Lassú Csárdás - Family Dance

Just returning from his first field trip

2012-02-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

Gabor's class, along with 30 other Montessori children, spent the day
exploring the Leighton centre south of Calgary. At pick up the
teachers were full of praise and incredibly happy about the outing. So
far I haven't heard much about his day, but according to the adorable
snores I gather he had a lot of fun!

Life is grand

2012-02-01T19:56:00.001-07:00

Feels like we are on fast forward these days. Each and every single moment is filled up with something, and the days are long and fun. We are filling up the time with enjoyable events so we are all happy and can't complain about a thing. Robi has been working long hours, putting in time at the office but enjoying the challenge and the leadership role he has.

I've been in discussions with the school and other moms and peers as it is now decision time for what direction we go in for schooling for next year already. We've chosen to enrol Gabor into a Montessori program to further expand on the skills he has been exposed to over the last couple of years. The teachers at the school are in full support of our decision and are full of wonderful compliments on his behaviour, his strive and his level of education for his age. I know that this could sound ridiculous when talking about a kindergarten student however you must meet Gabor to really see how different he is. He is still a boy and loves to do all that fun play that others do at his age, however he looks at the world in a different light. We were told this week that he is in the top of his class in language, reading, math and although he can be distracted he never loses a beat. Last week at soccer I was sitting in the stands with Aniko just watching helplessly as he was running at full sprint doing all the obstacles and practices set ahead of him with one shoe untied. I felt so helpless, sitting far away amongst the other soccer moms (yes I am a soccer mom and surprisingly enjoy the title) when finally one coach pointed it out to him before he fell on his face. To my amazement he promptly knelt down and tied it into a perfect little knot and bow!! When did he learn to do this!?!? There are so many milestones that are happening all at once, and they seem trite and insignificant to him. I drilled him after he came off the field as to when he learned to do tie a bow, and he said its been months! That all the children at school ask him to tie their aprons and it is disruptive to his work. He too is overstepping these "small" milestones as he can feel already that he has much bigger and better things to get to. I wish I could just video tape his every move as every time I look at him he has changed and grown significantly.

Aniko, ah my sweet princess. She too is growing and learning so much that it is hard to keep up with. She points out letters and numbers that she recognizes wherever we go and is just itching to be able to recognize more and then to eventually read. She is a true performer, and makes us sit and quietly listen to her sing her gibberish songs. Usually in English which is a little sad, but just as sweet as her sound is just like honey. She is following her big brother in every way, but is also trying to branch out and be her own person. She tries to copy me a lot like Gabor did his father, and her little dainty walk and talk melts anyone she comes in contact with.

February already, most of the snow has melted from our neighbourhood and corner of life. The temperature is way above average which makes for walks with Brahms so pleasant but a little mucky. We are so busy during the week that we really love our weekends and time to bond and unwind as a family. Life IS grand!

January is a blur

2012-01-23T09:49:00.001-07:00

This month is just flying by with so many exciting things on the go. The children are back in school and Robi is as busy as ever with work. He started a new job a few months back, one which is proving to be the most exciting position for him. He is now a Program Manager for some exciting projects and overseas a lot of important decisions. He works in a small environment of a large corporation and comes home every day satisfied with the outcome of the days. He does get to travel up to Edmonton once in a while and has been able to visit with his cousin Elizabeth so that is also a nice added bonus.

January 10th was an anniversary of sorts for us, as it marked 20 years of being together. Two full decades together, with so much growth and change. Its funny looking back and remembering how we were when we were dating.

The children have asked to pick up Hungarian Dance again, so they are in the Kisjegvirag group practicing on Sundays after Hungarian school. Its a big commitment for us to have one full day dedicated to these activities and we are so proud and happy that they enjoy their heritage so much. It seems that the group has been asked to attend the festival this year so we’ll see how that goes. This would be a big commitment and a large performance for them but they would be exposed to so many other people with the same interests. Neither child is shy and they both love to perform as we witnessed again this weekend at the music concert at Mount Royal University. It was such a joy to see them up on stage, singing, dancing and playing instruments in tune with their classmates.

Dad’s birthday celebrations were just this weekend as well. We had the family over for a visit and as we were setting the table both children asked if Agi would be joining us. They love to have the families over and enjoy organizing as much as I do.

So much more has happened this month, with outdoor trips to the mountains, staying inside during a really cold snap and starting the year out in the best way we know how. We picked up an XBox Kinnect for Christmas so now the children are starting to get into video games. Its been fun jumping around in the basement on those cold wintery nights.

New Year

2012-01-09T13:08:00.001-07:00

We rang in the new year by staying home and enjoying our family. Elsie joined us mid afternoon where we played all our new and old board games with the children. So much fun chasing around Mouse Trap and Snail racing and all the other fun games. Once we celebrated "midnight" with the children and they were sleeping soundly we continued with some adult games. Oh my what fun we had saying goodbye to an interesting, topsy turvy year and hello to planned healthy and happy year! We almost missed new years itself in all our fun. Thanks Elsie for making New Years so much fun, I don't know anyone else who could play Disney Charades with us that well.

Christmas time

2011-12-30T10:16:00.001-07:00

This time is the most precious, the time to reflect, the time to relax, the time to entertain, the time to spend with family. So my blog will be short and sweet, filled with photos of those precious times.

I hope you too are enjoying Christmas with those you love and remembering the reason.

Merry Christmas all!

Merry Christmas és kellemes Karácsonyi ünnepeet

2011-12-23T22:40:00.001-07:00

Christmas has always been a time to reflect on the past year and to send you our love for the coming year. Our year started out on a high, had one full month of worry and scare and is ending on an even higher note. A full mixture of everything to keep us on our toes. We brought in the New Year in Southern California at Disneyland and Legoland with my sister Elsie for a fun filled trip geared just for the children. Once home, we quickly started to work on a dream vacation, a seven week trip to Europe, Hungary, Serbia, France, Germany and we spent the better half of the year working out the details and planning what we had hoped to be a vacation of a lifetime.

As life sometimes does, we were thrown a curve ball the first day of summer, Robi started to feel ill. It became serious and he was in and out of the hospital for nearly a month not knowing exactly what could be done when finally, it was determined that surgery was necessary to get us past this hurdle. He had a blocked intestine from scar tissue from the operations he had when he was an infant. The surgery was intense but it was a necessary evil to get him past this and recovery was slow but, he is a strong man and pulled through great. He still has a very sensitive stomach and we need to watch him and always think about activities he can’t do, food etc. Due to his sickness our trip to Europe had to be cancelled and as fate would have it this was our first vacation in twenty years of traveling that we bought cancellation insurance, so luckily, most of our money was returned.

Once Robi was healthy it was time to think about what sort of holiday we could put together before school started again. We decided to head to Boston for a few days and took an amazing cruise to Bermuda. What an incredible group of islands, this is a place we would like to return to sometime in the future. We also returned to California to see Disneyland again in October for a couple of weeks to spend Halloween with the Disney characters, another great holiday for the children. Both holidays were amazing and gave us such amazing memories. On the first we were spoiled like royalty and we met some great like minded people and personally got to know a living master artist. He has since become like a family member to us and we hope to go visit him soon in either Hungary or his home town in Israel. The second holiday was so beautiful as we were able to show my Aunt around our favourite place on earth as well as had a relaxing cruise from Los Angeles down to Mexico.

This year Gabor has started Kindergarten and Aniko is attending preschool. The Montessori program allows them to spend half a day together in the same classroom, however it is a rare occasion that they work or play together during that time. They are both bright & beautiful children, inside and out. Gabor is very interested in soccer, music, math and languages and Aniko is a very caring 3 year old. She seems to be taking steps a bit faster than expected and is already very intelligent. I look forward to finding out where her interests lie but currently she loves gymnastics and would like to get back into a dance program. Life is one fun roller coaster ride and we are thankful you are part of our journey. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and all the love, joy and health in the New Year.

Kedves Mindenki!

Karácsonykor úgy nagy álltalában mindig vissza szoktunk tekinteni az év fő eseményeire és szeretetünket küldeni mindenkinek az Új évre. Hát legyen úgy most is!

Az új 2011-es év, tele izgalommal és örömmel kezdődött. Majd később egy teljes hónap tele aggodalommal és félelemmel. És végül mégis egy boldog, kalanddal és szeretettel teli év lett belőle. Viszont megtanított olyan leckére is, hogy nem szabad az életet túl könnyelműen venni, mert mindenki élete örökre megváltozhat egy rosz pillanaton belül.

Dél Californiában voltunk a gyerekekkel és Elsie nővéremmel, ahol meglátogattuk DISNEYLAND-et éd LEGOLAND-et a gyerekek kedvéért. Haza érkezésünk után rögtön elkezdtünk tervezni és dolgozni a nyárra betervezett, 7 hetes Európai (Magyarország, Szerbia, Franciaország, Németország) utunkon. De a sors, mint általában, másképp döntött.

Robi a nyár első napján lebetegedett és ki-be járt a korházból egy hónapon keresztűl, mert az orvosok először nem tudták pontossan megállapítani, hogy mi okozza neki a fájdalmait. Mikor megállapították, (kisbaba korában többször műtötték és a kisbél varratok most gátolták neki a kisbelek működését, ami roppant nagy fájdalmat okozott neki) utánna meg sokáig tárgyalták az orvosok hogy mi lenne a legjobb kezelési módszer. MŰTENI kell, volt a határozat! Hosszú műtét volt de szükséges és szerencsés! Lassan gyógyult ki belőle, pedig jó alkatú és erős akaratú volt. A lényeg az, hogy a műtét sikerült és most már jól érzi magát. A hasa, még mindíg érzékeny és vigyázni kell, hogy miket csinál fizikailag és hogy táplálkozik. Természetesen a betegsége miatt lecsúsztunk a tervezett és befizetett Európai útról, de hála Istennek 20 év óta ez volt az első eset, hogy kivettük az utas biztosítást és így szerencsénkre visszakaptuk az utiköltségnek a java részét.

Mikor Robi már egészségesnek érezte magát, ismét elkezdtünk körülnézni, hogy milyen nyaralást tudnánk betervezni az iskola kezdete előtt magunknak. Elhatároztuk, hogy elrepülünk BOSTON-ba (USA) egy pár napra és onnan hajóval tovább BERMUDÁ-ba. Csak azt tudjuk mondani róla, hogy BOSTON az egy nagyon európaias város, sok szép amerikai történelmi múlttal és BERMUDA pedig valami csodás szép kis sziget csoport, ahová még vissza fogunk menni.

Késő ősszel, Október második felében ismét útnak indultunk és vissza mentünk Californiába hogy a gyerekek együtt tölthessék HALLOWEEN-t (Okt. 31) a Disney karakterokkal. Ez is, mint a másik kettő is, egy nagyon sikeres vakáció lett, tele örömmel és boldog pillanatokkal.

Az első vakációnkon, melyen fenségesen bántak velünk, találkoztunk egy néhány hasonló gondolkodású egyénnel mint mi, és személyes meghívást is kaptunk egy festőművésztől akivel annyira összemelegedtünk, hogy jóformán családtagnak nevezhetnénk. Reméljük, hogy majd hamar meg tudjuk őt látogatni vagy Magyarországon, vagy Izraelben, ahol lakik. A második vakációnkon örültünk, hogy sikerült megmutatni kedvenc helyünket e földön, CALIFORNIÁ-t nagynénémnek és még ráadásúl hajókáztunk is egyet a Csendes Oceánon az USÁ-ból Mexicó-ba.

Gábor az idén már nagy-óvodás lesz és Anikó meg kis-óvodás. A „Montessori” óvodás program megengedi nekik, hogy félnapot együtt tölthessenek egy szobában, habár ritkán van az, hogy együtt dolgoznának ill. játszanak. Mindkettő nagyon értelmes és szép gyermekek, kívűl is belül is. Gábort nagyon érdekli a foci, zene, számtan és a nyelvek. Anikó meg egy szerény, törődő 3 éves intelligens kis személy aki nagyon gyorsan halad éveihez viszonyítva. Epedve vájuk, hogy milyen irányba fog az érdeklődáse fejlődni. Egyelőre szereti a tornát és a táncot. Az élet egy izgalommal és örömmel teli hullámvasút és köszönetünket fejezzük ki, hogy ti is részesek vagytok abban, hogy ilyen a pálya amin együtt vagytok velünk és mi veletek.

Kívánunk mindannyiotoknak kellemes Karácsonyi ünnepeet és egy szeretettel, örömmel, egészséggel teli Új Esztendőt !!!

Robi, Nancy, Gábor és Anikó.

Thank you Arpibacsi for the translation of our Christmas letter, it is very much appreciated and reads much more poetically than I could have ever done.

Anya and Gabor Day!!!!

2011-12-21T16:28:00.001-07:00

This year the children and I have been so busy with all our events and school that I have been missing my alone time with Gabor. Aniko has long ago dropped her naps which is wonderful as I have several hours a day alone with her, however Gabor and I have not had any alone time for several months. It was time to have an Anya/Gabor day, so we planned out exactly what we wanted to accomplish and then picked a day. The weather cooperated with us as most of our activities were outside play, I think it even reached 8 degrees, full sunshine and no wind! We spent the morning in our neighbourhood first creating a great fort in our yard, singing, dancing and playing with Brahms. Before we knew it an hour had passed so we decided to change scenery and took off for an adventure in the woods and down to the river. We ran into so many animals along the way, Blue Jays sung beautiful songs for us, twice we saw deer grazing along the river and prancing by us and flocks of geese flew above us. We had a great adventure in the woods then ended off everything on the golf course where the wind seemed to pick up in the openness and chill my already frozen feet. Time to purchase warm boots suitable for long plays outside and wool socks. In we came in for a MochaChai (a special warm milk with a neither mocha nor chai, however affectionately named long ago by Gabor), change of socks and off for Sushi for lunch. Gabor sometimes acts like an adult so much that I forget that I am out with a six year old and enjoy serious conversations with him. Shopping for Aniko's Christmas gift came next and once he found exactly what he wanted it was time for more outdoor fun. Tobogganing and more running around our woods and golf course. It was such a fabulous day for us and we both had twinkles in our eyes. 7 pm came too quickly but our bodies were tired, Gabor finished his prayer for the night thanking for such a beautiful day and wishing that every day could be like that.

Aniko spent her first ever day alone with my parents. They picked her up from school at noon and brought her home to their place. She skipped out of school and so happily and proudly went along with them. They built snowmen and played for hours, worked out on the treadmill and had a really great time alone. All their eyes were twinkling with fun and love by the end of the day. We have all vowed to have more days like this one.

Christmas concerts weekend

2011-12-21T16:22:00.001-07:00

The Magyar Iskola (Hungarian school) had the children put on a little event for us before mass on Sunday. The smaller children recited a verse together, the older children had their own verse and the oldest children put on a little play for us. It was a beautiful ceremony and both Gabor and Aniko were little stars for the audience, which included Elsie and the grandparents. Gabor is like a little man, so perfect in anyway and Aniko certainly stands out in the crowd. I was a proud parent as they both remembered all their lines and so proudly looked for us amongst the others.

We lunched in the basement of the church with everyone and then headed off to attend A Child's Christmas at the Jack Singer. 32 of the most talented young women vocalists accompanied by the orchestra and two very young pianist along with the Mayor all entertained us. It was a fun day and the children were amazing through it all as they needed to sit quietly for the mass and then the 2 hour plus concert. I was again proud when at the end of the concert the people in front of us turned around to put on the jackets and only then realized there were small children behind them.

This was a great way to ensure the Christmas spirit was with us, all the plays and music and smiling loving people would put even the biggest scrooge into the mood.

65

2011-12-19T13:02:00.001-07:00

Lassu Mom has now joined the rest and turned a senior this year! (sorry mom, just had to write it)

We threw her a day to be remembered, trying to make it as special as possible. We lunched up the tower at sky 360 and were entertained by the children as the tower slowly twirled around giving us perfect views of the city. A warm clear blue sky enhanced the mountains and a quiet restaurant made it more enjoyable for us. Then home for more of a visit, nightcap and cheese. Scrumptious!!!

the end of the trip

2011-12-19T12:56:00.001-07:00

The three months have come to an end.

We adored Agi's visit here and
enjoyed that we were able to spend so much time with her. The children
fell in love with her the minute she arrived and they too looked
forward to every single visit. She is now home safe and sound with her
close family and loved ones but missed here.

Heavy Heart

2011-12-12T19:05:00.001-07:00

This weekend was sweet and sour, with the fact we spent so much time with Agi neni although recognizing this is her final days in Calgary.

What is the best way to end a trip here, a visit up the Calgary tower- an amazing view of the city as well as spend as much time with those you love. We crammed in as much family time as we could. Taking in the views from above the city from the tower and visiting our house, Elsie's house and having us all together at moms house.

It seems that Agi was here long enough to feel so comfortable that she belongs and should never leave, and to make it so difficult to say goodbye. In true fashion our last minutes are stretched to days, comfortable moments are always laden with the feeling of lasts. Although I know we plan to visit soon, Agi has become a fixture of our everyday life so the last visits, the last laughs, the last adventures are lined with sadness. As much as I know she has a family, daughters, grandchildren, house and life to go back home to it seems she belongs just as easily here as there. We do have the advancement of technology however a Skype conversation will never replace a hug or shared moment.

Mikulas

2011-12-07T09:58:00.001-07:00

Mikulas megérkezett

The children so carefully cleaned their best shoes until they shone like stars. Gabor took extra care in placing them just so and they both asked to ensure we keep our Christmas lights on all night so that Mikulas can find our house with ease.

It seems that all the preparations and all their good deeds this year were rewarded very sweetly.

In our house Mikulas also brings the Christmas tree so that we can enjoy it all December long. The children ran down the stairs as Gabor knew that it would be waiting for us. There was some furniture rearranging as well so they ran from room to room in the morning pointing out all the changes. We sat and sipped a strong coffee watching the joy and bouncing before school through tired eyes. That is a treasure in itself.

Santa’s little helpers

2011-12-06T10:23:00.001-07:00

This year we had some great little helpers in decorating the house! They were so excited in decorating the house that it was done in no time flat and it was the most fun!

Let the magic begin

2011-12-05T10:27:00.001-07:00

Calgary has been blanketed in a beautiful sheet of white. All the trees are dusted like sugar cookies, the rooftops are white, the windows frosted and the Christmas feeling is in the air.

We spent our weekend baking and filling our pantry with treats for the coming month! As we try to do traditionally we had my parents over to help with the baking, and this year the added set of hands and laughter from Agi too! It was a day of fun, with Robi running between helping us ladies and helping the boys putting some Lego together. It was a great day and the treats we have are perfect! Now to make sure they last for the full month through.

We wanted to end the day with a trip up the Calgary Tower to have a good look over our beautiful city, however right when we all pilled in the cars and started to head downtown a winter storm started to blow through the city. Soon we could barely see a few feet in front of the car so a trip up the tower would not be appropriate.

Sunday was Mikulas celebrations!!

It was so much fun to head to the Magyar Haz and have the children get to meet and talk with Mikulas. Gabor created a little art for him and they both loved sitting with him. Aniko didn’t want to talk but she smiled and enjoyed the moment in her own way.

We decided to visit with both sets of Grandparents instead of decorate our house yesterday but I have a strong feeling that Christmas is soon going to creep into our house as well.

Christmas spirit in November

2011-11-29T20:35:00.001-07:00

The Christmas spirit is starting to creep into our souls with the festivals, parties, crafts, songs and creating our Christmas Advent Wreath and it is just the end of November. We spent loads of time with Agi and the family and have attended a few Christmas parties already over the last few days, all the while strongly trying to remind the children what the true meaning of Christmas is and to retain the magic of the season.

We have been busy this weekend with a date night for us, the Christmas parties mentioned before and taking Agi out on a date. It was so special to us to spend an evening just the three of us, enjoying a great steak meal, a glass of wine and a drive through downtown area. We also had a parent/teacher interview for Gabor and were so pleased with all that they had to say. He is right on track and is so happy these days. The teachers even commented on how he constantly sings, skips or hums and in fact he headed up a little choir one afternoon while they continued to work away in the class room. They too have noticed that he is very strong in math, music and languages and that his interest in those subjects never seem to tire.

All of Calgary has been in such a buzz and not because of the Christmas season closely coming towards us but because of a major windstorm that literally blew shingles of the houses and broke windows in some of the skyscrapers downtown. We have been enjoying a warmer autumn season but it is certainly coming with some interesting side effects. We are lucky that we live down in the valley and we miss a lot of the action but while out and about and talking to some friends it was something no one should be out in. But in true Calgary weather fashion it is warned that our warm weather is on its way out and we should be waking up to a fresh blanket of snow.

weekend family warmth

2011-11-21T19:25:00.001-07:00

The days are just blending into each other, one happy fun filled day mixes with the next. We have a heavy schedule during the week so we keep most weekends light and full of family time. The children both are in a music class, Aniko keeps herself so limber and bendy with gymnastics and Gabor is becoming a great soccer pro!

This weekend was so much fun with all of the Szalma csalad visiting my godparents. We all had a good laugh as the tables are reversed from the days when we frequented their house on a regular basis. The grandparents sat at the extended little table while we overtook the house, the table and at times the conversation. It was such a warm, wonderful evening and we all had such a great visit.

Sunday we took Agi and my parents and met Elsie at the Lougheed house for our first Christmas cheer. Each room is decorated by a different local designer and in the basement Santa, crafts and treats were waiting for us. Gabor is such a hoot now, he is always in a good mood and enjoys life to its fullest. Aniko was a bit taken back with Santa and although she created a craft and very carefully gave it to him and took some candy cane treats all without leaving my side or the comfort of my leg. Then it was home for a comfort food prepared with a twist. Robi and Gabor's favourite stuffed peppers displayed upright in a mini bread bowl. The children at this point were starting to get a little silly but it was still a great visit and they did give us a good concert and show to remember forever.

Aniko's newest doll is becoming very fashionable. Agi neni made her a cute little vest and hat in no time at all. Aniko is so pleased and happy with the new outfit.

Little man is growing up

2011-11-15T13:53:00.001-07:00

Gabor is now six years old!

As Robi says, after six adventurous years Gabor is a fine young man. He seems to be growing each day now, in leaps and bounds and was lucky enough to have a full 4 day weekend off to celebrate with great fun.

Robi and I handled our first of many, I’m sure, solo birthday parties where we were the only adults! We were a great team taking care of 11 children, getting a little silly ourselves too and keeping the party contained enough but allowing the children to enjoy themselves and be a little more rambunctious than on a normal day.

Little man is growing up

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It was a Jet Fighter – Top Gun style party. All the children were really well behaved, however it is already becoming evident to us that Gabor is just a bit older, more mature than most of his class mates as he is the oldest in his class. We helped the children each put together a lego jet and then let them just play on their own with little guidance. One idea which we wish we would have done without was giving each child their own rations of popcorn. I’m still finding popcorn kernels throughout the house. But with great teamwork we were able to maintain and to clean up the house within 20 minutes and have a dinner party with some great friends.

Sunday the family came over to wish Gabor their well wishes, more cake, more cooking, more cleaning and even more fun!!

Happy birthday young man, you are the light of our lives and each day that passes brings us that much more happiness with you in it. We love you.

Scorpio

2011-11-12T20:55:00.001-07:00

We have a lot of Scorpios in our families, so celebrations are all around us. Before we slipped way for a holiday we took Lon out for his 40th. A great coffee for Robi and I to sit and chat with him about everything and anything. It was also a major milestone for Lassu Nagypapa as he turned 75 this year! We had the Lassu families over for an evening of joy and excitement and I hear he enjoyed his actual birth date with his brother and sister-in-law in a celebration we wish we could have joined.

We also celebrated George and my mom’s birthday at Sue’s. It was a special treat as the food was great, the family conversation and fun was nonstop and of course we have the extra bonus this year that Agi is here to make it just that much more special.

Life is wonderful when you are surrounded by those you love. Happy Birthday to all.

Surprise Holiday

2011-11-09T13:35:00.001-07:00

Friday a few weeks ago, we planned the beginning of a great surprise for the children. At lunch we both went to school to take them for lunch – which just happened to be on a plane that was headed for California! The surprise, the excitement – everything worked out just perfectly. Gabor had a hunch that something was up despite how careful we were. Once we arrived we spent two and a half beautiful days with Agi and my parents. We toured around Universal Studios and nearly melted from the heat. We then spent a magically full day at Disneyland where both children showed Agi all their favourites and explained everything. We were even able to take mom and dad on a few new rides and shows. The weekend was so perfect, we had such full days that all of us just crashed each night barely having enough energy to say good night.

We were so happy to be able to spend those few moments together, showing Agi our favourite place on earth. What joy! Next we surprised the children with a Carnival Cruise from Long Beach. We docked near the Queen Mary and enjoyed the way they entertained everyone waiting in the line, the hour went by so fast. This cruise we had an inside cabin and the ship is older than any others we have been on. So we had some trepidations about what our week would be like. We checked out the ship first and were happy with how it was put together, it was really comfortable and the type of people on the ship were either families or older couples, it seemed perfect. So we slowly went to our cabin and opened the door to be very pleasantly surprised. There was no smell, there was loads of space, the bathroom was decent and everything was great! It was perfect.

The first port was Catalina Island. An Island that in the last 16 years of traveling together to Southern California has intrigued us. We had never been, never really read up on it and when the children asked if they could stay on the ship in the kids centre we knew we would be able to do and see a lot. We explored on our own, checking out the very unique architecture. It is a great mixture of California and Mexico, but the most noteworthy is the transportation. We walked everywhere we could for hours and 90% of the vehicles on the road were Golf Carts! Some were pimped up, some had baby car seats in the front, some had zippered soft tops – but they were all golf carts.

On the ship we were entertained from sunrise to sunset. We had great dinner companions and the children were more than happy with the kids centre. The spa and the gym were nice and I actually even used the gym, only once for a run and a stretch program but I impressed myself. Next step was Ensenada, Mexico. Hundreds of seals greeted us with their barks, and we were told they were there all day. It was beautiful and amazing how they just didn’t seem to know the meaning of quiet. One or all of them needed to bark at any given time.

Ensenada was an interesting place. We went to see their blow hole, we toured around on bus and then by foot. Gabor was determined to find Mexican Lego as he puts it…and to our surprise – He Did! Aniko had a little serenade which she didn’t exactly enjoy completely, and we had a very enjoyable day.

Once we were back on dry land we headed to our second home, unpacked, shopped and set ourselves up for a fun filled Child’s Week. First stop was Legoland for their Saturday night Halloween party. The boys spent a lot of time checking out the new Star Wars displays and discussing each scene. Gabor is getting so big, and conversations, holidays and every day is so fun to talk with him. Aniko enjoyed the park in her own sweet way. She is not big enough to do everything so we kept the rides to only what she can do and laughed when she came off the roller coaster missing a part of her head band.

Disneyland at Halloween is something else.

The days were pretty busy, especially the weekends obviously but it was dressed up in such a fun way. I do not like Halloween and prefer to celebrate All Saints day, but as you know we love to dress up. So any excuse to do so is great. We stayed for the Halloween Private Party at the park and enjoyed quieter, quicker rides, the Halloween lines, a special parade and fireworks. Aniko fell asleep in my arms but Gabor was wired the entire evening.

Half way through the week I overheard the children discussing what they want to do in the park, so I asked if they want to plan a day. The last day was theirs, and everything worked out perfectly. They both knew the plan and they lead us through the park and magically everything worked out even better than they could imagine. A trip to Disney, for us, is always a great family holiday. Be it when Lonnie and Robi took me my very first time, to when we were a couple with no children to now with two bright, intelligent fun children who appreciate a family outing – each have been so magical and give me joy to last a lifetime.

Pumpkin fun

2011-10-19T12:04:00.001-07:00

Gabor is really enjoying his soccer games and practice and I am one proud mom at the way he keeps the game fun, works on his skills and shows great team spirit. He is the first to give high fives and really enjoys the time spent there. If it isn’t too early, I would say that he is showing that he likes to play defence and does a great job at it too. He is growing up so fast, showing interest in so many new things. His play has changed tremendously at home and prefers to role play with someone or to build the most interesting structures on his own. This week we had a very grown up conversation, which he instigated about the role of an engineer, his knowledge on the subject was alarming as I didn’t even know he knew the word! Every day both child surprises us in topics to talk about.

Halloween is just around the corner and it is time to start getting the house prepped and our costumes in order. The pumpkin was the first thing to be taken care of, and of course we had to give it a little Disney flair.

Photo shoot

2011-10-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

We finally spent the time to get some professional photos done this week and I am so looking forward to seeing the final products. We snapped a few sneak peak photos of the children and can't wait to see the family photos, our photos and couple photos.

What a gorgeous day!

What gorgeous children!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-10-12T09:08:00.001-07:00

We have so much to be thankful for this year, and to rejoice in, that we took a couple of extra days to ourselves to spend time together. Thursday Rob took the day off, we kept the children from school and spent the day together. The weather was horrible, it rained all day and night and was pretty chilly as well so we couldn’t do all that we wanted but we were together. We let the children decide what they wanted to do and we just took it easy.

We attended the Calgary Philharmonic’s Bug Bunny performance where the orchestra played the famous memorable tunes while they played the cartoons on a big screen. The children loved it and the sound and music has never sounded better for us. I love that they are putting on performances to interest the children of Calgary into classics and beautiful music.

This Thanksgiving we did not see my family however we thought of them all. We spent the holiday with our Lassu family, indulged in a fabulous turducken (Turkey, chicken, duck with sausage) and all the fixings at Lonnie and Janine’s while the children quietly kept themselves entertained with trains, Lego and star wars games and Aniko found books and other toys to keep herself occupied. Then Monday we had some good friends over for another turkey meal which was quiet and pleasant.

Thanksgiving is usually the start of the cool weather, the warm sweaters, the boots, the scarves and gloves and sorts of fashion I adore. I enjoy autumn so much and am looking forward to making time to get through my closet to organize for the season. With 5 days off of relaxing with the family there are loads of chores piling up and now to make time for catch up.

Our hands with our list of things to be thankful for, designed and organized by the children.

ANIKO

2011-10-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

sniffle, cough–more signs of the season

2011-10-04T12:42:00.001-07:00

With the colder nights, the brisk days and the return to school comes the seasonal colds and flus. Maybe that is why autumn is so pretty, to balance out the good with the bad.

Our family started to feel ill last week and it seemed to really only tire us out and irritate our throats, thankfully we have not had many other symptoms! The children stayed home with me for a few days, and we have tried to keep things low key. So crafts, books, rest periods and naps were in order along with chamomile tea and soups and a little bit of fresh air here and there.

The riverbed by our house is pretty low, and although it is really mucky it is certainly beautiful. Someone brought out a bench for us rest upon and added to the rock bridge so we stayed completely dry.

Gabor is working on his photography skills, I just adore this picture he captured this weekend of me.

He also wanted to make a rocket so him and I made the rocket part, then one day we all picked up the sticks and the boys put the final touches together. We spend many hours doing crafts, especially when the weather is chilly and we need a little rest. The blue picture he completed nearly on his own and took about 2 hours of placing tiny beads onto a board to make his picture, he has amazing concentration for a young boy. The turkey was a combination of all four of us, but truly mostly Gabor, to get us into the Thanksgiving feel.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. Albert Camus

2011-10-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

Flamboyant Autumn

Autumn’s picturesque arrival
Is a colorful array
Of red and gold and orange,
In flamboyant, rich display.

Autumn days are shorter;
The nights are getting cool;
Geese fly south in flocks,
As kids go back to school.

Winter still is dreaming
Of snow and icicles,
As we put away our swimsuits,
Our boats and bicycles.

Wisps of smoke from chimneys
Tell of cozy, crackling fires;
Fall is being born,
As summer now retires.

By Joanna Fuchs

lecsúsznak a polcról :) (egyelőre)

2011-10-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

Agi has been visiting for just over two weeks and we are loving all the time with her. We sneak over to mom and dad's to spend as much time as possible, even try to arrange to go to the market at the same time. The children are in love with her for obvious reasons as she is an amazing person.

Gabor was so very excited when we surprised him one day when I picked him up from school with Agi in tow. She came to spend the evening with us and see his soccer practice. She is our mini celebrity ;) The next morning the two of them asked if Agi slept over and where she was.

Aniko has spent many times colouring and talking with her. For nearly a year I've been trying to coach Aniko to colour within the lines of a picture and within seconds Agi was able to 'calm the storm' and talked Aniko through taking her time and colouring within the lines. With each little stroke that she took she did a little spin or jump to let out some of her excitement and then came back to her picture and coloured within the lines ever so nicely. Afterwards Agi taught her how to draw two different types of flowers, which she is still trying to do on her own.

Gabor has discovered Agi's magic fingers and actually allowed her to massage him. I think he even went back for seconds as he enjoyed it so! Its been a lot of fun with Agi around, and the children have fallen in love with her as deeply as they have with all the Nagy Szuliek. It is reminiscent for me as to when my grandparents visited when I was a young child, knowing that they were from a far away land and enjoying their stories, their songs and versekek.

A Single dream. A world of hope. Terry Fox

2011-09-28T12:09:00.001-07:00

In 1977, when I was three years old, a teenager found out he had cancer in his right leg. It was shortly after that they needed to amputate his leg in order to save his life. Terry Fox read a story about an amputee runner the night before his surgery and dreamt of becoming a runner. He put his dreams to good use as more than 30 years later 58 countries are still running annually in the autumn to continue to raise funds to find a cure for such an ugly disease.

Today the elementary school and Gabor's kindergarten class participated in the annual Terry Fox run.

They have been sharing and educating the children on his plight for awareness and hopes for raising enough money to find a cure for cancer throughout the past couple of weeks. The children were very excited and talking about Terry and his amazing courage and really were given a lot of information before their run. The sun shone for us today and although we started late, it was a lot of fun to participate in. Last year Gabor's school raised the most per participated child and although there are only 9 of them we did our best to become aware and involved.

Autumn colours

2011-09-26T12:37:00.001-07:00

Saturday we explored Lake Louise, Vermilion lake and had a picnic with Agi and my parents out in the mountains. The day was perfect for us, with blue skies, warm sun and the temperature nearing 30 degrees. Pictures say more than words for this beauty:

Then we were able to have Agi over to our house for her first visit. Aniko and Gabor toured her around the house ensuring to show her all their important things, like where their toothbrush and undergarments are and where their lunch bag is for school and glasses and cups. It was incredibly adorable and I'm sure they would have shown her every single drawer and cupboard if I didn't rush them along. What absolute fun it was that evening, I think we completely tired out everyone and we all slept soundly that night.

We also had Lonnie and Janine over so that the boys could play and we could all visit. Taking a short walk around our park to blow some steam before bed. The weekend was not even close to over yet, but the most blog worthy items are the start of Magyar Iskola (Hungarian school) and a telephone call. I found out that the Presbyterian Church offers a much more structured program and that the children will be able to use this towards credits in college or University when the time comes.

We were surprised with a telephone call from Itzchak - the artist we met on the cruise. I know I have not yet expanded on him and our connection with him from a few blogs ago and will make time to chronicle it soon. He just arrived back home to Israel and wanted to call to see how we are and to once again say how happy he was to make our acquaintance. It made our day to hear from him and we all were able to say a few words. What an amazing man.

Ha a hegy nem jön Mohammedhez, akkor Mohammed megy a hegyhez.

2011-09-15T18:33:00.001-07:00

Muhammad has arrived!

My Aunt has arrived! She is visiting us for 3 full months! We are all so thrilled, and the children have fallen in love with her already. Aniko and Gabor went straight up to her, even though they only know her through stories and few telephone conversations, and adorned her with big kisses and hugs. What a fun first evening it was as we all met up at Mom's after the airport and although she was very hungry and very tired she entertained us all. Even sat on the floor with the children to do crafts and exercise books she brought. Aniko and I returned today to spend some more time, talking all about my cousins and their sons and relatives back home. How I wish that we could have been there this summer, tomorrow is the day we would have returned from our trip. We are so thrilled that Agi is here now and that we will have a little time with her. Thank you Sonja and Sandra for all the beautiful things you sent us and the children. Aniko and I looked through the photos Agi brought and wish that you all could have fit in her suitcase ;)

First day of school

2011-09-14T12:42:00.001-07:00

It is that time of year again when everyone returns from their summer holidays and the new year begins for the children to return to their classrooms.

Gabor is in Kindergarten!!

Aniko is in pre-school!

The excitement in the house is bubbling over more than I could imagine. First day was so much fun, they both packed their snacks, lunch for Gabor, picked out their clothes, dressed and quickly got ready and were practically waiting in the car for us. Of course I needed to photograph everything, and they were more than accommodating. If they ever get to be famous I don’t think the paparazzi will bother them one bit!

Gabor’s kindergarten runs all day, and he had two new lessons and a yoga class in the afternoon which he loved, this was just the first day! When I pick up Aniko he sort of winks at me, just gives a wave like a teenager already, acknowledging that I am there but not needing to be with me.

We walked both children all the way in to get them introduced to all the teachers and as we were waiting outside we realized a new boy in kindergarten is half Hungarian! Conrad and Gabor have teamed up and Conrad’s mom is so pleased as it is only her who is talking with him in Hungarian.

Aniko has taken over the classroom. She owns it already, so independent, she communicates very well with everyone and does not latch on to Gabor. They both work on their projects and do their own thing. The teachers are so thrilled to have them both in the classroom.

At lunch this was how excited Aniko looked while telling me about her morning.

The door was opened

2011-09-14T12:04:00.001-07:00

This year Park West Galleries decided it was our turn for them to treat us to a cruise and spoil us in every way imaginable! We were so shocked when we received the first phone call that I didn't think it was true, then when the second phone call came I simply deleted it and put it out of my mind, then when our summer plans were rearranged and once we were comfortable that Robi had healed completely we started to wonder what to do and where to go, so we dug out the old message and called them back. All we needed to do was get ourselves to Boston and they took care of the rest for us, and they pulled out all the stops. We were treated with VIP status along with 30 other families to a 7 day cruise to Bermuda from Boston. We paid a small amount of change so that we could get the children to come along and then just days before we left we were bumped up into one of the penthouse suites!
From the moment Park West bussed us out from the hotel we were whisked away with our private butler Orlando. He showed us the ship, walked us around and introduced us to people who were there to make our stay more comfortable. I still am speechless about the ordeal and will not be able to look at cruising in the same light again. Our room was not only huge it had amenities and perks that only the famous or rich are adorned with. Each day we had a bowl of fresh fruit waiting for us and every night a member of the staff would send us an amuse bouche, chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, sweets and/or an invite to a private event. It was an easy life for 7 days where each of us were catered to beyond our dreams. The children spent most of the days at sea in the Youth Centre creating, playing, doing what they know best while we rubbed shoulders with other like minded people. We talked Art, sipped our complimentary drinks, enjoyed tantalizing meals and spent lazy afternoons together.

Park West put a great week together for us, and it seemed to be built just for us. The first artist to meet was Marko Markovich, a Croatian self taught artist. He was a joy and knew how to party, he was up late every night and started early each morning. He is an extremely talented individual and most of his works were of the Mediterranean Sea and reminded me of many of my favourite places in old Yugoslavia. On the third day he left and two other artists joined us after we had a couple of days in Bermuda. I will need to write a full blog on these two artists as they touched us personally in such a manner that you could say we've become very good friends and feel like family. This made the trip for us, so much more than the champagne, the fancy room, the personal cappuccino maker, the butler, personal concierge and all the money they poured into our events and spoiled us with - meeting Itzchak Tarkay and David Najar was a treat we will never forget. Now, I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy the royal treatment, how could one not! For 7 days we all were spoiled beyond our imaginations and although the Norwegian Freestyle cruising is not a cruise I would want to join again the VIP treatment was non-stop joy - and the most amazing was it was all free for us!

We were one of the small 5% of people who were chosen to meet the Ship's captain and Senior crew members. The crew, mostly Swedish, were so nice and stood for their obligatory picture and hand shaking. It was fun for us all, but the best was the Staff Captain, the second in charge, came over to us afterwards to have a chat and that is where he stayed. Many of the other crew members came to him, whispered in his ear that it was time to retreat, buzzed him on his pager but he wanted to talk more to us - or more accurately to Gabor. Gabor was very excited, he talked about his nautical map he drew to help them find their way to Bermuda and back to Boston. Pelle, the staff captain, seemed to really enjoy Gabor so much that he invited us all to the ship's bridge and promised to print off a map of our actual route. He is a very funny man, and the promised trip to the bridge was exciting for us all. Here at the front of the ship, which expanded around the two sides, we had a great view the second last day at sea. There was no land in site, but we continuously saw whales and seagulls flying in front or along side the front of the large ship, almost as to say hello. The bridge itself is large, and hard to capture in photos. The children took turns looking out the binoculars, driving the ship, and asking questions about all the buttons and switches. Here the captain shared humours stories and talked of itineraries that we must do on future trips.

Bermudians know how to live.

Their islands are a true paradise where no one seems to have any worries or cares. They have 3 main roads, a few districts, simple names for places, roads, animals and are all laid back and live in the old style of living. The first thing you notice is once you get off the ship no one is bothering you, wanting to braid your hair or take your picture with an animal or bird, it is just quiet and calm, no pressure and no concern of theft. Our timing may not have been the best as we arrived after a large hurricane and needed to leave one day early so we did not get into the path of another hurricane brewing. Bermuda closes down on Sundays and holidays and we were there Sunday/Monday of the long weekend so it was beautiful serene and quiet. Being people who like to shop it was a nice change to not to worry about fitting everything in, and instead we took in the sites, beauty and history in all the architecture, the turquoise waters, the pink sandy beaches and the calm. We feel that we saw a lot of the islands and still had time to casually walk at a slow pace, and live in the beauty. We took in two different types of beaches, the first was Jobson's Cove, a protective little beach that we shared with 6 others.

The water was calm but outside of the cove we could see the waves crashing down on the rocks and hear the force of the water.

The next beach we chose was Somerset Long Bay, one that we shared with just a handful of locals. This was calm and pristine and we could walk for miles out. We dug in the pink sand, built 'hot tubs' and sand castles and giggled and laughed forgetting about all the craziness of July, forgetting about the world back home, forgetting about work and worries and loved every second of it.

There are strict laws in Bermuda to keep the nature and beauty alive throughout the years, so there is a bit of research to do before you visit. For one there are no signs on the roads, no loud advertisements. The bus stops are simple poles painted pink or blue depending on the direction the bus will travel. It is still an official colony of the UK and runs under their control, with a more island laid back feel. This is definitely not a cheap place to visit, but a place we will visit again and maybe a few times to unwind, recharge and enjoy each other while taking in the history and beauty, almost like it has a bit of a magic to it.

We added a couple of days in Boston to the end of our trip once we said goodbye to our new friends and amazing spoiled VIP trip. More history, more great food, more laughs and fun as a family on top of learning so much more about how the US was formed. We walked more than half of the Freedom Trail, saw many important and old buildings and again just enjoyed being. We spent a lot of time in the Boston Common, established in 1634 it is the oldest public park. The swan boats have been in operation under the same family for nearly 150 years, 5 generations and the 20 minute ride around the pond was the most peaceful. It was like the world stood still for that ride, we quietly sat back and took in the gorgeous oak, maple and my favourite whispering willow trees. Swans, ducks, turtles and other tourists and locals all soaked in the slow pace of the park knowing that just on the other side of this large park Boston was buzzing.

The King's Chapel another favourite along the Freedom Trail, built in 1688 which later needed to be expanded to accommodate the congregation, a beautiful Georgian style architecture. Nothing was a disappointment, everything is large, old and full of history in Boston. The people are friendly, although they do have an interesting accent and way of speaking. We decided to ride the T, their subway system, when it was too far to walk. The streets, the T and the districts are easy to guide yourself around. We even took the T to the airport with all our luggage and tired feet after 10 days of nonstop exploring.

The children loved everything about the trip, they were more than amazing with each day being packed full of many activities and the sleeps cut short. For children who are very used to sleeping 12 hours they kept up with us with little concern and complaints. Aniko fell asleep in my hands twice while we were walking which is rare and then the final evening home Gabor fell asleep on my lap. It is a rare joy for me to cuddle with them while they snooze.

Weekend getaway

2011-08-31T07:03:00.001-07:00

This weekend we packed up the vehicle and headed East!

Just over an hour NE of the city is Drumheller, a campers and child’s dream. There are so many activities and things to do and you are almost guaranteed warm hot weather any time of the summer that you visit. The plains, hoodoos and valleys are so different than the mountainous range that we see every day, and the small town is so different.

We enjoyed a wide range of activities, opting to do some new things. The cabin we rented was very spacious, with a room for each of us, a family room, deck, kitchen and in a good location of the camp ground. The only draw back is that the cabins do not have fire pits and it seemed like every camper had a fire going so we had the smoke and stink from fires but none of the enjoyments that you get from it like roasting marshmallows or more like szalona sutes. This is the second August in a row that we’ve gone, and I think we will be making this an annual event for us.

Aniko and I holding Betsy the Boa.

Gabor exploring.

Gabor proudly posing after his first ever hole in one!! Good job Gabor, that was an amazing shot!! Even Apa and I couldn’t duplicate your skill.

Kamping a Nagy szuliekvel

2011-08-26T08:29:00.001-07:00

Waking up on Sunday morning I took out a book about rock collecting, one of my favourite things to do. As Edes Anya and Apa made their morning coffee I asked if we could go for an adventure, another one of my favourite things to do.

I excitedly started to pack my sack with binoculars, water, snacks and other items. Anya said she would pack extra shoes and the rest I took care of. Aniko became very excited right away as well, so we quickly finished breakfast and ran out to the car.

We counted birds in the sky, looked for Edes Anya's favourite old cabins and island. Apu told stories and before we knew it we were at the mountains, at a campsite, and we found Nagy Mama and Nagy papa!

What a surprise, it was planned that we were to have an adventure and camp over night!

The excitement started right away! We did so much during the day that I can't even remember it all. A highlight for us was that we went up the gondola! What a beautiful site, we were so high up in the sky - on top of the world. The gondola ride was a bit intimidating, and I didn't like looking straight down but Aniko had no problems at all, I enjoyed it very much.

Nagy mama and Nagy papa found 2 playgrounds for us to play at, and we saw lots of horses, some deer and the Bow Falls. It was so much fun to be out and sleep over night, although it was hard to fall asleep together in one bed.

I collected a full box of rocks and sticks and logs and covered up a mole hole as well. The mountains are so much fun, and it was nice to camp with my Nagy szuliek and spend the time with them.

Don't order the caribou, it tastes like duck

2011-08-23T13:27:00.001-07:00

We were given a free night and a generous restaurant tab to a new favourite hotel in the Lake Louise area earlier this year that we were now able to use. Sunday morning we drove the children out for an adventure with Gabor and Aniko packed for a day trip we surprised them when we dropped them off at Tunnel Mountain campsite to spend the evening with my parents. More on that on the next blog entry once I get some photos and have them compile more stories for me of all their fun adventures.

Robb and I dropped the children off and continued on our way.

It was a glorious 28 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, most of the mountains were barren of snow and the roads were packed with like minded tourists.

Our first stop was the information booth to find things to do as a couple without children, as we always think of the fun things to do as a family it was a change and we needed some pointers. Lunch was up next, so we went for a more fancy location - an all Canadian restaurant which I want to say is new, but I'm not entirely sure.

We were lucky that Cosi Fan Tutte opera composed by Mozart was playing at the Banff Centre, mostly local talent and of course amazing music. Mozart being one of our favourite composers, hence the name of our first dog.

Afterwards we strolled quickly through Main street and then headed on to Lake Louise.

The Post Hotel www.posthotel.com was our home for the night, the accommodations were very nice and the room big enough for all 4 of us for next time. It was a two story room, mini kitchen, two baths, wood burning fireplace all the right amenities that a person could ask for. The location is great, right by a creek and very close walking distance to the Samson mall for breakfast or late night treats. The sunset was so beautiful over the mountains and we even jumped in the car after a late night dinner to stroll the lake. It was quiet, it was quaint it was so romantic besides the hum of the generator for the Chateau, that was surprising.

The next morning, after sleeping in all the way until 8! we donned our hiking shoes, grabbed a quick bite to take with us as our bellies were still full from the meal the night before and hiked up to Agnes Tea House on the other side of Lake Louise. It was so hot, and so beautiful out again, a perfect cloudless day. The hike was hard, and steep and with both of us relaxing so much this summer it was a challenge. We didn't stop once though and kept to our guns of trying to not lose our pace and within 45 minutes we were up at the top enjoying the most beautiful sites. A waterfall of the freshest water, peaceful beautiful feeling of being on the top of the world.

Tea and snacks were a near fortune and then after exploring we headed back down through an old avalanche or slide area. The boulders were massive, and full of moss - it was majestic. The walk down, at a quick pace, was only 35 minutes but we tried to encourage all the red faced tired looking people who were just now trying to make it up. I would love to go again, once the children can make it up on their own two feet though as they too would appreciate the beauty from up there.

The rest of the day was pretty quick sailing for us from there, we were ambitious of what we could do with our little time without the children and knocked a few items off. A horseback ride through the Spray river would be the most memorable! It was so windy and we trotted through the woods and through the river, near the golf course and through more woods. The trees creaked and groaned in the wind but protected us a bit from the wind. I have never seen or experienced wind like that in the mountains before, but it did keep us cool, kept the bugs away and sort of gave the horses a better hop to their strides to get back home quicker. I adore to horseback and it has been far too many years since I have last done so. After more romantic strolls and moments we ended our time alone with a horse drawn carriage ride through main street then up by the river.

The children were more than excited and have been sharing their stories of camping with the grandparents and loved their first camping trip. I think we all hope that we can do this again!!

Family Time

2011-08-18T08:54:00.001-07:00

Friday was a very fun afternoon/evening at Sue’s, dancing in the sun. Robi even took off a little early to spend some time with us sisters, jumping on the tramp, blowing bubbles, snacking and a even a little soccer game. It’s always like a holiday when we take a day trip out to see Sue and George.

The weather has been very cooperative lately giving us many opportunities to spend hours and hours outside.

Sunday we spent the afternoon and a good part of the evening at Arpi bacsi’s and Vera neni’s for some tasty treats. Vera neni’s gyulas hit the spot and after a few helpings of that we spent the full day talking and enjoying each other’s company. A major highlight for us was we were able to meet Robi’s cousin through Skype. It was so nice to meet Gabriela, her husband and mother too. They are such a friendly couple and we look forward to meeting them in person one day too.

An indoor afternoon

2011-08-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

All three of my little ones are enjoying an inside afternoon keeping
themselves busy with some favorite past-times.

Ultimate Weekend

2011-08-09T18:52:00.001-07:00

Rob is now feeling 100% and once we have a follow up appointment with our doctor this week to ask some questions we will both feel normal and back to the living as Rob says. He is much more active, does not fatigue easily and his appetite and system is back to normal. He wants to start working out to gain his strength back but we have agreed to wait until our visit with Dr Pow, but that means we are in full fledge summer mode finally. We spend every waking moment outside, whether it is our yard or out exploring somewhere else.

We drove out to Didsbury on Friday, the smallest little town north of Calgary where we surprised the children with a train ride into Calgary. Trains have always been a fascination for all of us, there are train tracks on the other side of the river from us and every day we look out to see what new engine, cars, maintenance vehicles we can find. Our last train ride was from Budapest to Subotica in 2007 and it was still one of my favourite modes of transportation. It is an interesting way to see the country side and to reminisce about how people traveled in the past more prominently.

This particular train we took on Friday was very interesting, the steam engine broke down this summer but they were using the Heritage train, a non-operational sister engine is situated outside of Heritage Park. We were in a passenger cab and also had access to another open car which was once used as a kitchen for a train leg from Canada down to New York in the 30's. The views were fun, and we disembarked in the Palliser hotel and walked through downtown as tourists with our camera bag and the traveling feeling. It was very interesting and fun to do, we hope that next year we can make sure we are available for the Banff to Calgary leg as that would be much more picturesque.

It was a weekend any child would love, we decided to surprise them with all the events rather than build up each occurrence. We had a birthday party, swim lessons and then we attended the Gatti Circus that came through town. Rob and I were not that thrilled with it, maybe only because the crowd was so small and it was hard to hear the ringmaster. The acts were fun and old school but the children have never seen an old style circus before so it was all eyes wide for them.

We finished the weekend with a trip out to Inisfail with our good friends to the Discovery Animal Park. If the weather was a bit better we would have stayed for hours to see all the beautiful large animals. We did catch a show of the many large bears that they have. They are highly trained and are in many movies, commercials and shows. The children loved how cuddly they looked and the waves, kisses and little tricks that they showed off. One bear was used in Winnie the Pooh so Gabor was twinkling with the idea that he just saw Mici Macko!!

We missed our time with Rita and Dominik, and this was a week to spend with Zita and family in Hungary, but know that will come in due time. Still hard to not think about where we would be instead.

This week the children are in a Hip Hop and Bop morning camp together and today their good friends have joined them as well. So the days are all full of giggles and laughter, dancing and joy while I am able to catch up on chores around the house and prepare for next adventures.

Perfect day at the lake

2011-08-03T11:23:00.005-07:00

Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that come at the last minute. The weather was just calling out to us, so after a quick phone call to my parents we arranged a fun afternoon outing at their lake. While Robi put a few hours in the office we took the morning to relax inside and prepare and then the fun came.

Off we were to the lake, with a great adventure ahead of us. The elephant was so much fun for both children which made the long haul of blowing it up for Nagypapa worth it!

We built a sand castle, played around in the sand and shallow water as Rob still should not swim and even rented out a paddle boat. All except Nagymama piled in for a fun and hot ride around the island enjoying the views of the multimillion dollar homes. Dreaming of what we would do with our landscaping and house if only we had the disposable income as these homeowners.

As much fun as this looks, it was a hot ride around in the sun and felt as though we were on holidays.

Aniko took on the task of pulling Gabor around for a bit, actually for quiet a long time. The adore to play with each other.

Now begins the true summer for us, with Robi feeling better and the warm weather and oodles of time. As much as we wish we were in Europe I can't complain about how wonderful the days are together, healthy and happy!!

Lazy summer days

2011-08-01T19:32:00.001-07:00

We took full advantage of the beautiful weather and the extra long weekend and were able to accomplish so much while relaxing the entire time. I chipped away on tasks that have pilled up over the last month, simple every day items like mowing, wedding, cleaning up were put to the way side. I can’t say that I missed doing those things but the catch up will still take some time. Robi is doing really well, healing nicely and getting some more energy but still taking many rests in between. Life is beginning to feel a bit more normal though as we are able to do a few more things.

My favourite was that we were able to take our first family bike ride together. Aniko still sits up in a seat on my bike, but Gabor is riding on his own. We rode our bike to the golf course today for supper, and it could not have been more pleasant.

We took three days to stay home and relax, in fact first Aniko and then Gabor came down with a bit of a flu. They ran high fevers and were cranky some of the time. So we sat around, Robi and Gabor built tons of things with the Lego while Aniko and I dressed her dolls and Barbie's. We spent a good portion of the days in the yard, enjoying the sun, trying to cool the fevers in the pool and just being. I even took some time to kick up my heels and not stress about the weeds and the other chores that need to be taken care of.

My picture perfect babes showing some love for each other

Friday we organized a little szalona sutes out in Bragg Creek. The grandparents and Elsie joined us for some walks, rests, bocci ball, szalona, great conversation, rock throwing and skipping in the river and more fun. The children made a home made teeter-totter from some fallen tree trunks! It was nice for us all to be together, yet still have that all important rest during the day for Robi. I think we all enjoyed the relaxing, sun filled, beautiful family time.

lovely slow days

2011-07-28T05:39:00.001-07:00

Robi has been home for nearly a week and is recovering well. He is still exhausted and could use naps every day if life only allowed for such luxuries. He is easing into work and is able to do about 3 hours a day. The staples were removed on Monday and that was a huge improvement in not only the way he feels but the way he looks. His posture returned along with the bounce in his step.
I am taking the steps very slowly, not allowing him to drive nor to lift the children just as the doctors advised. He believes he could do these things already but agrees with taking each step slowly. Although again this is not the summer we envisioned it is nice to have all this time together, and to take life slowly. We are enjoying everything that much more, everything seems brighter and days are so relaxed.
We stole a couple days away for ourselves, to have a couple of dates out and spa time together. We are so fortunate that our children love to spend time with my parents and that my parents still have the energy to take care of them.

Although life is moving at a slow snails pace and we are enjoying every last minute just being together as a family the children are still growing and changing at a rapid speed. Gabor has learnt how to ride a bike, Aniko has been attending summer camps and interacting in English almost as though it was her first language. This week Gabor's loose tooth finally decided to come out, with a little help from his wiggling and playing every time he was alone. His adult tooth is already half way out and looks massive next to the rest of his little baby teeth. We explained that the first tooth is a special tooth and that he will get a visit from the tooth fairy, the first tooth will bring him a bit more money than the rest but he was skeptical. He right away guessed that it was just a story and that I will be the one taking the tooth and leaving the money for him. The magic in the morning and the twinkle in his eye still showed the innocence of a five year old and as the first tooth brought a whopping $20 he was quickly planning what to spend the money on and that he also wanted to get something for his little sister. He has a heart of gold that little boy.

Today was meant to be our departure day, we are so sad to have to have postpone our beautiful trip to Europe.

Utazás halasztás

2011-07-17T12:31:00.001-07:00

Kedves Mindenki!
Mind az mellett, hogy mennyi örömöt, szeretetet és életre való élményt tudtunk volna szerezni egymásnak az Európai utunk szervezésével, mégis a Robi egészségének állapotát kell legelőször figyelembe venni és az miatt fájó szívvel és nagy sajnálattal kell közölnünk, hogy az Európai utunkat sajnos, most nem fogjuk tudni megtenni a tervek szerint, akár mennyire szerettük volna ezt elérni.

Robit tegnap délután műtötték vékony bél elzáródással ami sok fájdalmat okozott neki az utolsó három hét alatt. A vékony és vastag bélből is eltávolítottak egy darabot és egyben a vakbelét is kivették. Hála Istennek a műtét sikeres volt és komplikációk nélkül. Felépülését csak lassan fogja tudni elérni a szigorú orvosi kikötések betartása miatt, ha már egyszer kiengedik a kórházból, és csak apró lépésekben szép lassan fog tudni felgyógyulni.

Öt hétig nem szabad neki emelni semmit. Két hétig nem szabad még autót sem vezetni neki és majd csak utánna lehet a munkakörébe visszatérni. Mint mindenki tudja, az ember egészsége a legfontosabb, ezért nagyon fogunk vigyázni, hogy minden úgy történjen mint ahogy az elő van irva az orvosok által.

Bocsánatot kérünk ha valakinek ezzel a vakáció lemondással esetleg valmi problémát okoztunk, de mást nem tehettünk ebben az esetben mint lemondani az utat.
Reméljük és majd igyekszünk ezt az utat ismét megtervezni. Ha nem is az idén de majd valamikor a közeljövőben. Addig is...

Puszi
Nancy

family zen

2011-07-12T20:40:00.001-07:00

Thank you all for your concern and messages to help us get through the rough couple of weeks. Robi’s illness is now a memory, one which we all learnt from and grew and one that we hope to never repeat.

He is feeling much better, and although he was discharged and then readmitted and then discharged and then taken back to emergency for a third time I truly believe that this is now the end of it! For the last two days he has been eating well, feeling great and right now is getting back into his evening workouts.

I do have to say that out of the dozens of nurses, doctors and surgeons that we talked to none took the cake to these two special ones who seem to fix anything with the wink of an eye and a soft caress.

My parents and Elsie did a great job taking care of the children while we were at the hospital and that is something we are all grateful for. One of the weeks I took Gabor to an art/music camp in the mornings and he absolutely loved it again. We did this camp last year as well offered through the school and again he learnt so much and loved his time with his friends, old and new, and music and art. All of his favourite things!

It was a sea and fish themed camp, and they made more than a craft item a day and learnt several songs that they performed for us all on the last day. I was happy to hear Gabor's voice loudly throughout all the children, although the smiles and excitement are all that are needed.

We’ve spent a lot of quiet lovely days together as a family, I don’t want to call them low key as although we are not entertaining others we are keeping ourselves plenty entertained. The first morning that Robi was home from the hospital one of the times, Gabor called for him before 7am and of course when Rob went to see him Gabor just said, ‘Apa please just stay here with me so I can just stare at you’. We took that as a cue that they too were stressed and missed their happy normal home life and as much fun as they had with Szalma nagy szuliek nothing beats the comfort of Anya and Apa. We’ve spent as much time as we can doing all our activities together, from baking, playing, chores, colouring, crafts to going for walks or going to camp.

Now that we look at the time we have missed, and all the beautiful summer weather we could not take advantage of we are going to try to make up for some lost summer time. Mornings are kept for camp activities, bike camp being this week for them both which is going better than can be imagined and afternoons are reserved for play. Today I was able to organize an outing to Callaway park with Auntie Janine and Mitchell and all three children had so much fun. Aniko is pretty content to do things on her own which is good as the boys are so close in age and want to be alone together on the rides. Aniko found a few girls to play with here and there and for the most part we all had so much fun. Looking forward to maybe one more trip to the park this year.

in the words of Aniko–a csodaba

2011-07-06T11:40:00.003-07:00

Probálok egy kis beszámolot irni magunkrol.

Nagyon várjuk az Europai vakáciot,csak Robi megbetegedet,jelen pilanatba korházba van.

Hétfön az az 27én este Robi nem érezte jol magát,azt hittük ételmérgezést kapot,nagy görcsei voltak ésmajd végre regel fele hányt is,de a görcsök csak erösebek és erösebek voltak, elmentünk az orvosunkhoz aki szintén azt vélte hogy ételmérgezés. a Robi csak nem javult és a görcsök erösebek és erösebek lettek, bementünk a korházba, mindjárt rögenezték és megálapitoták hogy a vékonybélnél dugulás következet be, leengedtek egy kis vékony csövet a gyomrába ,ami 4 napig bent volt és azon probálták kipunpálni a gyomrát.Vasárnap délelöt kivették a csövet és joban is érezte magát,kapot enni és széklete is volt, igy vasárnap este haza engedték.

Minden jol volt,jol érezte magát, majd tegnap megint roszul let ,a görcsök vissza jöttek, habár most nem ojan erösen,most vissza bekerült a korházba és most bent lessz egy pár napot hogy a szervezet pihenjen és birják szem elöt tartani és elenörizni. Nagyon reméljük hogy minden jora fordul hamarosan.
Ma Robi jobban érzi magát, a fájások lassan megszünek,kap kétszersültet és holnapo ujra rögenezik.A közérzete is sokkal jobb ma.

Puszilunk mindenkit majd ujra jelentkezünk.

Now that Robi is feeling no pain we were able to spend a few hours together as a family. It was nice to get out into the sun, laugh, joke, talk about what happened to Apa and what has been happening in the children's lives as well. Even though these are pictures I never thought I would take, much less blog about it is a part of our lives and he just looks so fantastic.

The Unknown

2011-07-04T07:22:00.001-07:00

Nothing is more daunting than facing the unknown.

This past week has been several moments of the unknown followed by many moments of physical and emotional pain, or rather intermixed with much physical pain. Poor Robi started to feel ill Monday night, thinking that it was food poisoning we went to bed. It was a very restless night and he continued to be in severe pain. We have both had food poisoning before and it seemed like it was a classic case and just needed to run its course. Finally by Wednesday it was time to take it a step further and we took him to our family doctor. Dr. Pow was unconvinced it was food poisoning but kept optimistic, asking that if it continued to call him again in the morning.

The next day seemed worse, and although Robi does not show his pain as plainly as others I started to realize this was a bit more serious. We went to the emergency and were admitted nearly right away with no wait, however now came the long wait. He was so severely dehydrated and in so much pain that every move was difficult, every poke and moment was difficult to get past. Robi has always been a special case, not just in my eyes, because shortly after birth he had several surgeries before the age of one which the doctors have now feared that some remnant scar tissue has blocked his intestine. Hours and hours seemed to pass so slowly, with waves of emotions for me and constant pain for Robi. His severe cramps were happening every 3 minutes and there was nothing we could do, feeling utterly helpless I sat, I cried, I prayed, I tried to joke, I stared into space all while Rob tried to find a position that was comfortable for more than 30 seconds. Because of his delicate situation we needed to take things slowly and it was agonizing. Finally by 4:30 in the morning it was confirmed that his small intestine was blocked and we had a course of action to follow. First step is to try to drain the stomach and bowels by inserting a tube through the nose and use a suction to empty the contents. Without going into great details you can imagine the discomfort added on top of the cramps. It took all of Friday and Saturday to wait and see if Rob's body would fix itself. The waiting period was now the worst part of it all, and being a weekend the doctors only visited once in the morning. Surgery would be the next step if he did not heal naturally. Again the unknown and waiting was very difficult to endure but Rob's humour and confidence never wavered and he continued to be the pillar of strength in our family. Sunday's visit from the doctors brought the news we have been waiting for all week. All the tubes and IV were removed and he could slowly reintroduce liquids then solids.

Dr Quan confirmed that this blockage was caused by his surgeries as a baby. There is an alarming rate of 30% after all abdominal surgeries that could cause an intestinal blockage sometime in the person's life. This could happen as often as once a year or may never happen again for Robi. There is no science to it and nothing we can do to prevent it.

It has been a tough week, with baby steps being reasons for celebrations and some hours and pains being nearly unbearable. Rob's favourite part is that the doctors tell him there is nothing he can do to help prevent this from happening again in the future There is a lot in this world that is unknown and the mysteries of life are wondrous.

Quiet week

2011-06-30T08:16:00.001-07:00

June is a very popular month, so many little princesses were born in this month.

We had a great weekend of parties for the children, but loads of fun for us. It was Maeve's and Jennea's birthdays and we are great friends with both families, and they have older brothers Gabor's age too so it was fun for all. It was a puppy party and then a fairy-tale horse/puppet/dance party that lasted all day. It was most certainly a fun weekend.

This week the children spent one evening off at my parents for some fun in the sun and a sleepover. It was so much fun for them and a bit of perfect timing for us. We had planned to have a date night and get some things accomplished around the house but after a quick bite to eat Robi unfortunately started to feel ill. What was supposed to be a quick dinner has turned into a three day bout of food poisoning. So the rest of the week he has been trying to feel a bit more comfortable and we have been keeping low key in the things we do.

First day of summer holidays

2011-06-28T08:02:00.001-07:00

Today was the perfect start to the children's summer vacation. We started with a mosquito infested morning treasure hunt into our forest.

Gabor and 3 of his good friends at school have been talking about a treasure hunt for months, they packed for it, they created a map and they planned it out all by themselves.

So I arranged for it to be the first day of their summer holidays to kick off the fun and their map actually took them to a little treasure as well!! It was so exciting for them to find the little box with the jewels in it and because of the bugs we all ran home and the children dolled themselves up in their new jewels. I had some crafts and snacks for them waiting along with some cool water and coffee for us ladies. It was a lot of fun, and we all had a really, really good morning.

It is fun and rewarding when you can make a child's fantasy become reality.

Sleeping Beauty

2011-06-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

Little Aniko has been enjoying the sun and the fresh air a lot lately that dinners have been a bit of a challenge some days.

First day of Summer

2011-06-21T08:17:00.001-07:00

Mornings are my special time to take a moment to myself. I start the day with running Brahms around our quiet little forested area. As it is pretty early in the morning I don’t venture too far into the deep woods alone, and on many occasions I have seen the deer and heard the coyotes. It is the most peaceful way to start a day and unless it is really pouring we both look forward to it.

This rain has been good for one thing, the lush green woods are beautiful. The grass is so tall I often lose my 100 lbs. dog and just see the grass moving like a giant snake is making its way through.

First official day of Summer was a memorable one. The sunrise was gorgeous and it was sunny and bright without a cloud in the sky for our walk. Here's to a beautiful summer ahead, enjoy the promise of it today.

Who wants muffins?

2011-06-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Aniko

2011-06-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

Aniko is three!!

Our little princess had the birthday party that she has been waiting for since nearly January. Almost weekly she would ask when her birthday was and when she can have her party. She was so excited she could hardly contain herself the day of, and then the final minutes before her friends arrived seemed like an eternity to her. Very similar to Gabor’s 2nd birthday. Once I snapped the photo above it reminded me of his waiting at the window for his train birthday party to begin.

Despite the cold weather, the rain and the wind we brought the warmth of Hawaii into our house. On Friday afternoon we opened the house to 12 little children and luau'd all afternoon. Gabor led the older children downstairs and shortly there after they all donned their army hats and joined ‘Gabor’s Army’. He marshalled them to the table for lunch and cake, then back downstairs to continue their play.

With the help of my wonderful husband, my girlfriends and the good behaviour of our children we had such a fun day celebrating our little princess. We did party right up to their bedtime spending the last hours with the closest friends enjoying how well the children play and a bit of adult time too.

Saturday was the family party, and her actual birthdate. We made some Hawaiian food, gave everyone a lei at the door and kept the theme going all weekend. Mom baked the cakes for us, and I was able to decorate both similarly but had a bit more luck with the colours on the second cake. The green cake was made the night before and the colours ran and melted down the side giving it an eerie look.

Aniko, you have been such a light for us and enhanced our family in the last 3 years so much. You are a true princess in our eyes and make us laugh each and every single day. I love how close we are, and adore the kisses, hugs and love you shine on us. I look forward to each and every day and moment with both you and Gabor and count our lucky stars how fortunate we are to have two amazing children.

Happy fathers day to my wonderful father, father-in-law and to Robi. You are all three amazing fathers, the pillar of strength in each of our households.

Naughty boy;)

2011-06-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

Gabor explained today that he and his girlfriend are excited for
Aniko's party. They are scheming to lock themselves in his bedroom so
they can smooch.
Look at that smile!!

Gaborday

2011-06-11T06:15:00.001-07:00

Thursday has been dubbed ‘Gaborday’ by our neighbours. They have two little children the same age as ours and Noah always asks every day, all day when can he play with Gabor. Thursdays are our quiet day, where I was staying home and getting things done around the house and having a bit of relaxing time with the children. Lately as we pull up after school we see the neighbours waiting either in the window or on their front step and then the smiles begin.

It is great to have such great friends so close, we feel so comfortable with them and the children generally play really well together. There is never a dull moment, or quiet time at our house.

This week we had such warm weather that we were already able to use the play pool. Adam blew it up for us and I filled it with warm water, thank goodness for the hot water tap outside. They loved the slide, the snacks in the water, the soaking up the sun.

Gymnastic winners

2011-06-10T12:45:00.001-07:00

This week the children received their certificates for their gymnastics course. Each child was treated like a star, given an award and had a taste of Olympic stardom (in toddler form). Congratulations children in working your hardest, showing us how much you love this sport and both graduating onto the next level! We are very proud of your achievements.

Robi attended Aniko’s class and she was a doll, showing him everything she learnt and being the little sweetheart. I love that Robi is the special dad who always makes it out to see at least one class of each and every activity of the children’s and is very hands on, being more than just a statue on the sidelines with blackberry in hand. Robi gets right in there, in his suit and all, he is truly an amazing father.

We have one last class where we bring a friend, these two classes should be interesting and fun. I’m really looking forward to it, Aniko choose Hannah to bring and Gabor asked Kye. Our activities are slowly coming to an end and we are in the final weeks of school as well. I am so excited for the summer this year that I can hardly contain myself, I actually have reminisce feelings from when I was young and was waiting for my summer break.

Happy Birthday

2011-06-08T08:58:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to the most admirable man I know and to one of the best sisters a woman can have. Elsie and Robi share a birthday and the whole house has been singing Happy Birthday for the last 24 hours in every language we can. We celebrated Robi’s birthday last night with his family and are looking forward to the weekend celebrations.

Bogrács … goes round and round

2011-06-05T21:27:00.001-07:00

Aniko had a concert at the Mount Royal University this weekend where she performed “The Wheels on the Bus” for all the proud parents and other children who took part in the Kodaly music group. She had great fun this year with her friend Hannah, and she loved all the instruments she could play and all the singing and dancing. It was a joy to be in the class with her, and the concert was just the end of this chapter. She went on stage, pointing out all the fun little things on the floor for her girlfriend, the tape for the landmarks, the lights on the stairs etc. Once the music started she danced around with her hula hoop following the instructor and then Hannah started to point out more markings on the floor and another little girl lost her shoe as she jumped in and out of the hula hoop so it was full of distractions and fun. It was one of the cutest performances I have ever participated in and was proud of my little budding star. Home we went to have a little gathering, supper with the grandparents and Elsie where Aniko performed for everyone, and even sung her little song.

Bravo Aniko!!

Sundays seem to be our day, second bogrács of the season was awesome. We had perfect weather and had the pleasure of spending the day with Elsie too. Gabor asked her to spend the night and the morning started right away with games and fun. Once it was decided what the bogrács was going to be….Slambuc bográcsban….we gathered ourselves together and started the fun. Once the fire was on it was nothing but play, play, play for us while Robi continued to work on the castle, with a little play on the side.

This is the life, I can’t think of a better way to spend a gorgeous Sunday.

I was the fire breathing dragon and Gabor the knight took me down with one swoop of his sword, but as he came in for the victory stand he overlooked that I was wearing a protective shield so I was able to get him in the end….tickles and giggles non-stop.

Elsie came around the corner and had her battle as well…both of them won and we all revelled in the giggles and laughter.

While Aniko napped, the three of us cooked, did some gymnastics, played around, Elsie and Gabor made a sand village in the sandbox. Brahms enjoyed a rub down and it was all so glorious.

Then Mom and Dad came in for a nice visit and supper. They brought a few treats for the children that they brought back from their trip down south so the fun just continued. It was like Christmas in June.

Thanks for staying the weekend Elsie, we all had GREAT fun!

FIRE

2011-05-31T18:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday we took advantage of a down day to have our first bogracs of the season. First thing in the morning we started the fire and then I made a tasty bogracs while Rob worked on the finishing touches to the Castle and I dealt with the pond. We had more than a week of solid rain so the pond was a mess and needed to be taken apart and put back together. The children were so content to play and help us out in our chores as well. It was a great Sunday, and with the fire we had no bugs to ruin our fun. Some good friends came in the evening to enjoy the fine eats, drink some wine and share in some conversations. I think this may become a Sunday tradition this year.

First Bogracs for 2011

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This weekend we attended Mitchell's 5th birthday party done in the most fabulous Star Wars flare. The children had so much fun participating in a Jedi Training afternoon and taking down Darth Vader. It was a lot of fun for us as well to visit now that the children are old enough to play well on their own with little supervision. Happy Birthday Mitchell, love you lots!

13 beautiful, blissful, sweet and wonderful wedded years

2011-05-31T09:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary my Sweet Love!
For you, I thank the Lord above
You’ve given me hope, inspiration and truth
Because of you I feel never-ending youth
When heavy storms have come our way
Your love has always made me stay
Each morning I wake and see your face
I know in you, I’ve found my place
Our bond is extraordinary, beautiful, and real
It’s remarkable how wonderful you make me feel
We belong together, you and I
That, the world cannot deny

13 years ago we shared our vows to become one on paper as we are and always will be in our hearts. What a magical day that was, and the beginning of all our special days together. What a journey this has been, what wonderful memories and life we have shared. Thank you my love, I love you forever and always!

We spent our evening enjoying a beautiful meal at Raw Bar, followed by many drinks. I came home to an amazing bouquet of 12 red roses and one white tied with the most dainty pink ribbon and a stiff drink to celebrate. It was a wonderful evening spent sharing many stories and great conversations, I cherished every minute of it. We certainly have found our soul mate and we will never take that for granted.

Worm Walk

2011-05-27T16:29:00.001-07:00

Into each life some rain must fall.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Magic fun

2011-05-24T19:56:00.001-07:00

This weekend was a grab bag mix of all sorts of fun for us all. After the children went to bed we had a bit of a ‘double date’ in our living room. Oooo the soft cheeses, the wine, the 4 types of palinka, more fruits and cheeses in front of the fire. What a great evening of sharing stories, laughs and good treats.

In the morning the boys put on one heck of a magic show, dressed to the nines and pulling out all the stops. Us girls couldn’t help but be amazed.

The rest of the weekend was about play dates and fun for the whole family. We had little Mitchell over for a spell, we caught up more with Lonnie and Janine and enjoyed a coffee with them. Then the afternoon we opened the house, the yard and all sorts of fun came when our good friends came over.

What a treat for us all, but those mischievous little girls played in the sandbox so long that we were thinking they were soon going to turn into sand, so up to the bath they went. The funny thing about that is that today we had a play date at their house and the girls disappeared into the master bath and started to get ready for a warm bath, I guess they enjoyed it so much.

We also played with another good friend, running around in the playground then back to their place once the rain came. The hours just fly by so fast that we feel like we have such little time to visit, and then we need to run already to get our cuties into bed. Life is great, it is like a holiday every day.

It was a long weekend here in Canada, and it all worked out great with us. We had all our outdoor activities when it was warm and sunny and then Monday the rains started to hit and the grey clouds. They haven’t left yet, but that just makes for fun crafty days.

Monday the children played with Lassu Nagyszuliek while we stole away to a movie, then all of us went back to Elsie’s to celebrate Sue’s birthday.

The children had so much fun, and by the looks of the photos and the gleam in their eyes they were so happy to have that time with the grandparents.

Then off to Elsie’s where it is always a party, this time with many new outfits and costumes for them to try on and parade around in. Yum what a treat of an evening it was – Happy Birthday Sue, it was a fun day and I hope your year is just as great!

Éreztem, hogy szeretsz engem

2011-05-22T18:31:00.001-07:00

Álmok között éltem,
pirultam, ha veled beszéltem.
Mi történhetett nem tudom?
Ezt én már nem értem.

Rólad álmodozom,
az arcod mindig látom,
ha szerelem lesz én azt hiszem
a szívem odaadom.

Refr:
Álmomban veled jártam,
hideg volt és én mégsem fáztam.
Éreztem, hogy szeretsz engem
és a szíveded adod nekem.

Rólad álmodozom,
az arcod mindig látom,
Szerelem ez vagy bolond lettem?
Hogy mi történt nem tudom.

Álmomban veled jártam,
hideg volt és én mégsem fáztam.
Éreztem, hogy szeretsz engem
és a szíveded adod nekem.

Refr:
// Álmomban veled jártam,
hideg volt és én mégsem fáztam.
Éreztem, hogy szeretsz engem
és a szíveded adod nekem. //:

Feeling blue

2011-05-18T12:17:00.001-07:00

All three of my family members dressed themselves before they saw each other and they all matched so perfectly today, along with the colour of the sky I couldn’t help but snap a photo of my sunny morning. Such a beautiful way to start the day.

Spring fun with the gang

2011-05-17T18:19:00.001-07:00

Life can not be exciting enough for these children, we are going from one play event to another these days. We have the best neighbours with children close to the same age as ours, so every afternoon in the backyard turns into a neighbourhood party. Another great thing is that almost all of Gabor’s good friends at school have little siblings the same age as Aniko. So picking up Gabor from school is even a party for the little ones.

Spring has been a fun one so far. Today Gabor said it looked like we were in a story book because the trees are starting to turn green, I thought that was pretty expressive. Today was also a first for Aniko as she was left all alone, without her big brother or any family member with the neighbours and their two children. She biked, she played in the sandbox, she lounged on the hammock with their dad and communicated really well according to the parents. They were able to understand her, and asked her to repeat a few things in English and were impressed with her speech.

lax weekend

2011-05-15T19:17:00.001-07:00

This weekend we had high hopes of some fun activities, but somehow a little bug took over the house and wiped us of energy. But that didn’t keep us from having fun.

A low key weekend at home proved to be exactly what we needed. We took care of some yard work, visited with Rob’s parents and brother and family, spent time indoors watching a movie and drinking some tea and the most fun – for me anyway - was my first solo BBQ experience.

This is an activity that is notoriously kept for the man of the house but Saturday Robi was busy redesigning the sandbox so I silently took the deed on. I LOVED IT! What fun it was to be out in the sun, in the fresh air and in between watching the pot roast and veggies I ran around like a kid with my children. I feel that I may take advantage of our beautiful BBQ set and cook more dinners out on the barbie.

Spring has sprung!

2011-05-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

Birds have been chirping with joy, not from the cold; the animals are coming out from hibernation; people are up at all hours of the day walking towards the river; we see more and more landscaping, carpet cleaning, window washer trucks and soon I feel we will hear the ice cream truck coming through the neighbourhood.

Spring has officially, finally, sprung in Calgary.

More little tulips and crocus flowers are popping up along with the sometimes pretty dandelions, the grass is turning green and the trees are just now visibly budding. It feels as though it took forever for me to finally feel the warm spring weather and the need to pull out the sunblock and sunhats but it is finally here. Rejoice Calgary the long winter months are behind us.

Today is a day of spring cleaning, packing up the winter hats, scarves and gloves (yes seriously they were still used even a couple of weeks ago) and cleaning out the yard and BBQ.

I am looking forward to an afternoon of lounging in the warmth as Aniko is taking her nap this morning and we have some friends coming over for the afternoon. Robi even took some time off yesterday so we could enjoy some of the world famous ice cream in Cochrane in the warm sun, although it was a bit windy it was still really nice to steal those hours away as a family.

This week we have been doing nothing but enjoying ourselves, from celebrating a friend’s pregnancy with some girlfriends to celebrating the 2nd birthday of Aniko’s best friend little Maya. Some joyous days are ahead of us, lets all enjoy the spring with a little BBQ and wine today.

Mother’s Day

2011-05-10T20:56:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother’s day to my two moms.

This year I was unable to spend Mother’s day with my moms but spent the day with many other moms at the church. We attended a beautiful lunch with the best entertainment and the most handsome waiter anyone could ask for.

Robi did so much to make my day as enjoyable as he could. From waking early with the children, to preparing breakfast and coffee, to spoiling me in the best way that he knew that I would appreciate to even volunteering with the church to waiter and clean up for the lunch, and to be photographer extraordinaire. The day started out wonderfully for us all and then the clean up just went on forever, I felt as though poor Robi would never emerge from the hot, steamy, church basement kitchen. But then he did with no less of a smile, no wrinkle in his shirt and his tie still done tightly and looking as smart as he did when he entered, 4 hours prior. Wow, am I lucky a lady or what!

The children both performed for the Hungarian School and Kisjegvirag dance group. They smiled on cue, they danced on cue, they enthralled everyone, on cue. I didn’t stop hearing about how cute Aniko was as she is BY Far the youngest and smallest and never has any stage fright. That little one is going to be a performer in some form, we just need to figure out what form that will be. Gabor too has very skilled feet well beyond his years, and with a little more instruction he will be an amazing dancer, and he too is a great performer, never showing any stage fright. I was a very, very proud mother. After each performance the children came down to present me with a flower stem, and the last stem Gabor took to our good friend Ildiko who unfortunately was at another table. My heart was just melting by this time.

Once finally home, I spent the evening reading through our blog entries and remembering all the stages my wonderful children have gone through and refreshing my memory of all our fantastic days. I have to say that I am the luckiest MOM out there!!

The Hungarian phrase that they performed with the rest of the iskola (that they both memorized with little to no help):

Ispilang, ispilang,

ispilangi rozsa

koszonteni jottunk

ma van anyak napja

Tulipan,tulipan

allj be a csoportba,

szep majusi reggel

mosolyogi anykankra!

Nefelejcs, nefelejcs

kek nefelejcs aga,

hajladozzal szeppen

anyank ablakara!

Gábor's first 2000 days

2011-05-06T22:42:00.004-07:00

2000 days ago our life was enhanced as Gabor entered the world.
He changed us all, us to parents, others to aunts and uncles, others to Grandparents and all of us to extremely fulfilled happy people.
This has been the greatest journey we have ever been on, every day giving us new joy and new things to look forward to. He is the most amazing boy, always so helpful, courteous, curious, adventurous, smart and witty. His sense of humor is unmatched, his strive for understanding all in the world and the amazing hugs and kisses that he can give are all treasures.
Thank you Gabor for these days, we love you so very much and can't wait to see what the next 2000 days hold. And thank you Aunty Elsie for counting each and everyone of those days for us ;)

Gábor 2000 days

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Same pictures just embedded into a small format right here.

Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-05T19:41:00.001-07:00

This year we had our good friends over for Cinco de Mayo, it is great fun for the whole family as the kids have little ones their ages and now they are at an age that we don’t have to worry about them and we can sit back and enjoy an evening together as well. Although it ends a lot sooner than it did in the past it is still fun to have a full Mexican night. I am sure once the dog is ran, the exercises are done and the evening chores are complete I will have a shot of tequila yet to celebrate the day.

Today was also a big day for the children as it was Aniko’s first dental appointment and Gabor had another fabulous cleaning. He is such a ham, they asked him to put up his hand if anything hurts and he just kept putting it up and cracking jokes, nothing hurt of course and neither child has any issues or cavities. Aniko was perfect in her seat, from the moment she sat down until they said they were done she kept her mouth open as wide as it could go. They left the dentist with toys in hand, teeth that glistened like diamonds according to Gabor and a very happy and proud mother.

Home we came to find the very first flower! To my surprise it is in our own garden, a sweet little crocus peaking its way through the cold hard ground, and just around the corner from it is the last little pile of snow.

Look out Emeril Lagasse

2011-05-03T18:20:00.001-07:00

Gabor has a true love for cooking, baking and preparing any types of food, and he continuously surprises me every day.

He now pretty much knows what we have in the house at any given time and asks to prepare the lunches for him and Aniko. Today he took extra special care in arranging the extra slices of cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes around the plate to look like a smiley face to house the sandwich. I did nothing more than slice the vegetables today as he uses his stool to get around the kitchen and get the items he can not reach and puts together the most tasty plates.

Father, Mother and Daughter day

2011-05-03T10:01:00.001-07:00

Do you ever feel like you are living a dream life?

We are such a fortunate family, we have so much love and everything we do seems to be fun, not a chore. This weekend was a low key relaxing weekend where we were able to spend a lot of time just us together. Robi and I cooked a fantastic meal together, an action that we rarely do together, from picking the meal, cooking and cleaning up as a team. It was a fun task on it's own, nice to share the kitchen and wonderful that the children were playing together alone in the basement with no problems. Weekends like this remind a person of the importance of the little things.

We also had some alone time with Aniko as Gabor was invited to a birthday party. Off he went with the child's parents to the bowling alley, and as the two boys had so much fun and Gabor was so well behaved he was invited to stay for dinner. Which meant we had all afternoon with Aniko. Just a day for her! We did one of her favourite things - swimming! We spent a glorious time jumping around, swimming, and I even came out of the warm water to snap a few photos. Afterwards we went for dinner, Mexican of course, then home to toss a ball back and forth. I hope we can plan an afternoon with Gabor soon, but he has so many favourites it will be hard to narrow it down.

Honeycomb

2011-04-29T14:01:00.001-07:00

When the children were younger many people thought we named Aniko – Honeycomb and Gabor – Cowboy, it was truly silly actually. We mentioned this story to the children just recently and now Aniko has nicknamed herself Honeycomb. She introduces herself as Honeycomb and at times gets uptight if I don’t call her that.

My routine lately has been that I wake up early, run Brahms then home to make breakfast and get the day started. Usually everyone is still asleep but today it was a bit later and Rob was in the shower, Gabor woke up from his radio alarm and headed downstairs to greet me. We were all in a great mood, it was a perfect morning. Then to finally wake up the last member of the family. As I was heading upstairs I saw her light was on, she was a busy little girl this morning. She made her own bed and pulled her doll bed over to her dresser so she could pick out an outfit. Stripped her PJs, folded them and put them to the side, put her diaper in the corner and was just looking for socks. What a site! and what a great morning that just continued to get better and better!

Happy Friday everyone, enjoy the weekend!!