Adjusting

Hi, all!  (This post is drafted by Julie) Well we have survived 2 weeks (it feels more like 4 months).  We feel so out of touch with everyone and that has been the hardest thing to figure out.  So...I'm hoping this blog will help us keep in touch a little. We still want phone calls and skype-ing to get our personal interaction, but realize, because of the time difference and everyone's busy lives...it won't happen as often as we would like.

The boys have finally adjusted to the time change - they are sleeping past sunrise until almost 7!  They are the cutest kids in the compound and probably even the entire Kingdom! :)  They have not adjusted to the taste of all of the food yet, but are slowly accepting things - there is a ban on US meat right now because of the "mad cow" problems last year.  The first week all they ate was cereal and fruit snacks. The real fruit is not the best quality (turns brown as soon as you slice it), but we eat it anyways.  They haven't had mac n chz in 2weeks ....they are holding out for Kraft or Velveeta - I've been told the stores occasionally get those brands...you just have to watch the shelves weekly and so I will so they don't starve!  :)

Compound life is great!  We go swimming, play in the gym and go to the park every day.  We had a play date with 2 little Texas girls yesterday....Samuel played "tea party" like his daddy :).  The boys love all the workers and neighbors- they say hi to them EVERY (seriously) time they see them.  We don't need a Texas flag in our yard to show our roots....the boys' hospitality is a definite give away.  We live on the entrance road (where everyone has to drive to get in the compound) and have a really big speed bump in front of our house so everyone has to come to almost a complete stop to drive through and so EVERYONE has met our kids...thankfully they haven't started their naked days yet. :)  I have made a lot of friends already - everyone is very friendly and full of advice!  It's interesting to hear about everyone's "home" - so far I have a friend from Austria (60something), 2 friends (30something) from Houston and Lubbock, 1 from Vegas (30something), 1 from Australia (60something), 1 from Phillipines (40something)...I will become very educated in world geography by then end of our 2yrs...I'm excited about that because I'm definitely lacking in that area!  Funny story....had a couple come to my garage sale (in Midland)...they were from a house one block away and started talking about our move and they said their neighbors were also moving to Saudi and the also worked with Baker Hughes....I asked Scott to see if he could find out about them...he was like "ug babe...they could end up anywhere and chances are not with us".....well guess what...they are moving into our compound :)  They lived one block away from us in Midland and will now live in our compound.  The husband is here but the wife and kids haven't moved here yet...they are waiting for the 90 degree weather to return :)  

And for a country that has no dirt....it is very dirty. You can't tell if building are "under construction" or just abandoned.  The streets and beaches are dirty - littered with trash everywhere.  Most places stink and the bathrooms (ALL) are disgusting - even in the malls..they are beautiful, palace like malls with stores like Coach, Versace or Michael Kors and then you go to into a bathroom that resembles a bathroom at the Stripes Truck Stop in Hobbs, NM!  It is awful so we try to always "go" before we leave home.

The shopping is great - better malls than I have EVER been to! Thank goodness I am NOT a fan of shopping...or we would come home BROKE!  :)  I have been to a couple of garage sales inside the compound to help with furnishing the house and toy room!  My mother would be so proud that I found a garage sale my first day in Saudi!  :) We just found out that our moving company misplaced 56 boxes that didn't make it on our sea shipment...so that's most of our stuff...we didn't have much since we stored it all in San Antonio!  So...now it looks like it could be an added month or two on the second shipment - so could be near October before we are "settled" with all of our belongings... AGGGHHHH???  Scott is telling them off via email to force them to allow a large "air" shipment so we get it quicker.

Sorry for rambling!  Funny thing....I didn't know if I would be able to "fill up" a blog with words...guess I can type as much as I talk! :)  If you haven't done this already...please add Riyadh, KSA to the world clock on your phones so you will know what time it is here.  We are up and going by 730a - and usually in bed by 9p - so text using BBM (blackberry messenger app) or call our house phone 940.488.1083

Our skype id is julie.vannoy75 and our BBM ids are svannoy313 and juliekvannoy-87116 - the app is free and you can text for free using it....

We love you guys and hope you all know that just because we don't get to see or talk to you often doesn't mean we don't think about you everyday!  We miss you!