Stephenson Family

Today is our last day of school for the school year.  Beyond the excitement of having 6 weeks of summer ahead of us, it’s fun to look back at some of the activities we experienced in the last few weeks.

Falconry

One week the kids had a falconry visit to their ‘Flexi-school.’  Cami and I stayed behind to see the birds as well.  I thought this would just be a demonstration and informative discussion about the different birds, but it was hands-on.  Each of the kids had a chance to ‘fly’ the birds and feed them.  Emma was the only one of our bunch to attempt this on any level.

Barn Owl

Harris Hawk

Emma did, however, shy away from handling the large owl.  It was huge!

European Eagle Owl

London Bombings

We have been full-force into studying World War II and the Holocaust, as evidenced from our recent trip to Amsterdam.  It has been a great experience studying these events from the actual places that they occurred.  One day we talked about the time during the war when many families in London were sending their children away to the countryside, away from the bombings.  So, after our lesson, I told the kids we were going to pretend that they lived in London during the time of the war.  They had 5 minutes to grab their backpacks and pack whatever they thought they would need, not knowing how long they’d be gone.  They thought the idea of it was great fun and were laughing and giggling the whole way.  After 2 minutes, a couple kids were back but when I asked if they had packed clothes, they were back up the stairs.

When the kids had gotten everything, I had them put their shoes on and we walked out the front door.  They were clueless as to where we were going and couldn’t stop laughing.  It just so happens that we live down the road from where the first V-2 rocket was dropped in London.

I had seen the marker for it, but have never stopped to look at it.  We found out 3 people had been killed in that spot.

When we got back home, I had the kids (one by one) empty out their backpacks and show us what they had packed.  We had an assortment of things – piggy banks, toys, journals, books, toiletries, and each had 1 change of clothes.  Then we each voted on who we thought packed the best.  It really was fun and the kids keep talking about it.

**I found out later my great-grandmother was one of the women who took in children from London during the bombings.  She was a widow and her 3 children were all away serving in the military.  All three of the children that stayed with her formed a close bond with her family and called her “Mum”.  When she passed away, they came to her funeral.  The war definitely changed lives . . . many people made the best out of it and I think that is amazing.**

REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) Army Museum

We jumped at the chance for a homeschool group field trip to the REME Army Museum discussing . . . World War II.  We actually made 2 separate trips out there during a two week time to discuss science and history.

Some of our favorite activities were -

• using the old field phones to talk across the vehicle hall,

• learning and sending morse code messages,

• building and ‘flying’ our own parachutes,

• learning to be a good soldier,

• as well as dressing up like one.

By far, my favorite activity was the mock air-raid drill.  This was by no means ‘fun,’ as I actually was trying to control my emotions watching some of these little kids with pure fear on their faces from the loud sirens.  But, it was so interesting to see what the war was like here in England.  This is part of history you don’t learn about fully in American history classes.  The kids each grabbed one item off a table (ranging from important documents to the chamber pot) and raced to get under the ‘kitchen table’ (which we were pretending to have been a special steel table used especially as a bomb shelter).

The Warden, an unpaid volunteer, stayed out in the open during the ‘attack’ and when it was safe for everyone to come out, she gave the ‘all-clear’ signal.  I think it was eye-opening for the kids, but I felt like I learned a great deal as well.

Last weekend we took an extended field trip to Amsterdam.

We’ve been studying World World II and the Holocaust and felt this was a great time to take a short trip to see the Anne Frank House.

It was amazing! The house has been left unfurnished – when the Germans were tipped off of the secret annex, they also took all the furnishings. Otto Frank felt it should be left this way. As you walk through the house, everyone spoke in hushed tones and you really felt you were walking in a hallowed place.

I think we were all reminded why journals are something we should strive so hard to keep. Emma was also impressed that Anne Frank wrote short stories and had started on a novel as well; a girl after her own heart.

With so much culture around us, we tried to get in as much as possible.

We began with a boat tour . .

. . . and loved seeing the different parts of the city as we navigated through the many canals.

Something that definitely catches your eye is how many bikes there are – locked to everything.

In one area, we even spotted a parking garage just for bikes!

As tourists, we were constantly looking around at the sites and almost got side-swiped by bikes a couple times. If you ever go to Amsterdam, beware of the bike lanes and stick to the little dirt pathway that is allotted for pedestrians!

Path in village of Sloten

Even though Holland is such a small country, there seem to be many famous artists from there. We studied up on a few (Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Rembrandt) and made sure to visit the museums where their paintings are hung. It was great to see the kids recognize their works and know what the stories behind each painting were.

Van Gogh Museum

We even had the opportunity to visit Rembrandt’s house (before he went bankrupt) and see his studio.

Saturday morning, we took a short tram ride out of the city to a small village called Sloten to tour a working windmill. You can’t go to Holland and not see windmills!

This windmill does not grind anything, but rather pumps water. The miller was a great tour guide and even showed us how he turns the ‘mill cap’ so the vanes face the wind. We were impressed as we watched the top of the windmill rotate until it was catching as much wind as possible to get the water pumping.

We will all agree that Sloten possibly has the best French fries in the world! True perfection!

We had such a great time and were grateful to find a flat that could fit all of us. We were on the top floor of this building and had the attic as well.

In case we didn’t get a big enough workout while we were out walking, we always had to finish strong so we could make it up the steep stairs of the flat!

This is only the FIRST flight!

Definitely a weekend to remember (in addition to the fact that we got to experience, first-hand, the energy from the nation as the Netherlands celebrated their World Cup successes so far)!

Being here in London for Father’s Day was a different experience.  Yes, it is mentioned, but not truly celebrated.  I was expecting a little more commercialization, no extra church meetings, children singing in Sacrament meeting, etc.  Nothing.  One of my British friends told me it is a relatively newer holiday here and isn’t pushed as much as Mother’s Day is, which has been around in the UK for a long time.

But . . . that didn’t stop us.  We celebrated as if . . . it was the British Mother’s Day for Dad!

We started off with “THE Mystery Card” (an idea from my friend, Brooke, last year).

Totally stumped on how to open the card:

The ‘a-ha’ moment (I will admit he needed a little hint, but I think he enjoyed the challenge):

We picked up some fun things that Dad needed and a great family book for UK family adventures.

One mysterious trip to the garage revealed another fun gift . . one that Dad had a craving for – a grill!

We are so thankful for our dad and all he does for us.  He is one of the hardest workers and best multi-taskers I know.  He knows how to have fun and he knows how to bring a special feeling into our home.  He is truly one of a kind and we’re so glad he’s ours!

We said our goodbyes to Istanbul and boarded a plane to head further down the Aegean Coast to the area of Ephesus.  We flew into Izmir and rented a car to get the hour south to a little village called Şirince.  As we followed the GPS directions to the hotel, we drove around many switchbacks in the hills until we arrived.  This ‘little’ village boasts of having 650 people, 35 donkeys, and a dwindling number of goats.  Aside from that, it is surrounded by beautiful countryside!

Our hotel was actually situated high on the hill (the highest building in the picture).

The first night we were put into a little cottage in the valley part of the village.

The outside does not do it justice.  The inside was wonderful . . . as long as you duck your head on the way in and out of the bathroom.

Our remaining nights in the village were spent in a house just down the hill from the main hotel.

Each morning we opened up the basket they left in the kitchen to find our breakfast.

There was always fresh bread, ‘cake’, cheeses, vegetables, fresh eggs, homemade jellies, and fruits.

Just being in the hotel’s houses just made you feel ‘at home.’  We spent many hours inside just relaxing.

One afternoon we attempted a swim in the hotel’s pool.  It was a beautiful layout, as you looked out over the valley, but the water was FREEZING cold!  Only the die-hard kids made it in past their feet!

One of our nights there, we ate in the hotel’s restaurant and had the most picturesque dining experience we will probably ever have.

The food was really good as well, but the view was stunning.  I was so glad we were still eating for the sunset.

*The Village*

The village is made up of descendants of Turkish immigrants who left their homes in Greek Macedonia, in the 1920′s.  Their main sources of income are peaches, grapes and olives, although being so close to Ephesus, tourism has started to help their economy as well.  

With the steep slopes of the village, a tractor is one of the only ways to haul anything.

Another way . . . by donkey.

Shops have been set up to display local wares.  One of the most unique was a little lean-to with an old man who carved cooking utensils.

Day after day he sits there carving, and sells the utensils.  (You can see Caleb holding the spoon Chris bought.)

Village Drinking Fountain

For our last full day in the village we decided to go hiking.  We had no idea where we would end up but we stayed to the trails and had a lot of fun.

The only site that wasn’t countryside was this view that we had of workers digging into the rock wall.

We were quite curious to know what they were creating but not close enough to ask.

*Ephesus*

Despite what it sounds like, we did make it out of the village to site-see.  Our first stop was the ruins of Ephesus.  We were told to arrive early, before the cruise ship tours started.  We were glad we listened.

Before (on our way in)

After (on our way out)

We made sure to get in what we wanted to see, like the facade of the Library of Celsus.

Also, the Ephesus Theatre was on our list.  This is the theater where Paul’s preaching started an anti-Christian demonstration (from Acts 19:24-41).

We were able to catch a little bit of action during this ‘gladiator’ battle.  The kids were entranced.

Just a little bit off from the main path of Ephesus there is a trail leading to St. Mary’s Church.  We enjoyed walking through (or playing in) the ruins here as well.

On our way out, we found something of a treasure to us . .

A baptistry font for adult baptisms . . . by immersion.

*Virgin Mary and St. John*

Just up the road from Ephesus were signs for Virgin Mary’s House so we drove up the hill to see what it was all about.

At the top of the hill is a house where supposedly Mary lived after John brought her to Ephesus after Jesus was crucified.

When we realized they were going to charge us for parking and to go see the house, we snapped a couple pictures and went back down the hill.  So, we didn’t actually see the house.

We did, however, find the Basilica of St. John in the town next to Ephesus.  So, we went in its ruins.

Again, we found a baptismal font for baptisms by . . . immersion!

This is supposedly where John is buried.

*Beach*

Sadly, once you see some ruins, they all start running together.  So, we left them behind and found the beach!

The kids had a great time getting their energy out.

The water was, again, FREEZING!  So sticking our feet in was as far as we got!

Now we can say we’ve been to the Aegean Sea . . . and stuck our toes in!

*Lesson Learned*

We were warned prior to this trip that Turkish people love children and we needed to relax and let them give our kids candy or whatever they feel the urge to share.  Even with the warning, I don’t think we were quite prepared for how much this would affect our traveling.

Poor Cami was truly a target.  Every single place we went, her cheeks were squeezed, she was picked up and cuddled, her hair was petted, etc.  At first she really had issues with this.  I mean, who wouldn’t?!  But, by the end of the trip, she just tried to pretend they weren’t touching her.

Cami trying to ignore the guard petting her hair:

Of course, sometimes this worked to our advantage.  One night at dinner, when the weather had started to cool off, the waiter brought Cami a tablecloth to wrap around her shoulders.  In an after-thought he brought one for Hannah as well.

Not too long afterward, the waiter brought us an additional plate of lamb chops specifying that they were specifically for Cami ‘on the house.’

That was a night that she didn’t mind the extra attention!

Cami has now become everyone’s favorite travel partner.  Even having to deal with 4 year old melt-downs, there definitely are perks, especially if you are in Turkey!

After seeing the big site-seeing destinations, we decided to spend a relaxing afternoon atop a site-seeing bus.  It was great.

After being in the same part of the city for a couple days, it was refreshing to get out of our little hub and see the rest of Istanbul.

I LOVE audio-guides, mostly for the fact that my kids LOVE them!

As we crossed the Galata Bridge to the other side of Istanbul, we saw fishermen.  Not just a few, but the entire length of the bridge was lined with them!

I’m sure some are sold directly to the restaurants, but this fish market we passed must be on the receiving end as well.

We aren’t really seafood eating people.  Well, some of us aren’t.  But, we did try a lot of other Turkish cuisine while in the city.  One night we splurged and ate at a roof-top restaurant with an amazing view of Istanbul.

The Blue Mosque

Bosphorus

This was a night that we encouraged the kids to eat Turkish and not settle for something they always eat.  You can see Emma’s reaction to that news.  She is definitely our finicky eater.  Although she was quite happy with her chicken kabob.

Hagia Sophia

If, on the off-chance, you get hungry between meals, there are a number of street vendors to choose from.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen such variety in food carts.

Watermelon

Nuts

Corn on the Cob

Prezels (in a cart)

Pretzels (on the shoulders)

Pretzels (on the head)

We really enjoyed the pretzels, although I think the ultimate winner each day was the ice cream.

I do admit, one day, we were ready for something we were used to and popped into a McDonald’s.  Sometimes it’s just nice having something ‘normal’ when everything else around you isn’t.

We set aside our last full day in Istanbul to shop for souvenirs.

You could do this through locals set up on the sidewalks,

as you weed through the rest of the tourist population checking out the wares.

There are also the small street bazaars,

where you can find most things Turkish.

You can even get quite an education on how they make the Turkish rugs, as you get pulled into different rug shops.

The shop owners are always accommodating to families, as they hope for that sale.  Our kids loved the freedom they were given to play in the rugs.

But, if you are really going to look for souvenirs, the best place is the Grand Bazaar.

These were my favorite shops to stop in:

The kids each found something to remember our trip by.  Cami chose a Turkish yo-yo and the other three chose leather-bound notebooks.  I was impressed that when we got back to our flat, they all opened their notebook and declared they were their travel journals.  Perfect use for them and I hope they continue to use them on future travels.

Our time in Istanbul was done, but this is not the end of our travels . . . stayed tuned for Bölüm Üç (Part 3).

Our first big holiday away from London and where did we go?  Turkey!  Our first attempt to get there was thwarted by the giant ash cloud that hovered over the UK for a time.  Thankfully, it moved on . . . and so did we.

Off to Istanbul, the only metropolis in the world that lies on two continents (Europe and Asia):

This is the story of our adventures through a few words, but mostly pictures.

Our family has grown too big to be in a hotel room.  Not wanting to be split into two different rooms, we found a flat to rent for our time in Istanbul.

We were on the second floor of the lovely pink building straight ahead.  We felt like we were living a little more like the locals.

We watched this shop keeper across the street fill up his little tub for his two pet ducks each morning.

The women down the street worked with their wool every day, washing & drying it,

or further preparing it.

We were able to hit the major sites in Istanbul:

*The Blue Mosque*

We got there during prayer time when visitors aren’t allowed so we had some time to sit outside and marvel at the architecture.

Many men were washing outside, preparing to go in to pray.

There were still some stragglers inside praying when they reopened the mosque.

Seeing the numerous tiles on the inside was just incredible; so painstakingly placed with exactness.

The large amount of blue tiles is actually where “The Blue Mosque” gets it name.

*Hagia Sophia*

This mosque actually started out as a Christian church in the A.D. 500′s.

This is one massively large door!

When the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople (current day Istanbul) in 1453, the church was converted into a mosque . . .

with many tiles, of course.

This was one of Chris’s favorite sites as he studied the Hagia Sophia in college and it’s amazing architecture.

We were all educated on the type of domes, etc. that were used to build it by the time we left.

Some of the pillars have started to lean . . .

One of the kids’ favorite sites was seeing all the stray cats just resting wherever they seemed fit throughout the city.

This one thought the Hagia Sophia was a great resting spot!

* The Hippodrome *

Today, the Hippodrome is a nice park, but it used to be a racetrack for chariot races in the 3rd century AD.

There are three large monuments in the hippodrome.  One is this Egyptian Obelisk closest to us.  This particular obelisk is dated back to c.1500 BC and at one point was brought from Luxor to Istanbul by Constantine.

* Basilica Cistern*

To ensure there was always a good water supply, whether there was a conflict going on or not, the Byzantines built this underground water cistern beneath the city.

This was just amazing foresight . . and to build something like this underground at that time . . . just amazing!

In the furthest corner of the cistern is Medusa.

Actually, two heads of Medusa used as the base for columns.  One is upside down and the other is sideways.

Sounds like a practical joke by those who were sent back in those dark reaches of the cistern!

*Topkapi Palace & Harem*

The building of this palace started in 1459 by Sultan Mehmet II.  Most of the buildings now don’t show how they were used, but rather hold the treasury.

The treasury is said to be the most ‘ostentatious collection of wealth ever gathered outside of the legendary Aladdin’s cave.’

They certainly had a great view from their patio.

The most impressive part of our time at the palace was, surprisingly, the Harem.

This is where the sultan’s wives, concubines and children lived, closed off from the rest of the world.

The rooms were set up how they were during that time, which I always love.  You can picture their life much more clearly.

Although, it was hard to imagine what it must have been like living there and never leaving the actual Harem or the palace.

This courtyard just doesn’t give you the same out-of-door effect as a yard or open space might.

With the bulk of our major touring done, we’re off to the bazaar and other fun things.  Stay tuned for Bölüm Iki (Part 2) . . .

This team has been all the talk at Caleb’s gymnastics club.  After they won Britain’s Got Talent this last weekend, they have come to Heathrow Gymnastics to train and prepare for the World Championships.  This group is amazing!  If you haven’t seen them in action yet, please watch their final performance!

This is my sister, Eliza:

This is also a ‘new’ Eliza.

In her own words, she’s never been much of a runner, but in the last year, she has become a serious runner.  She’s already run two 5K’s and is in training for . . . . a marathon . . . . in Dublin!!!

I am in awe of her.  But, what is amazing is the reason for this marathon.  They are raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), a nonprofit health organization that is dedicated to finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma.  It just touches my heart knowing how many people I know who have been affected by these.

So, because I love her and it’s a cause I really believe in (and she’s doing all the running), I’m going to ask for some help in her fundraising.

Eliza has committed to raise $5,000 to support the cause and that’s where you come in.  Really, this is the easy part because she is the one training and running the marathon (yes, still in awe!).

Donating is quick, easy, and secure (and 100% tax deductible!). Visit Eliza’s website to donate online, check her progress, and learn more about LLS.  She’s asking for donations to be made by June 30th so she can meet her goal and focus all her energies on the training part, not the fundraising.

When I asked Cami what she wanted to do yesterday while the other kids were at “Flexi-school”, she said she wanted to go to the fair.  It seems little traveling fairs do creep up here quite often, but usually not during the week.  I tried to come up with the next best thing and could only come up with LegoLand.  It is half-way between “Flexi-school” and home . . and since I had a ’2-for-1′ ticket, why not?!

As we walked through the gates, Cami was jumping up and down – “I’m SO excited!”  I knew I had hit a winner.  We had a great day – perfect weather, no lines, and one person directing the show.

We watched a great “Bob the Builder” 4-D show.  We came out having gotten splashed with water and snowed on.  Cami wouldn’t wear her glasses but she still seemed to get the effects of the show and enjoyed it.

I thought the miniature world that they created was amazing!

Cami wasn’t too impressed with them so I was only able to get her to look at London and watch some of the boats drive by.  It was fun to watch cars drive over the Tower Bridge.

Cami, of course, loved the rides.  We were lucky enough to ride in a ‘balloon ferris wheel’ with “Mr. Adventure” Lego man.

One funny story that I continue to chuckle about:

One of the first rides we did was the swings that are lifted off the ground and go around in a circle.  I’m not one for those kinds of rides so I sent Cami ahead in the line to get on.  When I noticed all the parents going in with their children, I decided I better go too.  I kept looking at the size of the swings, wondering how all of us adults were going to fit – obviously, snuggly.  There were a number of pre-teens on the ride as well as they were on a school trip and they seemed to fit okay.  I got Cami strapped in, found the closest available swing to her, and tried to figure out how to strap myself in with my satchel on my lap.  When that was all figured out and the ride was starting, I looked around and noticed all the parents that had come in with their kids had gone back out and were watching the children go around.  Then there was me . . strapped into that little swing, going around and around.  Yep, I felt like a dork.

We finished the day going on “Pirate Falls Dynamite Drench,” which is basically their Log Flume Ride.  Cami insisted on going on it to get wet.  I wasn’t sure how she would handle it, especially since we wouldn’t be able to back out of it last minute.  Well, there was really no line so no better time than the present.  As we were going along the smooth part of the ride, I mentally tried to prepare Cami for the ‘roller coaster’ coming at the end where we’d get wet.  So, as we were going up the final ascent, Cami said, “I’m so excited!”  She didn’t make any sound as we plummetted to the bottom as I let out a nice loud scream.  When I asked her what she thought of it, she said, “That was so fun!”  On our way out of the ride, we walked by the picture displays of everyone on the ride.  Ours was hilarious and I was tempted more than ever to buy it.  I wish I could have just taken a picture of it with our camera.  I was in the back with my eyes closed, laughing.  Cami was in the front – eyes WIDE with a huge fearful frown on her face.  I have it permanently stored in my memory.  Such a great shot!

A fun day out for Mom and Cami!

We were able to host the Iversons for a few days while they toured London.  Their trip got off on a rocky start as their flight was delayed and they ended up getting here a day later than planned.  But, ever positive and resilient, they were still able to get in everything they had planned.  It was great to hear about their adventures the next morning over breakfast.  We’ve already put down a few more things we need to do in the city!

Before Ben and Jenn took off Wednesday afternoon to Scotland (Ben’s parents are serving a mission there), we took them on one more adventure . . . to the park!

As the adults lagged behind, it was great to see the kids in a moment of solidarity!

Of course, the ‘park’ is not just any park.  There are many sites and wonders to see . . some we haven’t even explored yet.

The bridge:

. . . where we could check up on the baby ducks:

The artist creating his own masterpiece within the park:

Of course, Chiswick House:

We actually went inside this time for a tour and learned a lot!

I have decided these audio guides are the best things!  The kids love listening to them as well as having them to tell us where to go to next.  When we are done touring, we always get to share what our favorite parts were and what we learned.

After a quick treat of ice cream, we headed back home to say goodbye to the Iversons as they headed to the train.

It was a short visit but we were so glad to have them come visit and explore!

As we tried to pull ourselves together for the rest of the day, we found some great surprises they had left to help us remember our dear friends.

I have decided Thorton’s toffee is a must . . . one of the new places we have to explore in London!  Thanks, guys!