Brianna got a "dishdash", a Kurdish housedress for a birthday present.

Brianna's 9th Birthday!

Recognize this pretty little girl in her new Kurdish dress?

Springtime is gorgeous and green in K-stan! This is an almond tree that we caught at peek a few weeks ago.

This sweet little girl kept hanging out at our picnic spot to practice the few English words that she knew. She is pretty as a picture!

The Kurdish family that we joined the second day made a Kurdish dish called, "bree-onie". It's mainly rice with a special mixture of spices. It has a little chicken, almonds, currants, peas, potatoes and onions in it. Of course it's not a meal in the Middle East without tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers. Lettuce and parsely was also served. A few weeks ago while visiting a village where there are many olive orchards Tim and his friend were given gifts. Olives! I still haven't acquired the taste for them. They gave us so many that we gave bowls full away to neighbors, shared a bucket with ex-pats, and still have them running out our ears.

This is a very popular picnic sight in which we found ourselves the second day of Nawroz. Everybody brings their dushak cushions, sits on the ground and enjoys a day with family and friends. Their was Kurdish dancing going on all over the mountainside. There is something traditional about building a fire just to make chai. We brought chai in a thermos, but we were told it was better over the fire.

People go to the mountains anyway possible for picnics the first three days of Nawroz. We have counted as many as 15 people in a BMW before. No kidding!

On the eve before Nawroz, the Kurdish New Year, people set fires on their rooftops or in mountains as the sun begins to set. There is a legend that when an evil king was killed, people set fires on the mountainsides to let the people know in the villages that he was dead. Now they light fires and shoot fireworks off sunset.

Little Bo Peep

The girls love to go to the village and go to the sheep pen and hang out with the sheep and puppy. The other day we were home and I smelled sheep, and I leaned over closer to Brianna and she smelled like a goat. I told her to go change her clothes. I was laughing. She is little miss sherperd girl.

locked in

The girls found a pad lock and the key in my desk drawer. They put the keys in their purse and then put the purse in the toy box.
They were looking for their money and realized it was in the purse, and it was in the toy box with the keys. They wanted me to cut the lock, but I gave them the hack-saw and Brianna sawed through the shank. Of course China hardened steel aint real hard.

This is a beautiful little creek. We went 4-wheelin a little and walked to here.

The girls were making a "volcano" for their school project for learning about Mars. It's the old baking soda and vinegar thing. They thought it was cool.

Blind from the sun and snow. These sure are some precious girls.