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!