It's been quite a year and quite the month over here in Saudi Arabia! I am a bit late getting this December post out, but better late than never...
Thanksgiving in Saudi
Tis the season! At the end of November, our school hosted a 2.5K, 5K, and 10K Turkey Trot. James and I participated in the 5K - walking only for me, but I did finish! Later that day, an American Thanksgiving dinner was prepared by the Social Committee at our school. It was 2 days later than actual Thanksgiving, but it was a fun event with great food and friends.
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| Finishing the 5K Turkey Trot |
Baby Rampley
James and I have been preparing the nursery for our baby girl - so exciting! We bought a very cute crib and changing table that James put together. Thank God! Because there were about a million little pieces for each. We graciously received a glider from another couple at our school that wasn't using theirs anymore, and it matches the crib and changing table perfectly. We think that the nursery is ready to go whenever Baby Rampley decides to make her appearance. February 2nd - Groundhog's Day - is her due date!
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| James still has a smile on his face after putting together the crib and working on the changing table :) |
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| Nursery view from the bedroom door |
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| To the right as you walk in the bedroom door |
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| Glider and dresser |
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| Crib and glider |
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| Changing table and crib |
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| Crib |
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| Glider with baby blanket quilted by James' Mom :) |
My coworkers and friends decided to host a baby shower for me, and it was absolutely lovely! The girls and I got to spend the morning chatting, eating great food, and opening presents in my friend Jessica's backyard. It could not have been more perfect <3
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| Playing games with the girls |
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| Opening presents! |
A Swedish Christmas
Although we were not able to come home for Christmas this year, thankfully, James and I were able to spend it with some friends that also did not go home for Christmas this year. Our friends, Chris & Sara had us over for a Swedish Christmas meal on Christmas Eve, and everything was delicious - the food and the company! The spread was quite amazing - cooked salmon with a caviar sauce, pickled herring, smoked salmon with a mustard sauce, Swedish meatballs with beat salad, just to name a few. It was not our typical ham and turkey Christmas meal, but it could not have been better!
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| Delicious Swedish food |
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| And more delicious food |
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| The beautiful dining room table |
Bahrain
James and I stuck around Riyadh for the first few days of our vacation, and the day after Christmas, we ventured out on our last "childless" vacation to Bahrain for 5 days. Bahrain is a small island to the east of Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf. We stayed at a spa resort on the beach where we celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary!! We relaxed, did some shopping, and most importantly got to spend time with each other in a beautiful place :)
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| Map of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in relation to Bahrain |
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| View of the beach and the Persian Gulf from our balcony |
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| View of the pool from our balcony |
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| A surprise cake from the hotel for our anniversary <3 |
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| Famous camel statue to promote peace |
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| Best place to get some bacon and pork, owned by an American |
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| Our attempt at some maternity photos :) |
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| Another maternity photo attempt ;) |
Today, I am 35 weeks and 3 days pregnant. I have 4 weeks and 4 days to go, and according to thebump.com, our baby is as big as a coconut ;) We cannot wait to meet her!!!
The bittersweet end & an exciting new beginning
New Year's Eve was our last event for this month and this year, and our friends Bryan & Disha had a bunch of us over for drinks and appetizers. And for any cousins reading this, I made buffalo chicken dip, and it was a huge hit! Although we did not watch the ball drop, - that happened 8 hours after our midnight and we were fast asleep by that time! - we did watch a new year's countdown on TV. It was low-key, and that was just fine by me (and baby)!
As I reflect upon this past month and the past year, I realize how lucky we are and how grateful I am to be me! In 2013, James and I got engaged and got married, and in 2014, we got pregnant. We have a new niece, Keely Marie - love her! We also got new jobs and moved to a new country. And most importantly, we are safe and healthy. I couldn't be more stoked about all of the wonderful things that have happened to us this past year, and I am more stoked than ever to see what 2015 holds for us and for all of you!
Stay stoked.
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