The Thanksgiving Feast!

We had a great day celebrating Thanksgiving with four other ex-pat families.  Everyone squirrels away special American favorites (except I forgot to bring back some canned sweet potatoes) and makes the most wonderful dishes to share.  It's a lot of work, but worth it when we all sit down together!

The 26 pound turkey!
Turkeys can be found here, but need to be special ordered from the butcher.
The most difficult part of cooking the turkey is cramming it into our tiny ovens!

Our hostess sets a lovely table!  She even collects beautiful fall leaves (hard to find in the city!), presses them, and then uses them to make place cards.

Our fantastic hostess searching her cabinets for just one more serving platter!
There are never enough for our feast!

 I don't know how I didn't manage to get a picture of the food!  We had all the traditional Thanksgiving fare- the huge turkey, stuffing, gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce (thanks, Mom!), mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, a dish sort of like candied sweet potatoes but with pumpkin, steamed veggies with cream sauce, and a cooked purple cabbage dish.  It was all sooo yummy!

After the feast, we took a breather and watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  A few of us napped while a couple of the men did the dishes.  Then we had a time of worship and thanksgiving.

Finally it was time for coffee and dessert!!

The desserts were fantastic!
Pecan pie, pumpkin pie, lemon meringue pie, and my apple pies. 

This is what Lucy looked like after a nice large helping of dessert!

Noah made good use of the whipped cream and added a few dollops to his hot chocolate!

It was a great day with friends who are like family!  According to Linus in Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, America was the first country to set a special day aside just to be thankful.  What a great legacy on the importance of being thankful!

(As a side note, have you seen Charlie Brown the Mayflower Voyagers?  It was included on our Charlie Brown Thanksgiving DVD.  I highly recommend it!  It is a great history lesson!)

Time to Get Cookin'

I'll be in the kitchen the rest of the day making two different apple pies- one traditional double lattice crust, and one with a streusel topping.  Then I'll be making creamed spinach.  It's really easy and super yummy.  The worst part is washing the spinach.  I guess spinach is grown is sandy/moist soil, because the spinach here tastes wonderful but it is so muddy!!  This Thanksgiving be thankful for those bags of washed baby spinach!  HA!

Anyhow, I love an afternoon cooking blast!  I've got my laptop set up and White Christmas playing on Netflix!  I'm breaking the no Christmas until after Thanksgiving rule!  

Bazaar Finds

The other day I had to go to the wholesale district on the other side.  It is one of my favorite places to go because you never know what you are going to find, and you can find some great stuff for really low prices!  If you ever come visit me, and are feeling adventurous, I'll take you there!  It is the quintessential local experience!

Here are my finds:

A christmas tablecloth!!

They don't even celebrate Christmas here.  I have searched high and low for a Christmas tablecloth.  I had given up on finding one.  But I walked by a little shop and they had this adorable vinyl tablecloth on a huge roll!  YAY!  Thank you, Lord for this unexpected blessing!!

I went to the yarn bazaar.  This is an area that I have to use every ounce of self control in my body!  There are so many amazing yarns!  I only allow myself to buy exactly what I will need for specific projects that I have already planned out.  Otherwise, I could spend a fortune on beautiful yarns.  My girlfriends here are getting some homemade gifts for Christmas this year!

My kitchen rugs have been in really rough shape.  So I couldn't turn down the amazing deal I got on these adorable 100% cotton rugs.  I love them!

I got a hat for Justin like the older local men wear.  I think it looks really good on him!  To our younger friends who are trying to be more hip and Western, seeing Justin in this hat is hilarious.  He does look like a cutie, though!

There are all sorts of bazaars here- ones for cars, one that sells the extras and defects from famous name brands (think Pottery Barn textiles, Gap, Ann Taylor), spice bazaars,  wholesale bazaars, jewelry bazaars, textile bazaars, organic bazaars, clothing bazaars, and I am sure many others that I don't even know about.  Of course every neighborhood has a weekly bazaar that sells fruits, vegetables, cheese, eggs, olives, nuts, clothing, and other necessities.

I love going to different bazaars!  You never know what you are going to find!

The Practice of Thankfulness

Today is Thanksgiving.  We are celebrating it with our fellowship on Saturday, so it's sort of like today is special, yet not really.  We did get to have some surprise family fun.  Plus, it's date night, so the kids spent the evening at home eating mac and cheese while Justin and I solved the world's problems over a glass of tea.

This year I don't have to think hard about what I am thankful for.  Even though we are currently up a creek because Justin is unemployed, I can easily say that God is faithful!  We knew that this office closure was coming.  Praise the Lord it didn't come out of the blue.  We've been planning and scrimping.  Justin paid the kids' school bills off early.  So we are ok for a few months while we wait and pray for the Lord to provide a new job.

I am thankful that Justin's time at his old company is done. It was very good for many reasons, but in the end it was making him miserable.  My husband's happiness and wellbeing are far more important that money!  Job 1:21 says, "The Lords gives and the Lord takes away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord!"  If Job can say it, so can we!!

I am thankful for our health.  All five of us are very healthy, and that is a rarity these days!  Praise the Lord for His gift of health to us.

I am thankful for a husband who loves me and the kids.  He does his very best to care for us and serve us with love.  He is so kind, handsome, and funny.  I am thankful for a sweet teenage girl that comes to our house regularly so that we can slip away for dates!

I am thankful for the three kids who have turned my hair practically gray!  They are such precious gifts from the Lord.  They aren't perfect, and being their mom is a very hard job.  But, I wouldn't trade it for anything on earth.

I am thankful for the family the Lord has placed us in here.  We showed up knowing one other foreign family and no locals.  After seven years we have a group of folks that we work with that are as close as family, and we have dear local friends that we love so much.

I am thankful for our families and friends back home.  We often take for granted the sacrifice that they have made for us to be here.  They love us dearly and miss us.  They write and call and send packages. They love us well!  We are so blessed to have such supportive and loving parents, siblings, sisters-in-law, niece, nephews, and friends from so many different stages of our lives.  They are people who have walked through some of the best times and worst times with us and we still love each other!  Again, it's not perfect.  In fact, a lot of our relationships are a bit messy.  But, they are real and they help us grow, change, and learn how to really love others.  It's the Gospel fleshed out.

It is really easy for anyone to examine the state of the world today and even their current circumstances and feel despondent.  To counteract that hopeless feeling, you have to practice thanksgiving!  Look around at the good things and the blessings in your life and thank our good Lord for them.  Look at the things that you thought should go a certain way but ended up far better then you even dreamed they could go.  Even the things that don't feel like a blessing or a good gift from the Lord are for our benefit.  Have faith that the Lord will do as He promises.  He has planned a good future for His children. (Jeremiah 29:11)   He causes all things to work towards the good of those that love Him.  (Romans 8:28)  And Everything God created is good and should be received with gratitude.  (1 Timothy 4:4)

Once you faithfully begin thanking the Lord for His goodness, you will begin to notice more and more things to be thankful for!  Our spirit of gratitude pleases Him just like when my kids say thank you, and mean it, it fills my heart with joy.  It makes me want to give more to my kids.

I don't say this as an expert- far from it actually!  It is something that the Lord is teaching me because I have struggled with being joyful here.  When my heart is full of gratitude joy is the byproduct!

Ex-Pat Thanksgiving

It was a strange turn of events that led to the perfect Thanksgiving for us!  Due to high school placement testing for eighth graders, the kids had today and tomorrow off from school!  And, since Justin is now unemployed (please keep praying!!!) he was free today, too.  So, for the first time in seven years we actually did something special on Thanksgiving.  (We always celebrate, but we usually have to wait until the weekend.)

Nothing says Happy Thanksgiving like a trip to the mall for Arby's beef and cheddars!

Then we went to see the movie, Free Birds, which just happened to be about Thanksgiving.  (It was the only kids film besides Despicable Me 2 playing here).  The film was dubbed, and they changed Thanksgiving to New Year's- which is the only time here when people can fathom eating a big turkey!  Nevertheless, it was fun to watch a film about turkeys, in Turkey, on turkey day!  And, it was nice to have some unexpected family time!

Peanut Butter Lover

Well, according to this, I'm obsessed with peanut butter.  I already knew it, but I did have to laugh at how many of the 21 signs really do describe me.

There really is nothing better on this earth than a fat slab of peanut butter on bread that we've just brought home from the bread shop.  Well, except for peanut butter pie.  That's pretty awesome.  And Reese's peanut butter cups.  Of course, there's always these peanut butter cookies, which are pretty much heaven on earth.  At the same time, at good ole pb&j is comfort food at its finest.  It is widely known that adding a small dollop of peanut butter to each bite of banana is the perfect breakfast.

I could go on, but seeing as how there is absolutely no creamy, delicious peanut butter in this flat, continuing would cause my heart to break!

So, I guess it's confirmed!  I am in LOVE with peanut butter!!!

Checkmate!

Chess is quite the thing here.

  

The majority of local education emphasizes rote memorization, but with chess, the kids are taught to think and strategize.  Lucy's teacher started a chess club for her class and about 20 kids have signed up.  They meet for an hour twice a week.  Lucy doesn't love it, but she we force encourage her to go.  She ends up enjoying it, although not nearly as much as playing My Little Pony!

My Son

My beautiful girls have gotten a lot of press lately on this here blog.  So today, in an attempt to even the score a bit, I'd like to tell you about my son.

This is Noah.  He's pretty much awesome, even when he's acting like a 12 year old boy.

He is a quesadilla chef.

He is proud to be the owner of the messiest room on the planet.  However, he is smart enough to keep his Lego sprawl on rugs.  So, when it is time to clean up, he just forms the rugs into funnels and dumps his Legos back into their bins.  Quick and easy!

He is a pretty good guitarist, and he loves sports.  Just this week he decided that he wanted to start running, and is already easily running 5 kilometers!  He has a lot of untapped energy!  He plays on his school soccer team.  Unfortunately, he's following in the Dasher family tradition, by playing goalie!  

Noah does well in school even though he doesn't really put much effort into it.  He does really well socially, and all of his teachers tell us that he is well liked and outgoing.  He pays attention and even behaves in class!  This is a bit hard to believe because he is quite the clown at home!

Basically, I am so proud of this kid that I could bust.  He is really kind and smart and funny.  He is reading Scripture and asking good questions.  He tries really hard to make good choices.  He wants to be a professional baseball player who is rich enough to buy a ticket into space.  But, if that doesn't work out he is thinking about becoming a youth pastor.

Would you pray for Noah?  Pray that he plants his roots deep in the Lord, that he is confident in who God made him to be, and that he is strong enough to go against the flow. 

Sunday Sneak Peek

Nothing better than arriving home on a cold Friday night to find that Callie's been in the kitchen cooking up warm delicious mug cakes for us!  She even plated them with a bit of flair!  Can you tell that we have been watching Master Chef Junior on Hulu?!

(Thanks to the Walshes for Callie's Mug Cakes Cookbook!)

Family Fun Night

Friday nights are family nights.  We've tried all sorts of things to make this time special.  But, after a long week of work, school, and life in general we've decided that pizza and movies are the way to go!  

Game night was a total disaster, as everyone was too tired to even begin to be a good sport.  There were lots of tears during our game night phase!  We used to have our group meetings on Friday nights. That was super difficult!  For a while, we just each went our separate ways and sort of vegged out.  But, then I was bummed that we spent the entire evening barely acknowledging each other.

So, after much trial and error, this is what works for us.  A shared experience that does not require too much interaction since we are all tired and testy.  

Besides, you can't go wrong when pizza is involved!!

What does your family do on Friday nights?

Piano Girl

As promised...

Here is my precious Callie girl playing her first two Christmas carols.

IMG 4137 from Elizabeth on Vimeo.

IMG 4140 from Elizabeth on Vimeo.

Now, if that doesn't put you in the Christmas spirit, your heart is 10 sizes too small!

Fa La La La La La, La La La

Yall, I could not help myself.

I have a confession to make...

I started listening to Christmas music today!  It's just so joyful and lifts my spirits!   There is nothing like grinding through this terrible traffic, with cloudy gray skies, singing my heart out about the birth of my Savior.  Puts a smile on my face!

Besides, Thanksgiving is so late this year!   Top it off with the fact that we aren't even celebrating Thanksgiving until Saturday.  I just couldn't wait that much longer to hear Michael Buble sing his way into my heart again this year!

Tomorrow I'll post a video of Callie playing Christmas songs on her piano!  She is learning a new Christmas carol each week. She is amazing!

208 Days

Until this girl is getting married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday Sneak Peek: The Saddest Sight in the World

Our peanut butter stash is gone!! :-(((((((

Pastapalooza!

As I was drifting off to sleep last night I thought to myself, "Is there any reason on earth that Callie and I shouldn't figure out how to make homemade pasta tomorrow?"  This is totally normal, right?!

Anyhow, I lay there thinking that if those kids on Master Chef Junior can do it, so can Callie and I.  Well, one thing led to another, and before morning I had hatched a plan for PASTAPALOOZA!!

I figured, if we were going to learn how to to make pasta, we might as well learn to make the pasta that will be served in heaven... gnocchi!   With the gnocchi and the regular pasta we decided make pesto and creamy parmesan alfredo sauces.  Hello YUM!

After an internet search (Dear Internet, what on earth would I do without you, my beloved?!), and a grocery run we were ready to get cooking.

Whole potatoes boiling, pine nuts roasting, and fresh basil washed and dried.

 Sadly, I don't have any other pictures of the pesto or alfredo sauce making procedures.  We've made them before.  The pasta was today's challenge, so that's why we focused on that.

The potatoes had to be boiled whole and then peeled when hot.

Callie beat the egg while I started to grate the potatoes.

Callie drizzled the egg over the shredded potato and then we began to gently fold the flour in.

After our beautiful dough came together, we let it rest a bit, and then began to form our pillows of yumminess sent from heaven.

I cut the dough and Callie formed them in beautiful ridged C's.

Sweet mercy, them's lookin' deee-licious!!!

The finished product tossed in a bit of pesto.
Not too bad for our first attempt at a difficult pasta!  They tasted yummy but they didn't hold their shape too well.

Next we got to work on making some regular 'ole pasta.

Dough ball resting.

If you ever find yourself needing someone to roll something out, please call my Callie.
That girl is a master with the rolling pin!
She got this dough perfectly thin and even!

Then I started cutting thin strips.

The finished product.

Our pastapalooza!
Gnocchi with pesto sauce and fettuccine alfredo.

Our Italian feast was soooo good!  I'd say The Olive Garden don't have anything on my Callie and me... except that amazing salad... and those breadsticks!  Oh mercy, now I'm drooling again!

You Understand the Ways of the World, Young Jedi

Conversation with Noah as we are driving down the highway behind a Porsche Cayenne and next to a Ferrari.

Me: Noah, wich one of those would you rather have?

Noah: Well, I guess it depends on if I have kids or not.

Me: That's very practical of you.

Noah:  Well, really, if I have kids, I probably wouldn't be allowed to have either.

Me: Too true, too true!

I'll Have #4 and #18

Super YUM!!

But never #12.  That is just gross!

Well, There's Bad News...

Justin's company has decided to close the office in this region.  So, Justin had to fire his two beloved employees and he will be out of a job by the end of the month.  We are seeking the Lord about the next step and asking for a job that will provide for our needs as well as be a source of joy for Justin.

And there's good news...

Since he had nothing to lose, Justin was able to share with his employees at a new level.  He shared his testimony and boldly told of the goodness of the Lord.  He gave them a copy of the Word and challenged them to read it.

They received his words well and had tears in their eyes as they shared how they knew he was different and they both promised to read the Word.

Would you join us in praying for them?  Pray that they (and all of those around us) would experience the Lord in undeniable ways- in dreams, visions, and miracles.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would move in power among the people here.  And, please pray for the Lord to provide Justin with the right job soon!

Am I Not Able?

Justin and I feel like we have been receiving a new vision from the Lord.  With something new comes fear, and I struggle with the lack of faith.  We don't have the luxury of naivety and unrealistic expectations.  This time around we know full well what we are getting in to!

Often as I ponder this next step I have found myself thinking,  If that is going to happen, the Lord is going to have to put a lot of things in place.

This weekend the Lord clearly said to me, "Am I not able?"

My heart just welled up, and I suddenly felt so peaceful and excited about what is ahead!  He is able!  And, if He is calling us, He will enable us!

One the way home from the weekend, the Lord gave me a rainbow.  It was the weirdest thing, and was straight from the Lord.  It was perfectly sunny and hadn't even rained in days.  But, it wasn't like a regular rainbow.  It was just a big piece of a rainbow sitting right out in the sky reminding me that the Lord is faithful to keep His promises.  (I showed it to my friends in the car and they saw it too, so I'm not crazy!  Ha!)

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever!"  Ephesians 3: 20-21

Minority Report

I had the opportunity to get away overnight with some of the other ladies in our company.  It was such a refreshing time of worship and hearing from the Lord.  We stayed up way too late on Saturday night telling our craziest stories.  Sometimes you just can't help by laugh at the things that we experience here.  I had tears rolling down my face I was laughing so hard!

I realized that one of the reasons that I love to go to conferences now isn't the teaching.  It's not even the fellowship or worship- although they are both tied for a very close second. I like to go to conferences because I love to feel like I am in the majority- or in a like-minded community.  In my life I am so totally a minority, and when you are a minority, your voice seldom is heard.  You have to adapt to the majority.  You are the odd man out, and your customs are the ones that are odd.

But... when I join in with my people, I feel at home.  I feel like I can speak and be heard.  Basically I feel comfortable.  Although, it's a short time, it is very refreshing!

I am so thankful for the opportunity to get away.  And, I am especially thankful for a sweet, sweet husband who allows me the opportunity.  He cares about my well-being and does everything he can to help me.  He is amazing!  I came home to a clean house, laundry hanging out to dry, and kids who had already done all their homework!  Thank you , Jesus, for my Justin!!!

Really?!

Yall, I feel like so many times in conversations here, I am just left speechless.  (Is that even possible?! Ha!)

This morning when I dropped Lucy off at chess club (I know), one of the moms asked me, "Does anyone in America have dark skin like us or are they all like Melek (Lucy)?"

Are you kidding me?!  I had to explain the whole melting pot thing and that hardly anyone in America looks like Lucy- her parents included, oddly enough!  We have folks of every color, and I'd venture to say that light skinned folks are by far the minority these days.

Anyhow, it just goes to show you how little folks here know about America outside of the politics!

This is Why I Love this Place

It Was Bound to Happen

I got my first ticket (here) today! 

 I am actually a little bit relieved, because I have always dreaded it a bit.  Turns out it's not too big a deal.  I did not get interrogated or hauled off to the slammer.  Instead a very nice officer waved me to the side of the road, along with everyone else who was making the illegal left turn.  He was very nice and professional.  Unfortunately, he didn't fall for the innocent, sweet, lost foreigner bit.  Boo-hoo, my charm is fading!   And, I've got a 77 lira ticket to prove it!

Değişmişiz- We've Changed

You may remember back in the Spring when Lucy was asked to be in a music video.  It has finally been finished and is starting to make the rounds on local pop music channels!  Since I doubt you spend much time on KralTV here's the link so you can watch it!

Sunday Sneak Peek: Rapunzel Lucy

We don't do Halloween here.  But that doesn't stop Lucy from wearing her new Rapunzel costume day and night!  Thank you so much, Grandpa and Grandma!!

Laugh to Keep from Crying!

Today at Kelly's Korner, she is doing an advice for new moms link-up.  Kelly has put some great advice up- the main one being, basically, ignore the advice you get, and go with your gut!  I really do agree with each of the four bits of advice that she gives.

But, the very best advice that I can give is just relax and try really hard to enjoy it.  Everyone says that it just goes by so fast, and it's true.  I know it feels like time has stopped, and you are never going to get to be in the bathroom by yourself or sleep through the night again.  But, I promise you will.  In the blink of an eye, you'll be on to the next stage and looking wistfully back at that stage that you thought was so terrible!  Life is full of stages, each one with it's blessings and challenges.  Try to focus on the blessings!!

In no time, your babies will be grown, and you'll be longing for those early days again!

Go slow, make good memories, don't take everything so seriously, laugh a lot, enjoy the good things, and forget the bad!

Pretty soon, you'll wake up and your babies won't be babies anymore!

The Whole She-Bang!!

So, I've had my hiney in gear, and have finished writing all about our big trip out east along the Black Sea coast.  But, because I am super picky, I can't just throw the posts up here willy-nilly!  I've backdated them to the actual dates when they took place.  However, I didn't want you to miss them, because this trip was super amazing, the highlight of our fall, and some of my favorite days of my life.  (Not to be over dramatic, or anything!  Ha!)  So, here is the list of links...

(Please be warned that the posts may contain a photo or fifty jillion!)


Samsun

Ordu, Giresun, and Trabzon

Sumela Monastery- one of the coolest things I've ever seen!!

Laz Böreği

Ayder

Rize- almost at the border with Georgia, and I don't mean my home state!

Sinop

Sinop Jail and Fortress

Ince Burun- the northernmost point in Turkey

The Home Stretch


I challenge you to read my posts and count the number of times I write beautiful, awesome, and amazing!  I need to widen my vocabulary!  What I don't need to do is take more pictures!!  Thank the Lord for digital cameras!!!