September 2 - 6, 2011

We were bored for a few days, waiting for Bruce to get a seat back from Atlanta.  You can tell it's hot when it's 97 degrees and we think it's cooled down!

Arabic bread with melted mozzarella, spaghetti sauce, tomato, and lettuce

The windows get so dusty, especially when they haven't been cleaned for four months!  And we don't have any curtains yet, so having clean windows is a must.

Zoie likes this game.

Here, you can see how dusty they get!

Reese wondered how she could be so hot when she's wet!

Later that evening, Zoie got excited because we had some guests over and she forgot that the screen door was closed... she ran right through the screen and made a big hole!  I can't believe it!  No worries... the company will replace the screen door... a person could get used to this.

Zoie isn't sure what hit her... she's a bit dazed.

This is the front of the Dining Hall.

I think this is another entrance to the Dining Hall.

This is beside the main building for residents (has a bank, a post office, a barber, a photographer, the Customer Care Center (like an information center), and a bulletin board with events and groups to join.

Now that Eid was over, we decided to try to go to Saco World again to buy Bruce's birthday present; so here is Brooke on the shopping bus to the mall.

In the distance is the freeway we just exited.

Just a lot of dry, rocky sand.

Back at the mall.

I'm taking a picture of myself in the mirror.

Arab boys that wanted to talk.

I found out later that this was a big "no no."  Our American culture is so completely different from the Saudi culture.  It just isn't proper for women alone to speak to strange men.  We won't do that again.

Finally!  Saco World is open... it's just through that gate!

Look at the patio furniture for sale -- whew!

This umbrella  w/ curtains is 1400 Saudi Riyals (that's only $377).

When I first saw the picture of this pool, I thought they had found a woman to sit in the water wearing an abaya!!  In reality, any part of a woman that should not be displayed is blacked out--so we enjoyed looking at the advertisements on these boxes.

I love how only her eyes are showing above.

There was this cool escalator on which you could push your cart.  We had a ladder in our cart, and it still went up smoothly.

After Saco World, we only had a short time before the bus should come, so we split up.  Groceries are cheaper here than at the comm, so I wanted to get a few items, and I would need to hurry; Jordan wanted to get some flats for school at Payless Shoes; and Brooke & Reese wanted to look at the arcade with the ice skating rink in the center of the mall.

I should have had the girls take a picture of me, but boy, was I a sight.  I was in an abaya, carrying a ladder through the mall!  Don't think everyone wasn't staring at me... especially when I thought we might miss the bus, and I started running.  The thing that I can't communicate through these pictures, is how slowly women in abayas walk, and how they usually walk in groups.  You rarely see a woman in an abaya carrying anything big, running, talking loudly, or just generally attracting attention to herself... and I was doing all of them!  Guess it's just my strange American way.

This lady was in line in front of me at the grocery store in the mall, and I couldn't help photographing the beautiful stitching on her abaya and niqab -- not to mention her gold purse!  I can tell the women here love beautiful things.

The area around the mall.

Saco World is the "Lowe's of Saudi Arabia" where we bought Bruce's birthday present.  By the way, we got him a drill... which he loved.  You should have seen us trying to figure out which one to buy!

Riding the bus back to the compound.

Look at all the different head coverings of the women who live on the compound.  You can hear many different languages being spoken when you ride this bus.

These bushes are just one of many that are trimmed into shapes.  I think they're so funny.

FINALLY!  Our friends came home from their summer vacation.  This is Kathryn who lives up the street.  She is 9 years old (4 days older than Reese) and is from Indiana, and has lived here for 3 years.

It's time for a water balloon fight!

Ready...  Go!

 Bruce finally caught a flight back to Saudi Arabia -- arriving on Monday, the 5th at 4:30am.  He had to go to work 2 hours later, but that evening we were able to celebrate his birthday with him (only 3 days late.)  Above are the ginger cookies Jordan baked him, and the giant kiss we found at the commissary which was originally priced $9.20 and marked down to $2.33!

And now... for the big day we've all been waiting for!!!! (drum roll)... Jordan's FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!  I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist taking all of these pictures... believe me... these aren't all of them... I probably embarrassed her to death.  At least I chose not to go with her on the first day like she requested... she would never have lived that one down!  Instead, I spoke with a lady that we know who works at the high school, to meet Jordan and show her where to go when she arrives.  She'll be fine... right?  Gosh, it's hard saying goodbye to your children!

Here is the house where the bus will pick her up today.  We signed up for the bus to come to our house, but we never got a reply, so we walked down the street to another girl's house whom we know from the swim team and is also going to be in 11th grade.  The bus should come at 6:55am.

Here are the two sisters who live at this house... Alicia and Rachel.  They are also on the swim team.

Waiting for the bus.

I see it... here it comes!

Getting on the bus.

Goodbye, Jordan!  Have a nice day.

Goodbye, Mom.

I can't believe it... she's gone to school.  Well, back to the house to wake Brooke and Reese for homeschooling.  It's 109 degrees today... another scorcher in the desert.

-- Pattie --