Phillip and Rebecca Mefford

Şubat February We continue to mesh as a family of four. Now weighing in at almost 8 and a half pounds, Hudson is a happy and healthy baby. The boys continue to bond. Being an older brother isn't wussy stuff, and Lincoln is handling it well. He is a very loving brother (most of the time).

Ss S ü nnet, Soyad ı We mentioned in our explanation of Atat ü rk that soyad ı , or last names, were instituted in the 1930’s. Being such a recent addition, we are often amused at the names we hear because they still carry contemporary meaning—unlike Mefford, which doesn’t really mean anything to us in modern English. Friends with last names like Sepet ç i indicate their forefathers were probably basket-makers, or Y ıl maz, “dauntless,” signify a confident and fearless character. Hacio ğ lu, “son of the one who went on the Hajj,” means that somewhere along the line someone’s father made it on the holy trip to Mecca. Turkish last names have important meanings, but so do first names. Traditionally the first name is whispered into the baby’s ear three times before being announced, one of the first rights of passage. Names like Mehmet or Ay ş e are common because they come from important religious figures. Other names such as Erdem, “virtue” or G ül, “rose” obviously provi

Rr Ramazan, Rak ı     One of the things we really appreciate about Turkish society is that while 99.8% identify themselves as Muslim, each person chooses for himself/herself to what extent they will practice their religion. There may be a level of social and peer pressure, but there is not imposition at the government level as in other contexts. This frees people up to decide on things like whether they will celebrate Ramazan, Ramadan—the annual month of fasting, or whether they will regularly drink Rakı , Turkey’s national alcoholic beverage. In our observations, a lot of people—even the least devout—will go on and celebrate Ramazan. From sun up to sun down for thirty days a year they will abstain from all food and drink. As you can imagine, people feel very lethargic and cranky. Traffic is a mess. But, it is also a time of celebration, like our Thanksgiving, when families get together and feast once the sun has set. Although it is hard, many seem motivated to participate wi

Ocak January January has been a month of adjusting to life as a family of four.  Phillip has had to do some traveling solo, but Rebecca and the kids are about ready to get back on the road.   Rebecca is discovering all the places she can tote a toddler and infant in snowy, windy Cheyenne—the library, nursing support group, MOPs, the mall, the neighbor’s… Lincoln is becoming a potty-master! Hudson is sleeping, eating, filling diapers, and growing before our very eyes! It is hard to believe a month has passed since his birthday.