Germany

Wow...I think I'm in love.  Don't get me wrong...Italy is still my fave, but man, Germany is stunning!  We are here right in the middle of fall and the trees look amazing.  (and for someone who RARELY gets to see the leaves change, this is a real treat.)
It's not easy getting around here...hard to tell which roads are which...and the fact that I couldn't get my iPad data plan to international doesn't help. (I can only get WiFi in the apartment).  But, it's just added to the adventure.  Below are some photos from our trip...and then, just click Read More to find out about where we traveled.  :)

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Together at last...

Well.  If nothing else...this adventure has definitely started!  And what an adventure it was just getting to Germany!  
Getting to LA was easy.
Then..we arrive in LA and I need to get all 8 bags...NO porter to help!!!!  I panicked!  Thank god for good people in this world...an entire family helped me get my bags and kids all the way over to the next terminal.
Then...we get there and can't check in.  No one for Air New Zealand for another hour.  So, the kids sat on the ground and watched a movie...I watched them.
Once up to the ticket counter it took almost a half hour to get everything checked in.
Finally I am rid of all those damn bags....lady thought I was crazy checking THREE excess bags.  :P
The Air New Zealand plane was just awesome.  Great service and the girls were super comfy...they were perfect and slept for a good 6 hours.  Me...not so much.  I did watch 5 movies and some TV shows.  :)
Had a hell of a walk in the London airport and couldn't get my damn WiFi to work.  Girls were pretty pissy by now...and I was seriously lacking sleep and patience.  Got on board and off without a hitch though.  They enjoyed a short movie on the flight to Frankfurt.
Walked another mile to customs...No worries with customs and girls got their first stamps.
Matt came running to meet us at the baggage claim.  The girls were so happy to see daddy!
Boy, you should have seen the stares we got with all those bags!!  LOL  Took us a good hour and a half to get the hell out of the airport...
Got lost, of course, on the freeways, but actually found the area we needed.  (and we had no internet or ipad to use!)  Guess thats what happens after you stare at the maps of germany for two weeks straight!  :)
Anyway, we're here now...Matt is off getting food and WINE and the girls are WIDE AWAKE.  (it's nearly 10pm here)  Should make for an interesting day tomorrow.
The apartment is cute and just perfect for the next five days.  We can walk out the front door and right to the river.
Can't wait to go exploring together as a whole family once again!

The Day Before....

Well, here we are.  Today is my last full day on American soil for at least two years.  Laying in bed this morning, I just kept thinking...am I really doing this?  Sure, it's all "sounded" great, but now I'm about to actually put theory into practice.  And, well, I'm scared.  
I think it's mostly because of how unknown Saudi is.  Everyone here (and I was the same way a few months back) has such limited knowledge of Saudi's and their lives.  Not to mention just how DIFFERENT life there is going to be.  I worry that I'm going to say or do something wrong and upset someone, or offend someone with bad Arabic.  I've been reassured by those lovely ladies living there right now, but, still...until I'm there, my stress level is going to stay pretty high.
Right now, I'm taking a quick break from packing.  I'm telling you...I may not want to travel again for months!  I'm so sick of looking at these suitcases and trying to strategically pack every little thing.  Making sure I have plenty to keep the kids busy on the plane, stuff for me, extra clothes, etc etc etc.  I want everything done by tonight though.  Tonight is MY night.  I'm cooking a wonderful dinner for family and I just want to sit back and enjoy their company.  Tomorrow is going to be a rough day...but not going to think about that just yet.
Guess I should quit procrastinating and get back to work...weird to think, the next time I update my blog I'll either be in Germany...or Home.  In Saudi.  whoa.  

Commence Phase Two

So, here I am.  Back in Vegas.  What a roller coaster couple of months.  Now that the stress of the visa application is behind me I can relax.  Wait, relax?  No, that is definitely not what I am doing.  I think I am more amped up than ever.
I mean, I should be stoked right?  Visa done, plane tickets ready to go.  Well, of course I'm crazy excited to see my husband.  (and to actually have a house and be able to UNPACK my suitcases)  But, I have to admit, I'm as nervous as I am excited.  My mind doesn't have anything else to focus on now except the upcoming move.  And now I'm starting to feel the nerves kicking in.  I try not to think about how much I'm going to miss my family because as soon as I do, the tears begin to well.  I'm trying so hard not to show my anxiousness around the girls.  They have been through so much, but its hard to keep it all pent up.  I've asked family to try and curb their emotions as well...at least until a week from today.  I worry about life in Saudi...scared that I might do something wrong or say something wrong.  The uncertainties make it hard to feel as excited as I know I should be.  But, I just keep telling myself...I have ladies and families waiting for me over there and I won't be alone.  They will help me get a grip on my new life.  (still wish I could drag my mommy with me.)

Okay, enough gloom, I AM totally excited about where I'm heading next week.  The girls and I will be meeting Matt in Frankfurt.  We will get a wonderful 5 day mini vakay.  We rented a nice little apartment about 10 minutes from Heidelberg.  There are castles to see, the Rhine river, and wonderful little villages.  From there, we head back to Saudi.  I can't wait to get my hands on my house and give it a ladies touch!  :)  Matt has been doing an amazing job with our yard...planting grass, flowers, herbs and veggies.  He's even planning to build a chicken coop!  (that should make things interesting!  LOL)  

So, for now, I'm trying to focus on the fun things ahead of us. Focus on the adventure, on the amazing life experience we are giving our girls (as well as ourselves).  Focus on being with my hubby again.  Focus on the girls being with their daddy.  

I'm just not going to focus on one thing....all the family I am leaving behind.  Cause, yeah, that'll just break me.  (crap, what was I supposed to be focusing on???)  Oh yeah....bring on Phase Two...our adventure awaits.   

Texas Trip

It's been almost a week since the girls and I left Texas.  We were sad to go...it was really great to get to spend so much time with family that we see so very little of each year.
My mother-in-law (aka Oma to the girls) was so helpful in finding fun things for the girls to do.  They got to attend a little preschool a couple days a week while they were there.  (giving mommy a much needed break and giving them a chance to play with other kiddos)  We went to a museum, the Riverwalk, out to dinners, to Randolph Air Force Base (where my father-in-law used to work...he's a retired colonel.)  to watch the jets land and take off and to see where their Daddy used to live for a few years.  And, I have to admit, seeing those jets up close was just flat out awesome, I could have watched them all day!  We also did all kinds of crafts, they swam in the pool, went to the pumpkin patch, went for walks, and to many parks.  It was a great time for all of us.
I had a great time cooking dinner for them during the week.  My cousin and her man drove down (4 hours) to visit with us and see the girls one more time.  And I also got to see some of my other cousins and spend the day with them too!  The girls really enjoyed seeing all their family (as did I).  

And, I must say, I'm so thankful that my mother-in-law was able to help me out with all the visa stuff.  She was the rock I needed to help me get everything done.  So, thank you, Valita, for all your help with the girls and myself!  Couldn't have done it all without you (well, maybe I could have, but it also would have guaranteed me having a nervous breakdown in the process). 
Thanks to my in-laws for letting us invade their lives and home for four weeks... :)  It was something we'll never forget.

Cleared for Visa!!!

Well, to say the least....this process will be nothing if not unforgettable.  I cannot believe the work involved in getting a visa to go to another country to live.  Perhaps Saudi is stricter than most...not sure.  Let me give you a little run down of what it all took:

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Matt's first trip to Jeddah

So, Matt had to drive to Jeddah to get some paperwork done to sell our car in the States.  He told me the drive there and back is just awful.  Tons of traffic and not a damn thing to look at.  But, he was impressed with Jeddah.  He wasn't able to get too many shots (you know me, I'll have a thousand in one trip.  LOL) and he said that when he as in the mall (which doesn't open until 4pm on Friday's...that's their holy day) they were all looking at him funny for taking photos of a closed mall.  :)  My girls saw the pix of the kid play place and went nuts...too bad its not somewhere I can take them every day.  Wish Jeddah was closer to us.  :(  But, it'll give us something to look forward to.  So, enjoy the photos!  Many more to come!
(oh...on a side note...I'm just one piece of paper away from getting everything to send for the visa.  I'll have the visa's before we even leave Texas!  so excited!)