One of our favorite things to do....

We have a Chili's Restaurant at the end of street. We love walking down there when we feel the need for an American moment. However, we really don't feel very American on our walk there because we have to walk down a PACKED street of honking cars, people loudly speaking Arabic and we often dodge a donkey cart or two. Once we are there we love sitting in the outside eating area near the Chili's playground. The kids love the playground and usually make many Egyptian friends. Here they are with a group of little girls having a birthday party. No, they weren't invited but they were asked to be in every picture and Meredith ended up with several cell phone numbers of the girls she met! So, we call it an American night but now that I have written about it, it doesn't seem very American????

My Two Handsome Men!!!

I just love these two handsome guys! Everyday it is a joy to wake up and see these two precious men in my life. What makes it even better is that they both love me so much and love to tell me all of the time! What more could a woman want???
Matthew Ray is the spitting image of his daddy. This top picture is Matt when he was 3 and the bottom picture is Matthew Ray at the same age. It is remarkable to me how much they look alike! If I hadn't actually birthed Matthew Ray I would wonder if I had anything to do with him!! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMMIE!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRAMMIE!! We miss you and wish we could be with you on this special day. As you can see, we can still give LOTS OF KISSES from this far away! WE LOVE YOU! Have a wonderful day!

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Nile Cruise Babysitting Services Part 4

A Day at the park! The slide tells it all:

Nile Cruise Weekend Part 3-Raining in North Africa

Kids have great imaginations. As most people know, it hardly ever rains where we live. The kids played so well together all day long. One thing that they loved to play today was "raining where we live." Here is a video of the exciting time:



Tomorrow we are going to the park! We will post those pics then!

Nile Cruise Babysitting Services Part 2

Today was filled with lots of eating and playing! We all got up around 7:30 this morning. The kids were ready for some waffles and juice. After making waffles and getting everything cleaned up it was play time. We played blocks, camping, pre-tend rain day (stay tuned for next video post), office and much more! We finally got dressed around noon! Then we ate mac and cheese and fruit for lunch. This evening we went to some other friend's house and ate and played some more. Matt told the kids a story and sang some songs while we were there. We returned tonight at around 8:30 to wrap up with baths and a little popcorn party!:) I just have to make a quick note here about Sawyer: He is a bottomless pit! His intake today...2 waffles, 5 cups of juice, 1 cup of milk, 3 bowls of mac and cheese, 6 strawberries, 1/2 apple, 1 1/2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and 2 boxes of popcorn!!! I would definitely say he is a growing boy! :)
Here's a little slide show of the day's events:

Nile Cruise Babysitting Services Part 1

Yes, you have read the title correctly. We have officially added to our job description. Our company name? Nile Cruise Babysitting Services!! Some friends of ours won a 4 day cruise and decided that Valentine's weekend would be a great time for a romantic getaway.(great, romantic time for them :) And guess who has their kids??? You guessed it- US!!! We just finished our first night of baths and brushing teeth with all 5 kids. (Thank goodness Meredith can handle herself!) So far, so good....no crying, no dirty diapers, no throw up, and no broken bones. We are about to attempt putting them all soundly to bed! We will keep you posted on our events as they unfold over the weekend. But for now, here are a few pics of all of them in their footey p.j.'s!

Daddy Shoes

One of the greatest joys in parenthood is also the source for sadness. This last year we have watched as all of our children have grown emotionally, culturally and physically. As Matthew Ray has grown he has truly become a daddy's boy. He wants to be just like his daddy in every way. The other day we told him to put away his shoes. When we came into the living room we found his shoes as you see them in the picture below.




We started thinking about how much he has grown and took a picture and video trip down memory lane. We came across this sweet video of he and Madison! Hope you enjoy!

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Fine Arts Festival

Meredith's school held a Fine Arts Festival this week. The kids have really been working hard on plays, poems, songs and art projects. Her class has been reading a book with the setting in Mexico. So, her room had a Mexican theme and they also sang a Mexican song. Such talented kids...English, Spanish and Arabic????

Meredith with Coptic Friends

Meredith was invited to our neighbor's apartment this week for a birthday party. She had a great time with the girls singing with interactive TV and speaking with them in Arabic while mom had a great time talking with their moms! We are so glad she loves to make friends anywhere she goes! Here she is right in the middle of these precious girls.


The interactive songs were in English. The girls were impressed that Meredith could sing them so well!

Father/Daughter Dance

Meredith is now an official Girl Scout. She loves her troop and her troop leader! Last week the girl scouts sponsored a Father/Daughter Dance. Here's a picture of Father and Daughter on their way out to the dance. I don't have pics of the actual dance but you can just imagine the fun they had!(: Meredith said it was the most fun she had ever had and Matt said that 99% of the dances were fast dances and the music was a lot faster than when we were young! (hmmm....do you think the music is faster or the dancer is slower???)

Saying Goodbye to Mr. S

Last week was sad for our family. We said goodbye to a dear man, Mr. S. He has been our taxi driver during this past year. He was offered a job in a nearby country and decided it would be a good move for he and his family. He came by the night before he left to say goodbye. He told Matt that he dreaded coming by. He just didn't think he could do it. The kids all hugged him and then he started to cry. Then we all cried. We pray he finds just the friends he needs in his new country.

Portraits Made in the States

When we went back to the states we were only suppposed to be there for a couple of weeks. Those couple of weeks turned into 6 weeks. One thing we had time to do was have the kid's pictures made by a great photographer, Marty Sikes! My mom and I took the kids while Matt and my dad did "guy" things. While we were at the studio Marty made me get into one of the pictures with the kids. I feel like I look like a single mom in this picture! What do you think? Matt jokingly named it "The Day Daddy Died!" Not very funny at all! Anyway, he loves it. I just wish he were in it, too! :)

Arabic Video Archive

I was looking back over some of our "study videos" from this last year and ran across this hilarious one of Matt. I really don't try to find all of the funny videos of Matt and post them but he is just so funny!!! AND.....since he never blogs I have the priveledge of showing you his funny moments and NOT mine! Hee..Hee!

Anyway, this video was taken earlier last year. Our teacher is using the verb 'to wash' over and over. Matt is acting out what she says. "He is washing his hair. He is washing his face." etc..

During this last year of language we have discovered that Matt and I are more opposite than we ever thought we were. I am good with just hearing our teacher say a new thing a few times and then allowing me to use the new vocab(kinda boring, huh?) but Matt always puts an interesting twist in each lesson! Our differences caused MUCH conflict at first but now he just takes the lead and decides how he wants the lesson to run. So, the teacher and I are surprised each day to see what Matt will pull out of his funny hat next! :)

By the way...we are just a LITTLE further along in Arabic since this video! :) In Sha Allah we will speak this language!!!! Uggggg!!!!

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Bama Girl's New Flat!!!!

We have a friend coming here to live and we have been looking for a flat for her. We found one that we think is great! I have been talking with her on the phone and we tried to send pictures for her to see by skype but the computer was not cooperating. So, this is the method I chose for her to be able to see where she is going to live in just a few short weeks!! WE CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO GET HERE BAMA GIRL!!!!!

Eric and Chris Visit....

Here's the slide show I promised. We did so much more than you can see in these pics! It was a great time. Now maybe we can all catch up on some sleep! (:

Overlook of the City

We have had some friends, Chris and Eric, here visiting us this week. We were not sure how things would go since we returned from the states about 48 hours before our guests arrived. It turns out that this is the way to return. Having them here made us just jump right back into the culture and language. We did so much in these last ten days. I will post a slide show in the next few days with many pictures of our touring of the city. It has been a blast! This is a picture of me and Matt at a famous mosque that overlooks the city. What an amazing view!!!!

Santa telling the True Meaning of Christmas

We love this clown and Santa. This is a clip of part of their skit. The song says that I have joy because Jesus is in my heart!!! How cool is that? Santa knows Jesus!!!

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Surprise Duet

After all of the children sang together at the Christmas party, they left the room. I put my camera away because I thought the program was coming to a close. Suddenly, the teachers put Madison and Matthew Ray up on the stage and announced that they would be singing a song together!! (Surprise to me and to them as well!) I quickly got out my camera again so we could capture this wonderful talent! (:

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Belated Christmas Party

Two days after returning here Madison and Matthew Ray had a Christmas party at their school. The school had planned it for the week before while we were in the states but one of the owners had a death in her family. So, we returned for the exciting event!!! Here are a few pics of the kids singing, Santa giving Matthew Ray a present and Madison as the angel in the Nativity. Stay tuned for the next couple of posts to see Madison and Matthew Ray sing a duet and an Egyptian Santa sing a song about the true meaning of Christmas!!

Madison was not very thrilled with this angel costume.


Matthew Ray with Santa.


Singing Arabic Christmas songs.