Glorious New Year!

It's the New Year's Eve. I wish I had wiser things to say. Or at least feel grateful. But gratitude is a choice, not always a feeling. I am grateful. I am grateful for my family and my friends. I am grateful for the love of my life, for health for hope and for the gift of adventure and courage to pursue my dreams.

What have I learned this year? How have I loved?
Being in Romania at this end of this year makes me appreciate with a broader view all the gifts of 2009: the challenges of 2009, the jobs I have had and the experience I accumulated, my family from California, people that I love and treasure greatly, and people who love me unconditionally just like my own parents do. How blessed I am! We are all human, but we strive to live our lives in God's image and Jesus' example.

I have stressed too much this year. But I am learning more about the things that matter and I appreciate them more.
Maybe it's just a phase (I hope not) but I have felt more attuned to my inward voice, and I make decisions faster, call my next move easier …probably because it has happened that I didn't have as much time to process and reprocess my thoughts when facing such situations.

Today I was reading from Corinthians about "doing everything with love" [and out of love]. I wish I had done that more often. I realized that I don't love everybody fully and selfishly. And no matter how odd that it, I find it easier to love the strangers and those who are the closest to me, but not so much the people I kind of know and I don't really like them as people. It's a shortcoming of mine, and I pray God will fill me with lots of love to spare.

I have gone through a spiritual warfare this fall/winter. Under all forms. And most of the time I have waited patiently to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes the light can be seen faster than other times.
I am still not sure if the best way to handle things is to carry the burdens for as long as I can until I figure out a way to put them down gently or share them with others. Or bounce them off as they come, with no touchup… I still believe prayer can soften hard and heavy things.

I don't have much else to say right now. Except maybe that I love my brother with all my heart and strength. I also love my parents, who are weird sometimes but they have a very good heart. I am so happy I was able to spend Christmas with them this year. This was all about them and fulfilling that 'dor' and honoring them.

May God bless this new year… and may we bring Glory to Him.

Surprise trip

I'm not saying more yet, but we are planning to go somewhere new and exciting for a few days in January.
And our friends from Galati who attended the Marriage Conference in May, invited us over for the New Year's Eve party. There will be three or four couples that Conrad also knows... and most of them speak English. In the mean time we have been delighting ourselves in our solitude of 2 or sometimes 4.
We will pass through Cluj briefly next week. Hope to get to see Luca.

tricky end of the year

...Not going to the mountains this new year's eve celebration (as we used to go), tricky housing situation in Cluj in january, limited spending funds... and so we are considering going back to the states earlier... to start our new life of hard work and routine but safety and comfort.
A while ago I let myself be hurt by people who love me (and I also love and treasure very much), but didn't act in the most courteous, kind or wise way.

Eu si Conrad ne-am format un obicei, cu cerutul si oferitul iertarii (de la studiul cu tinerii casatoriti).
Se pot arunca in marea uitarii toate greselie cand se cere si se ofera iertarea.
Nu e deloc mandru sau nepotrivit sa spui "Te iert" cand cineva spune "Iarta-ma". Se formeaza un ciclu inchis.
Subconstient se fac pasi uriasi spre iertare [si impacare] cand afirmi ca ierti pe cineva.
Si dragostea inlesneste iertarea dar nu tine loc de ea.

I feel rather sad right now, and I don't know what comes next. I also feel the urge to be proactive and not feel like a victim of circumstance. We would like to visit some cool places in Europe while we are in the area... and maybe we will.

Anyway, Conrad and I have each other, and we are best buddies, and I love being around him. I think this trip has strengthened us in our oneness.. which is a delight and a blessing.

Good friends and good memories

I love these old friends ... and their sense of humor and their good hearts.






A yummy holiday lunch with mama si tata.

Church at Christmas

Christmas is here and the way people celebrate this holiday here is by going to church... all the time. So here we are, going to the morning service, and getting ready for that with a serious face.




After that we went to the evening service, where we over socialized and greeted people. That part was rich and good. It was a nice trip back into the past. So many greetings, so many smiles, so many familiar faces.

"Am mancat shoric!"

It's Christmas Eve... we were planning to meet up with Livia, but the day went by so fast. We went downtown and had hot chocolate and had a snowball fight... or a few. We sat on a bench and smooched and giggled and walked hand in hand. The snow is melting... but at least it's not as cold as it was the days before ...like minus 12 degrees celsius.

My dad came back from helping a colleague to cut the christmas pig and gave him a ride back to town... so he brought back some fresh pork meat.. yummy! We are expecting more christmas carolers... and the night is good.
Besides that I had a very good time chatting with my mom... who still amazes me with her faith and determination to do God's will and walk in on his footsteps... even in the simple day to day things.

Out on a date @ Marco Polo

I've been waiting for this date for so long. And we finally planned to go out and spend some time together, and dream and flirt and just enjoy each other's company.
We walked for about 4 miles in the snow @ -5 degrees celsius. We had ti get to this fancy restaurant with a view of the frozen Danube. Conrad had somon and persian rice with beer, and I had pizza and alcoholic coffee, followed by dessert: tiramisu and creps with chocolate and banana... yummy!
We had a table next to the fireplace on wood fire, and talked and held hands and ...we had a blast. After that we walked another 4 miles in the snow, back home. It was already dark outside.
The city is all lit, and cold and filled with people and kids. Just 4 days before Christmas and there is a lot to be done I guess.


is there a car under that pile of snow or what?

Luca - a movie star

Luca - 1 day old

Bilantz

It's Sunday afternoon and mama just left to go to work (she works in shifts: 2 morning shifts, 2 evening shifts, 2 night shifts and 4 days off). The four of us had a yummy lunch, mama said it feels so festive to eat with us every day, set up the table, think about a more complex/interesting menu than usual... and so on.

We went to print some pictures for mama si tata... mostly to have some with Luca... their very first grandson, to show off. Mountains of snow in the city, and as I walk I remember so vividly the going to school and coming how through snow moments. It's so cold out there, and people rush from one side of the town to the other, with a purpose. We are out there, enjoying exactly what they are running from. I don't like to be cold, but I am here, mesmerized by this ocean of white, of the cold brisk air, by the people... and I can't have enough of it.

After lunch we went into our room and started reading, each with our own books, in silence, lost in different exciting worlds, yet being here, in the same room, safe and rested, hearing my parents talk in the kitchen, and I feel happy.

These days both Conrad and I have been thinking and talking about the days when we were caught in the routine of having jobs. We strip our memories off of all the hard unpleasant stuff... and we idealize or take pleasure in the memories that were real and tough.
I recall many happy days, coming back from work, feeling powerful and fulfilled and independent. I would even day it out loud that I feel happy. Coming home to Conrad, who sometimes arriver before me, and I had missed him so much during the day, and so did he. I felt like we didn't lack anything. We had each other and we had netflix. We established a shopping and cooking routine... and we loved each other. It is wonderful to take a step back and look at how much we have together, priceless memories and lots and lots of fun in our first beautiful nest.

And yet, I can't and I won't wish time away. We have been dreaming together about being in Romania for Christmas, and right now, I wouldn't be happier anywhere else but here. I has been almost a month since we came to Romania. In January we'll be in Cluj, spending as much time as possible with Luca. And after that, we'll go back to our lives in California, working from early morning till evening, having no time for day naps or reading... but we'll be together and we'll continue to grow in our oneness... and most likely working on baby ;-p so help us God in His perfect timing.

Time to celebrate the birth of Luca Paraschiv

My nephew was born today: 3,65 kg and 59 cm.
My brother is a daddy and Andreia is looking marvelous on her first day as a mommy.
Luca is just perfect... and I can't wait to hold him and love him to pieces!

Christmas carolers

Last night, after dinner and after we decorated the christmas tree we heard the doorbell. Tata opens and what do you know: early christmas carolers. They were good, and many and they made our night. They were the first carolers Conrad listened to in Romania. I knew some of the young guys and galls at the door. Oh, it was such a treat!
And we went to bed and left the lights on the tree on... it felt like a christmas eve.

Today we watched a movie, went for a walk, played in the snow, took a long bath, had a yummy lunch with conrad, mama si tata, played Remi and I finally won one game... and now I am savoring my very exciting book "The time traveler's wife".
Also, Dan and Andreia are at the hospital right now. Luca is making his way into this world. This is beyond exciting and I can't wait to see pictures of him. God, please strengthen Andreia and Luca, and may they arrive safely into this world.

Christmas Tree

I haven't felt the need to decorate a christmas tree in years, over 7 years. And suddenly, this time around, having Conrad with me in my parents' house, I wanted to celebrate the the joy of Christmas, besides the christmas carols, with pine tree scent, decorations, playful lights and lots of tree decorative candy. And here we are, with a reason to take pictures in front of the tree, missing half of the family but having a lot more than usual (speaking from my parent's point of view).
Conrad feels homesick, but I try to live in the present and not think about all the Christmases I may be very far away from my parents...

On our way back to civilization...

I was sad to go... I wanted to stay and play in the snow more. The fresh air, the snowy hills, the surreal atmosphere: winter in a mountain village, up in the woods I could hear only the snow flakes landing on my ski jacket... and the cold.

last day in the mountains... and still snowing

with my parents, out in the wilderness

Violeta pe derdelush

Conrad on the slide

...more white fun

First full day of play in the snow

Going to the snowy mountains

We left Galati on Tuesday morning and there was snow on the streets by 9 AM. The drive took us six hours, when it usually takes us four hours. I am not as young as I used to be... I started to dislike these long drives. My but gets so numb.

Anyway, I could barely contain my joy... I jumped and screamed as I stepped on the snow the first time. And we had to try the backyard snow slide even after the sun had set. We played and rolled in the snow, and went up the hill and down again on the slide... got wet and fell asleep much earlier than usual.
For dinner we had "rasol cu hrean"...so yummy!
After we made the fire at home we went and visited my tween cousins and my aunt... we had a fun night together, playing with their dog and cat, chatting and eating goodies.

Women Bible study

I went to the women's bible study with my mom. I drove a stick-shift again, while outside was below zero degrees, and dark and the windshield was somewhat foggy, but this is not what my story is about.
Whenever I come back to Galati, my parents like to show me off, it's rather childish, but I go along almost always.
My parents have only two kids, my brother and I, and since I started my life on another continent, the responsibility has fallen pretty much on his shoulders, as he is the closest to them, even if about 600 km away.
Now, I am back here spending the holidays with my parents, uninterested in pleasing any of my friends or acquaintances, honoring them by spending lengthier time around 'mama is tata'. They have become the children in our relationship, in some areas a long time ago, but I see myself stretching my patience and attention, the only difference is that I'm not here to teach them anything. I'm here to love them.

Back to my women bible-study: there were about 12-15 women, all ages. I got to say hi to Rodica and Adina, two of the ladies who attended the Marriage Conference in Brasov in May. I got to see my god-mother, and meet new people that my mom befriended these past few years. They seem to know everything about me, and saw lots of pictures of me even since I got married (mom's "fault").
Some of these women have new born babies at home, and yet here they were, getting put of the house in this cold weather to get together with other women to study the Bible.
I am always impressed with the courage and patience and grace these women carry themselves with, through life. This world is not perfect and they don't have it easy, but sometimes is seems that Sacrifice and Patience and Courage is their second nature. And I never hear them complain about how hard life is. They glow with hope and kindness and wisdom. And i dare say the Romanian men, their husbands, are so very lucky!
These women's determination and courage, faith and brightness of soul is truly inspirational.

Delicious dinners with mama si tata

Conrad's new mustache look.

Game night with my parents

I never played board games with my parents growing up, but it's never too late. Conrad brought with him Carcasone and Allie brought with her Ticket to Ride, so we had a few episodes of games.

Today, after a yummy lunch (bors de pui si vita cu ardei), just before the delicious dinner (peste la cuptor cu mamaliga si usturoi), mama, tata, Conrad and I played Remi. My dad won three times and Conrad won three times (men had to impress their wives), then we taught them Carcasone. It was so much FUN. Throughout the game Conrad spoke only romanian, and my parents had a blast building roads or cities and employing their man to be mayors, road workers, priests and farmers...
In my perspective games were made up to provide a excuse for social interactions. I did not win any game this time, my mom won the Carcasone game, but I was delighted to spend the evening playing games with my husband and my parents.

Aquarium in Galati

Had a busy day today. I kept cooking and cooking and cleaning and cooking some more. I must be in a specific mood to want to cook: not too bored, not too excited and not too hungry.
At least my family is full and happy.
Every time I came to visit my parents I dreamt about the food I would cook for them and the recipes I would share with them... but I never had enough time to rest first and then start thinking about food.

Conrad is still amazing, and I am falling in love with him over again just by being here in Romania







.

Why am I here? Why Romania?

Because I know this is the ultimate gift for my parents, to come here and spend some time with them, because this is where Conrad and I fell in love, because I missed speaking my mother tongue, because I still have friends and ties that draw me back here. We don't know what the future has in store for us, and if by living in the present, for the preset we don't wrong the future, I say we live fully and happily, loving our beloved and resting.
Needless to say, in my parents house I remember so clearly how much I love Conrad. He is so patient and kind to them. He speaks romanian to them, he is polite, he patiently receive their love (however my parents know to offer it) and he helps me love them, just by being here by my side.

I woke up this morning, rested and happy. I made pancakes for breakfast and pizza for lunch while Conrad worked a few solid hours for Barefoot (graphic design). I read my exciting book "The time traveler's wife" and now I'm getting ready to take a long hot bath...

Night train back to Galati

I thought that we'll stop traveling by night, but here we were again, in the train station in Cluj at 11 PM, waiting for the train back to Galati, through Bucuresti. We dropped Allie off at the airport at noon, said goodbye, took our luggage from Coco to Liviu's place planning to stay in Cluj a few more days, but I got to the end of my energy... and I had to get home asap. We slept for five straight hours because we were alone in the train compartment. We had a snack in Bucuresti and as we were approaching Galati I started having a bad stomach ache. The train motion was not helping either. Sleep deprivation, stress, the random snacks and the long night trips by train... I have abused my body and now I am still in pain. But I finally slept a good night deep sleep...

Starbucks with friends at Iulius Mall