Short-Haired St. Bernards...

While it had been closed earlier in the week, we finally had a chance to visit the nearby Short-Haired St. Bernard Breeding Kennels as we were leaving the Chamonix area.

This breed was the original mountain rescue dogs, but have been replaced by technology.

Our tour of this family-owned operation was given by the daughter, whose entire life revolves around dogs.

Was happy that I managed to catch a shot of this waterfall as we zoomed past on the freeway while driving towards Lucerne, Switzerland.

Group Shots...

On our last afternoon, we finally took some nice group shots in front of our chalet.

These photos are lovely, but I am disappointed that our silly family forgot to get a photo of just the four of us.

A Walk in the Snow...

After her self-portrait session, Veronica joined me for a walk through the snow.

Seeing playgrounds covered in snow made me smile...

and so did seeing Olaf, the snowman from Disney’s Frozen.

Veronica was all smiles...

...surrounded by such beauty.

Jimmy and Ashlynn had a great time skiing.

Self-Portraits in the Snow....

The following morning, while Jimmy, Ashlynn, Tony, Ariana and Max hit the slopes, Veronica ventured out to take some self-portraits in the snow.

This decrepit old cottage made a great backdrop.

I guess Veronica was impervious to the cold as she took the time to take several shots while wearing a gown she found at a charity shop that clearly wasn’t designed for wearing in the snow.

The results were fantastic!

Back to Chamonix...

On the way back to Chamonix to find some lunch, we saw this incredible glacier.

Once in town, we saw this fancy horse and carriage...

....this lovely church....

....and this Christmas tree decorated with giant sports ornaments.

Back at the house, Ashlynn enjoyed practicing on her DJ kit while the other kids played ping pong in the basement.

A Sauna, Jacuzzi and Bar Dog...

Later that afternoon, it was time for the boys to fire up the cute barrel sauna for our use after we took a walk into the village of Les Houches, home to under 3,000 residents.

Luckily the road was clear and not too slippery.

It was a pretty sleepy village, but it did have a cool Santa...

...and a pretty church.

Veronica had stayed behind to work on her dissertation, but Ashlynn continued with us on a longer walk than the rest of the group. On our way back we stopped for a drink at the town’s only pub and met this super friendly bar dog.

She was so friendly that she surprised us by jumping up onto our laps.

Jimmy and Vivynne usually cooked dinners together, while Tony and I were on cleaning duty and the kids hid in the hot tub.

First Day in Chamonix....

The last time we were on vacation with Vivynne and family was our big trip to Croatia in 2013. This time I was completely out of the loop as Vivynne arranged everything with occasional input from Jimmy. She booked us a one-week stay in a lovely wooden house in Les Houches, in the Chamonix region of the French Alps.

That first full day together, we drove into Chamonix for a walk around, some lunch and to grab some groceries. 

Although much of the city caters for upscale shopping and dining, parts are a bit grubbier..

....including this area where we found a restaurant with great vegan wraps. 

It was sad to see so-called “locks of love” had invaded this bridge in an otherwise quaint spot.