Everyday Things

Forgive me for not being a faithful family blogger lately.

I've begun to realize that there were FAR more unique and attention- grabbing things to take pictures of and write about when we lived in China than there are here in Istanbul. This is a city, just like many big cities in the world. Many of the pictures I could take would look familiar to you: full of restaurants, traffic, tall buildings, and busy people.

Yes, there are, culturally, different things here, and I'll continue to try to point them out as we have the opportunity. But our everyday lives aren't NEAR as visually striking and jarring as our everyday lives where when we lived in China. And that's OK. We are adjusting to "normalcy", which we haven't had in quite a long time. And we're enjoying the everyday, normal things of life.

So if you'll permit me, here are some pictures of some of the "everyday things" in our lives that we're thankful for right now:

#1- WE NOW HAVE A DRYER!!! It makes life so much easier, and Jess is really reveling in not having everything take 2-3 days to dry, now that it's the colder, rainier season.

#2- A sweet online friend that Jessica met through a homeschooling network sent us a special care package, with some cute dress-up outfits for the kids. They now LIVE in these outfits.

#3- Ethan took his first digital camera picture... not too bad. Though mommy's head is slightly cut off, all in all, it's really not a bad shot.

#4- Here's the newest park near our apartment. The kids have a blast, and the best part is that it's all on the cushion-y sponge flooring, so there's no MUD, even on the days after rain!

These are a few of our favorite "everyday" things here in Istanbul!