Co-sleeping in our bed.

I see no reason why cosleeping is bad. Did you know 80% of the world's poplulation cosleeps? Yep they have also been doing it since the beginning of time. So when did it become a no no?

When my child sleeps well we all feel better! She slept 11 hours last night which was a first for her in over a week. She has been only getting between 7 and 8 most nights. Of course she started in her room in her toddler bed and then slept with us from about 3am on but she slept in because we were! 

So this might be the start of a beautiful thing. I mean if I get 9 hours then we will all be better cause that means I am getting enough to have energy through out the day. Plus the issue of her taking over the bed is null when I have my pregnancy pillow. She can't roll over it and it keeps her in the area we want her! Plus she is on a growth spurt and has molars coming in and having us with her makes it easier to fall back asleep when pain wakes her up.

Plus,  Avi has no problem sleeping in her own bed when she needs to.  I know that Going to sleep in her own bed and napping there is what she needs to know how to do and she does that great. But if she wants to sleep with us and our own sleep is not disrupted or if it can better like it was last night then I am all for it! Plus it we have spent the morning as family eating breakfast and hanging out together on our bed. It has let us have good family time as well.

So I say if sleep is what you need get it anyway you can! You will live longer and feel better. Take it from my happy and non cranky child sitting beside me munching on Cheerios.

Darling Daughter's Birthday!!

Yep my Oldest Daughter turned two today!! And what a great day it was!! First dad was able to get her to go back to sleep and sleep in until 8:30. Then we got the house cleaned while Avi watched her favorite video. Then after a full morning of cleaning and playing with our toys she took a nap. After nap we went and picked out her birthday cupcake. At home we blew up ballons and she kicked them around and loved  tossing them into the air. Then we got to open presents. She was thrilled!!! She played with every toy but when we introduced a new present she got really excited all over again.
She got duplos in a wagon that has wheels she can pull around. She got a musical piano. A bubble machine, a large blow up ball for the pool, a pool floaty, and a basket ball hoop! Every thing made her so excited. She is the type of kid that never expects anything and when you do something special for her she acts as if it is the coolest things ever!!!
Then we went to the pool. It was so neat because not only did our Philippino friends come but there was another group of Philippinos celebrating a birthday for one of their friends. They invited us to come celebrate Avi's birthday with them. So we ended getting to have a huge party for Avi without the hassle inviting people or paying or preparing food. We were afraid she wouldn't get anything special like that because we have so few friends and no family here but once again God made it special for her and gave her the best birthday!!!
She swam until she she could swim no more. Up to the apartment to play with our toys before bed. She was super tired by the end of the day but it was terrific birthday for her! Hoping next year is even better!

What Americans?

So we often find ourselves noticing other americans or people who look like they could be westerners. Its because it is so rare to find ourselves among them. You see it took getting up at 5 to discover where they all are. 
First to understand you must know there are two cultures in Kuwait. The Morning culture and the Night culture. The Morning culture consist of those who get up between 4 and 7 am and are done for the day and home by 3 or 4 in the afternoon. The night culture consists of the that get w between 2 and 5 p.m. and are done for the day by 3 a.m. 
Americans fall into the morning culture and tend to not only not waste their day with mundane things but are actually trying to get things done. The night culture consists of those who have lots of money and nothing to do. It is important to note that the morning and night do not often mix and you will find yourself falling into one of the categories depending on your lifestyle. It is finally nice to know where all the americans finally are. Either up getting things done or at home enjoying their families. As for us we can't decide what which culture we want to fall into. I am happy to say I am finally seeking the Americans here out, Yawn, even if it means getting up at 5 a.m!

Venus Transit

Yep we were some of those crazy people who got out of bed at 5 to see it. Craig was up and out the door by 4:30 to check to see if we could see it at all. He even got to see it with his naked eye. But It was nearly 5:30 by the time all three of us made it down to the beach park. It just so happens that the sun was too bright see anything with the naked eye but there was guy with a telescope and Mylar solar lens  so we were able to look through the telescope and get a close up view and also hold up the Mylar solar lens to see it clearly with our own eyes. So neat!!! Avi loved it cause she got to play on the equipment but after 3 rough and tumbles we decide she was too tired to make it work. So we headed home only to decide we wanted to go get coffee. So off we went to the local Mcdonalds. It was almost like something we would do back in the states. It was totally worth it to get up early for! Yawn, back to bed for me!!!

Don't drink that it's Cold!

Wait! What? Yep it is true. People here believe and will tell you not to drink anything cold or with ice in it especially if you are sick or pregnant. In fact if you want ice in your drink you have to ask for it. It is the strangest and most absurd wives tale I have ever heard. In fact I have people who think that they need to intervene for me if I am drinking anything cold. Its 111 degrees and I can't cool myself off because I might get sick? You know what I say... bring on the ice!

Royal Hayat Hospital

Got to experience my first visit to a hospital visit in Kuwait. I was having disabling pain in my abdomin. Due to my history I decided to go into the doctor. She was however gone so I decided to go to the Hospital instead. 


The Royal Hayat was wonderful. I was first upstairs with in the birthinn center. So I got experience that. Then I was sent downstairs to the actual outpatient clinica and was assigned a doctor. 


Her name is Dr. Nidda Bukadoun. I had to wait a little bit seeing as how I was squeezed in between appointment. Greatfully I was not in preterm labor which was my fear but having contractions without dialation like I had with my first daughter. They did ultrasound, Cassara is perfect and healthy by the way, and I recieved a shot to relax the muscles. I think we spent a total of 47 Dinar for all the services. 


I am definitely going to start going there and seeing Dr. Nidda. She will also be my delivery doctor that way! The Royal Hayat staff were helpful and it was a very nice hospital. I actual look forward to having Cassara delivered there and felt Dr. Nidda will be wonderful. I was comfortable and they listened to me and all my concerns. They never made me feel like was over reacting but were genuinely concerned and took great care of me!

The Pool

So we have a pool at our complex that is pretty nice. In fact we have started going there on a regular basis during the week. It's better than the beach cause we can all swim. Plus there are no rocks or sand, never anyone else there, the water is warm from the sun shining on it all day, and we don't have to go anywhere to enjoy it. Plus by 4 in the afternoon the sun has moved behind the building so we can swim without sunscreen. Avi is in heaven! She actually is an amazing swimmer and she is not even two yet. Today she finally figured out how to swim on her own. We bought her a really neat floaty that allows her to swim naturally. It is better than a life vest and safer than just arm floaties. I showed her how to flip over from her back to front and now she doesn't need us to swim. She just takes off! It is awesome. Plus she isn't afraid to get dunked or put her head underwater. We are trying to get her to jump in from the side but she still needs a little more encouragement I think. 
It is great to have a pool that we can enjoy and it is even better that it is easy to just head downstairs to enjoy it. I will say however that it is also great for me cause I need the exercise without the added strain on my already sore body. I have to say its a great way to spend our afternoons as family!

Sandy Days

Sandy in the desert is inevitable. But what I hate the most is how little we actually have clear skies. I mean there is so much sand flying around around that it is constantly this yellowish brown sunlight streaming down. Its like wearing tinted sunglasses all the time. Craig got daylight balanced bulbs for our house and now I really notice it! The lighting inside is now the color it should be outside. We are also experiencing the longest lasting dust storm so far. It started yesterday afternoon and is still blowing all almost  20 hours later. We are safely tucked inside but miss the clear sunny days in Colorado. When you could see and absorb the sunshine without getting covered in a layer of sand. Oh well, this isn't good for our lungs either. I hate that Avi has to go out in it and doesn't know to cover her face from it. No I hate the sand here. I admit it. There is nothing beautiful about it at least as far as I can tell. I also hate that this storm has taken the fun out of our day off! Sand Sand Sand! There is so much of it I don't even know where to end...

This is Kuwait for you

Ok so get this...today my daughter and I left our apartment to go laundry in the communal laundry downstairs. As we got on to the elevator to return to our apartment we are stopped by an indian man looking for an American man. That is exactly what he said to me alright, "I'm looking for an American Man." I was a little stunned because I wasn't sure what he meant but I digress. He proceeds to show me the address and directions on the little piece of paper in his hand. It read Papa Johns, block 4, Towers, 4th Floor,  three different numbers. I told him I had no idea who he was looking for. Yes, Yes, New American on Fourth floor by Papa Johns. Ok first of all the entire block of high-rise apartment complexes around us is full americans. Secondly, just because I am an american doesn't mean know every American man who comes here. 
I did try to help however. Pointed out the Towers apartment complex across the road and the Papa Johns which is attached to one of the buildings.  But he kept insisting I knew this man on the fourth floor. Or we were in block 4. He said we had to be because there was a Papa Johns here. I said yes but this is block 3 and there could be a Papa John's in Block 4 also. That him stumped him for a moment although not for long because he repeated what he had said all over again. But Finally I convinced him to go to talk to a security guard across the way at the towers complex. I hope he finds the guy! But it was just so hilarious to me so I had to share it! 

April 2012 in Colorado

Another month as come and gone and so many things have changed yet again. However this time, in another country all together. At the end of March God told us to return home to Colorado Springs. So in less than a week we were all on a plane headed to Colorado.

We apologize for not getting to see you while were back or let you know of our trip home. It was a trip that we knew would not leave us anytime to catch up. Hopefully, when after the new little one arrives we can come back to see you all and spend time visiting with you.

             It was good and productive trip. In fact on our long flight from London to Dallas that we were told was overbooked we ended up in the row with the empty seat next to us so Avi had her own seat and the seat in front of here was empty so she didn’t kick anyone’s seat. Standing in line at customs without a stroller was awful because they had to put it through with the other luggage. Next time I am going bring a carrier of some sort for her or use her leash.

However due to weather in Dallas our flight from there was canceled and we were rerouted into LAX. We spent the night in the international terminal which turned out be a lot of fun. We could have stayed in a hotel but since we only had seven hours there, it would have been a waste of time. So instead we made found food, place to charge electronics and made a small camp. Avi also discovered the escalator while there and spent most of her time going up and down them. She also loves the huge mosaics of shapes on the floor. She kept running from one to the next!

 So, We actually arrived the 6th of April in Denver. The following weekend was Easter and we were blessed to get to spend it with family. Being able to see them was the bonus of our trip.

My dad and step-mom were able to make the trip down from Wyoming and we spent the afternoon with them one Saturday. Avi was ecstatic to see everyone but she didn’t seem to be to attach to the house or the stuff in it. But being the trooper and amazing kid God created she was happy all the time and was constantly steady joy as usual in a crazy and stressful time in our lives once again.

 However, with a little less than 20 days to figure out what to do with our stuff, we decided to pack up our house and give it back to the bank. We are letting them decide what they want to do with it because trying to sell or rent a house while in another country is nearly impossible.

So from there on out we put our heads down and sorted, cleaned, and packed every inch of our house. We had to choose between what to store and what to throw out and what to give away or sell. We didn’t have much luck selling furniture so prayer that which is still on Craig’s list will sell soon!

We actually didn’t do to bad with what we decided to keep mostly small kitchen appliances and the keepsake items, All of Craig’s studio equipment and a small sample of toys and baby items, as well as clothes I can’t fit into now or winter clothes.

Anyway, we held a garage sale while at home and were blessed with amazing weather in April.  It was success for us! It was lot of work and the house was till in disarray from all the packing but God helped us to pull it off.

Family was there to help us in this endeavor of course and we greatly appreciated them at every turn.

Craig and I were also given our second date night in 4 months because they were willing to take Avi for an overnight.

I wish there was more to speak of but April was all packing and storing away our lives in the States.

We were due to return the 24^th of April only to discover our Visa wasn’t ready so we had to postpone our trip for another week. That was amazing for us since we were already exhausted and wanting more time to get it all done. So we are actually set to return home the 4^th of May.

Avi is growing so fast! She is already so independent and she truly is a strong willed child. But since Craig and I decided to parent to the bent of the child we have been able to not have to many struggles with her. We also stick to our guns when we say no or all done and even though she fights us on it she knows we will never give in. She is already saying her ABC’s, identifying letters and their sounds, as well as trying to count. She also loves blocks and her stacking cups as well as putting shapes in her shape box. Funny, we have all these educational toys and she loves them. It actually helps having them for her to learn from. She also has started to love Veggie tales! Nice since we are working on praying. In fact she prays every night at bedtime all by herself. She also says “Thanks You Jesus” when she hears some else praying. It’s really great. Easter Sunday she was dancing right along to the worship music and every time we prayed she was right there belting out “Thank You Jesus!”  My sister also got her the cutest Easter dress and hat! So she was an absolute Doll! We tried to do an Easter egg hunt but she wanted to find the eggs one at a time, eat what was inside before finding the next one. So we gave up on it.

The newest addition is starting to make its self-known to me. It is really active and I usually feel a small kick several times an hour in the morning and evening. We won’t know what it is until we get back and see Doctor Mervat, she was recommended to me by another American woman who delivered her son in Kuwait. But so far both baby and I are healthy. 

Well, that is it for April. I know it is not very eventful other than the closing of chapter of our lives in the states. But we hope that someday we will return and settle once more on the states. We love you all and miss you more than you know!

March 2012 in Kuwait

If only you could have been along for the ride this month. So much has happened. In the last letter I told you of our recent move to an apartment in Salwa. Needless to say in less than 3 weeks we have transitioned from there, to another 4 places. This makes our total 9 so far!

Let me begin by saying that it is easy for you to be taken advantage of when you are not familiar with laws and customs. This was the case with our rental in Salwa. First, it helpful to know that Landlords cannot pro-rate rent here. We did not know this and were under the impression that, the money which we gave to the owner's representative of this apartment was for the half of February we were living there. However, it should have either been a deposit so that we could move in on the first or it should have been have half of our first month’s rent of March. Apparently it is common to do such a thing with westerner only complexes (meaning no Kuwaiti’s). They know we are used to having rent prorated and so they take the so called prorated fee pocket it and the first of March ask for the whole rent! People here move from one place to another on the first to avoid this.

But like I said we did not know this and moved. The place was beautiful but it was a sub-basement meaning a number of things. First, No cell phone reception unless we wither stood next to an open window or held our phones out the window. Next, the smell that permeated the place was literally making me sick. They had not properly installed a plug in the drain in the kitchen and we could smell the sewage pipe that ran underneath of our floor in our kitchen so badly!  We literally kept the door closed to the kitchen and the window open all the time in there.

However, trying to make the best of the situation we borrowed furniture from our Kuwaiti family like big leather chairs. Bought two new appliances at the Friday Market.

Needless, we tried to turn the new apartment into our new home but it just never felt right and the drain issue was starting to make us all sick.

We spoke to the Owner about the problem but he never took care of it and told us to speak to the Harris. When we spoke to the Harris (man whom you pay ten KD a month to wash car and take out your trash) to see if he could help he told us to run water. Did no good at all. Craig feeling convicted by the Lord made friends with the Harris however and spoken often to him with the little Arabic he had learned. Turns out it was a good things he did. But it was the bottle coke he was able to give the man regularly that won him over.

Finally on the 25^th and 26^th of February we called the realtor and the owner’s rep. several times to tell them they needed to fix this or we were moving out. Never hearing back from them we started to move out. However, on the first Craig got a call from the Owner saying he wanted his rent and Craig said we would pay it but we wanted the stuff (a door that was hung wrong that never closed, a shower head that was never attached, drain smelling) taken care of. His response was “ ok, ok” we waited. Everyday, however, the Harris, who was really nice about it, and his friend, who was not, to pay rent, hounded us. We told them we talked to the owner and we are working it out with him. But they would not leave us alone and no ever took care of our issue. So since we had not signed a contract and I being resourceful got on the Internet discovered what they had done was wrong and we could leave if we liked we packed up our stuff and moved out on the 4^th.  Needless to say it was stressful and But evident the Lord was with us!

First as we were starting to pack out stuff into our car we the Harris’s friend began to be mean us. His friend threatened to shut off our electricity and water, which the did but we were moving out so we didn’t care much other than meant Avi had to sit in vehicle while we were packing up to keep her safe.

Then the owner’s representative and another man came. They threatened us and told us we had to pay for the whole month of March even thought we were moving out, that they were going to call the police and get us in trouble. I told them to go for it. I knew according to the law here the Police would be on the side of renters and not the Landlords or owners do to the why laws are here. You see they can shut off your electricity and water but eviction is illegal. This did not make them happy when they realized we knew this. They kept telling us we had to pay for March but we kept saying no, we gave you notice. They said no we have to give 30 days notice. I said no, we never signed a contact stating that and we called on the 25^th and 26^th, which are days that you have to speak to the Landlord by to move out of the place if no contract is signed, to tell them we wanted out. We even had records of the phone calls they never returned. This alone would have been enough to prove to the cops we had done everything right. They never called the police because it was a false threat. We stood our ground and in less than hour we had packed up our stuff and moved out of there including all our furniture we had borrowed from our Kuwaiti family and our new appliances which included a small refrigerator and combo all-in-one washer/dryer.

With very little money and no place to go we choose to stored our stuff in the company warehouse and found a cheap motel to stay at. It was all the money we had

It was a really nice place and the people there we good to us.

However, The following morning as Craig was driving through Kuwait City in a round about his bumper scrapped another car’s bumper. Seeing as how it was in front of cop it turned out to be a big deal. First, Craig has not been able to get his Civil Id yet here. I will explain all that as well. And without one you can not get a driver license for here however, it is ok to drive without one here as long they don’t know about it, you are American, and you don’t get into an accident. Unfortunately the car Craig has been given to drive was without all the necessary paperwork like registration and insurance info. Craig has been asking and asking for it but everyone says, “no problem, the company owns the car and they have it all so you don’t need it.” Turns out you do. Craig and the other man had to taken to the police station to sort it all out. Craig had to wait for someone to come from the company to translate and to provide proper documentation for the car. Then they had to wait for a magistrate. Sit and talk about what happened and then get the results of who’s fault it was and then sign some paperwork. In the end it took five hours to get it all sorted out, Craig was told he was at fault, and we are waiting the ticket to know what the fine will be on it.

It was stressful as well because we had not planned on staying another day at this hotel but Craig could not call me to tell me what was going on and we had to check out by 1:00. In the end I was able to get a later check out, Craig returned and we stayed decided to stay another night.

We got money from the company to pay for the room for that night. Knowing there was no money left after that night we as had become in the habit of doing on regular and more often than not basis asked God what to do next. Where could we go? Our Kuwait family could not take us in. They had been renovating their villas and every room and bed was full of people or stuff. Needless to say one of Craig’s workers offered us his un-rented room until the 15^th of March. We took it. It was free and that was all that mattered.

Turns out it was small as well. This resourceful man to a small 300 feet squared apartment and put up partitions and walls and reconstructed it to make a 4-bedroom place. We were in the largest bedroom but it was cramped with all our every day things. However, praise the Lord for the three guys who lived there not only took care of us by cooking and giving us food but they and a couple of ladies took us on our first BBQ on the Beach. They are Pilipino and so it was amazing food and company. Avi loved especially. I ate so much food I was nearly sick! I haven’t had duck liver since I was in Thailand and they cooked us some. I actually love it by the way. Them kabobs and fresh salad, can I just say that Kuwait has the best food. I mean everything here is organic because it’s there culture. Which means it all just tastes amazing. The fruit here is just incredible. There are no preservatives in anything unless you buy foreign. You don’t usually because its super expensive to do so. It was also a great night for Craig and because they played with Avi and He and I finally felt we got a rest for the first time. Everything was so stressful around us and we thanked God for people he had placed to take care of us.

Staying at our new place as a challenge. Having to cook around peopel. Sharing one shower. But worst of all, they were redoing the pipes in the building and we were often without running water. After the first day of being there when there was no water we understood why there was bucket of water next to the toilet with a bowl in it. Basically it is the old fashioned way to flush.

During this time Craig was trying to get his civil id. Everything is done here in person and just like sitting at the DMV, you take a number, wait in line to discover you either missing paperwork or at the wrong desk. After 3 days, and hours of time spent going from one government office to the airport to another government office Craig discovered some interesting stuff about his residency visa which he need to get to be able to his civil id. Basically with our currently tourist visas, we must close them out and then they will stamp, yes that was he needed was stamp on the paperwork, to have it done. However, in order to close a visa you must leave the country and come back. So here we are. Our Kuwaiti family upon learning this is helping us get to Dubai. It’s a better place to go and come back from. All of us must go so it will be a neat but short trip.

So By the 6^th of April we will be residents here officially, meaning there will be stamp on a bunch of paperwork we cannot read because its in Arabic.

Craig and I have been struggling with faith here. We know God is at work and through it all he would help us and get us to a good place but we both felt he had promised us things and we were losing hope they would ever come to fruition. We started to grumble and then be convicted about it. We understood why the Israelites wanted to return to Egypt. Faith is a muscle you must learn to use but after a while it gets sore and it gets harder and harder to use it. Every time we felt like God was like ok take a break and let your faith restore its strength we had to flex it and use it a lot more sooner than we expected.

One night we were able to get a baby sitter and we went out for date. It was fun and was a much-needed time but it took money and we began to be anxious about spending it.

The night of the 10^th of March Craig and I fell on our knees before God. We needed money and a place to move to the 15^th.  Exhausted we went to bed. We awoke to the next day to an email about a place in Fintas fully furnished 250 KD a month, one bedroom. We decide to go look at it. Turns out it was perfect. That very day Craig was given his first Salary. This meant we had money for the deposit on this place. However there was one catch. We couldn’t move in until the night of the 17^th. What to do?

We sought out or Kuwaiti family to see if we could stay at their farm. It turns out no at either place they have one because at one place it was going to be all the men and no women and children which means Avi and I could not go and we would have no place to stay cause we could not stay back with the women cause there was no room for us where they were. And other place was to dangerous do a sandstorm that come in.

We were stuck. The family had no money to give us for a hotel and we had not enough money left after paying for our apartment to get a room for two nights. We began to pray again.

The night of the 14^th after trying our best to figure out what to do and where to go we decided it was time to just stop and wait on the Lord. Craig kept finding reasons to out to our car and I kept saying why? They just seemed silly to me but finally I agreed he should just go. As he stood by our car an Egyptian man about what he believed approached him. He told him and the man instantly revealed he was the same. Suddenly he was inviting our family to go with him and his wife the following evening. He also told Craig he might be able to help him with is civil id stuff but it is better to let family send us to Dubai. Still, we met up with them and they took us to Hamada to look at the lights. In honor of Kuwaiti days the entire place is covered with Christmas Lights. Its very pretty and it is actually great to drive through. They bought us Ice Cream let Avi play at one of the parks. It was so much fun. It wasn’t long after that they found out we had no place to stay. Rather than letting us spend money on a hotel we did not have they invited us to stay with them. Strangely we did not know the full extent of this but we felt God had given us another way to out. They even gave up their bed for us and slept on the floor. They also share a flat with several other families but it was good size for all of us. They fed us, took care of Avi, and even made sure we had all we needed to so we could rest. It was amazing. A total miracle for God to provide a couple that could take us in a moment when we had nowhere to go. We stayed with them and on the 17^th we moved into our apartment. It was newly furnished.

Through our displacement Craig and I had been praying God would give us a sanctuary. A place we could come home to and feel as though we could just relax. Everywhere we went or moved we never found it. This has been a journey of trying to keep up a good attitude and trusting God all the while knowing that the only hope you have is the chance of rapture at any moment. We had to struggle and fight just to keep going. We tried to encourage each other but there were moments we could not and fell on our faces down pressed down, persecuted by the enemy, and even stuck down by our circumstances. We thought of coming back to the states but every time we heard of what life were like back there it was no better than where we were.  So we would seek God, he would tell us to run the race, stay the course, to win the prize. So we pressed on and here we are.

The place we live at has beautiful out door area all fenced in. A pool and work out room. We have balcony and are to sit outside and we can see the ocean from there. But best of all its less than a five minute walk to our favorite beach. We go almost every day. One day we went and collected at least 50 shells and pieces of coral from the gulf. Another it was nice enough to take Avi swimming. Craig and I have a finally come to love Kuwait. We know where to shop for food and how to live well but cheaply, which is an art form here. We have come to love going for drives. Last night we drove down to a Sultan Wholesale center, which has a fountain, they play music to and the water sprays up to the music. We sat out side ate our samoose, and watched the show. We love where we live. Everyone says it’s too far away but it basically the distance from one of the springs to the other with traffic to any place from here. It’s the atmosphere that we love the most. Everyone here is just relaxed and happy! We meet so many other Americans and foreigners because this part of town has a lot of company owned apartment complexes. Plus the beach we love is only a little over a year old, which makes it clean and like new for us. Its got play ground equipment and beach is the right amount of large rocks into the ocean and sandy inclines into the water to be able to swim.

Avi is such a water girl and living near the ocean has brought out the best in her. She likes to dunk herself and chase bubbles and pick up seashells. We discovered 100s hermit crabs the other day and had a blast watching them scurry across the rocks.

God finally has finally settled and we finally feel like all the things we were not able to do or focus on or even reach out to take care of back home God has blessed us to be able to. For a while felt so out of place. Nothing ever went as planned. From the date of when we were to leave to the night we moved in here the struggle to learn to say Lord will can then wait on him became what we were forced to do. We tried and tried to bring plans into fruition. We made them and remade them but in the end it was only when we waited and then acted at the moment the Lord told us to, that things went as He planned. We learned together that you have no control and no amount of planning can keep things together. God took away money, stability, and even encouragement. All because He desires that we give it all up to Him and only do as he wills and be willing to go along with Him when plans change. Being a planner is helpful but it does not mean you are obeying God. So here we are. Waiting again on the Lord for the next adventure he has planned. Whatever it is we are ready at a moments notice.

February 2012 in Kuwait

Time for another update from Beautiful Kuwait. It has been a struggle to start over here but just like it says in Ecclesiastes, there is time to build up.

We have spent the last month finding and getting into an apartment. We located to a wonderful part of Kuwait called Salwa. Its quiet and full families and English speaking schools on just about every block. Our apartment is quite large but because we have not accumulated anything we mainly live in one room, our bedroom. We now are living in a sub-basement with the hopes to move up, literally, to another apartment when one opens up here.

We had a few fun outing and escapades this month. The best being we got to go out and celebrate Kuwaiti Independence Day on the 25 and 26 of February. On Friday we drove to B’naider, which lies 40 kilometers south of Kuwait City. We had hoped to see the Al Farsi Kite Festival and the Runners but do to weather none of the kites were up. The drive however was one of the most enlightening drives since we got to really see the countryside here. It’s all sand, oil, and tents out there in that part of Kuwait.  Yes, tents. Not Nomads or tribes but people out camping for the Holiday. In fact most campsites had blow up castles, slides, food, and entertainment for all the folks who were camped around it. Nothing like what we would think of! We also drove down a main road of  B’naider only to have our car attacked and soaked with squirt guns and water balloons. The children here are allowed to do such to cars as part of the Holiday. It’s absolutely something you would never see in the states but here it’s a special part of the holiday for the kids and those still young at heart.

Saturday we went for a drive to check out all the special things going on. We located a few kites that were up at Messila beach in celebration of the Holiday. They were so neat and completely made up for missing the kite festival. They had several kites that were shaped like Soccer balls the kids were allowed to play around and under. The wind would blow the back and forth and the kids would be knocked around by them. Avi, of course having no fear, got right in the middle of it. We got  so many great pictures and Video of her I hope I get to share them all with you soon. She even got knocked down twice, cried about it, but got right back in the mix! She really has no fear. Got to keep an eye that one!!

Because it was on the beach we walked down to the water. We have been to several beaches but this time we let Avi get her feet wet! She loved it! In fact we had to hold her back from jumping in the waves. Water is her favorite thing to do, from bathes, to the pool, to the ocean!

Next we climbed in our car, Avi promptly fell asleep. And we drove down Gulf Road. It was packed with cars since this the thing to do! Most cars were just driving but every so often a kid would roll down the window and spray the cars with water that weren’t decked out in Kuwaiti colors. We had a flag on our trunk so we were rarely squirted but it was fun to get into the spirit of things. It took us two hours to go 5 Kilometers. As such we decided to return home. It was a wonderful to get out and about. We did miss the fireworks show from Kuwait Tower on Friday evening since Avi had a cold and we can’t see it from our apartment but you can watch it on you tube.

We have discovered several great parks! Mishref park was nice and quiet as well. Avi loved the slides, but we had a hard time convincing her to play on the playground equipment. She actually found an incline and spent her time running up and down it, laughing.

We discovered and enjoyed the open-air market here. It happens every Wednesday Evening to Saturday Evening. We  were able to get out fridge their and are hoping to get our new washer and dyer there as well. No one uses dryers here so it’s a learning process to figure out how one goes about purchasing one. Plus most washers are semi-automatic. This means there are separate compartments for washing and spinning. I really would prefer one that does it all for me so prayers we find a good one!

Craig’s job has had its challenges but with each day we get closer to the prospect of a more solidified work schedule and situation. He turned in his passport  to the Company and signed a contract, with a salary attached. Seems as though we are set out to be here for a while. Craig spends much of his time visiting job sites to give his expert advice on all matters of polishing concrete. So fat he has shown himself to be invaluable and his experience and advice trustworthy. He has become a much need asset here. He also spends a lot of time on the phone trying to coordinate jobs. His main contact is in the states so he has to call each time to make sure everything is approved of and ironed out. It’s kind of an interesting way of doing it, but its how it needs to be done. Plus in this culture we have discovered that you tell people what it is that they want rather than them telling you and you accommodating them.

As for me, I spend my days riding around with Craig. It has been the best way to get to know the city and to find all things that make Kuwait great. I am healthy so far. The baby is starting to make himself known. I actually feel flutters from him at least once a day. Avi was similar in this regard. We are still waiting on the chance to get to a doctor. We have to wait for Craig’s civil ID to come through as well as the funds to go see one. I am not to keen on going to a government run clinic because Craig would not be allowed to accompany me. So prayers we can get to the private one very soon.

Avi developed a chest cold and has taken it pretty hard. We were able to get her the need medicine from the pharmacy to ease it along. It was really hard because she has had it over the holiday. Perhaps we should have not gone to the beach but I think in the end it was good for her to get out and enjoy the sun! She is also starting to really say her letters. She can identify almost all of them. I love to do flashcards with her and have her say them! She also says them whenever she sees a sign with English on it. She also has figured out how to slide the “unlock” on the iPad, and then pick out which app she wants to play with. She even scrolls through the folders to find just the right app. We have an indoor pool here, which has become a constant struggle with her. Its right out our front door and every time we enter and leave she cries and struggles to go it! She loves the water!!!! She loves to swim and dunk herself under as well as having water poured over her head!

January 2012 in Kuwait

When we were got the call to come Kuwait we had no details on how this would all work or even how we would live and work here but as in all things we trusted that God would be faithful to his Promises to sustain us and so we said yes to the call. We were not able to purchase our tickets to fly until 5 days before we left because our contacts over here could not give us a date we needed to arrive. So we purchased our tickets on the 1st of January and we flew out on the 4th. We were able to get almost everything back home taken care of and Craig's parents were gracious enough to get all take care of our house and dog during our absence. January 4th we arrived at DEN 2 hours before we were due to take off. Time it seems was not kind to us for it took a very long time to check in, say good bye to family that had accompanied us there, and then get through security. Security took over an hour because I had snow globe that Craig had given me as a gift stowed inside my carry on which all though is not an item listed on the TSA website as restricted in carry on luggage they would not let us get through with it. They had to go through all our bags because of it, we had to call Craig's parents to come get it, which meant we had to wait for them to return to the airport. Needless to say we had to run to get to our flight. The bad part was our gate was clear down at the end of the terminal. Craig was able to make it there but I was not because a guitar which we were transporting as a carry on flew open. I was carrying it and the baby and I had to pick it up and relock it. But by the time I made it down the Lady had closed the door and federal regulations do not allow them to open it back up. The lady had not waited because Craig had gone back to find me but could not locate me because I had dropped the guitar at the gate next to the one we were leaving from that was also boarding and no one could see me through the crowd. American Airlines then had us board a plane to Dallas with the hope we would be able to catch a flight to Chicago from there and make our connection. We did not make that connection because we had ten minutes from the moment we disembarked from our plane to get to the next one and the plane headed to chicago was in another terminal. American Airlines then put us on another flight to Chicago but Our rival there meant we missed our Royal Jordanian connection by an hour's time. Seeing as how there were no more flights head to Kuwait that night we had ended up staying in a hotel. The next morning we returned to the AA desk to see what they could do for us. They rebooked us on Kuwait Airways and rerouted our baggage. This time we checked the guitar. We flew from Chicago to Leguardia in New York. From there we were instructed to get a taxi to JFK since that is where Kuwait Airways flys out from. We arrived at Kuwait Airways only to learn we could not take our cat who had accompanied us this whole way in the cabin, under the plane because she was in a soft case and not a hard case. We frantically went all over the airport looking for one. Craig was able to locate one in the airport at a cargo shipping place. He bought it and raced back but it was too late to board our plane. We then proceeded to stay the night in New York. The next morning we decided that we did not want to deal with American Airlines any more not because they had not been good to us but because they had put us on a flight to Cairo and then Kuwait that would have taken us an extra two days to get to Kuwait. Once at the Airport we headed to the Kuwait Airways desk where they were able to help us not not only catch a direct flight to Kuwait but also cleared our cat to go. The plane ride was wonderful. We were put in a front row where they placed a bassinet on the wall for Avi to sleep in.

Let me interject to say that God has given us the best Child to travel with. She never once fussed at us. Sat quietly watching her tv shows in her carseat and playing with her toys while we worked out details and stood at airline counters for hours. She slept soundly at night in the hotels and was just a true joy to have a long. She never gave us reason to worry.

The flight was long but comfortable. Avi was able to sleep in her bassinet for six hours which was much needed for Craig and I to rest as well. She also loved her bassinet because it was located at the front of our section and she was able to see everyone sitting behind us. She would laugh and call out to people she saw and bounce up and down making everyone laugh. On January 7th at 5:40 Kuwait time we finally arrived at our destination. We were met by the mangers of the concrete polishing company Craig will be consulting with, and the took us out to dinner and found us a place to stay. Exahusted and in need of sleep we finally went down at 9. The next morning Craig and I got up to find that the place we had chosen to stay was falling apart. throughout the day we found the water leak in the bathroom, There was no way to cook or make hot water, There was no place for Avi to sleep (she refused to sleep with us) and their was no food to eat. Needless to say we tried to maintain a gracious heart and make due since we had very little money to work with since we could not get to a bank. Craig's friend that he is working for here took him out that day and got us a little food and a showed him around.

That evening we were invited over to the family's house whom is our surrogate family while we are here. Avi and I sat with the women and children for the evening and Craig was with the men. We were unable to all be together because the dywania (a Kuwaiti sitting room that allows men and women to be together) was currently under renovation. Most people speak some English here but those desiring to get better or have the best English often speak for the whole group interpreting when needed. The food here is amazing and I loved getting to eat their authentic Kuwaiti food.

Craig went to work the following day. Avi and i had no where to go because it was not desirable for us to be out and about in the hotel we were staying at. So we played inside with the few toys she had from her carry on and watched her favorite show.

Next few days were a whirlwind of airport trips, phone calls, sleep, and work for all of us. Because of all the plane mishaps none of our luggage arrived with us. My bag arrived the following day but that meant we were still missing six other bags. With Lots of prayer patience and diligence we were able to finally retrieve 5 of the bags and the other should be here any day.

By the 4th day in the place we were at we knew we needed to move. We actually took time to look at apartments in the hope we could get out of there. But it was a providence that got us moved that evening. Our kuwaiti family heard that we were having trouble at our place so they settled our bill and moved us literally around the corner to a wonderful place. We have a full suite here with one bedroom and kitchen, and free breakfast every morning. Our Kuwaiti family is graciously paying for it and we cannot tell you how generous such people are when they consider you family here.

A Little bit of culture for you. Most places here are open from 8 to 1, and 4 to 8. They have an afternoon break where they close down for several hours. Prayer is done over the Loud speaker through the city at the instructed times. It's very beautiful and intriguing. The weekend is actually Thursday and Friday with most places closing early on Thursday. Friday is their weekly holy day and they hold services this day at the mosques. Also, their food here is amazing and everything is natural and fresh. Also hardly anyone here uses a dryer so all items we wash In Our machine must be hung out to dry. The small local stores similar to our gas stations accept without the gas is called a bacalla. They are everywhere. You can drive up in front of one and honk your horn. They will come out, take your order, bring it out to your car and you will pay it and drive off.

One very special and neat thing we have gotten to do was to go a restaurant owned by a Kuwaiti man. It located out in the ocean in a place called the Marina Waves. You drive out along this board walk and park. It has a 360 degree view of the ocean and Kuwait City all lit up at night. It was incredibly beautiful! It was a place that served sushi with all local fish. All the rolls are named after prominent Kuwaiti family's. It was a fun time for all of us and gave us a chance to get out bit and experience more of the ocean side of Kuwait. We are in the heart of the city and since we have not yet picked up a car we are unable to get there very often. Picture of marina waves: copy and paste in address box to view picture of it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/-lucie-/3554284148/

We are all adjusting well. We still have to visit the embassy to get our permanent residency done, our civil id's, and our kuwaiti driver license done as well. We also are currently looking for a more permanent residence closer to the ocean. We would like to to be close to shopping, have a balcony, and have at least 2 bedrooms. We also need a car soon so we are not dependent on others to get around. Also it would be nice to get Avi around other kids and me other moms in the near future so we Can get out and about more.

Craig's job has him leading the office meetings, helping with customer relations, writing bids, estimates, and invoices, as well as helping design plans of operations and find solutions to the polishing concrete work they have going on. He also has recently developed a inventory program that the workers can use on their iPhones to keep track of all of there equipment and such. He is such an asset already that everyone keeps telling him they are so happy he is here to direct them. This is clearly where we are supposed to be.

Last but not least is our big news. We are expecting another little one this coming September! It is a huge blessing for us right now and we are super excited about it! Kuwait has fabulous health care and hospital and clincs devoted specifically to maternity. We have several names of doctors recommended to us and very soon we will hopefully be settling in with one.

Back in Kuwait

Making the decision to move to Kuwait was one of the easiest I ever made. However, it has been the hardest trial of my life. Here we are in a foreign country where we can't understand the language at all, being ridiculed by everyone at home because they think we did something wrong. Not having any support because they won't encourage us till we admit it. Craig and I had to lean on the only one we could. No one else was there for us. I guess I am using this as a place to vent. Do you know what it is like to have the people who are supposed to be there for you telling you how wrong you are and refusing to give you the support you need because they want to be the one to say I told you so first! I love them don't get me wrong but they don't any idea of what it was like at all. We had to struggle every step of the way until now. In fact is crazy how the issue of struggling is just gone. I think most of the people back home attribute it because we came home for month to sell everything off but the truth is that nothing has changed at all. Just that which was keeping us from being productive is gone. It just that when we go to do something it actually works or it is easier than we ever expected. Food we want is now on the shelves, getting around is a breeze. Electronics we thought didn't exist suddenly do and we actually are getting great advice on how to find the things we need or wish we had. Even getting out of the airport this time was so simple. Getting Craig's Civil Id which was the thing we kept going circles trying to get is as simple as Him giving the company his Passport. He spent 2 months doing everything he could, filling out paperwork, and visiting every office in Kuwait to get it done. Nothing. Circles, Circles, Circles when it came to everything.

Its strange but we actually know more about kuwait living as we have those three months than any of our kuwaiti friends or people who have lived here for years. And truth be told we are so comfortable here we actually want to start enjoying ourselves. Going to all the fun places instead of just trying to live. We even stuggled to do just that! But Kuwait is still kuwait. And we now have the choice of becoming someone who is spending time in Kuwait or molding into the way it is here so we can actually become someone who is acutally living here. We'll see how it all works out but right now we are in the middle. Could go either way. Glad the stuggle is ended and that it was no fault of ours we endured it! I can stand proudly or at least post proudly that  is the God honest truth!