Back and Belated

I got back in town last night, and Nathan and the boys surprised me at the airport. I was planning to take a taxi and was on a mission, until I saw Caleb run out from the crowd and he gave me a big hug, it was very sweet! I had some really pretty birthday flowers waiting at home for me.

Before going out of town, Tes baked me a delicious chocolate birthday cake that we all enjoyed before I left.

 And she baked me this beautiful strawberry cake when I got home!

All the boys really wanted to do was blow out the candles and eat cake. It was quite delicious.

While mom was away, the boys had some 'guy time,' as Caleb says :). They took trips to the park, aquarium, corniche, and zoo. They had a great week, and it's so nice to be home with my 3 boys!

East Coast

I am back in the states this week for work, and was lucky to fly in a couple days early to see friends, do a little family shopping, and enjoy the sights of springtime. I drove by our house in Virginia, and saw all the new construction in the neighborhood. A lot of the woods are now gone and new homes are popping up, and it will look nice when it is all done. And the best part is this new trail that will be several miles long, that is very close to our backyard!

I couldn't resist a visit to Wegmans and eating a fresh lunch. It was sensory overload to walk through the store. So much variety and choices compared to where we live.

And I made it to Manassas Battlefield, one of our family's favorite spots in VA, right in time to catch a beautiful sunset.

Loving all of the beautiful pink flowers in bloom!

I got to visit with our good family friends, the Kerns. Their girls are now little ladies and growing up so fast. We had a fun afternoon together, and it was nice to re-connect with the girls. They are now a elementary, middle, and high schooler!

On my birthday, I got to spend the day with my best friend Marissa, and her sweet son Henry. We had a great time visiting Ellicot City, MD. We had a nice lunch outside, visited the train museum, walked through shops, and took a hike by the river.

Is this little boy cute or what! It will be so much fun to get our boys together in a couple of months!

Marissa is a wonderful mom, and Henry is quite in love :).

My birthday coconut snowball.

We said our goodbyes for now and then they drove home...don't worry, Henry has a car seat in the back...

Feeling thankful for this weekend of good friends, springtime, and enjoying the little things :).

Spiderman

Spidermen are here to save the day!

Sorting, Purging, and Playing

Pretty crazy that we are down to our last 7 weeks in Kuwait! And in between the moving preparations,  we both have individual work travel planned, so the time will go by very quickly. This week Nathan and I took a little time off work to begin the sorting and purging process. We got through most of our house, sold some stuff at a yard sale this weekend, and donated the rest. Next step will be organizing what is going home with us for the summer and what will go to Jordan. There will be a bit to do in the coming weeks, but all in all, I think we are off to a good start, thanks to my wonderful partner :).

We are also taking the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the things we love about Kuwait. It is getting hotter, but it has been very dusty the last few weeks, which makes the temperatures cooler, or at least it seems. Today we went to a new souq, then we went to a park downtown to let the boys ride scooters and play, and we had a picnic.

Love our little tree climbing monkeys!

Happy Saturday!

Dino Park Round 2

Nathan got home the other day after being gone for the last month. We are all really happy he is home, and there is a lot of 'daddy, daddy' being said in our house these days :). We have enjoyed spending time together and doing fun things as a family, since we are down to our last 2 months before we depart.

Yesterday evening we went back to the Dino Park with our good friends. In the evening all the rides are open, and it was pretty much an amusement park for kids, you almost don't even notice all the dinosaurs. It was a really fun evening for everyone, and the highlight for Nathan and I was seeing how much fun the boys had on all the rides. They have never been on fast rides before, and we didn't really know what to expect. Let's just say, they loved them!  Here's to our first time roller coaster riders...

Pirate ship boat. This made me feel so sick when I used to ride, but not these kids!

Bungee cord bouncing. Caleb was a little unsure at first to be raised so high, but he got the hang of it and had a blast.

Bumper cars with the twins.

The carousel

The drop ride, this one put a huge smile on everyone's faces!

Where else could a 2, 3, and 7 year old drive on their own….together?

And I got to ride too :).

Ben got a little tired by the end, but perked up quickly once we got food. After leaving the park, we all went to get subs for dinner, and the kids ran around and played for close to another hour. It was a fun night with our friends.

I took a lot of videos, and the program I use to convert the format will combine lots of videos together. So, here's a reverse order longer video of the fun had by all. Enjoy!

Look out Holiday World and Disney World, here comes Caleb and Benjamin!

Easter and Passover

We had a special weekend celebrating both Easter and Passover with friends. On Friday, our church had a wonderful Easter worship service and afterwards a we had a pot-luck lunch and fellowship with our friends.

I am humbled and so grateful for Jesus's sacrifice and gift of eternal life. And especially grateful for Nathan and these two sweet little boys.

On Saturday, I hosted a Passover Seder. It was a special evening sharing this tradition and celebrating the Jews liberation of slavery from the Egyptians. It was a fun evening with friends. In total we were 10 adults and 12 kids!

I couldn't quite find all the items for a traditional Seder, but we improvised where needed.

It was most people's first Seder. Everyone participated and enjoyed the new experience.

And right in the middle, Ben decided it was time for some naked car racing!

After the Seder we ate some delicious Lebanese food. Unlike in a traditional Seder, there was a fair amount of leavened bread.

After the Seder, the kids searched for the Afikomen that was hidden earlier that evening. After about 15 minutes of searching, it was found and a reward was given

I am so thankful for our friends that have truly become our family away from home. Happy Easter and Passover to all of our family and friends around the world!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3.

Buzz and Batman

Buzz and Batman like to drink milk...

Dress up...

And sing songs...

 Happy Wednesday!