spirit controlled that these fleshly issues should not arise. Truly I would like to be like that. Steady and even paced. Those of you that know me also know what a real victory that would be!




This is what I believe the Lord said concerning emotions: we must allow ourselves room for various feelings and emotions. It is unrealistic to expect to be without them. The key is to learn to recognize these periods and then not be tossed to and fro by the enemy during such times. Every emotion that we might consider negative such as sadness, frustration, etc. not an attack of the enemy. To have emotions is human.


Living a self controlled, Christ centered life is not living a emotionless existence. It is life not controlled by our emotions, but being spirit controlled in the midst of trials of any kind.

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"Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death..instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God!





Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored...But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him...





This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance!





We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him! God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.





God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun."

Excerpts from Romans Chapter 8, The Message by Eugene Peterson

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Brief of ups and downs might be a signal that we are sleep deprived, not having enough time in the Word, or even not taking enough time for fun. In all things seek and trust the Lord... Sing praises, worship, thank Him, rest in His presense...It is His desire to give us peace, rest and victory in all things.




A few notes:





The mountian photo is from Saturday's trip to Wasserfallen (water fall!). I love the one with the tandem bike taken a few days ago at the plaza in front of Basel Cathedral. What a image of us and the Lord. We are following along behind and He is glancing back making sure all is well. Notice He is doing the big pedaling! Then the final photo was taken last fall at Lake Oolagah, OK during a camp out my dad took the boys on.




I am quickly hitting the publish button before I lose my connection again. Let me know if you see spelling errors...

In His Love,
Sandra

How Beautiful Upon the Mountains

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Isaiah 52:7

You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. For you meet him with rich blessings...For you make him most blessed forever. Psalms 21: 2-6

All creation shouts the glories of our God, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Today we ventured again to the village of Reigoldswil, Switzerland this time by train to Leistal and and then by bus into Reigoldswil. The trip was less than 45 minutes, much better than our last trip that took nearly 90 minutes on a very crowded bus. A short walk through the village and we arrived at the cable car station. We all excitedly boarded the car and began our trip up the mountain. The views were spectacular.

The children had a wonderful time running and exploring after lunch. Robert and I sat on the bench in the sun and enjoyed the quiet, tranquil setting. After the noise of city living the past few weeks we were all blessed to hear the wind blow and the water run down the mountianside.

No matter the direction we walked or turned our heads there was a beautiful scene to take in. The majesty of God was all around us. Riding up in the cable car with the forest and waterfalls
far beneath us reminded me of the devotion from February 7 in Sparkling Gems by Rick Renner. The teaching from Colossions 2:15 restated the verse using the Greek word meanings like this: "...He gallantly strode into Heaven to celebrate His victory and defeat of Satan and his forces. As part of the triumphal process, He flaunted the spoils seized from the hand of the enemy. Yet the greatest spectacle of all occurred when the enemy himself was openly put on display as bound, disgraced, disabled, defeated, humiliated , and stripped bare..." Having the whole world at our feet reminded me our victory over satan that has been bought and paid for. Jesus triumphed over the advesary. And being sons and daughters of the Most High God makes us heirs in His power and authority.

Being high above it all was a picture of the victory we have in Christ. It is easy to feel small and defeated in a crowd. Remember back when you were a child swinging high enough to touch the sky. Didn't you feel like you were soaring? That's the feeling we must capture and live in. He upholds us with His mighty right hand. We are protected under the shadow of His wings. And when He strode through Heaven declaring the defeat of satan we were right there in the triumphant procession. Our heads held high knowing that the battle was over and satan was once and for all under our feet.

LIVE VICTORIOUSLY!