For Those Experiencing Baby Withdrawal...

It's been too long. I'm just not on the computer much these days. Not really by choice, but the break from it has been nice. We had such a good visit with family last week. It was hard to see everyone go, and we really missed Nelu's family during our celebration. We wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas and an upcoming Happy New Year!

A durat prea mult timp de cand am scris ultima oara. Nu stau prea mult la calculator in ultima vreme. Nu este ca nu vrea, dar in acelasi timp a fost bine sa iau o pauza de la calculator. Am avut un timp foarte bun cu familia mea saptamana trecuta. Ne-e dor de ei acum, si ne-a fost dor si de voi de sarbatori. Va uram la toti (putin tarziu) un Craciun fericit si un an nou fericit!

Baby Daniel chewing on a Christmas decoration--lovely
Daniel musca ceva de la brad--frumos

Trying to crawl
Incearca sa mearga pe branci

The nice playhouse Nelu made from a huge box
O casuta facuta de Nelu dintr-o cutie foarte mare

Samuel and his beloved dump truck
Samuel si basculanta lui iubita

A family Christmas picture
O poza cu toata familia de Craciun

Visitors

Mom's here! We're so glad to have her again. And the rest of the family is coming tomorrow, so we're all very excited! There's a lot going on now. At least finals are over. And weekday work for me will be over in another few weeks. I'll be glad to have that done. I've been so busy and stressed that I'm very exhausted now, and I've caught a couple bugs that I just can't shake. I look forward to a break one of these days.

A venit mama mea! Ne bucuram tare ca este cu noi. Si ceilalti din familia mea vin maine, deci abia asteptam! Avem multe de facut acum. Cel putin s-a terminat semestrul meu. Si nu o sa mai muncesc asa de mult dupa cateva saptamani. Abia astept. Eu am fost foarte ocupata si stresata in ultima vreme in cat sunt foarte obosita acum, si m-am imbolnavit cu doua lucruri si nu ma mai fac bine. Abia astept sa iau o pauza intr-o zi.

Introducting...Katie Collins

Evi had her play Sunday night. She did her part very well. I was impressed. I just wasn't sure what to expect from her, and I think most people from our church were surprised to see her up there saying her lines and doing her part--she's normally so quiet at church. While we were driving to the church before the play she said, "I'm not going to be nervous. I'm going to be brave." And she sure was!

Evi a avut sceneta ei duminica seara la biserica. A facut foarte bine. M-a uimit. Nu stiam ce sa astept de la ea, si cred ca a surprins si majoritatea oamenilor de la biserica la noi, pt. ca de obicei este tacuta la biserica. Cand mergeam la biserica inainte de sceneta, mi-a spus, "Nu o sa am emotii. O sa fiu curajoasa. Si asa a fost!

And this is what the boys were up to.
Si asta faceau baietii in timp ce se pregatea Evi pt. sceneta.

Finally

I got a good picture of the kids all together. A very rare experience....We've been busy, busy, busy. I have been trying to fit in some studying for my final this coming week at school. Then just trying to get ready for Christmas and all. I imagine I'm not alone in this busyness.

Am facut o poza buna cu toti copiii. Nu se intampla prea des....Noi suntem foarte ocupati zilele astea. Incerc sa invat cat pot pt. examenul pe care o sa-l dau saptamana viitoare. Si cu pregatirile pt. Craciun avem multe de facut. Cred ca nu sunt singura care este foarte ocupata acum.

Another Haircut

It was Samuel's turn this time. Nelu did it while I was at work. I tried to take some pictures of Samuel with his new 'do tonight, because it's just too cute. But he kept running away, as you'll see. Evi finally got him to stand still so she could get a good shot.

A fost randul lui Samuel data asta. Nelu l-a tuns in timp ce eram la munca. Am incercat sa-i fac cateva poze in seara asta, pt. ca este asa de dragut cu tunsoarea lui noua. Dar a fugit in fiecare data, dupa cum o sa vedeti. In sfarsit Evi a reusit sa-i faca o poza buna.

Advent

We're celebrating Advent again this year with our Advent wreath. This something that brings back many good memories of Christmases past and of Grandpa Bobrowski. We'll keep doing this as one of our Christmas traditions. We spend only a few minutes each Sunday night lighting the candles, reading the Scripture and meditation, and singing a carol. But the kids love it, and I hope they're learning to prepare their hearts for the real celebration of Christmas.

Noi am inceput sa sarbatorim de Craciun cu o coroana si lumanari. Cand facem asta, mi-aduce aminte de sarbatorile de anii trecuti si de bunicul meu care mereu a condus sarbatoarea noastra si mai ales partea asta. O sa facem asta in continuare ca una din traditiile noastre de Craciun. Ne ia doar cateva minute in fiecare duminica seara sa aprindem lumanarile, sa citim versetele din Biblie si inca ceva despre fiecare lumanare, si sa cantam putin. Dar se bucura copiii cand facem asta. Si sper ca invata sa-si pregateasca inimiile pt. sarbatoarea adevarata de Craciun.

Having a Blast

Our house is a flurry of activity on the weekend. Cleaning, cooking, baking, chasing the kids around, doing the laundry. It's definitely not a break, but it feels so good to me to be home and doing these things rather than being at work. Nelu would most definitely rather be working than staying home. He feels the need to be out being productive. It's a strange situation for us, and it's not been easy. But for now we're doing what we have to do.

It snowed again today. And this time some of it stuck! So the kids went out and played. They froze, but they had a blast!


Casa noastra este plina de activitate in weekend cand sunt acasa--cu curatenie, gatit, grija de copii si rufe. Nu este o pauza pt. mine, dar ma simt foarte bine facand lucrurile astea acasa, si prefer sa le fac decat sa fiu la munca in fiecare zi. Iar Nelu vrea mai mult sa fie la munca decat acasa in fiecare zi. Simte nevoia sa faca ceva, sa munceasca. Este o situatie ciudata pt noi, si este putin greu sa fim asa. Dar facem ceea ce trebuie, si incercam sa mergem inainte.

Azi a nins din nou. Si data asta a ramas putina zapada pe jos. Deci copiii au iesit afara sa se joace. Au inghetat afara, dar au avut un timp bun!

Making a little snowball
Se joaca in zapada

Out in the cold
Afara la frig

Fascination with the Christmas tree--He didn't play outside today. =)
Este uimit de bradul nostru--el nu s-a jucat afara azi. =)

And here is not the most exciting video, but it's fun to just watch the kids playing outside together.

Asta nu este cel mai interesant video, dar este frumos sa vezi ce fel se joaca copiii impreuna.

Candy Tree

Today Nelu hung candy on the Christmas tree like they do in Romania. And this is how I found Samuel tonight after he snuck a piece. At first I wasn't sure what was all over his face! You can just imagine...

Nelu a pus bomboane pe brad azi, cum se face la voi. Si asa l-am gasit pe Samuel in seara-asta dupa ce a luat una si a mancat-o pe ascuns. Nu stiam ce are pe fata la inceput! Puteti sa va dati seama ce era in mintea mea...

(Almost) Winter Scenes

Here we are getting ready for the Advent season. It even snowed today. What a way to start December!

Asa ne pregatim de Craciun. A si nins azi! Un inceput bun pt. luna asta.

Evi decorating the tree
Evi impodobeste bradul

Evi and Samuel working at it together
Evi si Samuel lucreaza impreuna

Two snuggly boys
Doi baieti confortabili

Two bundled-up boys going to get Evi from the busstop
Doi baieti bine imbracati pt. un drum spre statia de autobuz s-o luam pe Evi