Happy 4th!

This may very well be my first 4th of July without fireworks. I think it's a fair trade-off though :) It'll be made up for on the 14th (Bastille Day).

The Surcins' nest is a charming two-story house. There's a front gate instead of a garage which opens with a button (like a garage opener). Their little cars are parked on the rocky ground right outside the front door, which takes you into the top floor. The whole house is decorated like a classy mix of Ikea and Pier 1 Imports. The kitchen and family room are downstairs, along with a huge sliding door and a regular door which open to the backyard. My room is a small living room with a bed in it for the duration of my visit. Claire put some pretty white curtains to block the opening between my room and the family room, which I pull close at night. On the south side of the room, there are some French doors and dainty blue shutters which I keep open as much as possible. Every morning, I lie on my stomach on my bed and read for a few minutes, with the smallest touch of a perfumed breeze floating in and touching my face. I'll look up for a moment, and see a palm tree surrounded by roses and laid stone right outside the French doors. I'll go in for breakfast, usually baguettes and jam with creamy French milk, and head immediately out to the pool.

The pool is just to the right of my room. I walk up some stone steps and come onto a sort of wooden deck with the pool and some chairs. At first, I'll pull up one of the pool chairs and soak up the sun until the fresh, cool water starts to look more and more appealing, then I jump in with the other kids. They have a game that they play, like tag or Marco Polo. Someone is "it" and tries to touch someone else while keeping his/her eyes closed. It keeps us all entertained for a good hour or two. The water is always perfect, not so cold to make us uncomfortable, but cool enough to balance out the hot sun. It's unbelievably relaxing. I'm getting a nice tan, too.

The afternoon is where the variable activities come in. Today we went to a couple stores, very reminiscent of Pier 1 Imports (In fact, one of them was called Pier Imports). This evening, after dinner, we went out to the pool again, in the dark. I thought it would be too cold, but it was very enjoyable, and again relaxing.

(Right now, I can practically guarantee that my mom is thinking, "La vie n'est pas trop dur?" Don't worry- I'm working like a crazy on my French grammar and accents and intonations all the while)

It's seems like everything is pushed back here. Everyone gets up around 9 or 10 and has breakfast right about then. Lunch is sometime between 1:30 and 3pm, and dinner usually isn't before 8:30. We'll go to bed around midnight... if we're lucky... usually it's later... That's the flow of things around here. However, I do have comfort in the fact that no matter how late I go to bed and get up, it's still earlier than all you Utah people, so my transition to Utah time will be much easier than my transition to France.

One of my favorite part of the meals here is the courses. I haven't been to any big parties, so we don't really do the seven course meals that France is famous for, but they are sure to bring out the cheeses after every lunch and dinner. I've never been huge on the French cheeses before, but I forced myself to have an open mind, and I actually love it now! Especially goat cheese. After the cheeses, we always have desserts. I never turn down a yogurt, but Claire is always making ice creams and little cakes and things. Today, we had Marron-flavored ice cream. I am bringing some Creme de Marron home and making it for you, because it was such a perfect, refined, delicate taste... it's indescribable.

[Papa- I forgot to mention that Claire bought the movie "La Vie Est Belle" with Roberto Benigni (I do not know how to spell) for our family.]

Okay, well I love you all, wish you well with the fireworks and all, and everybody light an extra sparkler for me!