Probably One of my Favorite Things EVER!

Ok, so today is the day where I show you a lot of pictures.  Now, I know that I always tend to show a lot of pictures.  But, this post will make those look like nothing!  The whole thing was just too amazing not to share.  And, these are just a smidgen of the pictures we took!!

As I have said time or two hundred, while we were in Cappadocia, Isaiah and I got the chance to go on a hot air balloon ride.  This is by far the most popular thing to do there because the landscape is amazing, but it is also vast.  So, a hot air balloon is the perfect way to see this amazing and weird phenomenon!

When we were first planning our trip, I asked the guys if they were interested in going on a hot air balloon ride.  Max said no way immediately.  Isaiah considered it, but in the end, it was just too expensive.  That is, until my amazing friend found a deal on the internet for locals.  The ride was half the normal price- an offer you can't refuse.  Justin wasn't too interested in going up, either, so he booked the deal for just Isaiah and me.

We got up before dawn and sat outside waiting for the shuttle van to pick us up.  I was thinking, "there is no way that this is actually going to work out and I am going to get to go up in a hot air balloon!"  But the driver pulled up promptly at 5am and picked us up.  I cannot tell you how relieved and excited I was!

The shuttle picked up several other people and took us all to the headquarters.  They had coffee, tea, and pastries.  But, it was way too early for me to eat, and I was scared to drink anything because I might have to go to the bathroom.  In the end, I did have a little bit of tea to help wake me up.  It turns out I didn't need it though, because there was plenty o' adrenaline running through my veins.  Since I moved here, this has been at the top of my I Really Want to do THIS list.

After everyone checked in and got their refreshments they loaded us up in vans according to what balloon we would be on and took us out to the launch site.

 

There were balloons everywhere being filled up.  As they were filled and loaded they would gently leave the ground.

The baskets were huge.  They held 20 people and a pilot.

The pilot had the middle 3rd.  Then the other 2/3rds were divided in half and each held 5 people.

Our pilot, Andy, an Australian, had been a professional pilot since 1985.  He flies here half the year and in Malaysia (I think that's where he said) the other half of the year.

According to Andy, there are about 100 balloons that fly daily from about 20 different balloon companies.

We went up just before the sun.  So we got to see it rise over the valley.

It was stunning!!

Seeing all of those balloons was amazing in itself, but the landscape was the real attraction.

This region is known for its amazing geological formations.  The most unusual of those are called fairy chimneys.

The balloons began to land just as gently as they went up.

We landed so gently.  it was badly a thud.  Then the pilot repositioned us right on top of the flatbed trailer that they use to haul the balloon and baskets around.  He was so precise, yet he made it look easy!

To let all of the air out of the balloon, they open the top up.  It looks like a big parachute.

As the air went out, the balloon fell to the side.  The crew quickly got all of the air out and began folding and putting it away.

Isaiah and I had the best time!

It's a tradition to celebrate each landing with a glass of champagne.

I was totally expecting the balloon ride to feel like I was way up in the air in a basket- really scary, a bit shaky, and sort of windy, I guess.  I don't really know.  All I know is that I was super excited and sort of scared.  

But, I was shocked to see how smooth the whole thing was.  It was gentle and hardly like flying at all!  Every person that I have talked to said the same thing.  I am more nervous looking over the edge of my terrace on the 7th floor than I was standing in a basket as much as 1800 feet above the earth!  I have no idea why, but it was so peaceful and quiet.  I highly recommend that you come visit me and let me take you down to Cappadocia to ride on a balloon!  It was one of the top 10 coolest things I have ever done!!

You can read more about Cappadocia here and here.

Sunday Sneak Peek

Just before we left to go to the regional conference, we went to our neighbors' circumcision party.  The brothers were circumcised about two weeks prior to the party.  So they had plenty of time to heal up.  One is 8 and the other is 3.

Traditionally, there is a special party, sort of like a bar mitzvah for a Jewish boy.  Our neighbors went all out for this party.  They rented a special place, had a sit down dinner, special food and entertainment for the kids, and live music and performances for the adults.  The other neighbors said that this was a little over the top.  But we all had a good time!  I sat a t a table with the female neighbors, and Justin sat at a separate table with men.

My neighbors watching the brothers being carried in like little sultans

They were paraded around and threw candy to all of the guests

I love this sort of cultural thing.  It is so fun to see how different people, even those front he same country but different regions, celebrate certain holidays and milestones.

A Guest Post From Max

Here is what Max wrote about his trip:

I recently returned from a 10-day trip to the Middle East, primarily to visit and “hang out” with my friends who live there.

Of course, there were some things about the trip that I had suspected would be true – that turned out to be just as I had suspected.  These friends are “doing it right.”  They live in one of the poorer sections of the city, for well-conceived and strategic reasons.  They send their kids to the local school, and they conduct their life as anyone would (for the most part) in their neighborhood.  They are inculturated.  They are not expecting people they encounter to interface with them from an American “point of view” or from an American “experience.”  I was pleased to see all of that and more.  For example, they keep their living room “pristine” and “ready for guests” (important in their neighborhood).  Most of the time, the kids aren’t even allowed in that room.  I’m proud of them – and I miss them terribly!

And then there were things about the trip that caught me off guard – that surprised me.  One such thing was how much children are valued there and how much better it would be to raise a family there (as opposed to raising a family in the USA).  The schools go about their day much like they did when I was in elementary school in the 1970’s: teachers cover a subject for 40 minutes and then take the kids out for 15-20 minutes of recess.  This pattern is repeated throughout the day (with 5 or more recesses).  A help to all the boys in schools and a better model than the American way of cramming down subject after subject with little time for “play.”  Kid-friendly?  You bet!

Another thing that surprised me was how intact community was (even in such a big city) compared to the USA. People know their neighbors, they are hospitable. They look out for one another.  The entire time I was there, Elizabeth had no idea where her kids were (including her five-year-old) and wasn’t concerned at all – and DID NOT NEED to be.  I miss that part of life here in America.  I hate having to be such a vigilant and paranoid parent.  It’s exhausting.

Of course, there were all the cultural things that caused my friends to laugh at me.  I was taken by how people would “tend the trees” off of the roads and interstate.  No, it turns out, they were urinating in public (a common thing for men over there).  My bad.  I guess the lack of landscaping uniforms should have been my clue.  And then there was the first time in a taxi – when I immediately buckled up.  There, it’s practically an insult to the driver – I’m telling him I don’t trust his driving.  Yeah, I’m American, all right.

If anything, it helped me understand the life they live – and how to pray for them.  I guess it’s like being in small group (relationship) with someone here at my church – I know how to pray for them in a way I don’t by simply reading a request off a card that was turned in by someone on a Sunday morning.  Living with them for a week (and change) helped me understand their life, their goals, their passion and how God might move and work.  To say it was an “eye-opener” would be an understatement.

Mindy

My dear friend Mindy is coming today!!!!  The kids and I are going to pick her up at the airport in just a few hours!  We are all so excited!!

I heard from her just after she checked in.  Bless her heart, she had bought us some peanut butter.  To save weight in her checked baggage, she put it in her carry-on.  Unfortunately, peanut butter is considered a gel.  All liquids and gels over 4oz are banned.  So she had to dump the peanut butter.   :(

The worst part is that Justin had tried to bring us peanut butter back from London several months ago and had the same thing happen.  So, I could have warned Mindy, but I completely forgot.  I guess it serves me right!  I'll have to suffer through peanut butter-less days for forgetting!!  How will I survive?!

Mindy is going to stay for almost a month!  In that time we are going to work on getting my kids educated, seeing and doing some fun things, and she and I are taking the kids down to the Mediterranean Coast for 10 days!  We have a friend of a friend that works for a university there.  They bring in groups of short-termers to teach English to the university students.  But, the short-termers all go home for the summer.  So, there are three flats that just sit empty.  They are in a complex that has a huge pool and sits right on the beach.  So, this couple rents the fully equipped flats out like vacation homes for dirt cheap!  I heard about them and immediately booked us for 10 days!  I think that we are going to drive there and back.  So, we may make it a true road trip and stop and catch some sights along the way.  Who knows?  I just love the thought of an adventure!

Cappadocia Day 1

Cappadocia has always been right at the top of my "Must See" list.  So I was thrilled for the opportunity to finally get to go, and having Max and Isaiah go with us was an added treat!

Justin, the kids, and I flew out early Saturday morning.  We arrived at the hotel around noon.  We settled in a bit and went off to explore and find some food.

We ate lunch at a delicious restaurant just down the road.  Then we continued down the steep hill towards the little town in the valley.  On the way down we explored a couple of different scenic overlooks.  The town was a touristy area, so there were lots of cute little shops and restaurants.

Exploring the town

A bird's eye view from one of the plateaus that surrounded the valley

This little gate was the entrance to our part of the hotel.

Several of the cave rooms opened up onto this pretty little courtyard

This is looking at the hotel from the little courtyard gate

This is the same area only taken from the terrace

We had these two rooms.  This little private patio was the perfect place to hang out.

All the way at the back of our room was the double bed.
The bathroom was on the left and a sofa on the right.

From the bed looking towards the front of the room.
There were two twin beds.

The kids loved to sit in these huge windowsills.

Max and Isaiah's room wasn't as big as ours.  But it had these awesome little caves for the twin beds.
Of course,  our kids got to spend a night each with them.

A peek into the courtyard of another hotel down the road

a local mosque

Noah, Callie, and Lucy posing at one of the scenic overlooks

While we were walking around the town we came across the cutest little shop that specialized in a local traditional form of painting.  The tray is full of water that has oil in it.  Special paint is made from soil and minerals.  They splatter the paint over the surface and use a tool that looks like an icepick to form pictures.  The kids were dying to try it.

Once you've finished shaping the paint, you simply lay your paper carefully on top.
The paint sticks to the paper.

After walking around a bit we geared ourselves up for the hike back up the hill.  We knew that Max and Isaiah were flying in from Ephesus in the afternoon.  So we wanted to be back at the hotel to see them.  

We let Max and Isaiah settle in and then we headed back down the hill to explore and eat some dinner. On the way down, we stopped at these caves and climbed all around.  

The kids are like billygoats!  They climbed all around, even on the most narrow parts, with no fear.

Up next... the hot air balloon ride!  

Sunday Sneak Peek

First Day at the Beach 2012

On the 13th the kids and I went to the beach with our neighbors.  Now that we have a car (praise the LORD!!) we can get to the beach in about 40 minutes.  We love to go during the week when it isn't crowded.

Here are a few pics from our first trip this year:

Home Again

Noah and Callie are home again!!  YAY!!!

Lucy has been stuck to them like glue!  I think she is afraid that they will leave her again and if she lets them out of her sight!

They had so much fun.  They went on a tour of some secluded bays and beaches on a big sailboat.  They got to jump off the side and mast into the Sea.  They went cliff jumping at one particular cove.  And at another they got to go in and explore a cool underwater cave.

They both came home with tons of stories to tell about their adventures.  They did some really cool stuff and had so much fun!

I'm glad they went.  I sort of enjoyed the break from them.  But, most of all, I am glad they are home!!

Max and Isaiah Day 3

Max and Isaiah were set to fly out to go down to visit Ephesus.  So after we got Noah off to school, we took them up to one of our favorite local spots.  It is a tall hill that affords beautiful views of this side of the city.  

Usually the area is crawling with people.  But, I guess we were up a bit too early for the crowd.  YAY!  We had breakfast at the traditional Ottoman-style restaurant.  Then we walked around a bit to enjoy the views.

Max, Isaiah, Lucy, and Justin with the city faintly in the background

Before long, Callie and Lucy wandered over to the playground area.  They hopped up on a table and began to entertain us (and the few other people around).

Dancing and singing

"Walk like and Egyptian"

After a few hours of fun, Justin dropped the girls and I off at school and took Max and Isaiah to the airport. The plan was for them to explore Ephesus on their own for a day and then we all met up in Cappadocia on Saturday.

More pictures from our adventures to come!