Thankful!

"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I am thankful today for Nik's mother Lili. She is the heart of the Grezda family and I am humbled and amazed at how she lives her life. How easily I take loved ones for granted and I think I had been doing so because I was brought to my knees yesterday as we were told of her having had a massive heart attack. Thankfully she was taken to hospital in time and was saved. She is now in hospital for a few days and we continue to pray for a full recovery.

Over the last couple days I have been thinking about thankfulness and C.S. Lewis' intriguing perspective on happiness "It is a christian duty, as you know, for everyone to be as happy as he can." In this day and age the mind does not put duty and happiness anywhere near one-another. How can happiness be considered a task of ours? I think it is considered active work because there are so many things that come along each day that challenge our joyfulness and we have to choose to thank God for it and be happy in them. It is not that we should put our heads in the sand and not look at the things that hurt, annoy or otherwise disturb our happiness. We are asked to thank God for all things.

Lili is someone who continues to have multiple challenges in her health, family life and finances yet she is not one to complain. She could sit and list her ailments and continue to discuss them at length as some are wont to do. She could call and complain to me about family and she could complain and ask for money. She does none of this. On the contrary, she continues to build her family and home graciously, using whatever she has to edify each member. I can only believe that she actively decides to thank the Lord for everything and takes challenges and turns them into tools to glorify Him in her life and in the lives of others.

Thank you God for Lili!

Loooong Absence

Well, blog-reading friends and family. I'm sorry for the long absence. I was reminded by my excellent blogging friend yesterday that I haven't posted since Daniel was 8 months old - so that was about 7 months ago. Daniel has gone from being a chunky curly-haired baby into a somewhat slimmer, shorter-haired toddler. I'll post a couple pictures, but if you want to see more, keep watch on facebook.

So, what has the Tiranamama been up to while she hasn't been blogging? I've completely fallen in love with sewing all over again. My sewing machine (which was my first birthday gift in Albania) has been dusted off and put to work finally. I have completed 4 mei tais, two bibs and a set of napkins and I'm only getting started. I've asked Nik for a sewing budget to keep me from going too far. Also, I've been making jam. I made like 4 batches of plum jam. My friend Rudina came to stay and brought some of her mom's jam and I (actually my tongue) fell so much in love with it, that I had to keep trying to make some of my own just like it. Well, I didn't succeed in making it just like hers but I got close and we've been eating it all fall. I had Daniel's grandparents come for a visit from Japan for about 6 weeks. We had a really wonderful time reconnecting and I know that Daniel enjoyed being a spoiled grandkid for weeks on end. At the end of that time we went for a week to a camp outside of Peje in Kosovo where we'd been two years ago. Daniel got sick on the way there and was VERY sick the whole time so it really wasn't much fun, but for me it was still so great to be out of a city and at the top of a mountain. It was almost worth it... sorry Daniel. Toddlerhood has done Daniel a great service. He can now be independant and mobile and he is all the happier for it!! He loves reading, pulling out my pots and pans, working the washing machine, stealing any remote control or cell phone in reach, sucking on the washing, giving Kanchi cuddles and going to the park, amongst a million others. Well, this is a long post. Let me see if I can find some pictures.

8 months!!

a s









Sorry I've been off of blogger for a while. Life has taken over blogging. :-) Well, thought I'd share a few images of our time with Dan and Liza who came for a visit. We all took the cable car up Mt. Dajti just out of town and had a picnic lunch up there. Sort of mock hiking I guess. We basically take the easy way up the mountain on the "teleferik" or cable car, walk around the top (a "chakar" like road as in Mussoorie) and ride back down. Along the way Daniel got his first taste of a swing set and slide (with mom for now) and seemed to enjoy the novelty. Daniel also tested the Deuter kid comfort backpack we got for him and found it was good for having lunch and a nap. Sort of proved a few of the reviews online wrong which had mentioned that the only downside was that kids couldn't sleep in them. Daniel sleeps almost every time!

Our camera has died and we won't have pictures for another two weeks, but anyone who checks this site seems to have a lot of patience. Some of these pictures are a little strange. They were taken with Liza's very cool camera, but somehow came out a bit strange when downloaded to our computer.

I will put more pictures up soon of Daniel's two front teeth. A little late for Christmas but...

trying for more

the bugger keeps growing

Here are a few of just Daniel. You can see his bare legs one day. The weather was so great that I had to let him go bare for a few minutes just to admire his toes! He's getting really used to his high chair now. Actually, I just got one picture up and am having a lot of trouble getting any more. I've had very little luck this month using the blog, slowness and one error after another. I'll keep trying, but I've had it for tonight.

I can't keep up with him!

The little "qofta" or "meatball" has stretched out some and is losing his rolypolyness. He's still got the crazy hair, though. He's really starting to move and gets away from me when I'm changing him. He's good at sitting and is working on righting himself when he starts to tip over. It gets more and more fun to be his mother every day as he grows and changes. I love how he smiles at me with love when we're out and about from his stroller. He's a really sweet boy!

All the way from Indonesia

Rudina is home!! She spent the night with us last weekend and we thoroughly enjoyed it!

First Foods

Daniel is almost 6 months and I, being the first time mother that I am, have been curious and have started to feed him. He's a good eater so far of two things: rice cereal and apricot puree. Here are a couple pictures.

Little Explorer

The Turban

Daniel is all set to dance the bhangra! He seems to like hats a lot.

The red hat

We had fun with this red hat that Nik's mom gave me. When Glenda gets round to it, I can add some more we took with her!

Out and about after Christmas!

Daniel and Gjyshi having his baklava and coffee after fixing our washer - again!

Here are a few pictures we've taken since Christmas. We've mostly been at home taking care of Nik who's had the flu, but we also got to go to the Cesula's and to the Grezda grandparents over New Year's.


Daniel and Nona the night she babysat him when we went to Mary Beth and Gordi's for a wonderful dinner out!


















Daniel and Emi.