I am sorry I haven't updated this in awhile but there has not been much to write about since our cruise - just the same old day to day living since then. I had to wait a few months to accumulate enough to blog about!
We visited South Texas in mid - November and rented a house on the beach to spend time with family before Scott flew back to Saudi in early December. Samuel, Jonathan, Misti and I then headed to North Carolina to visit more family. Darren met us there and then the 3 boys and I headed West to Midland. I apologize for missing stops at some of your houses on the way back to Midland, but what was planned to be a casual drive ended up becoming a rushed mission to get to Midland and then on to Fort Stockton before the ice got too bad. That didn't happen...we made it to Midland (barely) but were iced in all but 2 days which we used to visit the boys' Great Grandpa, Dick aka "Pa" and Great Grandma, Barbara aka "Nana". We wanted to spend time getting to know Nana and also spend time with Pa before we left as we were afraid it might be our last chance. We are so glad that we did....the boys terrorized Nana's house and we met her side of the family. The boys helped Pa move his bed up and down and then up and down again quite a few times. Pa passed away February 15. Scott and Darren made the trip for the funeral and the boys and I stayed here in Saudi. Pa was a great man who lived a great life and left an amazing life story for us to tell for years to come. Samuel is learning about the resurrection right now...and asked me the other day, when talking about Pa, if he was alive in heaven just like Jesus was?..so he's not sad about it - he's actually very excited to know someone there!
We are back to the regular home school days and the boys are still going to play school twice a week in the mornings. The really like their teachers and friends. They are both doing very well with their home school work. Samuel is learning to read and spell and Jonathan is learning to write his letters. They are both excellent mathemeticians and geographers. Jonathan is very interested in keeping up with Samuel so teaching them has been fairly simple...and definitely a lot easier than I had imagined!
We have been swimming since we got back in January....Saudi winters are warm enough which is a good change from runny noses and heavy coats until April! They are still in soccer lessons once a week and are starting swimming lessons again this week. We are hoping to get Samuel on the regions swim team by the fall - he will be a few months too young but hoping they will make an exception since he is well behaved. Jonathan is a great swimmer also...just too young for the team. :( Samuel is starting basketball clinic this Saturday. We try to keep them busy inside the compound since we still don't leave much.
Darren is doing good in his life - very busy all the time. He is almost done with this semester and working hard to get into his Architecture Program. He spent spring break working for his grandpa in Port Aransas and hoping to get permission from archictecture school to do some intern works hours with him again this summer. We have his VISA approved for visiting Saudi in May - very excited to have him here to meet all of our friends that hear so much about him! And also to take advantage of the extremely rare opportunity to see Saudi.
Scott is fighting all kinds of battles at his job. He is not enjoying it right now but is holding out for the expected and very much needed "change" when the Haliburton guys take over this summer. He has quite a few friends at Haliburton who say their offices here do not have the same problems with discrimination, morals and ethics as the other companies. So keeping our fingers crossed while we say lots of prayers for him to survive until then. He's handling it with integrity though...I am very proud of him as I probably would have quit by now from some of the things going on...
On to fun news....
In November before we left we attended the Marine Ball at the US Consulate. It was a great night! Strange at times...we two-stepped under the Saudi stars surrounded by tall walls with barbed wire and guarded with machine guns. We also listened to the Marine Hymn play while the Color Guard marched towards us with the US and Marine Flags - during which the Saudi National Prayer played..good memories and stories for our grandkids! Since then we have attended a Kids' Valentine's Day Dinner and St Patrick's Day party at the consulate...it is always fun!
We and about 5 other families, went on a Shark Tooth Hunting adventure way way way out in the desert! All we had were the coordinates - it was about a 3hr drive from home. We landed somewhere in the middle of nowhere and took our shovels, sifters and buckets. We had to get permission to be free of our abayas.....that was given from some Indian men/boys next to us in the desert. We and 2 other families found a shark tooth and lots of fossils. Apparently millions of years ago this was an ocean :) We also found a camel bone...it's in our front yard now! The boys thought it was so cool!
On our compound we attended Saudi Gras - there is a couple here from Louisiana who have organized a parade/party for 9yrs now...it was good fun! I am helping with a secret Sunday "Playgroup" for 2-6yr olds where we learn about God and the Bible - the boys love it! It's so nice to be with other Christians ....and so strange at times when I am the only one who knows the words to children's songs even as simple as Jesus Loves Me. Our boys are learning about Jesus' death and resurrection right now...we are celebrating Easter with some friends on April 4th. Our consulate friends gave us a ham for Christmas and we have kept it frozen to serve for Easter! Shhhh...don't tell :)
We have also become quite the social event "organizers" in our compound :) Scott had the only "Poker Night/Guys only" that has happened since we came in June....I arranged it as a surprise for his 41st birthday - the guys loved the idea as we have "Ladies Night" at least twice a month when someone's husband is out of town. :) I also hosted sort of an "International" Ladies Night. Most of the ladies "stick to their own" on their ladies' night invites so I decided to mix the crowd so they could meet each other. I did this because it was becoming a "sticky" situation for me to keep friends separate all the time....there were 10 cultures Viatnemese, Chinese, Columbian, Venezuelan, American, French, Hungarian, Nigerian, Kazakhstan, and Lebanese. It was so much fun! And Scott was the "caller" for St Patrick's Day Bingo Night...he did great!
We started a group weekend in Bahrain last month and did it again this month...just to get away from the compound...and it has been a lot of fun getting to know different families. We go to waterparks, movies, restaurants with wine and bacon and shop at malls that have dressing rooms...you know...act like normal people :) This past weekend we had dinner at the new Wolfgang Puck restaurant "CUT" - it was the opening night at Wolfgang was there...we met him and got our picture taken with him - it was a great night!
As most of you know the US consulates/embassies were closed but have reopened this week. We have our evacuation bags packed now so we are ready if the time comes. The Yemen attacks have not affected us yet. We are in constant communication with security, managament and other residents to make sure we all have updated information and plans. So as much as
anyone in the world is safe...so are we... for now.
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| Last supper at Sunday School...my little disciples and fisher's of men |
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| Poker night |
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| Jonathan protecting the compound |
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| Shamrock shakes at the snack bar |
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| Only horse we have seen here...was in Bahrain on a highway |
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| He is charging his watch...see the shadow at bottom...he's holding it in the sun |
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| Look closely at the top of this SUV - see the kid sticking out of the sunroof? They drive like this on the highways at very high speeds. And this is Bahrain...where they are supposed to be a little smarter... |
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| Close up of another tank at intersection |
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| This is the funniest sign ever in this area..I dont' think anyone knows it means "no honking"...that's all you hear around here.. |
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| Boys suprised me with flowers and a teddy bear for my Bday |
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| Jonathan and his friend Grace - hunting for shark teeth or on a date? |
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| We were one of 2 families featured in our November compound newsletter |
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| Marine Ball with friend from Midland - Brooke |
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| Shark Tooth Hunting Expedition/Tailgating for lunch |
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| Waterpark in Bahrain |
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| Samuel and I - Saudi Gras parade |
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| Christmas picture |
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| Jonathan fishing on Grandpa's dock in November |
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| Valentine's Dinner at Consulate - friends Elizabeth, Brooke, Michele |
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| weekend in Bahrain #1 - friend Elizabeth |
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| at the beach house with Grandpa in November |
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| Saudi Gras |
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| Game night in November |
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| Shark Tooth Hunting Expedition |
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| Midland cousins - Reynolds' girls - saw them while we were "iced in" in January |
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| Waterpark in Bahrain - Jonathan with 2 of Samuel's girlfriends |
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| Shark Tooth Hunting Expedition...Grace is Jonathan's bestfriend |
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| Shark Tooth Hunt |
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| Shark Tooth Hunt - Scott and I climbed to the top of this sand hill with all the kids |
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| Saudi Gras |
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| Chinese New Year party at a friend's house |
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| Painting with a Twist - we are all the way in the back |
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| Scott took this seriously... |
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| with friends Brooke and Nicole |
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| Samuel and his Venezuelan girlfriend, Farah |
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| Picture with Wolfgang Puck (middle of all the ladies) |
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| Consulate Valentine's Dinner |
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| Jonathan with Izzie |
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| He was NOT happy about the twins trying to kiss him! |
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| On our way home from playschool |
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| a craft day |
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| a cafe in Bahrain. Needless to say...we did not eat here... |
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| Last swim with Grace before she moved to Germany |
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| Samuel's bestfriend Alex - last swim before they moved to Germany |
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| Best friends - last day with them |
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| made Saudi gras Hats at craft day |
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| Samuel's playschool group |
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| that's the Vannoy in him... :) |
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| Dress up day...we usually end up at the twin's house with dresses on...but they came to ours this time |
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| Jonathan's playschool group |
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| Samuel with his friend Lucy - she's Scottish/Chinese |
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| with Lucy |
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| International Ladies Night |
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| Easter craft day |
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| at least he has both hands on the wheel |
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| Marine Ball - Colby/Brooke in the middle and Michele/Jesse on the end |
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| in Bahrain - these tanks are at intersections |
