Hiking trip...

Here are some photos of the hiking trip of the children in Enna-Marie's pre-school, the location was near the Haifa University area. Daddy Maarten went with Enna-Marie and both enjoyed the trip so much.

Sinterklaas has arrived once more in Haifa!

Thank you once again to Sinterklaas for sending these delicious goodies.

Hanukkah program in pre-school

Early this month, a special Hanukkah program was celebrated at Enna-Marie's school. There were a lot of singing of Hanukkah songs, lighting of the menorah candles, playing some instruments, a play portrayed by two classmates, and eating of sufganiyot at the end. Sufganiyot is a ball-shaped doughnut that is first deep-fried, then pierced and injected with jelly or custard, and then topped with powdered sugar. EM and mommy have been buying sufganiyots as early as November as we just love them. Of course daddy also gets his share.

Visiting Jamak & Thomas

We visited our friends Jamak & Thomas Hueck one lunch time at their place. They are having twins and these two soon to be parents are getting excited & currently busy preparing for their babys' arrival. Below are couple of photos together.

Here all four of us...oops seven of us :-)!

and the two mommies...Menchie at 20th weeks, Jamak at 35 weeks!

Menchie at 20th weeks...

singing Tagalog songs...

Here are two videos of Enna-Marie where she sings Tagalog songs: the first one is called "Bahay Kubo", a traditional Filipino folk song that tells of a small hut (which is kubo in Tagalog) with the variety of vegetables surrounding it; the second one is "Ako'y Maliit na Sundalo" which is translated in English as "I am a Small Soldier", this is one of the songs Menchie learned during childhood at Bahá’í children's classes.

Farewell Rhea & Franco!

Our dear friends Rhea and Franco have recently finished their term of service at the World Centre and are going back to the Philippines. They served for nine long years and we have been together in various activities and events: dinners, movies-games nights, outings, campings, trips, walking together during weekend and choir practices and concerts...we will surely miss the two of them!

Here are some old photos of us together (as well as one very recent photo that I took before they left)...

at a classmate's birthday party

This is Yuli, the birthday girl. She just turned 4 yrs. old.

Baby bump at 16 weeks...