Zoning Out...

That's what I've been doing for about a week now. My Dad arrived and I checked out : )
I've been really thankful for this time to do absolutely nothing, well almost nothing. It's hard to be able to take breaks here. I can't leave the country (for upcoming Residency purposes) and Caleb isn't allowed to leave the country at all...so pretty much leaving the country is out of the question. Travelling in Romania is difficult with a 4 yr. old, of course, seeing as how there really aren't kid friendly travel spots. So the best solution to the problem was Dad coming just after Christmas and it has been great!

We did head down to Timisoara for 2 days and it was like a little mini Vienna. Very beautiful - lots of lights - and a small Christmas market. FREEZING cold - out of control cold. My Dad has always wanted to visit the site where the Revolution that overthrew Communism started - so now he has!

Caleb did really well; I was so proud of him. His favorite parts were :
1. McDonalds
2. Pigeons in the square of Timisoara
3. Live Sheep in the Manger Scene in the square

My camera battery died after 3 pictures in Timisoara - sorry.... : (

Monday marks the return to 'everything' : ) The kids are all returning to Casa Alba on Saturday afternoon so programs will be up and running starting next week.
Today though will be a bit of a change as Dad is going to preach at a small, local Hungarian congregation. No, not in Hungarian - ha! A good friend of mine in town speaks English and it's her church home - so she'll translate. It's really common here to have a New Year's Day service. Their service starts at 5pm tonight.

My old neighbor insisted on making our New Year's Eve dinner for us last night. When it was finished she called me, and a friend and I went over to pick it up. She said that we HAD to eat foods that brought good luck (interesting) which meant that she made a meal of Rabbit in a Red Wine/Garlic Sauce and Pork Snitzel. I made some veggies, mashed potatoes and Sarmale (Cabbage Rolls). Well, I heated up the Sarmale. They were left over from the lunch we had at Caleb's kindergarten teacher's home the day before. Oh, and my neighbor made this huge cake - good gracious. She knows that this particular one is my favorite and so she made me a huge one, big enough to feed 15-20 people. It was out of control. I told her "You know you're crazy, right?" She said "You know you're crazy for all of the ways you help me, right?"

If only she knew that I love helping her and her husband, very ill with cancer, out for NOTHING. I think it's something she'll never understand - I just keep telling her though...maybe someday it'll sink in!

I'll post some pictures later...right now I have a request from Caleb to play "Go Go Giraffe!"