The Johnson's: December 2006

Thursday, December 28, 2006

The Streets of Istanbul

"The Streets of Istanbul" postings will be hopefully become a regular thing on the blog. We like to show you the sights and sounds of the city when we remember the camera or when I can get it out of my purse fast enough. This picture is a guy who collects cardboard to get money for recycling it. As you can see he has a quite a load. Sometimes they are seen sliding down a hill with this big bag behind them! Scary!

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Grand Bazaar Time Again

Today we took NeeNee and Gaga to see some of the sights of Istanbul. We ended up at the Grand Bazaar for some shopping!

Having lunch

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Looking at carpets

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Bailey trying to help sell the carpets

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As always a swarm of men playing with Bailey

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A visit from NeeNee and Gaga

Yesterday we went to the airport to pick up Bailey's grandmother (Billy's mom) and great grandmother. This is the first time Gaga has been out of the country. She is also 82 so how great is that that she can still get out and go! I won't tell you how old NeeNee is...she might not like that! We are glad they are here!

Waiting on them to come out of the airport...Bailey thought it was so funny to be on her daddy's shoulders!

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Bailey and Gaga

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Christmas again!

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Bailey loves her learning play table

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Turkish Bath

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One of the great things about living in Turkey is getting to go a Turkish bath. Billy and I love going! We don't go together. Most neighborhood's have a bath that has a ladies side and a mens side. Each side is pretty much the same - you have someone scrub you and get all that dead skin off and then give you a nice massage. The mens side might give you a work over instead of a nice massage! After they scrub you I guarantee you, you are squeaky clean from head to toe! So if you come to visit and want to go we are always willing. I think if you try it you will love it!

Monday, December 25, 2006

Merry Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas. It was fun to see Bailey trying to open her presents and then be more interested in the paper than the toy! Billy and I also enjoyed opening our presents as well. :) I never get tired of that. We had a lovely dinner with some friends tonight with ham, turkey and all the trimmings. But as we celebrated today our Savior's birth many around us were not. Please continue to pray for this nation that they one day would worship The King of Kings! We hope each of you had a Merry Christmas!

Here are a few pictures of today. More pictures on dropshots if you are interested!

Bailey opening her first present on Christmas Eve

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Christmas morning

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Do you think she likes the paper better or the toys?!

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tickling Bailey

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Here they are playing with paper when they have all these toys!

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Now licking the furniture instead of playing with the new toys! At least they like doing the same thing!

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Bailey cuddling with Allyson after a long day

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Friday, December 22, 2006

Good Friends

Tonight we had a Christmas dinner with some good friends of ours. Hande and Yoel and their two daughters, Lydia and Nicolle and then our friend Sertap. We've had a Christmas dinner with them the past three years. The first year we had Italian food, last year we had Mexican and we were going to have Chinese this year but I decided to have a good ole' southern dish instead, chicken and dumplings! Mmmmm...they were good! Of course our guests brought their dishes too which included a Turkish cauliflower cassarole, lentil "meat"balls and borek (not sure how to describe that) and let's not forget the eggplant that Billy fried as well. It was all really good. They gave us lots to freeze and eat later! Anyway we had a great time tonight!

Sertap and Bailey

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Lydia, Nicolle, Sertap and Bailey

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Nicolle just turned 3 months old

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Lydia trying to teach Bailey Turkish

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Thursday, December 21, 2006

Just another day

Bailey's learning how to drink from a sippy cup. She's getting better at it but still trying to figure it out.

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Shopping at the Grand Bazaar again! Our friend, Vural, was trying to sell her and Adeline in the window.

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Bailey kept wiggling in Vural's arms. He kept saying she was yaramaz, which means naughty. She's not naughty...well I guess she is like her daddy!

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Bailey and Baris

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Tuesday, December 19, 2006

The Streets of Istanbul

Sometimes you don't know what you are going to find on the streets. Here's what we found yesterday...

A dirty old goose. It's been on this one street for a couple of years!