Sydney's 1st Birthday and visit from the Toews

What a wonderful week we had with my parents coming for a visit and Sydney having her first birthday! She started walking last week, and there is a video on Facebook of the first day that she walked! She was practicing a lot before her grandparents came. She really enjoyed reading with them.

They arrived in Geneva after a stopover in London to get rid of their jetlag. Our first day together, we went on a long bike-ride up and down the river, across 4 bridges!  It was a beautiful day.

We went to church on Sunday and my parents were able to see our typical Sunday service, which includes a lot of spontaneous prayertime, singing, and a message from the Bible. 

Sunday afternoon there was a citywide garage sale. Those of you who know my mom- can you imagine how excited she was?? It was blocks and blocks long! They went to Switzerland from Sunday until Tuesday while we had school. 

Sydney got to celebrate her birthday twice! We had two big carrot cakes with cream cheese frosting.



We had a party with Grandpa and Grandma Toews and the Rices. And we also celebrated her birthday over the lunch break with Granddad and Nana Potter (via Skype) and about 15 people in our building, singing happy birthday in English and French.

Wednesday we went on a long hike. Thursday was an all school field trip. We took windy roads up through the mountains in some of the most beautiful scenery we have seen! There were points where the mountain went straight up around us on both sides of the river. The road had been partially carved from the side of the mountain, and thus had a roof on one side to shed the snow off and into the river instead of piling up on the road. We visited a cheese factory and then went a 30 min drive more to see a watch factory. Ryan was in heaven seeing all the mechanics of how the watches and time pieces were engineered. It made for a long exhausting day but very informative.

Taking the cheese out of the mold, pun intended

Where they mix the milk and bacteria to make curds

Sydney eager to eat the cheese

At the watch factory

Friday we had class and Grandpa and Grandma got to spend the day with Sydney. :) That night, Nancy graciously spent her evening babysitting while we got to go on a double date with my parents to an amazing French restaurant. It is the first time we have eaten out in the 2 months we have been in France and it was so delicious!

Over the weekend, we went to the Abbey de Tamie, the medieval city of Conflans (singing in the old church to hear the beautiful acoustics), and hiked quite a bit in the beautiful mountains. We got up as far as the mountain cabin that we had hiked about a month prior.

Our camelback baby loves hiking

Sunday we held our own service at home. Since my mom enjoyed the cowbells so much in Switzerland, we wanted to see what they might cost. In Conflans, we went to an antique store and found a large 400 Euro cowbell and several smaller 150 Euro bells! I'm sure you can find them cheaper, but they were quite old cowbells! We also explored a European port-a-potty. Not your African squatty-potty! Good times!

Doctor for Delivery!

It was a normal Sunday evening in Albertville. Sydney had gone to sleep at her regular time, and Ryan was studying after cleaning up the dishes. I had just changed into my pajamas in preparation to study and finish a take-home test we get each weekend when there was an urgent knock at our door.

"We need your help. C is in labor. We are going to the hospital, but they think it might be going too fast." I quickly changed back into jeans and a t-shirt, and I ran down the stairs. When I got outside, I peered through the dark, rainy night into the car lights only to realize that the car was empty. Oh, the labor is going too fast in the apartment! I thought.

I raced back up to the second floor to the apartment which is just below ours to find C and her husband trying to walk towards the door. But the contractions were coming too rapidly and C felt she needed to push. Her water had broken only 30 minutes before. "Do you want to go to the hospital?" I quickly asked. "Yes," C said. "Ok, then we need to go now if we want to try to make it." C replied, "But I can't walk."  Well that is a problem. The next contraction came quickly, and I could see what she meant. "Well, then you can just have the baby right here. His head is right here!" She held onto her husband, gave a push, and the head was out. I helped guide his body out and into the waiting arms of his strong mama. He cried immediately.

"Great job! He's beautiful. Do you want a pediatrician?" I asked. C said, "Yes. That would be nice." Almost immediately, several people from our apartment were at her side, helping get water and blankets. We had 3 nurses including an OB nurse, and a pediatrician, surgeon, and myself as the OB present immediately after delivery.

When I spoke to the French ER physician by telephone, she assured me that the ambulance would be there in 10 minutes maximum. She chuckled when she heard there was an OB and a pediatrician already there. "That is impressive. Sounds like you have it covered." The ambulance came in about 5 minutes, and an ER doc was present with the paramedics. Curious, I asked if there is always a doctor riding in the ambulance. He replied, "Only 5% of the time, with these kinds of emergencies." I went to the hospital in the ambulance with the family where they were provided excellent care.

It was an honor to be present for the birth, and I was happy to be able to practice medicine. We were all thankful that God had orchestrated the right people at the right time to work out so well for the precious family. (The new parents were relieved that their 2 year old slept right through the exciting events happening just outside her bedroom.) Needless to say, I didn't get my take-home test finished for class the next day. But I think I had a pretty good excuse.

Steps to Getting Groceries

10 Steps to getting groceries in the US (~30 min)
1. Find keys, wallet
2. Get in car, open garage door with a push of a button
3. Drive to store
4. Get cart inside store and fill it
5. Pay. They bag your groceries with store bags
6. Take cart to your car, unload groceries into the car
7. Put the cart back in the "Return cart" spot
8. Drive home
9. Unload groceries from garage to your house
10. Close garage door with a push of a button

Getting groceries in Albertville (~ 2 hours)
1. Find key to bike lock, wallet, bike helmet, bike basket, bags for groceries
2. Unlock bike which is in the basement, walk bike up a flight of stairs and outside
3. Attach basket to back of bike. Load with bags and purse
4. Bike to the store
5. Lock bike in bike rack
6. Get cart by paying a Euro into the slot in the handle to unattach it from the one in front of it.
7. Fill cart. Consider it a victory if you only walk through the aisles twice.
8. Pay. Try to speak a little French and understand the number of Euros they asked for.
9. Panic. Throw all groceries back in the cart as fast as you can so the next person does not have to wait on you.
10. Take cart outside to the bike.
11. Wonder how you are going to fit it all in the basket.
12. Wonder why you bought so much food
13. Carefully put the groceries in bags and the basket so that the eggs don't break and the fruit doesn't smush. (~10 min)
14. Unlock bike
15. Awkwardly balance the heavy bike and carry bags while pushing your grocery cart back
16. Awkwardly balance the heavy bike while you put the grocery cart back with your third hand and retrieve your Euro
17. Bike to the next store to get the 3 items that were not found in the first grocery store.
18. Lock bike
19. Carry in heavy basket of food and bags. Put the groceries from first grocery store behind the counter at the customer service desk
20. Repeat steps 7-9
21. Wait in line at the customer service desk to get your other groceries back
22. Repeat steps 10-14
23. Bike back home (the fun part!)
24. Go over a speed bump and hope nothing falls and the eggs don't break
25. Yell up to your open 3rd floor window for help in carrying groceries
26. 2-3 people come down to carry all the groceries up 3 flights of stairs to the apartment
27. Take bike down the flight of stairs and lock it
28. Walk up 4 flights of stairs
29. Put away groceries
30. Throw pizza into oven because you are too tired to cook the food you just spent the afternoon getting.

 Repeat every 3 days

I failed- I'll blog another day

Somehow I thought that when residency was over and I just had to focus on mainly one thing- learning French- for the year, that I would have plenty of time to invest in items of importance that I had set aside. I dreamt of spending time blogging, reading about Congo and the hospital we will be going to, reading a lot to keep current with OB/GYN, writing to the many people who support us financially and in prayer. But I have failed. 

It seems like I go to class, get groceries and cook, play with Sydney, and read emails pretty consistently. I play volleyball or meet with my language partner for French learning. But those extras- I just haven't been able to prioritize them. I will sit down to the computer to write a blog and get distracted with Facebook, or Sydney will want something that Ryan cannot give her, or the gal in the apartment below us will go into labor rapidly and need assistance (true story). And then I'll tell myself that I can blog another day. But here it has been a month, and I've only written one blog. And I still haven't started the book on Congo. 

So here is my confession. I know I don't need to strive for perfection. People are not clinging to every word I say. My worth is not in what I do or how many people like my status on Facebook, but my worth comes from who I am as a child of God. Also, I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a 2-4 week mission trip which I can keep up a significant pace with an expectation that I can rest at the end, compile my pictures, and make a presentation. I need to establish a pace at which we can comfortably live, giving those interested a peek into our lives through regular (even if not as frequent) and good (even if not particularly clever or creative) writing. 

Faux Pas- lost in translation

• Went to the local butcher to get some hamburger. Didn't know any words except boeuf (which I was guessing was "beef") so I said "boeuf" and then made a chopping motion with my hands. Then I watched, somewhat painfully, as they took a nice steak and put it in the grinder. I got my hamburger. But at that price, I would have taken the steak!!
• Went to the local shop. Couldn't understand the shop keeper's French, so she switched to Spanish. Which I understood. So, of course I responded--in French! Oh she was so confused. As was I. 
• I was trying to say that I needed to ask questions of someone who speaks French as his native language. However, what the nice French guy told me that I said with my limited vocabulary was, "I need a French man." Which was inappropriate.
• Joined a local volleyball club. Couldn't remember how to say, "mine," in French, so I just made some noise.
• First I thought the middle school girls that I played volleyball were asking if I was in college. The next week, I thought they had asked me if I was in middle school (because I learned that the French call middle school collège.) And the third week, I realized they asked me how old I was. "Quel age?" KELL AHJ
• The French greet with kisses on both cheeks. But when one is not accustomed to the greeting, it can be surprising. And then the side of the cheek which you kiss on first becomes very important. Otherwise, you might just get a real kiss.
• Unfortunate translations: Someone called Sydney a Poupée (POO- PAY) which means baby doll. To say "I buy," it sounds like you say "I shet." J'achète. 
• For a whole month in volleyball, I thought people kept yelling at me to get the ball when it came over the net. I heard, "Shan-noo" just thinking that they couldn't say my name well. Alas, this week I found out they were saying, "Chez nous," (SHAY-NEW) which means something like "our house" as in the ball is going to come over the net to our side. Hopefully they don't think I'm a ball hog, and I will stop running after all those balls.
• Dr. Tim Rice, our ministry partner, told the teacher that he was hot (similar to saying he was in heat) instead of saying that he felt hot during one of our first classes, to which she said, "Oh no, you only say that to your wife! Never in class." Ha! He said, "Je suis chaud" (JU SWEE SHOW) instead of "J'ai chaud." (JAY SHOW). 
• Ryan was trying to get the correct pronunciation down in class. After several tries, he said the exact same thing (to his ears) in a falsetto voice and the teacher told him that he did well. Thereafter, all the guys in the class pronounced the French words with falsetto voices. 
• Apparently, there is a phrase in French that they say when you make a lucky shot or the ball rolls over the net which is translated, "you have pasta in your butt." Not sure why that is thought to be particularly lucky, but some days we don't have pasta at all.

First Impressions

We live in a family building in a 2 bedroom apartment on the third floor. The Rices (Tim, Kathy, and Nancy- also going to Vanga) live just across from us. When we arrived, a bunch of other families greeted us and helped us carry our luggage up.

We live on the third floor (left two windows). Our classrooms are in the far left building.

The scenery is gorgeous. The school is in Albertville, which, by the way, I didn't know how to pronounce until our first day of class. ALL BEAR (with the R gurgling in your throat) VEAL. It is a "small" town of around 18,000 located in the French Alps. There are lots of hiking and biking places, and in winter a lot of people ski. We bought a used bike from another student with a child seat for Sydney, and Ryan bought 4 pairs of skis at a yard sale for 5 Euro. (I wonder if they even work for that price?) 

Mon, Tue, Thurs, and Fri we have school in the building next to our family building. The lunch break is 2.5 hours! So I have time to go to the local bakery, cook lunch, eat, clean up, and study a bit before heading back to class. 

Bakery, or boulangerie in French

Living takes a lot more time here than working, it seems. Bread is bought almost  daily... or you need to invest in a hacksaw. Food is made from scratch and eating out is rare. In the supermarket, there is an entire aisle for chocolate, another two for cheese, one for yogurt, two for wine (which is cheaper than water), and a couple for everything else. A bit exaggerated, but you get the point. 

Sydney is watched by Nancy Rice during the time we are at school. She naps a lot during those times, but has great fun with her nounou (nanny). Her best friend is Snickers, the community cat. She now has four teeth, two top and two bottom! She can say "mama, dada, nana, and itty!"

Ryan is hoping to play club soccer to learn French sports lingo and has already joined them for several practices, and I've played recreational volleyball to get out into the community. 

The French people are very gracious with our mispronunciations and very helpful. The school has been around for 47 years, so most of the local shop owners know to help us say things correctly. Hope this gives you a glimpse into our daily lives!

Impeccable timing

We went from 2 cars to 1 bike when we moved to France. I'm planning to blog later about the challenge of getting groceries by bike (needless to say, I'm happy for some form of transportation), but this blog is about our former cars. One was a Toyota Matrix with a rebuilt engine and over 250,000 miles, and the other a Toyota Camry with about 180,000. They were trusty cars- the Matrix indispensable at getting large items or bikes transported and the Camry great for road trips.

We used the Matrix for the last few months to transport boxes and trunks as we moved and packed and moved again. We finished packing our trunks to be shipped to Congo just before we left for orientation in North Carolina, and Ryan used the Matrix to haul them to a drop off point. It was the last time we would really need the Matrix. And sure enough, when we got back from orientation, Ryan put it into reverse on his way to run and errand, and CLANK, something happened and the car started sounding like the engine was working hard. If this were Car Talk, the radio show, I'd be more specific. Some dear friends are going to see if they can sell the car to someone who hopefully likes to figure engines out.

As for the Camry, we drove it over 4000 miles in July/Aug from St Louis to Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and back while seeing family, and then St Louis to Tennessee, North Carolina and back for orientation with CMDA (Christian Medical and Dental Association) and Samaritan's Purse. The Camry had never given us trouble, although it seemed to use up oil and the floor was wet when we used the air conditioner toward the end of July/August. We drove to a friend's house the day before we left. It was the last time we would really need the Camry. And sure enough, the day after we left, the Camry died too. It was towed to the mechanic and sold for parts for just a little over the amount I spent on a used bike here in France. 

Perhaps our cars should have died a long time ago. But they stayed running well until we no longer needed them. I can't imagine how much more stressful life would have been with car trouble over the last two months of transition. What impeccable timing! Praise God.