Take the Trip

Last month we traveled with friends to Manzanillo.  Its a beach located on the Pacific coast of Mexico that is about 3 1/2 hours from our home.  We went with three other families rented a house and made zero plans.  You know what?  It was the best trip ever!  Seriously.  All 10 kids got along. All 8 adults got along too 😉.  The kids swam, built sand castles, we sang all the 90's country songs, laughed til we cried and ate until we couldn't eat anymore.  It was a wonderful time and so many memories were made.  I am so thankful we just took the trip.  We didn't over analyze the housing or the agenda.  We just hopped into the car and off we went.  No regrets.

On the way home it led me to wonder why we don't do things like that more often.  I think there are several reasons. 

 1.  I think it takes an effort to NOT have a plan.  

• We are creatures of habit. We like to know what is coming.  We like to know how out time will be spent and we like to know the cost.  Not just monitarily...

2.  New places can be scary.  Where will you eat? What will the accommodations be like? How will      the days be spent?

• It doesn't hurt to do a little research on the front end - especially when traveling to a new place. Since we live in Mexico, most of our adventures are here.  We always check here to make sure it is safe.  I also like to know about toll roads, gas stations, restaurant or grocery stores around our accommodations.  
• I usually pack a cooler for snacks since, unlike the US, there isn't always a gas station or fast food restaurant every few miles.  And I always pack these for the girls to be able to go to the bathroom ... anywhere.
• For when you get there - I love trip advisor to find things in the area to do or places to eat.  I have also found from living overseas that sometimes facebook is a really helpful resource.  It seems that even if a company doesn't have a website, they have a facebook page and they are usually full of helpful information.  

3. And the last and most important reason, I my opinion is... traveling with kids is hard.  Sometimes it seems like it's just not worth it.  But I am telling you - IT IS.  

So -pack the suitcase(s). The cooler. The sand toys or hiking shoes or tent or whatever it is and just go. Go make the memories. Go see something new. Go. Just Go. Just take the Trip. 

Pinterest Worthy

Earlier I wrote about a "settling in" that occurred our second year in the foreign service.  I shared how that settling in led to a renewed love of our home and country.

Sparked by a combination of requests from our friends and family back home to "see" our home I have sporadically tried to show some pictures of our home.  However, I failed to show Ella's room.  

When we decided to join the foreign service, a veteran foreign service member said that she allowed her children to pick their bedroom decor for each new post.  It gave them a sense of control over the situation and helped build excitement.  Erik and I thought that was a wonderful idea so we decided to do that with our girls.  As you have seen, Anna picked Wonder Woman  and Ella picked the aqua and coral color scheme.

She absolutely loves her room.  It's her haven.  Since she shared a room with her sister all of her life, she took the opportunity to decorate  it just how she wanted.  I really had no say, and I was really ok with that.  I think she, too, would have changed the beige carpet and big yellow drapes.  But they darken the room and, honestly, it's the best sleeping in the entire house!

The other day as I was photographing the Sun Room, she said " We should put my room on the blog. It's really pinterest worthy"

With Ella's blessing, feel free to pin away!

How to LIVE through a PCS

🎶It's the most stressful time of the year! 🎶 It is also wonderful, and scary, and sad and exciting.  But it is stressful...it's PCS time!  (Permanent Change of Station) PCS is a military term but it seems the State Department uses it too.  In layman's terms, it's moving time. And it's crazy.  It is going to get crazier before it gets calmer... to be honest it this summer home leave is anything like last summer's "R&R" it won't calm down until we arrive at our next post!  I will be writing more about the details of the actual PCS, but today I am going to share some tips on how to deal with the stress of this season.

I am actually chuckling at myself as I write this blog! I mean seriously, what do I know about managing stress while moving?  I literally had an anxiety attack in bed last night!  I kid you not.   The reasons are for another blog, BUT, the solution is for this blog!  I have got to manage my stress during this season. 

If mothering has taught me one thing, it's that I am the heart of this family. Believe me, I am not bragging on my worth, I am not saying this family wouldn't thrive without my contributions, but what I am saying is that my mood, my actions, my frame of mind sets the tone for this family.  So... mama's gotta have her stuff together! Not just for my sanity, but for the well-being of my family. 

Rewind to last night.  My kids are sitting around on pinterest and Etsy dreaming of their room at the next post.  This is what I want!  I want my kids excited about the upcoming changes, but there have been several stressors in the past few weeks and I allowed it to set me in a terrible frame of mind which ended with me snapping at everyone  - on a Sunday night - great way to start a new week. 
And just earlier as I was laying George down to nap, I caught my reflection in the mirror.  He was "snuggling" me and looking up at me with the sweetest eyes, and I was so distant... already thinking about how I was going to use the precious hour of his nap time. 

I realized that life was going to pass me by. Let's break this down: In the life of anyone in the Foreign Service, Military or any other profession that allows you to move around often, you are either getting ready to move, just having moved, learning your way around your new home/country etc, or bidding on your next post.  I DO NOT want to live looking to the next thing.  I can't do that.  By the time we settle at our new post it will be October. It's March. Do the math. I could potentially lose 1/2 of a year just "surviving"

What am I going to do about it?

Here are some ideas -

I am in no way an expert - just a mom and a wife trying to use my little tiny piece of the web to help others that have chosen this gypsy life.

1. Prayer
I put this as number one because for me, it's essential.  I am a Christian.  I need the connection with the Prince of Peace if I am going to have any type of peace in my life.  I find the best time for me is early morning.  I get the kids off to school and take some time to do a devotional and have a prayer time.  It keeps me connected and helps with my day.  I also try to add a few things I am thankful for.  It helps me to keep perspective in such a hectic time. 

2. Yoga/Exercise
After my little bout with my anxiety last night I woke up unable to turn my neck to the left and as I am sitting here typing this, my right leg is throbbing.  I am carrying so much tension in my neck and back it is crazy.  You better believe tomorrow I will be at my neighborhood yoga class, and then possibly scheduling a massage in the afternoon. 

3. GET ORGANIZED
I am not organized by nature - but I love lists.  I love journaling.  I love my new journal I bought here and I have turned it into a Bullet journal.  This is a great link to some super cute ways to bullet journal.  Mine is nowhere near that cute. BUT it is my survival.  Without my lists, I would feel frazzled and I am sure something would fall through the cracks.

4. Communicate
This can be taken so many different ways.  It may mean communicating with family about how you feel or it may mean asking for help.  For me it means VERY open lines of communication between me and Erik. We have coffee in the morning and decide who is tackling what task that moves us toward our PCS.  After we have a daily game plan, we both feel better about being sure we are making the most of our time and resources. 

5. Escape
Taking a trip would be amazing - but if you're like me - packing for a family of five adds to my stress, it doesn't take it away! And don't even think about leaving without kids.  Planning their activities in your absence, planning their meals, babysitters -um.NO.  However, I love to read! I look forward to that very last hour of every night when the house is quiet and I can get lost in a book!  Before we moved to Sri Lanka, it was an evening walk.  Erik and I would walk and talk and just escape the crazy for a short while.  Maybe it's binge watching netflix or checking out instastories... what ever it is, escape - at least once - every day. 


I will keep you up to date on how well I end up doing with all of these - but one thing is for sure - I will figure out some way to truly live through these crazy adventures and not merely survive!

Negombo

While the kids and I were in the States for the summer, Erik found a cute little town north of Colombo called Negombo.  Negombo was settled by the Portuguese and therefore you will actually see more churches on street corners than buddhist temples in this area.  It's full of busy fish markets and some beautiful coastline.

After Erik's little tour of Negombo, he put it on our bucket list.  We headed out early for a beach day at the Jetwing Beach Hotel in Negombo.  It is only about an hour's drive north of Colombo, so for a family that despises roll away beds and suitcases, it makes for the perfect day trip.

The cost to use the hotel and beach facilities was about 4500 lkr which amounts to a little over $30.00.  We opted not to eat the buffet offered on the weekends because our kids are quite picky, instead we just enjoyed the pool bar with it's fish and chips, chicken satay and burgers.  We found a shady spot under a coconut tree, and enjoyed the view.

It was a perfect way to spend a Saturday on a reasonable budget.  And as I mentioned earlier, for a family that really wanted to avoid packing yet another suitcase, it was the perfect get away.

Things I will do differently next time:
There is a neat little coffee shop right outside of the hotel.  I think a coffee and breakfast stop there would be nice.
There is a very good looking sushi restaurant right down from the hotel for dinner on the way home.
Our adventures are modified to our family dynamic.  Meaning, we stick to a hotel that provides us with all we need, but just the same, our kids see lots of the world, they otherwise wouldn't know existed, and we get some sun and sand in the process.

Travel with kids? How are your getaways modified?

Big Boy Bed

Part 2 of my Sri Lankan Home Tour feature's George's room.  His room has been hard for me because we have recently transitioned from a crib to his "Big Boy Bed"

Since the transition I haven't slept through the night.  He doesn't stay in his bed.  He "enjoys" the freedom of roaming around at night and climbing into bed with me.  It has been trying.

I have enjoyed, however, setting up his big boy room.  I have challenged myself to only use what we brought with us to decorate his room.  In a lifestyle where everything is viewed by how much weight it adds, I think this is a must.  I only packed what I truly valued.  Hence his collage wall.   These are the items we had in his very first nursery that meant so much to me, and I wanted to repeat them.  You can see a similar set up in our Reston home, and now here.

The old recliner has to stay... because this mama still rocks her baby at night.  And I will for as long as he will allow me to.

When we moved in, there was an armoire for hanging clothes in his room.  Just last weekend I moved it into a nook in our hallway in order to use a bookshelf to hold some of the favorite toys that continue to find their way into his room, despite the fact that we have a playroom full of space for trucks, blocks, and all other toys.

Gray has been a staple in our home for a while now.  I view it as a neutral and this spread from Restoration Hardware will go wherever we go.  Forever. Til the end of time. Amen.

George has no interest in the potty that we bought.  In fact it is actually used to carry his toys around.  So, we are still bound to a changing pad.  But, like I said, he's still my baby. And, as a friend's very wise father once said "No baby ever goes to college in diapers" so... we will keep that changing pad around a little longer.

The drapes, furniture and very beige rug came as part of housing.  I think I would like to make changes to the drapes and rug in our next post, but since we are already one year into our two year post, I think I am going to just let them be.

All in all, I love this room.  I love that he is using the bedside lamp I used as a little girl.  I love that plane mobile I found on Etsy, I love that the pieces on his collage wall were collected with love by friends and family.  It's happy in here.  I am good with that. 

Lastly, because I am all about keeping it real... I wanted to show all of my American friends the  GLAM of living overseas... under the mini split AC is the dehumidifier that runs all day, every day and is emptied up to twice a day in the rainy season.  Also, you will see the lovely bars on the windows... a staple in most Embassy homes here. Thanks for coming on my little tour.  Next up... who knows ...

Top 5 Ways to Prepare for Life as an Expat

I've been an expat for over a year now, so I feel that qualifies me to offer expert advice ;-)
Truly, though, having had time to reflect on what did and didn't work with our transition overseas, I have compiled a list of my top 5 preparations you can make to lesson the stress of an overseas move.

• LEARN ABOUT YOUR NEW HOME  

  What is the climate? Knowing what kind of weather you are moving into will help both physically and mentally prepare you.  We found out ahead of time when the monsoon seasons were for Sri Lanka - that helped me prepare for what to pack in our suitcases, what to ship, and didn't knock my socks off when I experienced my first week of solid rain.

What can you learn about the culture?  While I truly nothing can prepare you for living in a different culture, knowing some about it will prove ever helpful.  In some places it is rude not to accept a gift, even if it is lavish and you feel uncomfortable accepting it.  Some cultures kiss on the cheek as greeting, some bow.  Some cultures consider it scandalous to show your shoulders, or have your head uncovered.  When I first arrived in Sri Lanka, I quickly realized people don't like to say no to you, they just do a little head bob and never address the request.  We offered to pay a man 3 times to hang a swing for us.  After waiting 2 months, we realized he didn't want to, thus never responding to our missed calls or emails.  Understanding the cultural differences lessens the stress of the transition.

What is the main religion of your new home? Even if you don't consider yourself religious or affiliate with any type of religion, the main religion of an area can affect your every day life.  Case in point: Sri Lanka is Buddhist - every full moon - Poya Day is a holiday, and stores don't sell meat on those days.

Do you need to know the language?  While English is the universal language, it is essential to know the native language in some countries.  It would be helpful to find out ahead of time if some language training would be helpful. 

• KNOW YOURSELF

One of my favorite Friends episodes is when Monica leaves a message on Richard's answering machine  and ends it with "I'm Breezy"  if you were as obsessed with friends as I was, you know that Monica was anything but Breezy.  Big changes go so much better when you know yourself.  Is there something that you will really be sad if you have to live without?  Maybe a favorite snack or shampoo? Make arrangements to bring it.  For me it was my kitchen aid mixer.  I  LOVE my kitchen aid.  Even though it weighs a TON and I have to run it through a transformer, I brought it.  And that made me so happy!  I knew I would feel like I sacrificed if I left it in storage.  And to be honest, there were  are times I feel like I am sacrificing enough.  

• LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Have you ever seen people's pictures of their Caribbean Vacation?  You know the ones, toes in the sugar white sand, clear blue sea. Dreamy, huh?  However, the beach is just the perimeter of the island, and in the town you're cautioned not to drink the water,  look out for pick pockets or stray dogs.  It isn't all sun and sand.  The sooner you lower your expectations about your new home, the quicker you will fall in love with the place it really is, not the place you perceived it to be. 

•  BE COMFORTABLE WINGING IT

I cannot tell you how many times in the past year we just decided to "go" with it.  Vacations, holidays, transportation, even restaurants - there comes a point when the new country wins.  Things are done they way they decide to do it and you just have to go with it.  Forget how you imagined it, forget how you would do it better, forget that it may or may not be the safest thing in the world and just go with it.  Be comfortable with good enough.  It doesn't have to become the standard, but in some instances you just look around and say "that works" and move on.  Trust me, the more you compare, dwell, or over think, the more stressful it will be. 

• GO EASY ON YOURSELF

You have decided to live in a foreign country for a set period of time.  You have already taken a greater leap than most people in the world.  So you get homesick?  That's ok!  You have a meltdown at the market? Go Ahead!  You accidentally tip a HUGE amount because you get the currency exchange confused - give yourself grace.  The changes happening all around you are huge.  Everything is different, and there will be bumps in the road.  Learn to laugh it off and log it for next time around.

When I look back over my first year abroad there are many moments that I am proud and many I am not so proud of.  Realizing I could have prepared better mentally was a regret.  But like any learning experience, come next post... you can bet I will be rereading this list.  Maybe each move will be a little better than the last.

Any veteran expats reading this? Hit me with your best tips for Mentally prepping for your move.

Bidding Part 4

I have been sharing with you some of the more important considerations when deciding posts we would like to bid on.  I really could stretch this out into about 5 or 6 more posts, but as I am sharing these I am getting so many more ideas of things I want to share about.... so I am just going to sum the last considerations up into this final post. 

In Part 1 I talked about bidding in the foreign service.  Part 2 covered some considerations for our family.  Part 3 we covered education... it's a biggie.

Today, I am going to list our final considerations for choosing our next post options. 

1. Timing of the post.  Some posts are two year posts, some one year and some three year.  It's a priority for these next two posts to be three year cycles.  The reason behind this is that puts our kids on rotations to graduate after being at a post for three years.  For example, Ella is in 6th grade.  Next post will be 7-9 grades and the next post will be 10-12 grades.  It is not my wish for us to move either Ella or Anna's senior year in high school. 

2. The professional considerations for Erik's job experience.  He needs to consider the project size, type and if it will give him the experience he needs for what is best for his career.  Getting that to line up with your family preferences can be tricky ;-)

3.  Another consideration for us is to be in a more Christian minded place.  Sri Lanka is wonderful, but it is a Buddhist nation, Hindus are second, then Muslims, then wayyyyy down at the bottom there are Christians.  I am not delusional in thinking we will find some kind of bubble where everyone loves Jesus and we all just lift each other up daily... but we would love to find a post that has a little more of a Christ centered foundation.  Many central and South American countries are Catholic. 

4. Speaking of Central and South America... it would also be nice to be a little bit closer to the states.  Living 27+ hours away just feels so far, so disconnected from friends and family, and so so hard to get back home, if ever we needed to.  I think our preference would be to shorten our flight time and be maybe over in the Western Hemisphere... one can dream.

Ultimately we will fall back on our family mantra which is Proverbs 16:9
A man can make his plans but it is the Lord that directs his path.
 Resting in the comfort that as long as we are faithful in our research, use the minds the Lord has given us and keep His priorities in line with ours, God will direct our path along the way that will be successful for us.

It's an exciting time for the Lindholm party of 5. Who knows where we will end up!

Any other FSOs or Military families out there bidding on posts right now? How is it going? Let me hear from you!

Bidding - Part 3

Meet Anna.  She is our "middle child"  She is beautiful, she is strong, she is witty, she is caring, she is confident, she is funny, she has a smile that will knock your socks off and when she cries, she scoops her little finger under her glasses to wipe away the tears and it literally melts every. single. bone. in your entire body. I absolutely adore her. 

She has been delayed in reading for some time, and we noticed some quirks to the way she reads and deciphers words.  All of those little quirks led Erik and I to have a conversation about exploring the way Anna learns.  This summer, we went through some testing and discovered that Anna has dyslexia and dysgraphia.

This diagnosis leads me to our third consideration when bidding for posts.  Education.

This is a biggie for us, and this is the point in this blog where you will hear me GUSH about probably the best experience we have had in Sri Lanka - The Overseas School of Colombo.  It is an International Baccalaureate School and it has been amazing. We homeschooled Anna for two years prior to enrolling her in OSC.  However, after we saw how Ella flourished in that school and discovered the support that was available for Anna's dyslexia diagnosis, we decided to move forward with enrolling her.  It is awesome.  She is really thriving.  It will be one of the things I hate to leave in June. It is also one of our considerations when deciding the next post. 

Erik and I have carefully researched the school options at the posts we are deciding to bid on.  We have reached out to Embassy staff, families and in a couple of instances the school itself to help aid in our decision. 

Here are our school considerations:
1. IBS program - Dyslexics learn in more of a "Big Picture" type style.  The Primary IB program is set up in unit studies.  Unit studies are really great for big picture type learning.  They have a theme or an idea and most of the learning ties into the overall theme. 

2. English Speaking School - Being overseas even this short period of time has taught me the importance of knowing multiple languages, however, English is the universal language and it's my children's mother tongue.  For Anna, especially, she needs to learn in English.  New school, new culture, new language... that's a big whammy for kids.  English speaking school will aid in that transition. 

3.  Size of the expat community enrolled in the school.  Most Diplomats' kids go to the international school in their respective city, however, not all international schools are truly international.  For example, in Colombo there are several international schools, but only 2 or 3 that have even 1/4 of the enrollment made up of international children.  They are mostly local more affluent children enrolled in a "private" type school. 

4. Quality of education for ALL years.  One thing that surprised us when we entered the Foreign Service was that there were posts out there that had "quality education" through the primary years but recommended boarding school for the high school years.  That is a great option for some families, but not for us.  We naively thought we would be offsetting that obstacle by the fact that we had a couple of homeschool years under our belt, but the reality is, if we are a homeschooling family that accepted a post with an inadequate school - there would be no other expat families there for our children to befriend.  They would be lonely.  AND our children range from 2-11 so we will need to be sure quality education is available from Kindergarten - High School as George will start KG while we are at our next post and Ella will start High School  (CUE THE TEARS!!!!!).

These are just a few of our considerations when looking at available education for our children at the posts we bid on.  What do value in choosing your education path?   I would love to hear!

Bidding - Part 2

image: Natalie Defnall Photography

I previously shared a post about our top considerations for bidding on our next post.  I decided to break them down into multiple posts for several reasons.  Its a neat way to document things that we deem important now to see how we change and grow in this lifestyle in the future.  It's also a good tool to help our family and friends understand why we did or didn't choose that most glamours city in the world to live in as our top bid.  (FYI that's an example... and glamorous is relative).

Today I'd like to share the top consideration in our bidding process....... family.  When we made the decision to join the foreign service we were very well aware that the decision was made for our children.  And while we discussed it and prayed over it with them, Erik and I had the final say.  However, our main goal in life at this moment is raising healthy, well grounded, happy children.  So, they have a little more of a say than they realize.

There are so many factors involving the family to consider when researching posts.  There is the school, the size of the expat community, the safety of the post, and one I will elaborate on now... the housing.

That sounds like a small and maybe selfish issue to consider, but it's a big deal for us.  Our home in Sri Lanka is walled, and as I mentioned earlier, while it provides a measure of security, it can also bring a sense of isolation.  We had such a community in Alabama, even in DC our children ran the neighborhood.  Here, that really isn't possible.  However, several of our bidding options have homes in gated communities.  That means bike riding, and playing in the yard with other kids.  That is truly valuable to us and is a lifeline for our children. 

I will elaborate on schools in another post, it's a whole other ball of wax. 

Colombo has a large expat community.  It is wonderful, it also has a large American Embassy community with loads of kids.  That has been wonderful for us to experience.  While we feel it is important to immerse ourselves into the culture of South Asia, the truth is, our comfort level is best when we are surrounded by others share our home culture.  This wasn't something we would have considered before experiencing the Expat Community in Sri Lanka.  But because of that, it's a priority for bidding on our next post. 

Family is a big deal.  It's our highest calling when we decide to bring children into the world, we decide to put their needs above ours, so while some posts may seem more alluring as far as exotic, or dreamy sights to see, when the day is done, all my children want is to play with their friends, roam on their bikes and get lost in adventures using their imaginations.  Those "wants" mean we choose our next post carefully. 

Any veteran FSOs out there... what are some of your family considerations when bidding?

Bidding - Part 1

image credit

It's here...the most exciting, scary, dreamy, overwhelming time of the year for anyone in the foreign service... time to bid.

The wonderful thing about the foreign service is that life is always an adventure.  There is always something new to explore.  The scary thing about the foreign service is that life is unknown, there is always something new right around the corner. A new post, new people to meet, a new home. It can be the scariest most wonderful thing in the world.

We got our bid list a couple of weeks ago but have been prepping for it since the day we got here.  That doesn't mean we live our lives waiting for the next post, it simply means that we are so fortunate in that we get a "next time."

Allow me to expand on that thought.  You think you know your priorities when bidding on a post, however, those priorities may not be the same for the next post.  For example, we live on an island near the equator.  Coming from DC and the most snow this southern girl has ever seen in her life... the idea of a tropical island was appealing.  However, now that I have had the experience, that may or may not be a priority for our family for the next post.  You follow?

That leads to the entire point of this post.  To share with you our bidding priorities for the next post.  I have decided to break them down into a series to allow time to elaborate on our priorities.  It also is good for me to process exactly what we want out of this next post.  It is a time of reflection of what worked and did not work for us here in Sri Lanka.

No matter where we end up, I am sure that we will be successful because as Paul wrote in Philippians:
 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

So grab a hot cup of coffee come along as I share our bidding adventure.

Talk soon!

Wonder Woman

A while back I shared some ideas for Anna's room.  After a long overdue amount of time. Here is the finished product.

We ended up swapping the bedspread for this homemade quilt that was a wedding gift to me and Erik.  The original idea was awesome, but really just didn't work because the material caused it to just become wadded into a big mess while she slept.  She loves the quilt more and it still combines the colors she wanted.

Her frame collage wall was a real chore because an 8 year old doesn't care if it matches or looks "pinterest worthy" she wants what she wants.  And that is all.  So we put together this grouping that fully represents Anna.  She loves it.

I removed the drexel lamp from her government issued night stand and did a small arrangement with a star night light that I purchased from Amazon.  It's battery operated which is perfect in a home with a shortage of outlet and even fewer step down transformers for all of our American size plugs.

She has an extra closet because she has the biggest room, and therefore got all the big toys. This closet helps her store some of the little stuff that George just cannot wait to get his hands on. While we have a playroom, again, there are just some toys better kept in a room away from the tornado of a little brother.

We opted not to try to hang the curtains, although, they would have tied in quite well, it would have required a different curtain rod, and permission from post.  We have a wonderful GSO here, who would have probably approved it, but we decided we can make do with the assigned drapes for this next year.

The chest is the last work in progress.  I am searching for a frame that will hold a beautiful picture I have of my sweet Anna B. and I need to paint the bulletin board.  However, I haven't found the right color spray paint, and I am not sure I could get it done well by just hand painting it.... just ask Erik about my painting skills.  Either way, we will do something there.  Then we will be done. 
UPDATE:
I totally did paint the bulletin board.  I went with gold, and painted it by hand.  It looks hand painted, but I don't really care...I love it, and Anna does too.

This room turned out to be an eclectic collection of all the things that represent Anna.  She loves it and it feels like a space that truly represents her free, fearless spirit.


Just in time to pack it up and move again ;-)

Settling In

My summer vacation was good for me.  It was good to see family, it was good to see pine trees, it was good to drive a car - but more than that, it was good to be able to look forward to coming back to Sri Lanka.  That is something I honestly didn't think I would be able to do.  When we landed in the States in June, I immediately began wondering how in the world I was going to be able to leave all that for Colombo in just 8 short weeks.  But like all seasons in life, as the summer progressed and all the traveling ensued I slowly began to long for the steady routine of school days, the ability to cook my own food in my kitchen and how good it feels to sleep in my own bed.  When did Sri Lanka become home? How did I end up sitting on a back porch in North Carolina contemplating which flowers would grow best in my cement planters in Sri Lanka? It took me by surprise, but I slowly began to make my plans for return.  And in making those plans, I realized that in the year we have been overseas, we never truly moved into our home.  Sure, we did some initial setting up, but we still have pictures that haven't been hung, we still have spaces that we just kind of ignore.  I have let all the plants in those cement planters die.  I think it was too much to expect our first year to make a home, homeschool my daughter, learn a completely foreign culture, work out transportation and on and on and on...  But this is year two, and I need to have a home.  It's in me to settle, whether that is for a month or ten years.  These all go toward lessons that I will carry with me to our next post. I can't look back and think I messed up, I will just move forward and make this place a home for the months to come.

Friday

This day started early. I mean really really early.  George is having a second bout of jet lag and was up at 4:30. That should have been my first sign. 

Then the traps that were set to catch whatever critter is living in my attic were sitting empty.  Yes  - empty as in the food had been eaten but no critter had been caught.  

The new washing machine that was installed yesterday because my old one kept stopping at the rinse cycle because the lid had been broken off of it for months, keeps tripping the breaker that is attached to the air conditioner in the sun room.  It's hot y'all!

The immense rains have leaked into the sunroom and now paired with the lack of air conditioning make the room feel more like a sauna than a relaxing little place for coffee. 

The ants are out of control. They were all over the kitchen counter and when I went to spray to kill them a giant gecko runs out from behind the cabinet.  Which explains the weird droppings I found ON the bathroom mirror this morning.  

My Tuk Tuk driver did not speak English and missed my turn to bring me and the kids home from Ella's Yoga class tonight.  

My Uber driver missed the turn to take me to the coffee shop this morning...twice.  But in his defense the street name has changed. Why? I have no idea. 

I am not making this up. 

This all happened today.

 I am tired. 

I am glad it's Friday. 

I am giving George melatonin so he will sleep past 4:30. 

Today I do not love Sri Lanka. 

Tomorrow will be better. 

School Days

Today was the first day of school for Ella and Anna. Part of being a stay at home mom is the privilege of getting to celebrate these little moments with them.  We started the day off with breakfast and a bible study.  I tucked a note in each of their lunch boxes and then rehashed the entire first day over homemade sugar cookies and milk.  It was amazing to sit and listen to their adventures and catch a glimpse of this foreign service life through their eyes. 

Split Personalities

Life in the foreign service is peculiar.  I often feel like I live two separate lives. There is my "American life" - the one where I live off of starbucks and can solve most of my life problems with a trip to target.  Then there is my "foreign service life" - the one that finds me sprinting through an airport in Mumbai or  arguing with tuk tuk drivers over a fare.  Presently, I find myself in both worlds and I am honestly struggling with how to maneuver that.  I am sure this is a rookie emotion.  More seasoned Foreign Service families have probably found ways to adjust.  I would love to know their secret.  We just arrived back in Sri Lanka from our two month R&R in Alabama. I honestly love Alabama. It's our home. It always will hold a connection for us.  But now we are back in Sri Lanka.  And I must say it wasn't a pleasant initial welcoming.  The sounds, the smells, they caught me off guard, sent me back to my initial days of insecurity in this new culture.  How quickly we became reacclimated into our former American lifestyle.  I use the word initially, because I am home now. sitting on my couch in my living room and I feel good.  I feel like I belong here.  I feel like this is a good place to be. I feel ready for another year in this country and I feel content with my life - both sides of it.

Weekend Getaway

I'm not even going to acknowledge that there is no rhyme or reason to how often I write on this blog.  I am not going to try to catch up. I am just going to share about the most exceptional weekend we had as a family and leave it at that.

Our trip to Bentota Beach on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka was a dream weekend.  We stayed at the Bentota Beach by Cinnamon, and while the hotel itself wasn't the most outstanding in terms of cleanliness, the location between the bay and the beach pretty much made it the best experience we could imagine.

Bentota Beach, located approximately 84km  (an hour and a half drive) south of Colombo, is a wonderful place to experience the fun water sports of a lake  - which my Alabama family misses dearly - with the sand and sun.  We did the full board option, which included lunch, dinner and breakfast the next morning.  We stayed through Sunday afternoon and opted for lunch at the poolside restaurant.  In hindsight, we would probably do the Bed and Breakfast Option and enjoy the poolside restaurant and room service.  Dinner in Sri Lanka starts later than in the US and when you have a two year old... 7:30 is LATE for dinner.  All three of my kiddos were ready for bed by dinner time.

Sunday morning, Erik took the girls out for some daddy daughter adventures.  They kayaked and tubed around the bay.  Georgie and I had the privilege of packing us up then we just chilled by the pool til they came back.

The weekend was a time to connect as a family, recharge our batteries... while simultaneously exhausting our selves swimming and sunning, and it was a time to actually enjoy this beautiful island that we get to live on for a short time.

I'll end with a few pictures of our weekend.