Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas in photos:

TREE DECORATING

CHRISTMAS PANCAKES

WOW! A LOT A LOT OF GIFTS MAMA!

UM... WHAT TO SAY...MY BOYS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE BJÖRKS!

OUR TASTY BOXING DAY FIKA!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

It's already December and soon Christmas...

....and many months have passed since since I have last blogged.  I know I have not been so good at keeping up with that...life just gets busy and I don't stop to take the time to add bits here and there about life here in Romania and our new family.  

So let me try and fill you in on a bit of our life the past few months:
We have been really working and loving time together as a family and teaching Laszlo about what it means to be a family.  He's now lived with me full time for a year and a half but with his Pappa just a bit under half a year and so there has been much learned and we have really seen progress in him and in school and just every day life things.  Some things are easier for him now that he's growing up and such a change from last year with even the putting on of socks and shoes that where such a source of frustration.  I also think there is something about having a Pappa.  Laszlo is more settled, sleeps better, eats better and relaxes better and all this started soon after we were married and Jonte began to live with us.  I love to see it!  It's amazing and such perfect timing and such a wonderful thing to share life together and responsibilities with someone.  

Anyways, my focus has been our family and mainly Laszlo.  He's in Romanian school 3 days a week and 2 days a week we do school at home in English and let me say that this fall has been a wonderful on compared to last year at the preschool he was attending...it was disaster!  I love being apart of his learning and watching him learn the English letters and numbers!  It's been a challenge at times but I really do enjoy being apart of his learning (in every day things as well) and having a scheduled has been good for the both of us.  
The rest of my week is spent driving some special needs children that are in foster homes to a school an hour away for them to be able to attend school a few days a week and also helping out a bit at our special needs school here in town where Laszlo also attends.  I've been helping out a bit in our warehouse to gather things for our foster families and their children.  And of course I've been going up with my good friend Katie to the hospital when I have a bit of free time to hold and love on those babies that are just laying there.  I love that part...they are so very sweet those little ones and the 2 that we have there right now are so very precious and we see make progress...little Eniko and Iosif... but I do hope that soon they can return to their families or be placed in new ones very soon.  One or 2 hours a day of holding time is not much when you are that small.  Oh Jesus, show your grace and mercy to the little ones.

In October we went for a visit to Sweden to visit my husbands family and friends of ours from here in Romania and to also share at a church and raise some more support for our continued stay here in Romania.  It was a wonderful time to see a bit of where Jonte grew up and a blessing with the Church and friends.  Plus I did a few things I've never done before like ride a long board, go on a motorcycle ride... yes I was a bit scared and held on very tight but I enjoy the Swedish forest at the same time.
November was filled with an early Thanksgiving with our team here.  Everyone brought a bit of food to share, the napkins rings where made by the kids, and the day was lovely and relaxed...it was nice.  Then Jonte and I were off to visit Colorado for Thanksgiving there, a trip to the mountains (wonderful!),Christmas tree cutting (one of my favorite days!) and a wedding reception for those back home to attend since our wedding was so far away.  It was also the time of our legal name change.  So I am no longer a Brown, I am now officially a Björk!  I will always be a Brown at heart but I'm happy to have my husbands name and proud to be apart of his family... they are lovely! 

So, now it's almost the end of this year and we have bought our tree at a place in town on the corner, helped sort Christmas boxes for our school kids and their families and others we give to during this time, decorated the tree and put up lights, driven the kids to school and shopped for my day to cook for our team, held some babies, Advent with my family, Monday night worship and cmas party with my team here, watched the snow fall last night with a very excited boy and many "oh thank you Jesus'!", gathered again clothes for our foster kids and some hats and gloves along with socks and tights for Hope and her family (a girl that lived with me as a baby for some months 7 years ago), running to the post office to mail letters and practicing for our annual Santa Lucia caroling day the 13th.  Love singing to those at the old folks home...they love it too!  You can see tears as we sing and excitement like children when our children hand them Christmas gifts... I love that my son can be apart of this service in this country; his country.  Much has gone on this month and I'm exhausted.  I'm looking forward to break time to be home a bit more with my family.  There is more to be said but I think is is long enough for now.  I'll try and add pictures during the rest of this month and the months to come.  
Lots of love to all!  May you be amazed at all my savior has done for you and the greatness of the God that can command the storm to stop and whose son came as a little baby to save us and bring us freedom all those years ago! 
Here are a few photos from these past months:


our sweet 8 year old boy

the attempt

the master


Helping Pappa

Romanian Thanksgiving

lov'n the snow...& I'm lov'n his face

Nov. 23rd from Brown to Björk

Colorado Thanksgiving with the family!

Tree cutting and chilli eating



Dad & my husband sawing away



Marghita town lights

our lovely & wonderful smelling tree!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

...the past few weeks...

Today is 2 months since I married my man! This morning I had flowers bought and dropped off just after Laz and I had finished breakfast... He's sweet that one!  And a good man as Laz would say.  I know I don't have so much time or experience to compare too, but these past 2 months have been wonderful! I'm so happy to have a husband, a family, and a home.  
These past few months have gone fast and been plenty busy.  Now the Autumn season has come, Laszlo has started school and Alex, the little boy that has been in part of our family for a few days each week for this past year, has a new home with lots of brothers and sisters!  We are overjoyed for him and we love his parents!   So now I'll post a few pictures our our move from our apartment to our new house and all our little helpers!  Plus some of life with boys and men, my 32nd birthday complete with blueberry pie (check Laszlo's face for proof :), and summer river days.  
Enjoy!



Thanks to all my moving helpers!!! 

who needs ear plugs when you have these...they are good for so many things...working or sleeping!
 
never fear! the mosquito killer is here...always prepared for some hits even while sleeping!

don't let those mosquitos our of your site or the swatter our of your hands!


summer love'n ...water and friends


lovely Alex...always ready with an incredible smile!



Monday, August 8, 2011

the day I became Mrs. Björk...

    Well, I did say that the next time I wrote that my name would be changed and I would be a wife and have a HUSBAND!  So here I am writing as a newly married woman with a new name! Oh Happy day! But I can't believe how quickly the time passes.  Lots of planning for that one day in July...  so perfect and lovely...a day I dreamed of  for many years!  Both Jonatan and I tried to take in as much as we could but there is so much to see and feel in such a short time...but we did enjoy the day and so did Laszlo too...he wanted fireworks and the got both that and sparklers so he was a happy camper.  Plus he looked like his Pappa all dressed up and looking oh so handsome!   I'm not going to write so much more tonight, I'll let the photos say the rest. I did want to post just a few so you all could get a glimpse of the day... more photos are to come when our lovely photographer, http://www.emilyelizabethphoto.com/, finishes all the editing from our wedding day!  And, since many of you were not able to be here on our day, if want a bit more description from our day, then check our our lovely friend's tale of the day: http://katieworner.blogspot.com/.  Enjoy!





    Wednesday, July 20, 2011

    ...just a few days left...

    Well I need to be in bed... but I just thought I'd post a little update since it's been just about 2 months since my last post.  It's now closing in on the date of July 23rd...which is the day I am going to become a wife!  I will be marring the man I have fallen deeply in love with and the one I continue to fall in love with each day.  He's got lovely blue eyes and is such a hard worker a wonderful bread maker and is becoming a wonderful father to our son Laszlo.  He's AMAZING!  I can't wait for my man to become my husband!  So after this weekend we will become a true and daily family... Laz will have a Pappa that will share our daily life and I will have a man to love on and a house to share with him.  So many things are changing but we are excited!  Plus my family has been here the past few weeks and Jonatan's parents as well.  We could not have put this wedding together without them!  So thank you family for all your love and support and hard work!!!  It's going to be lovely!  A blessing that we could all be together and just enjoy one another even though our visits are few and far between.  
    Ok, I will post again... but the next one will be after I have changed my name from Brown to Björk! 

    Monday, May 23, 2011

    some pictures of spring time...

    Market Sales

    baby ducks

    spring flowers from market shopping

    long dirt road thru the country side

    little white church on the hill

    castle ruins in Radna

    the vibrant colors of the fields

    white painted tree trunks

    lambs

    Monday, April 25, 2011

    Happy Easter



    Hope your Easter weekend was as relaxing as ours.  A time of being together, Enjoying the loveliness of Spring, and talking of why we Celebrate this weekend of Life and Joy!   Peace to your households this Spring! Remember the Life given in Love so we can have True life and friendship. 


    Monday, February 21, 2011

    well, it's happened...

    I now have a ring on my finger and not just any ring, my grandmothers engagement ring promised to me years ago for me to have when I met and fell in love with what was to be my man.  And now I have fallen in love with an incredible man that asked me to share his life with him and who has chosen to love Laszlo and I..... and of course I said YES!!!  




    And this is how Laszlo thought it was done: