Our soon to be new family car.  A 2009 Chevy Trailblazer.

Yay! Dave thanks for hours and hours, the last several evenings, scouring the desert looking for the best deal. The rest of us will have to wait a week to see it in person and take a family outing to the store. Should be worth the wait. Dave Bialik is covered in awesome sauce!  I hope to get David to start posting on this blog. Maybe he'll post about his car finding mission.

Joyful in Jeddah

After arriving we took a walk to the Star Market, a little grocery store on the compound. We decided some of the prices were high and we wanted more groceries & toiletries than we wanted to purchase here. Priced for the convenience of not having to leave the compound.

We engaged a taxi driver from the compound car service.  He name is Areka. He would become our go to driver.  He took us to two grocery stores. He would find us in the check out line and take us to the taxi.  In response to our questions he gave told us where we could buy an abaya at a good price for Triniti.  

Solomon woke up early our first morning in the villa. He joined me in the kitchen and started washing the handful of dishes from the evening before.  He said he loves how bright and sunny it is in the kitchen... "I don't mind doing the dishes here where it is bright an sunny."  This frame of mind would not carry over for long.

We spend the day unpacking. Later we were invited next door for some socializing.  They had NFL football pizza from Pizza Fusion.  No sure if it is really delicious or I was just hungry.

A good day!

We were met at the airport by our new Superintendent, Monti Hallberg and the new High School Principal, Jakob.  Monti (the super) is the father of our good friend Ben. Ben & Jen Hallberg lived 3 doors down from us in Al-Khobar during our first stint living in Saudi Arabia.

Here are pictures as we arrived in front of our villa. We were the first family to be dropped off. Good thing since we had 12 suitcases, 4 carryons and 4 bags. That surely made it easier for the others to get to the baggage.

Monti and Triniti are ready to unlock the door to our new home at  Villa NC 10- 7

Triniti's face says it all.  WE LIKE IT!.  It was pleasantly bigger and better furnished than we had anticipated.  Solomon,Mr. Muscle, was outside still bringing in luggage. 

Smiles on the tarmac

Nothing but smiles after 20 + hours of traveling as we arrived in Jeddah.

Let the Adventure Begin!

Saying Goodbye... for a while

The time has come to say more "Goodbyes" for a while...

Driveway Goodbye # 1

We went to Indiana and spent some time with Mom.  Wish she could have gone to the airport with us. But her and I both probably could not have handled it. I cried so much just driving away from her house. It was very difficult to leave her alone without Dad. It has been just over 6 months since he passed away.  There is a big space is our lives that he used to fill with he humor, smiles and love.
We all miss him so very much. 

I had a beautiful Peace Lily plant that my cousin Jason Cree sent for the funeral.  I took it to mom for safe keeping. :0)  The first week here in Jeddah I bought I new one. I think of you both every time I look at my Peace Lily.

Then two days later, it felt like my heart was being ripped out of me as we said another driveway goodbye... this time to Abraham.  In the back of my mind I was thinking "Is this what my mom was feeling?"  Love you Mom.  Miss you tons.


Driveway Goodbye #2

It was very wise of Abraham to say goodbye here. At first I didn't like it.  It was one less hour or so that I could spend with him. This was better. There is always a lot of paperwork, questions, fuss when you show up to check -in with a massive amount of baggage.  We had 12 suitcases. Four carryons and 4 bags.  We had to spend lots of time at the counter. Solomon and David working hard to heft all that baggage. My heart would have not cared one bit about taking care of any of it.

 
I would have only wanted to look at and be with my boy.  So we each shed our tears, gave our bear hugs and words of love and parting here in the driveway

We also said goodbye to the "Corbinos". :0)
The wonderful Liz & Craig and crew that will be keeping Abe, feeding, guiding and loving on him this year as he finishes his senior year at Fairfield High School.

I am already counting down the days until we are together again in December.











At the airport - Goodbye #3

Gordon & Bee took us to the airport.  Gordon dropped us and our pile of baggage at the curb. Then dwelt with parking both of the vehicles.  Bee came in side and helped look after our stuff and the kids as David & I spent a long time at the counter. We had a great agent who helped us save about $1200 by figuring out a way to not make us pay both airlines separately for our bags and get everyone a slice of the$600 baggage fee that we did pay.

Leaving on a Jet plane

We have been busy sorting, throwing out and packing stuff for our move to Jeddah.  In between, we've been making lots of memories spending time together... Abe will be staying in Ohio to finish his senior year in High school.  So while we are so very eager to start our new adventure, a part of us is sad that Abe won't be with us. 

Saudi Arabia PART TWO

We are moving back to Saudi Arabia.  This time we will be living in the Western Province in the city of Jeddah. Previously we lived in the city of Al-Khobar in the Eastern Province from August 2007 to June of 2011. This was followed by a great & interesting year living in Shanghai, CHINA on the Pudong side of the river.  We absolutely love living and working internationally. Each of us have made wonderful friends that we still visit and stay in touch with.  So we are headed overseas again... back to the desert.