Jake and Jess come to visit+life at the Chateau:)

Just a few days after saying goodbye to Jed, we were lucky to have more family come to visit us. This time, at Aaron and Kristyn's house. Thank goodness.

I picked up Jess from the airport, where we had a happy reunion! For some reason, I just felt relief. Older sisters who know what they are doing with babies. Thank you Jess!

happy meeting!

We stopped at the grocery store to load up on food, picked up Andy from work, and made our way back to what we will always remember as "The Chateau." Jess seemed pretty excited about our accommodations. She made us a yummy dinner and we had a relaxing evening.

Jake joined us a few days later, which was fun. We did all sorts of fun things together, but I think a bullet list of things will have to suffice. There was just so much!

• taking Jess and Liam down to the lakefront in Nyon. Beautiful walk, Liam waded in the water, and we got some gelato. So good!
• Jess and I sharpening our French cooking skills. Ina Garten to the rescue! Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, boeuf borgenion, chocolate terrine, and baked eggs. Need we say more? And all eaten on the patio of the chateau, you know, for full enjoyment!

  

  Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic. Ahhhhh.

• Andy and I had our first post baby date! Jess tended Bennett while Andy and I got dinner in Nyon, and then went to the lake side to get some gelato and listen to live jazz. Such a fun and most needed night out:)

  

  in Nyon listening to live jazz:)

  
  

  

  and Gelato.

• Before Jake arrived, we all went to Bern to get Bennett's passport. All was going well.....until Liam fell and cut his lip pretty bad. We all jetted to the nearest hospital to get the poor guy stitched up. It was a rough day for sure, but Jess and Liam were troopers and we had great care from the doctors there. We can laugh now of course, but seeing Liam come out of the anesthetic was pretty funny......
• talks with Jess on the couch, just relaxing and enjoying some sister time. 

  

  wholly shmollies, what just happened in my diaper?

  
  
  
• A couple of trips to the Ferney Farmers market. Another must for foodies like Jess and me:)
• A saturday afternoon at the Nyon community pool. Sounds blah, but the pool is right next to the lake, so you can swim in the pool, or take a few steps down to the lake. Heaven! Plus, we enjoyed our farmers market delights---cheese, meet, fresh fruit, bread and tapenade. Heaven squared.
• took Jess and Jake on a boat ride to Yvoire. It was a gorgeous day and gorgeous walk through this French beauty of a town. Liam took some of his first steps too!

  

  the balcony of Chateau de Nyon

  
  

  

  On the boat

  
  

  

  Vive la France!

  
  
  
  
  

  

  The waterfront in Yvoire

  
  
  
• We got to show Jess and Jake a little of Geneva itself. They saw our apartment, which we were all grateful to not be staying in during the heat. Jake also stumbled upon some sights dedicated to some of his philosopher heroes. Geneva is one of the hubs of enlightenment and the Reformation, so he was pretty excited. We ended that night with the best carbonara pasta I think Jess has ever made. 

  

  Family pic

• the many walks through the countryside with Jess and Liam. I loved these walks!!!