Perge Part I

Our next day trip took us to Perge, an abandoned town inhabited a couple thousand years ago. Greek colonists came there after the Trojan War, but it is suspected that they ousted people already living there. The town prospered under Alexander the Great and the Romans.

As we drove in, we spotted an aquaduct. Those things are just everywhere! Papa started in, then I heard, "We know, Papa. There were clay pipes on top which carried water into the town." Right. They've got it.

As I mentioned earlier, these places are just ripe for crawlers, climbers, explorers under age 10!

This is the city's ancient gate. Those 5 kids under it are just as impressive to me!

Naps Observed

Big Ben is still a two-a-day napper. And we really tried to observe them, but when there is so much to see...

...like this...

...and this...

sometimes he only got one nap in. But no matter how beautiful the topography, there's nothin' cuter than a baby boy in Stuart plaid pajamas with his bottom stuck up in the air.

Cave Dwellers

You know how it is...you take your kids to a land full of rich history and artifacts dating back thousands of years, then you ask, "What do ya'll want to do today?" They hesitate only a second before jumping up and down and screaming, "Swim!" On the Campbell Clan vacations, we try to enjoy a mix of both. Swimming in our city is not easily done, so they really do look forward to their yearly chance to swim here (though the Turks believe even with chlorine added it will spread germs if the water is not kept cold, so we end up gritting our teeth and repeating over and over, "I am a good parent. I am a good parent." while swimming in the arctic zone.)

Campbell Clansman's favorite pick is to explore. This time we went to a cave which is said to have been inhabited continously since the beginning of time. ("Wait," I wondered, "does that mean Captain Caveman is still IN there?")We hiked up the mountain to the cave entrance. Big Ben got a lift...

One thing we found interesting was how the mountain drops off in such a stark contrast to the flat, inhabited town.

Yep, it was a big cave. They were excavating one portion and built this structure for getting to the bottom. I won't even describe to you the kind of guardrails it had since grandmothers read this.

Exploring in Turkey is so much fun because no one cares what you do and there is rarely a person acting as a security guard. The kids just took off...fingers feeling the wet cave walls, little bodies crawling into holes, voices yelling, "Hey, look at this!" Every site is hands-on.

Can you spot the face?

Another cute face I found.

It was a great field trip!

From Here to There

Christmas Day we headed to our traditional vacation spot, Antalya and the Mediterranean Sea. About 1/2 way through the 8 hour drive, there is a little town with not much else except a McDonald's. Guess where we stopped for lunch?

They had added a bonus 'birthday room' with a climbing center. Big Ben was in there with the best of them. Bless his heart. He wanted to ascend the steps to the top but they were as tall as he is. He speaks nary a word, so to each Turk that came and oohed and aahed over him, he did the sign language for "please" begging everyone to hoist him up to the top of it.

So, everyone ate, played, went to the bathroom, washed hands, jumped back in the car...and then went from civilization (McDonald's playland) to this...in just a few hours.

Christmas Undaunted

Christmas morn (actually, Christmas Eve was when we celebrated) was undaunted. Undaunted means: undismayed; not discouraged; not forced to abandon purpose or effort. We woke up and had our normal Christmas brunch...cinnamon rolls, breakfast casserole, fresh fruit, and this year a new item... homemade hashbrowns. All this was enjoyed together as a family as the repairman fixed our fire damage. We decided to press on and not let the calamity of the week stop our plans.

This boy really doesn't stand a chance, does he?

This year sisters shopped at the Dollar Tree this summer for each other, hid the presents, wrapped them, and exchanged gifts for Christmas. If only you could have seen me with my Dollar Tree shopping cart last summer...4 corners of the cart sectioned off with Dollar Tree hand towels hiding from the others what was to be bought, keeping track of whose corner was whose. Next year, I may do 4 separate trips instead!

We enjoyed exchanging gifts, then packed up that night to head to the coast. More on that tomorrow!

Night of the House Fire

As I posted earlier in my house fire blog post, we had gone out to dinner and tried a new place to eat. This gentleman owned the place and fell head over heels for my kids. (Yes, Perma Baby is in her pajamas!) He invited us to sit with him by the hearth and have a second cup of tea. (They never even asked us if we wanted the first cup, it was just assumed!) It was at the point this picture was taken that the electricity came back on in our home and the fire started. It's things like that which show me how very sovereign our God is. We were out, making time for an old man, trying to understand his country Turkish accent, lingering over a second cup of tea with him...while our house was on fire. Had God wanted us home, He would not have given us an opportunity to stay with the man.

Ironically, my girls were warming their hands by a fire...in a fireplace.

This was the damage to our floor. It has a coat of varnish, which is why it caught fire as well.

This was the ceiling as a result of the fire.

The next morning the cleanup need was extensive. All the girls chipped in to help.

It will be one Christmas I will remember always. I am so thankful for God, my husband, my children and even my safe little kitty cat. We have each other, what more could we want?

I'm Back!

Well, readers, I am glad to be back. The housefire, then Christmas, then a week at the beautiful coast, then a little stint with a skin cancer doctor...all put me on bloghold. (Is that a word?) It was a nice break from normal life, but as I sit here I smell sausage cooking (saved for the holidays), I see rain dripping down the windows, and I hear my children trying to master their Papa in the game Jenga... and I realize that normal and home are nice places to be, too. This week I'll get some pictures uploaded and take you (virtually...too bad it can't be in reality) to some ancient ruins. Happy New Year! God is good.