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| June 29 - Mom and I went to the Quilt Fest in Freeman. |
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| June 27 - Roasting jumbo marshmallows on long sticks. |
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| June 26 - The kids made a special breakfast for our 13th Anniversary. |
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| June 24 - Hammocks are for Sundays. |
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| June 21 - The cousins enjoying a walk together. Our first full day back. |
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| June 20 - In the Istanbul airport early in the morning. Our flight left 6:15 am and we arrived in Sioux Falls at 7:10 pm. It was 25 hours door to door. |
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| June 19 - One last McDonalds meal with Mohammed. We stayed with them for a night before we left. |
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| June 18 - We smiled for the camera but in reality it was a very emotional moment. A truck had come that morning to empty our home and we had just carried our bags down and were waiting for a taxi. Around us are neighbors waiting to bid us farewell. Sibel threw water behing our taxi as we drove off, a symbolic gesture that means "May you go safely and return again." |
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| June 17 - After church we did some last minute shopping for Turkish Delight and saw these dyed chicks on the street for sale. Not cute. |
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| June 16 - Some final sorting. |
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| June 15 - Last day of school outing to the zoo and beach in Sile with our great friends. It was a wonderful day. |
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| June 14 - Kindergartners lined up to go to school. |
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| June 13 - My English group kids organized an art show, complete with the cutting of the ribbon to open the event and a wonderful meal provided by their gracious mothers. We had a blast! |
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| June 12 - First day on public transportation again after selling our car yesterday. |
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| June 11 - Malachi and his classmates performing their musical. |
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| June 10 - A wonderful "tea" with my dear friends Nesrin, Dilek and Janel. |
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| June 2 - Our picnic table worth of stuff to sell at the school's garage sale. |
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| June 1 - Our home starting to get empty. |
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| May 31 - My thoughtful friend Janel helping me price things for the garage sale. |
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| May 30 - Sonora dusting the leaves of the plant we gave to her Turkish preschool. |
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| May 29 - Some of my students from my English class. |
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| May 28 - Sonora's favorite and "fastest" shoes ready to go in the trash. |
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| May 27 - Late night sewing. Hoping to finish a gift. |
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May 26 - The kids having fun with their friends.
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| May 24 - Just so I don't forget our little washer. |
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| May 23 - Sonora drawing out on the balcony. |
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| May 22 - Malachi doing his homework. |
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| May 21 - All the fresh veggies and fruit that I bought for about $16. |
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| May 20 - Malachi and his friends playing the homemade version of "Angry Birds." |
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| May 19 - My Beta fish. |
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| May 18 - Sonora and Havin doing a puzzle. |
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| May 17 - My neighbor Sibel stopping by with some good food to share. |
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| May 16 - Aaron and Malachi off to school (Sonora's day home). |
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| May 15 - Rainy weather view from our terrace. |
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| May 14 - I caught this shot of Sonora and her friend Mine at the school assembly. |
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| May 13 - My Mother's Day gifts from the kids. (Sonora did not want to be in the picture). |
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| May 12 - On the Sahil with our good friends Adella, Mustafa and Mohammed. |
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| May 11- First campfire and picnic of the year with friends on our hill. |
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| May 10 - A wonderful note from Sonora. "Mom, I love you Mom. I can help you." |
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| May 9 - Sonora on her day off checking to see who is playing outside. |
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| May 8 - A family effort on cooking today. Sitting down to enjoy it. |
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| May 7 - Hot enough for Popsicles on the terrace. |
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| May 6 - Dancing at a Kurdish wedding. Our neighbors (Fatmalar) invited us to their relatives wedding. |
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| May 5 - A ladies tea with the two wonderful ladies that taught me Turkish. |
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| May 4 - Malachi working on drawing hamsters. A new favorite past-time. |
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| May 3 - A race to escape from a green plum war in the neighbor's bahce (garden). |
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| May 2 - Sonora writing out a plan for her Wednesday off school. |
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| May 1 - Labor day. No school. Time at home and in the neighborhood. |
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| April 30 - Dark clouds rolling in over the hills from the Black Sea. |
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| April 29 - Sonora and Havin and I went to pick wildflowers in the hills. |
