Lake Balaton - Summer Edition

The last time we visited Lake Balaton was here, in the dead of winter. Today was our first summer visit. The landscape and the crowds were quite different than last time! We made the trip to Balatonlelle, about an hour and a half from Budapest. With a sandy beach, a play ground, and shallow waters, it was perfect for our kids. 

 It was super crowded, and everyone except for us seemed to have these pop up sun tents. 

We wished we had one, too! Are these popular now in the US?

 Despite the crowds, we found a nice patch of sand to call our own. 

The water wasn't so beautiful, but the kids didn't care. They loved that it was so shallow!

Logan had his first beach splash! He liked it!

Love that girl. 

A fun day for all!

Toes

Toes are a fun toy....

                   

   and an even better snack. 

Hooray for toes!

Hajogyari Sziget - A Hidden Gem

It has been awhile since we ventured out to try something new in Budapest. We love finding new things to do here, so yesterday we decided to try the playground on Hajogyari Sziget. For my Budapest friends, this island is just on the other side of Arpad Hid.  We crossed a sketchy looking metal bridge and came upon a parking area. From there, after Cade practiced his new found skill of peeing in the grass,  it was a short walk to a fabulous playground. 

We started here, on the small play ground with some swings and a cool merry go round. 

After a little while, we crossed over to the king of all playgrounds....

It is a huge slide playground similar to that at Gellert Hill, but I think the slides are bigger and definitely newer looking here. They are pretty fast as well! 

                               Love this - that is her "That was awesome!" post slide celebration.
                                              

                          Cade started slow, but by the end would slide on some by himself. 

Most of the time, Larry or I went with him. 

This guy kicked back and enjoyed the 75 degree summer day....perfect!

Next to all the slides was an "only in Hungary" type merry go round. It was at about a 45 degree angle. Each child picked a section and held on as it spun them around. Larry got a work out!

It was a perfect summer afternoon and we will definitely go back there again!

Three!

Today, this sweet guy turns 3! He is the funniest kid ever and brings us so much joy.

Some things that I always want to remember about this age....
*The child has clear clothing preferences...he would wear the outfit above every day if he could.
*He prefers to sleep in clothes now instead of pajamas - makes the next morning easy and cuts down on laundry!
*Still loves hair - "Mama, can I play with your hair?"
*He is Mr. Thin at 26 pounds.
*He loves Logan and changes his voice to a super high pitched baby talk voice to talk to him.
*Favorite foods - Pizza, chicken nuggets, macaroni, and peanut butter. Not a fan of desserts.
*He is still a snuggler, and he doesn't sleep without his blanket.
*Every morning he says, "Mama. you have a good sleep?" Melt my heart.
*Loves music, planes, balls, and swords.
*Loves to pray.

Happy Birthday Mr. Cade...we love you!!!

Look at Me!

This little guy is growing rapidly and decided he could sit up this weekend. He seemed so proud of himself and sat for several minutes as Daddy snapped pics. I think the width of his thighs gives him an unfair advantage....he has quite the base of support. He is the happiest little guy and we love him so much!

The New Resident

Our newest family member now has his required Hungarian residence permit. Without it, he would have to leave the country after 90 days. We are thankful there was no problem in getting it!

When the rest of us arrived and received our residence permits, they came as a sticker attached to our passport. Now, it is provided as a separate card. One more thing to keep up with - not good!

Time to Eat!

We got back to Budapest yesterday after 3 weeks in TX. Our fabulous housekeeper left us a refrigerator full of food, so we sat down to a nice dinner last night. Logan has been eating more often lately, and last night he was was eyeing our dinner and looking hungry. So, we decided to start cereal. 

A little suspicious

Success! What else can I have???

He loved it! I I dont think he will be one to turn any food away!

Made Where?

Funny story of the week -

We are still in TX and had an early birthday for Cade while here (pictures to come). At the party, Chelsea got a present of a Fur Real friend, which she has wanted "all her life". Oh, the drama. Anyway, she opened it in the car  on the way home and was so thrilled.

Half way home, she says, "Mom, I really need to say thank you, you know why? It says "Made in CHINA!!!"

Thanks, Philip, for bringing her a gift from so far away!!!