Zum Valentinstag (Happy Valentine's Day!)

So, I was somewhat surprised to see that Valentine's Day is celebrated here in Switzerland. I had forgotten the history behind the holiday -- St. Valentine was Italian. Chocolate stores sell hearts and Valentine goodies much like in the U.S. "I love you" in German is "Ich liebe dich".

I hate to mention this to those of you in the Northeast, but it feels like spring is here. The weather has been very mild, and we haven't had snow in 3 weeks or so here near Basel. Buds are on the trees and some bulbs are starting to bloom. Seems early for mid-February! I'm especially enjoying the clear skies. Here's a picture of Landon from this weekend. He's sporting his new Fasnacht puzzle pin. A different design is released each year, and everyone in Basel wears one in support of the celebration.

One of the difficulties of living in Europe is keeping in touch with friends and family. The time difference makes it especially hard. We are 6 hours behind the East coast, or 9 hours from the West coast. Thank goodness for skype, facebook, and this blog! So, especially to our friends and family that we are unable to see or talk to as much as we'd like -- know that we're thinking of you. Happy Valentine's Day!