Horseback Riding at Guney Binicilik

Saturday, we rounded up some friends and went horseback riding.  I had read about this place recently and we wanted to check it out.  

Guney Binicilik (South Horse Riding) is located about 25 minutes from our home, down a long, dusty road that runs parallel to one of the many canals in Adana.  We drove through fields of cotton to get there--I never even realized they grew cotton here--and arrived at the ranch just in time for lunch.  This place recently opened within the last year, and for a decent price, it offers lunch with a view of the horses, stables and riding area.  We got to pet the horses when we first arrived.  

E was loving this guy--Light was his name.

Then we ate a pleasant meal, which was quite enjoyable with a warm breeze and ice cold lemonades. This was our view from our table. 

 

The adults in our group could have sat there and chatted for hours, but the kids were growing restless, so after lunch we promptly headed out to ride.  For 10TL (about $5) the kids got to ride a pony around three times, and the adults got to ride a horse.  Not all of the adults rode, but all the kids did.  

First, we tried to get E on the pony.  He was so excited and absolutely wanted to go first.  Oh yes he did!  And this is what happened when we tried to put the riding helmet on his head.  

Then we thought, "okay, just put him on the horse then put the helmet on."  But this is what happened when we tried that.

Clearly, in all his excitement to ride a pony, he didn't quite think out the reality of it.  It was high up, it was scary and he was not. riding. a. pony. Nope.  Not gonna do it. So, we let the other kids go instead.

Of course, after seeing his friends out there riding like pros, E decided he wanted to try again.  And again, there were tears and screaming.  I was trying to push him in the nicest and most nurturing way possible, but he wasn't listening to mommy.  And juuuust as we were about to call it a day, our friend swooped in with this little gem, "Hey E, if you ride that pony, you get to go back to school on Monday and brag to all your friends about it." And that, dear readers, was enough to end the drama and get that kid to ride.  Here is that moment, captured below.

Our friend in the green shirt, and a smile starting to creep across E's face.

E loves to tell stories, so I'm sure the idea of going back to tell his friends all about his pony ride pretty much eliminated his fear.  So, up he got and off he rode. With daddy by his side, of course.

Look at that wave!

Of course, in an effort to show E that there was nothing to be scared of, I had purchased a ticket to ride the horse.  I was hoping he would forget once our friend calmed him down and he was happily riding, but nope.  "Mommy, come ride with me!" he cried out.  So, I did what I had to do.  Despite my obviously inappropriate riding attire (shorts and sandals, hello), I mounted the horse and rode off behind E.  It was quite fun though, and I'm glad I did it. 

Then I let D get his crack at pony riding.  I kid, I kid.  But I did let him get up close and personal with my horse for this cute photo op.

We ended up having a great day.  All the kids are begging for riding lessons now, though.  We'll see how that turns out!

My Boys

These boys are getting bigger every day.  It feels like just yesterday we were finding out that I was pregnant with D, and now here he is at four months old.

E was just a sweet little guy still in diapers when we moved to Turkey, and now here we are with four months left go, and he is suddenly a little boy.  He talks like a grown man, saying "actually" this and "actually" that all day long.  "Actually, I think I have a better idea."  Where has the time gone?  And when did he become so grown up?  

His latest obsession: space.
I have since ordered him a more age appropriate book from Amazon.

And D? Well, someone needs to tell that kid to slow down.  Where E was always a very verbal and vocal baby, D is very physical and active.  He's been rolling over since he was eight weeks old, which I originally thought was a fluke, but nope.  And now here he is scooting forward and trying to crawl y'all. I can't leave him alone on his play mat for even a minute before he's rolled himself over and pushed himself onto the tile.  Slow it down guys.  Mommy wants to treasure these moments!  

As for brotherly love, these two are beyond adorable.  E insists on having me wait to wake up D every morning so he can get his stool and be the first to peak his head over the top of the crib to say good morning.  The smile on D's face when he sees him is priceless.  D loves to watch his brother play, and E even sometimes, when he's in the mood, shares his toys with him.  I love these two kiddos.  I can't wait for the teenage years when they're all angsty and annoyed with each other and eating me out of house and home.  Oh wait, yes I can.  I absolutely can. When that happens, I'll just look back on these photos and remember how sweet and adorable they were.  

"Mwuaaahhh, I'm going to eat your face!" 

"Come here kid.  I'm still bigger than you."

Half-Marathon Training

I have been slowly getting back into running after having D.  Although I love it, I can sometimes psyche myself out of running by coming up with excuses for why I shouldn't get my butt out there...it's too hot, the jogging stroller is getting too heavy to push...my IT band is flaring up again.  That is, unless I have a goal in mind.  

The goal this year: half-marathon.  

And S and I will be running together.  Well, not together  together since S is, like, ten times faster than I am. But we're running the same race. 

My last official long race was the Marine Corps Marathon in October 2011.  Yes, nearly three years ago.  And we all know how that turned out.  I pushed too far too fast and my body wasn't ready.  Since then, our life has been a bit chaotic (two big moves, nine months of pregnancy and a newborn will do that), and I realized I hadn't really set a goal for myself in a very long time.   So, the first thing I did after my OB gave me the post-baby all-clear, was look for a half-marathon to start training for.  I knew a full marathon in the fall or early spring (2015) was going to be out of the question this time because we will be packing out to move, taking home leave, then we go back to D.C for a little training, only to pack out again and head to our next post--all in a 5 month span.  The reality of actually being able to train in the midst of all that didn't look good, and besides, I wanted to take it slower this time around.  I learned my lesson after having E.  So, half-marathon it is.  

Even though I stayed pretty active during my pregnancy, my training started out slow.  I stopped running when I was about 5 months pregnant with D, but continued to walk at least 2 to 3 miles a day after that. Still, when I started training, I could barely run two miles before huffing and puffing back home.  And my pace time?  Ha.  Laughable.  But I kept telling myself I had just had a baby.  Chill out.  You'll get there.  And I am getting there.  My pace is getting better, albeit still nowhere near what it used to be, and I doubt it ever will. But I am okay with that.  I am improving my endurance, though, despite this blasted heat.  Seriously people, even when I try to get out there early, it's still 90+ degrees and with very little shade.  It's hot.  

So far I have pushed to 8 miles and I can regularly do 5-6, although not when I'm the one pushing the jogging stroller.  Then my max is only about 2.5 miles.  Do you guys know how hard it is to push 65 lbs of children (yes plural--we got a double jogger) and gear?  It's freaking hard.  S usually does the pushing when we do our weekend long runs because he's a machine.  It doesn't phase him one bit, apparently.  Meanwhile, I'm seriously pondering ways to make a voice-activated, remote control jogging stroller become a reality.  

So, in less than one month, S and I will both be running a half-marathon.  He will probably place in the top three of his age group, because he's just that awesome.  He ran this same race last year and came in fourth in his age group, only missing out on top three by a few seconds.  This year he vows redemption. And I will probably be bringing up the rear with the pace car hot on my heels, likely one of the last to finish. Sure, it will be embarrassing, but I'll get over it.  As long as I actually finish!

Needless to say, once S and I set one running goal, the next is not too far behind.  A plan to run a marathon in fall 2015 is already in the works, and it may or may not involve Disney World...stay tuned.

Weekend Getaways

The weekends here in Turkey are our time to get away as a family and have fun.  

The weekdays can be hectic with work, school/summer camp/swim lessons for E,  half marathon training, cooking, cleaning, bath time, pumping, nursing....well, you get the idea.  Even little D gets exhausted from his Monday through Friday routine of tummy time and drooling with the nanny. 

But Saturday and Sunday is when we throw out routine and try to get away.

A few weekends ago we went with a few other families to an organic farm/restaurant about thirty minutes outside Adana.  The restaurant, Ekotepe, had been on our radar for a while, but we didn't get around to going until recently.  

Ekotepe is a family owned place perched on a hill overlooking beautiful, expansive farm land. Everything they serve, from eggs to figs to the cheese, olives and tomatoes, are grown right there on their property without the use of any pesticides.  The owners lay out a delicious buffet early in the morning and people come to help themselves throughout the day.   For 20 TL per person (less than $10) it can't be beat.  

Of course, this being Turkey, there is also a playground set up for the kids to play.  There are ducks to feed, rabbits to play with, horses to ride, and even a peacock and monkey gawk at.  The weather was perfect on the day we went--not too hot, and with added cloud cover to block out the sun.  The mood was fantastic and relaxing--we all spent hours eating, sipping tea and talking while our kids explored, played and otherwise got dirty.  I was actually happy to see E getting dirty and wet as he splashed around in puddles and dug in the sand.  He doesn't get to be that carefree and exploratory as often as we would like, so it was nice to see him just let loose and go at it.  Our entire group enjoyed the day, and we all left with full tummies.  

The view from the restaurant

Outdoor seating only

Home grown olives.  They even make their own olive oil, which I purchased.

Just a small portion of the buffet.

Wood burning oven where the owners sat to roll/bake sikma.

Mr. Peacock

E and the ducks

Little Monkey--this little guy actually made me sad, though.

Quail

The following weekend, S and I took the boys on another beach getaway to celebrate my birthday.  We stayed in an all-inclusive hotel about 2 hours west of Adana tucked away in a cove along the Mediterranean.  The hotel itself was old and not very appealing on the eyes, but it was clean, the beds were comfortable and there was A/C, so we were happy.  The beach, on the other hand, was absolutely amazing.  The water was calm and crystal clear.  There were comfy chairs and umbrellas set up along the shore, and the restaurant served anything and everything all day long.  E swam and made sandcastles for hours as S and I took turns tag teaming/entertaining D.  Perhaps the best part was watching the sea turtles swimming out in the distance, poking their heads up every now and then.  It was simply breathtaking.

We only stayed for one night, but we are already trying to figure out when we will go again.  We are definitely beach people, in case you couldn't tell.  

The view from our lounge chairs under the shade tree.

The beach was gorgeous and so quaint!

wading out into the water. 

E got brave enough to swim out by himself!

We found this little guy in the water. Crazy Eyes!

D Man--Beach Baby

Beach Weekend in Mersin

This last week was pretty busy for us.  First there was a cocktail party at the principal officer's home on July 3rd which served as a more informal celebration of our nation's birthday.  It was the perfect opportunity for S and I to get time away from the kiddos, enjoy a couple of ice cold beers, and chat with good friends.  That was followed by a friend's family BBQ on July 4th.  S and I took the boys with us, and we all ate grilled burgers, hot dogs and drank more ice cold beer while E ran around with the other kids and D napped in his carrier on my chest.  Then on Saturday we hosted dinner for the new family who recently moved to post.  As the weekend progressed, we realized three straight days of parties, BBQs and dinner was a bit overwhelming, for us and our guests, but since the dinner had been scheduled way before the other two events were even on the radar, we had to go through with it.  In the end it was fun, low-key, and the food was delicious.  S cooked up an amazing Italian feast and our guests sat around our living room picnic-style, sipping wine and indulging in pizza and pasta.  

Having exhausted ourselves from socializing and partying, S and I decided it was time to get away.  We loaded the kids in the car, dropped the dog at the kennel, and drove the roughly 45 minutes to Mersin, a coastal town along the Mediterranean.  

We stayed two nights at the Hilton hotel with a fabulous view overlooking the water.  We spent a few hours at the pool the first day and returned back to the room that evening where we spoiled ourselves with room service.  

The view from our room

The next day we enjoyed a lovely Turkish breakfast then headed to the beach.  S and I took turns sitting in the shade with D and playing in the water or building sand castles with E. 

S and D at breakfast

Me with sweet E

S trying to coax E out into the water.

Building sand castles

It WAS a perfect day for the beach!

Attempting to take a selfie with D.

 After a long day of fun in the sun, we drove back to the hotel to prepare for dinner.  S and I were craving a nice fish dinner at one of the local restaurants, but that turned out to be a bust.  We set out on a walk at 5:30 p.m. in a quest to find a nearby restaurant.  Unfortunately, since it is currently Ramazan, all the restaurants were serving buffet-style Iftar dinners that didn't start until sundown.  That was it. No other options. Sundown is around 8:45 p.m. these days, and with a 2-month old and 3-year old, that was clearly too late to eat.  So, we trekked back to the hotel and dined in the Hilton restaurant.  We sat in the shade overlooking the water.  S ordered sea bass, I ordered chicken and shrimp, and E had pizza.  D chilled in his car seat discovering his hands and listening to the waves crashing on the shore.  E ate and played on his Leap Pad, while S and I enjoyed our food and good conversation.  We turned in early again that evening, and I enjoyed a solid 5 hours of sleep before D woke up demanding to be fed.  

Me with my boys

Dipping D's toes in the water.

Happy baby!

Dinner by the sea

Despite the fact that we were traveling with a newborn and a toddler, S and I both agreed that the weekend was perfectly relaxing.  I don't know what it is about the beach, but it seems to chill our entire family out.  Needless to say, there are many beach getaways in our future.