Before I jump into the highs of this year I'd be remiss if I didn't honor the losses that made us stronger, resilient and even more grateful for the life we've built and the beautiful, healthy family we have. We'll never forget those experiences and how they touched our lives. Our blessings are countless though and it's impossible to not see the love and positive vibes that continue to surround us. It truly is a banner year.
We currently live in Saudi Arabia! We're still in awe that we live in the Kingdom and impressed with how quickly we've all adapted to life in one of the the most restrictive countries in the world. It has a some positives and a whole lot of negatives, but we're so glad we took this leap because it has been a great experience. We just hit the six-month mark, a quarter through our time in Riyadh. We'll keep you updated on when we find out our next post.
The Gents continue to make strides and amaze us. R's hemangioma has almost disappeared and doesn't appear to have any long term affects on his hand movement. Before we left for Riyadh he proved he could indeed walk and no longer needed physical therapy, which was wonderful because I can only imagine the challenge of finding a physical therapist and getting to appointments in Riyadh. We patiently waited for these guys to grow as they had always been in the low percentiles for height and weight, (head circumference has always been large!) but they caught up at 18-months as their Georgetown pediatrician predicted. It seems like they're constantly going through growth spurts and eating more than me, daily. They're running, wrestling and climbing on everything. They're typical boys, usually with a car in hand and making loud noises. It's often crazy, but how could we not revel in it? They're loving life in Riyadh - the playground, meeting people, flirting with women of ALL ages (seriously), and proving they can swim without us hovering over them (although they do wear their Puddle Jumpers). They're not talking too much yet as they've developed a twin-speak and have no need to communicate with anyone else than each other. I'll admit, I'll be a little sad when their secret language phases out.
Wally turned nine in September and is subsequently turning into a bit of a grumpy old man. He's getting more protective of us all and more impatient with the younger pups he comes into contact with, showing them who's boss. He's still a sweetie though, playing with The Gents and other kids, while taking some heavy handed petting and tail grabbing from the littles. Some days you'd still think he's a puppy, galloping in the park with fury friends and hopping on his hind quarters. He wants for no love and attention as he gets plenty from our friends and neighbors. There is a growing waitlist of people who want to watch him when we travel. Some people probably wish they felt as much love.
It's been a big year for J with his new role in Riyadh, learning some Arabic, and being voted to the board of employee association at the Embassy. When he's not at the Embassy, he's socializing on the international diplomat scene. He's also now back to golfing and picked up tennis. I didn't even know he knew how to play tennis.
As for me, I got to be the Best Woman at my Bro's wedding, started this blog, became a working mother in Saudi Arabia, made some lovely friends, am learning some Arabic, traveled, and my love continues to grow for all of my gentlemen. I couldn't ask for more.
Oh and thanks for continuing to support this little project of mine, keeping in touch, and, most of all, sending your love. We can definitely feel it from afar. Can't wait to see what 2018 brings and to hopefully see you all next spring/summer when we're back in the midwest ! xo
Much love from The Bitter Crew - Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
p.s. When creating our holiday card this year it was really hard to narrow down just a few pics to include, so I figured it was necessary to post some favorites, showing The Gents growth over the year and some special moments. Enjoy!
