Our House

Here is our humble abode. :) This is what we will call home for the next little while. 

 We live on the end of a 4-plex.  Just to the right of our garage is the neighbors garage. The lawn isn't fully grown in yet but we hired a gardener that is working on getting that taken care of.  He stops by a couple times a day to turn the sprinklers on, he also sweeps off the porch and once a week he washes the car.

 The kitchen is very different than the kitchen we had in the States.  I call it a hallway kitchen and I have a rule that no kids are allowed in there when I am in there.  Too close for comfort.  I do like the kitchen though.  There is plenty of counter space and lots of cabinets too.

 A view from the opposite side.

 This is our dining room.  Aramco provided the furniture for us until our own furniture gets here in a couple of months.

 This is me and Josh's room.  The provided a double bed for us but there is no way that I was gonna share with Josh so we put Briggy in a crip and then used the bed that was meant for him for Josh.  The beds are actually not that bad.

Another shot of our room, looking into the master bathroom.

I'll have to get pics of the kids rooms, the family room, the office and the laundry room up here next.

Random Pictures and a Cool Story.

 These 2 pictures were taken from the bus while we were on the day trip to Khobar.  There is A LOT of sand here and we see camels pretty frequently.

This is what the toilets look like.  Luckily there are a few normal looking toilets as well but there was rarely any toilet paper.  We need to remember to pack that along with us next time we leave Abqaiq.  Luckily I was able to find some paper towels. :)

Now for story time...

When  I was at the produce counter (you have all your produce weighed right in the produce area, not at the checkout stand) in Tamimi a man said, "You must have just got back from your vacation?"  I told him that we had actually just arrived 5 days preciously for the first time.  He was so nice and friendly welcoming us to Saudi Arabia.  He is from TX but lives in Ras Tanura which is a different Aramco compound, his name is Julio.  Josh talked to him for a few minutes and then we saw him a few other times when were doing our shopping.  Later on that day when we were having lunch at Chilis he came in and was also having lunch there.  After we got done eating the waiter came over and packaged up our to go boxes and Josh asked for the check.  The waiter smiled and told us our meal had already been paid for.  When we asked who paid for it he pointed over at Julio.  We were so touched by his kindness.  Paying for a meal for 6 people is no small amount!!!  We made sure to thank him and we headed out on our way.  After that we went to Saco world.  Its a HUGE store!  Callie and Levi needed to use the bathroom and I was just about to head to find Josh to make him take Levi.  Usually I just let Levi go in to the mens restroom alone but I felt nervous sending him by himself but I was also not comfortable with taking him into the women's restroom either.  Just in time Julio came around the corner and offered to go with Levi into the bathroom.  It was such a relief because finding Josh and then being able to get back it to the bathroom in time was going to be a challenge!  Well...Levi needed to go #2 and remember we are in the part of the world that doesn't use toilet paper.  Instead they have hoses in each stall so you can spray yourself off.  Poor Levi was left to figure this out on his own.  Julio realized that Levi was taking some time to he went and had to help Levi get cleaned up.  When they came out of the bathroom Levi was grinning from ear to ear and so was Julio.  They had a good laugh together about what a funny experience it was for Levi.

I was so touched by this man's kindness.  Here were are in the Middle East, a place that many people have told us they would be scared to live, and yet we were treated with just as much kindness as anywhere else we have ever been.  Josh and I have talked about this experience several times and will use this as a reminder to look for opportunities to serve others.  I should also add that everyone we encountered while have been here has been so kind.  People are very friendly and very willing to help us... No matter our race, nationality, or religion.

Abayas and Khobar

When we are in Abqaiq I can dress how I normally do. However, when we leave the compound (which is similar to a military base) I wear an abaya (covering my face and head isn't necessary).  On the first Saturday that we were here we went on an outing to Khobar, which is the closest big city.  Our first stop was at an abaya shop so all the new hires could be dressed appropriately for the rest of the day.  They had a pretty good selection and they weren't that pricey either.  I think I paid 75 SR for mine, which is twenty US dollars.   I've gotta say that hanging out in an abaya shop with about group of women that I had only known for a few days was totally a surreal experience.  Since then I've become great friends with these women and this picture makes me super happy!

After getting the abayas we headed to a grocery store.  We had limited time there so we rushed to grab whatever groceries we could.  The store is a Safeway called Tamimi.  Their selection is about a thousand times better than what we have at the commissary and the prices were pretty comparable to the grocery store I shopped at in Wyoming.   We also stopped at Saco World.  It's a big store that is like a Walmart without clothing or food or a Home Depot without lumber.  It's a huge store!!!  We had a good time here but again we were pretty rushed.  We also went to the Dhahran Mall and had lunch at Chilis.  We were commenting about how funny it was that we were in Khobar, Saudi Arabia but having lunch at Chilis.  It was actually really nice to go somewhere and order something that we were familiar with.  

While we were in Khobar we also went to IKEA and to a store similar to Best Buy.  By the time we got home it had been a 10 hour day and we were all super exhausted.  For most of the day I felt like I ha to remind myself that I was in Saudi Arabia.  It's amazing how quickly it just felt normal to be around people who are dressed so differently than me (especially the women all with their faces covered). 

 These are just a couple of random pictures I took from the bus while we were in Khobar.

 There are a lot of Baskin Robins Ice Cream shops here.  You can also buy it at the commissary.

There were about 40 of us on that bus to Khobar and we all bought a ton of stuff!  Unloading the bus and sorting through bags to figure out whose stuff was whose was pretty funny!  

First Class Flying, Airports, and Arriving in Abqaiq.

Everything was better about flying first class!  More leg room, lots of attention from the flight attendants, lots of food, screens for each person, seats that reclined...  I really wish we would have just had a direct flight because the only stressful part of the trip was getting to our connecting flights.  

 Levi and I on the flight from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles.  This was a short flight and they had cool snacks.  Probably the most fun part of the trip.  The airplane excitement was still fresh for the kids and we had a very friendly flight attendant.  

After our plane landed in LA we had an hour and forty minutes to get to our next flight.  We thought that would be plenty of time but little did we know we had to get to a totally different terminal and go through security again.  It wouldn't have been a big deal if we had been given accurate information.  We got on a shuttle and asked to be dropped off at terminal two.  Instead the driver decided we needed to go to terminal 4 instead.  Once we finally knew where we were going we started freaking out just a little because we knew we still had to get through security again.  A family of six getting through security isn't super simple.  The line was really long so we just cut in line making a bunch of people angry.  As we were getting everything on the conveyor belt we heard over the intercom "Despain party of 6 your flight to Amsterdam is ready to depart."  Well crap.  At this point I was starting to really really think we may not get on the flight.  We literally ran to the gate barely made it.  The crew of flight attendants helped us get all of the carry on luggage put away and the plane started moving about one minute after we were sitting down.  I let out a huge sigh.  I am still surprised that we made it.

About an hour after we took of dinner was served.  I should have taken a photo of the menu so I could remember the food options.  I got a beef steak with potatoes and vegetables and a roll.  I think Josh got that too.  Millie got a chicken dish and I think the rest of the kids got a fancy macaroni and cheese dish. There were appetizers too but none of them seemed super appealing. It was all much fancier food than Josh or I ever eat.  Everything was edible though and it was nice to be served. :)  One thing that was kind of challenging was that we had so much space that either Josh or I had to keep getting up to help the kids with their food (cutting it, buttering rolls, etc.)  Usually it was Josh getting up. :)  

 After dinner the kids got to watch movies on their screens and then we made them shut them off and get some sleep.  I think it was about 9pm when we made them sleep.  After running through the airport they were all pretty tired.

 Briggy slept for about 8 out of ten hours of this flight.  That was such a blessing!!!!

 An hour before landing in Amsterdam they served breakfast.  It felt like 3am for us so we weren't very hungry and some of the kids were still sleeping.  Josh got an omelet for breakfast and I got blueberry pancakes.  It also came with a croissant, some fruit and cheese, some yogurt, and a bowl of cornflakes.

At the end of the flight they brought around these little gifts for everyone.  They are little glass dutch looking houses.  I think the guy said there are 90 different ones and people that regularly fly with KLM collect them.  I need to get a picture of one still.  We didn't know they had alcohol in them so when we get them again after the next flight we traded some of them for ones that didn't have alcohol. (For those that don't know... Alcohol is prohibited in Saudi Arabia so they would have been confiscated if they had alcohol in them).

After landing in Amsterdam we had just enough time to figure out where to go and then get there.  We also had to go through security again.  SUCH A PAIN!  It was nice getting on to our last flight though and knowing we were getting closer!!!  The kids all did good on the flight from Amsterdam to Saudi but they were getting really antsy and ready to not be on a plane anymore.  Brigham slept for a bit and then was mostly watched Mickey Mouse on my lap top. There were several other Aramco employees on the flight but none of them were headed to Abqaiq.

The plane had a stop in Kuwait before taking off again for Dammam.  Josh and I took advantage of this time get changed and make sure we had everything and knew where things were (passports, ID, etc).  As the plane started loading again it was a bit of a reality and a culture shock...It filled with Muslim people.  Most of the women who boarded had their faces veiled showing only a little slit of their eyes.  Several people touched Callie's hair.  She is so blonde and they don't see hair quite like hers very often.

Once we landed in Dammam we found a bathroom and then headed for the immigration area.  We were at the end of a very long line when a Saudi man (dressed in a thob and gutra) took us to the front. He was an Aramco employee and had been looking for us.  Our family stood out big time... we are very white and we have a lot of kids. :)  After that we went to get our luggage.  We tipped 3 porters quite well for getting all of our luggage together for us.  They took it over to customs for us and helped get it all through.  Everything we brought made it though customs. They didn't even really search any of it.  After that we met up with the rest of the group of new teachers that were coming in at the same time and they took us to get our company IDs made.  Keep in mind that is was after 11pm Saudi time so it felt like early afternoon for us.  We in a small room with the rest of the new group and ate Snickerdoodle cookies that the superintendent brought for us.  It was really fun to get to know some of our new coworkers and neighbors.  Once we were done there we got on some really big busses that were very well air conditioned and headed to our new home.

We got to Abqaiq at about 3:30 am.  There are were 2 other families on the bus that also live in the same 4 plex of townhouses as us.  Everyone helped get everything unloaded and we were off to see our new home.  By this time I was definitely exhausted even though it should have only felt like about 7 pm for us.  We gave everyone some Melatonin to help make them sleepy and by 4am we were all sleeping.  I didn't even move I don't think until the 2pm.  I decided to make everyone get up so that we could start getting adjusted to the new time.

Thats all for now but I should have time later tonight to post about our first day here. :)  Thanks for reading.

Airport Day

To say it was hard to sleep the night before Airport Day (I've dubbed it that because I am not really sure what day technically would be moving day) is an understatement.  I woke up SO TIRED but so so so excited that we were finally at this point.  I don't think I can really describe the emotions... Scared, excited, nervous, happy, anxious. 

 We spent the last night at Josh's parents house.  Their poor front room was filled with our carry-on stuff as we tried to stuff everything in different suitcases.   Josh's parent were great help and they made us a yummy breakfast that included bacon and sausage!  We had to get our last fill of pork because it isbn't allowed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  My parents had all of the boxes and luggage that we were checking on the plane so they met us at Josh's parents house and then we all headed to Panda Express for our last American lunch. :)  

 We looked pretty funny trying to get everything where it needed to go.  Luckily it was a pretty hectic time and I didn't have a chance to think much...  The helped keep my emotions in check.

 Here it all is...  We had 8 dish barrel boxes and 4 big suitcases and a bike box that we needed to check in.  Luckily they all were under the weight limit of 70 pounds and the bike only cost $100 extra.

 This photo of our parents makes me smile.  We were all getting checked in and they were all standing with the same pose and looking a little nervous.  It was SO SO SO much help having them at the airport.  They stayed with us all the way to security.

 Once we made it through security we headed for the first class lounge.  We also looked kinda funny in there.  Not too many families of 6 were hanging out.  We all took advantage of the unlimited drinks and snacks.

Flying first class is very likely something that will never happen for us again so we soaked it up and enjoyed every minute.

Since we had a full week to spend in Utah before we headed for Saudi Arabia we decided to pack in as much fun with our families as possible!  

 We spend a day on Temple Square with our Llewellyn cousins (most of them anyway).  We also went to Liberty park that day and played in some small pools and then each of the kids got to pick on ride to go on.

 This is Levi and his cousin Kellen at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City.  They have a part sectioned off just for kids.

 Briggy loved this little truck and spent the majority of his time at the museum playing in it.

 We also spent a day doing the exact same things with our Hendry cousins.  Millie chose to ride the swings both times and she LOVED it!

 Me and my Millie girl! :)  She is growing up WAY too fast!

 On our last day of fun before the big move we decided to go to Hollywood Connection.  The kids has unlimited rides, mini golf, roller skating, bumper cars, and a whole ton of arcade games.  They loved it!

These are cousins, Emmalee, Leah, and Spencer.  Not sure why we didn't include everyone in the picture.  We sure had fun with them though! :)

Salem Day!

One of my favorite days of the year is Salem Day!  I grew up in Salem Utah and I do my best to never miss Salem Day.  We started the day running the family fun run, had breakfast in the park, went to the parade and then kids games in the park.  Then we had dinner and snow cones and watched fireworks.  It was a super great way to end a stressful week of moving.

Moving Day

It seems like we had been talking about moving day for months!  When we finally saw the moving truck headed down the road to our house it was totally surreal. Actually it made everything about this experience seem much more real.  To be honest, those two days were extremely hard.  Leaving my house and what had been home for 9 years was much more difficult that I thought it would be.  It was made easier by a constant stream of visitors.  I wish I had thought to take pictures with everyone who came to see us, but I probably would have been too emotional.  I miss Star Valley and I probably always will.  We had such good friends and neighbors there. 

 At about 11:00 in the morning on Wednesday August 7 this truck showed up.  Four men came in and started packing and within just a few hours my house really looked like we were moving.

 I joked a lot about the red carpet they laid down for me.  The movers must have known what a celebrity I am. (totally joking)

 By about 4:00 on the afternoon of August 8 the movers were all done!  We spent that night organizing our luggage and cleaning the house a bit.

 When we added on to our house I forced the kids in to putting a handprint in the concrete.  Too bad Briggy wasn't born yet.  Levi wasn't a big fan or it so his handprint is pretty messed up.  Millie was 5, Levi was about to turn 3, and Callie was almost 1.

We had our neighbor Mikala take this for us right before we drove off on Friday morning (August 9).  We had lots of neighbors stop by that morning to see us off.  At one point I just had to drive away and get it over with because the longer I put it off the more upset it was making me.

Lesson learned:  Sometimes even when you have the most exciting things in your future it is HARD and SCARY and EMOTIONAL to leave you current place.