Three day weekend!

Jordan and I drove to Alexandria last night. I am glad to have a weekend to relax! Last time, we had a great time! We stayed at the Windsor Hotel which has great views of the coast. This time we are staying at Le Metropole which happens to be featured in our travel book. I like it better than the other hotel, although they are very similar! This hotel offers lots of little things such as bathrobes and slippers, a sitting area that you walk into rather than a bedroom you walk into first, and there is a park and the sea outside my window rather than a busy street and the sea. The food is a little nicer and the best Chinese food in all of Egypt is across the park tempting me!! The best part: There is a famous bakery next door! I can smell fresh bread and chocolate when I open my window:)

I am looking forward to walking around leisurely and spending time with Jordan. I think we are headed to the mall tonight which always makes me giddy for some reason. I know the shops are all going to be the same as the mall in Cairo, but I guess now I have time to look and I am not running errands. Tomorrow I want to go have coffee at the bakery, sit and read with Jordan and then head to the palace gardens since last time we went I was so dizzy I could barely walk.

My sister is in Galveston for her big race this weekend! I tried to convince Jordan to fly me to Houston so I could surprise her, but he wouldn't budge! I REALLY wish I was there.

Jordan and I were laughing at the fact that there are parts of this country which remind us of the states. Here are some of the locations we kept pinpointing along the way: Alexandria's roads=Houston, the open desert=West Texas driving to Lubbock, farms=Oklahoma, palm tree oasis=California, oh and Sharm El Sheik=Arizona. I guess we are both homesick. Two more months!!!!!! I can't wait!

The Good and the Bad

Jordan is back from his time in Lebanon which I am grateful for!! He brought with him lots of goodies such as Lebanese roasted nuts! They are amazing.

Good news this week:

My friend Anna and her hubby Mark had their first baby! Molly is adorable!

Jordan surprised me with tickets to Turkey in May. What a blessing it is to be alongside my hubby when he travels!

I have a four day weekend for Coptic Easter and a much needed break!

Silk soy milk was at the store and I purchased enough to last me 3 months!

Had an Avocado Fruit Cocktail at the grocery store that was heavenly!

Bad news this week:

I broke my brush trying to swat at a mosquito.

I have turned against my high heels...they are so annoying in Egypt!

My recent baking has been disappointing. I am great at cooking, but baking...I don't know what happened. I guess I am turning into Rachel Ray(she claims she can't bake). I plan to change this with some cinnamon rolls this weekend!

Good week or bad week, it just doesn't matter! The Lord is and always will be steadfast!

"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward."

Psalm 19:7-11

Weekend Update

The weekend is here. I love that I have time to take a bubble bath, read my books, write, and just relax. Jordan is in Lebanon so the apartment is empty. I miss him a ton. He seems to be traveling a lot lately and I don't like it one bit. I would really like to travel with him. Occupation: Traveling Wife. Perfect. Here are my fav pics of Lebanon that I took in Sept. 09:

At least one person is getting things done in this family. I am being particularly lethargic. I think it is by choice though. I did take random pictures of things in my apartment up close last night to see if my camera does the adjusting for me or if it comes out blurry.

My job is going good and I am putting exhausting amounts of work into the end of the year plans. The kids are going to be little stars in the Talent Show in May. We've got one more performance, graduation ceremony and then I have three weeks of being a college student again at UNT.

In early May I travel to Dubai for a weekend. Jordan's been there, but this will be a first for me. I guess from what I have heard it is very Vegas in that everything is a facade. I just can't forget that I am still in the Middle East. There are laws about PDA and I'm not even sure if I can hold hands with my hubby in public. I am excited to see the tallest building in the world.

My parents came to visit Egypt. My Dad's first words when he saw us were "Culture Shock!" They had some good Cairo experiences. We got lost on Salah Salem street and went into some interesting market areas full of people so they had a taste of the "real" Cairo. They enjoyed their Nile Cruise, the museum and the restaurants. It was nice to have them around. My Dad is intimidatingly tall compared to the Egyptian men and I had no problems with harassment when he was around. It was actually the way I wish Cairo was all the time. Comfortable.

My sister has her 1/2 Iron Man race in April and I wish I could be there to watch her at the finish line. She is the coolest woman I know. I am super proud of her!

I am super blessed. Awesome family, check. Job, check. Adventures, check. Savior Jesus Christ, check. Blueberry smoothie in my hand, check. Happy Weekend!

Kristina: What language is that? Jordan: It's a fake language, sometimes referred to as Finnish.

Finland

• The first thing you will notice are the people and how kind and helpful they are. Literally EVERYONE we met was friendly to talk to, always had a smile, and took time to really get to know you.
• The food. The Finnish really know how to eat fresh, healthy meals. The specialty: berries, all kinds and you can even buy them at the train station. If you eat in any of the outdoor markets, which I highly recommend, you will see lots of grilled fish and veggies. DO NOT eat any form of Tex-Mex food. My bean and cheese burrito consisted of green beans, stewed tomatoes and goat cheese.
• The Saunas are popular in all of Scandinavia. Beware: Nudity is no big deal to these people, so if you are the least bit modest, bring a swimsuit...or an eye patch!
  

Estonia

• The boat we took to Estonia was more like a mini-cruise ship with stores and restaurants and even a casino on board. (Tallink was the name of the ship) It took about 3 hours to cross over the gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea). Not bad for a trip to a completely different country. I entertained Jordan with my Scandinavian pirate accent!
• The Old Town was so charming! If you have been to small towns in France or Germany, then you have an idea of the cuteness!
• We were warned that shop owners in Estonia have a tendency to be rude to customers, so I made it a point to walk in, make eye contact, ask them how they were doing and then look around their shop. The reaction I got was in this order: shock, smile, giggle, helpfulness. :)
• The food was also amazing! I recommend Olde Hansa restaurant. They serve dishes from the 1400's authentic to Tallinn, so what you see on the menu is what they ate back then! There is no electricity, so they use candles everywhere, even in the bathrooms (hard to see, but I made it without dropping anything in the toilet). The best part is the original paintings on the walls of vines, painted 700 years ago and enjoyed by the wine merchant who lived in the house.

We have really enjoyed our time of getting to travel together. It has been such a blessing! :)

Welcome to Petra

Jordan and I got to visit Petra! The villages in Petra date back to 2200 years ago. It was discovered again in 1812. What a discovery! It is such a cool place for anyone who loves nature, or rocks like my Dad the geologist! There are highlights such as the Treasurey from the Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark and lots of shops, camels, and horse rides. Jordan and I also got to climb the top of the mountain range which was no easy task, but worth the view and the journey up. We spent a while at the top of the mountain just listening to the silence. It was amazing! View video to check it out yourself! :)