(Me with my Iranian friends at camp, Zhara and Abbas)

Remember a couple of months ago when I railed on about my sadness about not getting to go back to Hungary this summer?  OK, maybe you weren't with me then and I'm sorry, I'm way too lazy to go and find the post for reference.  Believe me, I did. 

(Us with the kids we taught in Hungary)

And just as a reminder, my husband and I went there on a mission trip when I was three months pregnant 2 years ago.  We worked at Word of Life Camp teaching English and loved it.  We really wanted to go back last year and couldn't because Lilla was just too small so we had always planned on going this year. 

(Us with Lilla, one of our students)

Well, the date to get our names in came and went because Michael hadn't found out about getting off at work and suddenly the trip filled in like 1 week.  Oh, how sad we were.  But, we know that God works all things to His glory so we released the desire and moved on.  Well, He really does work in mysterious ways...

About two weeks ago I got a call and email from the leader of the trip asking if we still had a desire to go because they were adding a second week.  Woo hoo!  How excited was I? 

(Group time where our team would pray, share testimonies, devotionals and sing)

Well then, of course, we had to worry about the days off again.  Not a problem, solved quickly and...drumroll please...WE'RE GOING BACK TO HUNGARY!!  We are so geeked out about it!  It will be July 27th, through that first week of August.  So exciting!  Now of course comes the hard part, raising the support.  We have to raise $3000 before we go.  Always so difficult because Americans seriously like to hold on to their money.   I think how we need to start looking at missionaries raising support is it is our opportunity to go where we normally wouldn't/couldn't go on a mission field.  It's really so exciting! 

(The Americans teaching the Hungarians baseball!)

So, if you want to say a prayer for us that God will open people's hearts and be willing to support us we would really appreciate it.  I can't wait to tell you all more about it!

(Us on the River in Budapest)

{Featured Flickr Feast by stanfisher}

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of bread?

I can't choose just one.  I seriously love bread.  I love homemade breads, and honey breads, quick breads and garlic bread.  Seriously, I am a carb addict people!

Soup
When was the last time you bought a new pillow?

Last year.

Salad
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend surfing the ‘net?

Too many.  At least blog hopping.

Main Course
What’s the highest you remember your temperature being?

104

Dessert
Fill in the blanks:  When I don't get enough sleep, I seriously lose my patience very easily, not good.

Join in the fun at www.fridaysfeast.com!

Okay, so you will all have to forgive me but I think I'm going to move over to Wordpress.  A lot of bloggers have been going there and I decided to check it out and really like it.  It is really easy to use and I was able to, in one step, take all of my blogs from Blogger over there.  Pretty cool.  The only thing I did not like about it is what a pain it is to put pictures into the blog.  I just figured out that I can use Window Live Writer for it though and easily put in pictures, awesome!

Anyway, you might want to look into it too.  It's nice for everyone to easily comment and it just is much simpler.  I think I had way too much on my spaces blog and I never liked the format for blogger.  So, there you go!

So, my new URL will be http://amyszoo.wordpress.com

See you all there!

We had such a nice time on Easter Sunday. We woke up early, got Lilla up, of course she had no desire to see this lovely display...

...as all she can think about in the mornings is a nice warm cup of boob. Yeah, I am still trying to wean the little bugger. She just wants no part of it. However, once that was taken care of, this is what happened next...

...so, nice to know my Mommy/Easter bunny efforts were not in vain.

We went to the SonRise service at church and then headed down to Louisville to visit my hubby's family. Lilla had a blast playing with her cousins...

And looked beautiful, of course, in her Easter dress!

Hope you all had a great day too!

On this Easter weekend I just want to express how grateful I am to live in a country where I can go to church on Sunday, sit in a pew, worship and go home without ever being concerned that someone will blow up the church, arrest me or torture my family, just for being there. Othere people are not so fortunate, and I think it's a good time to remember them.

I just wanted to make a mention about a country where there is persecution. While it is getting better, we need to be praying for the country of Cuba and it's leadership. While there is more freedom now, than there ever was before since Fidel Castro came to power, there is still persecution of the saints. We need to be praying for their present and future leadership. As many know Fidel Castro is very sick, the Cuban government says he's getting better, but he has been out of the public eye for quite sometime and is probably dying. Let's pray for his salvation in his last days and that God will raise up a Government that loves the Lord and wants to serve Him. 

In 2005 new legislation against house churches was introduced and many protestant house churches have been shut down. Pray that God will raise up the leaders and allow these men and women to preach in His name. Pray for redemption in Cuba.

Please pray for the persecuted church!

www.persecution.com

Appetizer
When you travel, which mode of transportation do you prefer?

Plane, get their as fast as possible.  A jet would be nice!

Soup
Have you ever met a blogging friend in person?

No, but I do have one I previously knew.  Hi Amanda! :)

She's in the middle with her now hubby!

Salad
When was the last time you were really, really tired?

This morning.  My daughter was sick and up until 1:30 last night and then woke up before 7am today.

Main Course
If you could have dinner with any one fictional character from a book or movie, who would it be?

Maybe Darth Vader.  That would be cool. :)

Dessert
Fill in the blank: One day, I hope to see __________.

a giraffe in the wild.  Wouldn't a Safari be the coolest?

I recently heard a sermon on Ruth concerning Boaz and how he was a Redeemer for Ruth.  The Pastor, Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, was extolling all men to reach out to women in their life and become a Redeemer of sorts to them.   Not redemptive like Jesus, but to redeem their broken lives.  He spoke about how God can bring someone in your life and you need to be accepting and willing instead of have a list of expectations and if they don't meet every checkpoint (i.e. never married, no kids, virgin, never drank or done drugs...you get the point) moving on.  What a great message!  It reminded me of how my husband has been a redeemer to me in terms of a life of sadness and despair, brokeness and hurt.  I never thought someone like Michael would marry someone like me.  What a gift!

All that to say, today is our 3rd anniversary, yeah us!  We've made it thus far, which in terms of 25, 40 and 50 or more years is just small potatoes, but we are proud of it!  It has gone so fast! 

Months before our wedding we found this little song, Waltz for Jennifer by FFH that we just felt said how we were feeling.  It's a bit cheesy, but really, it is perfect for how we feel.  It became our first dance.  Here are the lyrics:

Artist: FFH
Album: Ready to Fly
Track: Waltz For Jennifer
Another long day is gone
And I'm ready for another long night
Where I'll be by your side
Another long day will come
And I'll thank Jesus that I am alive and
That He made you mine

(chorus)
We belong together you and me
Holding on tight like lock and key
Going strong the way this love should be our fantasy
And I'm so glad that God made me for you and you for me

I'm having that dream
Where we are walking together along
With the sand in our feet
And I'm awake and I realize it wasn't a dream
It was reality
(chorus)

I hope you each will enjoy your marriages too!

So, I thought I'd give a little update here.  I was thinking about my blog a while ago and how I would like it to be a historical reference of sorts for me and for Lilla, later on.  I look back at the past several months and am amazed at the steps Lilla has grown and how wonderful that I have documented so many.  I think I will print this out at some point in case it somehow gets erased.  I guess that is another nice part of having two blogs, if one gets erased you have the other to fall back on!

Anyway, I put a new song on Spaces.  It's called Let the Peace of God Reign.  It's a worship song from Hillsongs.  I always liked Darlene Zsech and this is one of my favorites of hers.  I thought it was appropriate in this season of Easter to celebrate God's peace and love.  It's so easy to go about the day to days and forget to really remember what Easter is about and how real the cross is.  I don't want to do that.

Lilla has been doing a lot of new things lately.  This weekend she started saying puppy and baby.  How cute is that?  Her cousin is 6 months older and those are two of her favorite words so I think Lilla has picked them up from spending so much time with her lately.  It is so cute.  I say, "Where is the puppy Lilla?"  And she will turn her head and reach out for Ellie.  Adorable!  She also started blowing bubbles into the bath water tonight.  Who knows where that came from!

She still isn't walking.  She'll be 14 months on the 8th so I was starting to get kind of worried.  My mom was always saying how I'd walked at 10 months.  Today I found my baby book, and guess what?  Not so much!  I didn't walk until 15 months.  So, that gave me a bit of comfort, anyway.  Lilla has supertiny feet, she only wears 2 1/2, which usuallly a 6 month old would wear, so I was beginning to think that was it.  My mom insisted I buy her these $50 shoes (of course she paid for them) to make her walk.  We'll see how that goes.  They had to be specially ordered since her feet are so small so they will come this week.

Michael got home from his trip on Friday night, yeah!  It was so good to see him and spend time with him.  It's hard being away from your spouse.  I don't know how single parents do it!

He has been so kind and generous to me lately.  I am an obsessive picture taker (who knew?) and he bought me this seriously fancy camera last week.  I didn't even know how to work it!  He had to go read the instructions, and it can do so much more than I know.  I'll have to delve into it sometime.  Anyway, wow does it take good pictures!  Beautiful!

He also let me get this awesome thing for scrapbooking called a Cricut machine. 

It has always been way too expensive for my taste but it was almost 1/3 of it's price today at Michael's so he told me to go get one!  Whew!  We've spent way too much money this month so we need to reign it in before we get too used to it.  See what happens when you get a decent tax return!  Oh boy!

Anyway, I'm going to close this novel now...hope you are still awake!

Take care,

Amy

When I was a little kid my mom would always play the same joke on my siblings and I.  She would look out the front window and say, "Look, it's Big Bird!"  And, of course, we would go running for the window and she would say, "April Fools!"  Why did this work several years in a row?  Cruel mom!

So anyway, in the spirit of April 1st, here are some sites you can go to for inspiration for your own pranks!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A517240

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/

http://www.funmunch.com/events/april_fools_day/april_fools_day_pranks.shtml

One time my friend and I went around to friends and put post it notes all over one brother's car at work and then wrapped the other's in cellophane.  Good times!

Have fun, and be nice!

I think I am going through a season of not being all that interested in blogging anymore.  I may have overdone it as I was totally in love and obsessed with it for a time.  I find myself doing that with a lot of things.  I become enthralled and passionate about them and then overtime burn out and quit.  It was one of the reasons I wasn't sure if I should get married. 

I had done that with many boyfriends previous to my husband and I was concerned it would happen again.  Fortunately, I will be married 3 years next week and there is no such sign of that happening!

Anyway, it makes for some pretty boring blogging lately, but, I don't feel alone.  I feel like a lot of my blogging buddies are in the same place in their blogging lives.  Maybe it will be for a season, maybe forever. 

I really love to write and it does give me such a creative outlet, so I am by no means stopping, I just feel a need to explain why my blog title fits so well right now...it's all just blah, blah, blah it seems.  No real substance!  Also, my blogwalking is few and far between and I think that may explain why I'm not visiting quite as much.

I also feel like the warmer weather has kept me away.  I just want to be enjoying the fresh air, the outside and long walks.  It has really been great in that way! 

Lilla has enjoyed being outside, but she has been such a bear lately!  She refuses to eat anything so I believe she is hungry all the time.  Also, with the addition of all these teeth I really believe she is in pain.  We are keeping the asthetaminaphine companies in business I tell ya!  Hey, I know that was spelled way wrong and I'm okay with that!

Anyway, her constant crying and fussing has worn me out and I feel like I have nothing left to give at the end of each day.  I'm so tired all the time.  I'm praying to God that He will give me the patience I need to not be frustrated with her.  I love her so much and I don't want our relationship to be one where I'm constantly getting aggravated.  I honestly don't know how parents with colicky babies do it!  It would be so hard! 

Also, Michael is in Denver all this next week so life just got a little crazier.  I am going to be pretty busy, I made sure of that, so I think the week will go pretty fast anyway!

Well anyway, I just thought I'd check in.  I hope you all have a great week!

Appetizer
Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?

Tom Brokaw.  Even though he is much more liberal than I am, there is something about him I like.  I like the way he reports.  He is also so into history, as I am.  I find him fascinating.

Soup
Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.

Meatballs, Brats, frozen corn.

Salad
If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it?

Lillaville.  Hey, that could work!

Main Course
What will most likely be the next book you read?

I think we are about to do a study in our small group on the gifts of the spirit.  That would be the next book, I'm sure.

Dessert
What's the first thing you notice about the opposite gender?

Appearance wise probably height since I'm so short.  5'1 in case you are wondering.  Non appearance would be their sense of humor.  You can always tell off the bat if someone has one!

These past 2 weeks have been busy.  Do you ever have those days where you think you'll have a slow week and then it's anything but?  That's how it's been lately. 

Monday was my birthday and we did stay in.  Lilla has got 4 molars in the past week and a half and so this is how my life has looked:

 Lilla did give me flowers for my birthday though, pretty! 

However, we did get a good family shot that day too:

We also got a new couch, which you can see above!  Yeah!  We feel so adult now that we have "real furniture!" 

Tuesday Lilla and I went to the outlet mall.  Her teeth still hurt and it showed.  She was fussy!  Basically I only got to shop at The Gap.  She had a major meltdown right there and we had to go!

Yesterday my friend Angela, and her daughter, Ella came over.  It was so nice out so we went for a big old walk!  Her daughter is 3 weeks older than Lilla so they make perfect playmates.  They got to ride in the wagon together and we caught them hugging along the route!  So cute!

Today I met up with my pregnant friend, Claudia.  She is adorable.  5 months along and lots of belly action!

She and her mom were loving on my girl, which I love, of course!  It was so nice to see them and Lilla loves the attention!

So, that's what's been keeping me busy.  Life just keeps on moving along.  Hope you are all well and that you have a great weekend!

Take care!

A friend sent me this story and recipe for Easter cookies and a good way to talk to your kids about the Easter story in a way that they will love!  Lilla is a little too young this year but next year I'm totally doing it!

Easter Cookies
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following recipe is making its rounds on the Internet as a freely-reproducible file. If you find it a useful visual aid for communicating the message of the resurrection to children, please pass it on!

Ingredients:
1 c. whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 c. sugar
You will also need:
Bible
re-sealable baggie
wooden spoon
mixing bowl
electic mixer
cookie sheet
waxed paper
tape

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life so that we could have life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers. Read Luke 23:27.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for several minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20-22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! Explain how the tomb was empty on the first Easter because Christ had risen from the dead! Read Matthew 28:1-9.

So I recently heard about this program where you could be a blogger for Voice of the Martyrs.  It's just a little something Christians can do just to get the word out.  So, many of you are familiar with VOM ministries, but probably some of you aren't.  For those who aren't, let me give you some information about them from their webpage.

Pastor Richard Wurmbrand founded VOM over 30 years ago. He was in prison in Romania for 14 years for his faith in Christ. In the `60s he and his family were ransomed out of Romania for $10,000 and came to the U.S. where he began traveling, educating the free world of the atrocities committed against Christians in Communist and other restricted countries. VOM's five main purposes are based on Hebrews 13:3. They are:

1. To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission in areas of the world where they are persecuted for their involvement in propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ. We accomplish this by providing Bibles, literature, radio broadcasts, and other forms of aid.
2. To give relief to the families of Christian martyrs in these areas of the world.
3. To equip local Christians to win to Christ their enemies who are opposed to the gospel in countries where believers are actively persecuted for their Christian witness.
4. To undertake projects of encouragement, helping believers rebuild their lives and Christian witness in countries that have formerly suffered Communist oppression.
5. To emphasize the fellowship of all believers by informing the world of atrocities committed against Christians and by remembering their courage and faith.

VOM is currently active in 42 countries around the world.  Please go to their website and find out more about the persecuted church and what you can do to help.  Voice of the Martyrs

Today is my 32nd birthday, and here is a picture of my actual cake.  Can we all say yummmmm?!?!  My mom and stepdad came in on Saturday and they brought me a cheesecake with four different kinds, this being my favorite.  mean seriously, cookie crust, thick creamy filling, chocolate chips to top it off, delicious!

I am so happy to say that I started off my 32nd year well and read the book of James this morning.  I have to say, it is one of my very favorite books.  It just has so much practical advice and wisdom.  If you haven't read it in awhile, or ever, you really should.  It is very easy to read and understand and it's only 5 chapters.  It actually got me thinking about missions again.  Oh, how I want to go on another trip!  Our friends from church are going to the Caspian region for at least a year starting in August and I am so jealous!  What a terrific thing for them.  They have a 15 and 17 year old that are going and I can't imagine a better way for them to start out their young lives.  They've invited us to visit next year, so you never know if we might get the bug!

Saturday we had a talent competition for the youth at church and then   yesterday they got to perform their talents at a nearby nursing home.  What a great thing that was!  To see these young people already desiring to serve the Lord was really amazing.  My heart just melted to see them singing in praise and worship.  It made me sad for the waste of so many of my own years but so happy for them that they are just at the beginning.  I do hope they spend them wisely!  Being young is hard, you just want to fit in and feel happy.  So many emotions and everything feels like the end of the world.  It's so funny to look back and thing how little high school really means.  My goodness, it's 4 years of so many others.  I hope I can show Lilla that!

I hope today is a bright and sunny one for you all!  Take care!

Appetizer
Name two things that made you smile this week.

My new bedroom, furniture and paint...yeah!

My 19 month old niece saying my name last thing before bed...so cute!

Soup
Fill in the blank: Don't you hate it when ________?

Your dog gets fur all over the clean sheets

Salad
When you can't go to sleep, what is your personal remedy to help yourself drift into Lullabyland?

Quoting bible verses, from Genesis to Revelation, whichever ones I know.

Main Course
What is something about which you've always wondered but have not yet found a good answer?

How do people who are mean to others sleep at night?

Dessert
What is your favorite pasta dish?

Thin spaghetti noodles with olive oil, garlic, parmasean cheese and parsley...delicious!

Today was Lilla's ear tube day.  The poor thing has had so many infections, it just had to be done.  I was worried because, although it's routine, it's still surgery and they still use an anesthetic so, well, I'm a mom.  You know how that goes!

 Anyway, we got there around 6:30am.  Woke up at 5, it was seriously not pretty.  I heard the alarm clock and just laid there.  Michael started out gently trying to wake me, it slowly got louder and more intense until he nearly had to shove me off the bed to get me moving.  I am so not a morning person!  I was actually awake the whole time, I just didn't want to move.

So we go to Riley, which is seriously one of the best children's hospitals in the world.  In little old Indiana, who knew?  Anyway, we go there and it's so early there is hardly anyone around and I got lost, of course.  It took me ten minutes to figure out the elevators aren't working.  So, I go down the only stairs I can find and I wind up in the furnace area or something.  Oh yeah, leave it to me.  So, I hike back up the stairs and as I am confusingly trying to figure out on a map how to get to outpatient, a kind soul walking past took pity on me and helped me out.  I did finally find the place and Michael shortly followed.  He was parking the car, in a garage way far away as, apparently, he was confused too.  Oh well, I guess we could use the excercise, right?

 Anyway, we got in.  Put the PJ's on the peanut, soon they came in to have us sign some forms, before we knew it they were taking her to the OR and had it done in a jiffy.  Everything went well and, hopefully, she will have no more earaches!  Yahoo!  This was really one of the best hospital visits I have ever had.  All of the staff was beyond friendly and helpful to us.  I really don't have any complaints because they were so nice.  I'm sure they hire people like that on purpose because it helps the kids feel so much more comfortable.  For anyone who needs to have their kids go to a hospital, I would definitely recommend Riley!

 We stayed for about an hour so they could monitor her.  She just laid there and nursed the whole time.  Although I'm trying to wean her, I'm glad I was still nursing today.  She was scared when she came out and it really gave her comfort.  Anyone who thinks you shouldn't use it for that, oh well.  I feel like if that is the worst thing I do as a momma, I'm doing pretty good.

We took her out in this cute little cart they have at Riley, she loved it!

I think what this experience taught me more than anything is how happy I am to have a healthy child.  There are so many sick kids out there and mine just had to have tubes.  Although I think Riley is a terrific hospital, I hope we never have to visit again!

Have a good day all!