Rosh Hashana activities...

During Rosh Hashana (Jewish new year), the moms decided to have a small picnic at the frontyard of the building where we hold our Rose Garden classes. The next day we brought our kids to a park outside Haifa called Hai Park. This was our first time to visit this huge park which is also a zoo. The kids loved the pony and camel rides (Enna-Marie didn't try it this time, but hopefully next time she'll like to try either a ride on a pony or camel), patting and feeding the rabbits, and seeing all the beautiful animals inside the zoo. Everyone had a great time, though we went home exhausted, but happy. At next visit, we will bring other friends who were not able to join us and perhaps bring daddy Maarten as well. Enjoy the photos...

























at Hai Park/Zoo:

Rose Garden class photos...

Soon our dear Enna-Marie will be graduating from Rose Garden class (that is when she turns three in December), and it was nice that we were able to take a group photo of the children. Here how the photo shooting turned out...

trial one...

trial two...

this time with their mommys

Farewell to Kami

We said goodbye to our friend Kami recently, a mother of two beautiful boys who were also born here in Haifa. We had a short gathering with the moms and later gave our gift to Kami, it is a book with our farewell messages and some photos of memories together in the Holy Land. Dear Kami...all the best to you and family as you tread a new path of service and begin a "new life" as a family.



getting ready for the group picture taking...

oops, where is Selvi?

Meet Kayla Carmel Kersten...

few hours old

less than 2 weeks old

with Mommy May

with Kayla's happy parents

Big Girl indeed!

We've been back to Haifa for more than a month now and thought of updating you all on what has been happening with us lately, especially with our growing daughter Enna-Marie.

First we decided to stop the use of the pacifier which Enna-Marie used for eight months after being weaned from mommy's milk. We told her she's a "big girl" now and that "big girls" don't use paci. She agreed and got excited when we suggested to have a little 'paci-cutting' ceremony. We helped her cut the nipple of the paci, so that she would know it wasn't working anymore. She only asked for it 2-3 times without crying and she was perfectly fine since then.

Second we moved her from her crib to a big bed, we bought a guard-rail and placed it at the side so she can't fall off the bed. We are happy that she likes her new bed and she tells us that she is now a "big girl" and not anymore a baby. Of course, her newly afforded 'freedom' means that she occassionally would come out of bed when she's supposed to be sleeping, but on the whole she seems to have been dealing with this change quite well!

Then third this month, we decided to bring her to kindergarden (Gan in Hebrew). It is a privately owned nursery, and you may remember seeing some photos of the Gan that we posted earlier this year. We decided to bring her earlier than we originally planned, which is when she turns three in December, since we can see that she is very independent and is ready to mingle and socialize with other children. Also since there are two other children from the World Centre who are also going to this school for the first time, one of which is even two weeks older than she is, it helped us in deciding to bring her as we know it will be easier to adjust altogether to this new environment. So far, she is doing fine in school, meeting new friends, doing some arts and crafts, learning music and some Hebrew words, playing with friends. And most importantly, she is happy!

The last new thing that she recently learned is using her potty-going to the bathroom. She basically one day initiated it herself and has wanted to use it more and more ever since. By now she is not wearing diapers anymore during the day (oh she loves wearing panties or underpants), but only at night. The teacher and the assistants at school have also greatly helped and encouraged her in this process.

We are so happy and impressed with these milestones and we so much enjoy seeing her develop every day and watch our little one growing into "big girl" Enna-Marie.

Here are some of her recent photos...

cutting her pacifier

showing her new bed

smiling for mommy at kindergarden's first day of class

painting with her new friend Rodrigo

here she is back to Rose Garden class

swimming at the balcony with Tara & Lillian

another photo with her girlfriends at Rose Garden

imitating mommy when she saw her singing & playing guitar

happy smile

content smile after eating dinner

telling a story to mommy

eating ice cream with Rodrigo

Enna-Marie started attendng Baha'i School as well this month

snack time at Baha'i school

with friends Aliyah & Layla at Gan

Going Dutch...

During our trip to Holland we visited the past as well, and in Volendam, one of Holland's most touristic cities, we fitted some traditional Dutch clothes that have long since gone out of fashion... Except of course in Volendam! So this is what our family would have looked like if we had lived a hundred years ago :)...(You can click on the picture for a larger version).

Some more Holland pics...

We had such a great holiday in Holland visiting our family & friends. After the summer school in Groesbeek, we had an opportunity to spend some quality time with oma Ineke, Jorrit, Molouk, Nadim, Minou & baby Kian. During our last week and a half we drove around the country to visit some of our friends, & did some sightseeing and shopping as well. We really enjoyed spending time in Voorhout with Marc, Nancy & Guilia, Amsterdam with Nushin, Ruben, Mutaleni & Naomi, & Bunnik with Naghmeh, Maurice, Lua & Isa.

Mahasti, Rob & Dan, also from Bunnik, were so generous as to let us stay in their house while they were away for holiday themselves, & we used our time there to meet up with other friends such as Shirin with her two children Matthijs & Alexander, Nawid, Ramin, Cathelijne & Norah, & Arjan, Maartje, Yves & Quint. During the last few days, we visited our families in Lelystad & Velp.

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone, it was so wonderful to see you all again & without you this holiday wouldn't have been the same. Unfortunately, we were not able to visit everyone we wanted to, but we hope to see you during our next trip ;).