HAPPY NEW YEAR! Boldog Uj Evet! La multi Ani!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I feel as I should salute 2010! We have now been in Romania for nearly 2 weeks and are enjoying it a lot. the calm and less hectic life here has done us the world of good. I had no need to cook, to plan or to do anything except enjoy catching up with family and friends (this also with no pressure) sleep relax and be happy. Jonathan is also enjoying the relaxing and somewhat slower life as for Reuben he is just in his world and seems happy. Lately I am noticing huge changes with him...he is more able to show emotions and especially showing me how much he wants and needs me. HE has somewhat started to be more aware of things and often looks at me for encouragement something I did not have to do up til now consciously. He has learnt about being shy somehow and if we go to new places he is very aware that he must hide his face?! - so takes him about 10-15 minutes to accommodate...its strange but I am sure its just a phase... He also likes saying "go away" when various Romanian relations and friends want to cuddle him or offer him their help. I don't think he means it but judging by how he says it I believe it is more to say I am not ready for this I need my space.He is speaking more, cuddles us more and very affectionate. Eating has been a challenge still but I do not want to get to stressed about this and with baby Zack coming soon I \don;t feel I want to make any major changes to his life or routines.
Baby Zack has been a pickle...when I finally get to sleep often not until early hours of the morning he starts kicking very very prominently. My belly has visibly grown and I feel very big and rather uncomfortable...he loves moving his positions and I can now just about tell where his head or bottom is. Strangely I had not many Braxton HIcks with R well with Zack I have them all the time sometimes even have to stop while I walk they are just that strong I hope this does not mean early birth!

So what about 2010? Ah, if only I would be able to quickly glance at what it will bring us. We hope that it will be ok that whatever else gets thrown into our lives we will be able to just take it rather than panic or get stressed. I particularly hope for peace and joy and contentment. I wish that things will work out in such a way that we can all just be ok. I wish that my darling husband will be able to work and enjoy his work and spend quality time with us. I wish that my boys would love each other and we would be able to be a happy 4. I wish that the sun would shine more often and I will enjoy the experience of new motherhood. Most of all I wish that God would accompany us through every second and minute of this year cause without him we are unable to BE!

Finally what do I wish for you all?! Well, I wish the same that you can encounter beauty, love, peace, joy and God's blessings and presence in your lives throughout 2010 and that you will find the strength to be whom you want to be and where you need to be.

XXX MARIA

snippets from our days here in Romania last few days of 2009

Hi there! Here is Rebeka and Reuben today visiting the playground while mummy was having a bit of pampering a pedicure and manicure!!:)) Reuben seems to not really like the cold or the activities outside...hope he is not getting lazy...so we are trying to still make it fun outside!:)

Hello! Itt Rebeka es Reuben a parkban ma ugyanis anyuka nak jutott egy kis "kellemes" es manikurt es pedikurt is sikerult megcsinltatni...! Reuben nem igazan elvezi a kinti setakat ugyanis elegge hideg van es remelem nem fog lusti lenni ezert azert meg ki ki latogatunk legalabb 2 szer egy nap!
This on our way out in the evening....the city hall has this massive Santa outside of it...I particularly think its a bit scary but R loves running up to him and shaking his hand...:)))

Minden este kisetalunk es utban ide oda a varoshaza elott all ez a Telapo...hat en szerintem kicsit ilyeszto de Reuben mindeg odaszalad hogy megrazza a kezet....:))
Moment of art! R was not quite sure why you were not supposed to put the pencils in the paint...to him it was more fun then using a brush....(gosh too much imagination)...it lasted about 10 mins.:)

Na hat nekilattunk a festesnek is de a draga fiam azt agyalta ki hogy minek ecsettel festenni inkabb a ceruzakat tette a festekbe...es meg mondjuk hogy nincs a kicsinek fanteziaja?!:) Jaj!

More Christmas!

Hello! Another busy but nice day! We finally got to visit the church in Hungary that my brother Joseph is the pastor of. It is a church that is located in Hungary first village from the border with Romania. It was a 1 hour trip but very interesting...I gotten to pass through some villages I have only seen in my childhood. It is a very talented church...everyone sings, plays piano or other instruments or acts. Its lovely to see the kids being encouraged to walk and feel good within the church and here is Reuben also trying out the drums!!:))
He did like the drums so much!!:)) we could barely take him away!:))
And here we are with my parents and my brother Joseph, Irenke (his wife), Hanniel and Hannah. It was indeed a nice get together. For those who are confused my brother has two homes one here we are now...in Beius (my parents old house hugely converted so that they have their own part in it) and one where he is a pastor above the church you see in this picture. Nice for some hey?! Also, I have attached a video of the church choir at my brother;s church this is the mixed one...another thing that I love is that they have gone out Christmas night to sing carols...and this was one that they sang!...Ps. I am amazed at how fat I am in this picture...at least I have the excuse of Zack in my tummy!

I WILL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS AND I AM!

One of our Christmas trees! Technically my brothers who lives in the same mansion and my parents. We have counted now all rooms and bathrooms and kitchen's in the house and it looks like: 12 rooms, 6 bathrooms + 1 toilet room, 3 kitchens....enough for us all!:))

Az egyik karacsonyfa vegul is ez a Jozsi tesveremeke...akik ugyanabban a hazban laknak mint edesanyamek...ez a szoba mindeg is a legkedvesebb volt reszemre mert nagy tagas es nem utjuk le egymast...:)) Oszeszamoltuk a Boros palota oszes reszet es 12 szoba, 6 furdoszoba + 1 Vece helyiseg, 3 konyhaval rendelkezik eppen....na igy mindenki elfer talan!
Mum's Christmas' tree.....very moving when we arrived this awaited us! the reason for the season! My mum dressed Aladin and Jasmin in Joseph and Maria and there was a baby and off course animals R was facinated!!

Edesanyam karacsonyfaja alatt ez volt....nagyon meghato volt ez vart amikor haza erkeztunk... edesanyanak arra is volt gondja hogy Aladin es Jazmin babat fololtoztesse Jozsef es Marianak...es volt egy bebi is es allatok is...Reuben nagyon elvolt szalva ettol. Mindennap megnezegeti oket!:)
And from the entrance tooo...kicsit tavolabrol is!
Reuben's Chistmas present from Rebeka! Sportacus who had a bath, a dip in the toilet, taken to church and basically seems to be now R;s best friend!

Reuben ajandeka Rebekatol...Sporacus aki azota furdetve is megvolt, vecebe is bemeritve es persze imahazat is megjarta parszor....legjobb baratja Reubennek!
Daddy was opening his Christmas Present with some smiles as he really needed some toiletries...we did not bother bringing much this time:))

Apa is orommel bontogatta az ajandekot ugyanis nem hoztunk magunkat sok mindent es eppen szuksege volt egy uj Nivea aftershave re!:)
Anyan volt a sor....pizsamat is kapott! Koszi angyalka!

Mummy had a presie toooo a nice set of PJs!! and R helped me to open it but he wasn;t too bothered was more interested in Sportacus!
Reuben was so excited to see Sportacus he kept putting him and and out of his box!

Reuben ugy elvezte a Sportacus jat hogy tette vette egesz este!
They were once nicely wrapped!:))) Szepen voltak am becsomagolva!

This is the church I grew up in1 the choir did so well we thought and they were so sweet!:))Young and old together I love that very touching for me.

Ez a oszevont ennekar nagyon szep kicsik es nagyok....igazan meghato volt es jo erzessel toltott el. Gondolom nem fognak megharagudni hogy megjelentettem oket itt de teleg nagyon szivmelengetoen szoltak!

I do hope you can watch this too! I love these kids! Half of them my relatives but they are so cute! Watch the boy in the white Tshirt a real cuty!

Jaj remekem megtudjatok ezt nezni szuper volt! Annyira edesek ezek a gyerekek! A feherben a kisfiu aki a lekipsztor fia annyira egy remek muvesz hizik a majjam ha latom teleg nagyon edi es ugyes!:)

Hello Romania

Ah! What a very strange trip this was...two weeks ago we booked the tickets in a hurry then we found no car to rent which meant we were panicking a lot....and then the snow fell and even on the morning of our travel the radio said airport is closed so what were we going to do. Well, we still went to the airport and lucky our flight wasn't cancelled so here we are...begining of a long 12 hours journey home to Romania. Reuben was a fab traveller....!
He was so excited to travel on the plane he did not get out of his buckles nearly the whole time. Loved being strapped in safely and enjoying the take off and landing just like mummy did he even clapped when everyone did!
After all the excitment (we left house at 9am drove to airport car park to leave the car and then took the bus to the airport) he was a little tired and this is how he showed us he was now ready to nap! And he did nap nearly 1 hour!
This was Reuben travelling in style!:))
Awake again and checking out the other passengers were all buckled in and behaving well!:)
Time for a bit of Shrek with daddy....(these were the only 2 seats free in the plane...lucky us) and he was amazing really he did not once get out of these chairs or get impatient or bored! I still believe that TV was the best purchase ever for Reuben! (and me)
Landed in Budapest!:)) HUrray!!!:))) bye bye airoplane!
Whats next! oh yes lets go get our new Seat Cordova car from the RENT A CAR people....not sure I like it but hey....its bright new and got us home to Romania....and even had a child car seat! So this is it for now. Today we mainly spent time getting used to things here and playing with the cousins tomorrow will do some visiting and some pictures to follow!:))

Last post before Romania!:)

We keep making good use of out new (old) sledge! Here we are today enjoying some more the crunchy snow on the ground! Es ma folytattuk kicsit a szankozast...de jo volt!(ki kell hasznalni a szankot ha mar kaptuk!)

This evening we went to the Carol Service at St Margarets my favourite church of all...it was such a beautiful service! I can;t believe soon its Christmas. I am possibly slightly hormonal and emotional but there was something in the air ....few people there less than years previously but the choir a handful of people preformed so well and harmonised even. I was lifted up and I am gona live Uk on a high....! Here is something that touched me greatley ...I will share it with you all: A CREED FOR ALL GOD'S CHILDREN TO AFFIRM TOGETHER

I believe in Jesus Christ and in the beauty of the gospel begun in Bethlehem.

I believe in the one whose spirit glorified a LITTLE TOWN; and whose spirit still brings music to persons all over the world, in towns both large and small.

I believe in the one whom the vrowded inn could find no room and I confess that my heart still sometimes wants to exclude Christ from my life today.

I believe in the one who the rulers of the world ignored and the proud vould never understand; whose life was among common people, whose welcome came from people with hungry hearts.

I believe in the one who proclaimed the love of God to be invincible:

I believe in the one whose cradle was a mother's arms, whose modest home in Nazareth had love for its onlu wealth, who looked at persons and made them see what God's love saw in them, who by love brought sinners back to purity and lifted human weakness up to meet the strenght of God. I confess my ever lasting NEED OF GOD: the need of forgivness for our selfishness and greed, the need of new life for empthy souls, the need of love for hearts grown cold.

I believe in God who gives us the best of themsleves.

I believe in Jesus, the son of the living God, born in Bethlehem that HOLY NIGHT, for me and for the world. AMEN.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR FOR ALL OF YOU READING THIS!:)

HI! Woke up this morning and seeing the sunshine and the snow we couldn;t resists a walk to Jackson;s field!! It was fun for R and daddy but mummy had strong contractions walking up the icey roads and hills:)
Hat nem tudtunk ellenalni ma reggel a szep napsutesnek es havas taj lattan elindultunk szankozni....hat en majd megszultem ugyanis allanodan masztunk felfele es hat nem nekem valo szorakozas ez de a fiuk megis jol szorakoztak!:)

Daddy helping little Reuben!:) Apa segitenni akar Reubennek!:

Let me tell you how we got to have this sledge!:)) Yesterday it was R;s last day in nursery...and I was free to do some last minute things before our trip to Romania on Tuesday. However, seeing everyone out enjoying the snow I thought I;d surprise my son with a sledge. I was in and out all kind of shops and everywhere they had sold out. My last trip was to Argos in Strood then back to that sports shop and such....everywhere no sledge! On the way back to my car really upset and tired a group of youngsters were comming towards me in a dark and narrow alley. All I could see was that one had a sledge...they must have been around 15years of age and probaly about 10 of them. I stopped the boy with the sledge and said: Sorry can you tell me where did you get your sledge as I have been everywhere and just can;t get one for my todler. HE GAVE ME THE BIGGEST SMILE and handed it to me saying: Mam, happy Christmas, I had this since I was 6 and you are welcome to it. I was in tears, then I asked if I could give him some money for it but he shook his head and said: Mam, Christmas is all about giving...! Merry Christmas. He walked away while another one approached me and said ok lady give us 5 pound...I cringed as I could see myslef mugged but the GIVER boy slaped him and sent him away...while wishing me Happy Christmas one more time. I walked back to my car and texted my darlink husband and friends saying: "my hope in human kindness has just been restored" God bless this kids...I was touched very touched.

REady Steady GO!:) THey both loved being kids....:))

FElkeszulni, Vigyaz, Rajt:)) Mindketten elveztek a gyerekes szankozast:))

Elobb elmeseltem a szankonk tortenetet most magyarul is leirom:

Penteken szabad voltam ugyanis meg par dolgot kellett elrendeznem mielott haza utaznank Kedden. Reubent ovodaba vittem es utkozben lattam a sok sok gyereket a domboldalon szankozni...arra gondoltam meglepem a fiam egy szankoval es delutan utkozban haza ovibol kiszankozzuk magunkat. Hat sokat rohangaltam minden uzeltbe ahol csak gondoltam lenne szanko megalatam...mar keso delutan volt esteledett amikor busan mentem automhoz elkeseredve hogy nem tudom meglepni a fiam...es a havat nem is tudjuk majd igazan elvezni. Egy kis utcan sotet utcan kellett az automhoz mennem....egyszer csak latom elottem jon egy csoport fiatal kb 15 evesek lehettek (10 en vagy 15 en) es egyik srac kezeben egy szanko. HIrtelen nem gondolkoztam hogy akar ki is rabolhattak volna (hisz ezt jol tudni a mai fiatalokrol es foleg a Strood varosaban ahol eppen aznap jartam) megalitottam oket es megkerdeztem a sracot hol vette a szankot ugyanis mar a labam lejartam es sehol sem kaptam a 2 eves kisfiam nak egyett. A srac NAGY MOSOLYAL atnyujtotta a szankot nekem es azt mondta: Holgyem, 6 eves koromtol van ez a szanko vigye el nyugodtan es boldog karacsonyt!:) A szemeim megteltek konnyekkel aztan mondtam neki szivesen kifizetem, ram nezett ujra szep mosolygosan es azt mondta " Ugyan mar holgyem Karacsony arrol szol hogy adjunk" hat szegyenkezve de orommel sarkon fordultam mire az egyik kis pimasz srac mondta adjon azert nekunk 5 fontot erte. A kis josagos tevom oda ment hozza adott neki egy nyaklevest es azt mondta nekem szegyenlosen : holgyem BOLDOG KARACSONYT es azzal el is tavoztak. Bennem hirtelen felelem tamadt amikor a kis pimasz penzt kert azt gondoltam kirabolnak hisz ismert errol ez a varos...na es a fiataljai de ez utan a tortenet utan igazan annyira viszallott a remenyem egy jobb vilag ra nezve

I love this picture! You can see the top of the cathedral and castle in the distance and this is the beautiful city we live in.

Nagyon tetszett ez a kep. A domb tetejen keszitettem eppen latni a katedralis es a kastely tetejet milyen szep helyen is lakunk!:

After the sledgeing and such R and daddy are having a chat and it was really sweet:)

A kinti jarkalas utan a draga fiam es ferjem igy beszelgettek es nagyon edesek voltak:)

THere is nothing like a nice warm bottle of milk before afternoon nap!:) And Reuben had especially wanted it on daddy;s lap. Semmi sem jobb egy jo kis uveg meleg tejnel delutani alvas elott....es most apuka oleben tortent ez....:))

Reuben's last week at nursery and home for a while!

Hello! We had enjoyed a lovely time on Wednesday with Sophie and Jasmin (and Jospeh for a short while) at Jude's house. Szerdan a baratoknal jatszottunk kicsit Sophie, Jasmin es Joseph jelenleteben! We even had Pizza to eat! Es PIzzat ettunk eberde!

THen it snowed!!!:))) and everyone was at the window!

Es aztan hult a ho tehat mindenki az ablakban volt!

And this morning on the way to nursery this greeted us outside our house! R was loving it!

Es reggel ez koszontott rank ma...utban a oviba! Semmi sem tarthat visza...R nagyon elvezte.

Daddy had a snow play as well before work!:)) Es meg apa si megvarta hogy anya kitolja az autot...es jatszott kicsit Reubennel!

I made it this far with the car....then we were all out gritting shaveling nothing was going to keep us at home!:)) Eddig jutottam el az autoval aztan mindenki szomszedokat beleertve homokozta az utat es stb semmi sem tarthatott visza utolso nap ovizasbol!

SNOW SNOW SNOW:))) HO HO HO!!!

This evenig on the way back from nursery!:))

Ma este utban visza a ovibol!

REUBEN MICHAEL SMITH the cutest thing in the whole wide world!

Hello! This week we have got R's pictures from nursery...doesn;t he look gorgeous?! I was thinking how these pictures have captured my boy so well....in this picture he is as we know him...sweet, friendly and very open. I love his smile...according to most people he looks like neither of us but like my dad I must try and catch some nice pics of them two at home when we visit soon! I don;t know why this picture touches me sooooo deeply....just love it!
Sziasztok! Ezen a heten megkaptuk Reuben ujjabb kepeit az ovibol! Ugye mennyire egy edi gyerek? NAgyon tetszik ez a kep mert pontosan olyannak mutatja be ot amilyen...mosoly kiraly es nagyon kis erzekeny...ahogyan a szivere teszi a kis kezet....vagy ahogyan eppen bemutatja kedvencz polojat! Nem tudom miert de ez a kep annyira levesz a labamrol...! Itt mindeki azt mondja o egyikunkre sem hasonlit de inkabb apukamra...hat mig othon leszunk muszaj lesz kettojukrol is fenykepezzek!!:)) De azert o nagyon is az en fiam!

Here another sweet one! R always liked fire engines so funny that the lady who took the pics has captured him so well. THIS PICTURE SHOULD BE CALLED CONCENTRATION MAXIMUS. R loves his trains and cars and can really be miles away when he plays I like that. Its hard to bring him back when he is miles away but who wants to this is what is so magical about being a child right?Na hat ez a kep is egy CONCENTRACIO kep!Reuben amikor autozik vagy vonatjaival jatszik eppen ennyire el van szalva ezt kulonoskeppen szeretem mert hisz gyermekkorunkra jellemzo hogy elszallunk az alom jatek vilagba....mindeg is szeretette a tuz olto autokat es nagyon orulok hogy a fenykepesz eppen ezt orokitette meg nekunk!

Finally....Reuben being a bit fed up with being photographed! He is taking a rest and really showing his CAN:T BE BOTHERED look but forever curious he is actually watching what is happening....:)) Hat ebben a keppeben is fiam ugye megelegelte a fenykepezkedest es eppen megpihen a szuletesnapos szekben....test allasa arrol arulkodik faradt es kicsit elege lett de azert a szeme tekintete azt mondja, azert erdekel mi tortenik korulottem....szemezek a kameraval vagy a fenykepesznenivel!:))

Week 30! HOME SWEET HOME

Hello! Its been a very busy week for us and Reuben has been a really good boy!
Here he is enjoying a playtime with Joseph on Wednesday pm. Reuben is going through a shy phase at the moment but it took minutes to start playing with Joseph!

Sziasztok! Elegge hoszas hetunk volt es nagyon foglalt! Reuben nagyon jo volt! A kepen eppen Joseph el hancurozik. MOstanaban elegge szegyenlos a fiam de nem kellett sok ido ahoz hogy Joseph el a hazat felforditsak!:))























After two days in nursery Thursday and Friday today we had loads of cuddles and enjoyed Georgia's party and then had a trip to Toys are Us. Also Granny is here this weekend and R enjoyed is time with her a lot...

Ket nap utan az oviban Csut es Penteken ma jo volt ujra egyutt lenni. Annal inkabb is hogy Nagyi itt van most hetevegen es Reuben elvezheti tarsasagat. Georgia szulinapjara is elmentunk ma es persze jatek boltban is jartunk ahol Reuben minden autoba ki be maszkalt es eljatszott egy jo oran at!
Here is the Bday girl Georgia! I thought the kids were fab all sat nicely, ate their food, sung Happy Bday and played. What more does one want?

NA es itt az unnepelt a Georgia! Nagyon jo gyerekek voltak, jatszas, ugralas, szepen megebedeltek es aztan megint jatszottak! Mi mas kell egy szulonek mint latni a gyerekek ilyen szepen unnepelnek!


All good and well!

Minden szepen mukodott lam lam!

HAPPY BDAY REBEKA

17 yrs old today! Rebeka my younger sister whom I adore and love so much! HAPPY BDAY TO YOU!
For those who don;t know she is the bestest thing that ever happened to my family! I was 16 yrs old when you came to us and since many years have passed...well exactly 17 and all my memories of you are the sweetest the bestest ever!:)) keep smiling beautiful girl! LOVE YA LOADS!

17 eves vagy ma! Rebeka edes kis hugim akit imadok es szeretek nagyon! Boldog Szulinapot neked. Azoknak akik nem tudjatok Rebeka eletunk csaladunk legszebb ajandeka a legcsodasabb ami csaladunkkal tortenhetet! 16 eves voltam amikor hozzank jottel...es azota eltelt egy par ev pontosan 17 de minden emlekem veled csodas es nagyon edi:)) Mosolyogj szep leany mert nagyon szeretlek!


This week Reuben has been a bit under the weather so far so today we stayed home but Sunday we visited the Jackson Fields play area and R had a good old work out....:))

Ezen a heten Reuben nem volt valami jol igyhat ma ithon maradt nem ment oviba...Vasarnap voltunk a parkban kicsit es lam lam a kis tornaszunk mozgasban!:))

His Cars collection is ever growing the best thing since sliced bread I am sure. He can play hours literally with these!!:)) I guess I just can;t understand boys but daddy can!!hence he keeps building his empire of cars!:))

Az auto kollekcio amit apaval gyujtennek...vajon ki elvezi jobban?! Reuben orakat eljatszik ezekkel a autokkal es mar a DVD film bol jelenteket is lejatszik velok ....nekem fura hogy a fiuk ennyire autosok de apanak nagy orome van ebben....igy hat allanodan gyarapszik a kollekcio!!:))

Ah, and Sunday morning we woke up to find my car in this particular state! Someone has decided to use my car as his punch box I do not think it was intentional but he/she has certainly made things difficult for me. It cost me £50 excess of my insurance and a lot of disspointement in the world we live in. Is anything safe anymore?!

Vasarnap reggel ez a kep vart ugyanis valaki ugy dontott az en automat hasznalja boszusaga kitoltesere....mit mondjak?! A biztosito alja igaz nekem kellet meg rafizetnem £50 de ami igazan sokkolo hatassal volt ram az a mai vilag amelyek igazan mar nem biztonsagos sehol....annyira borzalmasnak tunt hogy valaki ennyire szemtelen...nem hiszem hogy duhbol rank nezve csinlata volna valaki...es eppen ezert csalodott vagyok nagyon hogy ide jutottunk a mai kulturalt vilagban. Nem kivanok semmi roszat neki de remelem nagyon faj a keze!!:)