Beautiful Bolu Part I

This past week we've been out of school. Tuesday through today (Friday) is Turkey's sacrifice holiday, where they sacrifice animals for atonement, as well as commemorate Abraham's sacrifice, believed by them to be Ishmael. Rather than have us come to school on Monday, then have the rest of the week off (and knowing full well 1/2 the school would take Monday off anyway), CC gave us the whole week off. The holiday just happened to fall on a special day, November 16, the day we were married 14 years ago. CC suggested we go away as a family for a few days. In spite of all the travel I've done in the last month, I didn't protest!

We went to a place we'd never been before, Bolu, a mountainous region 1/2 way between Istanbul and Ankara. Recently some friends of ours opened a retreat center, after several years of work, many youth group work trips to help with it, and much red tape. It's a place for people like us...in need of some rest once in awhile.

We drove through past many sleepy towns, on some one-lane roads, over some gravel, and arrived at the land housing three small cabins.

Here is our cabin. It has a small kitchenette and den, two bedrooms, and a loft. Perfect for the Campbell clan.

Our weather was beautiful! Sunny all day!

And so, in a cozy cabin, with the five precious children God has given us over the last fourteen years, we celebrated our anniversary.

The only gift I asked for was a fire in the fireplace. After all my babies were tucked in, I sat with CC right by it!