Media Fears: Who's Protecting the Children?

The World is Angry, with a capital "A".

I haven't felt so much anger in my life on this planet 

since I was a child of the '60's/70s

and the Vietnam War was on the lips of everyone back then.

We had three television channels,

and when the evening news came on,

a message to parents would signal them to excuse children from the room

because of frightening content regarding the War, was going to air.

I remember POW/MIA bracelets

I remember the college protests, and the Kent State massacre headlines--though I didn't see them in real time, because there was no such thing as re-runs of news back then. But I did hear about them.

At the same time, there were the segregation riots. 

Growing up in the South,

we had to take buses far from our neighborhoods

to the other side of town,

for the sake of segregation.

There were school days when I was told by my black friends

not to come to school the next day because of planned riots.

And then, on top of all that was the Women's Movement 

of that decade.
I guess one could say, I've seen much of societal turmoil in my life.

Because there was no such thing as the Internet back then,

it wasn't shoved down my throat from every direction.

Afterall, we were living in the South. 

You'd have to be a complete ignoramus not to know what was going on...

or be a child.

There was alot of fear-fueled anger then.

But, the adults protected the children from the awfulness of it.

As bad as I knew, I didn't know how bad it all was,

partly because the adults protected the children from the hard truths of a hard situation.

They excused us from the room when tones changed from civility to ugliness.

The turned off the TV, telling us to "go play".

The newsmen back then, Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley and their colleagues

were actual "Reporters" of the news, not creators of it.

They shared the events of the day as they knew them,

and then, in their honest efforts to be responsible journalists,

would offer what they called

an "Editorial"...stating with clarity that the next part of their presentation

was their own Opinions, based on investigating and observance.

It was generally a pretty short segment of the show,

but those men built their entire careers on integrity.

Back then,

Corporations took seriously, the need for Peace.

They put their money in it, such as the Coca-Cola TV Commercial:

Everyone knew that song.  It was a call for peace in brotherhood.

In my days, the messengers of peace were called, "Flower Children" or "Hippies"-- artsy-fartsy labels that sounded juvenile, but accurately described a grassroots movement for change.

I decided that I was a potential "Flower Child" because I too, wanted peace. I wanted the fearful and the angry to reconcile with love and peace. And I knew the adults in my life--my neighbors, my friends' parents, my teachers at school and church--they all wanted it too. 

Since 9/11,

we haven't had the opportunity to shield our kids from the realities of this life...

we've trained them to be aware of the possible dangers in the world they live in--

from child abductions off street corners to sex traffickers, drug pushers, insane people at the movie theaters, and of course, the Middle East terrorists that made "9/11" the Memorized Date in history

that it is...

and the hardest part of training our kids is that we don't get to frame all of this in a responsible narrative that would also protect our children's hearts from the awful weight of the world.

No, that narrative is lost in the intrusive, loud, crass, ugliness that is promulgated by the unspoken rulers of the world--The Media.

Depending on who owns the collective media outlets,

the "news" is presented to fit their agenda, which has little to do with any actual truths

and more to do with how quickly they can fill their pockets.

In an effort to close out some of the noisy, intrusive media,

we shut-off the cable/ Direct TV to our home three years ago.

I thought we were brilliantly responsible in doing that--

but apparently, it was only the tip of the Media Iceberg.

There's no such thing as Responsible Journalists left anymore.

No warnings exist on social media--

just alot of selfish agendas clamoring for validation in the forms of LIKES

screaming for attention

from every wanna-be-celebrity across the globe.

Every news station is precarious perched upon a three-legged stool of agendas:

Be First, Be Sensational, Be Unaccountable.

Truth is irrelevant in the media.

Opinions stated come with a quick one-sentence sound bite,

engineered, orchestrated, contrived so that it can pull in more money for the owners/ board members, stockholders, and everyone else on the payroll.

The Social Conscience Responsibility is nowhere to be found.

The Media machine is a fierce, capable, Enemy of Truth.

And we have a couple of generations of children

who have grown up with a smart skepticism of Authority.

Who can they trust?

Who's got their back?

Who's protecting their interests?

All of this leading me, 

a mother of seven children to ask the question:

Is it no wonder our children are struggling with the demands of life?

Struggling with relationships--in the family and in society.

Struggling in school--with the programs, with the teachers, with the extreme, outrageous government-implemented "Common Core", and "Leave No Child Behind" acts.

Struggling to Live.

My youngest two children attend Discovery Canyon Campus.

Google it and you'll come across this Newsweek Article:

http://www.newsweek.com/2016/10/28/teen-suicide-contagious-colorado-springs-511365.html

Two of the young men and two of the young women mentioned in the article were friends of my youngest children.

We've been to more funerals in the past year,

collectively,

than I've been to in my entire life.

One of the young men took his life the day after his mom brought cupcakes to school

to celebrate his birthday, 

with his friends. My son included.

For those kids left behind after a classmate takes their own life,

the school itself feels contaminated, scary, risky.

We've talked about moving our kids from DCC next year if we're still here in Colorado Springs.

Alot of students have moved, and noone blames them.

It's hard.

It's harder than we are able to grasp and put a narrative on--

the kind that frames the experience and puts it into a less-threatening situation

because truly, 

these suicides exceed our capacity to do so.

My own daughter is in counselling now because she is experiencing anxiety beyond what 

we could help her deal with...

she doesn't know from one day to the next who's going to choose to take their life

from her student body.

She takes cookies to her friends weekly,

she makes sure to tell all of her friends how much she loves them,

needs them, wants them to know she is there for them.

And she's sad to her bones for the ones she didn't know were going to take their own lives.

The impact of the world's anger/uncertainty/chaos

is shattering our kids' worlds too.

How can they have hope in their future when they are being bombarded with 

adult opinions on the certainty of failing securities to protect them?

What can we do?

Practice Peace.

• I'm trying to make our home a haven. Practice the Danish "hygge" this winter, especially.
• Blocking out the negativity as much as I can. "Unfollowing" is a habit now for my own sanity, those who engage in the chaos, the anger-baiting, the hateful diatribe on the topic-of-the-day.
• Using my social media: Facebook & Instagram to share messages of Peace, Gratitude, and Faith.  I don't care if I get any "LIKES" or whatever, I know that my children see MY social media posts--that's the point, right?  
• They see it.  
• I want to be a voice of calm, an example of hope and steadiness in a loud, pessimistic, fear-fueled angry world.
• More hugs, More eye-to-eye conversations about their strengths and future plans.
• Less, "did-you-get-that-and-that-and-that-done?" commands.  Not right now.  Those directives can take a time-out.
• Practice Peace.
• Serve your neighbors. Bring the teens with you to serve someone else.
• Say kind words to them, about them, with them, about others.
• Practice Peace.
• Express Hope in the Future. Make plans for enriching activities and trips.
• Practice Peace.
• Pray for our world.  Pray for the leaders of the nations to be soft when they can be, and to be strong when they must, and to be fair always.
• Pray for ourselves to feel God's love for us always and to direct our paths.

We need to protect our children. Our children need protection. Above all else on our plates, this is number one priority: Let the Children Play.

That Ship Sailed Without Us

All that build-up over moving to Oregon
busted mid-air
when the company there decided to rescind their offer
on account of the fact that they didn't want to pay enough
to make it worth the move.

They offered, Mr W counteroffered
and instead of meeting in the middle,
they just said, "No." and shut the door.

At first,
I was surprisingly sad.
Not just about the job,
but about the move, the adventure, the opportunity to explore,
the abruptness of it all
left me feeling like I'd been stood up on a really promising date.

Mr W was sad, let down, disappointed.
Because you know, it's been 6 months of unemployment.
But seriously, if there were any way he could've taken the offer,
he'd have jumped at it.
It just wasn't responsible for us to take it.
The cost of living is higher in Oregon than here;
we did our homework.
So, in the morning light
it was the best decision for our family.

Another Oregon ship will come by.
Until then,
we'll sit here at the foot of the Rockies--
where it's zero degrees, snowy and completely beautiful.

Accounting for 2016

It's a brrr cold but sunny morning here in Colorado Springs.

I love the bright clear blue skies here at the foot of the Front Range...

as I've said before, I am co-dependent on these Rocky Mountains.

Pikes Peak is my touchstone. 

I look west every time I'm in the car, 

or in the house,

my eyes naturally gravitate towards that beautiful mountain range.

I can list a hundred reasons why I'm so enamored of those ridges and peaks,

but that's for another day.

This being the fourth of January 2017,

I'm reflecting on what I accomplished in 2016.

What do I have to show for the time I was given--

the same amount of time everyone else on the planet 

that started 2016 and ended it still breathing, 

was given.

I completed two semesters of school.

One 80-hour internship at Avier, a home decor store.

I worked staging and redesigning homes--

some for friends,

some for builders,

some for investors,

some for realtors.

I learned more about drawing and watercolors.

I made seasonal floral arrangements for friends and friends of friends.

I went visiting teaching.

I decorated for wedding receptions.

I did family history and took names to the temple.

I kept a journal.

I read my scriptures.

I spent time in Idaho caring for a daughter with specific health issues.

For three months, our family took in a young woman who has autism,

and helped her get into college and the financial aid she needed to go.

I'm happy to report that she is up at BYU-I today and settling into her apartment.

I went to Saudi Arabia for the birth of a sacred grand-daughter

and then onto Italy with a friend!!!  Holy Moly--Best TRIP EVER!

We ended the year in Boise, Idaho for the blessing of that little grand-daughter

this past Sunday, January 1st.

My husband has been unemployed since June,

and we're still a good team.

In contemplating 2017

I don't know what's ahead,

but I've been given time to continue to grow, develop and focus my energy

on the good things in life,

just like the rest of Heavenly Father's children.

I hope I do some good with it.

Instead of Resolutions,

I'm making note of things I want to LEARN more about in 2017.

• I want to learn how to take better care of my aging body.
• I want to learn how to be more efficient with my time--
• I deleted facebook off my phone this morning and that feels like a step in the right direction. It's not that I don't want to know what's going on in my friends and family's lives-- but 90% of the facebook posts I see have nothing to do with my f & f directly. So I can catch-up on a less regular basis from my desktop.

• I want to LEARN more about painting and writing and travelling and floral design.
• I want to learn more about living minimally--cutting out random "stuff" for quality "stuff".
• Organizational tools that really work.
• Planting a garden.
• Serving somewhere in my community that I can get passionate about.

2016 wasn't our best year.

But it wasn't the worst either.

I'm still here.

My husband is still here.

All of my children and their children are still here.

So far, Life has met my expectation.

Even in 2016.

So 2017 is looking really hopeful.

I have alot to learn.

What about you?

What do you want to learn in 2017?

Christmas 2016 Awakenings

My Christmas was so perfect, I can't even tell you how good it was.
It was SO perfect for me. SO glorious. SO everything good.

I haven't fully breathed for two months.
I've been sustained by half-breaths, really.
Going through my days and weeks and months
with lots of demands on my time and skills,
keeping distracted from the undercurrent of uncertainty
in our lives.
I do that.  When times are rough and circumstances beyond my control,
I tell my self,
"Self, keep going. You can't just stop.  Keep moving. Do what you can and trust in God's love for you."
So, that's what I've been doing.

My undercurrent of uncertainty was the result of two unrelated situations:
Kent's unemployment for six months, and Dean's upcoming surgery to remove, what I was told,
a cyst on his brain.
On top of finishing up the semester in school,
and an 80 hour internship
I planned a funeral for my son.
I made a list of people whom I would call,
in case Dean didn't make it through surgery.
My list was five people whom I knew would drop everything,
and come to my aid should I need it.
Coincidentally, it is these same five people who've been at my side
on this journey of unemployment too.
These same five people who call me or show up regularly
to check on us.

It's been an awakening of sorts--
to look around in the midst of trials and realize
who one's friends truly are.
And like I've heard said before,
it's in times of trouble that you discover who your true friends are.
It's true.

My Christmas was wonderful.
Not because of gifts or packages.
Because Kent was offered a job
and
Dean didn't need the surgery at this time--
and it's not as serious as I was told by his HHP.
Such relief.
The down-on-my-knees-so-grateful relief.

There are a thousand feelings,
a thousand more words
to share
the grasp of which still floating in the heavens.

What is the blessing of being unemployed at Christmas time?
Well, my teenagers were more gracious in giving and receiving gifts.
This is a Christmas they won't forget.
I hope they remember it well, I do.
Christmas of 2016.
May every Christmas from here on out,
be compared to this one.
This lean one.
This "we'll celebrate anyway" one.
The one where they were mindful of the cost of things,
and the value of contributing a cheerful mood to the overall good.
The one where gifts were "extra" because they weren't expected.

The one where we delivered filled Christmas stockings
to the foster children's advocacy organization,
that my friends filled this year again.
The one where we picked up furniture,
painted it,
and took it back to a friend whose husband has Stage IV cancer,
and she wants their bedroom to be a haven for his resting days.
The one where we delivered a poinsettia to an elderly man who cares for his wife
who is lost in the world of Alzheimers'.

I wanted my teens to learn that even in lean times,
we can serve others.

I will remember this one
as the one I held my son in my arms and thanked him for staying with us
another year.
He makes me a better person every day that he's here.
He believes in Santa more than anyone I've ever met;
that's magical to me.

I will remember this one because the tremblings of my heart were calmed
by love and tender mercies of my Heavenly Father.
This year, for the first time in a decade, our family was invited to a Christmas party
where we went carolling afterwards--it was so perfectly timed.
We needed that invitation on the eve of what was to be Dean's surgery.
It was calming and hopeful.

I will remember this one because others were fasting and praying for our son
and their faith lifted my own.
"All is calm, All is bright."
That's how this Christmas went down
and that's how I will remember it.

A White Christmas.
A glowing, beautiful, tender mercy-filled, white Christmas.

In a Holding Pattern

I just dropped Mr. W off at the airport.
He's on his way to audit a company in Corvallis, Oregon for a week
before deciding if it's the right place for him to work
and for our family to move.

If you recall, I did mention Corvallis by name over a year ago,
when I had an impression that we might end up in the Pacific Northwest.
And here we are.

I'm still processing this experience;
as I said to my Mr. W the other day:
"It looks like we're moving to Oregon. Are we moving to Oregon?"
He grinned and shrugged, "I don't know today. But you'll know when I know."

So, that's where we're at...
in a holding pattern.

Awaiting the "all go" signal to get things moving.

I finished my semester and internship two days ago.
I cannot express my complete and utter relief of being finished--
this semester has been alot to get through with everything else that's been going on.
I'm so relieved to have completed it--
especially the 80 hour internship.
Whew!

I'm happy to stay home and get the house ready for Christmas
and just soak up all the good vibes of the season
while awaiting the news of whether our the next leg of our life's journey
is in Oregon.

I can be patient.

Remembering My Covenants on this Thanksgiving

It's 1:07 am, the day before Thanksgiving
and my mind is too awake to let my body sleep.

I haven't blogged since my return from Saudi in August
because I jumped right into school a week later and have been going full speed
since.
I vacillated between going to school or not this semester, because Mr. W has been out of work since the end of June.  I knew it would be tough for me to focus on classes in this state of flux, but
I also knew that it would be good for me to stay busy and keep my eye on the goal of finishing
my Interior Design degree.
So, I took a deep breath and jumped into the rigors of 14 credits this semester, plus an internship, plus my home staging work.

I like to believe that I am a hopeful person;
That I look for the silver linings on cloudy days.
But some days, I'm not sure where to look for the silver lining.

In July, I created a poster for our family and titled it "Daily Blessings", a calendar with space for us to record each time we felt God's hand in our lives, and taped it to a closet door on the main level.
It was to remind us of the good days on particularly hard days.
We did pretty good at writing on it in July. But then I came back from Saudi and never made an August poster. Or September. Or October. Or November.
We were all so busy with school and work and family there wasn't time beyond our efforts in those areas to do much else.

So I turned to my personal journal and in the midst of this unemployment spell, I started recording more diligently, heavenly help and answers to prayers.
I have to say that in June when Mr. W was initially unemployed, I thought to myself that this trial would be over quickly.  Afterall, he'd just finished another degree in Project Management, from Colorado State University in May, graduating with honors. So I thought this was a trial that resolve quickly.
I set imaginary deadlines or targets for his new employment:
-By the time I returned from Saudi
-By the time school started
-By October
-By Halloween
-By our Anniversary (November 7th)
-By the time our planned trip to California came in November ( the kids went w/o us)
-By Thanksgiving

He's interviewed for a few different companies here in Colorado, but mostly in Oregon and Washington state.  Jobs that he's well-qualified for, some he is over-qualified.
But it's the day before Thanksgiving and no offers yet.

This experience has been hard.
I have prayed for understanding often; for clarity and direction. Prayed for strength and peace. Prayed for heavenly help. On my knees, standing in the kitchen, in my closet, in the car, in the temple, at church, in school, at work...etc and etc.

In the midst of this trial, we got a call from a YSA Bishopric asking us to take in a young woman and help her get prepared for BYU-I in January.  When the call came, I was surprised.  I asked Brother B, on the phone, "Are you sure you have the right family?  Who referred you to us?"(Because surely, the Lord knows we are not in a position to be of help to anyone else, right?)  He told us, "Your Bishop did. I know you guys. I know your family. I knew you'd be awesome."
Mr. W and I looked at each other and nodded.  Well, Bishop H knows exactly what's going on with us.  If he thinks we can do this, then we CAN do this.
 
Sister C, a 28 yo gal from Hawaii moved in the next week.  She is sweet and kind.  She also has Asperger's and needs lots of guidance.  I helped her enroll in college and apply for FAFSA and helped her find a job that fit her needs and abilities. We are teaching her how to cook and clean and other things like how to wear makeup and fix her hair.  Noone else in her life has given her this kind of support before, she says.
Isn't it weird how we think that we cannot possibly be of service to someone else when we feel like we're not in a good position to help?  I could think of dozens of families in our area, who are more well off and capable of helping this young woman than we are.  Seriously! And yet, here we are.


One morning while I was deep in thought and prayer again, this thought came to my mind:
As we lived with our Father in Heaven in the Pre-existence (before this Life),
we made covenants with Him.  The first was to follow Jesus Christs' plan of happiness: to come to this earth, to receive a body and within the laws of Free Agency, do our best to live His Commandments.  Heavenly Father's part of that covenant is His promise that this Life would prepare us to return to Him and continue to progress eternally with our families.
So, here I am. The choice I made is obvious. I chose to follow Christ's plan.  And I'm down here on this crazy earth, doing what I know how to do--raising a family, living the gospel, serving others, and keeping my part of that sacred covenant.
What I FINALLY get, is that these trials I'm facing, indeed ALL of the trials I've faced thus far, are exactly what Heavenly Father promised to present to me, as part of HIS covenant with me.
He is true to His word.  He said he'd prepare me to become more like His Son through this mortal experience, and that's what I agreed to, trusting in His love for me.

I don't know why I have a different perspective.  Or why I am only now seeing this with clarity, when it's just so obvious, but it has made a difference.

I created another poster then taped it to my fridge, "Heavenly Father help me to Remember my covenants with you."

We're still uncertain of the future.  And while I wish there were no other trials aside from this on my plate, this isn't the only one. My special needs son, Dean, is having brain surgery on December 21st to remove a tumor that's grown from scar tissue.
I just have no words that adequately express how I feel about that.
My plate of trials is full right now.  Ha ha. "right now", I always say that as if there are days when it's not full of trials in one form or other.

I had a meltdown just yesterday morning. I've had bronchitis for a week and was just feeling overwhelmed.  I prayed in my closet for heavenly relief. Just this utter surrender and prayer for peace.
Then I got busy with the day and as it unfolded, I felt peaceful.  As in, full of hope and peace in the future.
It's now 2:08AM. The day before Thanksgiving.
I am Thankful. I am Grateful....for all of my blessings and trials and clarity.

It's a good Thanksgiving.

My Great Adventure

When I was in Mrs. Dyer's fifth grade class, in 1972
she told us we had a very special opportunity to study an exotic country for the next six weeks:
Saudi Arabia.
We each received a medium sized cardboard box holding several items that were going to help us
learn more about it--I can't recall everything, but I do remember the strand of prayer beads rolling around in the box.
I didn't get to study Saudi Arabia though, because my parents did their annual Let's Split-Up gig
that Spring and I ended up going with my dad and staying at my grandparents house for a few weeks,
completely missing the Saudi Arabian adventure.  I got to keep the box, but never learned what any of it meant--and I mean, I kept that box for a decade with its mysterious beads inside.

On July 9th, I set off for my Grand Adventure from Colorado to Saudi Arabia to visit my daughter, Danielle and her family as they prepared for the birth of their fourth child.  I chronicled the whole trip on Facebook, dragging my friends and family along (virtually) on my journey.
So here's my Facebook account of my Great Adventure:

"Packed and ready for my Great Adventure:

#littlenervous #beatravellernotatourist #lifeisthegreatestadventure#newgrandbabyinSaudi #momzalife #gramzalife"

 Well the first leg of my great adventure has been eventful. My flight from Denver to Dallas started more than 2hours late which put me in Dallas exactly 3 minutes before my connecting flight to Abu Dhabi left. American airlines has put me up for the night in a Hilton, and food vouchers too. Tomorrow I will take a different route: Frankfurt Germany to Damman, Saudi Arabia...arriving on Wednesday afternoon. The waits have been long today, but I have met some very kind people along the way. #nocomplaints#momzalife #gramzalife #mygreatadventure #justgowithit

Today I woke up with a grateful heart and a rested body. Upon reflection I can see little tender mercies so far: the American airlines agent in Dallas was Arabic and so very helpful planning my re-route to Saudi Arabia. He spent over an hour with me trying different routes to my specific needs and was so kind as to even call the hotel shuttle service for me and clearly gave me directions to find it. Another thing is that my SIL, Brad encouraged me to pack a change of clothes in my carry-on --"just in case"--That was brilliant! And this morning I have had a lovely breakfast courtesy American airlines and am feeling ready for my unplanned but Awesome trip to Frankfurt, Germany! This adventure is going pretty well! #mygreatadventure#momzalife #gramzalife #seethegood #tendermercies

Third leg of my great adventure: my luggage is lost. It didn't arrive here in Frankfurt. Also, the Frankfurt airport wins the gold for the most difficult Airport I have ever been through -- their transportation system Skyline is broken, so one must either walk from huge terminal to huge terminal Or make sure to ask the right person how to get from terminal to terminal. Thre A/C is broken is some areas and of Interesting note is that I had a bomb squad (full military attire to include weapons) go through my carry-on every bit, also had to go through Security 4 times AND I was blessed by a Priest when I walked by him a third time with an airport employee; she said, "that priest just blessed you." So I must look like I need Heavenly help, yes? I board for Saudi in a few minutes and the scarf I was going to put on my head is in the lost luggage...so arriving in Damman will be interesting...of course.

 Whew! Made it! Learned so much in the past three days. Mostly, that great adventures come with little bumps along the way and are worth it. Thanks for your prayers and good thoughts! This is the Persian Gulf out the door of Dani' and Brad's villa.

Great adventure highlights:
Luggage location is still undetermined, though the popular thought is that it's still in Dallas.
To get into the country, Saudi has a very long process: once deboarding the plane one has to show a boarding pass and passport, then Everyone Runs to another room -- I had no idea what the rush was to what I thought was Baggage claim. Turned out it is another room with lines for people to show their passport to enter the Kingdom. There were about 12 people in front of the line I got into at first., With easily another 100 already in other lines. I thought it might take a few minutes.
Within 10 minutes or so that room filled up with at least 1000 people, 99% of them men who've come to work in Saudi. I was the only American woman that I could see in the room, standing next to 2 American and 1 British men. That was a tender mercy. There were Muslim families also entering SA for the first time...little ones crying from fatigue and hunger.
I passed crackers that I had brought in my bag, up and down my line to the little one's parents. No matter the language or cultural differences, we all know how to care for children.
I stood in that line for 3 hours. I was so stinkin' tired, but the Londoner had a keen sense of humor and the Louisiana native was kind , so the three of us laughed and encouraged each other along making the frustration of watching the Saudis move like sloths bearable.
I cannot imagine how long the men in that room behind me had to wait until they were moved through. Definitely all through the night.
I tried to think of a similar situation I may have had in the US and the closest is probably the DMV...only we have chairs there and pull paper numbers for service.
We did have a minor bit of excitement when a scuffle happened in the way back of the room. I have no idea what was the cause or solution, but it was over as quickly as it started and officials in thobes handled it quickly.
Brad and his driver were waiting for me in a sea of men once I left baggage claim. There is no Wi-Fi in the airport so I was happy when my phone rang and Brad was on the other end! I had to go to baggage lost and found to report my missing luggage, before leaving the airport. That took another half hour.
I have never seen so many men in my life all in one place. It was weird.
They stared at this old lady with no head scarf like I was an alien. I tried to borrow or buy a head scarf in Frankfurt but to no avail. Turned out not to be a big deal as the officials said nothing about it to me. Instead they asked me about Colorado and one guy told me his favorite place in the USA is Portland Oregon, and suggested I go there sometime. Ha-ha.
We got home around 1:30am.
So that sums up my trip here through today. It is wonderful to be here with Danielle's family. The sacred grandchildren and I played in the Persian Gulf tonight before dinner-- which I think is a great insight into Heavenly Father's plan for our lives! He is so willing to show us an exciting life if we let Him lead the way.
Stay tuned. This great adventure is just beginning.

 Me and my abeya #mygreatadventure #persiangulf #sayyestothedress

 Khobar: I spy with my little eye a McD's and Papa John's...also seen: Dunkin donuts, Popeyes chicken, KFC, Red Lobster, Baskin Robbins, Burger King, apple store, Quiznos, and more.

Grocery shopping at Tamimis in Khobar including American brands, interesting types of regional foods, seeds and dates.

 Dates

 Seeds of every kind

 Tamimi's grocery store is owned by Safeway, so familiar foods are there too!

 Groceries at Tamimis are varied: desserts, many kinds of soft cheese and cream, and olives galore!

Cheese!

 Lunch in Khobar... delicious! Sliced cooked eggplant with soft burrata cheese over fresh veggies and balsamic vinegar.

Can you guess what this is?

Yesterday we went to Khobar to the hospital where Dani is due to deliver the baby. it was very unique in design. Outside it was a stone fortress but the inside looked like the restaurant called The Rainforest Cafe with fake greenery hanging all over the ceiling and walls and bamboo rods and fan blades, a huge Koi pond and waterfall feature with French Rococo gilded gold painted everything. it was interesting to say the least. one thing the doctors here have in common with western doctors is that they spend about 5 minutes with the patient and the nurses do the rest. 😷. Dani's been scheduled for an induction next week. Today was another new experience:
Friday is a Holy Day in Saudi; it was an excellent day spent with new lovely people who inspired me to appreciate the many blessings I have in life more fully.
I watched the sun rise on the shore of the Persian gulf and felt in awe of this opportunity to be on this side of the world. It never crossed my mind that Heavenly Father would have such a grand surprise for me! Especially in times of hardship, I never imagined that someday I would be in the land of the Old Testament. I have heard the broadcasted call to prayers throughout the day and I wondered why that is a practice of their faith when I realized it is also a practice of mine. We are admonished to "pray always" by our ancient and modern day prophets. While it is clear to see why it was and is essential to pray for sustenance here in this desolate land of eternal sand, I realized that I can be better about praying more often for the protection I need and sustenance I need for my well-being too. And I shouldn't need a loud speaker to remind me from where my blessings come. So many lessons have I learned, I hope I remember them. P.S. tomorrow we are going to the airport hoping that my luggage is there.

Saudi Adventure today included going to the Airport to pick up luggage, bc according to @AmericanAirlines it should be in Dammam. It is not. That's 6 days since I last saw my belongings. If anyone has any ideas on how to track down luggage, I would sure appreciate it. (American airlines has not been one bit helpful. I will never fly AA again.)

After the airport, we went to a large mall. Entering, one had to go through Security first. It is a as good a mall as one would find in the USA...but instead of a fast-food court, there were full restaurants like Western Sizzler, Outback and alot of others. The stores included the ones I photographed; Gap, Timberland, Fossil, as well as Old Navy, Versace, Banana republic, etc. There is a neat home goods store that is a cross between Home Depot and IKEA that I liked alot. The IKEA is actually across the street from the mall. Everything is more expensive than the states, especially American stuff.
There's a huge children's play place that the kids played in-- not cheap. They even charge for adults to watch the kids!
There was the call to prayer while we're there and all shop employees stop working, and doors close until prayer time is over, about 20 minutes. There's even a male and separate female prayer room in the mall and we saw alot of people enter those places. Some actually went in and prayed while others, mostly young people sorta hung out but didn't go to the room to pray. As for clothing, well, under abeyas women can wear anything they want. They don't have to dress modestly at home, just in public. The young adults are more trendy with their haircuts and style.
It was pretty blasted hot today, so my enthusiasm for the abeya waned through out the day. I am not a fan of wearing layers of clothing in the heat.
On a sweet note, total strangers asked if they could take pics or videos of Dani's youngest, Gracie with her blonde hair and blue eyes.ypung and old alike are enchanted by our cutie.
Tomorrow we will make calls to the States about my luggage... I sure hope they find it.

Out for dinner in Khobar:

Saudi Adventure today: First off, my luggage is here!! It arrived and we'll go get it tmrw!😊 Dinner tonight was authentic Indian food at Maharaja which was so so so different than the Indian restaurants in the US. Each booth has a curtain so that women can unveil their faces to eat. Brad asked the server if he could go to the kitchen to watch our butter chicken being prepared and was allowed to. The presentation of food was great, bc it's so colorful. Especially the biryani rice! Orange, yellow and bright red rice with delicate spicy flavor with cilantro, cloves, cinnamon, & cardamom.
Dani and I also went in search of a GNC store; found one but it wasn't open. That's a thing here in Saudi -- shop owners open and close their stores at will. So we went back tonight and it was open.
We also went to a book store, Jarir and found some fun stuff there including toys that had a dress up set for girls of a prayer outfit or a pretend abeya. There was a children's religious book written by a Muslim author about the prophet Job wherein he was told by Allah to lash his wife with grasses, "but gently". ?? Different point of view, definitely.
And lastly, we I took pics of different junk food items bc the packaging is quite bright.
Dani's housekeepers and Nannies are all Philipino and adore her children. Their drivers are Indian and also dote on her children. It makes me feel grateful to know my kids are so well taken care of.
It was in the low 100s today and windy, making the Persian Gulf a bit choppy.

 At the pool tonight with the family. It sits right at the Persian gulf and you can see the dust in the air. Makes for a beautiful sunset though, yeah?

Out and about today in the Royal Commission area. The streets are landscaped and clean, the homes are lovely for the area. On our way to the airport, we passed several camels walking in a line in the desert-- missed photo opportunity for sure! Oh and camels are not the light brown ones we see in US zoos-- their fur is dark brown--we even saw an albino one.
We went to McD's with another expatriate friend of Dani's today so the kids could play-- it is not any better food than in the USA.
We got a weather warning that the temperature is 105 /50% humidity, with a Real Feel of 132o. As the airport security guy said this morning, "America? Welcome!"

My Luggage did arrive, but it was destroyed on the journey. Etihad Airlines had it the whole time. I was not reimbursed for the damages--they lived up to their reputation of not dealing with damaged/lost luggage, and of course, American Airlines passed the buck on that one.  I left it behind for disposal.

****

Heading to the hospital this morning in Khobar. (3:31am) for a planned induction. So very excited to welcome a new granddaughter to this life! Prayers are so appreciated, my people.

 Introducing Hannah Marie! All 6.13oz of perfection. Mom and baby are doing great.

 Brad was rooming-in with Dani...this is the best the hospital could do. He wasn't complaining though!

A very tired Momma. I love my girl.

My Great Saudi Adventure hit the mark today with the safe arrival of Hannah. It went so well! 

We weren't sure what to expect, but the Rainforest Cafe Hospital is amazing!
We left at 3:30am bc it's an hour and a half away. So we got there around 5:15am. Brad had to pay for the epidural up front--and it's alot less expensive than in the US. 
Dani's medical team was so great-- she was well taken care of -- they brought her some eggs and milk and juice and a cream cheese type of spread with pita bread, plus corn flakes. They don't starve the laboring mom like hospitals in US do. Dani labored and delivered in the same room. Once the prostaglandin was ordered, the pharmacy had to send it up. Oh, and all charting is done by hand on paper and pen. Some of their equipment is dated but worked fine. Her Jordanian doctor visited early, but then he left her in the care of a female Lebanese doctor who was lovely and skillful. Her nurses were from India and Medina, SA.
So labor got started and baby was born within 4 hours. It went smoothly as can be. Coincidentally, one of their good friends was also there to deliver a baby girl and her labor was 2 hours from their arrival. It was a good day at Saad hospital. Dani did great and Brad did too.😁 Thanks for all of your prayers and support! I love my family.

Just a quick FYI: 117o with 50% Humidity outside produces this gorgeous view from the inside of a comfortable A/C'd home.

Bringing Hannah Home:

The boys worked hard to make posters, a cake and decorations for Hannah's Homecoming

Gracie meeting her new sister. She gave Hannah lots of sweet kisses.

 Guess what's over here in Saudi Arabia?!

Brad teaching G. how to play chess

"Family" in Arabic

 Dani's got some amazing support over there in Saudi and these are little Thank You cards I made:

A windy day on the Gulf would be my last day in Saudi:

 There's an artist wall in the Clubhouse that I really liked:

 Wrapping up this Saudi Adventure in two days! Time has flown by! The boys and I hung out at the pool this morning before it got too hot. #110intheshade#notadryheat #gramzalife

At the Rainforest Hospital for a check up:

The last night, Dani & Brad treated me to this Amazing Brazilian restaurant:

Danielle has 2 nannies that come daily to help her out--they're the sweetest, loveliest women you could ever hope to take care of your family when you live so far away. 

 My new friend, Marilou, made this delicious Philipino dish for me to try: "Pansit" & banana pancakes.

And this was really good too!

My Saudi Arabian Adventure is closing as I am waiting at the airport. It is 2am here. This part of the journey, leaving the country, has been completely uneventful. 😁 I have learned so much in 3short weeks... mostly that this faraway land of desert, date trees, camels, and exceedingly hot temps is not what I expected. The citizens are respectful, gracious and welcoming. Their cultural differences, however stark from ours, are not as many as is promulgated in the US. They embrace much of American style and trends. They drive Chevys and Fords, as well as Toyota and Nissan. They wear Nike's and Timberland and other brand names. They listen to American music on the radio -- from Madonna to Justin Bieber (unfortunately😋) and everything in between. They serve their families Corn flakes and Cheerios, pop tarts and Florida orange juice.
Every Saudi and/or Muslim I have met, whether in the airport security stations, at the malls and restaurants, or the many personal drivers that chauffeured us around -- each and every one of them were kind and gracious. They have a regard for America as being a place of excellence in commerce, quality and expressed desires to visit someday.
This is a special place -- caught between ancient practices and modern awareness. As my SIL Brad explained, they are look for God's favor as they built their many mosques, and reverted back to ancient customs, such as wearing the abeya.
I wasn't sure about that abeya to start with-- it's impractical, for sure. But seriously, I came to appreciate what it means and am grateful that I had the chance to wear one while here.
I started looking forward to hearing the daily broadcast prayers. Reminding me to be more purposeful in living my own faith.
The people who live in Dani's world here are a different kind of people-- all are foreigners, from her nannies, housecleaners, drivers, to her ward families, doctors and nurses-- for the most part, they are not Saudi Arabian, but hail from other faraway lands. They've come here to make money to send back home to their families, they smile at the "Saudi way", blending their own traditions with new ones. And truly, they have an air of gratitude to be here, living their lives with a smile. I have been blessed to be in their midst and hope to return. Hopefully in a cooler season.
The next leg of my Great Adventure continues as I meet my good friend from Colorado Springs in Rome, Italy tomorrow. The trip is a gift from Dani and Brad to me and I am so looking forward to it. Pray for my surviving piece of luggage.😊...the journey continues, my people!!

My fifth grade teacher would be impressed.