It may sound really silly when I tell you, how I was begging Adrian NOT to buy me that expensive lens. I really didn’t want him to go and buy me that huge Sigma 70-200/2.8 OS for Christmas… For sure, it was kinda like throwing out money when you have to rent photo gear – especially when you are planing on getting one anytime soon anyways, but still.. (we wanted to rent the lens for the Yellowstone trip)
It may sound really silly when I tell you now, that I was almost crying when I unwrapped that second last present and I saw the black box with the Sigma logo peak through… Seriously, I was half crying and half laughing and telling him like a million times that he was a crazy man 
Of course we had to go out and try it right away So after church on Sunday the 25th we went to Carmel Valley near Monterrey and took that one little side road called ‘Robinson Valley Rd’ and oh my goodness, we saw SO many animals! There were dears, all kind of birds, hawks, turkeys, a hare with his bird-buddy and…. a bobcat!!
oh, and not to forget the ‘Crazy Man’
What are your crazy Christmas Stories / Memories this year??
Happy Scrappin’ 
My Grandparents live in Monteray and when I go to visit we go to Carmel Valley. You should go to Big Sur sometime. We always see sea otters there.
I was on a cruise from Dec 12th to 23rd, and there was this gorgeous necklace at the gift shop with Murano glass beads. It was very expensive, so we decided not to buy it. On the 25th, we didn’t have any gifts to exchange, so it was an ordinary day, but during breakfast, he presents me with a box: it was the necklace!! I so didn’t expect it! And once I was wearing it and swooning and thanking him, he presents me with a second box: the assorted bracelet!
But what was even better than the gift itself was what he had to do to get the presents without me suspecting anything. I’m a super sleuth you know! He had our friends buy the necklace so I wouldn’t see the purchase on our shipboard account, then paid them back in cash. He sent me on an errand on the last day of the cruise after the suitcases were packed so he could hide them in his suitcase. And when we were unpacking, he insisted on unpacking the suitcases on the first floor so he could send the dirty laundry downstairs instead of having to carry it down 2 floors, while I was upstairs taking care of stuff that was going back in the bedroom and bathroom. So again, he took it out of the suitcase without me knowing it! It made me feel so cherished!
Amazing amazing amazing!!!
xoxo,
rafa!
Well, on 24th we had our little family gathering. Our two “remaining” children were with us. But for giving each other his gift, we switched on skype and shared the special moments with our daughter in America. So all of us five sat in our living room together and had a lot of fun! Now we’re somewhere in the swiss mountains and are drowning in fresh snow. Since yesterday it dumped about one meter… fluffy powder snow!
Rahel and Adrian, happy New Year and God bless you!!!
Your happy family in Switzerland.
Hey ! I wish you a very happy new year ! It’s been more then a year now that I read your blog and I love it ! I adore you and I find you’re absolutly great , your layouts, pics and diy projects are beautyful ! You are really someone I admire ! I wish I was as tallented as you are ! Could you tell me what your camera is ?
Bye XOXO
Mathilde Barlow 14
Your photos are gorgeous! A new lens is a very happy gift indeed!