Quick check-in

Hello friends! I have been getting lots of emails from people wanting to know how we are doing. I have lots of good stories to tell but our computer isn't here yet and blogging from an iPhone or iPad is extremely inconvenient. We arrived in Saudi Arabia one week ago today. It has been quite a week! Our kids have done fabulously well considering jet lag (severe), culture shock (way more than I was prepared for), hot and muggy weather (well over 100 degrees with at least 50% humidity) and super weird food ( thank goodness for cold cereal).  We are slowly adjusting to all of that plus a much slower pace of life. Allen has been walking in the door from work before 4:00 pm each day which has been fabulous. We are spending hours every day at the gorgeous pools in the compound, going bowling, trying new foods, meeting out new neighbors and slowly getting acclimated to the expat lifestyle. Things are really quiet right now since most westerners go home for the summer and because it is Ramadan. We are anxious to get to know more of our neighbors as they move in or return from overseas.

I am considering making this blog private or transferring it to another private blog carrier. I love to share what we are up to but due to some restrictions about what I feel comfortable sharing publicly I may opt to switch things up a bit. I'll keep you posted.

Overall, we are doing pretty well. There are some ups and downs as we figure life here out. It is fascinating to experience a completely different culture and we have never felt more conspicuous in our lives (being westerners with a lot of kids).

I'll post more soon. I have lots of pictures and stories to tell. I'm posting a lot on Instagram if you are on there.