Deck the Halls '15

We decorated the house the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Jodie brought us some supplies from the states to make sausage balls and peanut butter blossoms.  That was wonderful!  We all assumed our traditional roles.  Bruce pulled out all the decorations, set up and fluffed the tree, and put the lights on.  I handed out the ornaments and the kids put them all on the tree.  Then I evened out all the ornaments since the kids can't reach the top ;)  Lastly Bruce placed the star (I'm not sure what that thing is but we will call it a star.)  Fun times with family at the most wonderful time of the year.

Thanksgiving and Friends!

My best friend since church nursery, Jodie, came to visit for Thanksgiving this year.  We had so much fun and she made hosting Thanksgiving dinner a possibility.  I would have been a little crazy without her!
After Thanksgiving friends from New Orleans came to visit and we had fun catching up and exploring the 'bul together.

I ordered and it came!!!

giving thanks

Ladies Day Out

when the kids start climbin the walls...
take them to climb the walls!

Lillian turns EIGHT!

Our baby girl is growing up.  She requested a tea party this year.  I was a little nervous to throw a tea party but we pulled it off with the help of some friends.  She wanted a pin the tail on the donkey type game so Bruce created a tea cup version and we decided to do makeup before the girls had their party.  Lillian and I went to the pazar (street market) the morning before the tea and hit the jackpot on makeup.  Bruce took Lillian to get her hair done before the party.  It was so fun to watch the girls discover make up.  Hind sight told me I should have given a little makeup 'how to' but they figured it out eventually.  I think they all did their own makeup about ten times.

The Model Student

Lillian was named Model Student this week.  We are so proud of her!

Kiddos on the slide

I took the kids to the park the other night and they came up with this game.  All but one line up at the end of the slide.  The other kid slides down and bump the one on the end falls off :)

and everyone at the park joined in...

one slid down and another fell off...

We got a pet!!!

We have contemplated this over and over and finally we did it!  In September we got a kitty.  Her name is Perde (Curtain) but honestly we never call her that.  She's Kitty and that's all there is to it.  Here are some of my favorite pics...

The day we brought her home

she will sleep anywhere

watching Mamma cook

School Starts 2015-2016

School started late this year.  The boys were supposed to start on Sept 7 and Lillian on Sept 14 but it was pushed until after the Sacrifice Holiday and they didn't start until September 28.  It was so late and everyone was really ready to go back.
Lillian jumped in quickly and adjusted well.  She has the same teacher and classmates as last year.  Most local schools keep the same teacher for first through fourth grade.
Eli and Isaac are still adjusting.  Isaac is going to a preschool 5 mornings a week.  After one month he is finally getting on the bus without tears.  Elisha started Kindergarten and is also settling in now that we have switched him from a 7 hour school day to five.
Going to school in a second language is exhausting and we see that from all three children but they are doing well.

Ready to go on the first day

Isaac in his class before everyone arrived.  There are 23 four year olds!!!

Excited!

Eli with his teacher at breakfast

Lillian with her class at the opening ceremony

Isaac getting off the bus

Pumpkin Day

The kids haven't really had the chance to dress up and get candy most of the years of their life but this year they were able to attend TWO events and they had so much fun.  They love to dress up and they love candy.  Win Win

Mountain Climbing

This week we went to an education conference.  It was a great time away from the big city.  It was also so helpful to learn how to better educate my children in a cross-cultural setting.  It was a huge encouragement.
While we were there Bruce really wanted to hike the mountain across the street from our hotel room.  He had been cooped up in the room all day with Isaac who was running a fever.  I told him I thought it was a great idea to take the older two on a hike.  Not really what he had in mind but away they went.  All three came back just in time for dinner and were so excited they made it to the mountain peak.

this is a view of the mountain from our hotel room

The olders enjoying the view.

Grandmom & Grandaddy came to town!

There's nothing better than when the grandparents come to town.  To close the summer out this year Grandmom and Grandaddy visited.  We went to the beach (our favorite thing to do), survived Ephesus in the heat, shopped, puzzled and just enjoyed being together.  It was wonderful.

The metro to and from the airport.  It's hard but it's better than the traffic!

Learning how to crochet

taking a break on the car ferry

we enjoyed eating out here

this was our view

in the evenings we would bring the kids to the beach and watch them play.
It was gorgeous.

the Library at Ephesus

LePoint est. 2005

The JB LePoints turned 10!!!!  Yes Bruce and I have been married for TEN years!  To us this seems HUGE.  But we hope to have many more decades together.

We did what every couple does on their 10 year anniversary, we took the kids to get their passports renewed at the American consulate. :) It's in Europe and we live in Asia so we got to go to some places we don't usually visit including P.F. Changs.  The kids love East Asian food so that was fun for the whole family.

The weekend before our anniversary we had friends in town and they hung out with the kids while Bruce and I snuck out to have dinner alone and celebrate.

Just playin'

You know those times when all of your kids are playing so nicely together and you just want to take that moment and freeze it in time.  I did...

Friends in town

We were spoiled recently with friends coming to visit.  We had an amazing time, were encouraged and challenged greatly.  We spent a lot of time in the car...a lot.  But were able to do things that were firsts for all of us.  Thanks for taking time to come!  We love you!

No better medicine for jet lag than some time in the sun!

The fruit is so good this time of year.  We couldn't get enough on our trip.

Spent half the day at this market.

We enjoyed lots of great food.

Simply delicious.

Isaac was dripping honey everywhere so Uncle Rob volunteered to help.

Ephesus is amazing.

The kids don't share our love for Ephesus so they went to swim with friends who happened to be on vacation down the street from our hotel.  God spoils us!