Nathan and Kristen Redd

Nathan's 15 Minutes of Fame...

2007-05-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

It's been said that everyone has 15 minutes of fame in their lifetime. I think I might be in the midst of mine, as my life has changed a bit in the last 48 hours....

It all started a year or so ago. As many of you know, I am a HUGE fan of the Turkish futbol (soccer) team Fenerbahce. If you didn't know that, it's a long story of how/why, but I am. Well, about a year ago, I started a blog about Fenerbahce because there was little content on the team in English. I am by no means fluent in Turkish yet, but I speak just enough to usually understand what the idea of the sentence is, etc. Fenerbahce is a huge club, boasting more than 25 million fans around the globe, but apparently, there aren't many American-born fans of the club. Laugh if you will, but Fener's fanbase makes the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Cowboys look like 2 or 3 people compared to Fenerbahce. Anyway, so I started this website last year in English for other non-Turkish-speaking fans of the club. I've met some fascinating people because of it, and lots of people from around the world found my site and sent me messages.

So....last week, I get a message from a guy named Emre Kizilkaya. He's a journalist for a Turkish newspaper and a Fenerbahce fan, and he told me he liked my website. A few days later, on Saturday (two days ago), I get an e-mail from Emre. His boss, the Chief News Editor, found my site and was writing an article about me, the American Fenerbahce fan. Ten minutes later, I start to get bombarded with e-mails and a link to the article. As it turns out, Emre doesn't just work for a paper - he works for Hurriyet - the "New York Times" of Istanbul. Hurriyet's readership throughout the world (including the website) is easily in the tens of millions. The article talks about me, the website, and how Fenerbahce has become a global club.

So, here we are 48 hours later. I cannot even begin to count how many messages, e-mails, etc. I have received from around the globe - people that read about me in Hurriyet. My blog has been inundated with messages from people saying "you are famous in Turkiye." A friend of mine in Istanbul e-mailed me to tell me that his family and friends told him about it, not knowing that he was a friend of mine! He went on to say "everyone in Istanbul knows you now; you are the talk of Turkiye."

It's been crazy, but it doesn't stop there. Message boards have been lighting up with this article, and I've received several messages requesting that I come to Fenerbahce's final home game, this Saturday, in Istanbul. One of them said "I believe we can provide financial assistance...." Today I learned that fans have prepared a statement to send to the club requesting they bring me to Istanbul.

A few hours ago, I received another e-mail from my friend Emre. He read one of the articles I had written on my site condemning violence in the game of futbol, and he has asked my permission to reprint it in Hurriyet. So now, not only has an article been written about me, but my work is supposedly being published in Hurriyet this week! As most of you know, I'm in graduate school studying sport management, and Kristen and I are planning to move to Turkiye eventually. My career goal is to work for a futbol club, and Fenerbahce would be my dream job. Who knows, it may be closer than I ever thought.....:)

Nathan and Kristen Endorse: Caffe Classico Louisville

2007-04-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

Kristen and I love our neighborhood. In fact, it was one of the main reasons we chose to live in the Crescent Hill area of Louisville. As mentioned in previous posts, we are within walking distance to some of our favorite restaurants, shops, etc. Without question, one of those is Caffe Classico, just down the street a bit in the Clifton neighborhood.

Stepping into Caffe Classico is like a taking a trip to Europe or South America. You'll forget not only that you're in Louisville, but the U.S. Owned by our friends Tommie, an American who like us, does not think domestically :) and his wife Claudia, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Caffe Classico has become one of our most-frequented hangouts.

Caffe Classico began as an espresso shop of sorts, but then morphed into a full-fledged restaurant with dinner menu. They also have live entertainment on the weekends. In one weekend at Caffe Classico, you can see honestly one of the best Flamenco troups I've ever seen in Al-Sur Flamenco, Bellydancer Ruric Amari, and Arabic guitarist George Wakim. However, the most amazing thing about Caffe Classico is the other patrons. On any given night, it's very possible to hear 6 or 7 different languages spoken. On a recent trip there to see Al-Sur, we took our friends Khaled and Shima, who are from Palestine. There were several Uruguayans there that night, as well as some Argentinians. Another Palestinian man came in, as well as a group of young women speaking French. It was definitely a breath of fresh air for Kristen and I who sorely miss our European travels even though it's been less than four months since our last trip to Europe.

Tommie and Claudia are also world travelers, and it shows in their food, espresso, and presentations. If you've ever been to Europe, you know that if you order a glass of water (or soda), you'll get it without ice - the way it should be. Only Americans put ice in their beverages. We were happy to receive our glasses of water with no ice at Caffe Classico, just the way we like it.

Click on the link below to see a quick video of Caffe Classico, although the video does not do it justice. And ofcourse, if you're in Louisville, stop by and say hi. Chances are, you'll see Kristen and I there as well.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid507904905

Buon Natale!

2006-12-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

Kristen and I are leaving tomorrow for Italy, where we'll be spending Christmas this year. We'll be there for approximately 10 days, staying in Tuscany, just outside of Florence. We'll be in that region for most of our trip, but we're also taking some day trips to nearby towns, including Venice.

One of the highlights (for me, at least) is that we will be attending the ACF Fiorentina vs. Messina calcio (soccer/football) match on Saturday, 23 December. This is our first Italian Serie A game and I can't wait. Luca Toni (pictured above in purple), one of the stars for the World Cup Italian champions, plays for Fiorentina.

I hope that everyone has a great Christmas and New Year! Buon Natale and Iyi Noeller!

Mustafa's Carpets

2006-12-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

Kristen and I have a close friend in Istanbul named Mustafa Yigit, and he has recently created a blog. Mustafa sells BEAUTIFUL Turkish carpets and Kristen and I have purchased from him multiple times. We met Mustafa through Kristen's aunt and uncle who are very close to him. Since our meeting, Mustafa has become a great friend of ours. Additionally, he has some of the most beautiful carpets we've ever seen and is an extremely trustworthy businessman. Last Christmas we purchased a new, large Turkish carpet for our living room and he insisted that we have it by Christmas, so he expedited our shipping for free (we received it in 4 days!). He is truly one of the nicest people I've ever met and extremely honest. Every time we see his new carpets, we wish we could buy them all!

If you get a moment, please check out Mustafa's website - www.mustafascarpets.blogspot.com. Mustafa gladly ships to America (it isn't as expensive as you think) and stands by each one of his hand-made carpets. Kristen and I HIGHLY recommend his carpets and his business!!!

Louisville's Christmas Weather

2006-12-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

Kristen and I awoke on Thursday morning to a wonderful Christmas surprise - our second snowfall of the season, and the biggest one of this early winter. Accompanying the snow was a cloudy, windy day with temperature highs only in the low 20's.

While some crazy people loathe this weather, this is my idea of paradise. I'm slowly convincing Kristen to enjoy this crazy Midwest/Northern weather rather than the always-balmy Southern weather that she grew up with. Being in the Midwest here in Louisville, we get a little of everything. Early August 2005 brought temperatures in the 60's. I remember trick-or-treating as a kid with six inches of snow in October. And ofcourse, temperatures were nearly 65 degrees on Thanksgiving here just a few weeks ago. However, there is nothing better than a cloudy, snowy, cold winter day - especially right before Christmas.

This snow probably won't stick around, and hopefully it won't affect our upcoming flights in a couple of weeks. But it sure made today a much better day...

HoundTown

2006-12-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

As you probably know, Kristen and I have two wonderful greyhounds that we rescued, Spartacus and Waldo. We also had another previously, our little Ella. We always heard from other owners before we adopted greyhounds that they are addictive, which we have indeed found to be the case. As a result, we've fostered several more, resulting in a revolving door of greyhounds at our house.

Next in line is Russell, who is with us now. He's a 2.5 year-old boy and despite the appearance in the picture above, he's nearly solid black with a little white trim. He's a handful....he will steal your food whether you are looking or not, and has a LOT more energy than any of our hounds have had. Despite this, he's gorgeous and a very sweet boy. We got him on Monday and are only fostering him temporarily; for a week or so. He'll probably leave our house sometime this weekend or early next week.

We've affectionately re-named our estate "HoundTown" because of the number of greyhounds that come through. We expect to foster another one after we return from Italy in a month or so. We love doing it, and we've certainly realized how addictive these incredible dogs can be.

Meeting the President

2006-12-01T06:38:00.000-08:00

I consider it my good fortune to have met former United States President Jimmy Carter on Thursday night in Louisville. As you probably know, since leaving office President Carter has devoted much of his time and effort to resolving conflict in the Middle East. He has written several books on Middle Eastern relations and during his tenure as President, was credited with negotiating peace between Israel and Egypt. He has recently written a book called "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid."

Those of you that know me know that I have a deep-rooted interest in Middle Eastern and Islamic affairs. I'm not sure where this came from exactly, but the relationships I've developed with friends from various Middle Eastern countries have only caused me to nurture a deeper interest and defense of Islam as a religion of peace. One of my close friends, Shima, who is studying with me in my graduate program at the University of Louisville, is from Palestine and is currently there visiting family. Growing up in America, I've been rather ignorant of the conflict between Palestine and Israel because as you know in America, if it doesn't happen in our country or involve our country, you won't see it on the news. However, I've gained a new and differing perspective on this conflict recently from conversations with Shima and from some non-American passages that I've read. It seems that there are in fact two sides to this conflict, rather than the one side many Americans want to believe.

Ok, so enough about politics. Truth be told, I had heard about this book recently and was interested in picking it up when I learned that President Carter himself would be in Louisville signing copies. I've met a sitting Vice-President, but never a President, so I thought I'd stop in. I'm glad that I did. The crowd was long and it took a while to reach the front, but I was able to meet him. As you can imagine, Secret Service was everywhere and instructing everyone "no conversation, no asking him to sign anything personal, etc. He'll sign his name only and that's it. No photos or even taking one's camera out until you go through the line, then you may stand behind the rope 20 feet away and take one photo, then you must move on. He'll shake your hand once, but don't ask for anything else." For a former leader of the world's biggest democracy, the set-up was a dictatorship at its finest.

President Carter seemed to be enjoying the event, contrary to what Secret Service preferred. I think the rules were in place more for him, because he seemed to want to greet and talk with each individual personally. He signed my book, shook my hand, and smiled and said "hello" sincerely. He seemed genuinely happy to be there and meet everyone. Fifteen seconds later, I was rushed through the line abruptly by Secret Service and told to be on my way.

It's not every day that one gets to meet a former President, and I'm glad that I did. He was elected to his only term when I was five months old, so his tenure had a great influence on me....:). His legacy has certainly improved tremendously with time, due to his work in the Middle East. I'm looking forward to one day giving this book to my daughter, and showing her the signature inside of a former US President. I only hope that her response to the book will be "You mean Israel and Palestine once did not get along?!?"

Futbol Bu Hafta!

2006-11-27T13:09:00.000-08:00

In the world of sport, there are football games....and there are wars. This weekend marks another battle in arguably the greatest of football wars. Galatasaray Istanbul crosses the Bosphorous Strait and comes to Sukra Saracoglu Stadium in Kadikoy to face my beloved Fenerbahce Istanbul this weekend. The English magazine FourFourTwo proclaimed this Derby the world's biggest in 2005. Families and cities are divided this weekend when Fenerbahce plays Galatasaray. The Derby is so heated, so passionate that banners touting "Welcome to Hell" usually hang from the rafters at this game.

There are 18 teams in the TurkCell Super Lig of football. However, since 1959, only four teams have won the Championship. Of those four, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray have both won 16 championships each. This year, Fenerbahce sits in first place currently......four points behind them in second place is Galatasaray.

This weekend, Kristen and I will be at the Louisville vs. Connecticut football game. Afterwards, I'll be buried in my graduate studies finishing my research project and paper. However, despite where my head is, my heart will be in Kadikoy this weekend cheering on Fenerbahce. Sampiyon Fenerbahce!

Incidentally, here are some great examples of why I am a Fenerbahce fan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx6aFFitxe0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V15LeMkw6-M&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hIMc1LLT8k&mode=related&search=

Here is an example of what the atmosphere is like at a Fenerbahce vs. Galatasaray Derby:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAguKc9p-ww&mode=related&search=

Erdogan's Willingness to Meet pope Shows Character of Turks

2006-11-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

This week marks the long-awaited visit by the Catholic religious leader known as the pope to the predominantly Islamic nation of Turkiye. The visit, which wouldn't be terribly controversial on its own, has become a firestorm of criticism due to the pope's anti-Islamic and insulting remarks made a few months ago. The world leader of a religion known for violence associated with religious crusades over generations made insensitive and insulting comments toward Muslims and Turks several months ago when his visit was announced.

I must make the clarification here that the pope is a leader of Catholicism and is in no way affiliated with Christianity. I am a Christian and proud of being so, but Catholicism is no more similar to Christianity than Buddhism. It is important to make that distinction. I don't make a habit of criticizing other religions and Christ instructed his followers to respect people of other faiths. However, despite the claims of many Catholics, Christianity and Catholicism are not related.

Prior to announcing his visit to Turkiye a few months ago, the pope cited passages that described Islam as being a violent, evil, and unhuman religion. He followed up those remarks by speaking out against Turkiye's efforts to join the European Union. Ofcourse, anyone who has any true knowledge of Islam knows that it is a peaceful religion based on traditional values of non-violence. The pope obviously knows little about Islam from his remarks and lack of remorse for making them. After angering an entire religion and the nation of Turkiye, he said he was "sorry if anyone was offended by his comments." He wasn't sorry that he made the comments or sorry for his ignorance of Islam; he was sorry if anyone didn't like what he said. Does that sound like remorse?

No, I'm not Muslim and I'm not Turkish. But I know enough about Islam to know that its reputation is not accurate in the Western world. Islam is a misunderstood religion to most non-Muslims. I also know that Turkiye would be a tremendous asset to the EU, which is obvious to nearly everyone but the pope.

Despite his remarks, the pope will arrive in Ankara on Tuesday, which is rather ironic considering it is the final resting place of Ataturk, the father of the nation that the pope insulted. He has tried to mend fences, but never fully apologized for his remarks. Turks have protested, for obvious reasons, but the true show of character came on Monday when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to meet with the pope this week. This comes in addition to the meeting offered by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Ali Bardakoğlu, the head of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate. Turkiye does not need the pope, nor do they need his visit. The pope, however, does need Turkiye. Despite his insensitive remarks, Turkiye's heads of state have all agree to meet with him. This is truly indicative of the character of the Turks. Despite being insulted by a religious leader, they have agreed to meet to assist him.

My heart goes out to the millions of Catholics worldwide who were put at risk by the comments made by their leader. As a Christian, I know what it is like to be insulted and embarrassed by leaders claiming to represent my faith. I know that the Turks, while incredibly insulted, will forgive and exhibit peace and understanding, something they are known for. I hope that this visit will showcase peace and understanding from Muslims and Turks, and I sincerely hope the pope will learn something from them.

Another Football Season Has Begun

2006-11-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

In an effort to cling to my rapidly-fading youth, I've recently started another athletic endeavor - playing organized, competitive soccer at the University of Louisville. First the good news - my team is 3-0 and appear to be the best team in our very competitive league so far. The bad news is.....I probably don't belong on a team this good. It's been a tremendous lesson in humility and a learning experience for me. Every player on my team has lengthy experience playing competitive soccer. At least 1/3 of my team played soccer in college. As in....varsity soccer. One of our guys played for one of the top teams in the ACC conference. Another starred on the #8-ranked high school team in America. To my knowledge, everyone on my team played either in high school or in the Asian or European club system and has 15+ years of experience playing the game at a competitive level.

And then there is me......I kicked a football for the first time in May 2006. Yes, I call it football because that's what it is to 99.9% of the world. Americans play soccer - I play football. Anyhow, my high school girlfriend of four years played soccer for years. Her sisters all played soccer. Her father was (and I believe still is) a high school soccer coach. Despite being around this, I HATED the game. I mean, despised it. I didn't really understand it and I was naive and ignorant. However, a few years ago I started to become more interested. I was traveling a little internationally and making lots of non-American friends. I became friends with an English guy who played club football for Watford; a team now playing in the highest level of English Premier League football. I also began working on a Master's degree in Sport Management, studying under an extremely well-traveled professor and learning a ton about the game. I also fell in love with Fenerbahce Istanbul......the greatest club in Turkish Football.

So now, I am hooked. I can't get enough of football. At age 30, I'm 25 years behind where I should be., but I am desperate to improve. I have become a football sponge, trying to absorb as much as I can to improve my game. There are very few things that I honestly find as enjoyable as playing and watching football. The problem is.......I stink. Ok, To be honest, for a guy that has been playing football for five months, I'm probably pretty darn good. But compared to the players I am playing against, I stink. My footwork is a bit slow. My tackles can be sloppy. My chip passes are a bit flat. I'm too reliant on my right foot. But I feel like a kid when I am playing. No 30-year-old man should feel this way about a sport that he is just learning to play, but I do.

This past summer, desperate to learn to play, I organized some pick-up games around Louisville. Thinking I would be lucky to field one decent team, I had to turn people away. We had an international buffet of players coming to play each week. We had every level of talent from former college stars to.....well, me. But it worked. I was getting my tail kicked at times, but I improved. A lot. There is more of a discrepancy from where I can go as opposed to where I've come from, but I'm working on it.

So this brings me to my current plight. Several weeks ago, I was contacted about playing organized, competitive soccer at Louisville. I decided to do it. Three games into the season, we're 3-0 and playing at world-class facilities. Wednesday night we played at Segell Stadium, the brand new Louisville lacrosse stadium on campus. The FieldTurf surface of the pitch cost more than my house and two cars combined. Last night we played at Trager Stadium, pictured above. Trager Stadium is arguably the best field hockey stadium in America. It's been open only a few years, and has already played host to two NCAA National Championship games on National TV. And there I was, playing football on the same field. It was 35 degrees, windy, and a nice mix of rain/snow in the air when we took the pitch. Did I score a goal last night? No. Did I make a game-saving tackle? No. The goal-scoring was left to the guys who played for top-ranked college and high school teams. But I was there, a guy who hated football for most of his life and my team is 3-0 despite my weaknesses on the pitch. Not bad for a guy who first kicked a football five months ago...

Home Study

2006-11-14T07:19:00.000-08:00

Monday evening was the first home study for Kristen and I in our adoption process. It consists of an adoption worker from a local home study agency coming to our house to interview us. It lasted approximately three hours and consisted of interview questions covering a little of everything. It was great to get this behind us, as we finally feel like we're making progress in the adoption process with the home study, paperwork, etc. The home studies will continue for some time even after we bring the child home.

Kristen and I are continuing in the paperwork process, which has been tedious at best. Nearly every document must be notarized and absolutely perfect. That means even a small spelling error or listing "San Salvador" instead of "El Salvador" once on a document renders everything void and must be completed again. Jason and Rose have been patient and understanding, as they are going to have documents notarized for the third time in a few days due to previous mistakes by the notary, etc.

Kristen and I are hoping to have the majority, if not all, of our paperwork completed before we leave for Italy on December 21.

68 Years

2006-11-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

Today marks an important day in world history, as 68 years ago today, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk died in Turkiye. You may ask "Why are Nathan and Kristen writing something about this guy on their blog?" The answer is simple: Ataturk is the kind of leader that our world needs today. Ataturk arguably did more for the nation of Turkiye than any one national leader has done for their respective country. He is the father of modern Turkiye and as beloved by Turks today as he was during his lifetime. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk introduced a broad range of swift and sweeping reforms - in the political, social, legal, economic, and cultural spheres - virtually unparalleled in any other country.

Ataturk introduced the Turkish Republic (Turkiye Cumhuriyeti) in 1923, putting an end to the Ottoman Empire. Emerging nations admire him as a pioneer of national liberation. The world honors his memory as a foremost peacemaker who upheld the principles of humanism and the vision of a united humanity. Tributes have been offered to him through the decades by such world statesmen as Lloyd George, Churchill, Roosevelt, Nehru, de Gaulle, Adenauer, Bourguiba, Nasser, Kennedy, and countless others. A White House statement, issued on the occasion of "The Atatürk Centennial" in 1981, pays homage to him as "a great leader in times of war and peace". It is fitting that there should be high praise for Atatürk, an extraordinary leader of modern times, who said in 1933: "I look to the world with an open heart full of pure feelings and friendship".

As you know, Turkiye is very special to us and may very well be our home at some point in the future. I certainly don't profess to be any sort of expert on Ataturk, but the more I learn, the more I am impressed and astounded by this great world leader. Because of Ataturk, Turkiye is a thriving, modern nation, and would not be considered for a spot in the European Union without him.

The world could use more leaders like Ataturk today.

Get Ready for the Blackout...

2006-11-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, Kristen and I are hardcore Louisville Cardinal fans. If you follow sports at all, you probably know that tonight is the biggest college football game of the year thus far, and the biggest football game in our state's history. #5 Louisville plays host to #3 West Virginia, our biggest rival. Both teams are undefeated and tonight's winner will emerge as a favorite to play in the national championship in January. Louisville has never played for the national championship in football, and West Virginia played for the championship but lost in the late 1980's.

Needless to say, the state of Kentucky and especially the city of Louisville are going nuts right now.....it feels like the city is going to explode. There has been so much hype about this game leading up to tonight. 700 media credentials have been issued, which is similar to the number for a championship event. Tickets on ebay and stubhub.com have been selling for more than $2,000 as of this morning. You can feel the excitement in the air here in Louisville. It seems that no one has been able to work this weekend or get much accomplished. This game has been circled on our calendars since our triple-overtime loss at West Virginia last season. The game is being billed as a "Blackout" with all fans being asked to wear black, as well as the band, our team, etc. Rumors have been circulating that Louisville native son Muhammad Ali will be in attendance tonight. My brother has a wager with one of the stars of NBC's "The Office" who is a West Virginia alum and friend of my bro's. I talked to a friend last night who decided at the last minute that he couldn't resist being here, and drove 21 hours (one-way) from the Upper Peninsula of Maine where he lives just to be at this game tonight.

Ofcourse, Kristen and I have tickets and will be at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium tonight. Hopefully we'll come out with a win and continue on to our national championship aspirations this year. In 1985, our then-head football coach Howard Schnellenberger said the infamous words "Louisville is on a collision course with the national championship. The only variable is time." At the time, he was laughed at and ridiculed, but 21 years later, the collision course hits a major target tonight at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

Hos Geldiniz, Arkadaslar!

2006-10-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, for you non-Turkish-speaking people, the title says "welcome, friends!" I just wanted to leave a quick message and let you know that we will be keeping our El Salvadoreno adoption information updated here on this fine little blog. We'll keep it updated with photos, updates, etc., especially as our adoption coordinator and attorney travel to San Salvador and send us more photos and information.

Also, Kristen and I just bought a new digital camera, so to those of you who complained to us that we never post any photos - you're welcome....:) And Kristen has made me promise not to post any more information about Fenerbahce (my futbol club), so I made a Fenerbahce blog to spite her - http://fenerbahceworldwide.blogspot.com/. Oh, if you haven't seen us lately, the photo above is of Kristen and I. We've been working out...

Your American / Turkish / El Salvadoreno family and friends,

Nathan, Kristen, and "Child X"

Five Years and Iskender...

2006-10-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Kristen and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. It's amazing......I can't believe we've been married five years already. That always seemed like such a monumental mark in time, but it has come and gone so fast. In our five years, Kristen and I have never been ones to throw big elaborate celebrations for our anniversary. The first couple years included Kristen's graduate school studies, so there was never much time for celebration. This year, although it's my turn in graduate school, we spent the weekend a couple of weeks ago at Carriage Lane Inn in Murfreesboro, Tennesee, where Kristen and I got married. It was wonderful - it had barely changed at all. We stayed at the Inn where we stayed the night before our wedding, and we spent a few minutes in the reception hall next door where our actual ceremony took place. It brought back so many amazing memories........and made us wonder how we packed 30 people into such a small place. It was nothing extravagant, but I'm so glad that we got to spend some time here again. Kristen and I even found the guest registry in the hallway and flipped back many pages to find it signed by Nathan and Kristen Redd on October 21, 2001. It's amazing how much has changed since then. I was working in the music industry and Kristen in non-profit development in Nashville. Now, 1.5 Master's degrees and 3 greyhounds later, we're living in Louisville and in the process of adopting our first child. I am working for the University of Louisville and studying in graduate school, while Kristen is working for Veterans Administration Hospital. We wondered what things would be like in five years..........would we be living somewhere in Europe as we currently plan? Would our child from El Salvador have any siblings? How many greyhounds will have passed through our home in five more years? Would we be taking weekend trips to Austria or Scotland instead of Tennessee and West Virginia? Only time will tell......

This past weekend was our actual anniversary ofcourse, and we celebrated first with a Louisville football win over Syracuse 28-13. We had originally intended to be in Syracuse, New York for the game, but our Christmas venture to Italy took away that upstate New York budget we had. After the game, we drove up to Cincinnati to eat at one of our favorite restaurants - Cafe Istanbul. We had one of our favorite meals - Borek, Iskender, and Cay to drink, ofcourse. If you've never had Turkish food, you're missing out of one of God's great gifts. Iskender is quite possibly my perfect meal, and cay (Turkish tea) is heaven in a small glass. We had a wonderful waiter, a guy named Bulent from Kadikoy on the Asian side of Istanbul. Being from Kadikoy, the home of my beloved Fenerbahce Yellow Canaries, I assumed he was a Fenerbahce fan but alas, he supported our arch rival, the Galatasaray Lions. We joked a little and talked some Turkish futbol, which is always great. After dinner, we made the short trip over to Caribou Coffee. Caribou has a very special place in my heart. When I lived in Atlanta in 1998, I swear to you that I was at Caribou Coffee an average of twice per day. It became the place that I read, prayed, contemplated my life, etc., all over a steaming hot "Mint Condition." Caribou is hopefully coming to Louisville soon (or so I was told) but they just opened up locations in Cincinnati and Kristen and I are happy to make the drive for the best coffee west of Istanbul.

San Salvador

2006-10-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

More El Salvador Pics...

2006-10-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the Coastline outside of San Salvador...

Eid Mubarek

2006-10-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend marked the end of Ramadan and the end of fasting for those participating. I've always been impressed with the passion and discipline of those who do participate and truly use this time to pray and reflect. Kristen and I were talking just the other day about why more Christians do not do this and the discipline and commitment that it takes. Ramadan plays a role in our lives mainly because so many of our friends are Muslim and choose to make this commitment each year. We may share different faiths, but I can truly respect and admire this commitment that so many make. One of my friends from Morocco told me last week that while many of the pillars of the Muslim faith are based on personal decision, observance of Ramadan is something that is necessary for all to connect with God.

For the end of Ramadan and the feast that follows, Happy Eid Mubarek to everyone...

The Coastline of El Salvador

2006-10-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

2006-10-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

The El Salvador coastline....

2006-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

2006-10-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken from the coast of El Salvador, looking out over the Pacific Ocean...

2006-10-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Overlooking San Salvador and one of the volcanoes outside of the city...

2006-10-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

This is our adoption coordinator, Christi, outside one of the orphanages in San Salvador. She said the child she was holding was very happy to get his photograph taken...

2006-10-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the orphanage in San Salvador.

Futbol Pitch in El Salvador

2006-10-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of a futbol pitch in El Salvador, and some El Salvadoreno children playing.

Flying into San Salvador...

2006-10-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of photos taken by our adoption coordinator, Christi, as her plane flew into El Salvador last week...

El Salvador

2006-10-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone..........our adoption coordinator, Christi Hicks, just returned from El Salvador last week and took some beautiful photographs that she e-mailed us. Christi has been our contact throughout our adoption process and reported that her trip to San Salvador (the Capital) was fantastic. I'll be posting new photographs that she took in El Salvador every day or so, so please check back. Here is what she wrote upon her return to the U.S.:

"The trip to El Salvador this past week was quite simply, amazing. In many ways it gave me personally assurance and excitement that this program is happening. I was able to see and experience the things that you as families will on your trips.

While there I was able to visit three orphanages. The first orphanage we visited was called “La Casa de Mi Padre” or “My Father’s House”. It is a smaller orphanage run by an American family with several El Salvadoran staff residing there, caring for the children. It was a beautiful, clean home for the children within the city. It is quite small at this time but they have big plans to develop on a larger property that they own. The second orphanage I visited is called “Exodo”. This particular site is fairly new and for that reason is still growing in many ways. This is the orphanage you’ll see in the pictures. There are currently 46 children there. They have 4 homes divided to approximately 12 kids in each home. They have house parents in each one of the 4 homes. The third orphanage I visited was a Catholic facility in the city. I was able to meet with the nun that runs the orphanage though the children were all at school. All three have wonderful facilities and amazing, loving care-givers for the children. However, this is not always the case.

The afternoon of the first day I went to visit the family court. The court system is divided into four divisions and cases are distributed randomly between the four divisions. While there I was able to meet with two of the four judges. They were wonderful, kind women. They expressed a deep appreciation for adoption and what a blessing it is to their people and to their children. They said that this is the part of the adoption (the court proceeding) that is the fun part and to be excited, rather than nervous about the court hearing. They were very much in favor of our families and are looking forward to meeting with you in the future.

I was able to stay at the hotel Princess Hilton in San Salvador, which is where families will most likely stay when they visit. While there I ran into a missions team there working with a local church. It’s a beautiful hotel with a lot of amenities and perfect for traveling families. They have purified water so you can drink from the tap! (I was very excited about this news!!) I felt very safe and very comfortable the entire time that I was there. The city of San Salvador is very modern and even Americanized. There are several malls, American restaurants, and even movie theaters. I think you’ll find it more than comfortable and less of a culture shock. Outside the city is where you begin to really see the contrast between the rich and the poor.

It is a breathtakingly beautiful country. I know that your experiences and time you share there growing your family will be ones you cherish for a lifetime."

2006-10-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Kristen and I ventured back to our old home of Nashville for a few days. Louisville was playing a game at Titans Stadium downtown and we drove down for the game. It was great to see some of our closest friends - Marc, Elise, and Cole Tepner, Steven Weaver, Kevin Shaw, etc. It's really strange....no matter how much time elapses between visits, you always remember why you're such close friends in the first place. All of the afore-mentioned friends are not like family to us.....they are our family. We don't have any regrets about leaving Nashville, but we do sometimes wish we all lived in the same city again.Kristen and I also got to do something very special.....we visited the Carriage Lane Inn in Murfreesboro, which is where we were married on October 21, 2001. It hadn't changed a bit, which was great. We spent the night there Saturday night and walked around the inn and reception house next door, which is where our actual ceremony was. It was strangely comfortable to be there again, nearly five years after we were married (and this was our first time being there since).I'll write more later, but here is a photo of Kevin, Steven, Marc, Kristen, and I from the Louisville game.

Tuesday Football Night

2006-07-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Kristen and I had another great time last night playing football with some of our friends. We had 18 or 19 players last night, including some new faces like Kristen's good friend Ashley, and a new guy we met named Lico from Honduras. And ofcourse I must boast a little that I scored my second goal of the season, but I'm all about the team....:)

The pictures above are of Kristen and I with two of our closest friends, Abdullah and Akif, both from Turkiye.

World Cup with the Italians...

2006-07-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

On July 9th, Kristen and I decided to watch the World Cup Final with the Italian-American Association of Louisville. This is a group comprised mostly of Italian immigrants and their families now living in Metro Louisville. It was a festive atmosphere, as you might imagine, heightened by the fact that Italy defeated France on penalty kicks to win the World Cup. Here is a photo of Kristen and I with Bernado Carducci, President of the Louisville Italian-American Association.

Bloodshed and Bruises...Football Night on the Pitch

2006-07-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Kristen and I recently started a new regular Tuesday night activity. We decided to see if we could get some friends together each week and play football. I must note that we refuse to call "football" by the name that only one country calls it ("soccer"), so if you see us say "football" you know what we're talking about. Football and American Football are two different things. Anyway, I digress...

We started playing approximately five weeks ago and our group has grown larger each week. The first week or two we were afraid we wouldn't have enough participants to play. Now our gatherings have grown so large, we are looking for a second night each week to play as well. It's been a great experience - we've invited some international friends of ours to play and it's been interesting to see the representation. So far, we've had players from Turkiye, Puerto Rico, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Sudan, Iran, Brazil, Morocco, etc. joining us. In addition, it's been.....let's say "interesting" to see two people with little-to-no playing experience jump in with friends who have played all of their lives. Nathan has been a football fan for a while now, but had never played at all until five weeks ago. Kristen played briefly in an indoor league in Oklahoma City but had no formal training in the sport. Needless to say, we've been able to hold our own! I'm especially proud of Kristen who has impressed everyone with her aggressiveness, often leading to impressive bruises such as the one on her knee currently (shown above). I was proud to say that watching hours upon hours of European football has helped me somewhat, and at least I can give an excuse for sitting in front of the TV watching Italian, English, and Turkish games night after night - "I'm in training" has been my excuse. Kristen will attest that I am officially addicted now and follow my team, Fenerbahce Istanbul, religiously online and through friends of ours in Turkiye. However, I think my addiction is wearing off on her as well...

We've had a great time and we've become a bit addicted to learning and improving in the game. In fact, I'll end this post now because we're going out later this evening to work on some fundamentals together. Hopefully my next post won't contain a picture of a headwound or some nauseating gash on one of us...

Sunday in Crescent Hill

2006-07-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday drives were invented for days like today - our morning began with a welcome breeze blowing through our rolled down windows and a sky so blue and crisp, it seemed certain there would be a college football game on tv when we returned from church....the later day heat of the sun made it clear that it is indeed Summer and not yet Fall, but the morning's chameleonesque qualities were much appreciated!

We held strongly to two of our most time-honored traditions - reading the Sunday paper over pancakes and coffee and then retiring for trance-like naps of at least two hours......We're finally awake and away we go with our new blog.......