Destin Memories

Life's A Beach.....

Where in the world are the Stebbins now?  Destin, Florida!  We are spending the week in the sand and surf with Ryan's family.  Good times.  There is an Air Force base right down the road, and I keep thinking about how great it would be to call this place home for a bit.

I find myself also thinking about my return to Turkey.  It's just around the corner now.  I am having the same mixed feelings I had when I was preparing to come home for the summer.  One one hand, I am sad to leave the States and the ease and comfort of American living.  On the hand, I can't wait to see my friends and settle back into our "normal" routine.

Hopefully, I can put it all out of mind for a few more days, and just enjoy this time at the beach and relax with family......

Easier said than done.

A Good Day

We went to Auburn for Fan Day 2011.  It was such fun to go back to the Plains and reminisce and show off my Alma Mater to some new friends.  War Eagle everyone!

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Home?

One thing I wondered before I came home for this little break was....will I miss it?  Miss Turkey, I mean.  How could I?  It's Turkey for Pete's sake. I am back home eating my favorite foods and shopping at my favorite stores and hanging out with friends and family.  But in the midst of it all-I find myself thinking about home.  As weird as it sounds to hear and say...Turkey is my home right now and I miss it.  Let that sink in.

I don't miss anything about it culturally.  The Muslim Calls to Prayer and the kebabs and the mosques...I could do without all of that.  I miss the little slice of America there that I (strangely enough) call home.  It just goes to show that "home" really doesn't have anything to do with a geographical place on a map or whether or not your house is everything you dreamed of (mine is NOT).  It has to do with a state of mind, and what you choose to make out of whatever place you rest your head.  It's all a choice, and I have chosen to dig into this community and invest the time and emotion needed to form lasting relationships.

So, there you have it.  I miss Turkey.  Universe, you win.

Three

 

Here's one of my favorite pics of our brand new 3 year old.  He is at the zoo with his aunt.  We see this face alot-a look of intense concentration as he takes in the wide world around him.  Everything is interesting to him right now-he is always asking how, why, and what.  It is such fun to see the world through his eyes, and experience again the simple joys of childhood.

I think that 3 is going to be a very good age.

Happy Birthday to W!!

Needs

Have you ever gone through a time when you just felt like, all at once, there are so many needs around you?  It seems like bad news and trying times are all around right now.  Three different situations that have been brought to my attention-and all I can do is pray.  Will you join me?

• Deborah passed away last night.  I have written about her on this blog.  Sudden cancer in an otherwise extremely healthy women.  She leaves behind her husband and 6 year old daughter.
• A friend who is struggling with an intense case of baby blues.  Adding to it, she is by herself with her newborn daughter temporarily. 
• Some friends in San Antonio who recently discovered that their unborn daughter has a chromosomal disorder that will prevent her from living a normal life.

Isaiah 40:26-31.

Cousin Time!!

I know I don't mention them much on this blog, but I have a niece and a nephew.  They are W's only cousins.  One of the hard parts of living so far away is that I am missing out on so much with them.  The last time I saw baby "B", he was 3 months old.  Now, he is nearly walking.  His big sister "C" is such fun.  She is into all the girly things that my boy doesn't like.  She even taught me the names of all of the Disney Princess's horses-talk about something I would NEVER learn as a mother of a boy!

  I really wish that W had the opportunity to see them more often, but we are taking advantage of this summer vacation to schedule lots of playdates.  We rode up to Birmingham last week for a short morning together followed by lunch.  I plan to schedule several more before we leave.

 Gotta love cousins!!