The Last Several Weeks

Wow! I didn't realize how long it has been since I posted a new update! It has been quite a wonderful month, so there is plenty to say...

So last time I posted was after getting home from Zermatt where I had a fabulous vacation. Since then, I have settled into the working routine and life here in Neuchatel. Things are great here! My time with the boys is really fun and keeps me plenty active. We go to one of a hundred playgrounds or to the lake when it's nice outside (which is has been everyday for the past several weeks). When it's rainy, we can go to the cute little children's library or to one of several indoor playgrounds. So there is plenty to do here in town. We do lots of reading and playing with playdough. I have definitely learned the French names for literally ALL animals, because we play with plastic ones all the time!

My French is improving, but it's still rather tiring. I started a class a couple of weeks ago that had only au pairs in it, but it wasn't a very good fit for me. So I will start my new French class next week. Hopefully that will help things progress even more quickly. But I find it easier to get by at the store/library/bank all the time, so that's an encouragement!

Over the past couple weeks, I have been talking a lot with other au pairs around the area. I have met 2 really great Christian girls nearby and getting together with them is so wonderful. I finally have coffee and travel buddies! I met up with one (Halley) in the town of Bienne, and we spent the day roaming around by the lake and around the music festival. We also went to a BBQ and had a fun movie night. I met up with the other girl (Heidi) in Bern and had a great time chatting and walking around the beautiful downtown. There are some really gorgeous old towns nearby!

I am beginning to work on travel plans for the next year, so that is quite exciting. My list of places to visit gets longer and longer every single day. But it's so neat to meet people from all over Europe and hear about all the different cultures. I have talked with girls from Finland, Sweden, Greece, Italy, Germany and Slovakia so far, so I have had some really interesting conversations!

Aside from visiting other Swiss villages and meeting new people, I have also started playing basketball with a team here in Neuchatel. The first practice was a bit of a shock to my body. I didn't realize that nearly 6 months had passed since I played, so it was a little harder than I thought it would be! But the girls on the team are extremely nice and welcoming, and helpful when I don't understand the drills. My body can only handle about 2 or 3 practices a week, so that keeps me occupied on several weeknights. I also have a fantastic English speaking small group every other week that I always look forward to. I am contemplating participating in the church's choir that practices every week and will give performances in the Spring. But we'll see about that.... Though my weeknights and weekends seem to stay plenty busy, I am still able to spend plenty of time reading and relaxing. I started knitting my first baby cardigan and am working on making lots and lots of hats for the winter. So that's another great hobby that I seem to have plenty of time for!

Well, life here in Neuchatel is pretty great! I am enjoying the food, the scenery, the family and having plenty of time to explore and relax by myself. I will try to post pictures of all my recent activity, but the blog was acting up last time, so we'll see if it works...