.walking.aid.

Nina's motoric skills are developing surprisingly fast. I am in continual amazement, but I am sure most parents are, when talking about their own child.

It was only a month ago that she started crawling and now she is already walking - truly, it is with aid, but it is walking nonetheless.

.home.

We spent the past week visiting both our parents in Serbia.

It was our first longer visit (nine days!) in quite a while, and being there for longer than the usual few days gave us more time to spend in the town. The town where I grew up, Subotica. Going about different errands, or just walking around lake Palić with my parents brought back so many memories. I caught myself walking - or actually, running - down memory lane soooo many times - when strolling down the walking street called Korzo, I was reminded of all the times I strolled down there as a little girl with my mom or dad, as well as the times I was there as a teenager with my girlfriends - yes, you guessed, checking out the boys! And then, while we were sipping iced-coffee by the lake the other day, they started playing music from my oh, so important teenage years. One song after the other revoked memories that flooded my mind, almost to the point of overwhelming.

But each time memory-lane hit, there was something wrong, and it took me a while to put my finger on it: the places look the same, but that's about it. Everything else has changed. For starters, the country is very different than it used to be (and it's not just the name that's changed from Yugoslavia to Serbia). Not worse, just different. The people have changed. So many familiar faces that I used to see on those strolls are gone now, and there are so many new faces that I don't know.

And then: I have changed. I realized that more than ever before on this trip. I am a very different person now than I was when I left for college in Budapest at the age of eighteen. God has changed me, and the experiences I have gone through with Him, living in a different country, meeting so many people have all influenced who I am today.

Realizing and thinking about all this made me feel a bit homeless, which, in all reality, I am. All Christians are - here on earth. Our home is elsewhere, and it is so much more amazing than any place here on this planet, even one that evokes emotional memories.

All this made me remember a verse that the Lord gave me years ago, confirming my call to missions:

Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. (Psalm 84:5)

.why.the.silence.

It's been a while. We know. The last month or so has just simply been incredibly busy for us. Since returning from Bosnia (exactly a month ago), we got very busy with things at the school. The last few weeks of a semester are always crazy at the Bible College - trying to make the most of the time we have left with the students, grading, etc. On top of all this, Nina started standing and for now limits herself to walking around the coffee-table, but has become very mobile, and thus requires extra supervision. Even with all this, she did manage to get a few bruises, but all in all, she is her smiley self - if not even more than before. I think she really enjoys figuring out the whole walking thing. It is so fun to watch! Here she is, hard at work ...

Oh, and another thing we have been doing a lot - in our little spare-time, is baking. I have been baking for the coffee-shop here, so the students can enjoy some good, home-baked flavors, plus we like to have some goodies every time we have friends over (and that's often). Below is the picture of some amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies that Arpi made last week (while I was hanging out with Nina) - I know, my husband is amazing.

We got this recipe from a friend, and I must say, it is the best one for these cookies I have come across so far, so I'll post the recipe too.

Dianne’s Famous Among Her Friends Cookies

1 cup butter
1¾ cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream butter and brown sugar, then add eggs and vanilla.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups regular oats (not quick cooking)
In separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and oats.

1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
Blend wet and dry ingredients together and add chocolate chips and pecans.
Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 8 to 11 minutes.

Enjoy!

We'll try to write more soon, but for now, I must go. Little Missie has just woken up from her nap, and I suspect she wants to do some walking around :)

.bonfire.

I love bonfires! Thank you Dave for setting up this one.

.self.portrait.

.dilemma.

From the Greek word δίλημμα, meaning double proposition. A dilemma is a problem offering at least two solutions or possibilities, of which none are practically acceptable.

Should I be listening to my parents?

Nah, fuggedaboutit*
*She is very sick with a stuffy nose and a cough right now, thus the New York accent :)

.good.morning.

First thing in the morning, together with her coffee, Nina's grandmother (Nagyi) checks two blogs (our blog and this other one) to see if she can find new pictures of her granddaughters.

This morning we have two pictures for Nagyi. Enjoy :)

.jane.

A few weeks ago Nina frequently started taking the position above. She loves reclining like this. At times, she even starts doing leg-lifts. Thus, our friend Janet named her Jane (after Jane Fonda). This is definitely one of those pictures that we will stash away, and then ambush her with on her wedding day slide-show :)

What is this? Not sure, but she HAS BEEN trying hard to communicate. Bababa, gagaga, and dadada are among her favorite words.

.bedtime.story.

still holdin' up

not so much any more

please take me to my bed

.mistery.solved.

On our last day in Sarajevo, I woke up with a weird scratching in my throat. I assumed a cold was about to attack, so I started taking throat candy, and when we arrived home, I added cold medicine and vitamins galore. To no avail. The throat stuff continued - only for about a day - but in the process, was joined by a VERY runny nose, LOTS of sneezing, and a general muscle weakness. It kept getting worse, and although medicating myself, nothing was changing. Someone around me suggested it might be allergies, which I immediately brushed off as impossible. With no history of any allergies to pollen in my family, and me never having been allergic to anything, I was sure that is not what it was.
And then this morning we left for Budapest for the day (Arpi was teaching at the church there), and in the afternoon, before heading back home, I realized that although I had left the house armed with a considerable amount of tissues, I didn't need to use them even once! Not even a tiny sneeze! Hmmm. I was leery of coming back, for I suspected what awaited me.
And sure enough, soon after arriving back home to Vajta, the sneezing attacks returned.

I have always felt VERY sorry for my friends who have allergies to certain types of pollen, but secretly - I now realize - I felt some kind of sick pride for having a stronger immune system than that. (Feel free to judge me for that one. I deserve it.)
So now, at the age of 30+, I get to discover how they have felt all these years. And you know what's really scary? At this time in my life, God has me living on the grounds of a castle which is surrounded by a HUGE property, covered in nothing but grass, bushes, trees and flowers! Somethings is always in bloom starting now until roughly September. Yikes.

And purely for entertainment's sake, I looked into what pollen looks, like. Check it out....

Pretty, isn't it?

All this to say, I am now officially a pollen-allergy sufferer. Of which kind, I don't know yet, but if anyone out there knows of some kind of medication that can be taken to make life a bit easier, please, HELP!