Sunday, March 8

Happy Birthday Maren!

I woke up and wrapped presents for Maren that we hadn't opened earlier...from Brian and me, Lacey, Grandma Teri and Grandpa Mike, Yauna, Garrett, and the kids, etc. I arranged them on the coffee table and then called Maren down, almost Christmas morning-style. From upstairs she yelled, "Oh, do I have another present to open?". I said yes, and she said, "Lacey, come on, I have another present to open." She came downstairs and looked around and said, "Mommy, where is my present?" I told her to look a little more closely and then she saw the pile. And a huge grin creeped onto her face.





Lacey only stormed out of the room once, recovered, and then joined us again. Maren got her first American Girl doll and Lacey had to step out when she realized what it was. But all is OK, now they each have one to play with, and they can share clothes back and forth. THANK YOU Uncle Greg and Aunt Jenn for your help getting the doll for Maren, and Kaye and Myron for bringing her all the way here!

Myron and Kaye visited the Vatican Embassy for Sunday Mass, and then Maren, Aeden, and I met them at Ataturk's Mausoleum to squeeze in some tourist sites for the day.








Later on we all met at Armada at Burger King (Maren's birthday dinner request...since we'd had McDonald's the previous day) and to browse the bookstore and introduce a nice coffee and chocolate shop, Kahve Dunyasi. We chatted online with Papa Don and Grandma Evie for birthday wishes to Maren, and then when Grandma Teri called at 7:30 Maren was already asleep! We had a very tired out little 6-year-old.

By the way, we still hadn't heard back from the travel agent who was going to email in "two hours" on Friday. No stress.