swarthy seals and an iconic red bridge

Backtracking a bit on our West Coast adventures, which began in San Francisco. Mike and Annie had never been, and my only visit was brief as my girls and I were running in the Nike Women's Half/Full Marathon. So thankful to have had a place to stay with Annie's friends from college, and they were gracious in taking us around to their favorite places!

Have you ever been somewhere and could completely see yourself living there in the future? That's how we felt about San Francisco. Something about the proximity to the ocean, the endless restaurants and breweries, and the ability to (somewhat?) get around without relying on a car...it almost seems fake. Like really, I'm walking around Universal Studios in the Jaws section with the seagulls crying and the wind gently rocking the bells on the boat's masts. 

oh hai

Even though we crammed a ton into this three week trip, we were never stressed about a single thing. It was the epitome of the 'no-plan-plan,' just taking each day as it came and knowing when our flights were to the next place. 

The first day we had to be tourists, of course. 

The seals are my favorite!

this guy reminds me of a southern baptist preacher... "HEAL this SINNER, JESUS!!"

Mike doing the Bernie down those steep, steep hills

a bit star wars, no?

The second day we opted for the bike tour of San Fran, the one where you follow the loop at your own pace, eventually crossing the bridge and cruising down to Sausalito. SO worth it, even if you have to walk your bike up those dang hills half the time (like me.) 

 picture-ruiner!

 so dang cold

Sweet Ximena took us to her most favorite 'secret' spot, a park that used to house a grand bathing house right on the ocean. Now it's lovely to look out over the water and explore the ruins, dreaming of how it used to be. 

And to dream of being the little mermaid. 

We wrapped up the visit with lunch at the Google office with Megan, our Melbourne buddy who lived down the street. And now we want to work for Google one day, if only for the free lunches. 

and the view from her office!!

I have a feeling we'll meet again one day, San Francisco. 

a chord of three strands

We've all dreamt of this wedding for a loooong time.

 For us, a non-negotiable three weeks on the West Coast filled with all our favorites 

parents and siblings

IPAs and eggs benedict and all the food, really.

But that'll be discussed later. For now? The wedding

THE wedding we've all been waiting for,

they've worked so hard for (with many, many sacrifices)

so that we can come together and 

CELEBRATE 

the sheer joy and beauty behind the institution of 

marriage

when two give up their lives for the sake of the other

(like Christ lovingly did for us)

and everyone says

YES. I'll be there, wouldn't have it any other way.

three hours driving along the 

California coast, arm doing waves in the wind out the open window

as the waves crash on the cliffs and surfers wait patiently for the right one

type A against type B in one car, as Annie and I voted for the scenic route

and pastrami sandwiches

and didn't get the directions right,

Amy exhibiting grace which I know was a challenge

as she wanted to arrive with enough time
 to make it perfect for our Kelly

forty-five minutes up a winding dirt rode,

eyes closed and tiny gasps as curves were taken quickly and potholes uncovered

but oh, when we arrived.

Can you imagine our exclamations?! our wonder?!

my favorite way to celebrate a bride-->

 incredible food from a personal chef, wine, desserts, obligatory bachelorette panty games, wine, dancing, wine, and pajamas. More dancing. Early bedtime.

The day before, everyone coming together beautifully with one goal in mind,

to make this wedding the best more perfect day ever.

Flowers gathered and cinched,

tablecloths ironed

cupcakes iced... you name it, we did it, with music blasting and smiles on our faces the whole time. (most of the time)

a lovely wine tasting nearby as we rested and 

talked about how much we love Jesse and Kelly 

and how we can't wait until tomorrow

and an impromptu vineyard photoshoot

The rehearsal, a quite hilarious ordeal where we all tried to figure out where to be and

Annie was bombarded with questions 

but it worked out, because you know what?

It's not about being perfectly timed and standing in 

exactly the right place

All that matters is that gorgeous bride gliding down the center and joining her

man waiting in anticipation for her arrival.

Dinner that night was special as we received special insight into what makes Jesse 

the man of Kelly's dreams

his childhood stories and strength of character and servant's heart.

Surrounded by the closest family and friends

we gorged on pasta and delicious red wine and laughed and cried and relished the moment

Finally. 

The Big Day.

A few quick preparations, then time to primp and take pictures and oo and ahh over our 

absolutely stunning, radiant bride

who with such calm and grace went throughout the day

with peace in her heart, knowing the day she had 

dreamed about her whole life was finally here,

the day we'd planned and wondered about since our friendship began when we were twelve

wondering what our future husbands would be like,

 {is it someone we know?}

{will he be handsome and smart and love Jesus?}

{maybe we'll never get married and no one will love us.}

so much young heartache, but oh so worth it to arrive at this day, ready to commit 

to the right one. The one that makes everything else so trivial.

What a joy to witness a marriage, 

to stand beside the bride and declare your love and support 

as two become one, especially when it's someone you care about deeply. 

What a joy to get to know her closest friends from all stages of life, the ones you've heard so much about and finally get to see just how awesome they really are.

What a joy to know the rest of your lives will be spent 

together as our kids will grow up knowing each other's offspring as 'cousins' and their parents as 'aunts and uncles'

rolling their eyes at the stories that are retold every time we're all together

of mommy's crazy stories together

all these things you mull over when your best friend gets married, you know.

Dancing under the most incredible stars you've ever seen

corralling the squirreliest DJ you've ever come across

and knowing that nothing could be more perfect about this moment,

then getting to continue the dance party in the farmhouse.

It was magical.

sharing weddings with your hunky husband, your bffs and seester? 

couldn't get any better

Kel, I wish you a life of sheer joy and grace

and the utmost blessings from our Father

Thank you for letting us all be a part of your

big day and for working so hard to make it perfect 

for all involved.

Much love to you and Jesse!

sensory overload (in the most pleasant of ways)

This is Erhan.

Erhan worked for Deutsche Bank in Jacksonville in a different building than Mike and relocated to Frankfurt this past spring. A friend of both connected the two; the rest is history!

Istanbul was never on our radar as a place to visit. I think we just didn't know anything about it, didn't know anyone who had been. Plus, when we first moved there was a big, slightly violent protest going on so we pretty much put it in the back of our minds, until this summer when we decided that it was a priority.

A couple months ago we casually mentioned this to Erhan, who grew up in Istanbul and whose family still resides, and in the blink of an eye, our trip was planned. 

"You can stay in our spare apartment above the restaurant my dad owns, it's close to the city center." 

This simple favor turned into one of the best experiences of our lives.

We were invited to come when Erhan was visiting his family, so that he could take us around a bit and show us the 'real' Istanbul. We were greeted at the airport at 1 AM on Wednesday morning by his brother shouting our names across the airport pick-up line, and we were off to his parents' home nearby. 

Ramadan was currently being observed, meaning that those who participate do not eat or drink anything from sunup to sundown. Erhan's mother welcomed us into her home and prepared a feast at to be eaten at 2:30 before the morning prayers; we somehow managed to stay awake (and alert!) until the call was given. (Their house is directly across the street from a mosque, so it was hard to miss the call!) I can't even describe how cool the call to prayer sounded.... the Imam sings out over a loud speaker, but it's not just him; it's every mosque in the city singing out at the same time. 

 It's mesmerizing.

The colors... the food... I can't even begin to describe it all. Beautiful chaos, perhaps.

The most beautiful part about life and travel is being welcomed into a home and leaving feeling as if you've always been a part of the family. The Sahins are wonderful, welcoming, amazing people. 

I've never eaten so much incredible food in my life!

Erhan did an excellent job of translating back and forth between us, and his brothers invited us into their homes for delicious meals and coffee.

Erdogan, my Turkish teacher!

It's difficult to wrap your mind around a city with such a rich, incredible history.

 Church turned mosque turned museum... thousands of years old. No big deal.

Dreaming of desserts infused with honey and pistachios, breakfasts of Turkish pepperoni and runny eggs, and cheesy pizza bread from the restaurant :)