Christmas & New Year

It is back to school tomorrow for us both. The end of our 3 week Christmas break. I had the intentions, clearly, to post sooner about Christmas and New Year but of course got caught up in relaxing, having fun with Cristi and everyday living. Therefore, in order to not leave it any longer than it has already been I've decided to go for the old favourite of photo storytelling - it's more fun that way anyway! This Christmas has been good but hard and really emotional! However, Cristi's joy throughout the holiday season has been wonderful and I am so thankful for his happiness and the happiness he brings to me. Here's a look at our Christmas and New Year......

Christmas Eve: Shoebox delivery to the Balla family

Little Anita slept through our entire visit!

Hanging the stockings on our fireplace :)

Wishing he was in my arms

Christmas Day: Oh the excitement as we looked to see if Santa has been!

The favourite gift - good ol' Santa

Christmas day fika with my Marghita family

Feliz Navidad - We like to change it up in our house. Last year we had Chinese food this year Fajitas!!

Boxing Day: Christmas party (and shoebox madness) at the institution

New Years Eve: Me and my ninja bodyguards - dressing up for Chinese at the Bjork household

Dumplings and noodles eaten from a floor table - yummy & authentic!

New Years Day: Carrying on the educational eating theme we hosted an Indian meal at our place on New Year's Day

It was really scrummy!!

Group shot 

Of course the best bit about the meal was that we ate it with our hands. The boys thought this was a fantastic idea - even my sticky hating child got in there!

What's New Year's without a sparkler?!

                               

The apple hill and christmas trees of Marghita

Happy New Year - taken moments after the bells and seconds before fireworks started whizzing up the street and across the road into cars and churches. It's slightly hazardous to stand on the street at New Year!

First let me start by saying a warm and Happy New Year to you all. I know I have failed to publish anything reflecting Christmas or New Year and I hope to rectify this over the next few days so keep checking :) until then I wanted to share a little from yesterday's adventures with Cristi and Martin.

Yesterday we took a walk up the once beautiful 'apple hill'. This hill and the walk up it holds many memories for me and I am sure most volunteers who came to work here during the years of Casa Alba. It was a hill once covered in apple trees (hence the name) that were so full of sweet blossom during spring time and tasty apples in the Autumn that it was always a beautiful walk to take with the kids. Martin and I were laughing remembering walking up here with several moaning and crying children (including Cristi) as you dragged pulled and pushed them in breaking/broken prams to the top - it is amazing how steep and long a small road can seem when you are trying to take 4 or more grumpy children with you. How things have changed. Almost every tree has been cut down so even though we still call it the 'apple hill' it is more honest to call it simply 'the hill'. The kids have grown and most have moved away from ever climbing that hill with us again. However, the view from here is still picturesque whether you look forward to the mountains or behind over Marghita. This place holds many happy and wonderful memories and I just wanted to share that with you.

The view from our picnic spot - a little misted but the clouds were beautiful

Happy and warm after a cup of hot cocoa

A young Roma family have obviously taken up residence in this derelict building up the hill - I captured them as they rode past us in their wagon.

Although it is sad that there are no more apple trees atop the 'apple hill' we did however see on our walk through town many "wonderful" and "beautifully" decorated Christmas trees and so in the spirit of Christmas and sharing I thought I should share them with you all. So in no particular order here are some of our favourites...........

Simple and somewhat tasteful - Cristi thought this one was the best

The official tree of the mayor's offices

A slightly different (some might say classier?) tact with a fake trunk and giant baubles 

A lovely balcony addition

This is actually my favourite I just feel it has it all - so many colours and strands for such a little tree

Don't forget to keep checking for updates :)