what we've been up to

ben & i have been hanging out with lincoln this weekend, who julianne & adam have left in our care for a few days while they visit cairo. one of lincoln's favorite spots to perch on is ben's legs:

and he is crrrrazy for bubble-wrap.
but he likes it even better if he can play with it while sitting on your lap.
on saturday we left lincoln at home for a bit and headed to ulus, the 'old city' of ankara, to hunt for cool stuff. you can find almost anything in ulus, from hand-made baskets to spare parts for household appliances to beautiful turkish kilims and rugs. we have a friend who owns a shop near the old castle, and we sat down for a cup of tea with him while we discussed a couple of ideas for our up-coming weddings.
it's nice to leave the modern city of ankara behind sometimes and remember again that we are living in a very different part of the world. i'm so glad for the modern conveniences of ankara, but the older cities and towns of turkey have a unique beauty that is present in ulus, one that we are lucky to be living among and experiencing when we choose.

we passed this beautiful old mosque just as the call to prayer came on.
later, on our way back down the hill, we came across this crazed looking mannequin, apparently being used to show-case this medical supply store's goods. it gave ben & i a good laugh.
then came sunday. since it's march, and with march comes st. patty's day, i decided it was time to bake the first loaf of soda bread of the season, and then enjoyed a slice with melted butter. is there anything better on a cold, sunny sunday afternoon?
lincoln thinks so! apparently it's better to bundle up on the couch with a cup of tea. to each his own.