August--- second week (08.08-08.14)

Monday- I couldn't believe I didn't get to eat pho until that morning. Our first week there we were dealing w/jet lag and catching up w/family, it got away from me, so I made it a priority to get it first thing that morning. It was so yummy even though it was hot outside. Dan and I topped off our breakfast w/some authentic cafe sua da (VN iced coffee). BTW, we brought back Cafe Du Monde coffee and coffee press to make these in Saudi. The simple little treasures in our life! Afterwards we visited ASC, where Dan used to work and checked on the visa paperwork for my mom. We had lunch there and had visited w/some of his former co-workers. Afterwards was nap time, you guessed it, Dan drove us all around. This time after the kids dozed off, he dropped me off to get a spa pedicure, something I haven't had since December when we were back. I don't do pedicures in Saudi, just don't trust if people tools are sanitized or not and don't want to risk infections. We dropped the kids of at Dan's parents house after nap time and we went out to our first Tex Mex dinner at Guadalajara. My mom, Matthew, and Julie came and hung out too. Oh how we enjoyed our guacomole and salsa and beverages!!! Dan ordered Tacos al carbon and I had the bacon wrapped shrimp fajitas. I think I added bacon to just about every meal when eating out. :-)

Tuesday- Dan and I had dentist appointments so we dropped the kids off at Dan's parents house. My mom, Matthew and Julie came over to help watch the kiddos too. When we finished having our teeth cleaned, we went car shopping...yes that's right car shopping. Dan had a crazy idea of possibly selling our Saab and trading it for an SUV that we could use when we're in town. We wanted something to fit us and a couple other people should we go somewhere so we're not always caravanning. Anyhow, I went along w/it, something for him to get excited about it. In the end he knew it was not a good idea since we didn't need to spend money on another car for the little time we would be visiting. We even squeezed in some time to take his sis, Rebecca shopping for her birthday present back in July. After the kids nap, we just chilled at the condo...kinda nice to have some "home" time even if it's not our real home.

Wednesday- Tobin has been having a cough (on and off)...we tried to make him an appointment at our former pedi, but they were "busy" and couldn't take us as we no longer live here (we were not priority patients). I couldn't believe this...anyhow, one of my triplet mommy friend gave us her pedi and they saw us right away. It was so nice to be welcomed like that...anyhow the new pedi, Dr. D saw him and diagnosed him w/sinuitis. She also had bloodwork and xray done just to rule out asthma. Gave him so antiobiotics and for the first time we saw a difference in him. He was not nasally anymore and didn't have his cough. We headed to Chick fil A for lunch and then to one of Dan's friend, Mike's house before naptime. Julie, Dan's parents came over to the condo after nap and we went shopping. Of course!

Thursday- Kids had their allergy appointment. I wanted to make sure everyone didn't have any major allergies...and luckily no one has asthma or allergies to any food and other things they tested for. The doctor did say to check them back when they're 4-5 yrs. old b/c new allergies could develop. We went to Denny's for lunch, not the greatest but it was the least crowded place for lunch and near the doctor's office. Afterwards we hung out at the condo with Matthew, my mom, and Matt coming over.

Friday- We went to "Pump It Up" with my friend Alyssa and her two girls, my mom and Matthew. It was very nice catching up with her. We also had pho afterwards. After driving them around for naptime, we headed over Dan's sis, Julie's house and then back to the condo since one of my friend, Maria wanted to visit us.

Pictures of the week:

Pump It Up, I wished they have one of these in Saudi.

Daddy and his boys

Tobin

Skyler

kiddos w/Daddy

The car ride there: they were so happy...Tobin

Hudson and Skyler

Reading time for Matthew and Skyler

Reading time for Grandpa Bob and Hudson

Matthew, Hudson and my mom

My boys w/their Ba Ngoai (Tobin, Hudson)

This is how they play at Grandma's house:

LOVE the way her hair looks here!

Story time w/Julie: Hudson, Skyler, and Tobin

They loved these tinker toys at Julie's house, Tobin and Rebecca. We actually found a set and brought them back to Saudi.

Hudson & Skyler

Skyler hoarding the stuffed animals.

Tobin

Hudson's "latest" laugh :-)

Saturday night dinner at Buca di Peppo celebrating Julie's bday while Steve and Beth were in town. That was a lazy morning, we slept in, had breakfast and didn't head over to Gail and Bob til late afternoon.

Kids put the booster seats on the ground (Tobin, Hudson, Skyler)

LOVE it when they show affection for each other!

Steve, Beth and Rebecca

Gabby, Matt, Dan's parents

They LOVED the dessert, this glass is way bigger than her head.

It's really hard to get a picture of the five of us looking at the camera.

I LOVE it when I get to spend quality time with her!

Can't help it- I LOVE their angelic faces!

Daddy and Tobin

Hanging out at Dan's parents house before dinner: Daddy & Tobin

Steve and Beth with Hudson & Skyler.

Kids got their bday presents early from Grandma Gail and Grandpa Bob, 3 plasma cars. We brought (2) of them back with us to Saudi since we had already bought one from our Bahrain trip. Julie is giving Hudson and Skyler a ride.

Daddy and Tobin

Matt and Hudson

Group picture with Dan's family (minus Julie, I think she was taking the pic and Rebecca, MIA)

Grandpa Bob and Tobin

Grandma Gail and Hudson

Skyler playing w/Matt's hat.

Julie and Skyler

Our family picture w/Steve and Beth

All in all, a week of doctor visits and family time.

August---first week in Houston (08.01-08.07)

We are finally home in Saudi and jet lag has gone away. For some reason this time it didn't last as long as the last trip. Things are back to normal now and it's great to have our routine back!

We really missed our king size temperpedic bed...it's so nice and plush.

I'll be recapping our repat trip to Houston by each week since there's so many pictures.

Our flight to Houston was at 4 am early Monday morning (8/1/11). This time we flew out of Bahrain, our first time going through this airport. After our trip back in December, Dan and I wanted to be done with everything for this trip after the kids go to sleep so we could rest a little bit before leaving for the airport at midnight.

That Sunday, Harle and I bathe the kids before nap time so that we didn't have to do it in the evening. During their nap, I put the supplies we needed for the van when we return to Saudi, two empty suitcases, and strollers. I think Dan came home an hour early and finished packing his stuff. Once kids woke up from nap, it was our normal rountine of hanging out with kids, dinner and putting them to bed. We did the same thing like last time and put them in their regular clothes instead of jammies. We brought the main suitcase that has everyone clothes and stuff downstairs, along with the our two backpacks. Dan's backpack has kids extra change of clothes, extra socks, diapers stuff, their blankets and lovies, and some goody bags of toys I put together. My backpack has medicine, kids snacks, laptop and other electronic stuff we have. The backpacks are our only carryons along w/my purse, that's it, nothing else. We've learned to travel hands free b/c we REALLY need our hands. :-0)

Midnight comes around and we woke the kids up and put on their socks, shoes and loaded them in the van. They are really good about this, I guess it helps that we had the talk about "getting ready to go on big airplane"and "seeing all the families back in Houston" a month before leaving. The drive to Bahrain was really easy, there was no traffic at all. Took us 1 1/2 hour from the time we left to the time we made it through security at the airport. Included us getting lost and trying to figure out the long term parking for the van and taking a shuttle to the airport. We waited around for 2 hours before boarding the plane. The only thing I didn't like while waiting was our gate was near a smoking room and everytime someone came in and out of that room, you could smell the smoke. Mixed with all the different perfume smells that people over here love to doused themselves with, it was almost intoxicating.

Flight was not that bad, well the boys did great. They stayed in their seats and within our aisle and were pretty much entertained with the toys I packed or the kid movies on the plane, they really enjoyed watching Nemo over and over again. That's why we love flying Emirates (atleast for long flights). Skyler on the other hand was throwing tantrums left and right, it was really difficult for Dan, even with giving her melatonin. We couldn't get the bulkhead seats b/c the flight was full. Overall, we both can tell they did A LOT better than the previous airplane trips...I think they are getting used to the travel idea.

The first few days was getting over jet lagged...it took us about 3 days (really 4 days b/c of the time difference) and seeing family. We rented a nice 2 bedroom condo that has everything we needed, washer/dryer, fully stocked kitchen, linens, internet access, etc. A few negative things about the place was it's a condo and we were on the bottom unit so we could hear all the noises from upstairs and all around us. Our room had a full size bed, not ideal since kids were waking up late at night and climbing into bed w/us (something we're not used to in Saudi). There was literally no room for all 5 of us, Dan usually ended up sleeping on their mattresses in their room. And our bedroom had the sheerest curtains ever that didn't keep any sunlight out in the early morning. It was really difficult to bathe them b/c the water would change temperature during the bath w/o anyone touching any of the knobs. It would get freezing cold or burning hot. We bathe everyone really QUICK! The living room only had a loveseat and uncomfortable hard chairs, not ideal when our families came over. Despite these negative issues, it was really nice to have our own place that we could slowly wake up and cook breakfast if we felt like it.

My mom, Matthew, Dan's dad, and sis Julie greeted us at the airport. We borrowed his parents car b/c the carseats didn't fit in our Saab. The carseats came from a triplet mom that gave them to us since they didn't need them anymore, which is perfect b/c we will not have to lug carseats to the States anymore.

Pictures of the week:

Marie and her kids, my mom and Matthew visited us at our condo.

Tobin

Cousins and their Ba Ngoai (Anne, Andrew, Skyler, Hudson and my mom)





Anne and Skyler








Matthew w/Skyler, Andrew and Anne








My mom and Hudson

Time spent at Dan's parent's house: Grandma Gail and Tobin

Tobin, Hudson & Skyler

Grandma Gail changing Hudson's diaper

My boys: Tobin & Hudson

Tobin

Children's Museum w/Marie and her kids on Friday. We went to lunch afterwards @ Mai's, one of my favorite VN restaurant.

Marie and her kiddos.

cousins loving on one another during lunch...it was the cutest thing!

Fortune cookies, their new favorite snack...our waiter was so kind he brought a bunch of extras.
I think Hudson had about 3 at this time after chowing down on his crunchy noodles with seafood.

Childrens' Museum pictures: Hudson & Tobin checking out this ride.

We went to the vet place and that's when we had to leave and head upstairs. Skyler had a major tantrums b/c she wanted to bring all the animals with her. Tobin and his injured pups.

Future vets?

Anne

They loved everything at this place especially the grocery store part. They got to shop for the food they want, "checked" them out and paid for them.

They hit the jack pot when they found the pasta aisle with Mac N Cheese!

Tobin was seriously hoarding all the Mac N Cheese! :-)

And Skyler innocently carrying her big tub of ice cream.

That's my boy Hudson picking out fruits and veggies!

Tobin LOVED this pulley.

Marie watching Skyler.

Skyler's turn on the pulley.

Hudson was playing with other kids. Dan was watching Tobin & Skyler in another section.

Hudson, found several ways to entertain himself.

That Friday night, Dan's family came by the condo while I went out for GNO with my triplet mommy friends, Lynne and Marie. We went out for sushi at Cafe Japon. Wonderful night out of good convo and some real vino.

Matt with Skyler and Tobin.

Grandpa Bob reading to the kiddos.

Chuck E Cheese outing on Saturday. My mom, Matthew, Dan's siblings and our friends, the Fletchers came out.

Tobin and Daddy.

Skyler and her Uncle Matt (Dan's bro)

Skyler, Tobin and Crystal (our friend's daughter) munching on pizza and chicken wings.

Rebecca and Tanika in the background.

Skyler and her chicken wings.

Everyone was going crazy for the free Chuck E Cheese tickets.

Tobin

Hudson and Julie. Hudson LOVED this ride, each time a kid rides it, it takes a picture of them...we have LOTS of his picture on this ride.

During our first week, besides these outings, we also spent a morning at Dan's other sis, Rebecca's house. Kids got to check out her dog and play w/some toys she had. We also had a playdate with one of my friend, Lynne and her almost 3 yr old triplets. We were doing weekly playdates before we left for Saudi last year and I think they all remembered each other. It was really nice to connect with them and it's like nothing has changed. I miss having that over here. We (the five of us) also had a chance to have breakfast at Frank's, one of our breakfast dives, that has the tastiest bacon and sausage EVER. We met his friend from college, Mike, there. Afterwards we visited our old neighbors, Donnie & Paula and hung out there for a few hours since their grand daughter was there and she had homemade play doh (instant hit w/the kiddos).

Since the kids are in a new surroundings, we knew they wouldn't nap at the condo, so we drove them around for about 2 hours each day so they could nap. They are a mess when they don't nap, especially the girl. Dan and I took turn shopping during their nap time. We'd drop the other person off at whatever store they wanted to go to and pick them up before nap time. It was really a great system to get all of our shopping in (things to bring back to Saudi). :-)