Following the Dream

downtown, things will be great when you're downtown

2012-01-18T22:36:00.007+01:00

The kids and I went downtown by ourselves today. While going into Budapest by ourselves is no new thing, I rode public with both of them by myself for the first time, which was new. :) I have ridden with one child by myself or with two children with Kevin but never with both by myself.I had some sweet old grandmas who offered help several times when I was trying to get both of them on or off the

one last post for the year

2011-12-31T22:15:00.005+01:00

I've started writing blog posts a couple of different times, and then I never finished any of them for one reason or another. But I figure it's the end of another year, so I should post one last time for this year. (Although as a former teacher married to a current teacher, my mind still thinks of years "ending" in June!)We've been pretty busy around here this month, although we have been staying

the heart

2011-12-05T14:51:00.006+01:00

Well, the weekend and the party did not go as planned. Seth woke up puking Friday morning. Awesome. Actually, he didn't get sick until he was on the tile floor in the hallway, so that was good. And on my to-do list for the day was to actually wash the kitchen and hallway floors. Glad he did it at 6:30 in the morning BEFORE I washed the floors. Granted I didn't plan on washing them that early, but

seth turns 4

2011-11-26T21:51:00.005+01:00

Another post in the same month?! Wow!Today was Seth's 4th birthday. Where did the time go?! I was looking at pictures of him from last year on his birthday, and he looks SO much older now. *sniff sniff*First present in the morning...two camels "from" Kate.We gave Seth the choice of breakfast...out to McDonald's (something we've only done two or three times here) or Pékség. He chose the latter,

kate turns 2

2011-11-17T20:24:00.006+01:00

It's been exactly a month since my last post. Whoa. I keep saying I'm going to blog and then just never do. Lack of time for sure.This is just checking in to say that we are still alive and doing well! I have been feeling so grateful for some things the Lord has been doing here, and I am grateful for the people he has placed into my life especially. So the lack of blogging is all for good reasons

moved in...for the most part

2011-10-17T21:06:00.004+02:00

Trying something I haven't done in awhile... a post with pictures!(I'll wait while everyone cheers. Yeah!)Many prayers answered last week, one of which was that we were finally allowed to open our boxes and move our belongings into our home. They still have not called to tell us that our paperwork is done, but I am so grateful that they didn't make us wait. The paperwork is all messed up, and we

"why is Jesus such a nice guy?"

2011-10-05T21:12:00.002+02:00

So, while we did go to the zoo last week and had a fabulous time with Michelle and her two boys, I am unable to get the videos I took onto this blog. I thought that would be a nice change of pace since I haven't been able to post videos on here before because of several factors. I can get the sound on my videos to work but not the pictures. So, I will somehow figure that out. Hopefully. :)And the

na mi van?

2011-09-26T21:16:00.004+02:00

What's up?This is my 700th post. Wow. I have had a lot to say I guess. Well, it has been a little over four and a half years since I started this blog, so I'd say 700 isn't too bad. :)So what have the Yaikos been up to since it's been a few weeks since I last blogged? We've been keeping busy and enjoying our days. We've had over 20 people over for dinner, been on too many walks to count, visited

blessed be your name

2011-09-08T23:21:00.005+02:00

Earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, typhoons, wild fires, flooding, tornadoes. All in a few months. Ya think the earth is groaning and anticipating Christ's return?!I got on Facebook a few minutes ago and saw all sorts of friends posting pictures of flooding in NY. Horrible. My grandma was evacuated yesterday because of the flooding. She is safe, but my dad is on his way there now and will be

i can't figure it out

2011-09-07T21:58:00.003+02:00

I have yet to figure out how they do house numbers here. Every time I give someone directions, I have to tell them exactly which house is ours instead of just giving them our street and house number because our neighbor's house is the same number (with no differentiation between the two) and there is no number out in front of our house anyway. Funny.And this morning I went to pick up a friend (

it's not about me

2011-09-06T21:44:00.004+02:00

Sometimes God asks us to do things we really don't feel like doing, but we still obey. I find myself in that situation too often...obeying despite not having the "happy, submissive spirit" about obeying. And God is still gracious and loving. Sometimes I don't get to see the fruit of my obedience (which is okay because that's not why we are called to obey)...but other times we do. I am grateful

új fánk

2011-09-05T21:46:00.005+02:00

They have these "new" things called "fánk" here, or as we like to call them "doughnuts" in English. I would see some random ones at Tesco here and there, but now they have a whole new baked goods section at the big Tesco in Budaörs where they are selling doughnuts, cookies, and a few other things. They have signs next to almost everything in that section saying "új!", meaning that they are new. (

not enough hours in the day

2011-08-29T20:56:00.007+02:00

Well, life keeps on happening, despite my best intentions of blogging. :) We have been busy having lots of people over for dinner. That is always fun, catching up with old friends from a summer apart and getting to know new ones. :) The tricky part has been making meals that don't make my already warm house turn into an even hotter house from cooking! We were also without electricity a couple

before leaving...

2011-08-18T21:20:00.005+02:00

So, as I was looking through the memory card on our camera, I realized there were still a few pictures on there from the week before we left. Wow! I am quite far behind. :) You may remember that back in April, we only received one of our Easter packages from my parents. The one with the actual clothes for Easter Sunday and Kate's plane ticket to America were in the package that we did NOT have.

hold on to your fork

2011-08-17T22:19:00.002+02:00

I read this post (despite not knowing, Emily, I love reading her blog and being inspired by her designs!) early on this summer after I got home. It has been on my mind ever since. And as my heart aches for the people in the world now who are suffering greatly (be it from famine, natural disasters, evil men and governments, or whatever else), I keep reminding myself that my struggles of the day

home again, home again, jiggity jig

2011-08-15T21:11:00.003+02:00

I am pretty sure I have been the worst blogger since leaving to go back to the States in mid-May. It is now mid-August, and I am sitting back here in Hungary on my living room couch. Where did the time go?! I remember sitting on the plane in May, telling myself not to blink or else our time with family and friends in America would be over. Well, guess what? I blinked! Despite my family giving me

another first: pig races

2011-07-27T03:38:00.004+02:00

Today is our last full day in New York. We spent most of it at the Chautauqua County Fair.Seth was in love with all of the animals, which came at no surprise. What did surprise us was how eager he was to ride the rides as well. He stuck to the kiddie rides that aren't really much, but he did do the kid roller coaster (that gator one they have at EVERY fair/ride place!). I thought he'd be too

adding to the list

2011-07-24T04:09:00.002+02:00

Add to the list from the other day:Kate and I both got stung.I caught the hair dryer on fire.Kate fell in a ditch.Still not sure how that last one happened exactly, but she survived without any scars. (At least not any physical scars, maybe just some emotional ones!) Kevin's two best buds from high school came over the other night with their wives and children. We all went over to the barn to see

his timing is best

2011-07-19T03:13:00.005+02:00

This is the longest I have ever gone without blogging. As you can guess, we have been busy. Really busy. I still can't believe it's been more than a month since I last blogged. Crazy. So let's see, since I last wrote at the beginning of June...Kevin flew into Chicago from Hungary.We traveled to NY.Kevin traveled back to Chicago.Kevin traveled back to NY.We traveled to OH.We traveled back to NY.We

i'm counting that pain as a blessing

2011-06-03T04:56:00.002+02:00

It's been two weeks since I last blogged. We've been busy and enjoying every single moment here. I do have some pictures to put up...but like usual, I'll have to do it later. :)We have done some fun things around here with the kids and traveled last weekend to my grandparents' house in OH. Kevin's family drove from NY to meet us there, and they got to meet Kate for the first time. It was

there's no place like home

2011-05-18T23:00:00.002+02:00

I love coupons. I love free stuff. I love Target. I love shopping here.We've been running to some store just about every day. SO fun! I have been to Target 4 times in the past week. My parents have an awesome Super Target. I love just walking up and down the aisles. :)I have a new favorite cereal. Years ago I would have died at the price of it ($4.00), but now, not so much. Cereal is super

surprise!

2011-05-16T04:03:00.002+02:00

I have been absent from blogging for the last week and a half. And for good reason. :)I AM IN AMERICA!!!!!That's right, I hopped a plane on Wednesday morning with the two kids and headed home 5 weeks early. And the best part? It was a complete surprise for my sister! So great! Kevin is still in Hungary finishing out the school year and will come four weeks from tomorrow.So I was busy packing,

breathing is good

2011-05-05T21:56:00.002+02:00

I was going to post a few pictures, but now it's late, and I need to go to bed. But before I do, I had to share a couple things.1. The package from my mom with the kids' Easter clothes came today. Yeah!2. Seth was super excited about new church clothes and getting his first tie. He asked if he could wear it right away, and then he decided he had to wear all of the clothes, including the hat! Love

london is cool because they have swords

2011-05-03T19:41:00.004+02:00

...according to Seth.So I did watch the wedding last Friday. It was beautiful. I know there were tons of nay-sayers on Facebook about it last week, and although I did understand some of those, I loved all of it and watched it all. I was not bombarded with all of the pre-wedding stuff that those in America had to deal with, and maybe I might have been sick of it before the actual day had I

rule #1: wear clothes?

2011-04-28T21:22:00.004+02:00

I have some pictures to upload from Monday when we did Easter "baskets." I don't have them off of the camera now, so it'll have to wait for another day I guess.I sprained my knee last Tuesday. I'm not a baby about these things, but I am really frustrated with this knee. I've done something similar to it before, but it was better after a few days. It's been 10 days, and it's not any better. And I

feltámadt!

2011-04-24T20:36:00.003+02:00

He has risen!He has risen indeed!Today is Az első Vidám Vasárnap. That translates to what we say is Resurrection Sunday, although directly translated, it means the first joyful Sunday. I love that! This truly is the first joyful Sunday as we worship a RISEN Savior. My eyes well up with tears!Church service was beautiful today...and packed of course. :) We came home and finished getting things

zoo day!

2011-04-21T19:59:00.009+02:00

Today we went to the zoo! Again, just gorgeous weather, enough that it was actually quite hot in the sun and warm enough to put shorts on Seth. :) He was SO excited to go. It was precious. He kept asking in the car if we were almost there and how many more minutes. I don't think he has ever done that before, or not at least that I can remember. He was patient in the long line to buy tickets and

perfect weather

2011-04-20T21:06:00.002+02:00

We have had a really nice spring break thus far. It's always fun to have Kevin home for a week.Monday we stayed home mostly and played outside. I don't want to rub it in or anything to our dear family and friends who are experiencing yucky temperatures (that are sure not to last as it is the latter half of April!), but we have been blessed with beautiful blue skies and warm sunshine in the 70's.

spring break

2011-04-18T20:16:00.003+02:00

This weekend started spring break! Kevin is home until the Tuesday after Easter. Yeah!So after Friday night's pizza and poker game, Kevin played volleyball on Saturday. It was a fun little tournament where you could make your own teams. Zsolt played!Champions (L to R): Jake, Jessica, Janie, Tina, Tom, Kevin, and ZsoltAnd most importantly, because nothing is ever "just for fun," they took first

it's never just for fun

2011-04-15T20:52:00.006+02:00

The current scene downstairs:Tonight is poker night with a bunch of the senior and freshmen guys. Don't worry, no money is changing hands. :)But in true male fashion, they cannot play "just for fun." So what are they playing for? Hair. That's right, their hair. Losers shave their hair. For some it will be their legs, others their heads, and one person supposedly their eyebrows, but I'll believe

why we stay

2011-04-13T21:34:00.005+02:00

Tonight we had all of the seniors over for "backwards breakfast." We did it last year with Kevin's Algebra 2 class. Most of those students are now in his Consumer Math class, but we extended the invitation to invite all of the seniors, as there are only a few who are not in that class.I made two 9"x13" casseroles, one being Creme Brulee French Toast (from a friend in college) and the other an egg

the little things

2011-04-12T20:27:00.003+02:00

"ÁFA számla kérek szépen."That's what I was supposed to say, hand them my special card, and it would have all been taken care of.Over the next few days, we are having roughly 27 students over to our house for various functions, all of which involve food. We spent 14,000 forint (roughly $75) on purchasing food for those things today. (Oh America, how I miss how cheap you are!)*Funny side note*

trucks

2011-04-11T19:04:00.002+02:00

The weather has been nice and springlike these past few weeks. Thank you, Jesus! We have been taking advantage of all of the warm sunshine and going on really long walks every afternoon. They are building lots of new homes just a mile or two north of us up on the hill (it is SO windy up there!), so we like to go up there to see all of the trucks.Past the new "neighborhood" is a walking bridge

trust

2011-04-07T10:54:00.004+02:00

There are a few things that I wanted to point out that I didn't before in talking about feeling called to stay here in Hungary...The first part is in regards to the stress of making a decision. Because the Lord seemed for so long to not specifically answering our prayer as to whether we should stay or go, we (along with others we sought counsel from) believed that maybe it didn't matter to the

the decision

2011-04-05T17:16:00.003+02:00

Knowing that our four years will be up in June of 2011, Kevin and I have been praying for the last year about what the Lord would have us do at the end of this school year. We had made an initial commitment to ICSB and to UWM for two years, and now we are finishing our fourth year here. But what next?As many of you know, I first came to Hungary in 1998. I fell in love with Hungary on my

sweet stinker

2011-04-03T21:26:00.003+02:00

My brother complained that I don't put up enough pictures, so here you go, Josh.The weather has been in the 60's for a good two weeks now. Kate LOVES to be outside. (And disregard the fact that she's not wearing any pants in the picture. I am sure some old Hungarian lady or mother yelled at me for that.)She is such a ham!Taken to prove that she does have some more hair now, enough at least that

good grief

2011-03-30T21:05:00.003+02:00

So I got back from Paris over two weeks ago, and I still haven't blogged about it. My mom asked me to at least bring pictures when I go home so that she can see them. :)I had written earlier about just having a burdened heart and not wanting to blog about it, and another reason I haven't felt like it is because of all of the grief I have been given for having gone. Although most of this has been

i want to grow in grace

2011-03-24T21:16:00.004+01:00

"It is right to tell God what we long for and would like him to do, but it is also right to remind ourselves and acknowledge to him that he knows best. When Christians are learning to submit to God's ordering of events with undaunted realism and humility, it would seem that they are growing in grace."J.I. PackerRediscovering Holiness

burdened

2011-03-19T16:19:00.004+01:00

I know I haven't blogged about my trip yet. There is a reason: my heart has been heavily burdened for fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who have been met with difficult circumstances this week.In the past week, I have learned about someone back home who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Someone else lost their precious unborn child. Someone else lost their six year old nephew in a

"paris is always a good idea"

2011-03-15T22:22:00.004+01:00

So, I got back last night from celebrating my birthday a few months early! Audrey and I went to Paris over the long holiday weekend to celebrate both of us turning 30. It was awesome to say the least. I'd be lying, though, if I said that I didn't miss my family. It was wonderful to come home to Kevin and the kids. I will share more details on the trip hopefully this week!In other news, I feel so

waiting on the washer

2011-03-09T21:54:00.003+01:00

I feel like I'm always waiting for the laundry to finish so that I can hang it up to dry before I can go to bed. One might wonder why I wait until night to do it then...the electricity is less expensive. :) And a load of whites takes close to two hours, so it does make a difference! Call me crazy.My mind is currently exploding with all of these thoughts that I am learning in my study of God's

skype is the best thing ever

2011-03-07T20:53:00.005+01:00

I had started this post about all of these things I have been pondering in life right now, well, mainly just what my role is as a mother. But then, like usual, I rambled too much, and now I am trying to figure out how to best say what I want. So that will take some time. I just know that the Lord has put multiple things (Scripture, people, articles, etc.) in my life to keep reminding me what my

one can hope

2011-02-25T14:26:00.002+01:00

So yesterday did not go as planned. Well, I didn't have anything really planned, but Seth ended up puking numerous times. The day was reminiscent of this fall with his coughing and vomiting. He hadn't really slept the night before (Hadn't I JUST said that despite all of their sickness in recent months that they were still always sleeping well?!) and was super crabby. I had planned on making

hump day

2011-02-23T19:58:00.005+01:00

I have now started my fifth year of blogging. Seriously, I have been blogging for four solid years. I went back and looked through the first few months of posts. I never expected to still be living here four years ago, nor having had two children here. But God is in the business of doing things His perfect way and not our sinful way. :)I have also been frustrated with myself in rereading posts

week in pictures

2011-02-18T20:37:00.005+01:00

This week was super busy with life in general and adding a third kid to the mix for a few days. But here are some pictures...New bath towels for Valentine's Day from Grandma and Grandpa D!Such a sweetie pie...and a stinker all at once :)In two seconds flat, anything in our house could be destroyed between the three kiddos. This time it was Ethan's suitcase completely emptied...within minutes of

i have a few more years until i'm "old"

2011-02-16T22:13:00.004+01:00

I realize I'm not old (thanks to nearly everyone over the age of 32 here who feels it is their duty to tell me just how young I am as often as possible, as if I needed help knowing that or something), but sometimes I forget just how much older I am than high schoolers. Part of that has to do with the fact that I still feel like I'm 18 and the other part has again to do with how people tell me

it's a girl! and another girl!

2011-02-15T20:39:00.004+01:00

No, I am not pregnant with one or two girls.Amidst the craziness of the basketball tournament this weekend, I got a phone call early Friday morning from my sister. It was a little after 1 a.m. her time, and thus it was after 8 a.m. here. She called because she wasn't sure if she was in labor, and everyone else there was sleeping and didn't want to wake them up if she wasn't. After talking with

champs

2011-02-12T22:59:00.005+01:00

So, after a long weekend of basketball, the ICSB boys won the tournament! (The girls took second and cried, the only way girls know how to handle a loss like that.) They were the favorite going into it because they won it last year, but last year was a surprise and included an upset. The partying after the game last year was insane, and although the kids got into it again this year, you really

who's gonna win this thing tonight?

2011-02-10T21:46:00.004+01:00

Crazy Coach Carl makes a repeat appearance...via music video...at the pep rally at school today.Awesome.That video won't mean anything to you who aren't a part of ICSB, but that's pretty special around here. Brandon (Crazy Coach Carl) and his wife Melissa were at the school last year, and he helped Kevin with the varsity boys basketball. He did this character during the pep rally last year, and

let the craziness begin...tomorrow

2011-02-09T22:01:00.004+01:00

Quite the Chatty Cathy on the phone. Never when someone is really on there though. Of course.Kate woke up from her nap with a very runny nose. :( She decided she wanted to figure out how to blow her nose by herself."All done!" she says.First game of the annual ICSB basketball tournament is tomorrow night. I hope she feels okay because I would certainly hate to miss it. It will be a fun and crazy

God is greater

2011-02-08T14:50:00.005+01:00

I have been spending a lot of time in the Old Testament. I have laughed at just how many times God repeats himself to the Israelites...verbatim. How do they not remember?! The Lord performed countless miracles in their sight, right from the very beginning with the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. And yet they still complained and doubted him. Then I think of myself and how often I

bookworm

2011-02-06T21:16:00.003+01:00

My little bookworm! She loves to bring us books to read to her. When you ask, "Do you want to read?" She squeals in delight!Sometimes she'll even look at books by herself.Here are some pictures of the kiddos eating those chocolate chip cookies that I posted about the other day. I'd say they enjoyed them!Both grandmas have the same taste in clothing for Kate! The two shirts she is wearing in the

we're covered

2011-02-05T22:08:00.003+01:00

We went to bed last night and everything was normal. And then Kevin woke me up at 1 a.m. because he was in so much pain and couldn't move. He was ready to vomit at any minute. Everything that he described sounded like an appendicitis, so I called my dad within minutes to ask him since he had one nearly twenty years ago. But Kevin's pain wasn't localized to only the right side but everywhere. My

when you slack in blogging, that means a big rambling post

2011-02-03T15:48:00.006+01:00

I can't believe that it's been almost a week since I posted. So much has been on my mind. I've been pondering things a lot. There are things I would like to share here, but I cannot because I have to keep in mind who reads this. Anyway, the Lord has challenged my thinking in several ways, and he has really opened up some things in the last few weeks. I am trying to keep an eternal perspective on

rome: day three

2011-01-28T15:21:00.011+01:00

Tuesday was our last day there, and it was long, with our departing flight not until 10:30 p.m. But the kids were AMAZING! Another answer to prayer. Seth didn't get in his afternoon nap and was still the most pleasant kid, and Kate managed to take two pretty decent naps in her stroller.The beautiful blue skies and sunshine were fantastic that morning, so I opened the shutters to take some

rome: day two

2011-01-27T15:52:00.012+01:00

Monday, our second day, started around the same time, and because we loved our breakfast treats so much on Sunday morning, we decided to go back to that bakery again. They didn't have any of the things we had ordered on Sunday though, so that was disappointing. But we were able to find some other yummy things to eat.Seth found something else to eat as well...just not so yummy. ;)Seth and Allie

rome: day one

2011-01-26T12:59:00.017+01:00

Rome, ItalyWhat was once the capital of the world...is still completely breathtakingamazingmind boggling.I don't even know where to begin.Seeing buildings that were built thousands of years ago still standing...Thinking about Peter and Paul there, imprisoned, and martyred...(And the emotions that go with that)Trying to grasp all that happened there that has influenced and shaped world

while i wait for the laundry

2011-01-19T23:16:00.003+01:00

I am sitting here waiting for the washing machine to finish so that I can hang out the laundry to dry. So I thought I'd blog for just a minute.John and Allie came over tonight. They are going with us to Rome, so we had a fun night talking about what we would like to see and do. Two things I have been told by multiple people are to watch your stuff (pick pocketing) and that there is a "sitting fee

just a note

2011-01-14T23:08:00.002+01:00

Just popping in to say hello when I should be in bed.We are alive, just super busy this week.I save blogging for night time and after the kids are in bed. But this week, we have had something going on every single night. So that meant no blogging.Busy, busy, busy! Many really fun times and some really challenging talks as we figure out what the Lord has for us in the future. I told a few people

on my mind

2011-01-06T21:59:00.003+01:00

I am so grateful that we no longer live under the old covenant. So grateful.And anybody want to memorize the book of Colossians with me this year? Only two verses a week!Seth is a pro at doing tangrams. It's amazing to watch him flip and rotate pieces...and even correct his father when Kevin apparently put one of the first pieces in the puzzle in the wrong spot. He is really good at seeing the

who are my friends?

2011-01-05T23:19:00.004+01:00

I was going to go to bed an hour ago but then decided to get on Facebook really fast because I hadn't been on all day. Bad idea. Note to self: Do NOT get on there when I need/should go to bed.But I did have to get on there to send my brother a sarcastic comment about OSU winning their bowl game last night. He's pretty bitter about that. (Love you, bud!)Then I was thinking about a status update,

my need to justify ;)

2011-01-04T21:37:00.004+01:00

Do you ever read Stuff Christians Like? If you don't, you should check it out sometime. So many hilarious things Jon Acuff writes, especially if you have grown up in the church and thus will understand them. It's satire, and my telling you to check it out does not mean that I agree with 100% of what he says. But still, it's funny. Audrey and I are always able to share a laugh about a particularly

seven years

2011-01-03T23:09:00.003+01:00

Kevin and I were married seven years ago today. It was a wonderful day, a winter wonderland...not so much outside as we didn't really have any snow :( but inside with all of the wintry decorations. We got married in the morning and had a brunch reception. I loved it.When we got married, we didn't have a clue what we were doing. And seven years later, I'm pretty sure that we still don't. :)

2011

2011-01-01T11:34:00.006+01:00

Boldog Új Évet! Happy New Year!We had a fun NYE going bowling at Mammut with the Myers family! Going with them made it super fun. We love that family. Leah was our babysitter before she graduated this past year, and now Hannah has become our babysitter. Caleb is Seth's favorite person in the whole world. :)We haven't been bowling since we moved here. And this was Seth's first time. He LOVED it

csillagszóró

2010-12-30T16:17:00.006+01:00

The days have been full for the last week, but we have had plenty of time to rest, relax, and be at home, too! The kids are playing with all of their new toys and enjoying having Kevin home since last Thursday.We decided to go to the Christmas market again. I couldn't put my finger on it, but this year was different. It seemed more unique and special as compared to other years. And then as we

merry christmas!

2010-12-26T16:24:00.003+01:00

Merry Christmas from all of us! And one of my all time favorite Christmas songs:O HOLY NIGHTO holy night! The stars are brightly shining,It is the night of our dear Savior's birth.Long lay the world in sin and error pining,'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees! O hear the angels' voices

reindeer headpieces

2010-12-22T21:55:00.004+01:00

We had to buy Kate a bigger car seat tonight. We can no longer buckle her in with her winter coat on. She still fits and is under the weight limit, but that big puffy coat can barely squeeze in there!The store we went to had some people who spoke English and could help us. Learned an interesting thing though about the chest clip and how they aren't allowed in Europe and thus do not sell them here

kate's room

2010-12-20T20:02:00.001+01:00

I smile every time I walk into Kate's room. It's so bright (despite what the pictures might look like without a flash!) and pretty. If it were my own place, I would do some things differently, but I like the way it is with what I am allowed to do.I took these pics a few weeks ago and just forgot to post them, so here they are now:I made the mobile based on the tutorial from jones design company.

proof

2010-12-19T20:04:00.006+01:00

Today the kiddos wore their fun Christmas clothes to church! Dressing up girls is slightly more fun than dressing up boys. ;)Kate would only sit still if we gave her crackers.More crackers please?You're taking too long! And stop touching me!Happy with a mouth full of crackers, and now Mom gets to try and take pictures so that it doesn't look like her mouth is full of crackers. Dad entertains the

about last weekend

2010-12-16T20:40:00.006+01:00

I started a bunch of blog posts this week that I just never ended up finishing. Oops!Summary of last weekend: AwesomeKevin and I went out to dinner on Saturday and finished our Christmas shopping. We went to the biggest toy store I have ever seen here! We never go out, and so this was a special treat. It was the first time for Kate to have a babysitter, and despite my fears of her screaming the

the redeemer has overcome every obstacle

2010-12-10T14:24:00.005+01:00

Today, I got to help Courtney from Women Living Well with her post on "Christmas Traditions around the World." I was so honored that she asked me to help, and I had some help myself on some details that I didn't know since I'm not Hungarian. ;)This morning we had to go to the immigration office to get new address cards (since we moved again back in September) and a residency permit for Kate.

what one baby did

2010-12-07T21:42:00.004+01:00

My mind has been swirling around with so many thoughts recently. I am often overcome with emotion, not just the stress kind (which has been far too frequent) but also the emotion that comes from recalling God's promises and his goodness in our life, something I'm trying to do more of instead of stress. :)On Sunday, there was special music at church. It was a husband/wife team from Texas, and they

sugar/cukor

2010-12-06T22:11:00.006+01:00

Saturday we went to the Sugar Shop! Julie told me about it, so I looked it up and decided we had to go. Fun fun!They had all sorts of candy you can't get ordinarily here, like all of these Jelly Belly's! They also had crispy m&m's!Kate was reaching and trying to grab at anything she could. They had a whole section of cupcake treats! Most of the things were not at all for her (lip gloss, nail file

perfected

2010-12-03T22:19:00.005+01:00

I have been completely overwhelmed and stressed recently. Well, to be honest, I've been stressed for months, but it has been a lot worse in recent weeks. Thank you to my friends who have listened to me sort through all of my thoughts and not thinking that I've completely lost it, although you have every right to think that. ;)I had a great talk with one of my grandmas this week. She helped me

happy thanksgiving, happy birthday seth, and happy 90 more days in hungary kate

2010-11-28T19:23:00.009+01:00

So much has happened in the last few days, and I took a lot of pictures over the last few days, too! I have a feeling this will be a long post, but it should at least please the family who are asking for pictures. And I said that I would "hopefully" post pictures a lot recently, and that hasn't happened. So here we go...WednesdayWe invited over a bunch of "little kids" to make turkey cookies with

slow down

2010-11-23T22:22:00.002+01:00

I remember my grandma telling me when I was younger that life got faster the older you got. I remember thinking that it wasn't possible. My grandma was right.Kate wants to walk all the time. Problem is that she can't do it by herself yet. She cruises on the furniture, but that's not enough to satisfy her for very long. My back is killing me as I am constantly bending over to hold her hands so

believe and not doubt

2010-11-18T21:38:00.004+01:00

My days seem to fluctuate between being completely overwhelmed and stressed about making a decision on what we do after this school year finishes...and being at peace, knowing that the Lord will be with us wherever we go and will provide for us.I had written a long rambling post that I never posted two weeks ago. I knew I had to let it sit, but I also knew I had to get everything out...at least

birthday pictures

2010-11-17T20:39:00.005+01:00

And here are those promised pictures from Kate's birthday. I am hoping to save up for a new camera this summer, along with 50 other things we need, including a car. (And Stefanie, that does not mean that we are for sure moving back. We will need a car here or there. Just wanted to make sure we were clear on that. :))Taken in the parking lot at Interspar. As you can tell by her lack of warm

happy birthday

2010-11-15T22:41:00.003+01:00

Happy Birthday dearest Kate!Yes, one year ago today the most precious little girl entered our world. She has blessed us each and every day with her smiles and cuddles. She is so relaxed and just plain happy most of the time. She is truly a doll, and we are so grateful for her.People always told us that we wouldn't get another easy baby like Seth, but if you can believe it, Kate has been even

no heat yet

2010-11-11T22:31:00.004+01:00

It's almost the middle of November, and our heat still hasn't kicked on. Um, YEAH! I'm sure we will still have some big gas bill anyway because that's how it goes here, but it won't be as much as if we had the heat running. Daytime temps in the upper 50's and lower 60's have been wonderful!Granted, we keep our house set at 17