Vaca with the Kids!

At the aquarium!
Through the glass....






Water Fountain

Walking in Style!

Want a broom?

Nafisa singing in the rain!

On the Run for Fun!


Shopping!

Holi - fun festival.....

Today is Holi - a Hindu holiday turned secular ....
Fun things happen on days like this....watch out!



Earlier in the month, Maria got a new 'hair piece' and we had a great visit from Mandy!

Turkey Trip Feb 09

Merrilea and I were able to take a trip to Turkey for a conference and tour...visiting the cities of Istanbul, Antalya, Side (pronounced 'SeeDay'), Belek, Izmir, Seljuk, and Ephesus. It sure wasn't the warmest time to go but we got our money's worth - we didn't rest much at all! We had our fill of Turkish coffee, apple tea, Lemonjun, Turkish Delight, Baklava and cheese!
Log in in Turkish!

In Belek...right on the Mediterranean...within eye shot of snow capped mountains!
The Mediterranean calm and stormy

Marbles in Antalya

Turkish Delight in Side







Buying roasted chestnuts & freezing in Istanbul!
Beads...called bonjuke in Turkish!

Rain and amphitheater in Ephesus where Paul preached




Had to get this...Elvis lives on in Istanbul

Genuine watches right outside the ruins at Ephesus



Istanbul right where the Hippodrome (chariot races) used to be




From the Asian side of Istanbul looking towards the European side


Water cisterns under the city
The oldest mosaic I've ever seen...over 1,500 years old inside the Hagia Sofia (church turned mosque turned museum).

The day the Steelers Won

This is what it looked like outside our apartment in the 3rd quarter...when the game was a tossup. The game started around 5 am India time. I was the only one up listening to it on the internet till the kids and Harold, Merrilea's dad joined us. It was an exciting last quarter, eh?!

We've had some computer blips this week. One home school computer is in the shop and my laptop hard drive Dell says will be replaced. BUT, since Merrilea and I are leaving for Turkey on Saturday, I doubt it will get fixed soon.

Joseph made enchiladas tonight! They were excellent...topped off with Danielle's dark chocolate dipped strawberries. Gotta love it when the kids cook!

The conclusion to the Trees....

License in hand!
A funny process that works!

Getting a Driver's License

At the local Department of Motor Vehicles today, I was directed to:

Go to Tree Number 10.

Ask to see this man who will be waiting in a rickshaw.

He points and tells me to go to an office we can see from the tree where I will get digitally photographed and thumb printed.

After waiting in line with others for a mere 6 minutes, I'm photographed and digitally in the system.

I come back to the original guy at the rickshaw and he says, go to another tree and give a different man 30 rupees (65cents) for him to get my paperwork together.

That man tells me to go back to Tree Number 10 and get my paperwork stapled....

I should have my license by the end of the week.

Wow!

The latest from 2009

In a tree in a park in the city!


Homeschooling...


A visit with Uncle Al...

One of our local friends, Promeet, challenged Joseph with this Insanity hot sauce. Joseph needed lots of water....!
Here, Promeet is teaching Danielle to make potato (aloo) stuffed bread (paratha). They were good and didn't last long!