DADDY cooks?

We enjoyed a delicious Asian Chicken Salad http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Asian-Chicken-Salad/Detail.aspx for dinner last night, rounded out with some milkshakes to fill everyone up after such a healthy main course. Just before dinner, I had torn, washed, and spun the lettuce; chopped tomatoes and cucumbers; made a great Asian dressing; and fried up some slivered almonds and Ramen noodles for toppings. But then there was that raw chicken with which to contend. Already having a stomach dangerously close to being sick due to 'All Day' Sickness in the first trimester, I asked Ross if he would throw the chicken on the table top grill for me. He agreed to do it thankfully. Then some of the newest, sweetest words came out of our toddler's mouth as she watched from her high chair, "DADDY cooks?!"

How to get around

Ankara had an amazing snow this past weekend! We were out of school today (Monday) and have enjoyed watching beautiful snowflakes coming down all around us. In my attempt to be one of those mommies that will be remembered as 'fun', I told the kids to get on snowsuits, grab their sleds, and move out. We had hiked to church in the snow on Sunday, so today Mary Erin and I wised up. We put Eva on the sled rather than our backs. It worked beautifully except that she really couldn't hold on. She would fall off, I'd give her the 'be a tough girl, hop back on' talk, and we'd start again.

We found a good run just between some pine trees and had some great rides down, but soon it began to snow again. The windchill was around 12 degrees F. I was ready to go home and so were the girls.

So for the ride home, we put Eva on the sled on her belly. She initially wasn't happy that way, but she soon got the "Mama's not carrying you...ride or walk." talk and she fell prostrate on it. The funny thing was that the only thing exposed to the snowfall on Eva was her eyes, because she had a ski mask on. How did she protect her eyes? She put her face, forehead, nose, lips straight down on the sled and stared at the ground the entire pull home. She totally trusted us to get her home and never once glanced up, even when the Turks passing by had a fit over her (and all of us..we are basically a freak show with all our kids, all girls, in this culture anyway). We really got a kick out of how she rode home. And it made me think. Is that how I ride? Eyes set, trusting the One who pulls me?

A new little person

Quite surprised, I discovered about 3 weeks ago that just shy of turning 36, and just getting the 'last' Campbell baby out of her crib and into a big-girl bed, and just after handing off all my baby clothes, I was pregnant. For one long agonizing week I held my tongue and wandered through the days and nights in a sort of dreamy state. How could this be? Now? What would Ross say? Will I be a SAHM again? (Other realizations began to hit...ohhhh...so it wasn't the sahlep (Turkish sweet milk drink) that made me sleepy by 6:30...it's a bun in the oven!!!)

The next weekend we planned to meet up with some other couples to celebrate our birthday (primarily Ross' birthday as he was due to hit his 40th). We enjoyed a nice Mexican meal, then I handed him a card. He read my little riddle..."You did not ask for this gift...it can not be returned...it can't be opened until later..." and he was quite amused and confused. Then he read the line, "Eva was to be our Songul..." and it hit. (In Turkey, the last daughter is often named Songul which means Final Rose.) And at that moment, he coughed, he sputtered, he teared up, and he knew. Now I realize that wasn't exactly 'nice' of me, but how often do you find out about a surprise pregnancy 1 week before your husband has his 40th birthday party? Our friends rallied, we all laughed, we enjoyed the teasing. But it was not until after we dropped the last friend off, that Ross pulled up to the mountain ridge above us and said, "SARA!!! How did this happen?!!!" to which I replied, 'You tell me.' So, there ya have it. But the truth is that while our plan was to be done with the baby years, we said if God intervened that would be ok. This intervention is ok.