One week down!

It's Tuesday, which means we've been here one whole week. I can't think of too many updates other than I'm STILL fighting jet lag and Travis went back to work. We've met some lovely people who have ensured that we won't go hungry by inviting us for dinner almost every night :) This is quite nice since figuring out what and how to cook with a kitchen only equipped with a few pots and pans has been challenging.

Last night I finally slept 6 consecutive hours, and it felt glorious. Hopefully over the next couple days we'll start sleeping normally again.

It was really nice have Travis home for nearly 3 weeks, but it's also good to start getting in a routine. I'm loving that he's working 'normal' hours instead of turnaround hours--leaving at 5:30 am is so much more reasonable than 4:30!

I can already feel that our pace of life has slowed, and it's such a refreshing change of pace from our hectic lives in Houston. Of course being able to look out our back window to a beach and palm trees might have something to do with it :) I love that there are lots of birds that hang out in our backyard and on our patio. Lucy loves watching for them and exclaims "BIRDIE!" when she sees one. We've also taken her down the pier by our house to feed bread heels to the fish. These are things we just couldn't see or do on a daily basis in the middle of Houston! Travis is taking advantage of having a running path right outside our backyard that leads to the rec center. He's been able to work out or run almost every day! I'm looking forward to enjoying this amenity once baby comes and the weather cools off a little. For now I would rather stay inside. Because even though it seems to be about the same hot that Houston was, it's still really hot.

The agenda for this week includes my first OB appointment tomorrow in the big city of Khobar. I'm also going to attempt to make chicken stock for the first time since that's one thing you can't find here. Travis is looking forward to the weekly basketball game tonight and I hope I can stay awake past 8:30. Hopefully our air shipment will arrive this week too!

A few quirks we've encountered: You can buy eggs in cartons of 6 or 18, but not 12. You can buy cokes individually or in a pack of 24. I found hot taco seasoning but not mild. There's something smelly in the air in the evenings, but I haven't noticed it during the day.

Since we are currently in the Ramadan season, we haven't ventured out as much as we normally would.  Very few places are open at all during the day besides the grocery store. I haven't minded staying in the house focused on recovering from jet lag though. We did go to Chili's for dinner a couple nights ago--This was my first experience to enter the 'family' side of a restaurant. The booths all had curtains you could draw closed and we couldn't see anyone else who was there eating. Definitely made for a more intimate dining experience than I'm used to in chili's! Instead of chips and salsa, we were served dates and a fried empanada looking thing that was intended for "breaking fast". Lucy enjoyed the empanada (or whatever it was) and then the waiter heard us talking about how much she loved fries so he brought her a plate of fries! Yes Babka, that's all she ate for dinner. There was a tv in the dining room, but instead of being tuned to sports it was tuned to a camera in the kitchen! I guess that's one way to make the cooks accountable for correctly preparing your food! We also learned that wait staff here is generally afraid to be too intrusive so you have to ask if you need something.

FCC friends, Lucy LOVES looking at the memory book you gave us. She brings it to me several times a day saying "Picture book! Read!" and we go through and name everyone in it. I can't always make it through with dry eyes but that's because we can feel your love and prayers, and it helps us feel not so far away from you!

Overall it's a pretty good life here, and we're looking forward to being over jet lag, getting more settled, and seeing more of what Saudi has to offer. If you want to know anything specific feel free to post a question in the comments or email us!

And because a blog post isn't complete without a Lucy picture, here she is helping me cook dinner wearing her 'bead shirt'.

First impressions of Saudi... and our new home!

We've been here for three days now. The jet lag fog is finally starting to lift and it's nice to feel almost human again. We are so impressed at how well Lucy has handled it--she has slept great and we've had to wake her up each morning and from naps to make sure she doesn't sleep too much! It's taken Travis and I a bit longer to get on schedule but finally last night we slept through and woke at a normal time (Thank you Ambien!)

Our new house is beautiful. It is significantly more spacious than the townhome we've been living in for the last 5 years and it has a YARD! I'm so excited for the girls to be able to run outside and play without needing to plan for a walk to a park. Our yard looks out to a beautiful view of the Persian Gulf.

View from our yard!

The first morning a kind neighbor invited me to go along with her to the grocery store. So nice to have someone to show me the ropes! I must say I was extremely impressed with the selection and size of the store. It will be significantly easier to plan meals here than it was when we lived in Prague! Another pleasant surprise is the milk is good.

Our second morning another neighbor invited us to hang out on the beach for awhile. Even though it is hot here, I think it actually feels better outside than it does in Houston! We have a nice breeze blowing off the gulf and in the shade it can actually be almost pleasant. So cool to be able to walk out the back door and be on the beach :)

Lucy and Daddy walking home from lunch

Today and tomorrow we are enjoying family time before Travis goes back to work on Sunday. Despite the craziness of preparing for a move across the world, it has been so nice to have a three week break with him after he worked 12+ hour days for 5 weeks in turnaround non-stop.

Other first impressions:

• Overall it feels like our life here will be a lot more 'normal' and 'western' than I was expecting. The grocery store (Tamimi--Safeway owned) and 'hardware' store (Saco--Ace owned) have a much larger selection of products than I was prepared for. 
• So far it does not feel hotter than Houston. It has been seriously windy though and I'm sure when the winds die down it won't be as comfortable. 
• Our villa has 4 A/C units and they all run A LOT. Unfortunately we didn't discover this until day 2 and I kept turning up the unit in our bedroom the first night thinking that would make Lucy's room a little warmer. She continued to get colder while we kicked off all the covers. 
• The highway and cars look so "American". I've never been to a foreign country where there are just as many large cars and nice highways as we have back home!
• It will be pretty easy to get used to living on the compound within walking distance of all of our friends, a beach, a restaurant, and a gym. Can't say I miss my car at all yet.
• Jet lag was terrible. I hope we figure out a better way to deal with that next time we travel! That said, Lucy has slept awesome each night so far and doesn't seem to be nearly as affected by it as we were!
• Wearing the abaya for the few shopping trips I've been on has not been a big deal at all. I sort of forget I'm wearing it. I sort of appreciated it yesterday when I was in the depths of jet lag fog and didn't feel like getting dressed up :)
• Lucy is taking to the change a lot better than we expected. She calls this "new home" and enjoys the same perks about it that we do. She does miss her Houston friends and talks about them a lot.

Here's a couple more pictures of the front and back of our house. We'll post some inside pictures once we get more settled!

Front of house--we live in an end unit that goes to the third window on the right

Back view of our house. 

Lucy enjoying the shade on our back patio

Our Last Week in the States

In the 10 days before our flight to Saudi, we had all of our earthly possessions packed in either a box or a suitcase, drove over 1200 miles, flew 1358 miles, and slept in 5 different beds. Poor Lucy had to sleep in 5 different pack-n-plays in 7 different rooms, including a bathroom, a closet, and an unfinished basement storage room. And somehow she has been a better sleeper the past week then ever before! As long as she has Elmo, her blanket, and she can see the light on the monitor she has been going to sleep without any additional fussing. What a blessing!

Blue lines mark travel by car, green mark travel by plane (private from KS to CO, commercial from CO to TX).

Moving day was Friday the 12th and it was topped off with a great meal at the Sealocks. The kids were having so much fun playing together we let them stay up WAY past their bedtime. Taking Lucy away from her friends is absolutely the most heartbreaking part of this move for me.

Three Amigos

Our drive to KS on Saturday July 13 was easy and uneventful. Possibly thanks to Lucy staying up so late the night before, she took two two hour naps. Sunday morning we worshiped at FCC Manhattan and that evening Travis' dad cooked a very delicious brisket and invited my extended family over for dinner. We had a lovely meal together and Lucy had fun playing with her great aunts and uncles.

Always have to stop at Varsity Donuts before going to church at FCC Manhattan

Monday we took Lucy to the new and improved City Park where she had a blast on the swings. The weather was perfect! It was so nice to enjoy some cooler temps. We had breakfast at Bob's Diner and then took her to K-State to meet some of our professors. Travis gave Lucy a campus tour on the way to lunch at Coco Bolo's. She made it all the way through but was tuckered out by the end!

Having fun with the swings at City Park

Exhausted after Daddy's campus tour

Monday evening we drove to Kansas City. We had dinner plans with Sonder, Todd and Clara Crane. Lucy and Clara enjoyed trading food and running amok. Travis enjoyed drinking some new Tallgrass Brewery Beer. After dinner we went back to my cousin Chris' house where Lucy had a great time playing with her cousins Milla and Fynn. We stayed up late with Chris and Dom to celebrate Jenny's birthday. She would have been 36 on Tuesday. 

Tuesday we enjoyed a great breakfast on the porch at Chris and Dom's (again taking advantage of the lovely weather) and spent the afternoon with Sonder and Clara. The girls had so much fun splashing in the pool and playing duets on the piano together (just like their mommies did about 20 years ago!)

Lucy and Clara loved hanging out in Clara's pool

Before heading out of KC we were able to meet up with Nick Uthoff for lunch. It was great catching up, but as always, was too short. We are definitely looking forward to our home leave visits where we will be able to spend more time with friends, instead of trying to fit it all into a frantic weekend!

Lucy, Milla and Fynn

Back in Manhattan Lucy was most concerned about spending quality time with Samson. In the car she would practice saying "Hi Sam-mie!" and "Bye, Sam-mie!" They became good friends by the end of the week.

Best friends. Popco says Lucy needs a puppy...

Lucy LOVED flying in Popco's airplane, specifically take-off and landing. Despite plaintive requests for "OUT!" while we were cruising, when it was actually time to leave the plane we had to remove her from the cockpit literally kicking and screaming.

Did I catch a "niner" in there?

At the Ferree's house Lucy loved meeting their dog Wylie and playing with her cousins Eva, Nico, Jakob, Pixley, Kylee and Isaac.

Cousins

Saturday evening we sadly had to leave the fish fry early to catch our flight back to Houston. We hit the most ridiculous traffic driving to Denver, but at least I-25 has a pretty view regardless of the traffic situation!

Once we were at the airport we were delayed taking off, but again Lucy handled the crazy schedule like a champ. She slept for most of the flight despite other kids around her crying the whole time. We made it to the Johnston's house about 2:00 in the morning. So thankful for our dear friends who will let us in at that hour!

Sunday morning we went to church with a conflicted heart. We have been attending First Christian Church Houston for nearly 7 years and have shared so much of our lives with this community, both the good times and the hard. We were completely humbled by the outpouring of love and support. The food was delicious and we will proudly display the framed picture with well wishes and the book of memories. I haven't been able to bring myself to read the book yet (emotions are still a little too raw!) but I know we will treasure it forever.

Travis and I sang Sara Groves' "Joy is in Our Hearts" for special music during the service. I know the original intent of the song was around entirely different circumstances but I think this expresses how we feel better than we can say it ourselves:

We were pressed on every side

Full of fear and troubled thoughts

For good reason we carried heavy hearts

It is good to come together

In our friendship to remember

All the reasons hope is in our hearts

Hallelujah Hallelujah

Christ our Joy and Strength

To listen to the original version of the song click here.

Sunday evening we went to Amazon Grill for dinner with everyone who could make it. The kids had so much fun running around and rearranging the chairs!

Lucy, Susannah, and "Baby Pate"

Say Cheese!

I think we're still catching up on our sleep from all that adventure, but we wouldn't change a thing about it. Thank you to all our friends and family who took time out of your busy schedules to send us off!

Saudi Adventure FAQ

As can be imagined, a lot of people have had a lot of questions about our upcoming adventure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Here is a list of many of the Frequently Asked Questions, and our answers... or at least what we know so far. If you have any questions to add, feel free to post a comment!

Are you excited? Nervous?
Yes to both! We are excited for my work opportunities, the travel opportunities, the new community of friendships we will develop, and the chance for our girls to grow up in a new culture. We are nervous and sad about leaving our friends and family behind and hope we can continue those relationships as best we can.

What's Travis' new job?
I will be the Operations Manager for the Polypropylene and Polystyrene units at our Saudi Polymers Company. SPCo is part of our larger S-Chem facility, and it's all a joint venture between Chevron Phillips and National Petrochemicals Company (Petrochem), which is owned by KSA. For more information, check out www.saudipolymers.com.

How long will you be in Saudi?
We signed on for a 3-5 year term. Ask me again in a couple years and I'll give you a better answer. :)

Have you found a place to live?
We will be living in our corporate compound, Murjan Village, on the Northern edge of the city of Jubail (sometimes called Al-Jubayl). To call it a "compound" is a bit misleading... more like a secure beach resort! I've posted some pictures of Murjan below. I was able to stay in a villa during my 3 week trip last month, but we are lucky enough to be moving into an even bigger one! So the pictures aren't exactly what our place will look like, but pretty close. All of the American families from S-Chem live in Murjan. It is a pretty tight community with a lot of regular activities.



Front yard of the villa I stayed in

Dining, sitting and living rooms, viewed from the entryway

Kitchen

Beautiful view from the back balcony

Murjan Village yard sculptures. (That's a camel, not a dinosaur...)

Is it safe to be over there?
All in all, yes. There hasn't been an attack on an expatriate civilian compound in Saudi in over a decade. The compound has tight security, as does the Industrial City. I am sure we will still be on our guard, especially at first, but I am confident that we will be well taken care of.

Will Jeanette and Lucy have to be covered up all the time?
While inside the compound, it's all Western rules. While out and about (yes, you can easily go out and about) Jeanette will have to wear an abaya. She has a head scarf as well, but will not be required to wear it except if we go into a mosque. Lucy is all good for a few more years. I'm still not sure exactly when she has to cover up, but I'm guessing around age 10.

Jeanette's starter abaya. She'll probably get one with some designs/bling/flare when she gets to Saudi.

Will Jeanette have the baby over there? Will she have dual citizenship?
Yes, Jeanette will give birth in Saudi. Thankfully, we are not the first to go through this. Several S-Chem women have had babies in the last few years, and have shared lots of information about their experiences with Jeanette. No, the baby will not have dual citizenship. She will be 100% Saudi. ... Just kidding. All American!

Can you drive a car?
No, the company does not allow us to drive. It's not a legal thing, but rather a safety thing. Saudi drivers are CRAZY. The company has a transportation service comprised of forty some drivers who are on call 24-7 to take you wherever you want to go. It will take some getting used to, but all in all is not a bad thing.

Are you allowed to be a Christian over there? 
Yes. In regions of KSA that aren't overly-conservative, it is understood and accepted that most expats are Christians. Jubail is on the opposite side of the country from Mecca, and being an industrial city it has a very large expat presence. As long as you don't proselytize (evangelize), you will be left alone. Many Saudis recognize that the God we each worship is one and the same. Within the compound, personal, private worship is allowed.

How often will you get to come home?
We will likely come back to the states once or twice a year. One of the best parts of an international assignment is the additional vacation. Instead of my normal 3 weeks, I'll get 4 weeks plus a week for home leave, a week for R&R and 2 weeks to float for holidays. We expect our first trip back to be for Jessica and Nate's respective graduations from medical and law school, and even more exciting, their wedding in May 2014!

Will you get to travel a lot?
Yes! We will probably do a "big" international trip twice a year. Since we'll be starting from the other side of the world, we will be able to see places that aren't as easy to get to from over here. Some popular destinations are Thailand, Australia, Africa and Eastern Europe. We will also be able to take some smaller trips in the Middle East to places like Dubai, Oman and Turkey.

What's the food like?
If you are familiar with Mediterranean food, that's it. The joke around the company cafeteria is that there's always chicken and rice, and if you don't like that you can have rice and chicken! Lamb is big, and there's beef as well. Hummus, tobouli, shwarma, etc. Indian food and spices are also pretty prevalent. As for groceries there is a small convenience type store on the compound (conveniently across the street from our house!) and there is also a Safeway type store in the city of Jubail.

Are there schools on the coupound for your girls to attend? 
There is a playschool that Lucy can attend on weekday mornings. We haven't looked into anything beyond that.

How can we contact you?
We will be getting a VOIP service to use so you can call us using a US number. We will also continue using our cell phones with a Saudi sim card, so we should also be able to communicate via texting apps like "what's app".  When we travel back to the states we will be able to use our current 785 numbers, so don't delete those just yet! Of course we would also love to talk to you via video chat such as Skype, Google Hangout, or Facetime so we can see your friendly face!

Looking forward to continuing to update you on our adventures!

Travis, Jeanette, Lucy and Lil' Sis