School Year #3

Greetings,

We have just completed the second week of our school year #3! We have a large new international school now, with much larger classes, a spacious foyer, a lovely lunchroom surrounded by windows to the outside, a pool which may open some day, a separate girls' wing for girls who choose the girls' section of our school, and a large auditorium where we can actually hear the person on stage. It's wonderful. The first two days of school included an activity we did in advisory groups called The Amazing Race where each group competed in a school-wide scavenger hunt game in an attempt to have fun and to learn the layout of the school. Now fewer students are lost getting on their way to class, but I am certain that each student - and each teacher - has been lost at least once. It's nice in a way because it was not just the 6th graders, new to our secondary school community, who were lost occasionally, but everyone!

I am pleased to be teaching grade 7 English and humanities again, though I miss my lovely grade 7 students from last year! I pop in to visit them when possible. There has been noticeable maturity among this year's grade 7 group, and we off to a good start. I also teach a grade 6 English section, which is fun as well. David teaches grade 6, grade 7, and a grade 9 section of math, and he, too, is greatly enjoying his classes so far.

Hayden is settling in to his classes and enjoying more independence as a middle school student in the secondary building. David and I see him little during the day in our big building, but I spot him occasionally in the lunchroom - or in my English class! Logan is loving grade 1. One of his good friends, also from the United States, is again in his class this year, and this has been fun for Logan since there are six sections of grade 1 in our school. Both boys will start soccer again this coming week, Hayden will be continuing with guitar soon, and Logan will begin piano lessons. Hayden is hoping to make the basketball team at the secondary school and has been practicing almost daily, but he's up against all interested boys under 16.

David is wrapping up the intensity of his Ironman training, beginning to shorten some of his workouts and tapering for his upcoming race in Hawaii on 8 October. He will be leaving here in two weeks for his long flight to Kona and the adjustment necessary for a worldwide championship Ironman triathlon. The boys are wondering why Dad takes so many naps!

We are grateful for our steady and fulfilling jobs, the many sports and increasing music options for the boys, the wonderful friendships we are making in this international community, and our continued opportunities for travel. We are also grateful how much time the boys have spent with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family members over the summer. We have many blessings.

Thanks for reading, Jennifer

Together Again

Greetings,

Recently we took our Eid al Fitr holiday in Italy where we met up with Jennifer's parents and, after a long month apart, Hayden! Mom nearly leapt out of the car before it had come to a complete stop when she saw Hayden sitting on a bench with his grandmother, waiting in a small village in the Piedmont region of Italy. It was a joyous time and a wonderful place to meet up together.

We all first headed with our friends to our their newly purchased, partially renovated - and very liveable - farmhouse in a remote location in Piedmont, surrounded by hills, woods, and stone farmhouses. We helped work on pruning and trimming trees and bushes, Jennifer's dad and our friend Chris both eager to charge up the chainsaw and tractor. We enjoyed local pizza, fresh eggs and cheese, bread from the nearby bakery, fresh milk and yogurt, various meats. Wow. We went into Alba, explored some vineyards and wineries, and generally had a glorious three days. Logan and his friend Charlotte created an art studio in an unfinished part of the farmhouse, complete with painting, canvases, drop clothes, and messes.

Following that we drove to Cinque Terra where we stayed for three nights in an incredible - but hard to find - hotel in the northernmost village of Monterrosso. From there we hiked three kilometers to the next village of Vernazza, ate a lovely

lunch, wandered the shops and watched the boats coming in. A few hours later we hiked another four kilometers to the next village. Each village had narrow, cobblestone paths and streets, small shops, cafes, colorful laundry blowing in the breezes, vibrant umbrellas, and many-flavored gelato shops. From any of the villages, you can catch a train to another village so that you can hike just one way. Visually, Cinque Terra is one of the most appealing places I have ever seen, but the fragrant smells of the flowers, fish, and sea added greatly to the pleasure.We ate fresh seafood and pasta daily and enjoyed local olive oil and the best pesto we have ever had! We were also able to enjoy the sandy beaches open-water swimming in the late August Mediterranean Sea.

After one week in Italy, we boarded the Royal Jordanian flight, via Amman, back to Jeddah with the start of school in mind and wonderful memories of Italy to carry forward.

Thanks for reading. Ciao! Jennifer

Common Language, Optional

Greetings,

A Korean man came to our door yesterday looking for basic tools to borrow by way of explaining that he and his family were our new neighbors. We were immediately excited! After all, we'd returned from summer vacation a bit despondent over having lost two of our former neighbors to larger houses elsewhere on campus. So this man's unexpected visit, along with his news that he had two kids, a boy 7 and a girl 4, was a breath of fresh air, especially for our soon-to-be 7 year-old son. When our new neighbor returned the tools later in the day, he brought his kids with him; unfortunately, Logan was next door (the other way!) with yet another boy his age.

News of the new boy next door proved too much for our amazingly sociable Logan and so, without any introductions or prompting, after breakfast this morning he summarily mentioned that he'd be heading next door to play with the new boy, John. Things must have gone well between them since Logan was gone for awhile. And when he returned, with John now in tow, it was now his chance to share his toys and make the fun.

And that was when I realized that neither boy had a common spoken language, not even a word of one, apparently, but instead were communicating in the universal language of 6 and 7 year-old boys. Which by now meant the two had headed up to Logan's room and its huge tub of legos, had begun assembling the latest in inter-galactic weaponry, and had clearly engineered superb machines given the "boy sounds" (as Jennifer calls them) emanating from the room.

But never a word did I hear, not even a peep, just the familiar engine-like and weapon-ish sounds of our son, peppered with the less familiar but equally impressive utterances of his new friend. After a while, it was time for lunch - only how to communicate this to John? Undeterred, Logan motioned to John to follow him, which he dutifully did, taking him next door to his new home and explaining to his father that it was time for him, Logan, to have lunch, but that maybe next time John could join us. I'm guessing next time will come soon!

Thanks for reading! David

Colorado. Seattle. London.

Greetings,

We were so busy during our trip to the United States that we didn't have time to update our blog, but we are intent on more frequent updates from now on since many people mentioned reading our blog. Thank you.

After we left Michigan, we headed to Colorado for a just a couple of days, left the boys with Jennifer's parents, flew to Seattle and drove to Vancouver for an IB workshop. We took advantage of the glorious weather and the city of Vancouver by cycling and running in Stanley Park and eating at a variety of amazing restaurants. Upon our return to Seattle, we met the boys at the airport and went to our

Ballard neighborhood to stay in the guest room at our friends' house. Their house is just down the street from our own house and, though it was odd not to be living in our house, we were able to see that it has been very well-cared for both inside and out. Though the Seattle weather was disappointing, we still managed Greenlake runs, bike rides, and some backpacking (cut short due to the rain) in the Cascades where our boys, two of their closest friends, andus parents played Sardines in the boulder field at Lake Dorothy. It was definitely a highlight to return to one of our favorite mountain spots and breathe in the incredibly fragrant smells of the Pacific Northwest woods. We had dinner with friends, enjoyed pizza with many people in Gasworks Park (despite rain and cool temperatures), kayaked on Lake Union, took our kids and their friends to the awesome St. Edwards park where we had a picnic and played frisbee on one of

the first real summer days of Seattle. That day essentially doubled the number of minutes of sunshine for the city's summer 2011!

Next we went to Denver where we celebrated two milestone birthdays - my mom's and David's - which have or will occur this year. Again we reconnected with family and friends, including Jennifer's brother and nephew. One highlight was hiking to the top of Grays Peak at 14,270 feet with my brother, my nephew, Logan, David, and my dad. It was a typically crystal clear day in Colorado and we made it to the car just as the afternoon hail began! Logan was so proud of himself for hiking to the top, even with a broken arm. Finally, we enjoyed real summer weather and lots of outdoor time, running or biking. We relaxed, ate good food, enjoyed the amazing Colorado summer, and saw friends.

Hayden was not with us

because he was blessed with two weeks at Interlochen Center for the Arts where he attended summer camp and spent time with his Michigan grandparents once again. Today he will fly from Michigan to Colorado for the second time this summer and spend the next two and a half weeks with his

Colorado grandparents until we meet up in Italy for the Eid al Fitr holiday. Though we miss him and the house feels empty without him, he will enjoy his time in the States more than the heat and lack of activities here for the moment.

We made one final stop in London on our way back to Saudi Arabia. We hoped four days in one of our favorite cities would help ease the time transition, but we also saw my English "family" and David's friend from the South Africa Ironman. We visited Covent Garden where David was, once again, roped into a street performer's show, and we finally experienced the London Eye.

We are now back in Saudi Arabia, preparing for a third school

year for KAUST, meeting new faculty, working on the new school building, and reconnecting once again with our amazing colleagues!

Thank you so much to all of our who made the effort to see us during our whirlwind tour of the US. We appreciated the beds, guestrooms, meals, and time offered by so many, and we were so grateful to see so many friends and family members.

Thanks for reading, Jennifer

Visiting Friends and Family

Greetings,

Since I wrote last time, we have been to West Chester, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia to see David's sister, her husband, and her dog, Tucker. We enjoyed beautiful weather, rural countryside, and amazing gardens at Longwood Gardens, an estate once owned by the du Pont family. Pierre du Pont left the greatest legacy in the gardens, purchasing and protecting forests and plants for all to enjoy. The property was originally purchased by the Peirce family from Willam Penn. They established a working farm and planted an arboretum on the property. In the early 1900s, the land was sold to Pierre du Pont who created much of the gardens that people can

visit today. Prior to his death, the property was turned over to a foundation and now the public can visit this vast and amazing place.

From PA we drove to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where we were met by a long-time friend of David's (and mine!). David and Paul did an intense masters swim workout, and Paul pushed him hard. I think David barely hung on to Paul's heels.

After their early morning swim and a large breakfast, we drove to Traverse City to meet David's parents for lunch at a culinary institute located on the East Bay of Lake Michigan. We enjoyed an amazing lunch at Lobdell's Restaurant, a teaching restaurant for chefs, and were fortunate enough to watch the jets and WWII planes practicing for the Cherry Festival show over the Bay while we ate. We got to have a tour of the incredible kitchens, including the baguette-forming machine, the huge ovens and soup pots, walk-in refrigerator and freezers, and all types of kitchen equipment.

During our stay in Interlochen, we visited the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp where Hayden will be studying piano, instrument exploration, and creative writing for two weeks in August, as well as playing sports and swimming. Neighbors loaned us a pontoon boat which we took out on Duck Lake and enjoyed a cool swim. My favorite activity in the area is running on the forest trails in the woods. It makes me feel like I am floating and not having to work so hard. Finally, we went to a fabulous 4th of July party where we met many wonderful Traverse City and Interlochen folks, including a lovely couple originally from Pakistan, the hosts of the party, their daughter, and

her friends who performed live music for much of the evening. They have formed a band - Yesberger Band - who will be traveling the Midwest and West Coast this summer, with stops in Seattle in July: www.reverbnation.com/yesberger. Check it out. Yesberger Band is playing this summer with Bobby McFerrin and with the Temptations.

We headed to Grand Rapids, truly a lovely large town/small city in Michigan, and stayed with friends, again from Seattle days, who have moved there. Again we got to go boating on a lake and enjoyed grilled (pork) bratwurst, rich coffee, and fresh fruit.

This summer so far has allowed us opportunities to reconnect and reunite with our extended family and friends, many of whom we knew in Seattle or who visited us in Seattle years ago. We have so many highlights and memories already. The boys are enjoying reconnecting with their culture, food, and family and friends as well.

More soon. Thanks for reading, Jennifer

We are here!

Greetings,

We arrived safely in Boston, found our rental car, and, miraculously, our hotel in Boston, and after a quick bowl of New England clam chowder headed directly to bed. In the morning, we walked around Beacon Hill, ate a nice breakfast, admired the runners in the Boston Commons, took the subway to walk around Harvard, and packed up to drive to Thetford, Vermont, where we stayed with good friends from our Seattle days. Not only do these friends live in Vermont, but other mutual friends have also moved to nearby Norwich as well. Then, much to my surprise, I ran into a good friend from grad school days in Eugene, Oregon, who also lives in Thetford. It was a veritable Northwest reunion of sorts.

The second day in the US, Logan fell off a rope swing and broke his arm, but he was quickly put on the path to healing by efficient doctors and nurses at the Dartmouth Medical Center. I think they were pleased to work on an otherwise healthy and cheerful young boy and did everything they could to keep him happy. He is recovering well!

We all participated, with our friends, in the Thetford Run for History 5K. Though David ran the fastest time, he did not win because he was unable to answer a single question about Thetford's history - even though there were 50 signs with clues and information posted on the course. I guess being the fastest does not always make someone the winner! Logan, despite his cast, walked the entire course with me, and Hayden ran the course, answered some interview questions, and got his picture in the paper the next day: Hayden Evans from Saudi Arabia. Though no Evans won the race, we did win a huge box of organic tomatoes because we traveled the furthest to participate in this historical race!

We have been eating delicious local produce, lots of pork, and picking our own strawberries. In Thetford we went to the local Strawberry Festival at an organic farm and had amazing strawberries on our cereal the next day. It's so nice to connect

with friends and family after two years. It sometimes feels as if we have not been gone that long. Our overseas life feels far away and long ago for now... We are amazed at how green and lush everything is. Logan keeps saying, "America is so green!"

We are now in West Chester, Pennsylvania, visiting family and driving lawn mowing tractors. Tomorrow we head to Michigan!

Thanks for reading, Jennifer

Nearly there ...

Greetings!
School has finished. Tests were taken, graded, and reported on. Report cards have been written, edited, edited again, and edited one more time - and then emailed to parents. Boxes have been packed and removed from our classrooms, though instead of being moved to our new building, they are now piled up in the gym until the new school is ready for them. Final meetings were held and closing out papers signed. Tearful good-byes were said to those faculty and staff who are leaving us. Bags were packed and taxis took people to the airport. We have stayed around for an additional week to help out with the school library unpacking and some other school projects, but we are counting down our last two days now and are so excited. Hayden keeps a countdown chart on the refrigerator and changes it each morning. Logan just lost another tooth, and the toothfairy found him here in the desert compound, so he was pleased! We have been packing and cleaning and getting ready to be gone for five weeks. Looking forward to seeing many family and friends over the summer.

Cheers,
Jennifer