We are moving where???
Moving to Saudi Arabia
As most of you know Rob has been looking to do some International work for sometime, I on the other hand thought International work meant moving to Houston, Texas, but apparently there is a whole other world out there! Like Saudi Arabia!
You heard right, the Richards family have moved to Saudi Arabia!
Rob got a fantastic job opportunity with Saudi Aramco, the largest oil company in the world. We left quickly as we were given ten days to pack up, so we tried to get a hold of everyone, but unfortunately we ran out of time. So we decided to do a blog so everyone can stay in touch and see what we are up to.
We are excited for this wonderful opportunity and can't wait to travel and experience new parts of the world. This is an exciting adventure that we are all looking forward to experiencing together, so watch for the blogs (I'll e-mail the link to you when they have been updated).
Grab a coffee or drink and enjoy the blog!
As most of you know Rob has been looking to do some International work for sometime, I on the other hand thought International work meant moving to Houston, Texas, but apparently there is a whole other world out there! Like Saudi Arabia!
You heard right, the Richards family have moved to Saudi Arabia!
Rob got a fantastic job opportunity with Saudi Aramco, the largest oil company in the world. We left quickly as we were given ten days to pack up, so we tried to get a hold of everyone, but unfortunately we ran out of time. So we decided to do a blog so everyone can stay in touch and see what we are up to.
We are excited for this wonderful opportunity and can't wait to travel and experience new parts of the world. This is an exciting adventure that we are all looking forward to experiencing together, so watch for the blogs (I'll e-mail the link to you when they have been updated).
Grab a coffee or drink and enjoy the blog!
Calgary, the girls enjoying the free buffet in the First Class lounge! Another fantastic perk about travelling First Class! Free food and drinks!
Jordyn enjoying her POD on the plane. We all slept very well, the girls slept 7.5 hours of the 9.5 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany
Jaymee in her "very own room on the plane" - her words...too cute!
Snug as a bug in rug!
Frankfurt, Germany
Hugs for Digga!
The girls loved watching the planes!
Go figure Jaymee's wide awake! It is 3:30am Calgary time, but 11:30am Germany time. Jordyn trying to catch some ZZZZ's.
Let me tell you if you can afford it, travel first class! That was an amazing treat! The flight attendants were laughing at us because we were "First Class virgins", they loved helping us out. Every pod you received a bathroom bag, inside was a toothbrush, wipes, cream, mouth wash etc... but there were also these blue socks, we didn't know what they were for so we asked. They were slippers you could wear so your socks didn't get dirty...what??? Too cool!
Next they handed us menus, I asked what this was for, and they told me I got to choose what I wanted for dinner...What? Too cool!
Next they handed us menus, I asked what this was for, and they told me I got to choose what I wanted for dinner...What? Too cool!
They were so great with Jaymee and her allergies, they made sure her beef tenderloin (yes, you heard me, beef tenderloin for a 5 year old...I LOVE FIRST CLASS!) was cooked completely separate from all the fish plates and they kept checking on her breathing, and made sure she was doing okay. For desert they had a fruit plate with mangoes, kiwis and pineapples, because of her allergies she couldn't have it so the brought her chocolate ice cream! Jordyn got some too, they made sure she wasn't left out of the fun treats too, the flight attendants even gave them chocolate cake instead of cooked veggies! It was great, we were so well looked after!
On the flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Dammam, Saudi Arabia the Easter bunny visited the girls and gave them a few Lindt Chocolate bunnies. So much fun! They were beside themselves that the Easter Bunny was able to track them all the way to Saudi Arabia! It was great definitely the way to travel...we can only dream to travel that way again!
What else is there to do when you are up early , but go for a walk! 5:30am!
Mommy and the girls!
These look fake, but they are real. All the trees here flower at different times throughout the year so there is always color!
This isour new home. It doesn't look like much, but it is really big inside, we were pleasantly surprised!
This is Leaping Leonard he visits us a lot (inside the house!). I'm still getting used to him... at least he has legs and he eats bugs, not that there are a lot here, maybe because of Leonard! Thanks Leonard...I guess!
Hey cutie! Notice the nice furniture in the background? Ikea here I come, yes there is an Ikea here!
Hey cutie! (Can't wait to paint the walls, they're a little to white for me! I need color!)
My three cuties! Love ya!
Jaymee passed out after our day out. This was in the afternoon when we got back from shopping. Daddy passed out on the couch and the girls passed out on the tile floor!
Sleeping Beauty Jordyn! Sound asleep, they slept like this for another hour!
The Al-Khobar experience
On our first day here we were severely jet lagged, okay I was. For some reason no matter what time we went to bed our bodies woke us every morning at 3:30am. It took about a week to get into the new time change!
On our first day we had the Smales's (couple who so kindly picked us up at the airport) drove us into Al-Khobar (town about 20 minutes outside of camp) to do some grocery shopping. Well for those of you who know me, I do NOT do well with motion, let alone being jet lagged on top of that. Before we left I popped a Gravol...well that didn't help! Along with the jet lag, add in the crazy driving here I was puking on main boulevard in rush our traffic! Proud moment! Well Saudi Arabia...The Richards have arrived!
On our first day we had the Smales's (couple who so kindly picked us up at the airport) drove us into Al-Khobar (town about 20 minutes outside of camp) to do some grocery shopping. Well for those of you who know me, I do NOT do well with motion, let alone being jet lagged on top of that. Before we left I popped a Gravol...well that didn't help! Along with the jet lag, add in the crazy driving here I was puking on main boulevard in rush our traffic! Proud moment! Well Saudi Arabia...The Richards have arrived!
People we honking at us as I had my head hanging out the back door, I'm proud to say that I didn't get any in the car! I'm just thankful for the Smale's because there is no other couple I would have felt comfortable being sick in front of!! Thanks for putting up with me!
The kids love the sand at all the parks, it is so fine and soft!
This park is half a block from our house we love to go there daily, there is also a basketball court. It gets dark here everyday at 6:00pm so ALL the parks are completely lit, even the basket ball courts! I love it!
Jaymee loving it here!
Jordyn loves it here too!
Swimming in the pool in our backyard. It is 7:00am in the morning! We bought this pool at Toys R' US, it is great, the kids love it, but we've heard we will probably take it down in the summer because the water gets to hot, I guess there are some things said about leaving Calgary, at least we can heat up our pools, but here we need ice cubes to cool them!
More swimming fun, best money ever spent!
Jordyn's new Snow White bike...America's Next Top Model look out! Keep smizing! (For those of you who are not America's Next Top Model followers, smizing is smiling with your eyes!)
Jaymee's new Princess bike! Just need to track down some helmets!
This is the park by Jaymee's school, we like to ride our bikes here and eat at the Snack bar. This is where they hold International BBQ's on Thursday and Friday nights (our weekend). They serve everything from stir fry, to burgers and fries, to pizza to shwarma (like a donair, chicken wrapped in a pita shell, with garlic mayo and pickles...very yummy!)
Nice try honey!
A lot of times I will take the girls for lunch here, they love to play before we have to take Jaymee back to school for the afternoon.
Jaymee attempting the climbing wall! Good try sweetie!
911! Here comes the fire department!
Point of Interest:
There are a lot of really neat things here on camp, for instance:
I love that we can go to any of the pools and just walk in and go swimming...you don't have to pay to get it! I love it!
All the buses are free, there are buses that will take you to Al-Khobar to go shopping and buses that take you to other compounds.
Rob takes the large nice air conditioned bus to work every morning and its free! I love it!
If you want to plan a pool party for a birthday, tell everyone where and when and they show up, no one has to pay to get in. You can bring food and drinks, there are tables set up that you can enjoy!
You won't see a lot of pictures of the "core area", pictures are prohibited there for respect and privacy. But the core areas are the public areas, like the pool, commissary, hospitals and clinics.
There are a lot of really neat things here on camp, for instance:
I love that we can go to any of the pools and just walk in and go swimming...you don't have to pay to get it! I love it!
All the buses are free, there are buses that will take you to Al-Khobar to go shopping and buses that take you to other compounds.
Rob takes the large nice air conditioned bus to work every morning and its free! I love it!
If you want to plan a pool party for a birthday, tell everyone where and when and they show up, no one has to pay to get in. You can bring food and drinks, there are tables set up that you can enjoy!
You won't see a lot of pictures of the "core area", pictures are prohibited there for respect and privacy. But the core areas are the public areas, like the pool, commissary, hospitals and clinics.
Point of Interest:
The schools here are amazing. Jaymee is doing well in her new class. She has made a lot of new friends.
The schools are International based on the American curriculm. Basically what Jaymee is learning in kindergarten right now, is Grade 1 stuff. We are working hard and she is keeping up really well, she's a bright kid!
The schools are International based on the American curriculm. Basically what Jaymee is learning in kindergarten right now, is Grade 1 stuff. We are working hard and she is keeping up really well, she's a bright kid!
Kindergarten schedule: Saturday to Thursday 7:40am to 10:30am, then she goes back at 12:30pm to 3:00pm. (The new calendar is really hard to get used to, here our weekends are Thursday and Fridays...it will take some time getting used to!)
Jordyn officially starts pre-school on Saturday April 24. She is going to Jeanette's Preschool which is the best preschool here, we were fortunate enough that Ms. Jeanette's had an opening for her...okay it helps to know the right people here and we do...you know who you are and thank you for making us feel welcome and getting us settled into our new life here in Dhahran.
Half Moon Bay
Kids picnic outside
After a wonderful meal and playing at the park, the kids settle down for a movie!
Jaymee and her new friend Brooklyn (they moved here from the States but Brooklyn's mom, Jenn is from Saskatchewan! Go Canada!)
Jordyn and her new friend Sienna. Popsicles sure melt fast here, huh?
The kids fishing
Daddy dug a nice hole for Jaymee
The women in deep conversation, I think we were discussing who got punted off Dancing With the Stars...kidding. (L: Natasha, Adrienne, Jenn, Tori, Lani (standing) and Nancy)
This a great place to hangout, its only 20 minutes from our house. Aramco has a public beach there, but we were fortunate enough to go with our new friends to the private beach. In order to have access to the private beach you need to have a boat. Rob is trying to go halves with someone at the office, really a boat is classified as something that floats, so we're working on it!
I know the pictures look like it was a gloomy day, but it was perfect, trust me it was hot! The water was like bath water, the kids loved to go seashell hunting.
While we were enjoying the kids playing in the water, off in the distance was a pod of wild dolphins! It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen! In the distance you saw their backs just come above the water, you could hear them clicking and chirping in the distance. It was so cool. The guys tell us that when the catamarans go out the dolphins jump along side them, can't wait to see that!
I know the pictures look like it was a gloomy day, but it was perfect, trust me it was hot! The water was like bath water, the kids loved to go seashell hunting.
While we were enjoying the kids playing in the water, off in the distance was a pod of wild dolphins! It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen! In the distance you saw their backs just come above the water, you could hear them clicking and chirping in the distance. It was so cool. The guys tell us that when the catamarans go out the dolphins jump along side them, can't wait to see that!
Yet another park. This one is called Dhahran Hills Park. There are so many parks on the camp here, it is fantastic!
The kids love all the parks here, I love that all the parks are surrounded with nice soft sand.
Hey cutie! Miss Jaymee has yet another loose tooth, we are still trying to convince her that the tooth fairy will visit her in Saudi Arabia!
Another cutie!
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