The Gigantic Icicles

Those are the icicles hanging off our bedroom window.  Apparently, you are supposed to knock them down in the wee hours of the morning or late at night when people aren't out and about walking the sidewalks.  I think we are probably the only ones on our block who haven't knocked theirs down yet.  We've heard them being knocked down at 5:30 am.  It sounds like bombs hitting the ground.  I'm not a fan.  So we leave ours.  I want to see how long it will get.  But, I do hope it doesn't fall on anyone.  That would not be pretty.  Maybe on a hard day I will get out the hammer and knock them down to relieve some stress.  

A White Christmas

We had the inevitable first snow a few days ago.  I do have to say that it is quite beautiful.  It snowed for three days straight and then took a small break.  I think it is probably snowing again now.  I say, "I think" because you see, I haven't stepped foot outside in days.  That's right folks, I have become a hermit.  Especially now, trying to get two kids suited up in snow gear so tight that they look like the Michelin man and can barely walk or move their arms, is a bit too ambitious for me.  If I don't suit them up properly I will get yelled at, and I can't handle getting yelled at right now.  Ha.  Plus, it's in the 20's out there.  One day it was 14 F already. This South Carolina bred girl can't handle this cold.  I cry.   We recently moved to a new city, and I'm sure by now that everyone in our neighborhood has heard that the Americans live in Apt. 9.  I have already been stared at, scolded, scoffed at and snickered at for having Elias in the Ergo.  For some reason, everyone thinks I am trying to suffocate him in there with the hood up.  AHHHH!!!   So I just can't get up enough oomph to get out the door.  We can't seem to get out the door without both kids breaking down at the same time anyway.  It's just too much work.  But then there's the reason that we're here....to meet people.  It seems that I need to get outside to meet people, right?!  I won't be a hermit forever, I promise.  It is just really hard right now.  There are two benefits that I see to the snow....

1.  It hides all the dirt, trash, and glass.  It really makes everything seem so much more beautiful here.
2.  It is really dark and gray here.  You know, the kind of weather that can make you have SAD.  But, light reflects off the snow and it makes it seem brighter outside. :)

I do actually get out a little more than I portrayed.  I do get to go to class every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for two hours plus travel time, but I can only go straight there and come straight back because I still have an infant who needs to eat! :)

I think it is safe to say that it looks like we'll have a White Christmas.  

Goals

When making goals, I normally want a complete overhaul but that's not very realistic or sustainable for me.  I operate in extremes.  I have learned though that I need to take change in strides.  Here are a few general goals that I have listed out for myself:

• Drink more water (at least 8 glasses a day).
• Read the Word each morning. 
• Exercise 20 minutes at least 5 times a week (I am shooting for everyday, but I know that I will inevitably miss some days).  Remember, set realistic goals that are attainable and sustainable.  
• Spend quality time with my kiddos everyday.  Do something fun with them for at least 15 min.
• Plan out our meals each week including breakfast and lunch.
• Get Harper and myself outside at least every other day.
• Bedtime routine includes clean up time.  Pick up toys, put away clothes, etc.
• No computer time while kids are awake.  This is a biggie!
• Study and use the language everyday.
• To update this blog at least once a week, hopefully more!  (Let me know if you are reading/lurking on here.  It will give me more motivation. :-)

These are the beginning of my goals.  I have more involved goals but this is a good place for me to start, especially with a two month old to care after and feed every 3 hours. :-)  I already tried the more extreme version; day one was an ultimate failure. Ha.  My attitude was horrendous if the schedule was not followed or if my children did not feel like cooperating with what HH had planned next.  Imagine that!  I am learning folks!  

What are some of your goals?  Do you normally need a gradual process or do you just go for a complete overhaul?

Discipline

I hate the word discipline.  It just makes me want to cringe, crawl in bed, hide underneath the covers, run away, etc.  Why is discipline so hard for so many of us?  Because it's painful.  Not fun.  Hard.

Most of you have probably noticed that I signed off Facebook for a time.  I didn't actually close my account, but I did have my husband change the password so I can't log on.  My reasons:  I spend too much idle time on Facebook, as well as the computer/internet in general, it's distracting, I compare my life and lot too often with others on Facebook, it reminds me of things in America when I need to be focusing my time and energy where Father has me.  This was only the first of many things that Father has pointed out to me in regards to how I spend my time.  So much of me wants to blame my lack of discipline on our circumstances.  In fact, this is what I have done up until this point.  I have begun to notice that it is not our circumstances (they are ever changing), the problem is in fact ME.

That's not pretty folks.  I hate admitting that the problem is ME.  I hate admitting my sin, period.  I want to seem like I have it all together.  I can dress in my fashionable clothes, put on makeup, fix my hair, and put a smile on my face that will make you think I have it all together.  The fact is, I DON'T.  Why do so many of us hide behind all of these things and pretend?  That's right ladies, I am calling you on the carpet.  I know I'm not the only one out there.  We love to post all the good stuff in our lives on Facebook and seem like we have it all together.  Then other women read what we've posted and think, "Wow, their life is so attractive."  Let's all be honest.  Our lives are messy.

I am trying to learn more about how to have more discipline in my life while staying honest about my own heart.  I have been reading Hope for the Weary Mom: Where God Meets You in Your Mess.  It is Honest. Real. Encouraging.

In the next 30 days I am going to be taking steps to a more disciplined life, but not in the effort to have it all together.  I will never have it all together.  I believe God has brought me to this place in my life to humble me.  It is in our weakness that Christ's strength really shines through.  If we have it all together then we aren't weak.  I will be posting from time to time about my new journey to discipline, my heart, and everything I learn along the way.   In the next post I will share about my goals.

What are some areas where you lack discipline?  

Sights of the Big City

Vacation is such a lovely thing.  It is even more lovely when you've been living overseas for 10 months and family come visit.  We loved seeing the familiar faces of family.  Matt's mom, dad and brother were able to come and spend 10 days with us.  What a blessing! They were able to see/meet their new grandson and nephew, as well as, have lots of playtime with Harper.  We loved having the extra hands, and Harper loved all the playtime. While most of our time was spent talking, catching up and playing, we were able to show them some of the sights of Istanbul.

Istanbul is one of the top ten international destinations.  This city is absolutely HUGE. We have been here three times now extending over eight weeks total and have yet to see everything.  Dare I say, maybe not even half of what there is to see.  We were able to show them most of the touristy attractions, as well as, take them to some of our favorite restaurants (non-Western!).  It was fun to show them around and try to communicate what little we know in Turkish to survive.  It was a little bit of a challenge having a six week old, but we all willingly opted for rest times when we went out.  We gave us all rest days in between big touristy days.  We are so glad that they were able to come.  It was fun and we hope to meet up again for the next vacation summer 2014.  

Istanbul Fast Facts:

• Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans across two continents, Europe and Asia.  Most people think of it as Asia, but actually the most historic part is on the European side.
• Although it was the capital of some of the most important empires in the world: Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman; Istanbul is not Turkey's capital.  Ankara is the country's capital.
• The population of Istanbul is around 12 million.
• The Blue Mosque is the only mosque in the city with 6 minarets and stands directly across from Hagia Sophia.

Here are a few pictures from our trip and the sights of Istanbul.

Rumeli Kale Cafe: The BEST breakfast (Kavalta) in all of Istanbul. 

Did someone say bread, kaymak (cheese) with honey, more bread, and more cheese (fried cheese even)?! YUM!!!

 My international daughter drinking her tea (chai).

In front of Rumeli Fortress.  This is a cool place to explore, but be careful because there are no handrails.  

 Harper and her Peepaw on the ferry boat.

 The Kiddos and HH

A Catholic Church on famous Istiklal Avenue.

Eating at a traditional Turkish restaurant for lunch on Istiklal Avenue.

Bryan enjoying his tea.  You always have tea after every meal.

A lady rolling out Gozleme, a traditional Turkish cuisine.  It is most similar to a tortilla filled with potatoes, chesse, spinach, or meat, etc.

The Grand Bazaar.  It is quite grand.  My senses are always on overload in this place, but I get a high from it too.  I can't make quick decisions in here, that's for sure.

Matt and Bryan

From the ferry.

AHHH!!!  Look at all those beautiful Turkish plates.  I have started a Turkish plate collection.  I got my first one from this store!  Now, if I can only remember how to get back there!

Harper & Uncle Bryan

Uncle Bryan & Harper having fun drinking tea at sunset.

Istanbul from Chamlija.  The overlook on the Asian side.

Harper & Meemaw

The Blue Mosque from the ferry at sunset.  Gorgeous.

The back side of Hagia Sophia.

The weekly local produce bazaar (market).

Anyone want some fish?!

Meemaw and Elias

Harper B turns THREE!

Our little Harper Blythe (affectionately known as Harper B) recently celebrated her third birthday.  It is hard to believe that three years have passed since she was born.  She is such a blessing to our lives, and we are so thankful for her.  She adds a lot of joy and laughter to our home.  We wanted to spend the day making her feel special, you know, since it is a celebration of her life.  We've been talking about the subject of traditions lately and have been wanting to implement some for our own family.  We  thought Harper's birthday would be a great way to implement some birthday traditions around here.  Last year, we began the tradition of covering her bedroom floor with balloons while she slept.  This is a fun way for her to wake up.  We enjoyed this last year, therefore, we will continue this tradition until our children outgrow it.  We have also heard of other families bringing the birthday person breakfast in bed.  We like this idea, but we thought Harper was a little too young for that this year, but we may start with Matt in March. :)  We decided to theme the day around princesses, her favorite these days.  It is funny how girls are naturally drawn to princesses.  She has only seen a couple of princess movies but is totally obsessed with them.  She is even drawn to princesses that she's never seen in a movie.  Anyway, I digress.  We had brunch with princess pancakes and lots of other yummy goodness.  For dinner we had princess pizza and for the cake we had a box of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownies.  I dressed up the brownies Rocky Road style and of course we had ice cream too.  Harper loves anything chocolate and anything with ice cream.  A girl after my own heart!  We want to allow the birthday person to pick the menu for the day and pick their favorite treat for the celebration each year.  This is a way to make that person feel special.  Another tradition is going around the table and each person telling why they are thankful for the birthday person and what they love about that person.  We did this with Harper and it was such a great reminder of the blessing that she is to our family and the joy that she adds.

Things we love about Harper and are thankful for:

*Her laugh (my absolute favorite)
*Her imagination
*She travels well
*She adapts well to different places
*She tries to speak the national language and make friends
*She has adjusted so well to having a brother
*She is a great helper
*She is fun to be around
*She is flexible
*She knows that home is with Mom and Dad

And so much more....these are just what I thought of off the top of my head.  Somedays I mourn some of the things that she will "miss out on" (whatever that means) in America, but then I am reminded of what a rich experience she is getting.  She will grow up in a different culture and will see the world with a different perspective.  She will be learning two languages, and most importantly, she will see our Father doing amazing things all around her, and prayerfully, through her.  Right now, as I am sitting here typing this, I hear her playing with her princess dolls speaking mostly in a made up language with a few words from the national language thrown in there.  This is our life friends and I love it! ;)

So what are some of your birthday traditions?  I love the tradition of a birthday week.  The week leading up to a birthday you do something small for the birthday person.  You can write a special note, buy flowers, make up a song, watch a movie, cook something special, go to a coffee shop, make coupons from the family to redeem, etc.  You can get so creative with this.  Matt and Harper did this for my birthday this year.  It was really fun.  What are some other traditions that your family does on holidays that travel well?

Sneaking into Harper's room and filling it with balloons

Harper swimming in her balloons (that is what she called it!)

Princess Pancake Brunch

Blowing out the candles

A visit from a special friend

Tony Boombozz (our favorite pizza place in Louisville, KY) ain't got nothing on this pizza

The crowning of the princess

Rocky Road Brownies 

Life with KIDS

Wow, it is incredible how fast time goes these days.  I feel like Elias was born yesterday, but it has already been 5 weeks.  Sorry for the silence and delay in updating everyone on our lives.  If you really think about it, I just gave birth in a foreign country and in a city that is new to me.  We are still in survival mode.  Things have been just a little busy. ;)  We have been trying to function and figure out life as best as we can with lack of sleep and being away from our home.  Our days have been random, full, fun, overwhelming, exhausting, and such a blessing all at the same time.  Although, I have had my fair share of chocolate and pumpkin spice lattes since having a baby.  I very well DO NOT have it all figured out or have everything together.  We are working on figuring out a routine that works well for our family and that can travel with us.  So thankful for maternity leave to give us time to work on this, and well, God's Grace!  And now, it's time for some pictures.

 Elias at 1 week

 Daddy with the kids

 Elias and Harper's baby hanging out

 The famous football hold (this is how we held Harper for about the first 3 mos. of her life)

 Big Sister and Baby Brother

Elias at ONE MONTH (although, he looks like a 3 mo. old)

Although things are busy, we are loving every bit of it.  These kids are a joy and are for sure keeping us on our knees.  This is sanctification in the flesh!  We of course have our good days and our bad days, things are tough, but we wouldn't trade it for anything.  Our loving Father knows exactly what we need.  May we draw nearer to Him.  

We only have a few days left in our country's capitol before moving again to another city, but still not our home.  Continue to remember us as we travel and stay in transition for a while.  I have plans to get in at least one more pumpkin spice latte before we leave. :)  Also, in an effort to figure out life with two, to make an easier transition, and for language and culture adaption, I am signing off Facebook for a while (Sadly, I spend way too much idle time lurking on there).  Please continue to check our blog, subscribe to it, email and or Skype me!  

We love you and miss you and would love to hear from you.  Leave a comment.

Love,

McCartney party of 4 ;)