Happy Valentine's Day 2011

 In the morning Jack helped me make our Valentine's Banana Bread breakfast in the shape of a heart. He loved adding the pink and red sprinkles and then dancing as it cooked! This was his first "cake" of the day!

This is a hnadshake Old Pa (Jack's great-great-grandfather) taught me when I was little. He thinks it is hilarious!

Then Jack and I headed to the mall to play in the indoor playroom that has a trampoline and a slide that lands in a very fun little ball pit. However, after waiting for 45 minutes for it to open, we headed to the food court and shared a tiramisu cake with Eniko. Jack dove in before I could even snap a picture! is would be Jack's second "cake" of the day! He was loving it as you can imagine! He bounced off all that energy as the playrom opened just in time before his nap.

 When we got hom he practiced the hahandshake as well as saying Happy Valentine's Day and I love you just before going down for a nap...

Then after naptime we all headed over to a new little cafe in the center where we took the kids out for a special Valentine's Day treat. They could pick anything they wanted from the counter and they loved being a little grown up today.

Levi at the counter picking his treat

Ibi, Bex, Laura, me and Daniela

 Jack enjoying his third "cake" with the kids!

Sergiu, Janos, Fanel with Julie and Ovi (educators)

 Siblings: Zsofia, Kati and Levi 

 Jack helping daddy eat...that would be his fourth, yes fourth part of a cake!

 Yes,e are in Romania, not NYC! Such a cute little place.

Some of our older girls: Eni, Kati and Zsofia

Happy Valetine's with my first love:)

 And...noapte buna from our little Valentine showing off his "little" feet!

Happy Valentine's Day from Romania with love!! XOXOXO

Bathtime fun

Snow Ice Cream

Just like at home, it has been snowing here for weeks. Today we decided to make snow cream. Jack LOVED it and was thrilled to make his two favorite things...snow + ice cream! However, next time, we will do it in the morning (not an hour before bedtime) and in Texas rather than in Romania (the buckets were black with ??? after the remaining snow melted...we have lots of big factories here:).

 Our front yard

 Jack and Daddy with the buckets of snow

 Mixing the snow with sugar, vanilla and milk...

 Topped with a few sprinkles, it was a toddler's delight!

Here is a video of Jack after the sugar rush hit...dancing to burn off the energy while we were on skype with his Memaw tonight.

January, etc

Here are a bunch of pictures from our month of January. We have been busy with folks in town from America, snow (lots of it), birthdays, and just everyday life! This should have been several blog posts, but oh well! Here they are...

 Time with Daddy / Opening up a sweet surprise gift from Aunt Peg!

 Picking our toe boogers / loving finger painting!

 Loving on THE blanket and pretending to go night-night

 Entertaining the kids at Casa AnaNadia / trying on Janos' new soccer shoes

 Sneaking a hug from Ibi

 Playing cards with Janos, Zsofia, Daniel and Kati

 Jack and "Mista Wawa"...Laura is his babysitter and our sweet, dear friend

 In our front yard after lots and lots of snow

 Skyping family...oh the joy you bring our little man!

 More skyping

 The staff from Casa Rebecca and Casa AnaNadia. We love these folks

"The Americans" Bruce and Steve (President of our Board) with us and Bex

The office staff

 Playing at home

 Jack LOVES Daniela...reading the Bible together

 Jack wearing someone's glasses at the house / bathtime fun

 Playing with Anna and Levi

 Out at Vetca, our land where we held camp for years...

looks a bit different in the snow!

And the biggest change of January (no, we are not prego....) 

 Jack is officially 2 1/2 years old, 38 inches tall, 37 pounds and growing like crazy. We felt it was finally time to move him out of his crib and into his "Big Boy Bed!" He helped us put up his crib and move around the room. He did great!!

He was so proud of himself. He was just precious in the morning when he realized he made it through the night. Praying this is what will happen every night:)

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday Jeff! Jeff turned the big 3-4 on Jan 13. We had a great day, apart from the electrician showing up to tell us he'd cut our electricity on Friday for a $3 unpaid bill from when we were in America that we didn't know about...gotta love life! Anyway, Daddy got to sleep in while Jack and I made his favorite blueberry coffee cake. Check out Jack stirring while riding his car...

 Then when Daddy woke up, Jack helped him open his presents...a shirt from Memaw and a Hungarian handmade wooden pipe from us. He doesn't smoke pipes, but was a cool find at the Hungarian store in town!

  

 The day before Jack made him a painting with his handprints...in Daddy's favorite color

 Jack of course had to help Daddy blow out his birthday candles...

 After Jack's nap, we had a party at the houses for Jeff. The kids and staff helped decorate and we ejoyed ice cream together...

 Jack talking to GusGus through the window. Jack was telling him abou Mickey and Minnie Mouse!

When Jeff and Jack walked in the door, the kids started singing La Multi Ani, the birthday song. However, Jack thought it was for him! So fun!

 Singing the song...its tradition to stand in a line and sing..at least it is at the houses!

 Us with the kids who wanted to be in the picture:)

 Gabi, Cerasela, and Marianna...some of the house staff. Gabi even made a special trip to our home that morning to bring Jeff a delicious chocolate cake...thanks Gabi...it was so yummy!!

 Some of the girls were sweet to take pics with Jeff. This is with Marga.

 Jack eating a HUGE bite of ice cream while I'm not looking:) Jeff with Krisztina.

 Jeff with Daniela and Ibi. It was a great day! That night we can home and played with Jack. Then on Friday night we had a date. The movie showing in town (the only show in town) was "Life as we know it" and it was pretty good. Made us long to go home and hold Jack! Then we grabbed a bite to eat at the Dublin Pub down the street. We had a great time, Happy Birthday Babe! I love you!