Meeting New Folks

We have been welcomed to this neighborhood in an overwhelming way! The neighbors all around immediately came to meet the new (big!) family moving into the mint green house. We began exchanging baked goods (when you give a plate of food, it is returned with food on it, according to custom here). We got a snow early on, so I sent the kids over to shovel the walk for the elderly couple next door. She crept out and offered us tea and told us she was so happy the kids were doing it because she was sick. I got to have coffee with the neighbor behind us, and she offered to take me to a place to buy fresh dairy products. I just can't tell you what this did to our spirits. We left our comfort zone, a little fearfully, but God met us here with several reminders that He goes before and behind us. Then on New Year's Eve, we were invited to the neighbor's house for a party. Of course, we went! I took a cheese ball and crackers. Goodness, I am American. I had no idea what to take. It was a wonderful little gathering of all the neighbors on the street. We hadn't even been there a week and got to go to a block party! Sweet Cheeks quickly made friends with these sweet girls her age. They used google translate to talk to each other! We look forward to new friendships in our neighborhood. 

And this beautiful guy wandered up to our gate. The closer he got, the more I realized he is part wolf. He had light yellow eyes. I named him "Kurt." (wolf, in Turkish) I wanted to, I really did, but I didn't have the guts to ask CC if I could have a pet wolf.