1 Crazy Horse, 1 Clean House, and 1 PE Class

We've had a pretty nice week. We were invited to a birthday party, and it was held at a place just outside of base called the Crazy Horse. Families were invited and so we all went. We had dinner outside, there was a play area for the kids to play at, and they had a horse that the kids could ride. It was a very fun night.

A couple of days later we checked out of our house and moved into the Hodja Inn here on base for the remainder of our time here in Turkey. Maria was a little sad, but excited to stay in the Hodja. It was a little funny when we checked into our room because we are in the exact same room as we were two years ago when we first arrived in Turkey.

Then on Friday a friend called and invited us to a PE class. She home schools her kids and they do a PE class with other home schooled kids every Friday. She thought that Maria would enjoy it so we went and she did enjoy it. They did aerobics and I was surprised to see that Maria is a lot more coordinated than I thought. She did really well and had a great time.

Maria riding Princess the pregnant horse. Was not crazy at all.

Maria waiting with the others (Magnas, Emily, Thisbe, Caitlyn, Susan, and April) to have a ride on the horse.

Signing Happy Birthday to Molly on her first birthday with the rest of the party goers.

Maria and Carly saying goodbye to 4059a Samsun Court. It's been a nice little home for us for two years. I emphasize little.

Maria at aerobics with her good friend Summer Turner. We are going to miss this Turner family.

Mersin, Turkey

This weekend we went to a city about an hour from Incirlik which we had never been to . The Turkish Pharmacist that CJ works with wanted to spend one last day with our family. Her family (Cem-her husband, Lale-her, and Berk-their son) have been so good to us and have really helped me to enjoy Turkey. We went to a fish restaurant by the sea and it was very good food, but it was the environment that made it so enjoyable. Maria and Berk then wanted to go swimming in the sea. They put their feet in the water and that was enough for them, it was freezing. They played on the shore for a little while and then were okay with leaving. We then stopped at a big mall. A few months ago Maria saw a movie where a girl ate cotton candy. Maria has never seen or tasted it, but has wanted to ever since she saw the movie. We walk into the mall and one of the first things we see is cotton candy. She got some and decide that it was just okay. We didn't stay long, because Carly was at her limit, but we had a wonderful day and will miss Cem, Lale, and Berk very much.

Lunch by the sea with friends, I will miss this.

Maria and Berk after lunch playing.

Maria getting cotton candy for the first time.

On the drive home we took some random photos from the car. These things have become very commonplace for us to see, but we realize that there is nothing common about them, unless you are in Turkey. I'm sure after awhile we will forget about these types of things, and it's these things that have made living in Turkey so fun and interesting.

Trucks are piled as high as you can get them, and sometimes there are people riding on the top of the pile of goods. This is on the Autobahn by the way.

Some guy and his wife pushing their cart of goods down the highway heading home for the day.

Autobahn going through Adana.

Incirlik Village right outside the base. It's known to the Americans as the Alley. It is full of shops and restaurants that rely on the base for pretty much all of their business.

Summertime and Smiles

May 21st

We had a summer pot luck and recipe exchange that two friends put together. Everyone was to bring 15 copies of three recipes and then make and bring one of those dishes to share. We met and ate at the park, and then the kids played most of the afternoon. There was about ten women that showed up and a few more that couldn't come, but that sent recipes. It was a great idea and we had a wonderful time.

Maria enjoying Trista's rainbow cake.

Carly has started to smile. CJ even got a laugh out of her the other day. It's hard to catch it on camera, but here are some good attempts. She is such a beautiful baby.

A Happy Carly.

A missed smile, but still a beautiful little girl.

She was smiling in her sleep, but I didn't catch it. She looks so peaceful though.

Bol Kepce

May 12th-

I will miss this little gem of a place that we have found in between Incirlik and Adana. It serves the best salads and Adana Kebab I have ever tasted, and it's very cheap. Bol Kepce translates to lot's of food, which you get. It's located in the area were they have lumber yards that they use to make furniture, so it's known to some as Lumber Yard Kebab or Furniture Kebab. It is just delicious and I will miss it when we leave. The owner is so nice and although he speaks very little english he has taken care of us each time we have gone.

The owner in the white shirt and the kitchen of Bol Kepce. I don't think there is any health inspectors coming around this place. I don't care it tastes amazing.

So CJ asked if he could take a picture of them working on our kebab's and they let him make them and they took the picture. Only in Turkey.

Enjoying our dinner.

Spring Fling and Maria's Party

May 8th and 12th

Each year Incirlik Air Base holds an annual Spring Fling. It's like a carnival on a much smaller scale. It was on May 8th and we of coarse went. It was about as fun as you can expect. Maria rode a donkey, got her hair colored purple, got her face painted, and her nails painted. We drank delicious lemonade and had not so delicious hot dogs. That same day was the season opening of the swimming pool, so we hit it in the afternoon. It was a very fun day.

Maria riding the donkey at the Incirlik Spring Fling.

Maria and her friend Summer at the pools season opening.

On May 12th Maria had planned a little party for some of her friends. She had asked me if she could do it the previous week and I thinking she would forget said that she could have it in six days. Six days is an eternity in Maria's mind so I thought surly she will lose interest in that amount of time. Well she didn't and she worked on this party for six days straight. She had activities to do, a menu planned - that included only sugar, handmade invitations, and a very extensive guest list. She did most of the work and everyone but one that she invited showed up. It was a great afternoon and she had so much fun planning it and doing it. Our Maria is a special little girl.

Magnas, Aubry, Rilyn, and Maria, just a few of the friends at the party.

Maria, Emily, Bronwyn, and Magnas on the slip-n-slide at the party.

Happy Birthday CJ

April 29th-

CJ turned 33 this year and he said it wasn't his worse birthday ever, but I think it came close. We got done packing out on Thursday and his birthday was on Friday April 29th. I did manage to get him a birthday cake and Maria insisted that he have balloons. It's not a birthday unless you have balloons in her mind. We had a nice dinner and he got a couple of cards and that was about it. Sorry CJ we hope that he knows how much we love him and we think he's a wonderful dad and husband.

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles-Oh yeah and then a move from Turkey to Utah

So I'm just getting around to blogging, but I have been a little busy. This post is for April 15th to the 26th. Our little family was in Germany and ready to bring little Carly home to show her off. The passport was ready and would be delivered to us on the 16th. CJ and Maria got on a military fight on the 15th and Carly and I were going to follow them the next day. They made it back to Turkey with no problems. Then a volcano erupted in Iceland and stopped all air travel in most of Europe, Germany included. Carly and I went to Frankfurt thinking we would wait a day and fly home. Five days later we were still waiting and it was not looking like there was much hope of us getting home anytime soon. I had had enough of Germany and CJ had had enough of being a single dad, so I checked out of my hotel in Frankfurt on April 20th with my mind set to get home by the following day. I went to the airport and they told me there was a way, but they did not recommend it with a two week old. I didn't listen and board a train to take Carly and I to Vienna, Austria where planes were flying out of. It was a eight hour train ride and it was packed. I did get a seat and sat there the entire eight hours. Once in Vienna I had to find a way to the airport. I was going to take the bus, but it was going to take about an hour. I walked outside and a guy came up to me and said that he and his wife were taking a taxi to the airport and asked if I would like to share it. I was so thankful for him and it ended up taking not even 10 minutes to get there. I then went to see if I could get on a fight that night. The guy at the counter for Turkish Air said that I was going to have to wait until the following morning because I was to late for the flight that night. I was not about to leave the airport so I started to search for a nice bench to sleep on for the night. Not ten minutes had passed when the guy from the airline counter came up to me and asked if I was staying there for the night, I said yes and he didn't think that was a good idea. He then told me to get the baby and he carried my bags. He took me through some back doors and bypassed a security check point right to a gate where I boarded a plane for Istanbul. He said that it would not land until about 1:00 in the morning and then handed me a ticket from Istanbul to Adana that left the following morning at 6:00. I was to be in Adana at 7:30 the next morning. I had done it with a little determination and a few good people that took pity on a women with a two week old. It was quite the adventure and Carly was a trooper the whole time. I was so glad to get back home and felt very grateful to all of my dear friends in Turkey that helped CJ out with Maria. It really made me realize how I'm going to miss the closeness of people living in Turkey.

So I was home and then CJ informed me that our stuff is being pack up the following Monday. I had't been home for nearly two months and movers are coming in four days. I really didn't care, I was home with my two girls and my wonderful husband. Things were great and the packing out went just fine. I feel a little bad because I didn't take any pictures of Carly and I's adventure, I guess I was to worried about other things.

Carly seeing her home for the first time.

Maria and Carly worn out from all the packing.