Coretta as the Witch

Since I wanted to make sure to get some good shots of Coretta in her Halloween costume I pulled the mother card and she humored me by getting dressed up for a photo shoot.

We were lucky enough to find a costume online and we put green hair paint in her hair. Today I found the perfect finishing touch to her costume with some long, dangly spider web earrings with spiders.

At school Coretta will be dressing up with her classmates and having a party. They will be doing Halloween games and having treats. I made haunted popcorn hands for each kid, including Mrs. Wunderlin.

She is also looking forward to the party at our house where she will bob for apples, play pumpkin bowling, Halloween cherades, go trick or treating in the forest, and meet 20 other kids.


Here are some photos of my favorite and number one girl!!

International School Snow Day

Today, Coretta jumped on the bus at 8:05 in the morning and off to school she went, or so I thought.



With the party tomorrow, I took off to get some last minute things, and when I turned the corner to our house, I see Coretta and her friends playing on a snow hill.


I rolled down my window and said "Why are you guys out of school?" and Coretta's friend Katie tells me that they canceled school. Canceled school for what? A couple of snowflakes.

It is clear to me that the Swiss would not do too well with our Minnesota winters.

Coretta then immediately put her boots on and went out to play in the snow and make a snowman.



Here are some pictures of Coretta trying one of my caramel apples.

Geno's first Halloween

Geno's first Halloween is quickly approaching and since we are throwing a party for sixty people, I thought I would have a Halloween photo shoot in hopes I would get a couple of good ones.






Geno surprisingly sat very still for me to put on his nose and whiskers and had no problem wearing the tiger hat this time. Once I showed him how good he looked, he stood in front of the mirror admiring himself. I think he will be the cutest feisty tiger yet.



We completed this day with watching the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown special eating smarties. I think he is really going to love his first Halloween, especially since he really has a sweet tooth.






I know as I have been decorating, he walks around and points at things as if to let me know one that he approves, and two to make sure I see what he is seeing. His favorite decorations in the house are the flying ghosts and the scary monster.







Here are some photos of Geno in his costume!
















Below you will see a short slide show of him as well.

Create a Free Slideshow

Halloween Preparation

Just two more days to go and today my guest count is at 57 people which includes 22 kids and 35 adults. Needless to say, I have been quite busy. After finishing the decorations, and almost completing the trick or treat canvas bags, I have been planning the appetizers that I will serve. After much research, I have decided on buffalo chicken dip, deviled eggs, bugs on a log, caramel apples, and haunted popcorn hands.

The last things to do is to clean out the rubbermaid tub for the bobbing apples, make sure I have extra toilet paper for the Mummy experiment, pick up some firewood, and beer.

Coretta is excited about this party and is looking forward to meeting 22 new kids. I have taped the Charlie Brown Pumpkin special for the kids as well as they will grow tired and weary. I am most looking forward to the trick or treating in the woods. Should be a great time. Here are some photos of my appetizers. Wish that all of you in the States could be here!!

My Little Geno

Here is a short slideshow of my little Geno. Enjoy!!

Stoos Mountain Hike

On Sunday, I (Nick) went on my first real mountain hike. I headed out with my friend Bob (a co-worker from Rosemount) and Chuck (a co-worker from New York) t0 the mountain town of Stoos. After a few failed attempts to drive steep mountain passes to the top of a peak we had mapped out (including a "shocking" lesson in how electric gates keep cattle and Americans at pasture), we decided to park and take the furnicular train.

After a steep climb up the mountain, we finally broke above the clouds and got off. We then hiked a half mile to get on a set of two chairlifts that brought us even further up the mountain. Once there, we began our hike.



Our hike took us along the ridgeline of 5 mountain peaks, with steep climbs and descents along the way. This was tough work, and I'm glad that Chuck, the former army guy and marathon runner brought a book to read while he waited for me to catch up.



The views were amazing, looking down on beds of clouds, little villages and herds of cattle (their bells ringing through the mountains as they grazed).



After three and a half hours of vigorous exercise under the sun, we finally completed our hike, taking a chairlift to a village for a big meal and several beers under the sun.

Coretta's Presidential Campaign

Coretta is really adjusting well to living here. Every day she is making new friends and has started piano lessons here in Hunenberg. She is also playing the recorder and takes swimming classes through the school once a week. She is learning how to dive and can swim laps now. She has truly came a long way in only two months. Today Coretta and I created a podcast that highlights Coretta's third grade Presidential campaign. Click on the word podcast to listen to it. They vote in class tomorrow!

Carving Pumpkins with my girl

Today Coretta and I decided that we would carve our traditional Halloween pumpkins. Coretta picked them out at the market yesterday and we carved and gutted the pumpkins today.



I explained to Coretta that a long time ago, Halloween or Hallows Eve was a part of bringing in the fall harvest, celebrating the dead, and scaring bad spirits. I explained that back when the Celts lived, they would even carve pumpkins out of turnips. Did you know that pumpkins come in orange, blue, white, and green? Enough Halloween trivia...



Coretta is not a big fan of getting the guts out, so Mom, being the brave one, worked on that task. The best part is drawing and carving the face. I think Coretta did a great job! Coretta decided to make a happy faced pumpkin this year. Here are some pictures of our hard work!

The Coiffure Experience

Today was the day. The day that Nick would take the bus and train into Zug to get the kids new haircuts, Geno being the biggest challenge. As Nick tried to explain to the beautician what he wanted, Geno was in full meltdown mode.


As soon as he sat in the chair, the game was on. He ripped off the cloth they snapped around his neck and was screaming so loud that people outside the building could hear. Apparently he kept yelling for his Mom. The kid doesn't speak words unless he is in crisis. Finally Nick says, "Use the clippers!"

At home, I get a call from Nick telling me to meet him in Zug and he said "You are going to be mad, Geno has a buzz cut." He further stated that he was going to buy some clippers and cut his hair until he is five years old. It will grow out right??

Needless to say, Geno likes it. He keeps touching his head and smiling in the mirror. Here are the pictures.

Halloween is fastly approaching...

With Halloween only a few days away, we have been busily planning our Halloween Costume Party. So far we have a total of thirty adults and fifteen to seventeen kids. Now, Nick and I have never thrown a party before. Now with that said, a party of this magnitude is no easy task. But with the help of the Halls, and each person chipping in, it is working out great.

At our party planning session we decided on having a mummy relay, pumpkin bowling, Halloween cherades, and bobbing for apples. We plan to do our trick and treating in the woods by our house, having people stationed throughout the woods with flashlights and having the kids try to find us for candy.




























We have decided that we will have different types of appetizers, beer, wine, soda, and juice. I am even going to try to make some Halloween appetizers like edible eyeballs, skeletons, haunted hands, and of course, caramel apples.

I have spent a lot of time letting my creative side run free while making decorations for the house. Now if you plan to have a Halloween party you need bats, mice, goblins, witches, haunted houses, tombstones, ghosts, eyeballs, Halloween trivia, and spiders. I decided that creating several different Halloween murals in the hallway would give the house a more spooky effect. Needless to say I have been busy. The biggest challenge I found was not being able to find black construction paper, so I had to use a black marker which is a painstakingly slow process.

We are also having a costume contest in the following categories for adult and kids: scariest costume, tackiest costume, most original costume, and cutest costume. After brainstorming prizes, and not being able to find trophies, I decided to create my own. They are tombstone trophies.

Nick has been experimenting with a few Halloween screen savers for the computer where goblins jump out at you and we are going to play an old black and white scary movie on the television.

I think it will be a great time and look forward to seeing all the different costumes. Pictures to come later!!

Happy 60th Birthday Dad!!

Dad, it is unbelievable that you are 60 years old today. In honor of you, I have put together a compilation of all things 50s and 60s. I guess a trip down memory lane if you will.


With age comes wisdom, and with wisdom comes greatness. I think you have achieved both of these qualities. You have survived cancer and fought it every step of the way. For that, you are my hero, and someone I look up to and have the deepest respect for. In you I see the strength to persevere and move forward. I hope to have these same qualities some day.

Terry Prachett, who was also born in 1948, states "It is often said that before you die, your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It is called living." Living...living a rich life with family as the primary focus.

You have done that and your kids and grandkids love you for it! Thanks for everything you have done to shape me into the person I am today and the person I will be tomorrow.


You are not only my father, but you have become my role model and friend and colleague. Someone I can turn to in times of need, someone I can share my teaching ideas with, someone I can depend on. Although I am now living far away, you are never far away from my mind.

Thanks for being there for every big milestone in my life: the teenage years, high school graduation, college graduation, my wedding, the birth of my children. Your belief in the importance of family is evident in these deeds and greatly appreciated. I love you Dad and wish I could be with you today!!


I hope you enjoy these videos!! They highlight and talk about your generation.






Happy 4th birthday to my darling nephew and godson as well!!