April Life

We experienced so much fun this month including birthday parties, playmates with friends, lots of chai, exploration days, big goals accomplished, snow and the beginning of Spring, and so much more!

Happy Birthday friend Z!!!

These are Lucy's friends, twins names Damla and Eylul and no we can't tell them apart most days.  They and their mom have become good friends to us!

This is the twins' mom and my friend, Ayse Gul.

Karis and I have started running together and this particular day we ran FIVE miles together.  It was such an accomplishment for us and fun to do together!

Our sweet friend Lexi...

We love our buddy Gul!

We even had a date night to the steak house!

This is what it looks like outside your house when a typical chai is taking place. ...

We are still chipping away at language most days.  Some things are getting much easier although we are constantly reminded of what we still don't know...

Chai after school with the twins…they don't do simple snack times!

Ayse Gul and myself...

Park selfies (locals love them)...

Nothing like riding through a village and sharing the roads with all the animals...

Exploring old caves and old churches...

Park playtime….

This is one the twins' older sisters, Ella who is Karis' age...

Last day of homeschool 2015

Well our first full year of real homeschool is now in the books!!!

Lucy has officially completed Kindergarten, Brayden completed 2nd grade and Karis complete 4th grade!

It has been a challenge some days, reallllly hard some days, mind-blowing, fun, exciting, tiring and amazing all the same time.  I have seen my kids struggle, learn, cry, be amazed, grow and be stretched in a way I have never before.  They have worked so hard and have learned so much.  I have seen Lucy go from learning/sounding out letters to full-blown reading me books.  It brings tears to my eyes to know the things that we all have encountered and learned together, both educational and about each other and about life.  

We look forward to a break in our schedules now for the next few months and I am sure by then we will be ready for next year….FIRST, THIRD AND 5TH GRADES!!!

Vacation to the Mediterranean

We were blessed to get to spend a few days at the Mediterranean for some relaxation and meetings with friends.  We road a public bus there through the mountains…with dramamine in system of course.  We got to hang out at the beach, see local sights, eat some yummy food (which I didn't have to cook…best part), and the kids got to swim ALOT which they always love.  It was a great time of refreshment!

Happy Resurrection Day 2015

Happy Easter 2015!

Hope you all are having a wonderful Easter season celebrating our risen Savior! We are grateful and amazed at what our Father has done for us.  Simply in awe and grateful.

We celebrated on Good Friday with our family here worshipping our Lord together.  Saturday a friend put together a small easter egg hunt for the kids.  It was a whopping 35 degrees and cold but it was fun.