Celebrating ten years where it all began

When my parents were visiting, Gregory and I snuck off for five days

to return to the city where we met and fell in love:  ISTANBUL!

It was a difficult decision, but we kept it all a secret in order to have a true "anniversary trip", just the two of us.  It was amazing to be together without the kids for almost five days.  (I only cried once due to missing them.)

It was an interesting time to visit, in the middle of Ramadan during a long, hot summer.

We visited many significant places from the beginning of our relationship and our time lived in Istanbul.
Boat rides across the Bosphorus

Gülhane Park

Taksim İstiklal

Moda

Boğaziçi

İÜ

Starbucks

Yıldız Park

The Old City

And we made a few new memories as well.
Gülhane Park Cay Bahçesi

Süleymaniye Cami

Viktor Levi Şarap Evi

Sam Adams! (What?!  It was all over!)

Fatih

Chora Church

The City walls by the church

The beauty in this city and this culture and these people continues to astonish us.




We are thankful that God wrote it into our story.


Two more days, and we'll have been married for TEN YEARS!

An accidental adventure

So I like to pretend that I don't have a lot of "blonde" moments.  The thing is, when I do, they're no small thing.

Nathanael and I were so excited to pick up Grandpa and Grandma at the airport a week ago.  We had to leave straight away from our church's end-of-year Sunday School party in order to catch the train.  At the last minute, as we were on our first tram in the journey to the airport, he and I decided to go a different way than we usually do, to check out the train from the main station near our home instead of the normal one we take from a few stops away.

We've traveled enough by train here that I know how it works.  I have no anxiety about what we're doing.  I understand the station announcements.  I know how the ticketing works.  Unfortunately, I was a little too confident last Sunday.  Instead of making it to the airport in 15 minutes, we ended up at this town in the Czech Republic an hour later:

I can try and convince you that it wasn't my fault.  The train we boarded was late departing due to the ticket checker helping a disabled person board; thus the station announcement I heard stating that the train to the airport had arrived at the platform was actually incorrect.  The ticket checker was apologetic that she hadn't been able to give the final announcement on the train due to assisting someone board, and she mentioned that the station announcement was incorrect.  There.  That's my defense.  But the truth is, the displays both on the platform and on the train were blatantly clear.  So much so that about 20 seconds before the train departed, I leaned over to Nathanael after having confusedly looked at both displays and said, "Umm, I'm not sure we're on the right train.  I think..."

Too late.  The train was departing, and the next stop was an hour away.

I can't tell you how proud I am of my Nathanael.  He held it together, despite the obvious disappointment, despite the intensity of stress we had during the first 15 minutes of the ride, attempting to figure out what to do and how to adjust, and he chose to have fun and make this trip into an adventure.  At a few points during the afternoon, I thought he would have a little breakdown as he processed what Mom's mistake meant for him -- not getting to pick up Grandpa and Grandma at the airport!  I would have totally understood, had he needed to vent in that way.  Instead, he was simply chill and pleasant, and I was greatly thankful to God for that piece of grace.

Our ticket checker was wonderful, didn't charge us a thing, told us about a park and walking area, recommended a restaurant, and attended to us on the return trip two hours later.  She was a gift from God.

For some reason, Nathanael thought this statue was the coolest.  I have no idea what it was; this was truly a foreign country and language to me.

The recommended restaurant was amazing.  Crazy cheap.  I had a Melange.  And it had a play area.

So all in all, this intended 50 minute trip to the airport turned into a five hour mother-son date, precious time together before greeting the grandparents at our home!

On the return train trip, Nathanael sat in the kids' corner and watched a show.  I sat and read and reflected on the afternoon...

...I laughed out loud at myself and tried really hard not to give into the emotional stress and cry.

This is one adventure I'd rather not repeat, thank you.

Nathanael will never let me live this one down. :)

Beep beep

When Nathanael was learning how to ride his bike in April, this is what Eva did.

Then we tried the tricycle that Nathanael loved when he was two.  She wanted it to be a balance bike.

One afternoon, a child in the park let her ride this around (for two hours!), and we quickly saw that it was time to move her onto something a bit more challenging.

Our little Evangeline and her balance bike - she LOVES being "just like" her brother.

Taking a break to snack and check out the ducks

Back on her beloved "beep beep"

Celebrating our Evangeline

Evangeline's birthday was on a Saturday this year, so we took advantage of the day!  We began with birthday bagels, an extra special treat here as bagels are usually a bit more difficult to find.

Eva loved being sung to and said her own little version of "happy birthday" throughout the day.

She had fun ripping open cards from dear friends, family, and even the Sunday School class at Hope Fellowship in Boston!  And then came the birthday greetings via phone and video and cards from the computer, which of course are greatly appreciated to this technologically savy child. ;) (The horse in these photos was Nathanael's gift to Eva, and they were so sweet giving and receiving this year!)

Of course, this was the big one.

She has tried to climb on Nathanael's balance bike and bike almost every time we've gone out.  We knew it was time, and her face lit up so brightly when she realized this is hers now!

About two minutes later though, she had had enough attention for the morning, and we had about an hour of cuddles and tears for this sensitive, overwhelmed sweetheart.

Ice cream made an afternoon appearance.

And somehow these sweet Saturday moments still occurred in the midst of all the excitement.

Two days later, she was celebrated at Kindergarten and apparently greatly loved the attention, wearing her birthday crown, having Nathanael in the classroom with her for the party, and passing out party favors to each of her new little friends.  (I'm hoping to have those pictures soon to post!)

A week later, the day Grandpa and Grandma arrived, we had her birthday cake (a sunshine cake), and she loved being sung to again, this time with Grandpa and Grandma included!