It's about 7:30 AM on a Friday morning and coffee is brewing. We don't have work today, but we don't have work every Friday! Our work week is Sunday through Thursday, so we don't work on Fridays, but we do work on Sundays. It is still a 2-day weekend, but it's taking a little getting used to.
Shortly after my first blog post, my brother, Alfred, asked me if I had posted anything else to my "fake blog." He was more or less making fun of me! James and I started a blog when we were in Guatemala without much success. I think we posted once or twice to that blog, but I am determined to keep this one going. So far, so good because here is my second post!
This was another great month is Saudi Arabia. James and I are getting more settled in at home and at work, and we are excitedly anticipating the arrival of our baby girl. As of today, I am 30 weeks and 4 days pregnant. 9 weeks and 3 days to go! We bought a crib and changing table this week. The crib is put together, and the plan is to put the changing table together later today :) Doctor's appointments have been going well, and me and baby are healthy, which is the most important thing!
This is one of my favorite times of the year for many reasons, but I especially look forward to this time of the year for pumpkins! Saudi Arabia imports pumpkins from California, so we did actually carve a pumpkin this year - our first pumpkin carving as a married couple (and ever because we never carved a pumpkin together before!).
James did the carving, and I picked through the mush for pumpkin seeds, which we roasted later. I would highly recommend it! Even though some of ours turned out a little burnt, they were quite delicious, and I have been told they are nutritious as well. In addition to having pumpkins, Saudi also offers canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice at the grocery store AND they actually have PSL (Pumpkin Spiced Lattes) at Starbucks here - my absolute favorite!
James and I did dress up for Halloween this year. It was a bit last minute and very homemade (completely made from construction paper), but we dressed up as characters from the game Angry Birds. I dressed up the red bird named Red, and it was perfect because the shape of my belly was quite like Red's circular body! And James dressed up as the green pig named Minion Pig.
So, despite my large status, we did manage to go on two trips this month. We flew to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (country to the southeast of Saudi), and we drove to the "Edge of the World" camping site in Saudi Arabia.
Abu Dhabi was a quick weekend trip, and we went there because, well, we wanted to get away! We had never been there before AND we wanted to see two of our friends from San Diego, Amy and Brandon, complete in the World Flowboarding Championship. It's a bit difficult to explain what flowboarding actually is, but I think the pictures will give a pretty good idea. Amy ended up taking 2nd place in both of her events this year (Women's strapped and strapless on the Flow Barrel). Congrats Amy! And James and I got to cheer them and the other USA competitors on and play in a pretty cool water park :) Here are some of the pictures from the trip!
The "Edge of the World" camping trip was also a quick weekend trip, but quite a site to see! We drove for about an hour outside of the city to get to the turn off, and then it was about an hour of off-roading to get to the actual camp site. We hiked around the edge of the world , and then we set up camp comfortably far from "the edge." The Saudi desert is surprisingly beautiful. It gets very dark at night, and you can see a billion stars. Then, later on during the night, and during this particular stay there was a half moon, the moon comes out, and it is almost as if somebody turned on the lights because it is so bright! Who knew the desert could be quite so beautiful?
So, this next paragraph is for my northeast Philadelphia family and friends because you may remember a store in the Franklin Mills Mall shopping center called Carrefour. It used to be over by where Dick's Sporting Goods is right now. Well, did you ever wonder where that store went? They are in Saudi Arabia! The employees are no longer wearing roller skates, but they are wearing roller blades! I couldn't believe it! It was a little blast from the past...
This past week at school was UN Week. It started off with the UN Festival hosted by our PTSO (Parent Teacher Student Organization) last Saturday with various activities throughout this week at school. And it ended with a school-wide (K-12) UN celebration yesterday. It was really heartwarming to see people from all over the world come together like that. I learned so much about the many different cultures represented at my school. It actually gave me goosebumps! In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am thankful to work with such amazing people from all over the world <3
Shortly after my first blog post, my brother, Alfred, asked me if I had posted anything else to my "fake blog." He was more or less making fun of me! James and I started a blog when we were in Guatemala without much success. I think we posted once or twice to that blog, but I am determined to keep this one going. So far, so good because here is my second post!
This was another great month is Saudi Arabia. James and I are getting more settled in at home and at work, and we are excitedly anticipating the arrival of our baby girl. As of today, I am 30 weeks and 4 days pregnant. 9 weeks and 3 days to go! We bought a crib and changing table this week. The crib is put together, and the plan is to put the changing table together later today :) Doctor's appointments have been going well, and me and baby are healthy, which is the most important thing!
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| 7 and 1/2 months pregnant! |
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| A slight side view to see more of the belly! |
This is one of my favorite times of the year for many reasons, but I especially look forward to this time of the year for pumpkins! Saudi Arabia imports pumpkins from California, so we did actually carve a pumpkin this year - our first pumpkin carving as a married couple (and ever because we never carved a pumpkin together before!).
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| Our pumpkin |
James did the carving, and I picked through the mush for pumpkin seeds, which we roasted later. I would highly recommend it! Even though some of ours turned out a little burnt, they were quite delicious, and I have been told they are nutritious as well. In addition to having pumpkins, Saudi also offers canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice at the grocery store AND they actually have PSL (Pumpkin Spiced Lattes) at Starbucks here - my absolute favorite!
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| Our roasted pumpkin seeds |
James and I did dress up for Halloween this year. It was a bit last minute and very homemade (completely made from construction paper), but we dressed up as characters from the game Angry Birds. I dressed up the red bird named Red, and it was perfect because the shape of my belly was quite like Red's circular body! And James dressed up as the green pig named Minion Pig.
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| Halloween costumes |
So, despite my large status, we did manage to go on two trips this month. We flew to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (country to the southeast of Saudi), and we drove to the "Edge of the World" camping site in Saudi Arabia.
Abu Dhabi was a quick weekend trip, and we went there because, well, we wanted to get away! We had never been there before AND we wanted to see two of our friends from San Diego, Amy and Brandon, complete in the World Flowboarding Championship. It's a bit difficult to explain what flowboarding actually is, but I think the pictures will give a pretty good idea. Amy ended up taking 2nd place in both of her events this year (Women's strapped and strapless on the Flow Barrel). Congrats Amy! And James and I got to cheer them and the other USA competitors on and play in a pretty cool water park :) Here are some of the pictures from the trip!
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| We stayed at the Crowne Plaza on Yas Island |
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| Our friend, Brandon, during the competition |
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| In the shallow end of the wave pool - no slides for prego! |
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| Watching the competition and cheering on USA! |
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| Another picture of Brandon |
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| From the balcony of our hotel room |
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| Our friend, Amy, during the competition |
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| James and Amy in the lazy river after some rides |
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| Black one-hump camel on the way to the Edge of the World |
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| Overlooking the Edge of the World |
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| Another picture from the Edge of the World |
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| Prego picture from the campsite before setting up camp |
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| White one-hump camel on our way home |
So, this next paragraph is for my northeast Philadelphia family and friends because you may remember a store in the Franklin Mills Mall shopping center called Carrefour. It used to be over by where Dick's Sporting Goods is right now. Well, did you ever wonder where that store went? They are in Saudi Arabia! The employees are no longer wearing roller skates, but they are wearing roller blades! I couldn't believe it! It was a little blast from the past...
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| Our Carrefour shopping cart |
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| Can you see the guy in roller blades? He is in the very center of the picture! |
This past week at school was UN Week. It started off with the UN Festival hosted by our PTSO (Parent Teacher Student Organization) last Saturday with various activities throughout this week at school. And it ended with a school-wide (K-12) UN celebration yesterday. It was really heartwarming to see people from all over the world come together like that. I learned so much about the many different cultures represented at my school. It actually gave me goosebumps! In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am thankful to work with such amazing people from all over the world <3
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| At the UN Festival at our school |
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| Sitting in the "Circle of Nations" |
And we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving...yet! Our social committee at school is hosting a Turkey Trot tomorrow morning and a Thanksgiving celebration dinner tomorrow afternoon. We will get to eat some turkey then!
Although we are not headed back to the United States for Christmas this year, we do have one last trip planned before our baby arrives! We are headed to Bahrain for some rest and relaxation (and some alcohol (no alcohol for me tho!) and bacon since they are outlawed in Saudi!) over the holidays this year. We are definitely looking forward to that and more on that in next month's post!
Although we are not headed back to the United States for Christmas this year, we do have one last trip planned before our baby arrives! We are headed to Bahrain for some rest and relaxation (and some alcohol (no alcohol for me tho!) and bacon since they are outlawed in Saudi!) over the holidays this year. We are definitely looking forward to that and more on that in next month's post!
Stay stoked.
