Cyprus 2012

For our Christmas/ Get-out-of-Iraq Break we decided to go to South Cyprus. Mainly because that's where the international headquarters is for the sports company we will be partnering with to get a basketball school started here in Duhok. I didn't have many expectations but it truly felt like a vacation! So here are my highlights!

BACON! and all pork products served at almost EVERY MEAL!

Being next to the ocean!

What overseas worker doesn't get pumped about a McDonalds meal?!?

Boardwalk that went up and down the beach to freely walk/jog wearing CAPRIS and a T-shirt holding my husband's hand! Complete freedom for 6 days! :)

Quiet time! No phones, visits, cleaning, to-do lists, etc. We enjoyed reading, instagramming, and watching Downton Abbey! :)

We had a room with a balcony that had an amazing view! (not my boys in their undies but overlooking the ocean with lots of GREEN!) Also, we had a room that had a little divider thinger so we could put the kids to bed, close this curtain and be in the other part of the room not having to be sneaking around so much :)

Starbucks and lots of other fun drinks! (Sorry if a lot of my favorite things are food related, that's just a part of lovin' life for us)

Obviously a highlight was meeting with our new sports company FO-SHO! Having meetings with them and learning more about what and where they do it was affirming to partner with them.

We got to hang out with their families too which was GREAT to get to know them better and super fun for Zander to have some playmates that spoke English a couple of the days we were there. 

Of course my favorite thing.....Precious family time!

My heart was full!

You all know Andy.... Definately not a man with a gut! But we were both cracking up at this picture that was taken the last day we were there. We really must have eaten a LOT! (Is this what he will look like in 10 years?) He would still be pretty handsome :)

Would we go back again for these reasons! Lord willing.... YES!

November brings change

The biggest change this month was the purchase of this new schnazy van! After much research we found not many options for a van in the city. We knew we wanted to get something that had capacity to hold lots of people and already we are SO glad we did! We can fit our whole team (6 +3 kids) Also, it's great to haul all the neighbor kids!

The freedom that this has given us has been amazing so far. A true refreshment!

Loading up and making a grocery run and be able to get more than my hands can carry is a huge blessing. Also, the money that is saved from not having to ride in a taxi is huge as well. 

and we can actually go to a park, and search new areas of the city :)

We took a trip to Sulymania (neighboring city 6 hours away) the week of Thanksgiving. Seeing K-stan in our own vehicle was a great experience!

Our teammate Sarah went with us, and it really is a beautiful area of the world!

The only drawback of driving ourselves is the stress of driving in the rain on roads that are below American Standards. Andy did great though!

But staying with our teammates and their family in Suly was such a huge blessing. It's so great to be able to fellowship with them and we are blessed by their mentorship (just wish they were closer).  The mom is an AMAZING cook and hosted their fellowship for thanksgiving. It was an amazing taste of home where we actually had cranberries, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie! MMMMMM! A great refreshing time of fellowship. 

So yes, a car has been GREAT! But we haven't been completely consumed by that :) It has been a month of changes in lots of ways...

We tried to get rid of Zander's afternoon nap, by replacing it with Quiet time in his room. But I would walk in his room after 30 mins to find him on the floor, asleep on top of his puzzle.

 After a couple weeks we realized, life would just be better if he just continued to take his nap and we quit fighting it.  

Also, big changes for Zephie!  She started walking....

and rockin' pig-tails, and the side-pony.

Zander learned how to write his name!

Our kitchen walls are like a huge white-board. I was Pin-spired to do a Thanks-Giving tree so we made our version of it in our kitchen- reflecting the month of November what we can "Give Thanks to the Lord for He is good" and also, what ways we can Give to others for "God loves a cheerful giver"

We spent the week leading up to Thanksgiving talking about how the tradition started. My little Squanto is so sweet!

We also finished up our basketball clinic with CSM kids with a tournament. This may be the start of something bigger for basketball in Duhok???? 

Camping: Well, Andy and some guys went camping under the stars one night.

Meanwhile us ladies ate cream puffs, drank coffee, and watched a chick-flick! 

It was hard to believe that little Henry had a tempature of 105 the night before! :( Sweet boy!

Changes in the weather came as well. In October and the first couple weeks of November, I was able to have some quiet time out on our roof watching the sun-rise over the city. It was glorious every morning! 

Are you an instagrammer? If so let me know.... my username is andylisabishop.

More Celebrating!

The end of October was a week long celebrating, not just our birthday but the local holiday, EID (Feast of Sacrifice- where prophet Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his son, Ishmael as the Koran teaches)  The day starts with some sacrificing of sheep/lamb in front of their homes with blood flowing through the streets. But we didn't participate in this part of the celebrating. Just the part where neighbors ring your doorbell saying "Jejno ta Piroz" (Happy New Feast to You!) with expectation of money or candy. :)

 Andy and Zander went around visiting as well! His favorite stop... Fallah's family!

I'd like to think it wasn't because of the money they gave him though ;)

 Everyone dresses all schnazy and looks their best (here, our neighbor boy said he spent an hour blow-drying his hair) :) 

The next couple of days our friends from a neighboring city came to stay with us for a few days. It was fun just doing life with them and their 3 kids (not to mention Zander LOVED having two boys his age to play with!)

Went for a short hike to see some ancient Assyrian carvings right on the edge of Duhok. The carvings depict King Sennacherib (King of Assyria from the Bible)

We barely made it before nightfall. 

Then on Halloween we visited our friend and his family here with our teammates. Kids had fun!

Andy showed the family of a Kurdish friend how to carve a pumpkin. He had fun and the kids all thought it was cool as well!

That night we went home. Zander dressed up as Batman and went trick-or-treating to each door in our house. Lame??? Maybe.... but he thought it was REALLY SPECIAL... so that's what matters.  I love that he appreciates things like this and doesn't expect MORE! Just "turn" him into a Batman give a few pieces of candy and he can conquer the world!

Zephie is ONE!!!!

Yes, Zephie turned ONE already on October 25. But on the same day, I turned THIRTY!
That's right we share a birthday! Remember the story?

So yeah... it's pretty much a week of fun for us two girls!  It started this year when we got a package full of goodies for both of us in the mail from Aunt Jenn and Uncle Al!


Then our team made an amazing meal and my favorite:  CHEESECAKE! I felt the love from what I consider my family here in Duhok.

We started a tradition by going shopping to pick out a little accessory for each of us. She got a hair bow and I got a bracelet. :)


The morning of our actual birthday, I woke up to what seemed to be a hundred emails wishing us a Happy Birthday. Which thanks to my thoughtful and loving husband he let everyone know. :) It was pretty special! But I couldn't take too much time reading them, we had to get ready for our "Costume Day" at school.  Zander requested we all dress up like super-heros so we were "The Incredible Super-Hero Family.

The bummer of that story was when the kids got to school they were asked to go home because it was raining!! Seriously? The teachers were supposed to stay, but it turned out us 6 American teachers were the ONLY ones who dressed up. It was hard to tell what the other teachers thought about that.... Idiots? Dorks? WOW!? Oh well, we wore it proudly!

We got home, put Zephie down for a nap, then cuddled on the couch watching a movie (and I checked more Birthday emails and ate leftover cheesecake!)

During afternoon naps, I enjoyed a cup of Pumpkin Spice Latte sent from my fave sis-in-law Jenn! Then, Andy and I played cribbage and he let me beat him :)


Also, Andy got me what I wanted. A big green plant to create some life in our living room. It was funny getting it home in the taxi. (Not pictured: Zander was under my armpit smashed against the door, basically squirming the entire time "I don't have any room...eh ehhhh")


That night we went out to a nice restaurant as a family.

The next day we decided to make it ALL about Zephie so I baked a few cakes and we threw her a little party.

Cake Time!

So many sweet people came to celebrate!

A special gift for her!

Pinching cheeks is normal here. She already has them calloused. :)

It was a fun day- or WEEK! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETS! We love you!

and here's a flashback from the last time we celebrated a first birthday.........

We are quite blessed by our two little Z's!