Rainy week

This is probably one of my favorite photos from Saudi so far!  Cora draws quite a bit of attention, and she is more than happy to smile at, wave at, blow kisses to, or be held by anyone.  At the mall, a Saudi lady asked to hold her and Cora desperately tried to pull off her veil.  The lady just laughed and secretly showed Cora her face.  I think Cora has a future in international relations.

Here is another favorite picture from the week.  This is what our yard looked like after a night of rain! Jack, Cora, and all the neighbors had a great time.

We had the whole week off due to rain! On Sunday we were sent home due to storms in Riyadh that were expected to come here.  We had to conduct our classes virtually, using our school website.  It didn't rain hard until Wednesday, so we still spent plenty of time outside.  Once it did rain, it poured and flooded.  We were still out on Thursday due to damage on campus. 

It doesn't rain often here, so the roads do not have built-in drainage systems, and the buildings are not leak-proof.  So when it does rain, it is a big deal.

Fall activities in Saudi

It has cooled down quite a bit...high 70s during the day.  We spend most of our free time outside - running around the compound with the other teachers' kids.  Here are some photo highlights from our fall so far.

First, Jack has been in hockey twice a week.  There is an ice rink at a compound nearby, and other teachers have given us hockey gear that their kids have outgrown.   He is doing super well!  Here he is using a PVC pipe training frame, but he has now learned to skate without it.  Who would have thought he'd learn to skate in Saudi Arabia?!

Jack learning to skate!

Halloween - Batman and Catwoman

Roasting marshmallows on the compound, with our friend Jodi

Cora loves marshmallows

Playing at the playground

School Starts Once Again

Jack started preschool this week!  He had great reports from his teachers, and has made many new friends already.  There is only one girl that he already knew, a little girl whose parents are also teachers.  Until now, he has been in a nursery with all staff kids, but now he is in the big school! 

The preschool building is brand new, replacing an older building which was torn down last year. It is right in the middle of our campus, so Rob and I walk past it several times a day.  Jack says he see us walk by sometimes.  He also sees Cora's group from nursery out walking around.

Our campus has three schools on it - Dhahran High School, where we work -  DEMS (Dhahran Elementary/Middle School), which is where Jack now attends! - and Dhahran British Grammar School, which is Preschool to grade 10 following the British national curriculum.  The district offices, like the superintendent and HR offices, are also located on our campus.  We are next to the US consulate.

Hoping for a break from this humidity and another good week of school!

Summer in Wisconsin

Our summer was mostly spent at our cabin in Wisconsin.  We were lucky to have lots of friends and family come to visit us.  Here are photos highlights of the first half of our summer.

Cora and cousin Stella

A visit from Uncle Jason

Fish Pond at the 4th of July Festival at Somo Lake

My baby writing his own name on the tickets!

Minnow races

Cora won this bucket

Grandma Ruth trying on Jack's new BlockFace mask

A visit from the Bialiks! (They are our friends from our first year in Saudi...see earlier posts about "The Guy who Gets Stuff" - now they are in Jeddah so we will see them again! Here Cora is playing with Triniti.

Abe thinks he is so strong

Trinti and Jack - she was the first person Jack met when we moved to Saudi

Laura and Jack with Tammy <3

A visit from Auntie Angela, Ben, and Olivia!

Picnic with the Hueckmann kids

Pirates: Heston and Jack

It's been a while...

So it turns out having two kids keeps people busy :)  That's my excuse for not blogging. 

We are back in Saudi for year 4!  We spent the summer in our new little cabin on Somo Lake in Wisconsin.  Lots of great family and friend time!  I'll post some more pictures of our summer soon. 

Here are a few of Cora's one year portraits, taken at Somo Lake by my friend Amy Blomberg.