The Girls

Alyssa Noelle, she is progressing in her development so quickly. She is crawling everywhere and even trying to pull herself up on furniture. She likes to get into everything and is always on the move. We are so thankful to the Lord for her health and development.

Lianna Joy also got new glasses this summer. She is soooo proud of them! She loves wearing them, and they are really helping her.

We were so happy to make it out to Grand Rapids this summer to see some of our ministry partners. One of our friends took this picture outside their home, and we're thinking out making it our next prayer card photo...yes, I know we REALLY need to update ours!

Lianna had a sleep study at Central Dupage hospital over the summer. She had such a good attitude about it. Even when they were hooking her all up to the machines, she was still smiling! She has a sleep disorder, but praise God that the doctor confirmed through the study that there are no seziures that are disrupting her sleep. This september we will celebrate Lianna being seizure free for 1 year off of all of her medicine. Lianna's neurologist also told us that he doesn't need to see Lianna again until next summer! WOO HOO! Next summer she will have to have another brain MRI...so if the Lord brings it to your mind...please start praying for this!

Lianna and her cousin Sammi had fun getting to play with each other while we were back in the US for about 5 weeks this summer. This picture was too cute not to post.

St. Janos Korhaz

Well, this past Saturday, Lianna had a NASTY fall on our front porch. Bjorn, Lianna and I were all sitting outside doing our devotions when disaster struck. Sweet Alyssa was napping and missed out on all the excitement!

Lianna turned herself around in the big plastic chair, and it came crashing down. Her face managed to hit her face on the edge of the tile porch and then came the blood, and then more blood, and then more...and whew..Bjorn and I were scared!

It would have taken too long for the ambulance to come all the way from the city, so we called our friends, Brad and Kari to come over and watch Alyssa. Brad drove us to the hospital in the city.

Praise God that HE protected her from having a concussion and seizures. She cut up the inside of her mouth pretty bad, and needed to get her chin glued back together, but she seems to be healing just fine. We went to the doctor yesterday to get her cut checked for infection and it seems to be healing nicely. She still is having a very hard time eating and swallowing, so please continue to pray for her.

Now we have experienced our first trip to the emergency room in Hungary. Thankfully, no matter where we are in the world...God is in control of it all. He alone can give us peace in the midst of chaos and uncertainty around us. He will never give us more that we can handle...although sometimes it feels like He takes us pretty close to the edge.

Sometimes all these journeys in the medical world these past few years can trip sensor anxiety and fear in my life. Right now I am memorizing Psalm 94:19- When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. Thank goodness for the Word of God and the comfort that it can bring when we tread the waters of this life.

The girls with their Papa and new friend, Frieda

In April, Papa Stienstra came to visit, and we LOVED getting to hang out with him for a few weeks!

Alyssa Noelle is already 6 months, eating solid foods, and sitting like a big girl!

It is pretty fun to get to take out all your fun baby girl dresses and get more use out of them the second time around! Seriously, Alyssa Noelle is such a happy baby...I just LOVE all her smiles!

At the international doctors office lobby, we met another little girl, Frieda, who has low tone like Lianna. Frieda and her family are from Norway and they came over for an American BBQ. The girls had fun examining eachother's leg braces and playing together...and we had a grea time talking with Frieda's parents!

Feb. pics of the Girls

Don't you just love expressions like this? I often wonder...just what is she thinking?
Cheese! Our little beauty...
Seriously, you can't get any cuter than this... :)
Can you believe this dress used to be mine when I was a baby? My great aunt from Germany made this for me when I was a baby.
Daddy hanging out with his little girls!

Back home....

We arrived safe back in Hungary. It is hard to believe that we have already been here for one week. Jet lag with two kids...WOW! That is intense....I wonder if it is a small taste of what having twins is like..NEVER sleeping at the same time! It has been a pretty exhausting..but it is SO great to be back. Last night Bjorn and I each got a few more hours of sleep so that was greatly welcomed and appreciated. Hopefully, the girls are getting over the time change. "They" say that it usually takes you about a day for each hour time difference, so that would mean that by this weekend we should all be back on schedule.

The moment that we pulled up to our apartment, Lianna said, "Home!" Wow..that was amazing. Every time with leave the house and pass through the gate, she says, "Home!" It is really sweet to hear her say that. Today Lianna was "teaching" Alyssa how to complete a puzzle. She would look at Alyssa after putting in each piece and wait for her to clap (with Mommy's assistance of course) and in sign language say, "More, please." Lianna was so happy that Mommy was helping her use sign language to talk to her..she had the biggest smiles...I wish I could have taken a picture of the three of us sitting at the kitchen table. It was precious.

The night after we got back we headed to school for the senior auction where they served taco salad..it was a good thing that they were serving food, because we didn't have any food in the house and our car papers had expired while we were gone so we could drive to get groceries. :)

Bjorn is LOVING being back at school and I LOVED getting to see my Bible study girls yesterday. Yes, I think it is fair to say that it is good to be home...it is good to be home.

December 2009

Lianna and Alyssa had matching Christmas dresses and they looked stinkin' cute!
Seriously, could she look more like her Daddy? Where are those Stienstra genes?
Lianna was thrilled to get Barney videos to take back to Hungary..but now she is totally into Yo Gabba Gabba...good thing we got her one of those videos too!
Oma-ma and Uncle Richie admiring our newest addition, Alyssa Noelle
I wish they made these swings for adults...doesn't that look cozy?

Alyssa Noelle Olsen

Alyssa Noelle, our American born princess and big sister, Lianna Joy, our Hungarian born princess...we are soooo blessed!
Ga-ga Olsen and Grampa came to visit Alyssa in the hospital too!
Uncle Derek, Oma and Papa came too.. Uncle Richie and Aunt Denise came to the hospital to visit too, but I guess I forgot to take a picture of them holding sweet Alyssa
Uncle Tino and Aunt Jenny came too..they were actually the first to come visit. It was a lot of fun having family come and visit in the hospital with this delivery..and every doctor and nurse spoke English in the hospital too which was a HUGE bonus!
Sweet Alyssa Noelle sleeps as peaceful as this picture looks...really, we are so blessed by what a great sleeper she is already..now for the time change that we are about to embark on..hmm...should be interesting...