Oman Day 1- Mutrah Souq

Although we headed out to the Souq later than we had hoped, it worked out well because most of the cruise ship passengers had already left for the day and we could wander around just before the shops closed with less people around. 

The souq was beautiful and we loved the ceilings. Every main intersection in the souq had a different design. There were a wide variety of stores and we enjoyed looking around and just taking in the sights.

John found a khanjar (a curved dagger) at one store and started bartering and after some negotiating bought one with a camel bone handle. He has been wanting one for awhile so I am glad he was able to find one he liked.

We wandered around the souqs a little more and I found a scarf that I liked and then got some lunch at a restaurant in the souq. Graham was very excited to be eating lunch....

Following lunch we decided to drive around the city and surrounding areas while the kids napped in the car. We drove through Old Muscat, along the Corniche and by the Sultan's Palace and then went and found a Mexican restaurant for dinner. We enjoyed enchiladas and Peyton enjoyed her usual rice and beans and then we headed back to the hotel and everyone went straight to bed because we had an early morning the next day!

Travel to Oman

We left Saudi on Tuesday night to head to Oman. This was the first time we have flown within the Middle East as all of our other trips have been driving. So, we were not sure what the best route/plan would end up being and we had some lessons learned! 


We flew from the Dammam airport to Bahrain and then to Muscat. Our first flight was just 20 minutes and then we had to RUN to our next flight. We ran to security, had to have John's bag searched because a pen he had look questionable and then we RAN to our flight and boarded just before we were about to be left. The next flight was just over an hour. Looking back we wish we just drove to Bahrain and flew out of there instead of dealing with two planes (and on the way back layovers in Bahrain). We arrived in Muscat around 10:30 PM, got our Visas, went through customs and then headed to the car rental place to get our car. We arrived and they told us that they gave our car away because the arrival time on our reservation was wrong and had already passed. When we asked if they had another car, they reached under the counter and pulled out a grocery bag full of keys and started looking through. I just laughed...to myself of course! Very different experience. We finally found a key to a Ford hatchback something and so he went to find his driver to bring the car around to the front. They don't have a rental car park area or anything like that. Muscat is building a new airport which looks beautiful but for now the current airport which was built before they had such tremendous growth in industry and tourism is what they are working with. We wait for the driver, find him in the parking lot and start loading up the car. Both the guy at the counter and the driver were so helpful and accommodating and gave us great customer experience which doesn't happen often over here! We managed to get car seats (and since Graham just moved up to a bigger car seat we traveled with both our Britax Marathons), and suitcases and the stroller into the car and then were about to head out to our hotel and realized we had no idea where we were going. The Garmin wasn't picking it up, the address search feature wasn't working and then our cell phones weren't working to call. I finally found some sort of information on the reservation paper that registered with the Garmin and we set of hoping we were going in the right direction.


We were staying at the Millennium Hotel, the reviews were good, breakfast was included and it was cheaper so we thought it would be a good option however it was a whole lot farther from Muscat than it looked online! It was about a 75 minute drive and in the middle of nowhere. Luckily the kids fell asleep and we finally got settled in our room closer to 2 AM. We were all exhausted and slept until 10:30 AM the next day....missing that free breakfast! We called for room service and they told us that breakfast would be free and we would only be charged the delivery fee since it was included in our room price so it all worked out and after a good night sleep, showers and breakfast we were ready to explore!

Off to Oman!!

Tonight we leave today for 4 nights in beautiful Oman! 

We are so excited that we took the opportunity of adding an extra day to what was already a long weekend. We will be staying just outside of Muscat and have a busy itinerary. There is so much to do and choose from that I had a hard time narrowing it down. I really think you could spend several weeks there and still not see everything. There were also so many hiking/adventure sites that I would have loved to go to but wouldn't work with two little kids. 

Also, as preparation for our trip I have been reading about the history of the country and it is fascinating. Here is a link to Wikipedia on Oman if you interested but what struck me was how well they have balanced modernization while preserving so much of their culture and traditions. The love they have for their current Sultan is impressive and how much he has done for the country is commendable especially given that they don't have the oil revenues like their neighboring countries to rely on. I really enjoyed reading all about the history of the country and the various places we are visiting.

Here is what we have planned so far....however....as it is when you travel with kids, it is kind of up to them and how they are doing....

Wednesday - Explore Muscat, the Old Muttrah Souk, the Sultan's Palace and walk along the Coriniche to see the old Portuguese forts

Thursday- In the morning Peyton and John will taking a glass bottom boat tour of the coastline and looking for dolphins. Then that afternoon we will go to the Nakhal Fort which is 350 years old and is set in a gorge, surrounded by mountains. The carved master gate is believed to date back to the 1830's.

Friday- We are driving to the town of Nizwa and going to the market there in the morning where they have a famous livestock market by the souk. We are then going to visit the fort there, and one of the falajs (a water irrigation system) that were recently endorsed by the World Heritage Committee and then if we are up to it heading to a castle just outside of the town.

Saturday- We are hoping to visit a museum (either the heritage or modern art museum) before we head to the airport.

Look forward to sharing loads of pictures when we return!

Childrens Book Reviews

For Christmas my parents got the kids two books that we LOVE. They are by far the favorite books in our house!

The Tickle Monster by Josie Bissett is so much fun! Graham loves it and he will actually sit through the whole book which has proven to be difficult with other books. The interactive part makes it fun and silly and we just love reading it. The illustrations are bright, fun and silly. It is such a good kids book. There is also a dance monster series with silly monster feet.

Wherever you are, my love will find you by Nancy Tillman is by far Peyton's favorite book. Here is what was written about it on Barnes and Noble to give an idea about the book....

. . . I wanted you more than you’ll ever know,

so I sent love to follow wherever you go. . . .

Love is the greatest gift we have to give our children. It’s the one thing they can carry with them each and every day.

If love could take shape it might look something like these heartfelt words and images from the inimitable Nancy Tillman. Here is a book to share with your loved ones, no matter how near or far, young or old, they are.

It is such a sweet book and has beautiful images and words. My parents wrote a note to both of the kids in the front about how no matter where we are, near or far, their love will always be there with us. Peyton just loves it and the first time we read it made me stay still so we could feel G and Papa's love in the room. She told me that it came with us in our suitcases and is all over Saudi Arabia! When I read it with her and Graham she tried to make him sit still as well and gave up shortly afterwards and just gave him a hug saying, "Here Graham, here is G and Papa's love for you." So sweet!

Thanks G and Papa for the books! We are enjoying them!

Adjusting perspective

It is no secret that the move to Saudi has been hard. Prior to going back to the States in November I honestly didn't know how I was going to make it here another six months let alone the five years we wanted to be here. After our time home it is still hard, I still know that my strength and determination alone will not carry us through our time here and that this is all in His hands and we are dependent on Him daily but I feel like the time away from here lifted some big burdens off of me and taught me some important lessons.

One thing I have struggled with tremendously since arriving in Saudi is feeling a sense of uselessness. I felt unfulfilled in my role as a mom and a wife and felt like I wasn't being purposeful. I was discontent. I was a stay at home mom prior to coming so I struggled with understanding why this move all of the sudden made my job less important. For the first six months we were here I struggled with finding joy in folding laundry and making dinners or doing finger painting with Peyton. During our time in the States and being able to be away from the other challenges of living here, have more time to think, gain perspective and through wonderful conversations with different friends, God began to reveal how I needed to adjust my thinking.

Before we moved, although I was a stay at home mom, I was also a group leader for a small group and I served in our church. I felt like I was serving people around me like I was called to do. Then when we moved,  I thought that the only way to be "successful" here would be to start a group, pour into my community daily and when that was not happening or when I realized it would take more time that I thought, instead of seeing how I was being used in the moment and how I had the opportunity to succeed differently, I got down. 

What I was failing to see (and what I wish I realized long before now) was that my greatest mission, greatest job is serving my family. That this time in my life is to serve, pour into, encourage and teach my family more than I ever have before. We don't have a strong children's church like we did and it is my job to teach, show, demonstrate and engage my children in learning about their Savior. My job is to serve my family by doing all the seemingly unimportant chores. My ministry is my husband and supporting him, encouraging him and serving him so he can succeed at work.

I was starting to be convicted of this before we came back from holidays and then since we have been back it has been affirmed time and time again. I was reading a friends blog and she wrote about and article she wrote about the "Myth of ME Time...." 

Me Time is a myth. It is an unattainable, always interruptible, never satisfying piece of junk psychology. Me Time, by its very name, suggests that who we are during the daily grind is not who we truly are. It begs us to search for fulfillment outside of the titles of “wife” and “mother.” It accuses precious little ones and God-given spouses for suppressing us. It reduces motherhood to a disease in which little dirty faces and endless monotonous tasks slowly suck the life out of us. It says we can never be refreshed by spending time in the presence of those we care for day in and day out. It points out a perceived hole in our world that needs to be filled, a tank that must be refueled, a monster that will swallow us if we neglect to feed it Me Time.

You can read the full article here. I do think that "Me Time" is much needed whether you are a mom or a dad and it is an important part of doing my job as a mom well. Someone recently said that time away provides you with emotional resilience, it is like the lubricant for the gears and without it things start to grind together or break down. But what challenged me was how much of my focus during the day was on getting that time for myself and how I looked forward only to when John was home and I could get a break. I thought that I could only be fulfilled, recharge is when I was away. I failed to see how much joy and fulfillment can come from serving your kids, your family and your spouse by caring for them, providing meals for them, a clean house, cuddles and focused time on them. 

The best way to capture everything that has been going on in my head is in the last couple of paragraphs of the article...

We must cease to see the role of wife and mother as a job we put aside at the end of the day. We must do our daily tasks cheerfully, as unto the Lord. We must learn to enjoy being home with our families. We must find contentment in serving others. We should spend more time drinking in the beauty of our children, searching their eyes, holding their hands, being Mom. When we do feel neglected or overworked, we must immediately seek the Lord to refresh us and keep us from sin.

There will be days when we are afforded opportunities to do things alone or with other women, but if we are content in our God-given role, we will no longer cling so tightly to these moments as the only way to save our sanity. Our need for Me Time will fade as we begin to see motherhood as a blessing not to be escaped, but embraced. 

I love that right when I got back to Saudi and when I was starting to sort through what I was being taught, that my friend wrote her blog post. It seemed to just put together all the pieces for me and give me the little extra clarity. I look forward to the next six months, year and longer finding the blessings and contentment in serving my children, husband and my family.

Stop Growing....Please

Although I know we were on vacation for nearly two months, it is still crazy to me how much both Peyton and Graham have changed and grown up.....and it makes me sad. I know all parents say they just don't know where the time goes and it is so true. Time flies by and what was once your little baby girl is now a spirited toddler and your little baby boy that you just brought home from the hospital is now crawling and getting into everything.

About a year ago, Peyton and I really started to find our grove with discipline, expectations and started to have a good system. It has continued and although we have moments and sometimes brief phases, I feel like she has good, consistent structure and discipline and I have a routine that works and therefore we are a happy family. She is so opinionated, thinks she knows everything, will tell you that she knows best and loves to attempt to negotiate with me. She is a firecracker! She makes me want to scream and pull my hair out often and yet makes me laugh with her very lengthy (and often creative) explanations on why she should do things. She questions everything. 

She is also so sweet, friendly and I am amazed at her ability to just go and make friends wherever. She has no fear and just runs up to any kids her age, says her names and starts playing.  Peyton has wonderful manners and often says, "no thanks," to questions, always says "please and thank you," orders her food and is so polite. She has learned how to talk on the phone well and will walk off with the phone and talk in "private." She is incredibly silly, has a great imagination and loves to just be silly and goof off with me. We often play the most random games...like silly goose poses, duck cat and other random animal combinations and she just has so much fun. I love her laugh!

Peyton loves quality time and cuddles. She adores her family and always needs to know where everyone is. She has a wonderful relationship with her extended family and knows that they love her and she adores them. She loves her brother and whenever she hears him waking up in the morning or from his nap she runs in there immediately and tells him good morning. She often asks where Graham is and when he is crying will start singing to him. She is a good big sister but she gets frustrated when he touches her stuff and is having to learn to share with her brother!

Peyton likes routine, things done the same way at the same time and does not do well with unexpected change. She has a strong opinion on how things should be done and doesn't handle it well when you do it differently. And did I mention that she looks (and acts) just like her daddy....

The biggest milestone lately for Peyton is finally becoming potty trained! When we were in Washington my mom had her throw her diaper over the deck of her house and yell, "no more diapers." Peyton thought it was hilarious and we would joke about it over the next few days and it worked! She still sleeps at night time in her diaper but other than that we are diaper free. Another example of how she will do things when she wants to. Might have taken over a year but hey...she decided she was ready and here we are!

As for Graham....I can't even begin to list the amount of milestones he has hit in two months...he is such a happy, smiling, go with the flow baby and he is such a big boy! My dad nicknamed him "the Rock," because he is just solid!

These past two months you have....crawled, said Mama and Dada, started pulling up, drinking from a cup, feeding yourself table food, clapping your hands, playing peek-a-boo with your hands and blankets, said "Dog," making kissing sounds......

 

You are definitely a boy and are into everything, have no fear and I am pretty sure you have had a bruise or scratch on you since you started sitting up on your own. You ADORE your sister and love to wrestle with her, follow her, annoy her and just want to be around her. You get sad when she is crying and when she is in timeout you crawl after her and try to give her hugs which normally result in her laughing. You don't like me telling you "no" or "don't touch" and typically don't try it more than once. You LOVE outlets and despite many "don't touch" you still go for them and it drives me crazy!

Your favorite time of the day is lunch time. You are a little cranky by dinner but at lunch you are happy and ready to eat and you EAT! You are starting to eat pretty much whatever we have for lunch or dinner and then some baby food on the side. You are not picky at all and I love that you will eat anything. You are getting frustrated if you can't do it yourself and would rather pick up food than be fed. You also LOVE to give the dog food and don't seem to understand why you can't.

You are a sweet boy and although you move a thousand times more than your sister did and rarely sit still you still cuddle mommy now and again. You won't sit still for story and even when you get your bottles you don't want to be too cuddled but when you are sleepy or get hurt you will immediately come to your mommy and will cuddle in my arms.

 

I am so thankful that I get to be mommy to these two precious children. It is by far the hardest job I have ever had but the most rewarding! 

Beach day....in January

It was beautiful outside today! 74 degrees, just the right amount of sun and a light wind! So, we went and had lunch at the Golf House and then headed to the beach afterwards to play for a little bit and so I could do my photography homework for a class I am taking on metering. Peyton has been asking since we got home to go to the beach so she was incredibly excited. She was also being a little sassy all morning long....

She immediately wanted to go swimming and was off towards the water....

And then she realized it was actually pretty cold....

I saw a woman in her abaya fishing down the beach. I was so scared to try and get a picture but I had Peyton run in that direction to play and pretend like I was taking a picture of her and instead was able to catch the woman. It is pretty normal to see women on the beach in their abayas even in the summer and often we see women swimming. I don't know how they stand the heat and then swimming in it.

Graham was my subject for my homework and he LOVED the beach. He was crawling everywhere. Trying to eat sand and thought it was the best place ever. He had a blast and is currently napping hard from exhaustion.

Then I finally was able to get a picture of me and Peyton! I love it and I can't even begin to count how many bad pictures I have with that silly girl!

Easy Dog Puppet Craft

In an attempt to not go as stir crazy and be more purposeful with the time that we do have at home. I decided to make a craft/activity box. One night a week is my planning night where I look for, print off and prepare various crafts to store in the box. I put each one in a large ziploc bag with all of the materials needed including glue sticks, crayons....pretty much anything we will need so I don't have to take the time to gather all the materials. I have an assortment of things in there from preschool worksheets, simple crafts, games, crafts related to our bible lesson for the week and pretty much anything that I would be happy about doing at anytime of the day regardless if Graham is awake etc. So, the idea is that when we are bored out of our mind and have nothing to do I just pull something out and we have an activity to last about 15-30 minutes and help us get out of our "we are bored" mood.

This morning we did our first craft which I got off of DLTK's website which has a wealth of ideas for preschool crafts. The paper bag dog craft was super easy to prepare...all I did was print off the pieces from the website, gather a glue stick, and paper bag. Peyton did the whole thing by herself and loved it. She had the idea to give him a collar, leash and a name tag so I did run around and get some construction paper, ribbon and a hole punch while she was gluing the pieces on. It was lots of fun, a break from the normal and once we were finished she went around to look for things to make him a cage, a bed and food which resulted in an additional 30 minutes of play time!

New Year...New Hopes...New Goals...

I can not say that 2011 was a bad year because it was the year that we welcomed Graham into our family and he is such a precious blessing and we are so thankful for him....but I will say that I am glad 2011 is over and past us! 

It was such a difficult year, so many ups and downs, changes, challenges and I am thankful we made it through. With having a difficult pregnancy, birth of a baby and adjusting to having two kids, moving across the world, John changing jobs, putting our house on the market (hoping it sells soon) and adjusting to life in the Middle East...it has been rough! I looked back at my post for the goals for 2011 and I happy to say that we kept our resolutions...we made it through the year and are at a good place as a family, in our marriage and in our relationships with God.

And now it is time have new goals and hopes for 2012....

• To continue to date, pursue and put my marriage first.  As hard as this year has been we have continued to grow and are in a very good place. I am so thankful that our marriage has been protected from all the ups and downs.
• To be more intentional in instructing our kids in the ways of the Lord. Being purposeful with our time, activities and opportunities to teach, show and demonstrate God's love for them.
• Pursue my interest in photography more through courses, time, practice and allow it to be my creative outlet....without feeling guilty for the time and money it takes!
• Establish a healthy, manageable routine and balance that allows me to care for myself physically, mentally and emotionally so I can be in the best position/shape to care my husband, family and others.
• To protect my thoughts and my mind from the negative by living in the moment and finding the blessings in my life daily and thanking God for where we are now, how I am serving Him now, what my job looks like today, and what is happening today in my life.

Hope and pray that everyone has a wonderful 2012 and that God continues to richly bless you and your families!

Where has the time gone?

A whole lot has happened since I was able to sit down and blog way back in November. We traveled some more (trip to Texas) and spent more time with family and then enjoyed showing John around Washington when he came and now we are all back in Saudi and trying to get back into a routine and looking forward to what the next six months or so here look like. Now that I have more of a routine I am going to try to update so at least I have a record of what we have been doing! 

Stay tuned for lots of pictures and videos....and other tidbits about our life!