Turkey (the country, not the meat)

 

My trip last month to America to spend Christmas with my family was anything but simple! All sorts of flight-related complications made the journey frustrating for my friends and I, but we also tried to be thankful that we could travel and sought to enjoy the adventure on the way. And there was adventure! We ended up spending a night in Istanbul, Turkey, and one in Chicago. I especially enjoyed the time in Turkey; it was fun to get a glimpse of a completely new country.

 

The hotel lobby in Istanbul was busy with other people whose flights were cancelled or delayed.

 

You can imagine what a wonderful sight this room was to me after a 5 hour flight that had been delayed 6 hours, and then another 7 hours in the Istanbul airport.

 

The dramatic view out my window.

 

The view from another direction.

 

I was thankful that God let me enjoy this time, even though the trip was a challenge. It was a joy to finally reach my family after 67 hours of travel! Christmas was extra special this year.

 

Spring in January

After a full, blessed month at home, I'm now back at my second home on the other side of the world! I think I'm finally emerging from the fog of jet lag (!), the first couple days of school with the kids have gone well, and the weather has been more like May than January. Whether or not that lasts, we sure have been enjoying it the last few days!



The beautiful view down the street-pretty much the same view as the one out the window over my desk.
 



Julia

Potato Chip. He happens to use this platform to jump in my window when it's open!

Katie digging random holes and enjoying the warmth.

 

One of Will's favorite things to do outside right now; taste test dirt! We're continually rescuing clods from his mouth.

 

He doesn't care for the taste, so perhaps he'll leave the dirt to the womrs soon!

 

He keeps us laughing for sure!