Teran & JJ Come to Basel!

The day after I returned from Romania, our good friends, Teran and JJ arrived! (are you starting to see a pattern as to why I didn't blog for awhile??) I have known Teran and JJ for several years now, but this was my first time to be with them as a married couple! It was great to have them and it was JJ's first time in Europe, so there were many things to do and see for him. Here are some pictures that we took on their first full day in Basel. Can't you tell that they're newlyweds? ;)

We walked around A LOT. So Nate and I took breaks to sit down every once in awhile, but Teran was still going strong! (it looks like she's trying to climb a gate in the picture below)

The next day, Nate had to work, so I showed Teran and JJ around other parts of Basel in the morning. Then I had to work in the afternoon, so I sent them out on their own to explore and fortunately the weather was great. Here are few pictures from their second day:

I think one of the things that JJ liked most about coming to Basel was making best friends with Jake. Jake has made a lot of new best friends since we moved. He is so loving and affectionate towards everyone who stays in our home. You know he loves you when he gives you his famous Jake hug! (see below)
He is also a very good snuggler. After all that walking around, JJ and Jake would get exhausted and then curl up on the couch and take a little nap together. :)
Jake tried to show equal love by snuggling with Teran too, but he doesn't look as comfortable... what do you think?
Well.... like everyone who comes to visit, Teran and JJ wanted to make the most of their time in Europe, so the next day they explored the city of Luzern and the day after that, they went to Rome for 3 days. We suggested that they see one of these 3 major cities of Europe (Rome, Paris, & London) because they are easily accesible from Basel, and it was JJ's first time in Europe! They had a awesome time in Rome and if you want to read more details about their trip, you can check out their blog: www.2weeksandcounting.wordpress.com

"Stay tuned" for the next post: our snowy experience with Teran & JJ in the Alps!

Romania Mission Trip

The day after my sister and her family left, I picked up and went to Romania. I didn't have to work this week, because of Fall Break, so I was able to join the youth team from my church to go on the trip! This is a view from the Parliament building in Bucharest:

Since moving to Europe, I have felt very blessed to have time to do things that I am passionate about.... teaching tennis (even though I did this in Raleigh :)), traveling, and missions. Every time I take part in a mission trip, I always learn something new. Even though I might not think it is possible, God seems to reveal different things to me every time. On this particular trip, my eyes were opened to see how blessed we really are... when I saw "we", I mean Nate and I, as well as, America, or any other wealthy country. Growing up in one of the wealthiest countries in the world makes you take what you have for granted. We should be thankful to God everyday for every little thing he has given us, instead of complaining about how we want something bigger and better. And trust me, I am guilty of the latter. But I'm thankful for what I have experienced in traveling to less fortunate cultures, so that I will always be reminded to be generous and grateful.

While we were in Bucharest, we visited the people who are living on the streets. Some of them live in abandoned houses, near construction sites, and even in sewers. We brought them sandwiches & drinks and they were so thankful. We tried to talk them, through translators, and even played a little soccer. The missionaries there are building relationships with all of the homeless people we visited in order to gain their trust, so they can help them get off the streets and tell them about the hope in Christ.

Going down into the sewer...
People on the streets turn to the sewers, especially in the winter months because it is the only place to keep warm.
The Teen Challenge Center.
This is where the boys/young men come to live for one year to get back on their feet and learn the skills they need for when they start their new life. There are currently 19 at the TC Center and they are in desperate need for more space, so as you can see, they have built a 3rd floor, but it is unfinished due to not enough funds. They are praying that they can finish it soon!
We stayed at the center and the mornings & evenings were beautiful...

During the day, they put us to work! We refinished and repainted some benches and tables...

We took up the old and broken tiles of the front staircase... which was really fun!
Helped put soil down in the new greenhouse...

And even cooked! Cooking for 29 people is just a tad bit different then cooking for 2!
Even though we worked hard, we knew how to take breaks. :) And I learned how to play soccer!

We had such a great time getting to know the the Teen Challenge guys. If you were to meet them, you would never know that they were once on the streets or addicted to drugs or alcohol. That was one of the neatest things for me... just seeing how God had completely changed them and turned their lives around was an amazing thing to witness. Here is one last group picture of all of us before we left.

If you would like to read more about Teen Challenge or make a donation, click here.

Camden Visits the Zooooo!

Who knew? Basel has a great zoo! The zoo is practically walking distance from our house and has just about every animal you could imagine! It was the perfect place to take Camden.

He even got to pet some animals...
Nate wanted to pet the rhino, but it was just a little too far away!

One of our favorite things was the seal show!

One of my personal favorite animals... lions. They look so gentle here. Kind of makes you want to cuddle with them.

It looked like this bird was trying to escape...

And the same for this bear!

We all had a blast seeing the different animals.. including us adults!

But the next day was sad because the Denney's went off to France for a few days to visit our cousins...
And when they returned, we only had one more day to spend with them. :( So we just hung out it Basel and enjoyed each other's company.
It was so hard to say goodbye, but we had an incredible time with you and we are so glad that you came. Looking forward to seeing you at Christmas!!

You'll never guess!

You'll never guess where where we went first with my sister's family... the Swiss Alps! Okay, maybe you already guessed it, but come on, they are so beautiful and close, that who wouldn't want to vacation there!?

We took a train ride and Camden absolutely loved it. I lost count of how many times he said "train" and "choo choo" while riding. It was so cute!

Seth and Joy had already visited the Jungfrau region, so we decided to go to St. Moritz. Nate and I also went to St. Moritz when my parents were here. You can take a look and see the difference in the amount of snow! When we arrived in the afternoon, we took a quick lift up and went on a short walk.

On the ride back down, Camden decided to entertain the other passengers by "pole dancing." It was hilarious! Don't know where he picked that up!!

The next morning, we went to a higher place and had an amazing view. Notice Camden in Seth's back pack!

Here we are after hiking up to the very highest point. It was a bit colder at the very top and I don't think Camden liked that! (as you can see in this picture, he is a little upset!)

Our hotel was right next to a beautiful lake, so we just hung out there and fed some ducks! Then went for a walk...

The next morning we took a train ride to Diavolezza.
It is a gorgeous mountain range right next to Italy...

Camden was happy to see all the snow!

This wasn't exactly the safest place for children. Joy is making sure she holds on tight to Camden's hands, so he doesn't slip and fall on the icy snow.
The weather was amazing. Last time Nate and I came here it was a so foggy... you could barely see your hand in front of your face. We were grateful for the clear skies!

Sometimes Seth would run ahead on our hike... you can see him waving back at me and Joy. Is he waving for us to hike up faster?

At the end of our last day, we found an amazing park for Camden to run around and play. It was a little more child-proof. :)
Seth took some good shots of me chasing Camden... and I caught him!

Somebody wants to get on the seesaw...
But when he finally got on, he was a little disinterested or scared... not really sure which one. But Joy and I sure had fun... it went so high! I think it's meant for grown-ups.
After a wonderful and relaxing time together in the Alps, we headed back to Basel to hang out with Nate & Jake (Camden's new buddies)!