Christmas with Family, Part 2

Okay, I can't believe that Christmas was over a month ago. Where did the time go?! I have been sooooo busy with university French classes that I just haven't made time to blog much lately. Between my school work, the children's school work, activities, and life in general, I have been going full speed! But I miss sharing our adventures and keeping friends and family up to date, so....I'm back!

I want to share some pics of my parents' Christmas/New Year's visit. This is a post that I started at the beginning of January...

On Christmas Eve, my parents arrived! Paris with Connie was fun, but what I really wanted was my family together at home during the holidays. I tried not to plan too much since my parents would only be here for a week, but I wanted to share as much of our life here in France with them as possible. The first night was easy since it was Christmas Eve. We went to church service where the children participated in the Christmas pagent. My mother was so happy to see that even though we are in a different country her grandchildren are still taking part in church activities.

After service we returned home for a raclette meal. This is Swiss/French traditional meal and is great in the winter time. How can you go wrong with meat, cheese and potatoes?! It is a very filling and delicious meal. We took a day trip to Mont Dore, a nearby ski resort, to play in the snow. Ok, mom and dad just kinda stood around, trying to stay warm. But Connie and Preston were like little kids, rolling in the snow and playing.

The other days were spent catching up on sleep that was lost on watching movies into the wee hours of the morning. We went out to dinner a few times and invited friends over for a few nights as well. It was great to introduce my family and my new friends to each other. We celebrated New Year's eve and my mother was able to present her book Hooked on another evening. On Connie's last night in town, we all went to one of our favorite french restaurants, La Table de Thierry. We had the entire place to ourselves and very personalized service from Thierry himself. The meal was excellent!

Our week was full of laughter, good food, family time, celebration and late nights. There was not one outstanding moment for me, but many moments that I will always remember.

On January 1, my parents left Clermont and returned home. Although I was exhausted, I was completely satisfied and full of joy. We all were so thankful to have this precious time with my parents and aunt. This was certainly our best Christmas in France!