Life in This Chapter

Grape Harvest

2012-10-01T03:52:00.000-07:00

It's grape harvest time! We were invited to go to our professor's summer home to see how the grape harvest happens and then have a feast!

Here is Mr. T helping with a cluster of grapes:

Mr. T and the Big Mr. are harvesting some more. We were able to bring a whole bucket of grapes home with us, so we are eating them all the time -- so sweet!:

Rows and rows of grapes belong to the family in this vineyard:

Making churchella (walnuts on a string, dipped into grape juice and flour):

dipping the wal-nuts:

dipping a few more times:

Mr. S counting the churchella's that he helped make:

plates...preparing for the feast:

the kettle for hot tea and coffee in the afternoon:

cucumbers and tomatoes:

pomegranates:

eggplant, chicken, olivias salad and salt:

bread, veggies, and cheese:

It was a great together as a family and with good, new friends!

Camp, part 1

2012-09-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

This past week, we went to camp. This camp was a great cumulative experience at the end of one year of language learning. We didn't understand everything, but it was great practice and we are ready to plunge back into classes this month. This will be a part 1 (of 2), showing some shots of the people we enjoyed.

The next set of pictures will show some of the places we experienced!

Camp, part 2 pictures (places)

2012-09-02T08:36:00.001-07:00

Here are some of the place at camp that we enjoyed.

This was the room where we had services:

The bus that everyone else came to camp on. We didn't know that this was the plan, so we had our cars packed and followed the bus. Next year, we will know better:

This is where we stayed. Our room was on the bottom, second from the left:

The dining hall:

Mealtime:

We loved seeing the beginnings of the vine -- their precious grapevines beginning mid-season:

Marinated Eggplant Salad

2012-09-02T08:27:00.001-07:00

I know that even titling an entire post with this name could turn hundred's, if not thousands, away...but, it is worth it. We love the marinated eggplant salad that is served here -- in every restaurant, and in every home! This is the first time I've been able to find a recipe, in English, with our measurements on different ingredients and it is pretty close to the taste we find here. Eggplant is about $1.00/kilo (2.2 pounds) right now, so it's time to stock up and enjoy the flavor!

Lots of eggplant:

herbs (we substitute those in the recipe for cilantro and it is AMAZING!):

and you can add anything in:

The complete recipe is found here, at Turntable Kitchen! Enjoy!!

Our Neighborhood

2012-07-31T06:37:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to ride bikes:

This is the entrance of the school that the boys will most-likely be attending this fall:

The Rock Pile! It has been fun to climb on:

Bike riding...a great outdoor activity this summer:

Camp

2012-07-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

We went for one day of a week-long camp to participate in some English-speaking sections. Since the park was in a village near home, we took Mr. S with us for the day!

Here we are all just sitting around chatting and finishing off a watermelon:

Here is a friend learning the names of some of the kids:

Teaching new games!

Mr. S got a group going on the slides!

We had a great time!

Trip to the Black Sea

2012-07-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

We were able to have a vacation and team meetings on the Black Sea. The boy LOVED throwing rocks in the water when they weren't busy splashing each other and looking for shells!

On this afternoon, there was a storm brewing, so we took a family walk just to see the waves:

The boys were enjoying parts of the boardwalk that they used to create their own games. This was an area to park bikes, but this game looks like more fun!:

An area with all the Disney characters! The boys went wild -- these statues were just their size:

Svaneti

2012-07-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

The guys were able to take a trip to a town about 8 hours away. This was a great experience to see some of the breath-taking views in the Green Mountains. Our favorite pictures are the watch-towers:

Seasonal Cooking

2012-07-02T00:40:00.001-07:00

Before this chapter, I didn't really understand seasonal cooking. Although I did watch which produce I bought at what time (because of the cost difference), I knew I could find some kind of berry or a pineapple most days at some American grocery store. After a full year of living here (in an international setting), we understand this new reality. Strawberry season just passed. I went to the market yesterday to look for more of these delicious berries and they were gone...totally gone. The new fruit that is available for this month is peaches. They are practically giving them away (.50 for 2 pounds!)
Our favorite salad year-round, but especially found on every table in the summers:

This is pretty much it, lot's of cucumbers and tomatoes. Many people chop fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley and dill to put on...as well as a few white onions. Sprinkle with salt and it is very tasty with pretty much anything they serve!

New Pictures

2012-05-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

A normal small grocery store at the bottom of most apartment buildings. We would buy our staples here: bread, milk, eggs, pasta...:

A view of a town about 30 minutes outside of where we live:

Mountains and old churches everywhere. It really is beautiful:

A new church being built:

A landscape on our drive back into the country after leaving for our 1-year visa trip:

churchela for sale (churchela is a bunch of walnuts strung onto those white strings, then dipped over and over again into a grape and flour mix. Kind of like dipping candles. This was a snack, that I believe was originally made for soldiers during times of war because it was healthy and stayed good for a long time) it is hanging everywhere in the markets:

Skiing in March

2012-05-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post these pics of David's skiing adventure. It was a "light" blizzard the entire day, so the view was a little hard to catch. After taking a marshrutka several kilometers up a windy mountain, the guys were so glad to be safely at the ski resort.

We're hoping to get in some more regular skiing with some neighbor friends next winter. It is very inexpensive, compared to our Colorado resorts and these gondola lifts are a nice upgrade!

Trip to Turkey

2012-04-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

Turkey was beautiful. We were there right as Spring was coming into full bloom. Great weather and awesome colors from the trees and tulips blooming!

The architecture was amazing. The culture was rich. We experienced a lot that made the short trip seem overwhelming.

The food was delicious. Baklava!

The history was so deep. This church had mural on top of mural

(of different types of paintings, mosaics, etc) because different religions had taken over this place.

New Sledding Hill

2012-03-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

We found this sledding/skiing hill that is about 20 minutes from our place. With some friends, we brought sleds, rented tubes, and decided that the lift was a little too intense for sledding purposes.

That meant that the kids were manually pulled up half the hill!

They loved it!

Operation Christmas Child

2012-03-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

After years of working up in the distribution center in Denver, CO...we never thought we would actually receive a shoebox of our own!! And, in March, no-less!!

The boys were excited to get new toothbrushes and socks. And, I can verify that these boxes and treats are passed out to the locals. It is true that, although toothpaste, socks, small toys, etc are readily available here, for some it is a rare treat.

So...here are our two little monsters enjoying the moment of getting gifts on a random Sunday in March...

SNOW

2012-02-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

Areas near our home with all the snow we've had in the last two weeks!
Cold and windy, but beautiful covered in white!

The last two days we have seen the first sign of Spring -- wind!
It has been blustery, but less frigid!
Spring is coming!

My Favorite Statue

2012-01-22T02:23:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite statue:

This photo was taken along the main drag. This actually used to be a working light, but was damaged and not repaired. I'm not sure if it can be repaired. None-the-less, instead of fixing it or removing it, an artist added his solution: the man climbing the ladder. Now, this light will always be "being fixed"!!

Balloon Lady

2012-01-15T03:25:00.000-08:00

She was sitting on the side of the road filling up more balloons.

Christmas Lights

2012-01-05T10:13:00.000-08:00

On the main road
Lights like I've never seen before:

Not Much

2011-12-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to decide what direction to take this blog.
You've kind of seen all there is to see of the market goods (there's not a whole lot to show for in the winter months).
I've been cooking up a storm, but I'm using everyone else's recipes...you don't really need a repeat.
I'm crafting like crazy. Let's be honest, I'll show those every once and awhile.
This week, I needed to share the lyrics of my favorite song this year:

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum

Love it!

Feeling a little weird these Holidays with not a whole lot to give, but that's okay.

Recent Travels

2011-10-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

We have grandparents visiting, so this is brief, but we've experienced some great culture lately! One of the most interesting was this equestrian championship about 15 minutes away. The boys LOVED watching the horses jump!

Paper Scraps!

2011-09-30T05:04:00.000-07:00

If you click on this link, it will send you over to the list of 65 uses for paper scraps!!!

I love stuff like this!

Favorite Gift

2011-08-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite gift for Mr. S:

He loves Clifford right now, so I took one of his books and copied the picture onto his pillow case! With 3 threads, I was able to embroider this pretty quick using back stitch!

If I could find more pillow cases here, these would make great gifts for kids.

Party Decor for Next to Nothing

2011-07-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

One of our little men turned 3 this past Monday!
Here are some of the decorations made from 3 old t-shirts, cardboard (out of the dumpster), and a recycled book, and a black marker:

Clifford, welcoming people to the party!

pom poms (inspired by this link)!

pom poms, other garland made from tying t-shirt strands together!

Different garland made by sewing paper shapes and t-shirt scraps together!

A simple sign. Mr. S wanted the theme to be "red cake," hence the cake.

Just funny - cooling the watermelon in the tub because it was too big for the refrigerator:

Treat bags: sewn together one way, filled with candy and then sewn together with a different fold. Very easy!

A good reminder that decoration don't have to be expensive...especially for kids. In fact, this allowed me to be much more personal for Mr. S...and his Red Cake Party!

Stitched Hands

2011-07-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

I finally finished stitching our family hands.

Maybe I'll do this once every 2 years.

Notice my not-so-great-quality fabric. I've decided it adds class!

Next step: whether to frame or staple onto a canvas.

Thanks for the inspiration behind this project!

My post below has some pics of our beautiful new city.

Enjoy!

Our New City

2011-07-22T11:42:00.000-07:00