england 2.0

getting settled at a new place is never easy.
we've officially lived in england for 2 months. it is pretty much the complete opposite of turkey. that's a good and bad thing. there are things that i miss about turkey that are comforting. but there are things about england that make the transition so much easier. england is a bit overwhelming. a huge contrast to what turkey was lacking. however, turkey had its own charm, and anyone who tells you differently is probably lying ;)
lots of other things going on, but i won't go into detail. let's just say there's lots of big life lessons going on, and trying to figure out what it is that God wants me to learn. I know, i know, i'm not giving much away, but these days i am just feeling the need to be cryptic. bear with me. :) until next time, cheerio chaps :)

i really should be sleeping.

it's 11:12 pm.
my last night in turkey.
i really should be sleeping.
but i thought i'd come here anyway and get a few things off my mind.
three years ago, i'd spent my whole life in a single place (at least as far back as i could remember).
the night before i moved to turkey, i cried my eyes out. i wrote a friend and told him how petrified i was of moving. i put on a brave face for my four kiddies, but in my heart i couldn't imagine living anywhere other than italy. it was my home. the place my family lived. the place i grew up. and suddenly... it was time to go whether or not i was ready.
i sort of knew what to expect from turkey.
i'd been here before on many occasions. and i loved all the memories it held.
however...
i didn't expect this to become home.
i didn't expect to meet some of the most amazing people ever.
i didn't expect to find new family.
i didn't expect to fall in love with a place that so many people felt so negatively about.
but i did.
and tonight, i sit here and think about all the people i've met. i think about friends that have left here, and friends that i'll be leaving... and i'm grateful.
God showed me a lot of things here.
He taught me that things aren't always as they seem.
I learned that sometimes we can pray really hard for something and find out that it's not what we really wanted.
He taught me that families can be given to us by birth, or they can grow in our hearts.
Life is short. Be thankful for where He puts you. Cherish every second. And be grateful even in good-byes, because that means you loved something enough to miss it.
Thank you Turkey for being my home.
I will miss your face.

dear bloggy friends:

no, i have NOT fallen off the face of the earth.
however,
we are packing out today soooooo....
i promise to update the blog soon! (ish)
:)

today?

do you ever just have one of "those" days?
you know, the ones where nothing is really wrong, but everything feels just backwards enough to make your insides feel twisted?
i think it's a whole PCS thing.
i'm at the point to where i'm really close to a big change, but i feel like i'm standing still.
drowning without being under water.
maybe it's just me.

things that i love in my craft room.

my two absolute favorite things! the picture on top came from the junk store in italy that i LOVED. i got it framed here in turkey. and the second peice is a picture of me, drawn by my oldest son when he was about 4. i found it stored away in a box, and it was too cute not to frame! it makes me think of this: "my, what big hands you have mommy..." "the better to craft with my son". *lol* it's such a cute picture; and that big red spot on my dress? yup, that's my heart :)

this white cabinet came from the thrift store too! 20 dollars. not even kidding you! (the reason they sold it so cheap was because the bottom doors are a bit broken; however, the best part about that is that it makes them harder for kids to open! seriously, there's a silver lining to everything! :) inside i hung two dowel rods for all my dollar store ribbon. i'll have to save those pictures for a day when i actually clean it out! :) also the tall thin drawers full of colored ribbon? yeah, i got ALL of that ribbon at a second hand store in italy. it's all rolled individually into 1 yard peices. it's amazing :)

this brown cabinet with six (LOCKING) doors i got at a huge discount because it was built for an office on base, but then they decided they needed something bigger! inside each of the doors is a half shelf! the spaces are bigger than 12X12 (i know, because i totally store scrapbooking paper in here and there's still room!) i love that it locks because then i can store things that i don't want my kids to get a hold of (don't know if i ever told you the story of the day that my daughter got a hold of my seed beeds *lol*)

i got this tall thin cabinet for 20 bucks from my friend. it's perfect for my stampin' up sets! and yes, that is a caboodle on top *lol* i got that for free with a few crafty things in it, because it didn't sell at my friend's yard sale.

anyways, i'll see if i can get some better pictures of the whole room, but currently that brown peice is just sitting in the middle waiting for me to make room! hope you enjoyed your mini tour :)

what i've crafted lately.

i made this for a friend's birthday. i love how it turned out, but i actually have another idea in my head for the one i'm going to do for myself (thanks to my crafty friend bonnie!) i'm so thankful for spring break, it's actually given me some time and motivation to get a few things worked on. i can't wait for summer!! :)



ps. i promise that the name is actually centered; i just took the picture from above to get rid of some of the glare.

what have you learned this week?

so my new phrase whenever something irritating or frustrating happens is, "what's God trying to teach you?"
i know, i know. it's annoying to have to stop yelling and being angry and realize that our inconviences might actually be lessons in disguise... trust me, no one knows this (or struggles with!) this more than i do...
this week, i'm supposed to be learning about obedience. i struggle with this the most. doing what it is that i'm supposed to do, and my desires versus my actual needs. and that if it's something i expect from my children, why wouldn't God expect it from me?

happy easter from the trails (i'm behind the camera!)

don't forget to be extra grateful for your blessings today!

dear stacey.

just because we aren't friends, it doesn't mean we have to be enemies. i say this honestly and in a totally non offensive matter. life is short, and i wish you nothing but the best.

"As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us."
Psalm 103:12 New International Version

cappadoccia.

i am back from my AMAZING weekend trip.
i have a lot to say, and i took 300 pictures!
i promise that i'll be back later this week with lots to tell you about my trip! :)

something sweet?

check out this recipe from my friend paula; all her recipes look amazing, but i thought i'd share this one in particular :)
just copy and paste the link below; and yes, you're welcome!

http://www.bellalimento.com/2010/03/14/nutella-caramel-hazelnut-brownies/#more-4365

1/2 way there.

i got my associates degree!! woo hoo! just waiting on the certificate and i'll put up pictures.
i thought i'd feel more of a sense of accomplishment, but honestly, i'm just glad that i'm done with that. :)
next thing is that this weekend i'm off to cappadoccia and i can't wait! there will be TONS of pictures of that!

it's the little things that i'll miss.

turkey is the land of quirks. which is not always a bad thing. living here for most people takes adjusting, but honestly, i don't get it when people say that they hate living here. this place, while admitedly a bit off, is just a cool place to live.
tonight, i drove off base and went to the alley, knowing i wanted to pick up some movies. before heading to the five dollar movie shop, i decided that i wanted to get some take out too. i drove past a resteraunt first, and saw the owner standing outside. i placed my order with him, telling him that i was stopping at the movie shop, and then after picking out movies, he was standing outside with my food ready as i drove by... who else would give you that kind of service? it's the little things that make this tour fun.

i love art club.

so thursday after school i volunteer in art club at the school. i've only gone 3 times so far, but each time has ben so much fun!! last time i made a clay cupcake/muffin and this time i got to do some marbling. if you've never marbled; it's definatly a must do. i'm picking up a kit at: http://www.dickblick.com/ type in suminagashi marbling kid. it's 15 dollars, but something i think my kids would have a blast doing! here's two that i made today:

and this my friends is why my family calls me the "creative" one. they think i'm dorky with my craft loving self... and you know what? i'm okay with that ;)

the trails welcome a new addition!!

dear friends and family,
i have some really exciting news for you!! after much thought and planning, we have decided to make an addition to our family. no one could be more excited than me!! although i will admit that it did take some convincing on my husband's part, i just felt like such a huge decision should be taken lightly....
so without further ado, i present to you:
my kindle!
anyone who knows me, knows that one of my favorite things to do is read. comics, science fiction, fiction, non fiction, a biography... books, i love them! and honestly, i don't read as much as i'd like to due to the sheer inconvience of it. books are bulky, i forget them places, or even just the fact that once i'm finished, then what? if you've ever found a book in the back compartement of your airplane seat, chances are me or someone like me left it there. traveling with four kids is fun enough without having to keep track of a book or even just having to lug it home once i'm finished. although, i have to admit, i was worried because i do love the feel of books. i like turning pages, i like the feel of paper, and yes, i am a page creaser. don't judge me...
however, this baby is amazing! it can store up to 1500 books. it can download monthly magazines or newspapers or blogs. downloading a book from amazon takes 2 minutes! and while i do have to admit that the first time i started reading it, upon turning the first page, i did look to the left, (stop laughing, my brain is slow!) once i got into the story, honestly it was just like reading a book.
anyways, this gift was an early anniversary present from my husband, and i have to say, it might be the best gift i've ever received! if you are thinking about getting one, i say go for it. you can find free books online, and most books cost 10 dollars or less.
and no. i'm not getting paid to write this review. i just know that a lot of people out there are on the fence like i was, and i'm so glad my husband got this for me!! :) if you have any questions let me know. it's new so i don't have everything figured out, but from what i've seen so far, it's really user friendly!!
oh, and for those of you who were thinking that our new addition included a baby... well, shame on you! ;)
okay. i'm off to read. facebook doesn't have anything on the kindle!

mersin, turkey.

we took a last minute trip to mersin today with some friends. i took olivia and daddy hung out at home with the boys. here's a few cute pictures of our day:

she wasn't a huge fan of the big statue people, but it was too cute to pass up!

she wasn't a happy girl about getting splashed by the huge wave, but she did think it was hilarious once we got home and she got to see the pictures.

and lastly, quite possibly my favorite picture: the things you ONLY see in turkey *lol*

did i post this already?

"if you want to know who someone is, don't listen to their words, watch what they do..."

today, i am greatful/grateful (never can get those two straight, and i'm too lazy for www.dictionary.com) for the little things.

marko and brandon will be home tonight. i can't wait. :D

almost wordless wednesday..

here's some pictures i took this morning before my little man headed to germany with his daddy. for those of you who don't know, he's headed up there to get dental surgery. plus, i figured i'll use any excuse to show off these cuties :)

cardboard confessions.

there are things that i need to clear up. this will make sense to some of you, but for others it will not. bear with me until we resume our regularly scheduled program.
i don't believe in running away from things. i know that when times get tough, often our first reaction is to bury our heads in the sand and run away. we don't want to confront people because it can be a scary thing. i very rarely feel like i have to make apologies. i realize that i make mistakes, and other people do too, but i think that sometimes it's just better to move on without dwelling on it. dwelling causes things to fester and burn. life is too short for that. i try not to burn bridges that eventually have to be crossed. i forget quicker than i forgive. my flaws are often apparent. i like myself. i like all the rough edges.
but i'm not hiding. i'm not going to cut off my nose to spite my face. so this is me in my entirety. i'm slowly learning what makes someone a real friend. that being said feel free to stalk me all you want...

what's stuck in my head.

a couple of weeks back olivia came home from daycare singing a song about a bee; so i had to go look it up, and now i can't get it out of my head... still, it's the cutest little song, and there's nothing cuter than little miss. olivia singing it!

"i'm bringing home a baby bumblebee
won't my mommy be so proud of me,
i'm bringing home a baby bumblebee...
ouch, it stung me
i'm squishing up a baby bumblebee
won't my mommy be so proud of me,
i'm squishing up a baby bumblebee,
eww!! it's yucky!
i'm wiping up my baby bumblebee
won't my mommy be so proud of me,
i'm wiping up my baby bumblebee
now my mommy won't be mad at me!"

random musings.

i wanted to be inspired to write all sorts of things about the new year and resolutions, etc. but tonight i want to focus a little bit on the past.
saying goodbye to things is never easy.
i'm pretty sure i've written that before.
it's just that the older i get the more real the term "forever" is.
i am terrible at good-byes. so terrible in fact that when at all possible, i avoid them.
however, some goodbye's just can't be avoided. there are things that you eventually have to let go of.
things that you cannot dwell on, or wish to change, no matter how deeply it pains you to do so. at the end of 2009, i honestly felt a slight breath of relief.
it was a reminder to move on. to hope for bigger and better things. but also a reminder to live life the way that you intended. in the words on someone i love deeply, "life is too short to be unhappy."
here's hoping that all your dreams come true in 2010... and an encouraging reminder that the best is yet to be.