We hope this year-end message finds you well and fondly looking back our your year. It’s been non-stop for us! After returning from The States for Pepa’s arrival, we settled back into life in Riyadh. Needless to say, there is no shortage of liveliness in the house now with Pepa AND The Gents. They bring a hefty amount of challenges, but not enough to stop our adventures!
Soon after The Gents’ 3rd birthday we ventured to the western side of Saudi Arabia to Al Ula. It’s what was part of the old trade route from Damacus to Yemen (watch “Laurence of Arabia”) and is the ruins/second capital city of the ancient Nabateans. The one thing I REALLY wanted to do while living in Saudi Arabia was glamp in the dessert, so it was really special to be able to do it in such a historical place with all the kiddos. This was the prized gem of all of our experiences in KSA. We’re so glad we were able to visit.
In March it was on to Thailand for a beach vacation on the island of Phuket. We weren’t sure how it would go with all the kiddos, but we still ventured into Old Town to experience the bustling night markets. It was a street food dream! In addition to the stunning sunsets and beautiful beaches, the food is spectacular there. It was a wonderful week and great experience for us all. We hope to go back one day.
Before we knew it, we ended our two year tour in Riyadh and were on our way back to The States for a few months. Although it was a shorter stay than we would have liked, being in Michigan was wonderful - full of family, friends, and farms and farmers markets. Oh and we made it to Chicago for a quick visit, too.
We needed to get to Virginia though. We were fortunate enough to be reconnected family and friends there, eat at some of our favorite restaurants and discover a few new ones. And, in what seemed like and instant, Miss J turned 1!
We had a couple delays with our visas, but we finally arrived in Cairo in mid-September. After giving The Gents a little time to get adjusted to their new surroundings, they eagerly started school. Thankfully they’re still excited to go everyday! They’re learning so much and it’s great to consistently hear positive comments about them from their teacher. Pepa has even spent a few days at their school. She’s growing so fast and wants to be just like her big brothers already.
It didn’t take us long to start taking in the local sites – Giza, Old Cairo, Dashur, Memphis, Coptic Cairo. There is so much to do and see in Cairo that we’re not even in a hurry to travel outside of, yet. Even with all of Cairo’s challenges of traffic, pollution and trash everywhere, its rich history and culture more than make up for it. And I don’t have to wear an abaya to go outside, so Egypt has that going for it.
It’s only been a few short months since our arrival, but we foresee Cairo being a great place for our family for the next couple years. It’s an exciting time to be starting at a new post and we’ll continue to share it with you. We hope you’re looking forward to the year ahead as much as we are. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2020! xo
p.s. below are some pics from this year. Watching these kids grow really is a blessing.
