Saturday, August 14, 2010

And then there were FOUR...


Many of you already know we have another little one on the way. Little Lucas Charles St. Germain is due to make his debut sometime around December 8, 2010. We are so excited to meet our little man and complete our family! That's right, no more for us. Two is enough :)
As excited as I am to meet precious Luke, as the date approaches, I can't help but feel a sense of guilt over the fact that Izzy will have to share the love. I'm sure these are normal feelings and I'm positive there's enough love to go around, however these feelings are making me realize just how much I love our little girl. So here it goes, all the reasons I love her:
- I love how the first words out of her mouth in the morning are "Ushie" (That's Izzy language for Lucy which is the name of her doggie).
- I love how she gets so excited by watching the same video over and over. Her little lips pout out and she say, "oh!" With animation as she points to the screen.
- I love how she is a daredevil just like her daddy. She'll climb anything, fall down, and get right back up again without so much as shedding a tear.
- I love how she always wants to be outside even in 120 degree weather (well, love might be an exaggeration!)
- I love how she gives me cuddles during the middle of the day. There are some times she just wants to be held and rest her head on mommy's shoulder and I relish those moments.
- I love how she is repeating everything she hears nowadays.
- I love that she has an obsession with her daddy's deodorant and wants to carry it around all day with the lid off as she rubs it all over her body :)
- I love that she loves avocado and has nicknamed it "abledee".
Okay, I guess that's enough for now. I could go on for ages. She is such a character and is surprising us more and more everyday. It is a joy for me to be able to stay home and witness all her new developments as they occur.
Oh, and one more:
- I love how she signs mommy on my chin and says "momma" as if she's trying to remind me of who I am to her.

I realize I have been a slacker when it comes to updating this blog so I am turning over a new leaf and attempting to revive it. I also owe you a narrative of our adventures in Nepal and Europe but I'll save that for later. Stay tuned.
Much love,
Alysha

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Settling Into Life in the UAE

I've come to the realization that the first few of my blog post were not so positive. I have not blogged in quite some time most likely due to the fact that I am finally content here. I no longer have a need to use this space to bash life in the UAE. In other words: Life is good!
Our attitude about being here has completely changed. We are finally at the point where we can say that this is home; at least for now. It's not as though to say that this feeling arose overnight. Quite the contrary. It was a rather slow progression of events. However, at one point I realized I could either resent the UAE for its many imperfections or accept the UAE for what it is and appreciate its beauty. I chose the latter. However, there were a few things that helped me change my attitude.
First of all we changed villas. We now have a much nicer villa (one that isn't sinking...at least not for now). We were truly blessed by the move in so many ways. One of them being that we were actually compensated for moving expenses including the cost of putting in a new lawn. This display of effort truly restored my faith in the UAE and its proceses. Additionally we have made great friends. We now have friends and neighbors we can call on when needed and people to rely on for spiritual support. It's such a great feeling to know we can pop over to our friends' house when we need encouragement or just someone to keep us company. And lastly, we have settled into a routine. Pete now works days and although he works long hours, he is on a regular sleep schedule. He no longer needs to catch his zzz's during the day when Izzy and I are awake. This has been a major improvement in our overall quality of life. In addition Izzy has plenty of little friends to keep her occupied. She will be starting her second session of swimming lessons at the pool within our compound in just a few days.
So, this is just a short overview of how our attitudes about life in the UAE have changed. I hope this helps you all to get a glimpse into our lives. We have been truly blessed in so many ways. We might even be staying for another 2 years!!!