Life is easy when you have cool in-laws!

I always think it's funny when I hear people complaining about their in-laws. The words "THE IN-LAWS ARE COMING TO TOWN!" Well, sorry folks! I'm not backing you up in this argument. I am completely opposite! I AM LUCKY!! I LOVE MY IN-LAWS! Now, I know some of you reading this might be thinking I am a brown noser. Take this post as you wish but I will tell you this, if I didn't like them would I even take the time to blog about them? So enough bragging about how lucky I am to have cooler in-laws then you do. Let's get to what we did while they were here!

The Toolsons came to visit for a week and it was AWESOME! We had so much fun just relaxing, playing cards (Five Crowns), laughing, going to the gym, going to Pamukkale, eating our favorite chicken wraps (everyday), going to Basketball games and just enjoying the company!

At the end of the trip we went to this place called Pamukkale. Ryan finally had a day off and this is where he decided he wanted to go. Great choice if you ask me! It is an ancient city built right behind this big mountain that looks like it is covered with snow. It isn't snow and I am not a geologist but from what I understand it is Lime deposits. Anyway, it doesn't matter what makes it look like this I guess. All we cared about is that it looks so cool!

The Ampitheatre

On the falls of the "snowy" mountain

Can we say I have a model for a husband? I love this picture!

How often do you get to say that you swam on top of Ancient ruins? Well, go to Pamukalle and you can say you did! Ryan and I got in the "healing waters of the Hot Springs" and swam on top of columns, buildings, and a whole lot of broken stones with floating algae! I only screamed a few times while people were in their healing meditating mode. I do not like the feeling of walking on slippery, slimy algae!

Sitting on an ancient column! The only embarrassing part is that a ton of people were under water with huge goggles scoping it all out. I don't know about you but I don't like people in goggles able to look at me in a swimsuit underwater!

At Ryan's game with the Abneys the Humanitarian Missionaries here in Izmir.

After the game! A WIN! And Ryan had 21 points just for his mom and dad!

At the arena before the game

At the GM Nihat's home for a team dinner.

RYAN AND I SCORED! We made a deal. Cheri and I both loved this rug! I wanted to possibly buy it but I knew it would take a lot of convincing in order to get Ryan to agree. So we came up with a plan. The Toolsons are "renting" the rug. They bought it and get it until we want it in our house. We figure it will be a good few years before we even have a place to put it so it works out perfect! So basically Ryan and I got a pretty sweet deal if you ask me! Also Cheri bought some beautiful runners for her hallways. Grandpa Toolson also has a mighty fine rug heading his way!

We had multiple crazy "Taksi" ride experiences which always make for a good laugh and a great memory. Ryan's famous quote "Are anyone else's palms sweating?" after the taxi driver would go flying down a 1 way street in the wrong direction and just beep his little horn expecting everyone to get out of his way!

It's a rule that Ryan and I have for visitors. At the Chicken wrap restaurant you must try the peppers on the table. They cheated and pulled all of the seeds out of the middle but at least they tried them!

You may think I'm kidding when I tell you we ate chicken wraps everyday. You would only understand why we eat here so much if you came here and tried one!

The ladies at the team dinner! This is typical Turkish food. It's incredible!

At the Bizarre right by my house. Don't ask me why the guy taking the picture cut off Mike's head! We left with at least 25 pounds of fruits and vegetables! We had to try everything! Of course Mike was the one who had to carry it all around!

At our favorite Italian restaurant Paprika here in Izmir.

If you can't tell, we had a great time! Thank you very much for coming all the way to Turkey to visit us! We had so much fun giving you guys a little taste of our life here in Izmir! We know it's a long journey but we hope it was worth the trip! You know you made an impression when people are asking me at the gym why they weren't able to meet "Ryan's father and mother!" Everyone wants to meet the parents of Ryan the Superman!

Escape to Scottsdale

When I went home for a month my family went on a little get away to Scottsdale. My sister Danielle lives in Gilbert so it was the perfect place to go! We wanted to have a week where we could all be together but away from home to avoid the stresses of everyday life. I will let you in on a little secret...WE HAD A BLAST!!! And before you look at the pictures if it looks like I rarely ever got ready for the day...it's because I didn't! We had way too much fun hanging out in comfy clothes and lounging around!

First off...my dad and I came down a couple days late. Ryan was coming home for 3 days and my dad had some things to deal with at home so we were picked up from the airport with...

My bUdDy BaBy BeNtOn

AND THESE CRAZIES!!!

What a great surprise to be picked up by my private little "Rudolphs!"

We had all the family that lives in Arizona over to the house for a football party! I'll be honest...I don't even know what game it was! I didn't really care and I was too busy hanging out with my cousins and eating!

Mom and dad brought back Karsiyaka souvenirs from their visit to Turkey!

We took lots of naps and enjoyed the pool! Yes, it was WARM enough to swim!

We ate breakfast on top of the guest house and pretended we were Rapunzel!

We played nonstop with Nerf guns and chased each other all around the house! You should have seen my dad and Josh in their Nerf wars! We even got creative and made up new games like the painful one shown above! Yes, we love each other! Josh is hands down one of the funniest people you will ever meet. I love this guy! So happy he is my brother!

Saders got creative and used them in all sorts of ways! This is my favorite!

I couldn't get enough of this little guy...

And these two! They're getting SO OLD! Sadie and Sam are to die for! Sadie is no longer a child, she is a GIRL! And Sam is getting so tall and big!

I love the girls in my family (missing Alycia)! It was so much fun to have time with all of them and I am not going to complain for half a second about the little get away to Scottsdale! Of course I love the boys too! Thank you mom and dad for taking us! You guys sure know how to have a great time! I had so much fun eating at great restaurants, playing nonstop games, going on walks, making up exercises on our walks and looking like crazy people, sleeping in, sharing a room with Sadie and Sam, swimming, laughing til my stomach hurts and last but not least learning that all I need to get my dad next Christmas is a nerf gun!

BEST FRIENDS

If you're not one of my Best Friends you might find this post somewhat annoying or cheesy but I felt it was necessary. Being here in Turkey I have learned to count my many blessings and have become more grateful for many things I miss at home. One of my many blessings is my best friends! In Turkey I have made friends that are fun to be around, I can grab lunch with, go to the gym, call for help etc. but it is never the same as my friends at home. Yes, the people here are nice and I feel grateful for the new friends I have found but it doesn't mean I can forget about my friends at home for half a second!

When I went home to visit home I again realized that I have the best friends in the entire world! It was so much fun to see each and every one of them and I felt so lucky to come home and still have my friends treat me like I had never even left.

WE...

watched the BACHELOR every Monday night

Went out to eat A LOT!

Stayed up WAY TOO LATE so many nights!

LaUgHeD uNcOnTrOlLaBlY!

Had a Welcome Home party for Ry guy

Went to the movies!

Went to the mall! Shopped til we dropped!

Played pranks on each other!

Drove around with music way too loud like High School!

And it was ALL fun just because I was with my friends!

Movie Night! The Lovely Bones (even thought Stef and I ended up with our eyes closed more then open! Way too scary for us!)

"Wammer" and my "baby Jenny!" I can ALWAYS count on Kami for a blast! She has a contagious spirit and can make anyone laugh. Jen has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She would drop anything to be there for you. She had so many terrible things happen to her while I was at home but you would have never known because she wanted the focus to be on me. She always makes me feel special and I want to be as sweet as her!

My girl Caitlin!! First off she decorated my room when I came home!! Tons of balloons, posters, and candy!! She is always so excited for things that happen to Ryan and me. She is so much fun to be around, reliable, BEAUTIFUL and well just a very special girl!! She always gives me the 411 of what's going on at home and makes me feel like I am right around the corner. I love her and she will ALWAYS be my Best Friend! No matter what I always have fun with Cait! She's the one I call when I feel like doing something really sporadic...like a random trip to St. George just me and her!

Mommy-Daughter lunch! Stef, Caitlin and I had a Best friend lunch and wanted our moms to come along! Of course we went to Happy Sumo and it was yes...of course DELICIOUS and a BLAST! We also were SO happy to have my wonderful sister Kim and Baby Benton along for the lunch! It's perfect to have her in this picture because well...she is my Best Friend too! She will sit on Skype and talk to me for at least an hour everyday and she helps to make me not feel homesick. She helps me think of things to do with my time and will even workout over skype with me! Also it's perfect to have my gorgeous mom in this picture because she is DEFINITELY a best friend too. She is always fun to be around, is the most charitable person I know and I wouldn't trade her for anything! I also need to give a shout out to my sister Danielle! I love her so much and she is an amazing person. Always kind, sweet, hardworking and well just special! Love you mom and sisters!

BFF'S FOR LIFE!! I would do anything for these two. And in return I know they would do anything for me! (And Paislee of course!!)

TEPANYAKI!!!! Caitlin, Stef, Jen, Bre, Kinsley and me.

Bre is VERY hard working. She never complains about things that are happening to her and she makes people drawn to her. She has a sweet spirit about her and also is my little Hip Hop buddy! Kinsley is loud, funny, crazy and such a blast to be around! She is such a cute little housewife and an AWESOME hairstylist! She is the life of the party and can bring fun to anything! I love Crazy Kins!

Ryan's Welcome Home Party! I have the most supportive friends and I am so grateful that not only do I get along with all of them but also Ryan loves all my friends! Makes things much easier!

Ryan with some of his friends that came to the party!

Lauren and me! She is such a great friend and I am so happy we've been friends for so so so many years!

Cafe Rio Girl's lunch! Lauren, me, Jordan, Jen and Caitlin. Each of these girls have the craziest/busiest schedules between Full-time work, school, boyfriends etc. and they found time in order to go with me to Cafe Rio for the first time since I had been home. It was so YUMMY and of course the company was perfect! I've talked about everyone but Jordan in this picture. This girl is INCREDIBLE! She is in nursing school and working nonstop! She is an amazing person and is more driven then anyone I know. She is supportive, fun, beautiful, happy, dedicated and welp...a GREAT FRIEND!

And last but NOT LEAST! My girl Stef! Not only is she the Best Friend in the world, she is also the greatest little mommy! I call her nonstop from Turkey and she is never annoyed or too busy to talk to me. I can tell her anything and know that I can trust her with everything. She is a great example to me of a great marriage and how to "someday" be a great mommy. She cares more about others then herself and would do anything to make someone else happy. She is the cutest little dresser and Interior Designer. She is the QuEeN of creative crafts and they are all amazing! I hope to grow up and be like Stef!

Well, I know this is long but it is just something that can't be short! I am grateful for my friends and I would do anything for them. I hope they know how much they mean to me and again I am so happy that they haven't forgotten about me thousands of miles away in TURKEY!

Christmas bells are ringing...

Christmas may not be the exact same in Turkey...but it was still a perfect Christmas! I couldn't have been more happy that my family came to spend Christmas with us. It definitely would have been a weird Christmas with just the two of us! We kept traditions alive AND started new ones!

The Traditions begin...

Christmas Eve

Tradition #1 See a movie on Christmas Eve. We saw Avatar! LOVED IT!

Does anyone know where we can buy a pair of these glasses? We make these glasses look good! Just kidding.

Tradition #2 Draw names for a gift exchange. But the difference this year is we did white elephant gifts and had a 5 lira limit! As you can see above you can purchase a lot here with 5 lira (about $3.50USD). We had 15 minutes to separate in the mall and find our gifts. Then we met back in the food court and exchanged our gifts!

I bought my dad a Mars Bar, slippers and clothes pins (inside joke).

My dad randomly bought my mom a lamb?

Alycia bought Cody slippers, water, and Haribo candy!

Ryan bought Alycia a little Christmas ornament the says "Tessuker" which means Thank you! That was a word she practiced the entire trip!

Mom bought Ryan his favorite crackers, cookies and slippers! He didn't think this was very white elephant because he loved all the gifts! He ate the food that night and still to this day is obsessed with his house slippers!

Cody bought me stickers! They were Turkish flags and the "All seeing eye"

And I didn't get any pictures for some reason but for our Christmas PJ's my parents bought us all Karsiyaka Tshirts and sweats! Memorabilia and Tshirts all in one.

Then came Christmas Day!

My mom bought us these adorable aprons! They make me want to cook more just so I can put it on.

Tradition #3 EAT!

We rode the ferry across the bay to go to the Swissotel for an amazing Christmas Brunch!

The Abney's came with us! They are the Humanitarian missionaries here in Turkey and they are my parents away from home. We loved having them along for Christmas day. The food was INCREDIBLE! We're talking anything you can imagine. The traditional Turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, vegetables, gravy etc. OR there were crepes, pancakes, waffles, fruit galore, a huge salad bar, a whole wall of breads to choose from, any fish you want cooked Tepanyaki style, desserts, desserts and more desserts AND a "cold stone" ice cream stand where you can choose ice creams and toppings and they mixed them all together. I don't know why I didn't take pictures of the food! Can you tell I had pretty much died and gone to Heaven? It was so much fun to have amazing food and of course the cherry on top was having my family in town for Christmas!! What a blast and a Christmas to remember!