Rollin'... Rollin' down the River

Last week we had some friends come from the States and treat us to a wonderful "joy ride" down the Nile. It was so relaxing and beautiful. We enjoyed seeing the fisherman out looking for a daily catch, swimmers enjoying the coolness of the water (or bathing... we're not sure!), and the beautiful sunset.

It's a... BABY!!

Well, we have been very excited to find out what our little bundle of joy will be, and have been anxiously awaiting the doctor's ultrasound to know for sure. We are thankful for all who took part in our "Baby Rhyne" poll and the results were: 27 of you think BOY, and 20 of you think GIRL.
When we were in Jordan in January, I was only 11 weeks along in the pregnancy. But, the doctor was confident in his percentage (90-something % sure) it was a BOY!! So, for the past 10 weeks we have been thinking and planning for little baby boy Rhyne to arrive in early August. I even bought some clothes that were *Tar-Heel* blue! So, we went this past week to the doctor here and were very surprised when the doctor said he was 90-something % sure it is a GIRL! My new theory is that we are actually having twins, one boy and one girl, and they just like to take turns being in the picture! (Doubtful... but why not?) So, we have started down the "neutral path" of picking baby clothes... not convinced of either boy or girl yet!
I'm thankful to be feeling much better and to be past what seems to have been a very long few months of morning (or all day) sickness and nausea. My tummy is starting to stick out more and more and, in recent weeks felt little one kick! We are so thankful and praise the Lord for the life he is forming inside of me. We will keep you posted on any new results or details we find out in coming weeks!

Pyramids

For Valentine’s Day we were able to enjoy a nice sandy day in the desert site seeing. Our beautiful country has several pyramids that are located just a few hours from our city. There were about a dozen pyramids and all the tops had been blown off. The story goes that someone believed there was gold and riches in the pyramids so they used dynamite to try to get in. Who knows if this is true… but that’s what we were told. Stephen also had the amazing experience of riding a camel and now wants to go into camel racing! Amanda just sat for a photo opp!

Welcome to 2008!

Well, we have been busy and haven't written in some time. We just got back from a wonderful trip to Jordan. (More pictures to come!) We had a wonderful time seeing friends and sights! We were able to visit Petra (anyone seen Indiana Jones?), Jerash and other amazing places throughout and around Amman. We also were able to see our little one growing inside of me! Heart beat is strong and looks like all is going well! We praise the Lord for this!

News From Home

This post has been removed to protect the identity of a dedicated night hunter.

Fool?

What’s for Breakfast? “Fool”
Steps to making one of our favorite dishes:
1. Buy a bag of fool (some type of bean) at the local dookan (or market) at 10 am (which is breakfast time for all) along with bread all for a total of: $2. (this feeds 4 people… or more)

2. Mash up the beans with a glass or bottom of a coke bottle.

3. Add olive oil, Lawson’s seasoning salt, and garlic salt for taste.
4. Top with tomatoes, onions, and shredded cheese. Enjoy tamea or falafel on the side… you can even mash it up and put it in if you prefer!
5. All can enjoy eating out of one bowl using your hands and bread… and remember, only use your right hand!

Desert Camping...

The last weekend of November we were able take a new adventure into the Sahara Desert with some friends to go camping! On the way there we got to see a herd of camels, crossed the Nile, and saw a random “Coca Cola Plant” in the middle of no where ☺. We enjoyed roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over a camp fire (understand that marshmallows are a big treat for here.) Later as we were falling asleep, we counted over 10 shooting stars! The sand and rocks along with the sunset and sunrise were breathtaking. We are so privileged to live in such a beautiful place.






Desert Sunrise...






Camels wandering in the desert....



Coca Cola Plant... or something like that???

Thanksgiving!!!

We had a wonderful time with our neighbors and an American friend who all came up for a semi-traditional American Thanksgiving Dinner. We enjoyed chicken (turkey was $50/lb) with homemade yeast rolls and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob and pumpkin pie for dessert! We feel so blessed to have so many wonderful friends around us! We did miss home and the snow that fell over Boone. We also missed family and family traditions. But, we are truly thankful that we can live out our dreams here, together.

Our Flat