As they say in England, Q8.

Ah, Kuwait.  Or Q8, as my English friends say.  We couldn't miss the chance to go to Kuwait.  I mean, this was where we saw  the First Gulf War unravel, didn't we?  This was the war of my generation.   So being this close, we decided to pack up the kids and head north for a three day weekend.

Which actually turned into a 2 day weekend because the four hour trip took us 9 and half!  It was actually a really easy drive, but we waited at the border for five and half hours.  Heaven help me!  That darn DVD player I insisted on for the truck, has been worth it's weight in gold.  Just for things like waiting at borders.  I won't bore you will all the details, but lets just say there were three people in front of Peter at the visa window, and nearly fours hours were spent just there.

And yes.  There will be talk of toilets AND a couple of dead animal shots as well.  Sorry.  Life in the Middle East has a lot of dead animals.  And as for the toilets, Tiff keeps asking why I always write about them and this is my reply, "It's something everyone, everywhere, no matter who you are has to do every single day.  And having five young kids, using the bathroom is constant and always an adventure around here.  It's like a box of chocolates, really - you never know what you're gonna get."  Haha.

You may  recognize these towers from news shots during the war.  They are called the Kuwait towers.  You can pay and go up them, but we didn't.  Sand looks like sand, even it you're up high.

This was my favorite 'fasten your seat belt sign.'  The man's outfit is awesome.  They actually drive much better than here; but still pretty darn bad.

In front of the LDS church in Kuwait, a small villa where they hold church.

We went to church in Kuwait.  And things like this are awesome around here.  It's so fun to meet other LDS people in the Middle East and know we're not alone.  While we were getting ready to move from the states, I met a woman at a shoe store in Orem.  She told me she lived in Kuwait and we talked for a while.  She gave me some great information and was a big help.  Very nice.  Just so happened that this was her Branch and we met up and talked for a bit.  What a small expat/Mormon world.  Very fun to see her again.

A villa is a house.  But not just any house.  It usually houses several families within a family.  So each level is kind of like it's own apartment.  This is a picture of the LDS Villa and the winding staircase.  It was a neat building.

Best swap meet in the Middle East, so far.  If you can look past ALL the garbage, it was great.  This is actually a grocery store parking lot, and LOOK at the trash.  Please.  These people have got to start using a garbage can!

More swap meet.  This man has two chairs on his head.

Okay.  Fun as this place was, worst bathroom experience EVER.  Not kidding.  And it's so terrible I won't even tell you why.  Let's just say that Ruby HAAAAD to go, numero dos.  And besides me actually dry heaving, I am a little worried she's going to test positive for TB or hepatitis some day, which I will be sure she caught at a swap meet bathroom in Kuwait.  A friendly reminder from your local middle eastern traveler; don't forget your vaccinations!

This is the kind of stuff I live for.  And my kids are learning to love it too!  Luckily, I married someone who loves to look through people's junk too.  This place had everything you can think of.  Everything!  Ever wonder where all the old brick like cell phones in the world ended up?  Kuwait.

Oh yes I did.  When we saw a Little Ceasars, we were all about CRAZY BREAD!  Not the same old Little Ceasars, though.  But in fact, better!  They had real pizza, and it was actually pretty good.  And they have glass dishes...fancy.

This was in the elevator at our hotel.  On the number 2 is says, "Push to go the the second floor."  Really?

This is the Kuwait City Souk.  Very entertaining.  I bought a wonderful basket here, nearly two feet in diameter and 8 inches deep.  If you need a baby Moses basket, I've got one.  (or something to dump the toys in, whichever)

This was fun, because it really is where people come to shop.  A real life souk.  From clothes, to food, toys, antiques, etc.  It was fun, and luckily still cool.  Because we're about to view pictures of the meat market - WARNING!

These guys are cute, but they aren't the meat market!

  

Ah yes.  Here we are.  Mmmm.  GOAT.  With the tail still on.  Delish!

And Goat Head.  This is a delicacy.  Really.  Everyone loves they eye ball.  And if you don't believe this guy, he'll just stick his tongue out at you.  Oh wait.  He already is.  WOOF.

Aren't you glad our meat departments in the states don't look like this?  I for one, am.  And I'm thankful for air conditioning, which really helps with the stink.

Kuwait had a lot of neat things to see.  They actually have museums, movie theaters, P F CHANGS, etc.  These boats are used all over the middle east, and they are still hand made.  (apparently)  They're called Dows.  (not sure how to really spell that, but that's how it sounds)

They are beautiful and very traditional.  This harbor in Kuwait City had a ton.  In this picture the man is praying.

Kuwait has a really nice Aquarium and Imax.  (Nice by M.E. standards, that is)  We had a GREAT time there, and saw two films.

They had one tank that had only things found in the Persian Gulf.  Here are two of them.  The rays were beautiful.  I recently saw a small shark in the water at our beach, but haven't seen anything like these beauties. 

This was at a weaving museum.  Beautiful things here as well.

Each tribe has their own traditional weave.  These are all hand done on looms.  I loved it.  I love the colors and tradition of it all.

On the way home, I decided to give my hand at the wheel.  Heck, I can't drive in the country I live, may as well drive where I can!  You may remember scenes from the news, during the first war, of all the cars lined up trying to get out of Kuwait City as it was being invaded.  They called this highway the Highway of Death.  I figured if I was going to drive, I may as well drive on something historical.

Peter tried to get me to drive here, late at night.  But I was too scared.  With my luck, something would happen and I just couldn't do it.  So, I'll leave the driving up to the ladies with more guts than I - out in the desert.

Over all?

Really fun.

Better Late Than Never

Is it really true?  Better late than never?  If so, then this will be considered a "Better" post.  Because it's super late, but that is BETTER than never.  Right?  This is more for posterity than anything else.  These events did take place at our house, it has just taken me a LONG time to post any record of their occurrence.  So here you are.

Thanksgiving.  With  hand colored Native Americans in wood and marker; we're very fancy around here.  And a few bottles of the old fake bubblie.  Rainbow jello and homemade rolls were the fav's of the day.  I think I'm going to start insisting on holidays that my family actually gets dressed for the meal.  Just because no one is coming over,  doesn't mean we can't get out of jammies, now does it!  (don't comment.  I hate spending the day in pajamas.  I know, I know.  Some of you just hit the delete button.  I just like to get dressed.  Then again....getting dressed to me is jeans and a t-shirt with a pony tail on most days.)

Winter Break.  Here's what ours looked like.

Scorpion hunting.  Pretty much every day.  I know.  YIKES!

I found these great felt window decorations in France.  I LOVE them.  They made the stocking window very Christmas-y and we all felt warm and cozy in our Middle Eastern winter.

Our nativity.  New jammies and dress up - that's what I call fun.

Chach got a Jambia (curved dagger, plastic) in his stocking.  It has been taken away countless times since.  He always finds it and always seems to get it taken away.  He must be exhausted from chasing his siblings around and fallen asleep in this photo.

Lot's of snuggling during Christmas break.

What's the holiday season without FONDUE!  We had the adult Branch Social at our house, a fondue party.  Very fun.  Then our family enjoyed it for New Year's as well.  Do you LOVE the CELEBRATE banner in the background?  My lovely friend Aimee (Sistes Wonka) sent it in a package all the way over here for me.  I use it for everything.  Believe me; you need one.

I taught the boys to make a quilt over the break.  Remember how the father of Sam's friend died right before Christmas?  We wanted to make something for her to  feel loved; so the boys and I made her a quilt.  (I also made her a bonnet and apron - she LOVES Little House on the Prairie)   We actually had a really nice time doing this and the girl loved it.  It's activities like this that make me want to home school.  Then I get slapped in the face and wake up.  Haha.

     These photo's are from our Primary Nativity.  All the kids looked so cute, but I haven't asked parents if I could post, so you're just getting mine. 

I really enjoy the kids being home for breaks.  There is always a little rough patch at the beginning, but things shake themselves out and we have a wonderful time.  (most days)  It's fun here because this is the time of year that the weather is perfect and the kids can play outside all day.  During Christmas; it's great.

Anyway.  We made snow globes, and colored a giant picture of a rain forest.  We baked, watched movies, went for walks and enjoyed each other.  (through in a few fights, some yelling from mom, sprinkle a couple of groundings on top and that's pretty much the gist of things.)  Sorry about the confusion to the system.  Easter and Christmas posts should NOT be in the same month.  Oh well.  Such is life around here.  As people tell you when you move over here, "This is a logic free zone.  Don't try to understand why anything happens."  So join in and embrace the logic free life; don't try to fight it.

Is it worth it

I hate to actually post this.  It makes me sick.

Every time you may think that my life over here is great.  Oh, she has someone clean her house one a week.  Her kids go to a private school.  She get's to travel.  They make good money.  She lives by the beach.  Whatever it may be. 

The next time you think these things.  Feel free to pull up this post.

This is a picture of the refinery.  Yep.  Home sweet home.  This is a common scene here.  Things are 'normal' (just the standard disgusting pollution - I live surrounded by tens, hundreds? of refineries) and within a few minutes huge black clouds start blowing through the sky.  The air stinks and I try to get the kids inside if I can.  Then I say, with a big deep breath,

 "Ah.  The sweet smell of cancer."

Is it really worth it?  I ask myself this everyday.

What should we name this baby?

Sheriff, well Luna, had their baby.  He is "Vedy, vedy happy, Madam."  I wish I could express the light and joy coming from him as he told me about the news.  He came to work at 8 on Saturday (pretend Monday) and said that "I talk to her last night, just before scissor." (sounds like cee-sore)  Make a scissor cutting motion over your belly here, this is how he talks about c-section's.  "That was 11:30 last night and doctor was coming. Today, I no talk her, I talk her chister. (sister)  Her chister say baby fine, my wife fine.  Everything vedy, vedy good.  I am vedy, vedy happy."

Sheriff named their first son and he told Luna that she should name this child.  So, I asked him if they have a name yet, this was today.  "No.  No name Ma'm.  I told her she name.  She say, I don't know.  You ask Madam Teresa what she say.  You tell me what name."  Sweet, isn't it.  What name?  What name?  Well, of course this child was a blessing to be here safe and sound.  An answer to prayer, both Christian and Muslim.  And this prayer was answered by many of you.  So I told him, "You should name this child the name of a prophet.  We share many prophet's."   Musa (Moses), Ibrahim (Abraham) and several others.  I couldn't tell him what to name his baby. I just said, "God has blessed you Sheriff, you need to name this baby to thank Him."

And then he went on to tell me some kind of really long story that I am still really confused about.  Something about a million dollars and a whole lot of old fish heads.  I'm serious.  I hate to admit, that I just smiled and nodded, but I really didn't understand any of it.  "Ohhh.  Yes.  Sure.  Uh huh.  I see."  That was my response the entire time.  I just don't know what he was saying.

Anyway...

He said everything is fine, and that she will go home to her sister's apartment in a couple of days.  "My son, he cry all day.  He want to go our home vedy badly."  Poor little thing.  Of course he wants to go home.  He's trapped all day in a tiny apartment in Bangladesh while his dad is here and his mom is with her new baby in a hospital.  I'd want to go home too.  Then Sheriff said, "Ma'm this apartment vedy, vedy small.  Like this big."  We were in MY KITCHEN.  Yeah.  I think I'd want to go home too.

Can you imagine not even being able to see your baby?  No pictures.  Still, after three days.   I tried to set up skype with someone he knows in the city while Luna is there, but I don't think the man is in town right now.  Too bad.  Remember how I was just whining about how Peter really could have missed Gid's birth?  Sheriff won't get to see his baby for a long time.  Many men here don't get to see them for years and years.  They go home, start a family, are here when the child is born.  Go home three years later, meet that child, work on another baby, come back here, and the process goes like this.  I feel so very blessed to have been born into the family I was born into, in the country and time I was.  Being separated from family is a way of life for a huge portion of Asia.  There just isn't any choice, there is no work in so much of this place.

*Edited by me*  I always get a little neurotic when I post anything with much religion in it.  So I fester all day long, worry, and then change the post.  At any rate, I have changed this.  But the general idea was a big, wonderful thank you to all of those that helped Sheriff.  Whether from your pocketbooks or prayers, or both.  The need was filled and I (and they) greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

Get in Line

HEY!  I forgot to tell you.  Tiff will be sending a care package for Sheriff's wife.  If anyone wants to contribute - let me know and I'll send you her address.  I'm not a hundred percent sure what she's sending, but baby stuff.  I know Luna really would like a battery operated small food processor.  I have no idea if one exists - if you know, please tell me.  Tiff has been scouring the internet for me.  (I just wrote all of this paragraph while the words were coming out of my head as if I was standing across the street and had to yell a little, strain my voice to be heard over the traffic.  Weird.  Like were were just in a conversation, parted ways, then "Hey.  I forgot to tell you something.."  Yell-ish, like.  Crazy.)

Okay.  Now the 'real' post:

Sometimes, at dinner, or not at dinner, this is what it looks like in our kitchen.  It is totally the order around here:

Sam is the boss; Si has to push Roo out of the way; Roo has to tell Chach what to do; and Giddie takes notes on how to treat all of them.

Whoa.  This was taken a while ago, ALL of them are desperate for hair cuts right now.  BUT, with only less than SIX WEEKS to the U.S., why bother?  Let your hair down, man, freedom is on it's way!  Just kidding, they'll get hair cuts before then.

Update

SHERIFF UPDATE

Thank you , thank you, thank you so much for your willingness to help! I can actually see the stress lifted from Sheriffs face. I haven't seen him so at ease for a while now.

I was able to gather enough for him right now to wire money home this afternoon. She will have the baby on Friday, if everything goes to plan. I told him to call me ASAP and let me know that Luna and the baby are okay.

When we met him with the money, he asked if we would like to see where he lives, where he goes home to every night. I said no, at first, this is a very private thing for these workers. They live a very separate life from us, and for us to see them could be embarrassing for them. I finally said yes and Peter and I and the two youngest made our way down the long alley to his "house". I'll write an entire post on it soon, Peter took his best incognito photos on the iphone the whole time. But let me just tell you, I thought it would rude to cry, so I didn't. But my heart ached.

For the dear women that have offered to help, please email me directly - I have a plan.

teresa_tennis@hotmail.com

When you email, please, if you can, send an attachment of a photo of you and your family. I want him (especialy her) to see who has helped them. Because really, aren't we just families helping a family?

Hope to hear from you soon!

Giddie's Pockie

Gideon's second birthday is just around the corner, this weekend in fact. I can hardly believe my youngest will be TWO. Hooray! (for me that he's growing up, not for me that he will be two - and you know what that means. Trouble.)

I wanted to write a few things about Giddie.

He was born on a schedule, and by the grace of God, came when he was supposed to. With Peter living here, and me in the states, it was tricky. I wanted Peter to be home for the birth and the recovery, not waiting for Gid to come. We had a scheduled induction and had purchased airline tickets for Peter. Little did we know that a volcano in Iceland could disrupt this whole plan. Needless to say, Peter was on the last plane out of Amsterdam before they closed the airspace. Truly a blessing.

His delivery was the pits from start to finish, but in the end I got our beautiful fifth child. Quiet, passive, a good sleeper and content in general. He traveled across the world like a dream. Rode in the bike buggy and 115 degree temps. Slept in his stroller while we went to the pool and rode in my arms while we squeezed into taxis around camp.

Then he turned one.

And that's about it. Since then he is nothing but a six year old trapped in a one year old body. He hasn't quit talking, yelling, crying, whining, fussing, laughing, or running since the day he turned one. This has made for SO much fun, and a whole lot of frustration for mommy. It has also made him very independent, expect that he's glued to me, and he has been a very early talker. He especially LOVES to tell knock knock jokes. Here he is telling one to Sol while Sol is in the bathroom.

You should probably know that he only knows one knock knock joke. You may know it. "Knock knock; who's there?; Banana; Banana who?" Say this three times, then you finally say "Orange; Orange who?; ORANGE you glad I didn't say Banana?!"

His goes something like this: "Knock knock; Who's there?; *squeal and giggle* ORANGE!" And that's it. It's very cute, expect when he's on his 20th time of knock knocking.

He talks and says everything. I keep asking him how he knows all these words. "I no know." He replies. He loves to yell at the top of his lungs, especially in church. "Where Molly?!" (his friend) or "Hi Waggie!" (That's sister Wagner) He is very loud. I have no idea why. (keep your comments about his mother to yourself!)

Another funny thing about Gid is that he has a Sguggle. (snuggle) He became very attached to my underclothing while nursing. When I went to Europe last spring, I weaned him before I left, and got him to sleep by giving him my silky shirts to sleep with, he's a thumb sucker, you know. BIG mistake. Now he wants them ALL the time. I have cut them up, so he just has pieces, but he does prefer the whole thing.

He especially loves to put them in his "pockie", That's his pocket, otherwise known as down the front of his shirt. The more the merrier. He has discovered my underclothing drawer, and lets say, that's just a big mess. I recently found him with SIX bottoms of my unders stuffed down the front of his shirt.


You can see here his "pockie" is full to the brim. It's especially funny when he is wearing a romper or onesie, and he pulls them out from his bum or the top of his legs. He reaches down, pulls, pulls, pulls, and poof! a sguggle. He loves it. It's trouble with a regular untucked shirt though, they just fall out. Recently he's moving on to shoving them in other things. Bike seats, toy garbage trucks, eye glass case, pretty much where ever he can.

All in all, Gid is a joy. He tries me like crazy and is great birth control. If I didn't think I was done with babies before him - I do now. He is so fun - and exhausting - that we hardly know what to do with him. I always say he took "Chach lessons" on how to be a crazy, wild maniac. Those two will certainly keep the world on their toes. I love them both to death.

Gid. I love you. I'm so thankful you came into our family at such an unsure time. You've weathered our crazy life well, thus far, and I can't wait to see what kind of person you grow into because of the circumstances life has thrown at you. I love you, my little J Bird.