A little of this and a little of that...

 Hosting a brunch over winter break with some previous beloved ICSB students

     

 Benji also came to visit us and share a meal and afternoon with us. He also graduated from ICSB and is still living in Hungary and works for his family business. Our kids loved getting to play with him outside.

 Please pray with us to identify all of Josiah's severe food allergies.

This little one loves to play doctor. With so many emergency calls this past winter, when the doorbell would ring the kids would yell, "the doctor is here." ; /

A Few Favorites of the Year looking back...in random order

 Alyssa loves to read...yes, she is reading (only Bob books) but she is also loving to learn how to play the piano.

 Everybody loves Laura...

 The kids LOVE to ride the tram downtown Budapest

 High school girls' volleyball in action

Girls with their strollers, and Josiah with his "pretend vacuum"

The kids ALWAYS get excited when The Orchard sends short term mission teams to lead English camps

 Celebrating our old landlords birthday...we lived in their home for the first 5 years that we lived here. God has blessed us with a VERY special relationship with them...

 Lianna being silly with Mama

Maike came to visit from Germany

This picture just cracks me up...so much personality..hahahaha..

 Alyssa just celebrated her 4th birthday. She wanted to have a princess dinner with friends.

 Kids singing  up front at international church retreat

Coffee house ministry fundraiser put on by our high school student council

  When walking home from school one day, a sweet Neni, (elderly woman) yelled out to us to come into her her yard.  She grabbed this old baby stroller and very old communist doll from her garage and wanted to give it to our kids. You can see the face is a different color that the rest of it from all the cuddling it used to receive from her daughter. She was so excited to give it to Lianna and Alyssa, and the girls were so happy to receive it.  Kinda funny how the right arm was lifted up in the air...

Out on the town celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary

Aunt Jenny came to visit

Lianna's 1st grade class with their 4th grade buddy class, wearing their their Thanksgiving hats

Cheering for Joel, when he came in town to run the Budapest marathon

Tickle fights with Joel when he was in town..lots of fun! :) 

This little face...brings so much joy

A little late summer and early fall...

Kids enjoying cotton candy at the festival in our small village

The kids LOVE to see Marta Neni...their Hungarian Grandmother.  We lived in their home the first 5 years we lived in Hungary. 

 Bjorn hanging out with some of the guys on the high school retreat

The Time to start saying goodbye...again...

May is a season of saying goodbye. The girls I have been meeting with for the past 7 years are graduating. Wow...time flies. I was their 5th grade language arts teacher, and then started Bible study with them in 6th grade.  Here is an old photo from memory lane when they were in 8th grade. Next school year, some of the girls from the class of 2013 girls can be found at Biola, Kansas State/Manhattan Christian, Anderson, Bryan, Princeton, Moody, Cairn, and Taylor University! Tis the season for grad parties, tissues, and the "Szia later!" 

 Josiah showing us his peg board master piece! :)

 Last week, during our ICSB basketball tourney.  We were blessed to have Maike, here with us.  She is in 9th grade was visiting from Germany to practice her English.  She sat in on many classes throughout the week, and was a real joy in have in our home.  We miss you Maike!

 Josiah LOVES to smile for the camera! And his Mommy loves to take his picture!

 We are sooo blessed to see our girls play so well together. They love to do "school" activities!

Its not too late for a Christmas update, right?!? ;)

 Alyssa always likes to remind us that Laura is her friend too! She loves Laura...we all love Laura!

 Yes, I would say, that she is loved by the Olsen family...wouldn't you?!?!? :)

 Lianna was super excited for her first school Christmas concert.  She did a great job singing on stage!

 Our little man...he looks so innocent here, doesn't he? Hmm.....what did he just do?!? ;)

 Merry Christmas from the Olsen family! We had a GREAT Christmas focusing on Christ's birth, WHO He is, and WHY he came! This year we had a lot of fun putting the Jesse Tree ornaments on our tree after reading the Advent devotions.

 This Christmas Eve we celebrated with Miss Mandie Maher and her mom, Natalie.  We had a wonderful Christmas dinner together and enjoyed each others company. We had fun exchanging gifts!

 Opening gifts on Christmas morning. When my Oma and Papa came in October, they brought a suitcase filled with gifts from their aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandpas, and cousins.  It was so special! They were so excited to get these gifts from their families when they were so far away from Chicago.

 Christmas Day we celebrated with the Mullet family.  They had all four of their kids here with their spouses/ fiance and even their sweet granddaughter.  We had so much fun laughing and making a few more memories before the left for the states just a few days after this. Sniff, sniff. The girls couldn't get enough of playing with Uncle Peter!

 It was hard to have to remind the kids that Brad Baci and Kari Neni were leaving on the plane to go to America.  At the end of the night, Alyssa told us that she knew that they were leaving, and then proceeded to put her head down and frown saying, "It's just that it's so sad."  Brad and Kari recruited us to the mission field in 2005.  They have been our big brother and big sister here in Hungary, and have walked with us through some dark days.  We praise God for their friendship and miss them greatly.  However, we are excited to see how God is at work in their lives and leading them to a new ministry. So, alas, living the life of transition...we often have to say goodbye or should I say, "szia" later!

 Josiah was enjoying having some Daddy time eating a sandwich on the bench during the alumni game.

It is hard to believe that here is Miriam with Josiah..she is now in 5th grade.  It doesn't seem like that long ago that she was just a bit bigger than Josiah running around.  Now she is one of the big kids! Wow...time flies! Thanks for lovin' on Josiah, Miriam! :)