I'm Back! So sorry I've been such a slacker!

Well, to use a quote from my sister's blog, "we are still breathing"! Again, I apologize for being MIA, life here just gets crazy sometimes as it does I'm sure for everyone. Heather (my sister) tagged me on her blogged, I've never been tagged but secretly have always wanted to be ; ) So here it goes,

Four jobs I've had:

1. Concessionaire, Lifeguard and Receptionist (this has probably been one of my favorite jobs) at Lakeside Swim Club then a lifeguard again at Wildwood Country Club
2. Cashier at WKU bookstore (my sister has been a good reference for me at both Lakeside and WKU : ) )
3. Nanny
4. "Floater" (what a job title!) at Southeastern

Four movies I've watched more than once: ( I have alot of these but I'll try to narrow some down, I like movies!)

1. Pride and Prejudice
2. The Sandlot
3. Elf
4. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Four places I've lived:

1. Coco Beach, FL (I bet this does'nt really count, I lived there till like age 2, I don't remember any of it)
2. Lousiville, KY
3. Wake Forest, NC
4. Currently residing in Istanbul, Turkey

Four TV shows I watch:

1. The Office
2. LOST
3. Friends
4. really anything on HGTV, but we don't get it here

Four places I've been: (I'm hoping for this list to grow more interesting in the next few years)

1. Cyprus
2. Arizona
3. The Outer Banks, NC
4. Florida
(wow, I feel kinda lame)

Four of my favorite foods: (I'll do restaurants too)

1. Panera Bread
2. Chick-fil-a
3. Popcorn
4. Mostly all fruits, I can't get enough of it!

Four things I'm looking forward to in the coming year:

1. The birth of our first baby!! It's a boy! Due Ocotober 30th
2. My Mom and Dad coming when the baby's born!
3. Danny, Charlotte, and Nathan coming in a few weeks, and everyone coming at Christmas!
4. Hopefully going to the beach this summer

Four friends I'm tagging:

1. Lindsey Isham (you may have already done this tag)
2. Marsha Turley
3. Bess Contreras
4. hmm... not alot of my friends have blogs... sorry I can't think of a 4th

That was fun! Thanks Heather! Can't wait to see everyone elses!

Fenerbahçe Futbol Fanatic

A few weeks ago Tim got an amazing opportunity to go to the Fenerbahçe vs. Chelsea futbol game. After a few days of wondering whether or not he would get a ticket a few friends from the American Football team pulled through and got him a seat. He was ecstatic and I have never seen him so interested in soccer. The day of the game finally came after much anticipation and we started to realize that he would stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of all the fans. We made a quick trip to the Fenerium store, bascially the "book store" of Fenerbahçe's team, which is filled with all the gear any fan would need for a game. Luckily we stumbled across a great European-looking jacket and ear warmers for him to wear that night. He also wore an official jersey given to him by one of his friends on the Football team. It is really cool and even has his name on the back! With all his gear I felt alot more comfortable that even though he might stick out people would know for sure that he was cheering for their team.

Tim left the house around 6:00 with the game starting at 9:45. He met a few of his friends from his team for dinner which turned out to be quite an event in itself. They got their food, which they ordered, and would not tell Tim what it was he was eating. It turned out to be intestine, yep you read right, Intestine!!! YUCK!! (Note to self: Do not let others order for you!) After dinner they headed to the game and Tim said he instantly got into the cheering and over all had a blast. I had a great time at home, not with all those crazy fans, watching the game on TV and listening to the cheers linger from the stadium into our apartment. Even more exciting is that Fenerbahçe pulled out a win against Chelsea. That game will definately be one Tim will never forget.



An example of the craziness in the stadium, not the game he was at, but I can only imagine. He had a great time, I think I would have been overwhelmed.



My futbol fan, I felt like I was sending him off to his first day of school.

The Stallion's Stumble Late.

This past Sunday afternoon was the season opener for the 2008 TFL (Turkey Football League). This was the first of five regular season games. There are 12 teams in the league and the league is divided into 2 groups. Each group has 6 teams. Therefore, we will eventually play each team in our group and the top three teams from each group will advance to the playoffs. We began our season by playing "The Tiger's." We were very excited about this matchup, for we had played this team back in early December (Before I arrived) and were defeated 32-0. Therefore, we knew that it would be a great measuring stick for how far we had come as a team.

Sunday was a beautiful sunny day, with the tempature being around 60 degrees, it was a great day for a football game. The players were excited about dawning their new uniforms, of which they have proudly said are the best looking uniforms in the league. We won the opening toss and elected to kick off and defer to the 2nd half. The team was pupmed up and appeared ready for the game. We took the field with great confidence and looked as if we were prepared for a victory. I have to constantly pound into these guys heads that they must have confidence in their ability and begin to have the attitude of a winner.

We kicked off and covered the return very well. However, their offense came out sharp and proceeded to drive down the field and convert on 4th and 5 on the 5 yard line for the first touchdown of the game. They then convereted the 2 point conversion (There were no Field Goal post). The game then became a battle between the defenses as both offensive unit's began to sputter and struggle. However, mid-way through the 2nd quarter, we connected on a long pass play and the receiver ran in for the touchdown. We then converetd the 2 point conversion. With less than 2 minutes left in the first half we had the football and were driving. However, on a called run the play, the QB juggled the ball on his way back to the RB and allow the defense to get pressure and wrap him up for what looked like a sack. However, the QB decided to try and throw the football out to his receiver and ended up throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown. They then converted the 2 point conversion. Therefore, the score at the half was 16-8.

We made some adjustments at the half and came out on the opening drive of the 2nd half and drove the ball right down the field and scored a touchdown. We relied heavily on our 230 pound RB/LB who ran like a "MAN" and carried the team down the field. However, we were stopped on the 2 point conversion. The score was now 16-14. The defense remained strong and forced 3 interceptions on the next three possesions by the Tiger's. However, each time our offense sputtered out. At this point, with about 10 minutes remaining in the game it was clear that we were wearing out fast. Furthermore, both of our strong RB's who also play LB were out of energy (The game had already taken 4 hours at this point, so know wonder they were tired). Therefore, I tried to go to our back-up RB who has shown some promise, however, he ran the ball tentatively, therefore, I took him out. So, with our RB''s tired, and the fact that our WR's were getting open, we went more to the pass. However, with us driving, and the ball on the 50 yard line, the QB through his 6th interception of the game and it was once again returned for a touchdown. They converetd once again converted the 2 point conversion. The score was now 24-14 with less than 10 minutes left. On the following possesion, due to pentalties, and fumbled snaps we were forced to punt out of our end-zone. So, on 4th down punting out of our end-zone, the punter fumbled the snap and they recovered for a touchdown. On the following possesion, the QB threw his 7th interception and they proceeded to drive down and score only their 2nd offensive touchdown of the game. However, I was proud of the fact that the team did not quit. On the final drive of the game I put in the 2nd the team and we drove the ball all the way down to the 20 yard line where we were eventually stopped by the clock. This was done on their first defense. Therefore, the final score was 38-14.

I am obviously dissapointed by the loss and upset with how we fell apart in the final 10 minutes of the game. It is clear that our conditioning must improve and that we must change our way of thinking in order to get over the hump and get to the next level. However, the guys gave great effort and it was clear that they continue to improve. Furthermore, we had 4 players in particuliar that gave excllent effort on both sides of the football and showed incredible heart. I was extremely proud of their effort. This game made several things clear to me. First, we continue to to get better each and every day. Second, we need to improve our conditioning. Thirdly, we must work on finishing tackles, runs, blocks, plays, drives, quarter's, halves and games. Fourthly, we have the leadership on which to build a winning team. We must develop a winning attitude that is consistent on and off of the field.

I am continuing to work on trying to get some live video footage of the games up on the web ASAP! However, we continue to have difficulties with youtube and it is constantly being blocked for one reason or another. Our next game is the Sunday after Easter, we are facing the number one team and defending champions. I am very excited about the chance to play against them and to see how much we continue to improve.

Some things we miss...

We can offically say we have lived in Turkey for 2 months now and it is really starting to become a reality that it will be our home for the next couple of years. Recently, I have started to miss some things from America, ALOT! According to Tim and something he heard about moving to another country 2 months is usually the time when the "honeymoon" stage wears off and culture shock/missing home begins. First and foremost I have to say of course I miss my friends and family the most. However, I can't tell you how much I am missing some good ole American cuisine these days. The other day Tim was asking me what I wanted for dinner and I think I remember my answer being "A Chick-fil-a sandwich with a slice of Papa John's pizza on the side." What is wrong with me?!! I told my mom I guess me missing America has just translated into missing American food. In reality, if I had those options I don't know if I would go for them, most of you who know me know I'm a salad kinda gal (especially Charlotte). But right now those restaruants sound so good! One more thing I miss big time around here is lunch meat. I used to love eating a ham, or turkey sandwich for lunch and it is not to be found here at the grocery stores. There is some kind of sliced chicken which Tim and I have both decided tastes like bologna, ew. I know this has been a complete pity party but I had to get it out. I found some pictures on the internet of some of the food we miss so if you see something that is close to your house do us a favor and go eat some, appreciate it, and send happy thoughts our way.

These are the things we miss the most!! Love you all! P.S. I stole alot of these from other blogs and facebook!















Here are a few more things we miss!

Check out that yummy lunch!

For some reason I miss this cereal alot right now.
A Louisville favorite!
All of you know Tim misses this ALOT!
Kinda random but yes, I miss dryer sheets.

Lots of cheese here, but no cheddar!

Language Learning

On any given day in language class Tim and I often find ourselves sounding a lot like Joey in the video above trying to speak French. We started language about a month ago and really like our teachers. They both are very interactive and excellent at teaching us the basics. At the end of our lessons I can tell they have worked us hard and I get completely tongue-tied with some of the words I try to pronounce. I just started meeting with a tutor last week and I can already tell she is helping me to actually practice what I am learning in class. Tim is starting tomorrow to meet with two football players who will be his tutors. We were both recently encouraged when we went out to buy some dinner and understood bits and pieces of what our waiter said. However, we both know that learning a language is a long journey and we have to be patient. In the mean time we always remember Joey on Friends and we have a good laugh cause we definitely have some "Le fleup de flee!!" moments.


A picture of us and two of our new friends!! Thank you Redhouse for publishing a pocket size Turkish-English and English-Turkish dictionary!!

The Stallions' First "Friendly"

Beautiful Cyprus!


Team picture of the Stallions

I am writing my first blog in a series of blog's about the Stallions 2008 football season. I will write a blog recapping every "friendly" (the word used in Soccer for scrimmage, which the football teams around here have also adopted) and all games. So, please check the blog out every couple of weeks for a break from the girly stuff and an update on the progress of the Stallions.

We recently had three coaches and one athletic trainer come from Alabama to put on a four day min-camp with our team. We had two a day practices the first three days and due to snowy conditions (it seriously looked like Lambeau field) on the final day we had to end the camp early. The temperature here was in the low thirties every day and it snowed three out of four days. However, the players and coaches all bowed up and we had a very profitable camp. We were able to sharpen up our offense, defense and we put in all of our special teams. I recently went to a "friendly" between two teams in the league and the first four long-snaps to the punter were snapped over his head. Therefore, we made this one of the priorities of our special teams practices. By the end of the camp we found our long-snapper and he has yet to mess up a snap. The coaches really related to the players well and did a wonderful job of teaching and coaching. However, I do have one complaint. The coaches had the guts to bring a ton of Auburn and Alabama t-shirts for our team. The only thing that could have been worse would have been Tennessee t-shirts. However, the players seemed to really like them and some even wore the ugly things home. All in all we had an outstanding camp and I had a blast showing this Alabama country boys around the city and introducing them to American Football in this part of the world.

This past Sunday we got back from Cyprus, where we spent 3 days practicing and scrimaging with the EMU Crows (a university team located in Northern Cyprus). On thursday February 21st we flew out of the airport at 9:00 A.M. with a rag tag group of twenty-eight football players, half of whom had their shoulder pads in a trash bag that was wrapped in duct tape (it reminds me of something my friend Brandt Waggoner would do). Furthermore, we had one assistant coach come and Anna was brave enough to make the trip as well. We landed about 10:30 A.M. and we were in a place a far cry from our new home. Instead of snow we had beautiful sunshine and instead of concrete we saw grass. It was a nice release from the big city. We eventually had a total of thirty-three players all of whom stayed on campus in the university dorms. However, Anna and I stayed at the home of the opposing coach.

Thursday afternoon we practice with the other team. We split into two drills. One drill was a 7 on 7 passing drill and the other was an inside drill where we worked on running plays. Lastly, we brought the whole team together and scrimmaged against one another. The crows run the spread read-option offense. Furthermore, they have several good athletes and are well coached. Therefore, Thursday afternoon was a very tough day for the Stallions. We were not used to this type of offense, for they are the only team in the league that runs this offense. Furthermore, we were a step slower that the crows. However, I was extremely proud of our effort and it was clear that we were getting better.

Friday morning I got my team together and we practiced for about an hour and a half by ourselves. We added some things to our offense and defense. Furthermore, we had the opportunity for the linemen to push a sled for the first time in their careers. They were tired of it after five minutes, it no longer looked as fun to them as it once did. Lastly, I tried to simulate the spread offense for them by playing quarterback against our defense. I think it is safe to say that I looked a lot like Pat White against Oklahoma. That afternoon we participated in a controlled scrimmage with the crows (each team would run 10 plays and after every play the ball was brought back to the same point). We played much better for about the first five plays of every series. Our defensive adjustments were working. However, it became clear that our conditioning was not what it needed to be to compete with a team of this caliber. The crows posted a 6-2 record last year and averaged right at 60 points per contest. So at the end of the day it was clear that we had gotten better, however, I was not very confident about the scrimmage game coming up the next day.

On Saturday, we lined the field with yard markers and end-zone pile-ons and played a four quarter scrimmage game against the crows. We received the opening kickoff and we were shut down on the first two plays from scrimmage. Therefore, on third down we called a pass play and the quater back was hit and fumbled the ball and they recovered on the five yard line. The defense held strong for a couple of plays, but then broke on third down. However, we came back and held strong on the 2 point conversion (most fields including this one do not have filed-goal post). The following kick-off was a touch back and so we began our second possession on the 20 yard line. We recovered well from the previous possession and held the ball for a total of 20 plays that lasted close to 15 minutes (yes, this is correct, we looked like some kind of BIG 10 team). We converted on two third downs and on three fourth downs, including a 4th and 10 on their 40 yard line. I still do not know what I was thinking. We had the ball first and goal on there 6 yard line. We ran 3 plays up the gut and were stopped to 4th and 2. We ran a pass play to our big tight end. However, the pass was a little out of his reach. So, our 20 play drive amounted in no points. The Crows proceeded to score on the final play of the half on a 50 yard run. They then converted the two-point conversion. So, the score at half was 14-0. The second half was a little less eventful and the entire 4th quarter was played by the second and third units. The final score was Crows 26 and Stallions 0. However, I was extremely proud of my team. We played inspired, with heart and with much more intensity than we had the previous 2 days of practice where we were practically run off the field. Furthermore, I was proud of our 20 play drive, it showed that we could hold the ball and sustain a long drive. I believe that this was a great start to the 2008 season.

We flew out the following evening and arrived home around 9:00 P.M. We had all of the players and coaches. We are working on putting together another "friendly" next Saturday against the Tigers, a team we scrimmaged back in early December before I arrived. They beat us 32-0. Therefore, this should be a very good test of where we have come as a team. So, please stay tuned for more updates on the Stallions.

Coach Akin

(Sorry no video yet, just pictures, Anna and I are working on getting some video posted)

Walking (Alot) in a Winter Wonderland

View from our apartment-If you look closely you can see the down pour of snow

A few days ago we had what I would call a mini-blizzard. It snowed for three days straight and we got at least a few inches. The snow was like nothing I had seen before in Kentucky, it was just a solid down pour for hours on end. I really enjoyed it and it definately made for a cozy weekend at home. I found myself looking out the window a ton. It is so funny to think that the things people do in snow wouldn't be universal, but for some reason I was surprised to see all the snow ball fights outside our apartment and snowmen. I was fascinated! In a such a big and busy city the snow brought everyone out onto the streets to play. I saw alot of families laughing, having a wonderful time, and it put a big smile on my face. Of course Tim and I had to get out there and have a few snow ball fights of our own. And I continue to get hit with a few by my husband unexpectedly when we run errands. Sadly, our winter wonderland has turned into a winter slush, which makes it pretty gross to walk around the streets. Ah well, I guess we can cross our fingers and hope for maybe one more snow before winter goes away.