Well, I am happy to finally be writing a post about my highly anticipated Daddy-Son morning in Istanbul. This was high priority, as security restrictions in our country rarely, if ever, allow for outings such as these.
And, before we begin, one important note about Daddy-Son day. There is only one rule:
First things first...boats! Benjamin loves boats, so we walked down to the docks around 7:30 AM to watch all of the ships coming in and leaving. The air was cool and clear as we watched for nearly half an hour. It was great to hear him yell "Boat! Boat!" when he saw one coming in. As one would leave he would say, "Bye, bye boat."
Our next stop was to take a long walk up the hill to Gulhane Park. Benjamin doesn't have much grass to play in back home, so Gulhane became a regular spot for him to run around and play with leaves and sticks. Here's a shot in front of the fountain that ran around nearly 1,465 times. Look at the satisfaction on that face...
And, before we begin, one important note about Daddy-Son day. There is only one rule:
First things first...boats! Benjamin loves boats, so we walked down to the docks around 7:30 AM to watch all of the ships coming in and leaving. The air was cool and clear as we watched for nearly half an hour. It was great to hear him yell "Boat! Boat!" when he saw one coming in. As one would leave he would say, "Bye, bye boat."
Our next stop was to take a long walk up the hill to Gulhane Park. Benjamin doesn't have much grass to play in back home, so Gulhane became a regular spot for him to run around and play with leaves and sticks. Here's a shot in front of the fountain that ran around nearly 1,465 times. Look at the satisfaction on that face...
Next came the trip to the Archaeological Museum. Yes, that stop was primarily for Daddy and, yes, Benjamin was bored out of his mind and, yes, he did scream at the top of his lungs at least once in this perfectly quiet museum setting. Believe it or not, it was a wonderful memory.
And, of course, seeing as it was Daddy-Son day, there had to be at least one moment where he wanted mom. If it taught me one thing, it's that Benjamin sure loves his mommy... and testing his vocals:
Near to the Archaeological Museum was Topkapi Palace. This area had a very pleasant, very large courtyard, so we spent about an hour here. Benjamin and I played in the grass. He had a great time running around with his little Hotwheels car. A little-known fact about our son is that he enjoys pulling the petals off of beautiful, expensive-looking garden flowers in public places. It's an art, really...
And last, but not least, a trip to the courtyard in front of the Blue Mosque for a brief viewing of the fountains. Benjamin was tired and so was dad, but we managed one last memorable photo.
Thanks for spending the morning with me, Benjamin. And thank you, Father above, for such a wonderful gift. It will always be a special memory in my heart!
Please remember to pr for me. Ask that the Father above would teach me (rather, that I would learn) how to be a loving father to my son. I want him to know genuine love so that one day, he will understand and receive the love that is offered freely by his heavenly Father.
