School's out...hello summer!

The boys had a great school year in both Hawthrorn School in Salem, IL and ACS in Amman. They both learned a lot, made nice friends, and had fun.

First day at Hawthorn Elementary. Caleb had Mrs. Richardson for first grade, and Benjamin had Mrs. Marcum for Kindergarten.

Last day at ACS Amman. Caleb had Mrs. Purdy for first grade, and Benjamin had Mrs. Zeina for Kindergarten. Goodbye Kindergarten and First Grade....Hello First and Second Grade!

The boys enjoyed time with friends and a week of summer camp before we headed back to the States for a few weeks. This is their good friend JJ, who departed Jordan this summer. He and Caleb were in class together the past 2 years, and they became good buddies. We will miss his family and look forward to seeing them again one day in VA.

Caleb's other good friend in class this year was a sweet girl named Rosalie. Caleb, JJ, and Rosalie were the three amigos and were always together. She also departed Jordan for the US, and we know we will see her again too. 

Her last few days in town, they saw each other a few times for swimming play dates.

Benjamin makes friends with the lifeguards at the Embassy. I think he really wanted to blow his whistle :).

New summer hair cuts...he wanted to get his hair cut short like daddy!

Caleb got a trim, he still likes it a little longer.

Here we come, summer!

Eliza Rose: 9 Months Old

Happy 9 months sweet baby girl! This month has brought many new things for Eliza. She is crawling everywhere and starting to pull up on couches and in her crib. She smiles and babbles a lot, and enjoys being read to.

Eliza adores her brothers, and they love being around her as well.

At her 9 month appointment, she weighed 21 lbs (80%) and was 28'' long (75%). She is sleeping much better the month and is sleeping through the night much more often.Eliza is a good nurser and also drinks a few bottles a day. She has two teeth and is enjoying pureed fruits and veggies, and has started eating yogurt, cheese, and cut melon. She is in size 9/12 month clothes and size 3 diapers.

Happy 9 months sweet baby girl!

Wadi Mujib

I am pretty far behind on blogging, and want to write about our trip to Malta in April, but will blog about a few smaller things first. First up, is Wadi Mujib! This hike is one of our favorite things to do in Jordan, it's a water hike down a slotted canyon just south of the Dead Sea, and every year it is a little different, based on the rainfall. The hike is open from April - October, and we typically go early in the season when the water levels are higher. Jordan had record rainfall this year, so the water levels were the highest we have seen. We have gone as an office a few times in the past, and did it again this year. It was a great way to all spend the day together and escape the heat of summer. It was 115 degrees that day by the Sea, but you are submerged in water most of the hike and it is very refreshing. You can't tell from this picture, but just around the corner, the water gets up to neck level, and you have to swim and hold onto ropes to make it through the obstacles. 

At the entrance/exit to the hike, there were some fun rocks to jump from. This is the first year the water has been high enough to do this!

It's a super fun way to spend the day with everyone!

Eliza Rose: Eight Months Old

Happy 8 months Eliza Rose! This girl is so much fun and a happy little girl. Eliza has transitioned from only sitting, to planking and almost crawling. She can get around a room pretty well by pushing or pulling, and she gets into the crawling position often. It won't be long before she gets her legs going!

Eliza weighs around 20lbs. She wears 9 month clothes and is in size 3 diapers. She eats 5/6 times a day, and she continues to enjoy her normal foods. Her sleeping has improved and started sleeping through the night again most nights, and only wakes up occasionally. She still naps 1-2 times a day, and sleeps 11-12 hours a night.

We can see more and more of both boys' personalities in her. She has the curiosity of Caleb and contentedness of Benjamin at this age. We love seeing her personality come out and blossom each day! Eliza loves watching everything her big brothers do, and they are so sweet with her! It won't be long before she is following them around and getting in the mix. 

Happy 8 months Eliza, we love you!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter and Happy Spring! We had a quiet holiday this year and celebrated at home. We celebrated on the American Easter this year because we were going to be out of town for the Orthodox Easter that they celebrate in Jordan, which fell one week later.  Leading up to Easter, the kids went to an Easter party, we decorated eggs (thank you grandpas and grandmas for the kits), and read about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Our family tradition is to have a ham on Easter Sunday. Ham is an extra treat in this part of the world

We are thankful for the gift of salvation that is freely given, because of what Jesus did for us. Happy Easter, He is risen!

First (and last) T-Ball Game & Caleb's Broken Arm

The boys were excited to play t-ball again this year, and their team sponsor was Petra Engineering.

They had a few friends on their team from last year which was fun for them. Both boys had good hits and had a great game.

Eliza and I found this spectator at the ball field :)

 After the game, we went to lunch, and then to a park to play for a while. Caleb came up to us and said he fell and thought he hurt his arm. He was in shock because one look and his arm was visibly displaced, so Nathan grabbed him securely, I got the car, and our family was off to the hospital. Rule number one, never break a bone on the first Friday of Ramadan, during prayer time....it was very difficult to find a doctor to see Caleb and the first hospital we were sent to was a chaotic mess. A fight broke out in the Emergency room while Nathan was getting Caleb triaged, and Eliza and Benjamin were getting antsy, so I took them home.  The x-ray showed that the broken bone was right near an artery, which could have been very dangerous if his bone nicked the artery. We are thankful that Nathan was able to keep his arm stable during the transport and triage.

Tes came to rescue and watched Benjamin and Eliza so I could go back to the hospital for Caleb's surgery. The good patient in the second hospital getting checked in and prepared for surgery.

Coming out of anesthesia after surgery. I'm not sure what it is like in the U.S., but they called us into the recovery room after surgery, and they asked us to help wake him up.

They said it's common for kids to wake up very upset, but Caleb woke up calmly and was happy to see us and baby teddy at his side.

Nathan stayed the night with him in the hospital and he was out by the middle of the following day. Two pins later and a few weeks of being casted for our brave boy.

Caleb had a cast on for only 3 weeks. Apparently the location of the break is tricky, and the orthopedic said it was more harmful to immobilize the joint longer than needed to be to heal the break. So at 3 weeks, he had the pins removed, cast off, and had a clear x-ray. He was in an arm sling for a week to remind himself to take it easy, and he has quickly regained his strength and can now extend his arm all the way and even do push ups again. We are proud of how brave Caleb was through this experience, and hope this is the 4th and final broken bone during our time in Jordan!

Spring Break, Beit Sitti, Jerash, and Early 40th

Part of my mom's visit was over the boys' spring break. They Ubered all over Amman, visited the Children's Museum, Royal Tank Museum, they went to the movies twice, and to an indoor play area. The boys and my mom had a great time, and Nathan and I were thankful for the time they got to spend together, and for her helping us during the school break! I don't have pictures of their week of fun, but lots of fun was had!

Over another weekend, a few ladies from work, my mom, and I took a cooking class at Beit Sitti, which means 'My Grandma's House.' We learned how to cook Jordanian specialties: maqloubeh, mtubbal, salad, and pita bread. It was a lot of fun to learn how to cook each dish with everyone, and so delicious eating the end result! They gave us lemon with mint when we arrived.

They prepped some of the food because it would have taken too long, but we cooked most of it! For the maqloubeh, which means 'upside down' in Arabic, you line the pot with cauliflower, potatoes, add the rice with an special spice mixture, add the chicken and broth, put the lid on and cook for 20-30 mins.

Then...dump it upside down! Mom was the lucky volunteer to do the flipping :).

All the cooks...the ladies :).

Up close of our masterpieces. The mttubal is mushed/chopped eggplant that is made by charring an eggplant over an open fire, peeling the outer layer of the charred skin, then slamming it with a knife on a cutting board until it has the mushy consistency. It was smokey and so good. The salad was chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, onions, with a delicious molasses dressing. The pita bread was so easy, flour, water, and sugar...high temp oven for a few minutes, then it's fluffy and done. I had 3 servings of food! They are supposed to email us the recipes, but we are still waiting :(. 

Another weekend, my mom, the kids, and I ventured to Jerash. We explored the  famous Oval Plaza, Roman Amphitheater, and Temple of Zeus. It was a beautiful day and we all enjoyed being outside and seeing all the greenery and flowers blooming!

As many know, my mom and I share a birthday, and this year was my 40th, so mom wanted to celebrate early since she was leaving a couple of weeks before our birthday. She got a nice cake and firework candles (not shown), and my dad skyped in to sing us happy birthday! Happy early 112th birthday to us:).

It was fun having my mom here for the month, exploring new parts of Jordan, and we are very thankful for the time she got to spend with the kids and how much she helped us with them during a busy time. We love you mom, and look forward to our next visit.

Eliza Rose: Seven Months Old

Happy 7 months Eliza Rose! This has been a fun month watching Eliza learn how to do new things. She sits up well on her own, has enjoyed trying new foods, and she cut two bottom teeth.

Eliza's next doctor appointment is at 9 months, but we think she weighs around 20lbs. She wears 9 month clothes and is in size 3 diapers. Eliza eats 5/6 times a day, and like a variety of fruits, veggies, meats, oatmeal, and rice cereals.

Her sleeping has improved and she usually wakes once a night with the occasional sleep through...we are getting there! She takes one solid nap a day, and sometimes that's it. There's just too much going on for her to miss out on. 

Eliza loves watching everything her big brothers do, and they are so sweet with her! It won't be long before she is following them around and getting in the mix. Caleb wanted to take this picture to show he is 7 years old and Eliza is 7 months old :).

Happy 7 months Eliza, we love you!