We got back from our little trip to Aquaba on Saturday, and this is the first chance I've had to blog about it. So, here goes...
On Wednesday we took the four hour drive there. And, ironically, all of the embassy families that were going showed up at the same time. So, after going to our rooms and settling in, we all went out to the pool, to enjoy the last rays of sun.
That night, while the adults sat on our hotel room's balcony, all of us kids, all nine of us, escaped and ran around the hotel grounds. It was all outside though, so it wasn't like we were banging on doors and running through hallways. The freedom was fun though, and we all stayed outside until ten.
Then on Thursday, my family took a boat, with two other families to a coral reef, where we all snorkeled, and watched the high schoolers jump off the side of the boat. The water was beautiful, and we saw tons of bright, colorful fish, along with some eel-like animals that we couldn't identify. But it was HOT that day too, and walking from the hotel to the pier and back was torture. So when we jumped into the sea, and the water was cold, it felt perfect. And we stayed in pretty long.
On Friday though, all of the families left except for mine, so my dad took my brother and I tubing. We took a boat out to an island-like pier in the sea, and me and my brother got in the tubes. He stayed in the boat to make sure my brother didn't let go and fling into the sea. Which he almost did, his arms could barley reach the hand els, but as we were walking back to the hotel, he said it was the funnest thing he had ever done, so I guess he didn't realize that he was falling off half the time.
Then on Saturday, it was our time to come home. We took the drive back, which took four and a half hours this time, and made our way back to Amman. But, before our weekend was over, we had to go to the embassy and wish my dad's friend a happy birthday. Then it was back home for homework before school the next day.
I'm still exhausted, but my weekends keep getting busier, I can't wait for when school's out, so we can go home to America and relax.
Phew.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
It's A Four Day Weekend...
Tomorrow's Jordan's Independance Day, and Wednesday is Memorial Day for America. Along with the two weekend days, we get four days off school.
A couple months ago, another one of these weekends came, and we went to the Dead Sea with some other embassy families.
This time we chose the Red Sea.
I'll blog all about it when we get back.
A couple months ago, another one of these weekends came, and we went to the Dead Sea with some other embassy families.
This time we chose the Red Sea.
I'll blog all about it when we get back.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Scotland Pictures At Last!
That's right, we got our camera back. If you were looking forward to all of the wonderful photos, then today is your lucky day. If not, then oh well, I'm going to post them anyway.
Oh yeah, we saw lots of castles.
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| Blair Atholls Castle |
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| Doune Castle |
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| Edinburgh Castle |
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| A Castle on Loch Ness |
A hidden Loch we had to hike a mile to find. But it was worth it!
Scotland was amazing and I have so many photos that I want to put up here. But that's all for now.
Oops, I lied, this is the last picture.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Patton
For as long as I can remember, I've had my dog Patton by my side. He now reigns in New Jersey with a nice lady that volunteered to take him in when we couldn't bring him to Jordan. We heard that the vet care wasn't very good because of the theories they have on dogs, and we needed a good vet, for Patton had arthritis in his front two paws, and an enlarged heart. So when I was told the news, I was in tears. Patton had been with me through every move, and he was one thing that didn't change whenever everything else around me did. But moving him wasn't always easy, there were some set-backs and frustrations when we did. But no matter what, I wouldn't take any of it back, because the journey's were always more fun with him.
When we moved to New Jersey from Florida, we had Patton and two red-eared-sliders. Turtles that had to be kept in water. My dad was in training at D.C. for the slightly altered job, so my mom drove me, my two year old brother, a tank full of water with two turtles swimming around in it, and our huge dog up the Atlantic coast. It took a total of three days, and even though I had no idea what New Jersey would be like, I was relieved to get there.
But Patton wasn't just there for me when I moved he was there to make me laugh.
Whenever my mom was in the kitchen making lunch or dinner, Patton would stand right under her feet, (causing a lot of yelling and tripping) and stared at the ground. Why the ground? Well, he thought that food popped out from it, because when ever my mom dropped something off the counter, the ground was the first place he found it, so everyday, there was my dog, staring at the ground waiting for scraps.
He was the stubbornest dog on the planet, and he was strong too. If he jumped up on my bed, even though he's not allowed on it, I wouldn't even try to push him off, because it was useless, all the muscle he had was way to much for me, and if I managed to get him down, he would just jump right back up again. His stubborness is what I admired about him, we had it in common.
He was also a lap dog, a 60 pound one. He loved jumping up onto our laps, and he squashed me a million times. But the best part was that he wasn't even allowed on the furniture, so you could tell he had dreams, why not?
He also loved cats, but they didn't love him back. I mean, if you were a cat, and an English Bull Terrier completely made of muscle came charging up to you, you'd be pretty freaked out too, but poor Patton never realized that, and he never understood that cats didn't like him, because the next day, he'd be right back at it, trying to befriend them. Even after the ran away or scratched, he never learned his lesson. Stubborn doggy.
What I loved the most about him though, was that he didn't care about who you were, or what you did in the past. He'll love you anyways. I would pull his tail when I was younger, and climb all over him, but he had a huge amount of patience for me, and he never bit or ran away. He just let me do what I wanted.
I miss him so much now, we don't even now if he's still alive, he's old, he'll be 11 in June, and even though I know the day is coming, when he dies, it's going to break me in two. I feel horrible for not being there for him now, when he was always there for me in the past.
<3 Patton
When we moved to New Jersey from Florida, we had Patton and two red-eared-sliders. Turtles that had to be kept in water. My dad was in training at D.C. for the slightly altered job, so my mom drove me, my two year old brother, a tank full of water with two turtles swimming around in it, and our huge dog up the Atlantic coast. It took a total of three days, and even though I had no idea what New Jersey would be like, I was relieved to get there.
But Patton wasn't just there for me when I moved he was there to make me laugh.
Whenever my mom was in the kitchen making lunch or dinner, Patton would stand right under her feet, (causing a lot of yelling and tripping) and stared at the ground. Why the ground? Well, he thought that food popped out from it, because when ever my mom dropped something off the counter, the ground was the first place he found it, so everyday, there was my dog, staring at the ground waiting for scraps.
He was the stubbornest dog on the planet, and he was strong too. If he jumped up on my bed, even though he's not allowed on it, I wouldn't even try to push him off, because it was useless, all the muscle he had was way to much for me, and if I managed to get him down, he would just jump right back up again. His stubborness is what I admired about him, we had it in common.
He was also a lap dog, a 60 pound one. He loved jumping up onto our laps, and he squashed me a million times. But the best part was that he wasn't even allowed on the furniture, so you could tell he had dreams, why not?
He also loved cats, but they didn't love him back. I mean, if you were a cat, and an English Bull Terrier completely made of muscle came charging up to you, you'd be pretty freaked out too, but poor Patton never realized that, and he never understood that cats didn't like him, because the next day, he'd be right back at it, trying to befriend them. Even after the ran away or scratched, he never learned his lesson. Stubborn doggy.
What I loved the most about him though, was that he didn't care about who you were, or what you did in the past. He'll love you anyways. I would pull his tail when I was younger, and climb all over him, but he had a huge amount of patience for me, and he never bit or ran away. He just let me do what I wanted.
I miss him so much now, we don't even now if he's still alive, he's old, he'll be 11 in June, and even though I know the day is coming, when he dies, it's going to break me in two. I feel horrible for not being there for him now, when he was always there for me in the past.
<3 Patton
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Going Away Parties
Lately Jordan's been quiet. Which is strange, considering a certain person's death recently. You would think that there would be crazier things, more stories, but there's nothing. I have so many stories about Jordan that I need to tell, and there's so many things to write about. But I don't know what. At all. I'm completely stuck. So if you have any ideas, anything you want to hear about just write a comment with your suggestion. I'll keep checking it everyday until you tell me what to write anyways.
But for now you'll just have to be stuck with a story, or a guide list to be exact.
When we move my family likes to have little parties. Just a time where all our friends can come out and be with each other for the last time. Here's some Do's and Don'ts for that.
Don't- Get a giant poster thing that can hang up on your wall for people to sign before you leave, and then leave it there unsupervised.
When we left New Jersey for Virginia we did exactly that, and while my friends and I ran around together some people decided to add some decorations to it. It is now complete with a Christmas Tree, little lines, hearts, unreadable messages and such. And right in the middle there's a boy that signed his name in very big letters. It covers a couple other names. But I would still call it a good idea because it does bring back memories and my friend's personalities are in each of the notes they wrote.
Don't- Throw a small party at a local play place outside of a Potbelly's, and then let all the girls run through Coldstone.
We did this when we moved from Virginia to here. Potbelly's is my favorite restaurant of all time, and it always will be. The party was fun, but there were a few angry adults afterwards.
We had all gone to Coldstone when we finished our dinner. And even though we waited in line, and didn't cut, there were a couple angry adults that would yell at us when we took to long to choose what we wanted.
Sheesh people, give us a break, I'm moving here! It's painful!
Do- Throw a party at a playground right on the beach and get a snow cone machine and have the whole entire first grade come over.
We did this when we moved away from Florida, and even though I was seven, I remember it very well. My friends and I had a ton of fun on the playground, and the parents talked under a shaded pavilion. Everyone got snow cones and went down to the beech. We all took pictures, and ran, and played, and just acted like this was a normal thing, like everything would be the same.
It never is though.
It hurts, especially as you get older. Moving wasn't horrible when I lived it Florida, it wasn't fun, but it wasn't the end of the world. Now it is. I've cried more and more as we move, I've hated the new house months longer.
Right now, Jordan feels like home, the embassy practically is my home. But next year, this feeling is going to be gone. I'm going to be sad, The realization that we're movingg again is going to hit me, and I already know that it's going to hit me hard.
But for now you'll just have to be stuck with a story, or a guide list to be exact.
When we move my family likes to have little parties. Just a time where all our friends can come out and be with each other for the last time. Here's some Do's and Don'ts for that.
Don't- Get a giant poster thing that can hang up on your wall for people to sign before you leave, and then leave it there unsupervised.
When we left New Jersey for Virginia we did exactly that, and while my friends and I ran around together some people decided to add some decorations to it. It is now complete with a Christmas Tree, little lines, hearts, unreadable messages and such. And right in the middle there's a boy that signed his name in very big letters. It covers a couple other names. But I would still call it a good idea because it does bring back memories and my friend's personalities are in each of the notes they wrote.
Don't- Throw a small party at a local play place outside of a Potbelly's, and then let all the girls run through Coldstone.
We did this when we moved from Virginia to here. Potbelly's is my favorite restaurant of all time, and it always will be. The party was fun, but there were a few angry adults afterwards.
We had all gone to Coldstone when we finished our dinner. And even though we waited in line, and didn't cut, there were a couple angry adults that would yell at us when we took to long to choose what we wanted.
Sheesh people, give us a break, I'm moving here! It's painful!
Do- Throw a party at a playground right on the beach and get a snow cone machine and have the whole entire first grade come over.
We did this when we moved away from Florida, and even though I was seven, I remember it very well. My friends and I had a ton of fun on the playground, and the parents talked under a shaded pavilion. Everyone got snow cones and went down to the beech. We all took pictures, and ran, and played, and just acted like this was a normal thing, like everything would be the same.
It never is though.
It hurts, especially as you get older. Moving wasn't horrible when I lived it Florida, it wasn't fun, but it wasn't the end of the world. Now it is. I've cried more and more as we move, I've hated the new house months longer.
Right now, Jordan feels like home, the embassy practically is my home. But next year, this feeling is going to be gone. I'm going to be sad, The realization that we're movingg again is going to hit me, and I already know that it's going to hit me hard.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
The Ikea Entertainer
I once won five dollars at an Ikea store in New Jersey. I was playing Musical Chairs.
It was my first trip to Ikea, and I didn't think it would be much, but what I thought was going to be a boring grocery store turned into the biggest mix of a furniture store, restaurant, and playground all mixed into one.
It amazed me.
We spent the morning browsing for furniture for our new house. (We had just moved to New Jersey) and my parents got tired pretty fast with me running around, going through the displays, trying out every single one of the beds, or looking at the arrows on the ground until bumping into somebody, and they decided that lunch would calm me down. So we went to the cafeteria inside Ikea and ordered some food.
While we were waiting my dad brought my brother and I to a little enclosed area they had filled with toys that you could buy at the store. There was an entertainer playing with the kids, doing magic tricks, anything to get a kid to beg their parents for a toy. I ignored him and looked around quietly, occasionally picking up a stuffed animal or something, but right as I sat down he announced that there would be a game of musical chairs.
Two kids stood up to play, he asked again, another came up, then he offered five dollars to the winner. Now, my eight-year old mind didn't process sarcasm, and I though he was serious, so I shot out of my seat and lined up for musical chairs.
He turned on a stereo and played music and we walked around in circles, eyeing each other carefully. The music stopped, I fell into a chair. Someone was out. It continued this way for quite a while, until it was only me, and another girl.
He played the music again, and kept it going for a long time, I almost gave up because I wanted the food on my plate across the room, but the music stopped, and I slammed into a chair.
I thought there would be some competition, but when the music stopped, the girl got interested in another toy, and ran off to look at it.
The man smiled. "Good job!" he exclaimed. "You won!"
"Thank you." I replied.
He turned around and played around with the stereo.
"Excuse me," I said, tapping him on the shoulder. "Can I have my money now?"
I know, I know, I shouldn't of asked, but I was eight, give me a break.
"Uhhhh," he looked confused, "Of course." the man pulled out his wallet, got a five dollar bill out and handed it to me.
"Thank you." I said.
Poor guy.
It was my first trip to Ikea, and I didn't think it would be much, but what I thought was going to be a boring grocery store turned into the biggest mix of a furniture store, restaurant, and playground all mixed into one.
It amazed me.
We spent the morning browsing for furniture for our new house. (We had just moved to New Jersey) and my parents got tired pretty fast with me running around, going through the displays, trying out every single one of the beds, or looking at the arrows on the ground until bumping into somebody, and they decided that lunch would calm me down. So we went to the cafeteria inside Ikea and ordered some food.
While we were waiting my dad brought my brother and I to a little enclosed area they had filled with toys that you could buy at the store. There was an entertainer playing with the kids, doing magic tricks, anything to get a kid to beg their parents for a toy. I ignored him and looked around quietly, occasionally picking up a stuffed animal or something, but right as I sat down he announced that there would be a game of musical chairs.
Two kids stood up to play, he asked again, another came up, then he offered five dollars to the winner. Now, my eight-year old mind didn't process sarcasm, and I though he was serious, so I shot out of my seat and lined up for musical chairs.
He turned on a stereo and played music and we walked around in circles, eyeing each other carefully. The music stopped, I fell into a chair. Someone was out. It continued this way for quite a while, until it was only me, and another girl.
He played the music again, and kept it going for a long time, I almost gave up because I wanted the food on my plate across the room, but the music stopped, and I slammed into a chair.
I thought there would be some competition, but when the music stopped, the girl got interested in another toy, and ran off to look at it.
The man smiled. "Good job!" he exclaimed. "You won!"
"Thank you." I replied.
He turned around and played around with the stereo.
"Excuse me," I said, tapping him on the shoulder. "Can I have my money now?"
I know, I know, I shouldn't of asked, but I was eight, give me a break.
"Uhhhh," he looked confused, "Of course." the man pulled out his wallet, got a five dollar bill out and handed it to me.
"Thank you." I said.
Poor guy.
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