I wrote this post before we left for our cruise....we are still hopefully relaxing and enjoying our time away. We will be back in Kingdom on June 3. But I wanted to commemorate our One Year in Saudi Anniversary!
One year ago we left our comfortable life in Texas....with my parents down the street and other family an hour away, an AMAZING church home (Clear Creek Community Church), wonderful friends, a great small group and overall a full life.....for an adventure. One year ago today we headed to the airport with our 10 week old baby, our 2.5 year old and a BUNCH of suitcases excited about what was to come...a little naive and full of nerves.
What a difference a year makes....
this year has been an insane journey through highs and lows and every emotion in between. I have had moments of happiness, joy, excited, fulfillment, loneliness, emptiness, confusion, doubt, comfort and so, so, so many more. In a year we have experienced SO much personal change from moving, to adjusting to having two kids, to being away from family, making new friends, traveling around the Middle East with our crazy drive to Abu Dhabi and going back several more times, or flying back to the States alone with the kids, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain (many, many times), Dubai....and now we are on a cruise through the Mediterranean! Crazy!
So many new families are arriving on camp and I so clearly remember when we came how eager, excited, naive and ready for the challenge we were. We totally underestimated how incredibly challenging it is to adjust to a new culture, country, religious environment....and do that with a new baby! Looking back....we were insane! But as incredibly hard as it has been and I would say that it has been one of the hardest years of my life....I am amazed at how much I have grown. It has been incredibly painful but I have grown stronger, more confident, more aware of myself and my emotions and responses and am becoming a better person, wife and mother daily. My relationship with God and understanding of what that looks like on a day to day basis has been tested, tried, challenged and is currently undergoing some major work. But it is still there despite not having a church home, not being in a religiously free country and despite some major challenges over the year. Our marriage has only gotten stronger which we are so thankful for and very aware at how that could have not been the case. We are thankful for the people, mentors, classes (Dynamic Marriage) and weekend retreats (Weekend to Remember) and time that we put into our marriage in the beginning to build a strong foundation based in His design for marriage that allowed us to withstand the stresses of being here and still grow as husband and wife. That is honestly....besides surviving a whole summer in Saudi and Ramadan and without our stuff....is one of my major achievements of the year.
How are we doing after this year? Better. I have made some good friends here and enjoy the company of friends from all over the world...although the majority of my friends are from the UK or Scotland....and one German friend! I have found several people who provide deep, authentic and challenging conversation that I need to grow as a person and I a diligent in having regular time with them to converse without children around. I LOVE our house and it feels like our home. We have a pretty good routine and I have more good days than bad. Peyton has an abundance of friends, loves swimming lessons, ballet and her school and the beach. She has adjusted to being away from her G and Papa and Granny Martha and no longer gets upset when we Skype. She has become an awesome traveler and is doing well. Graham is thriving...although I think anywhere he had food he would be ok. He has baby friends, loves the beach, has great childcare providers in his life and is healthy. John will have to post on his experience thus far. We are so blessed to have my sister close by and I am incredibly appreciative of the time that we have been able to spend together and how our relationship has grown.
So..one year down in this crazy adventure...I don't know what the next year has in store for us and I don't know how long we will be here but I am trying to live in the moment. Find the joy and blessings in each day and be thankful for what has been provided to us at this moment in our life. What a wild ride it has been and I am looking forward to what HE has in store for us this year!
Showing posts with label Saudi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saudi. Show all posts
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Coming soon....Our First Visitor to Saudi!!!!!
I am so excited that we will be expecting our first visitor to Saudi this coming September....
.....John's mom!!! We booked her tickets yesterday and she arrives September 9-23 and I am really looking forward to having her here in Saudi, experiencing our daily life here and spending some wonderful quality time with the kids. The kids and I get back to Saudi and then 10 days later we get to have Granny Martha here....so excited!
When we started talking about my trip home this summer and trying to take a trip down to Texas again by myself to visit with John's mom, I was overwhelmed and anxious about doing that trip again and when I realized it would cost the same amount of money to fly me and the kids to see her in Texas from Washington as it would for one ticket to Saudi....we started tossing around the idea of her coming to Saudi. I am so thankful that Martha was willing (with a few hesitations/reservations at first) to fly over here and take off time from work to spend a good chunk of time experiencing our new home. I can not wait to have her here and show her our daily life, shopping and hopefully take a weekend trip to Qatar (depending one what kind of visa she is issued) since John actually has three days off to make a long 5 day weekend while she is here...yes, we planned that! BUT most of all....I am excited that she gets to spend two weeks of quality, non stop time with her two grandkids, her son and with me! I am really looking forward to it!
.....John's mom!!! We booked her tickets yesterday and she arrives September 9-23 and I am really looking forward to having her here in Saudi, experiencing our daily life here and spending some wonderful quality time with the kids. The kids and I get back to Saudi and then 10 days later we get to have Granny Martha here....so excited!
When we started talking about my trip home this summer and trying to take a trip down to Texas again by myself to visit with John's mom, I was overwhelmed and anxious about doing that trip again and when I realized it would cost the same amount of money to fly me and the kids to see her in Texas from Washington as it would for one ticket to Saudi....we started tossing around the idea of her coming to Saudi. I am so thankful that Martha was willing (with a few hesitations/reservations at first) to fly over here and take off time from work to spend a good chunk of time experiencing our new home. I can not wait to have her here and show her our daily life, shopping and hopefully take a weekend trip to Qatar (depending one what kind of visa she is issued) since John actually has three days off to make a long 5 day weekend while she is here...yes, we planned that! BUT most of all....I am excited that she gets to spend two weeks of quality, non stop time with her two grandkids, her son and with me! I am really looking forward to it!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Thankful for the additional hands...
I am very thankful that living in Saudi has allowed us to have additional resources to help around the house. When we were in Texas we didn't have any additional help for household stuff but we managed and we had family nearby which was a huge blessing with childcare. When we arrived here we immediately hired someone to help with the outdoor yard care of sweeping, raking leaves, cutting grass and all the numerous tasks outside which has been a huge help and taken the burden off John so he can spend more time with us. We also have someone who comes and cleans once a week which has been awesome because I don't have to do the bathrooms, wash floors and feel stressed to get that done and not be with the kids. We felt incredibly fortunate and very blessed to have this extra help in our lives.
What has been missing though and what has been a huge need is help with childcare. With no family here, no childcare at gyms etc I was finding it hard to do things by myself and have some time to recharge/regroup and even more so was finding it hard to spend time with Peyton. I had tons of time with Graham while Peyton was at school but she never got one on one time and I know that one of her love languages is quality time. And I was overwhelmed with the day to day stuff that needed to get done and frustrated that I was always telling the kids "no' or "just wait" while I was finishing tasks around the house. I also have more play dates, coffee gatherings and just commitments than I would have had while we were in the States because there is nothing else to fill our time...I can't run errands until John is home. With Graham napping during the day it has been hard to go and visit people or take Peyton to play dates which is important to her life here so I was either missing events (and then feeling very isolated and down) or taking a cranky baby who needed to be napping and chasing him around and just being frustrated. We have known for awhile (since before I left for Christmas) that we needed regular help to give me a breath and allow me much needed time by myself and also with just Peyton. So... I have been looking for a LONG time for some part time childcare help but it is incredibly hard to find and everyone on camp is looking. I had given up....I figured that at some point in life it would be easier and I would be able to make regular dinners again, bake, do laundry regularly and not be so overwhelmed and that I would continue to do my best at building relationships for me and Peyton and just work through this phase.
Then one afternoon a friend called and said she had heard of a woman who was looking for work and that my friend wanted to split the hours with me. We talked, worked out a schedule which gave us each time during the week and then we interviewed the woman. She was faboulous! The kids loved her, she was a former pediatric nurse who is having a hard time finding work in Saudi, she lives in the town next to our camp so she didn't need somewhere to live and she was willing to help me out around the house with dishes, laundry, bed making etc. which many people won't do. She has been with us for a little over three weeks now and has been an BLESSING!
Priscilla is from the Phillipines and she has three children of her own that live in the Phillipines with her mother. It is incredibly hard to have someone who is living/working away from her three kids come watch your kids because you need a break...when I am sure all she would want is to be around them all the time. Some guilt there for sure but I am focusing on what is best for both of us....I need some help and she needs the work. As I said, she is a pediatric nurse which has already proven to be a huge help as Graham was sick the second weeks she was with us. I was telling John just a couple of weeks ago that I missed having a nurse line to ask simple questions!
She has been an extra set of hands in my day to day life and has helped out so much! When Graham is sleeping she helps with stuff around the house, when he is awake she often spends time with him if there is something I need to work on. She loves our dog (she had two dogs in the Philippines) and will walk Titus and spoils him rotten. He is almost as excited to see her as the kids! Graham loves his morning walks and playground time with her and they get along wonderfully. Peyton is warming up to her and starting to ask to be around her more and more and also started giving her hugs goodbye but she hasn't stayed alone with Priscilla yet. Peyton always notices the things Priscilla does around the house and tells her thank you which makes me happy to see her treat others with respect.
The BEST part is by far the time that I have been able to have with Peyton. We have been able to go have coffee and read books together, go swimming, go to the beach, play games and just have quality time with each other. I am so THANKFUL for that time with Peyton and it has made such a difference in her demeanor. Also, knowing that the day to day stuff is done or at least being done or will get done between the two of us is a huge weight off my shoulders and just allows me to be in the moment and treasuring the time with the kids. And I am enjoying the morning coffees with friends where I don't have Graham with me and can be intentional and focused on conversations and building relationships!
We are so thankful for Priscilla and try to let her know as much as possible what a blessing she is to our family. We continue to pray that it works out and she stays with us as long as possible! I am beyond thankful and incredibly humbled that we are in a country/situation that allows us to afford to have help like this and am soaking up the precious time with my kids and trying to keep the guilt at bay.
What has been missing though and what has been a huge need is help with childcare. With no family here, no childcare at gyms etc I was finding it hard to do things by myself and have some time to recharge/regroup and even more so was finding it hard to spend time with Peyton. I had tons of time with Graham while Peyton was at school but she never got one on one time and I know that one of her love languages is quality time. And I was overwhelmed with the day to day stuff that needed to get done and frustrated that I was always telling the kids "no' or "just wait" while I was finishing tasks around the house. I also have more play dates, coffee gatherings and just commitments than I would have had while we were in the States because there is nothing else to fill our time...I can't run errands until John is home. With Graham napping during the day it has been hard to go and visit people or take Peyton to play dates which is important to her life here so I was either missing events (and then feeling very isolated and down) or taking a cranky baby who needed to be napping and chasing him around and just being frustrated. We have known for awhile (since before I left for Christmas) that we needed regular help to give me a breath and allow me much needed time by myself and also with just Peyton. So... I have been looking for a LONG time for some part time childcare help but it is incredibly hard to find and everyone on camp is looking. I had given up....I figured that at some point in life it would be easier and I would be able to make regular dinners again, bake, do laundry regularly and not be so overwhelmed and that I would continue to do my best at building relationships for me and Peyton and just work through this phase.
Then one afternoon a friend called and said she had heard of a woman who was looking for work and that my friend wanted to split the hours with me. We talked, worked out a schedule which gave us each time during the week and then we interviewed the woman. She was faboulous! The kids loved her, she was a former pediatric nurse who is having a hard time finding work in Saudi, she lives in the town next to our camp so she didn't need somewhere to live and she was willing to help me out around the house with dishes, laundry, bed making etc. which many people won't do. She has been with us for a little over three weeks now and has been an BLESSING!
Priscilla is from the Phillipines and she has three children of her own that live in the Phillipines with her mother. It is incredibly hard to have someone who is living/working away from her three kids come watch your kids because you need a break...when I am sure all she would want is to be around them all the time. Some guilt there for sure but I am focusing on what is best for both of us....I need some help and she needs the work. As I said, she is a pediatric nurse which has already proven to be a huge help as Graham was sick the second weeks she was with us. I was telling John just a couple of weeks ago that I missed having a nurse line to ask simple questions!
She has been an extra set of hands in my day to day life and has helped out so much! When Graham is sleeping she helps with stuff around the house, when he is awake she often spends time with him if there is something I need to work on. She loves our dog (she had two dogs in the Philippines) and will walk Titus and spoils him rotten. He is almost as excited to see her as the kids! Graham loves his morning walks and playground time with her and they get along wonderfully. Peyton is warming up to her and starting to ask to be around her more and more and also started giving her hugs goodbye but she hasn't stayed alone with Priscilla yet. Peyton always notices the things Priscilla does around the house and tells her thank you which makes me happy to see her treat others with respect.
The BEST part is by far the time that I have been able to have with Peyton. We have been able to go have coffee and read books together, go swimming, go to the beach, play games and just have quality time with each other. I am so THANKFUL for that time with Peyton and it has made such a difference in her demeanor. Also, knowing that the day to day stuff is done or at least being done or will get done between the two of us is a huge weight off my shoulders and just allows me to be in the moment and treasuring the time with the kids. And I am enjoying the morning coffees with friends where I don't have Graham with me and can be intentional and focused on conversations and building relationships!
We are so thankful for Priscilla and try to let her know as much as possible what a blessing she is to our family. We continue to pray that it works out and she stays with us as long as possible! I am beyond thankful and incredibly humbled that we are in a country/situation that allows us to afford to have help like this and am soaking up the precious time with my kids and trying to keep the guilt at bay.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Just another shopping trip...
Every shopping trip here is an experience. Whether it is rushing to beat prayers, praying for safety on the roads and the crazy driving, trying to find something that seems like it should be there or at that store...many, many times we just have to laugh. Well, the other night when we went and got the bike for Peyton we had a couple of instances that stood out to us. The first was when we went looking for air purifiers for our house. The dust, sand and wind really make for some bad allergies and we were hoping to find something to help in the house. We found some great Honeywell purifiers for the rooms but I was tempted to buy the following.....
Because whenever I think of a product promotion....I think of deep fryers and air purifiers. Totally random in my opinion.
What is really blog worthy about our shopping trip that evening was the background music in the mall...wait, not music because that is forbidden in Saudi malls....instead we had this....
Yes....a fire alarm sound.....for the THREE hours plus that we were shopping. I almost LOST it! The AC was off because they like to turn it off in low peak hours and it was an early weeknight so I was hot, wearing my abaya, trying to buy kids clothes for our cruise in between prayers, Graham was crying because he wanted to walk and I was going crazy with the annoying fire alarm sound. Have no idea why it was going off. No one seemed worried. Pretty much we guessed that the guy who knows how to work that was either not there or busy and since there is only one person who knows how to do it, they just let it go and go and go.
And although this wasn't in Saudi...my sister in Abu Dhabi posted a picture of something she found in the toy section of a store called LuLu's.....we have a LuLu's here but I seriously doubt that we have such a risque toy sold in the store in Saudi....
Another random find in The Middle East! I love how it is between a toy phone and a solar kit science thing. This place just cracks me up sometimes!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
63 days...and finally DONE!!!
Today marks day 63 of John's shutdown at work which has meant 7 days straight of 13 hours days. He did manage to get one day off at Easter and then three days he was able to come home 3 hours earlier BUT for the most part he has been putting in some long and tiring days at work and I have been a single parent.
Leading up to this turnaround, I was nervous and incredibly worried how I was going to manage the normal day to day, plus dinner, baths and bedtimes (they are in bed when he gets home unless I keep them up which happens more for Peyton than Graham) and then still do it all on the weekends when we have no activities planned. I was scared and seriously doubting my ability to manage. But....I can say...it has gone MUCH better than expected!
There has been some seriously really rough days but for the most part we have adjusted and are doing pretty well. And what has held us through this was the continued dependence and reliance on Him. I prayed a TON, read verses and reflected on them as much as I could, and daily prayed that He would step in when I was stumbling or getting tired. Yes, there were days where I was really frustrated, not doing praying and being a selfish/crying baby but when I look at the time as a whole, I can say that what has been interesting about this whole experience is how much stronger I am....when I am submissive and dependent on Him....and when we come out on the other end of things or situations I am much more confident in my role as a wife and mother. It has been so true that the challenge of living here and the difficult times has caused tremendous growth in many areas. I have learned so much about myself, how I process things, my feelings/emotions, strengths and weaknesses and am more conscious of my thoughts and perspectives on things and for all of that...I can say that I am thankful for this time.
I have had some wonderful times of reflection, mediation and quietness which I didn't think would happen with two kids. And I have also had intense amounts of fun hanging out with both of them. We have had many spur of the moment trips to the beach, totally casual dinners...and sometimes cereal for dinner, and at the end of this my relationship with both of them has gotten stronger.
And I was prepared for it to last until we left for our vacation in two weeks. The other day was a really long day at our house and I was tired, overwhelmed, frustrated and so I took a moment and just prayed for some help, strength, perserverance. Within minutes of saying that prayer, I got a text from John that said, "I guess your call into the boss worked, off this weekend and 40 hour weeks until we leave." Not really the same boss he was referring to but "the boss" certainly answered a tired mommy's prayer! So thankful this is done and praying that it really is done and he doesn't have to go back in!
Leading up to this turnaround, I was nervous and incredibly worried how I was going to manage the normal day to day, plus dinner, baths and bedtimes (they are in bed when he gets home unless I keep them up which happens more for Peyton than Graham) and then still do it all on the weekends when we have no activities planned. I was scared and seriously doubting my ability to manage. But....I can say...it has gone MUCH better than expected!
There has been some seriously really rough days but for the most part we have adjusted and are doing pretty well. And what has held us through this was the continued dependence and reliance on Him. I prayed a TON, read verses and reflected on them as much as I could, and daily prayed that He would step in when I was stumbling or getting tired. Yes, there were days where I was really frustrated, not doing praying and being a selfish/crying baby but when I look at the time as a whole, I can say that what has been interesting about this whole experience is how much stronger I am....when I am submissive and dependent on Him....and when we come out on the other end of things or situations I am much more confident in my role as a wife and mother. It has been so true that the challenge of living here and the difficult times has caused tremendous growth in many areas. I have learned so much about myself, how I process things, my feelings/emotions, strengths and weaknesses and am more conscious of my thoughts and perspectives on things and for all of that...I can say that I am thankful for this time.
I have had some wonderful times of reflection, mediation and quietness which I didn't think would happen with two kids. And I have also had intense amounts of fun hanging out with both of them. We have had many spur of the moment trips to the beach, totally casual dinners...and sometimes cereal for dinner, and at the end of this my relationship with both of them has gotten stronger.
And I was prepared for it to last until we left for our vacation in two weeks. The other day was a really long day at our house and I was tired, overwhelmed, frustrated and so I took a moment and just prayed for some help, strength, perserverance. Within minutes of saying that prayer, I got a text from John that said, "I guess your call into the boss worked, off this weekend and 40 hour weeks until we leave." Not really the same boss he was referring to but "the boss" certainly answered a tired mommy's prayer! So thankful this is done and praying that it really is done and he doesn't have to go back in!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Enjoying the Weather
As miserable as the summers can be here in Saudi, I am finding the winter/early spring amazing! I am loving the warm days with the breeze off the ocean and we are outside as much as possible. Between the pool, beach, splash pad, park, enjoying the outdoor seating area at the coffee shop, looking for seashells and even just going for walks we spend the majority of our days outside the house. I know once end of May comes...we will be stuck inside and miserable so I am soaking it in right now!
The other night I took the kids to play in the sand right before sun set to work on some photography homework. Peyton was miserable and only participated for a brief moment and then she decided that she was going to pack up our stuff and head out early....
Graham just had a blast playing with the sand, exploring and being content...
Peyton's class also is doing more outdoor activities and they had a morning at the splash pad the other day and of course Peyton had a blast!
Graham also came to the field trip but he mostly observed the chaos. This was the second time he has been to the splash pad and he isn't sure what it is all about. Finally at the end, Peyton held his hand and they walked through it together and he was alright with it but not really all that excited...Not like Peyton who LOVES it!
This weekend I envision more beach and splash pad time and hopefully getting out on the beach for sunrise because I have some photography homework that would be perfect at that time! Enjoying the Saudi weather (and getting a nice tan) before it is miserable!
The other night I took the kids to play in the sand right before sun set to work on some photography homework. Peyton was miserable and only participated for a brief moment and then she decided that she was going to pack up our stuff and head out early....
Peyton's class also is doing more outdoor activities and they had a morning at the splash pad the other day and of course Peyton had a blast!
Graham also came to the field trip but he mostly observed the chaos. This was the second time he has been to the splash pad and he isn't sure what it is all about. Finally at the end, Peyton held his hand and they walked through it together and he was alright with it but not really all that excited...Not like Peyton who LOVES it!
This weekend I envision more beach and splash pad time and hopefully getting out on the beach for sunrise because I have some photography homework that would be perfect at that time! Enjoying the Saudi weather (and getting a nice tan) before it is miserable!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Saudi House Tour
When we first moved here in May I did a post of what our new house looks like here. I had the intention of putting up "after" pictures once we got settle and kept forgetting to do it. So, finally I made sure the house was clean and took pictures.
So...lets get started!
So...lets get started!
Here is our floor plan to help visualize where everything is
I don't have an before picture of what the entry looked like but essentially it was nothing. Here is what our entry looks like now....
Currently I have our Spring branches in with Easter eggs hanging. Once Easter is over I will keep the Cherry Blososm branches and just take off the eggs. In the fall I have some nice orange, brown and red branches. On the wall is an etching that we bought at a Bazzar here of a Bedouin lady on a camel. We finally got it framed and up on the wall. The bookcase serves as a place to store everything...I have a birthday present on there that I need to give to someone, one basket is the dogs leash and ball and the other is where I store dry cleaning. Since it is not too big of a basket, it helps make sure that it doesn't pile up.
Just off the entry is a large, rectangular living and dining room.
Before
After
The room is divided into three purposes...the more formal living room which is above. We typically watch non cartoons in here and the occasional movie with the kids. Then there is the dining area which is below. We eat all our meals here and it has worked out well. I made sure to buy lots of different kinds of fun kid colored plastic place mats so we keep the table nice and we bought slipcovers for the leather chairs before we came which are awesome, just take them off and wash them.
My desk and laptop sit between the two areas. Not the most ideal place for an office area but it works and I can work on the blog while watching kids play in the playroom next to this room.
Off the living/dining room is the playroom and more relaxed living area. This is the room that we love having as we did not have this space in Texas. It has been awesome to have a play area.
Before- isn't it depressing....there was NOTHING in here for the first four months we were here!
After
Off of the playroom/living room is the kitchen.
Before
After
You can't do much with a kitchen in company housing so other than adding some accessories, a rug and a blind we tried to update it and make it not so bland. But if this was my house we would totally be knocking down cabinets to open it up to the playroom and updating counters and cabinets and floors and appliances! But it works for us as is!
On the opposite side of the house is all the bedrooms (3) and the bathrooms (2). At the one end of the hall is the master bedroom and bathroom.
Before
After
Currently what is in our master is what we had in Texas which I loved but our house in Texas was much brighter, had beautiful wood floors and it felt bright and airy and just what I wanted. Here it just seems dull. So, I have been wanting to update it with some bright colors, add some reds and I am hoping to buy this duvet from Pottery Barn.
John has kind of agreed to it but hasn't given me the full go ahead to order so I am waiting on that. I am hoping with that, a textured headboard in either a wood or even a Seagrass/basket material would add some dimension and something different to a pretty bland room.
Just down from our room is the second bathroom which is the kids bathroom and guest bathroom in one.
Before
After
Also on this side of the house and down the hall are the kids two rooms. I completly redid Peyton's when we moved here and I love it. I probably like it more than she does. I bought everything from Pottery Barn Kids and most of the furntiture is from Ikea and the lamps are a combination from Ikea or Target.
Before
After
And finally here is Graham's room which is essentially the same as it was in Texas minus the paint color. I am still so happy that my mom helped me with the curtains and bedding. We did have a cute bed skirt which you can see here but when we lowered the crib it didn't work. I am going to work on it and get it to fit on his big boy bed when he moves into that...hopefully not anytime soon.
Before
After
After picture to come....whenever I have a spare moment it means he is asleep and I am not about to disturb him. But it looks almost identical to his room in Texas.....
That is it! Hope you enjoyed seeing where we live here in the desert!
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