Soccer

Today was the last soccer practice of the season. At least a few of us in our family got in some extensive exercise the day after feasting. There was lots of action happening; everyone had a great time.
Now, I'm not an expert on the intricacies of soccer, but I would venture a guess that jacket-pulling is a definite no-no.
Here's a grin of a goal well done.
She's spent. Unfortunately, we didn't have any Capri-sun or orange wedges to help power her back up.
Cool down. Good idea.

Turkeys Time

We were expecting a decent crowd at our place so last month Lori ordered a couple turkeys from a local import store. When I asked Lori how much they cost, she responded with her own question, "You really want to know?" Translation - very expensive. So, "No, I don't." Based on the high value of these birds, we didn't want to mess them up with poor cooking. We chronicled the process with pictures.

We had two 13+ pound turkeys that were bred, raised, and neatly packaged in the good 'ole US of A. Before beginning our prep, we stared at the turkeys for a few minutes soaking in the reality that they came from the States. [Oh-oh, say, can you see ... ]
Adding herbed butter under the skin. Mmmm, say it slowly with me .... herbed butter.
Ready for the oven.
Bird #1.
Bird #2. I know what you're thinking - wow, their ovens are huge! Not quite. [Yes, it is an oven and not a performance-enhanced toaster oven.] The birds barely fit in there. The below oven is the largest we could find. The above oven belongs to our neighbors; they're in the States so I'm sure they don't mind. Just a wild guess but they're likely enjoying a somewhat larger oven. And yes, that's aluminum foil we put over the glass doors to help keep in the heat. These ovens aren't exactly air tight.
4+ hours later and a bird is done.
Thanks to a few videos online, I discovered how to properly carve a turkey. I asked Lori for some thyme to add to the plate, but we can't get that here. Bummer. My mom taught me about the importance of presentation. [Love you.]

Doll Picnic

The title pretty much says it all. The girls really, really like their dolls, and they have such a good time playing with them. As a man, dolls aren't quite my thing. Christmas will be bringing more of these lovable toys so I'm beginning to prepare myself.

Scooterific

Now that the snow has all melted, the girls outdoor entertainment returns to their scooters. We voyaged over to the east campus to scope out some new terrain that's scooter-worthy. Here are some shots of the action.
An onlooker took a lot of interest in the foreign kids or she just really wanted a scooter of her own.
We found the soccer field, but the doors to get in had no handles. Hmmm. A few knocks on the door brought a man that let us in. And even if I didn't know any of the local language, he made it clear that the scooters were definitely not allowed on the field. So the girls ran around on the field. Meg is clearly feeling woozy here. But a game of tag perked her right up.
We shared the field with a class of what appears to be the next generation of kung fu masters. We kept our distance.

First Snow

A couple inches arrived, and our girls were ecstatic. They needed little encouragement to get dressed and brush teeth this morning. They wanted to get outside asap.
Making snowmen and making tracks were a part of fun.
Then Lori tried to peg me with a snowball. Can you spot the projectile in mid-air? Didn't even come close. However, snowball #2, which didn't get photographed as I turned to walk away, came within inches of my melon. Nice correction, hon.

Inside a Local Mosque

Many mosques like this one are being built around the city. Currently under construction is one that is maybe three times as big as this. Huge. Its center dome is painted gold and shines brightly in the sun. I want to get some pictures of it when it's completed.

I arrived as one of five formal times of daily prayer was about to begin.
Many people conversed with me, and the locals encouraged me to take pictures. They didn't mind, and some really enjoyed having their picture taken - especially the last two men below - they were quite the chatter boxes with me!
This is a classroom. [Fairly obvious.]

Chattahoochie

Last month at a 'barn bash' with some friends, a bit of line dancing was happening. Our girls were there and tried to join in. Back at home a few weeks later, they still remember the steps. Meg and Val were saying, "Heel, heel, toe, toe, scuff jump, tap, tap, scuff jump, tap, tap ..." I need to get it on video. Pictures will have to do for now.

Chilly ... To Be or Not To Be

Meg is clearly sending the message that we need to turn up the heat.
But then why in the world are her sisters wearing their 4th of July dresses? How females regulate their body temperature just got even more mysterious.