Being Creative

I got a housekeeper.  Yes!  But with an interesting twist;

The housekeeper came to the house and I met her, along with her interpreter.  Say what?  I knew that she would be a Turkish woman, but I thought that she would be able to speak some English.  No she did not.  Not at all.

The housekeeper, the interpreter and I walked around the house.  We talked about what I was expecting from the housekeeper.  We worked to get the schedule set up.  The interpreter left and I thought - that was not so tough.  I thought we had it all set up.  Nope, not that easy.

The housekeeper started her work and then she had a question.  Well, I don't speak Turkish and she does not speak English.  I tried my one word broken English with pointing and a charades type of communication.  She understood nothing.  She rambled on and I understood nothing.  Hmm.  How were we going to understand one another?

It then came to me to use the Internet.  There had to be something out there to help us talk with one another.  I found Google Translate.  YES!  Google translate allows a person to type a word or sentence in their language and then choose the language that it should be translated into, and the phrase can be audibly translated.  It's awesome!

Note- the English language has a different grammar structure.  So it takes us a few minutes to get the foundation of what is being said when we use google translate.  We type and retype in order to get the right sentence structure that will interpret well enough for us to understand one another.  For instance;  the housekeeper wanted to ask me if she should clean the windows.  When she typed into google translate  her question, the translation asked if I wanted to delete windows.  Say what?  Delete windows?  Well, after a few more tries of typing the same question in different ways I was able to grasp that she was asking "delete dirt on windows?"  It worked and so the rest of the day continued on with work and google tranlsate.

I have used it a couple more times since then and love this new tool.  I still have to learn Turkish, but that will come in time.  In the meantime, I will use Google translate.

Sam is the Shining Star

Turkish people love kids and I have read how this is part of their culture.  The Turkish people make sure to give kids special individual attention to let the kids know they are loved.  Turks show their affection by speaking with all the kids, asking each child their name (even in broken English), and touch their heads.  Nate, Connor and Sam love the attention and feel that they are royalty.

Recently we have noticed that Sam has taken over center stage.  Everywhere we go, the Turkish people really seem to notice him.  Now I know that he is six and lets face facts - six is cute.  He is smaller and has this crazy hair that won't stay down.  He has a crazy disposition and can be loud which can draw attention to us.  He speaks English, which always draws attention to us.  But seriously, the Turkish people really love him. 

At the health club, his sports instructors pinch his cheeks and hug him.  He usually gets his head touched and his hair messed up a few times throughout his lesson.  One female instructor in particular calls his name out to kiss his cheek prior to him leaving at the end of the day.  He loves her attention and has a big smile when he is done with his lessons.

When we are at the market or a shopping mall, Turkish people walk out of their way in order to touch Sam's head.  They may not speak English, but their body language and behavior shows that they are adoring Sam.  I have seen the Turks laugh and speak Turkish as they give Sam the head touch, pinch his cheeks, or mess up his hair.  They smile at the rest of the boys to show their love, but it is apparent that Sam is getting the most attention.  Again, he loves this and smiles as the people adore him.

This attention to Sam is so noticeable that we talked about it the other day as a family.  Nate and Connor both stated that they don't know what draws people to Sam, but people always notice him no matter where we go.  Sam's response was that the girls really like him......REALLY?

So we are not sure if it is Sam's funny disposition, his crazy hair, or his cute six look that is getting him the star treatment in Turkey; but Sam is a star.

Sam's typical crazy behavior.

Getting Back to the Basics

We are at three weeks living in Turkey.  I have really enjoyed the time with the kids and the family getting back to the basics.  What do I mean about that?  Well, let me explain;

In today's world we are so privileged.  We have always had two cars, TV and many electronics that they take for granted.  Those items can at times consume our daily lives.  Moving international takes away many of those amenities, at least temporarily.

We won't receive most of our property for another couple of months.  We have one TV,  the WII, DVD player, just got a computer and just got a second car.  We have the basics for furniture; a few chairs, some kitchen dinnerware and beds.  The basics.

Our new TV system (Turkish cable) is interesting.  We are connected to a digital system for TV, but it is nothing like what Americans consider cable.  Honestly, there are only a couple of channels to watch, because most of the channels are in Turkish.  And as far as sports channels; well, that is also very limited (sorry Reed).  I watched a daytime talk show the other day.  During the show I learned that it was Halloween 2009.  A little outdated if you ask me.  Therefore, there has been some major adjustments with the kids and TV.  I rather like the fact that TV time has cut down.  The kids have spent more time outside, playing games, or reading.  It also saves on the cable bill.  YES!

We did not have a second car for 2 1/2 weeks.  Reed had the only car and he was at work.  This made the kids and I have to walk to any destination near the house.  Yes, walk!  I can remember when I was young having to walk to school, and no it was not just three blocks.  Because of the changes in the world, our children have not experience such things.  Well, for the last few weeks we have had to walk everywhere.  This has allowed us more time to talk with one another while enjoying the outdoor weather.  I was surprised that the kids did not complain while we walk to the store or park.  Note- now that we have the car they ask if we are driving or walking and suggest driving.  So, sometimes we drive and sometimes we walk.

I have heard stories from my parents about doing loads of laundry by hand with a crank over a tub. They then hung their laundry out to dry. That was their laundry system.  Now that is the basics!  If I had to do laundry like my parents.....well I don't want to go there.  We have a washer.  With three boys and a husband I need one.  I do hang the laundry out to dry because electricity is expensive.  The weather here is great for drying laundry; hot sun and no humidity.  As far as the washer, this is a necessity and not an amenity!

Water for drinking does not come out of the tap and that is different for the kids.  We have to make sure to go to the store to have bottles of water in our house.  When we leave the house, we bring water.  There are no water fountains; therefore, when you are out and about you have to buy water.  We have to watch and make sure to have the large bottle of water stocked, which is also very different.  This change in one of the most basic needs in our life (water) has allowed me teaching opportunities.  I point out to the kids there are people in this world who can't afford some of the most basic needs.  We have talked about people who have no homes with running water, food or clothing necessities .  Driving around the city we have seen just that type of poverty and it is a humbling experience to witness.  I am trying to get the kids to understand how easy our life is compared to most.

Overall, in the past few weeks we have enjoyed the TV being off, our strolling conversations, reading books and playing games.  This has been a great time and experience for us all.  There were complaints at first, but they have adapted.

I know that it will be back to normal soon when we have all our stuff.  BUT, maybe normal has changed.  I am not sure and we will see.  In the end, hopefully we will remember to take time out from the fast pace world to enjoy one another because things come and go, but family remains forever!

Our Family

Ankara Castle

Ankara Castle has been around since the Roman Empire. I learned that after Ankara was proclaimed the Turkish capital in 1923 the heart of the city moved away, leaving the old city behind.  My brother, Monty, who is the history buff probably has a ton of historical information on this castle.  He could tell you about the Ottoman Empire, etc, and how it relates to the castle, but he is not your tour guide.  I don't know history like that, so I will describe to you what we did and saw the day that we visited the Castle.

Driving to the castle, we noticed that the road became smaller.  In Turkey the roads in the city are not wide, barely fitting two cars.  As we got closer to the castle the road turned into cobble stone and it became more of a one car road.  It is a historical fact that cobble stone roads are smaller then paved roads.  Well, I don't know if it is a historical fact at all.  It is a fact that I noticed that they were smaller.

The driving craziness did not change.  People still made a parking space out of nothing, even if it almost completely blocked the road.  Some cars were parked blocking part road and part sidewalk.  I was so culture shocked, because back at home that vehicle would be towed within minutes of being parked.

We parked in an area that had a lot of open air markets and gave us the most space so we could eventually turn our car around to leave.  This parking area had the most room.  Entering the Castle;

The Castle Entrance

I noticed white stones mixed throughout the walls.  Not sure why the white stones are mixed into the wall, but they are place randomly throughout the entire castle.  Notice the entrance was only slightly larger then all the McPeaks posing for the picture.  During our visit, vehicles drove through that entrance and throughout the streets inside the castle.  The person driving would honk and you would hug the wall while the one car drove past you.  Hugging the wall sideways gave just enough room for vehicle and pedestrian.

There were houses everywhere. The old houses in and around the castle are now being restored. Some are still needing a lot of work.   Most houses were turned into a store/store front type of business with people living above the storefront. It was quite the experience to see someone hanging laundry behind the storefront in the back alley.

A back alley.  The kids gave a pose.

It was a long walk, but we made it to the top.  The top area was like a rectangular fortress.  There were holes throughout the walls of the castle so the soldier could point the weapon out and defend it. 

It was interesting to see that there were no safety barriers anywhere around the castle.  Sam and I would not walk on the top wall, because of our fear of heights.  The top wall had no railing or any other safety feature to prevent anyone from falling to their death.  Again, culture shock.  Where we live there are railings and barriers preventing a person from getting too close to the edge.  Nothing like that was anywhere at this castle.  I took a few photos, not from the tippy top, of the area to show how big the castle is and how the houses are built in and around the castle. 

See the other fortress Castle walls standing in background

Look at the castle walls and all the houses built right around them

Notice more white stones in the wall

In the end we had a great time exploring the Ankara Castle.

The Language Barrier

Well, I have been pondering about what to write today and I decided to paint a picture about what it is like living in a Country with a different language.  So here goes;

When we landed all signs in the Airport were posted in Turkish and English, written underneath the Turkish word.  So, I thought this won't be too hard.  Well, when you leave the airport, you leave the translation. 

Turkish is not even close to English.  It has been so confusing to do daily tasks.  Understand that all highways and street signs are in Turkish.  The building names (market, furniture store, gas station, pharmacy and such) are all written in Turkish.  It makes life interesting when you are driving around looking for a specific store, like the nearest grocery store.

Walking through the mall and trying to find a target type of store to buy school supplies was rather interesting.  I can't read Turkish, so I didn't even bother looking at the mall directory.  I had to walk the whole mall in order to find what stores were available at the mall.  If you know me; you know that actually I did not mind walking through the whole mall.  Hmmm.  Interesting; they are more European in their clothing line here and I did not realize that Madonna's shirt hanging off the shoulder look is back.  YES, the Eighties is back!

Shopping in a grocery store can be confusing.  I look at the labels to try to determine what the item is; laundry detergent or what.  Some products in the store don't have a picture illustrating the item; laundry, dishwasher soap, stain remover, milk, yogurt or what.  Also their labeling is not anything I am familiar with (colors or words).  I actually purchased Yogurt drink thinking I was buying milk.  When I got home I gave some to the kids and took a big swig thinking it was a whole milk.  It was so thick and salty, YUK.  I spit it out and checked the expiration date.  No it was not expired.  SO what did I just drink?  When I googled  the word on the label of the container, I learned that I had bought a common Yogurt drink.  Who knew such a thing existed.  Its a very popular Turkish drink.

Buying Tylenol;  You actually have to go to a pharmacy (again you need to know the Turkish word for pharmacy in order to find the store). Tylenol is not written on any label.  All the boxes look different.  I approached a person in the lab coat, because I thought that she must be a pharmacist.  That person spoke broken English.  YES!  I then explained that I wanted Tylenol (my broken English- I buy Tylenol).  She told me "yes.  yes."  Hmm, think that I have heard that type of response in the past and that usually means that we are not on the same page.  She told me "Here better Tylenol."  Because of my experience with the yogurt drink, I did not want to make a mistake on a pharmaceutical product so when I came home I looked it up.  I then learned that I had actually purchased ibuprofen.

The radio stations here play Turkish music.  One radio station plays American music in English, and the DJ speaks Turkish.  I thought how strange it was that the songs are in English, but then the DJ speaks Turkish.  How does the DJ know what he or she is playing?  Then I questioned if English sounds as foreign to the Turks as Turkish does to me.  If so; are they listening to American music?  If so, are they understanding what is being sung or are they listening to the music not understanding the words?  Note- when I was walking through the mall I noticed that in many stores English speaking music was being played over their intercom system.  I again thought that this was odd, because when I tried to speak with the employees at the store they did not speak any English. 

I have not gotten a cell phone, because I can't communicate with the employee to tell them the plan I want.  Their forms and brochures are all written in Turkish.  I am not signing a contract without knowing what I am agreeing to.  Think about it, I could be agreeing to sell my cow or goat to that employee.  No way, I want to keep all my animals (Nate, Connor and Sam too).

This language barrier is encouraging me to learn Turkish.  My family noticed and pointed out that when I interact with Turkish people, I then speak broken English with some weird accent to them.  This new language I speak makes them laugh.  

The Neighborhood across the street.  They call Neighborhood- Sitesi (cities)

 

A Stomach Bug Hits Us

Well we had an interesting 24 hours;

Nate began complaining about his stomach hurting mid morning.  He talked about it being a sharp pain in the center area of his stomach.  I was concerned that there might be some serious issues going on and watched him.  Reed came home last night talking about a major stomach issue.  He was hunched over telling me that it hurt when he stood straight up (Symptom number one that Nate had complained about all day).  He then further described the pain he was having and it was similar to Nate's issues.  Not sure what they ate/drank, but they are both hunched over and make frequent trips to the bathroom.  Needless to say, Reed left for work looking pretty sick this morning.  Ouch!

We have had plumbing issues with this house since Sunday 8/7/11.  First, the upstairs bathroom tub began to leak.  I have been trying to keep that leak to a small pond by using towels.   Background- In Turkey every bathroom has a drain near a toilet, but with all the tiling the water does not always flow directly to the drain.  The tub leak was not flowing to the drain.  So I had to make a barrier out of towels to stop the water from following the grout and making a mini pond all over the bathroom.  This ingenuity contained the pond to an area near the toilet.

Next; along with the leak, two toilets have been out of service.  We finally got a plumber to the house to fix the plumbing issues yesterday.  He could not fix the tub, because a different service company has to be called out to fix it.  Oh well, more towels and a constant vigilance on my part to fight the water from gaining any ground in that bathroom. 

So you think things are going well;  Sick people, but the plumber came out and now the toilets are working.  BUT I was wrong.  When the plumber left I went to the basement to do laundry.  I noticed that water had surfaced up two drains in the basement bathroom and flooded 1/4 of the basement.  I ran outside looking for the plumber, because he had just left.  He was no where to be found.  Yep-  my luck.

I have no wet/dry vac, so it was back to the basics.  Hands and knees and more towels.  I used the towels to soak up the water and then wrung them out into a bucket.  Three buckets later and who knows how much time had passed, the basement was empty of the standing water.  Now realize that this water was a yellowish/brown color and it smelled.  I really don't want to know what plumbing is connected to that drain and considering that the plumber was working on toilets- yep, I showered and scrubbed.  I looked like the guy (Vin Diesel) in the movie "The Pacifier" scrubbing hard.  I don't want to think about what I had just cleaned up, but realize I was in it; kneeling, walking through it, and using my hands to wring out that stinky water into the bucket.  If I end up with the stomach bug, I am sure I will know where that came from- YUK!

On a good note.  Prior to Reed coming home he test drove a car.  I believe that they are putting an offer on it today.  Yes!   

Today is a new day;  I will have to wait to flush anything until the plumber comes to take care of the clog in the drains.  AND  I can't do laundry.  I forgot to mention that after cleaning up the issue in the basement.  All the water cleaned up and I mean everything.  I went to wash those towels.  A few minutes later, I saw water coming back up out of the the drain.  OUCH, not again.  Because of my prior experience with fighting the battle with water in our bathroom, I created a Dam at the doorway.  I wanted to contain the water from coming out of the bathroom (where the drain was located) into the main area of the basement, like prior.  The dam worked and now the basement bathroom is the only mess that will need to be cleaned after the plumber is done.  Hopefully the water issues will be over soon. 

And so the story continues.....

Adapting

Well, we are sleeping though the night and the boys are adjusting.  They have not made any friends, but that will come soon.  They have a great attitude towards this adventure and I am enjoying our time together. 

We have been here a week and what have we learned;

  Not many people speak English.  BUT if a Turkish person speaks English and hears us, they love to talk with us.  They tell us that they need to practice their English and then talk for some time.  They usually want to learn everything there is to know about our family;  how long are we staying, what are we doing, do we have the kids signed up for school, do we understand some of their customs, etc.  People are friendly and want to help, in spite of the language barrier.  They love to talk,  but most of the time I just don't understand what they are saying.

  Traffic is different in Turkey- already mentioned in prior blog.  I drove for the first time on Sunday, 8/7/11.  Everything went fine and I did well.  Reed was my driver's ed instructor.  He was a good teacher.  Roundabouts in Turkey are controlled by lights and it can be confusing which light and when, but Reed showed me the ropes and I passed!  The kids were even proud of my driving.

  Turkish food consists of Lamb, olives, tea and bread.  Of course there are more choices, but that is what I have seen.  Actually, they have very fresh vegetables, spices, and fish.

   Turkish people love kids and are very patient with them.  Wherever we have gone, most Turkish people  attempt to speak with the kids.  It is common for a Turkish person to touch the child's heads and say hi.    For example, we were in a furniture store (Ikea) with Sam trying to climb on something.  I told him to get down, but the English speaking Turkish person said, "Let him be a kid.  He can climb.  It is OK.  Turkish people love it when they see kids play."  I told him that I did not want Sam to fall and he acknowledge that it was probably best for Sam to get down.  He made sure to talk with all the kids.

  Most houses and buildings don't have airconditioning or carpets.  Turkey is dusty.  Not sure why, but there is a thin layer of dust that follows on your shoes into a store or into your house.  Also, without AC most people leave their windows open.  Again, the dust on the floors.  Turkish people and I are constantly cleaning floors (if you know me...I have OCD, just a little).  The AC is not really needed, because on most days there is a slight breeze that cools the hot sun.  That is why most homes or businesses don't have AC.  ALSO- It really cools down around 7 pm, when the sun is setting.

  Houses and building are made completely in concrete.  The stairs, the walls, the floor- everything is concrete.  They don't sheet rock anything- all concrete.  You have to drill into the wall in order to put special screw holders in so that you can screw in light fixtures or hang pictures.  The floors on every level is concrete, not framed and  boards.  They will then lay all different types of flooring on top of the concrete;  wood, tile, ceramic, and marble to complete the flooring.  Hmmmm; Wonder how much weight is above my head right now as I type.  Well, Thank goodness for engineers and sturdy construction.

  Stray dogs are everywhere- As mentioned in prior blog.

  The cost of living is higher.  It is very expensive for many things in Turkey. 

Our walk home

Our First week is over and we are doing great!  Above is a picture from one of our exploration days.

Traffic- UGH!

Traffic in Turkey. WOW to say the least. In Turkey there is no highway patrol. You see police every now and then, but they're not performing traffic stops. Therefore; no one drives the speed limit. The only time anyone drives the limit is at the well know camera locations.  At those sites a camera is posted above the highway on a large beam/pole.  The camera takes note of your speed and if you are on the phone.  You will get a ticket if the camera documents either of those infractions.  So people slow way down prior to the cameras and then speed up right after.

Other interesting traffic laws?!?  -The car ahead of you in any lane has the right away, so if they cut you off and you collide with any part of the vehicle behind their bumper; it is your fault.  AND apparently, it is very common for the drivers to drive in reverse on the highway.  They feel that if you miss a turn, even on the highway, just stop and back your car up with your flashers on to get back to the turn.  Also, if there is room for a car, there is a new lane.  So a two land highway with shoulders become a four to a five lane highway road.  Finally, If the police or ambulance are driving with lights and siren;  don't stop, just give them enough room to get by.  Very different and confusing.

We are just in awe with how they drive over here.  An example- Today, we saw a bus driver get out of his vehicle to break the tape off of a blocked construction site road.  The road was being repaved.  Now realize it was apparent that there was construction on this road.  There were pavement trucks and other large road construction equipment past the tapped barricade and they were all clearly visible.  After breaking the tapped off road, the bus driver then used his bus to push the metal baracade aside so he could drive past the barricade on the road (Again, cars/buses apparently have the right away).  The construction workers tried to block him. but he kept driving.  This infuriated the construction workers so much that a construction worker then tried to get on the bus to fight him.  The bus stopped and a passenger from the bus held the guy back so that they could not brawl.  In the end, the newly paved road had new tire marks on it and the steam roller had a lot of work to redo.  WOW!  That was crazy. 

Also; note to self... cars have the right away vs pedestrians. The kids and I walked to the park yesterday and trust me they drive fast and don't look for you.  We were very aware of the traffic and crossing the streets.

Parks in Turkey are not what we would consider a park.  Their parks are usually an outdoor exercise park.  They usually have all different types of equipment that people can use to stay active.  Most parks have a small running track around them.  The kids and I played for some time at the park close to us and had a blast.

The kids at the Park

Note to self;  Leave Reed a note when you leave the house or Reed will drive around looking for his family.  For clarification of my actions;  Reed told me what time he was coming home from work.  The kids and I have no car so we went out exploring and were gone for several hours.  We wanted to get out of the house and found the exercise park.  We were having fun.  I timed it so that we would be back at the house prior to his stated arrival time.  It really is not my fault that he arrived home early.  Needless to say;  I am getting a cheap Turk phone so that we can have better communication-  My fault for not leaving a note.

The kids had a blast!

A Good Nights Sleep

Well, I am happy to report that everyone slept last night, including me.  That was a big accomplishment.  I am sure our neighbors think were weird being up at all hours of the day and night.  I do see them watching and checking the "Americans" out.  One lady was at the window watching the kids play.  She was smiling and sat there for quite some time.  I'm sure she did not speak any English.  I am finding that a lot of people don't speak any English.

I had a great accomplishment today!  I dialed a foreign number, for the first time, for the water company that services our house.  Background- we can't drink tap water so we have a water dispenser (like a culligan 5 gallon container).  I dialed the number and, of course, no employee spoke any English.  I worked hard to speak as few words as possible.  Anyone who knows me finds that hard to believe, but I really did.  I just said the necessary things;  one bottle of water (Su) and the address.  I was sure I had screwed up, because all the man said on the other line was "yes".  I kept asking if he understood and he said "yes."  But I realized he said "yes" to everything.  One bottle -his response "yes."  You know where to deliver- his response "yes."  I almost asked him if he was a girl, but that would not have been the right thing.  I trusted that the basics got through.... or I could call back in an hour and hope for someone with a little English speaking capabilities.  But about a half hour after placing the call the guy was at our front door with the water.  YES I did it!  I called Reed right a away to profess my accomplishment.  He laughed.  Oh well.

Today consisted of more errands. One errand was to the base. The kids love going there, because they love seeing all the guards and the different uniforms. We have to go through a major security check point with us and the car prior to going into the base. 

While driving through the base, we witnessed the military men hand painting the stripes in the street. Yes, hand painting!?! You need to understand that there is a lot of road to paint on the base. I could not image how their backs were feeling after today's work.  It was hot and sunny.  They were bent over taping first then painting the stripes. WOW!

Next, we signed the kids up for tennis at the health club.  This club is huge!  It has two outdoor exercise pools, two indoor exercise pools, a kids outdoor funs swim pool, and an adult leisure outdoor swim pool.  Not to mention all the tennis courts.  We went inside so I could get my membership card and it is just as big inside.  COOL!  I will have to take photos of the club.

The kids finally sleep

  Well, since arriving in Turkey we have been busy.  We have spent the last few days unpacking, cleaning, getting groceries, and other necessary items.  Most of our property will not be here for about three months.  We needed a few supplies to tide us over until then; cookware, dishes and cleaning supplies.  We went to the base to buy groceries, because the cost of living is out of control.  Their grocery stores are comparative to a Walmart/ Target Superstore.  They sell groceries and the kitchen sink.

  In Turkey all electrical runs on a 220 volt which is not compatible with American electrical stuff.  We only brought a few electrical items over to use with a converter and had to buy the rest.  The base exchange is very reasonable.  Not to mention that there is a sandwich/pizza shop right outside the store with great American food.  Not many options out here to eat any type of American food.  The kids ate and hung out there while we got our items.  Very convenient I might say.

   Next we will have to work hard to find a second car.  At this time we only have one.  When Reed leaves the kids and I are not able to go far, due to the lack of wheels. 

   On a great note/ photo opportunity, the kids slept the night through as you can see from the picture above.  They even slept in.....say what?  If you know the kids you know that they are early risers.   I took their picture because they were so adorable.  I, unfortunately, have been waking up around 3am since we arrived.  I am hoping that tonight I can sleep through the night.  We will see.

WE MADE IT!

Sorry I have not updated the blog.  When we got into Turkey and hooked the computer up all the language changed to Turkish.  It took a while to figure out how to change the language back to English. 

We made it!  Moving kids international consisted of; ten checked bags, several carry on bags, three different planes, customs, Visa applications and twenty hours later- were home in Turkey.  We will live here for three years.  Landing July 31, 2011- late in the evening, Turkey time.

The house is pretty cool.  No carpets.  All businesses and homes usually don't have any carpets.  It is a pretty dusty climate.  Everyday you have to wash the dust film off of your floors, because if you don't you will see all the foot prints in the dust.  I'm not kidding. 


Turkey's biggest difference, not including the language difference and dust, is that it has many many many stray dogs.  They are not dangerous, but are everywhere.  They will come up to you looking for food and/or attention.  That is very different.....normally we are fearful of stray dogs.


I want to thank the friends and family that helped us prior to the move.  Joan and Marty (my mom and dad) spent endless hours helping me get the house sorted, packed, and delivered miscellaneous items all over the place.  Gloria and Randy (Reed's mom and step dad) made a special trip to see us from Colorado.  They helped us out by caring for the kids so that Reed and I could pack and have one last date night with our neighborhood.  They had an interesting stay at the hotel; not only with our kids but with the hotel mishaps.  Gloria and Randy can share those stories.  Garold, Tyler, Andrea, Mitch and Trisha (Reed's side of the family); thanks for making a special trip to see us as well.  They drove from Kansas to spend one last night with us and share time with the kids.  And finally, our neighbors and other family members who helped care for the kids, signed documents and mowed the lawn in Reeds absence, helped pack, and gave us a great going away party.  This is what life is all about -Family and Friends.

*Family*

The McPeaks

*Family*

Grandma GG and Grandpa Randy

*Friends*

The neighborhood girls!