Our home...

  I had posed the question on here and on Facebook about what you guys would like to see from me this coming year. And someone on Facebook asked what our home looked like. If you didn't know that I had a Facebook page for the blog Here is a link to take you there. I do post things on there that I sometimes don't share on here.

  Anyway, back to our home. We live in a three bedroom apartment. I love our little cozy home. We live in a building with 6 apartments, including ours.

  I filmed a little walk through of our home. Excuse the quality, my camera died right at the end, so I had to switch to my cell phone. But, it will give you a general idea of what a typical Hungarian apartment looks like.

  I hope you enjoy!

My New Years goals

    Let's take a moment and think about how fast 2016 went by! Crazy fast! I hope all who read my year in review enjoyed looking back with me. After I would do a post I would remember more that happened that I didn't mention. 2016 was a year of many ups and downs, but overall, it was a good year. 

    
    As I look forward to 2017, I think about all that I would like to see accomplished. Then I have make my mind come back down out of the stars and think more practically. I think goal setting should be obtainable yet challenging, both physically and spiritually. If you set unobtainable goals you get frustrated and give up. I have done that a lot! So, this years goals are more practical. 

     Here are a few of my goals that I have set for myself. 

1-Pray more.

I have a prayer life, but like most people, I would like to strengthen it. Prayer is such an important part in the Christian life, but often the most neglected. 

2-Get better in Hungarian.

 This next year I would like to be able to learn even more Hungarian than I did this year. I'm an extreme beginner still, but hopefully by the end of 2017, maybe I'll just be a beginner. :)

3-Spend more quality time with my family. 

It's easy to live with people without actually spending quality time with them.  

4-Try to be more active on my blog.

 Have you guys seen Mom's Night Out? It is one of my favorite movies! The main character is a stressed out mommy blogger that desperately needs a break. She gets her break but it doesn't turn out the way she planned. If you haven't seen it, it is worth watching. Anyway, the other day Maryanna came up and asked what I was doing on my computer, and I told her I was doing a blog post. She then goes on to call me a "Mommy blogger" I just laughed and thought about Mom's Night Out. So, I said all that to say that I enjoy blogging and I'm going to try my best to do more of it!

What are some of your goals for this next year? I know mine are basic, but you have to start somewhere!

Also, what are some things that you would like for me to talk about on here? I know a lot of it is about my family, but I would like to branch out and blog more than just about us.

Lastly, thank you for taking the time this year to read about my random thoughts and babblings. :)

 I hope The Lord blesses you all in this New Year!

Looking back, part 3

This will be the last of the end of the year review! I have enjoyed going down memory lane with you guys. :)

October:

Marty started language school in October! It was the first of many semesters he has ahead of him. October I also gained a pre-teen! Eli turned 12. It doesn't seem possible that he should already be 12. 

His first day of language school!

My handsome young man!



November:

November brought cold weather, a trip to the States and a visit from my Sister-in-law! My Mom had to have surgery on her carotid artery, so I went back for two week. It was the longest I had ever been away from my family and also the first time to fly by myself! It was certainly an adventure. I'm very thankful to report that she is recovering nicely!

  We had a great time with my sister-in-law. She's a very special person whom we love and miss very much.

Eryn also turned 9! My baby is growing up!

Eryn and her Pawpaw!

Mena and the gang!



December: 
We have made it to December already!! December is a busy month for us. Marty and I celebrated 14 years of marriage! As I think back on these 14 years, I see all the laughs, hugs, kisses, a few disagreements :), our three blessings, the countries we lived, and all the other things that come along with it. I love him so very much!

Maryanna turned 11! She is a beautiful young lady inside and out! On Christmas Eve the girls and I got to go to the church to watch the masters prepare a traditional Hungarian Christmas meal, stuffed cabbage rolls! The girls and I enjoyed helping and watching. We also enjoyed eating them on Christmas day with the church here. Christmas is my favorite holiday for many reasons! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

 My love and I!

Maryanna is 11!
Tomorrow I will share some of my goals for next year. 

Looking back, part 2!

Today will be part two of our year in review! I did January-April yesterday. So, lets hop back on memory lane!

May:

May was a month of us getting adjusted to being here in Hungary. Trying to find our way around town, figuring out what was what when it came to grocery shopping, and passing out John and Romans. 

Eryn was my visitation partner!


June:

June was the month our pallet arrived! It was a big headache to clear it past customs, but in the end we were glad to have our things. I turned 32 in June. I have no problem telling people my age, I'm glad the Lord has given me 32 wonderful years.

July:

July we helped with vacation Bible school. It was so much fun! It was hot and tiring, but worth it! July Marty turned 33!

August:

August was back to school for us! I home school, and this year I have a 4th, 5th, and 6th grader! Marty has stepped in and is helping with some of the subjects to help me with the work load. I greatly appreciate him helping! 

September:

September our pastor and his wife came for a visit! We really enjoyed our time with Bro. and Mrs. Graham. We got to show them around town and also take a train ride to another town in north Hungary. We got to know them better and feel closer to them from their visit. We are looking forward to when they can come back!

October:

Tomorrow!!  :)

Looking back...

As I think back over this year, my mind and heart go a million different directions. This has been a very eventful year for our family and ministry. So, for the next few days I would like to share a short review of our 2016. I would also Like to share some of my goals for 2017!
 

 2016 Overview

January:

What a month January was! This was the month that God laid Hungary on our hearts. We had been waiting for months for our paperwork to be approved for Greenland. Shortly after God miraculously worked out a trip for Marty and I to go to Serbia and Hungary, we got our final no from Greenland. We were so very lost at what to do. We had invested so much of ourselves into Greenland. Should we continue being missionaries? If so, then to where?

Marty and I in Serbia!

February:

 We watched God do amazing things for us on our trip. Once we got back from our trip we took some time to pray about what the Lord wanted us to do. We didn't want to just jump at the first thing that came available. By mid February we knew that God wanted us in Hungary. It was exciting and nerve-raking all at the same time.

March:

March was filled with packing, packing and more packing! We shipped a small pallet here to Hungary. It was like playing a giant game of Tetras. March was also the month we said see ya later to my parents. You figure after saying bye so many times it would get easier. Well, it doesn't. 

The pallet!

April:

Moving month!! April 13th we had our sending service at Victory Baptist. Saying bye to them was just as hard as saying bye to family. Well, they are family! :)  April 16th we started making our way to Hungary! We had a misunderstanding in Paris at passport control, so we were delayed one day. But we arrived safely in Debrecen the 18th. For the first week we were here Eryn was really sick. I think she picked something up along the way. The on April 27th I got to experience the hospitals here in Hungary! I sliced open two of my fingers trying to open a new knife. I took a chunk out of my first finger and filet my middle finger, I got 8 stitches in my middle finger. Now I have my battle scars. It's safe to say that the knife won! 

See ya later to Mena!

My freshly stitched up fingers!

May...To be continued!! Tomorrow... 

Snow!

We got some snow today here in Debrecen! The kids loved it. So, of course, I had to get out with them and take some pictures.

One of my favorite poems growing up was, Snowball, by Shel Silverstein. The girls brought in their "pet snowballs" so, I had to share it with the girls. They thought it was great, so, you guys get to read it, along with some cute pictures of our kids. :)

My handsome young man

Gotta catch some snow!

Silly girl

AHHHHHHH

They sat down to make snow angels, Eryn said, Mom my bottom is cold! 

Snow angels!

Snowballs

A little homeschool honesty...

Okay ladies, let's be honest, how many of you have ever felt like you would so lose on the tv show, Are you smarter than a 5th grader? I don't think I would last very long on there at all!!  And yet, here I am homeshooling a 4th, 5th, and 6th grader?! Shocking, I know! :)

This last week in school was a rough one. We are in our sixth week school, and it felt like we had been going to school for half an eternity. to sum it up...one rough week!

On Friday my guys take quizzes on what they learn during the week. They did okay on the tests, but some of them were like pulling teeth! As a teacher I felt like a total failure! It seemed like they couldn't remember anything that they learned.

So, it was time for a change!

Either I swallow my "super mommy" pride and admit that I needed help, or have a total break down of our schooling. I decided that my pride had better go! 

I have always known that kids all learn in different ways. And, my guys are no different. It's funny, but I think all my guys learn in different ways. :) Eryn can usually read and understand, Maryanna is a very visual learner and hands on, Eli is a mixture of both! So, it was time to incorporate that into our schooling. I know, "Why didn't I do that sooner?" Well, I just didn't. Not a good excuse, but it's the best I got! 

Math is a subject that my kids have struggled with. So, as a change, I have found different you tube channels that explain it ways that my kids understand. I incorporated the videos into our school today, and boy what a difference! I saw the lights go off in their heads as they understood something that I was having trouble explaining to them. It took a goofy guy dancing about fractions for Maryanna to grasp the facts. Hey, I'll watch the goofy guy dance all day if it means my guys are learning!!   

I had to swallow my pride, admit my guys weren't grasping the facts by my teaching them alone, and change my thinking on things...all in one weekend! But, believe me, It's worth it! Today has been a smoother day in school than we have had in a long time. Yes, our school days are longer, but if they are learning, I'll take it!

I hope my honesty has helped someone. We are all human, we all make mistakes, so, let's own up to them, correct them, and head in the right direction! 

I hope you have a happy Monday homeschooling Momma!!

Homemade honey mustard sauce

It's been a while since I shared a recipe with you guys!

We have done really good not really missing many foods from the States. But, the other day I made a salad and started craving a nice creamy honey mustard dressing to go along with it. I really didn't want to go go into town to try to find a dressing so, I decided to try making my own.

So, I started searching my recipe app called Yummly. As a side note, I highly recommend this app! One of my favorite thing about Yummly is that you can put in any diet restrictions you may have and it pulls recipes of the internet with your specifications! I have a dairy allergy, so all my recipes are dairy free! Anyway, I digress!  Below is a link to the honey mustard sauce that I made. Let me tell ya, it's amazing! I have literally made it almost every day since I found the recipe.

My batch I just made! 

http://easypeasypleasy.com/2015/07/14/easy-and-delicious-honey-mustard-sauce/

I hope you and your family enjoyed it as much as my family did. Tell me what you think about if you decide to make it.

Some things I've learned...

Today is a holiday here in Hungary, so we have enjoyed a nice calm day here at home. So as we relax I thought I would share a few things that I have learned while Marty and I have been missionaries.

These are just some practical things I've learned through the years. It sounds funny, to me, to say years, but we have been missionaries over 10 years!! We spent a little over 5 years on deputation, I know, that's a long time on deputation, I guess we had more to learn than others. :) We spent right at 3 years on the field in Greenland. We took an extended furlough for 2 years. Now we are approaching a month of being here in Hungary!! Now that I've given you a quick summery of the last 10 years of my life, here are few things I've learned along the way. :)

*Take time for family! This is such an important thing to keep in mind. We try to have a family night on Friday. We usually will watch a movie or play a game together. Or you could stop on the way home from church, in the rain, to look at snails. :) Yes, that's what we did Sunday afternoon. And, yes, we enjoyed it!

Snail convention

*Let your kids miss "home".  This might sound odd, but hear me out. We live several thousand miles away from all that is "normal" for us. It takes time to adjust. Most of the time adults adjust quicker than kids do, sometimes it's the other way around. When we first moved to Greenland our kids were young, ages ranging from 3-6. So adjusting for them wasn't too hard. But since they are older, 8-11, they miss the normalcy of America, they miss their friends, family, and our home church. I have held them a few times over the last month and just let them cry over the people and things they miss. We try not to dwell on what we have left behind, and we try to remind our kids that Hungary is our home. My guys do love it here and this last month has been eventful and great.

*Smile!!  Why do I say, smile? Because a smile is universal. We don't speak the language, YET! But, a smile is something that is shared worldwide. You don't have to speak the language to be friendly. We are slowly learning Hungarian, but as we are out and about, we try to use the little bit of the language we know and smile as we do so! :)

*Learn as much about the culture you can! Different country=different culture. The more you learn about the culture of the people you are trying to reach, the easier it is to understand why they do certain things. I know I have said it before but, we are here to reach the people for Christ, not turn them into Americans! Each people group have different cultures, that's what make them unique.

*Take time with your spouse! Even if it's drinking coffee at the kitchen table and just talking, take that time! There are plenty of things in this world vying for their attention, don't let the world take it.

I know these are basic things, but that's what was on my mind, so you guys get to read it! :)

Cuteness

 Eryn was my visitation partner today. She was super excited to be able to hand three people a John and Romans. We were putting them in mailboxes. I loved her enthusiasms!

Hello from Hungary!

This is my first blog post from Hungary!! We are getting settled in nicely. It was a whirlwind trip with some complications along the way, but The Lord brought us through them.

We have been here a week already! It doesn't seem that long. We've enjoyed being here and we are looking forward to the future. We have our paperwork to turn in, Lord willing, very soon. And Marty will start language school in the fall. What will we do in the mean time, you may wonder. Well, we are taking time to adjust and to learn the culture.

We are seven hours ahead of Arkansas, so that has been fun adjusting to. For a few days the kids would ask, what time it was in Arkansas, but I would remind them that we are on Hungary time now. :)  After a few days of hearing that, they finally stopped asking about Arkansas time. They are now in a good sleep routine and we are working on getting back into a school routine. We only have nine more days and we will be done with school!! I'm not sure who is more excited, me or the kids. :P

It has been neat to see The Lord work in just the week we have been here. Here are just a few pictures from our first week.

Saying, See ya later to Mena.

Eryn and Peter at the airport in Paris.

The kids and their ice cream cones

There are so many trees!!

Saying see ya later!

This past week we said bye to my parents. It never gets any easier. But there is a comfort in knowing that we are doing what we know to do. We leave for Hungary in 16 days! We had a good week with my family. It went by way to fast. We got to fish, shop, and relax.

We all caught some fish!

:)

My favorite picture!

4 generations in this picture!

HI!

A lot has happened these last few months. It has been a busy time in our family and also in the ministry.

We got a final denial in from Greenland in January. It was hard to take, but not totally unexpected. BUT, The Lord has opened another amazing door for us. Hungary! We are planning on leaving for Debrecen Hungary around April 16th! We plan on working with a national pastor there. We are excited about this opportunity that has been opened for us.

Physically I have been dealing with more symptoms, and little answers. But, Lord willing, I will have some more answers at the end of the month. I will be having a small biopsy done on March 18th. They are checking for a specific autoimmune disease.

Here are some pictures of our trip to Serbia and Hungary. I figured it would be easier to just direct you to Marty's blog, rather than having to wade through all our pictures we took. :)

Marty preaching in Debrecen, Hungary

Marty preaching in Budapest

Us, Bro. Danny Foss (missonary in Serbia) and Bro. and Mrs. Kovac and their children.