Making Friends

Last week we went on a visit to see some friends and Sadie Mac was the highlight for all. She was greeting everyone and playing with the other children and having a wonderful time. She was quite the little social butterfly. First, we were served water, which is custom. Everyone always brings water to their guests. Then we had coke, and coffee. Then, after that we enjoyed a meal together with water... only drinking AFTER the meal (also custom.) As the visit went on, we also enjoyed tea with milk together. We laugh at the fact it is 100+ temps and they LOVE coffee and hot tea!



We enjoyed the visit and all the while, Sadie Mac is having her a wonderful time. But, toward the end... her social hour(s) were finished. She had enough of being passed around (as you can see below). She was ready for mommy and daddy... and a NAP!

Mid-March Pool Party!

Last week the temperatures started rising and we thought... let's welcome summer back by having a "mini-pool party". Yes, Sadie's bathtub ducky doubles as a pool and she LOVED IT! We took it out on our balcony and we know she was thinking... "Bathtime??? YAY!!" NanNan brought her a bathing suit to enjoy days like this. (THANKS, cousin Caitlyn!!)I guess there are some perks for having 100+ temperatures in the middle of March... Welcome back summer... you weren't gone very long!


The lazy days of summer!!


Sadie Mac was having such a good time and when Stephen took her out, she kinda screamed (not mad... but just in a funny way) And I got them with the same faces.


This pool party is over!

Finding Contentment...

Recently I was inspired by a friend to make a list of all the things I like about living here. She was so encouraging and I was thankful to be reminded that even though it’s hard to be away from family and friends, and we live each day wondering what it shall bring, there are lots of great things about living here. Here are some of them…

Things I like about the Sandbox:
1. Fresh fruits and veggies every day and at one of the many stands that are always near by
2. My neighbors… so hospitable and helpful as I learn to live here
3 They love children here. Wherever I go people always want to hold Sadie Mac and she is quite use to strangers taking her. It’s so funny and so different than America.
4. Fool- the staple food here. We LOVE it. (mashed up beans with a few spices that you eat with bread... delicious)
5. It’s summer all year long! (I like this most of the time, but when I hear about ice and snow back home… there are a few times I’m jealous!)
6. Shopping at the Used Furniture Market… never know what kind of treasure you will find and what you can create from it. We bought Sadie’s nursery set there, chairs, and tables too! All for super cheap!
7. Having my own flower garden.
8. We can (kinda) speak Arabic!
9. I’ve learned to cook from scratch and Stephen says I’m not too bad at it.
10. Fresh bread daily at the local bakery and dookan (mini-mart)
11. Fresh pineapple juice with milk… basically, it’s amazing!
12. Not having to clean up water spills because the heat will get it in a matter of minutes!
13. Learning what Sandbox hospitality is…. And is often quite close to southern hospitality… I will raise my daughter right, whether it is here or in America!
14. Walking down the street and meeting a total stranger and them asking you to come in and drink tea… right then!
15. Having lots and LOTS of cultural experiences… henna (art work on my feet), halowa (waxing all the hair off my arms… ouch!), and wearing a tobe (cultural clothes that I never would wear in America!)
16. It’s ok to sweat and smell, because everyone does! (I hesitated to put this one, but it’s true!)
17. Learning to cook food from this culture (which I did with my language tutor this week!)
18. We have pyramids!
19. I can see the Nile River every day if I want to.
20. Even on hard days, we like knowing we are exactly where we are suppose to be.


The cashier took Sadie and continued to take orders!


We have our own pyramids!


The local taste... and learning to cook it!


Modeling a tobe... Sadie Mac is actually asleep in my sling under the tobe.


Standing on the banks of the Nile...


Fresh Fruits & Veggies... EVERY DAY!

Leisure Days

Here are some pictures of what we do on our leisure days. On days off we like to do a variety of things. One of Stephen's favorites, is playing golf at a course not too far outside of town.

Some days we have to stay around the house. Some days the sun is too hot to be out or some days there is just too much going on. On those days, we watch movies, play the wii, or my personal favorite, plant flowers!!
It's really funny that Sadie Mac is now crawling on her belly. She loves going any and everywhere... especially out on the balcony. When I'm out there with my flowers, she always finds me. As she crawls to me she typically spills my drink, gets into one I am planting and wants to play in the dirt. As you can see from the pic below... she has a trail of terror!