Recent Shenanigans

We've had some cold, rainy days around here recently. Jonathan was laughing at me before the weather hit Amman, because I was like a squirrel storing up for the winter. Since we don't have a car to run errands in, I wanted to make sure I had meals and other groceries accounted for in case we were house-bound for several days. Fortunately, each day has had a small break in the clouds, so I have been able to get Guy outside for at least a little trip to the park. Today the weather is beautiful, though cold, and I am already looking forward to walking in the sunshine.

Guy has been battling a fungus infection on his bottom for the past few months. A couple of times it has escalated into a terrible bacteria infection. Poor baby. I am amazed at what a trooper he's been. We've been putting big-kid pull ups on him and then tearing the sides open so his bottom can breathe and we don't have to clean up messes all day long.

He's such a sweet kid. Here Guy is with bed-head and a bruise under the eye from some recent fall.

He's all bumps and bruises right now.

Jonathan had a goatee that he shaved down to a (not-so) lovely moustache. Thankfully it only last a few hours, just long enough for a photo shoot.

Guy sort of watched his first full-length film on a particularly cold and rainy day. I put in Beauty and the Beast and popped some popcorn. He actually paid a good bit of attention to the movie and he loved the snack.

Here he is being silly and rolling around on the floor.

We've also been playing outside on the patio a good bit. I love having a walker in the house, and I really think every new phase is more fun than the last. I hope I'm saying that when he's 14.

All bundled up!

Happy Birthday Mom

I'm terrible at remembering dates~anniversaries, birthdays, national holidays, and the like. You name it, I can probably forget it. For the last six years I've been working really hard at memorizing two specific ones: April 18th which is Jonathan's birthday and June 19th which is our wedding anniversary. Impressed? If not, you should be. Because I (REALLY) meant it when I said I'm not good at remembering dates.

So, on to the point of this post. I am in fact capable of remembering all the birthdays of the four other people in my immediate family. Thirty years of watching January 13th (Mom), March 7th (Dad), February 13th (Drew), and October 28th (Brad) roll around has indeed engraved those dates on my brain.

Today is my mom's special day, and I wanted to take a minute to let you all know how wonderful she is. My mom (Charlotte, for those of you who don't know her) is such a blessing. She's been a constant and supportive person in my life every day for the past (almost) 30years. She loves animals, taking long walks, being with her family, and enjoying nature. My mom's creative, thoughtful, generous, and energetic. She also makes awesome paella. Most importantly, my mom is a woman who loves God and His word and is faithful in prayer. I couldn't have asked or hoped for a better mother.

This is a photo of us on top of Mt. Nebo when she came out to help us after Guy was born.

Dr. Char. Aka, the baby whisperer.

If you can't track her down, she's probably out on a walk. I come by that trait honestly.

Grandbabies in arms...a common sight these days.

Happy birthday Mom! I love you and I am so grateful for you.

ps. Disclaimer to my readers: Please don't see this as a new precedent. I think it was rather bold and unsafe of me to write a happy birthday blog considering my track record with forgetting birthdays. But, I decided to throw all caution to the wind today. I am SO wild.

What a game!

First things first. Ahem...I would like to congratulate the Alabama Crimson Tide and all their fans , especially those most precious to me, on winning the National Championship game this morning (Jordan time). You all had a great year and played a great game. It was tough rooting against you, but I must admit I did it with all my heart. I may be a Shirey, but my blood still runs burnt orange.

For those of you who would like a succinct recap of the game, you can read it here. I sent Jonathan to bed when it was over, since he was feeling sick after getting up so early, and I needed some time to mope. Really, I don't think I've ever been so disappointed about a game in my life, and I've even been teary since it ended. Weird, I know. And I'm sort of ashamed of it, but it's the truth. It's mostly sympathy for the team, and particularly Colt McCoy, that gets me down. I just wonder what could have been.

I was really glad to see the Horns rally in the third quarter and proud to see them compete like they were playing for the national championship. They came back after the first half and gave Bama a run for their money. But, Bama won. And at least I can be happy for my husband and the rest of the Shireys who love Alabama football.

Hook 'em horns, Texas! I'm proud to be a fan.

Jonathan hooked up our computer to the t.v. so that we could watch the game on a full screen. We actually had a great picture. Good tech work, honey!
About to watch the game

Jonathan and I slept in separate bedrooms the night before, but not because of animosity, in case you were wondering. Since we knew we wouldn't get much sleep, we decided to split up so that we wouldn't keep one another up with our tossing and turning. Our friend Jeremy came over and watched the game with us. Here we are getting our coffee and 4 a.m. snack.

Guy got decked out in the winner's colors this morning.

p.s. I wrote this after very few hours of sleep. Please forgive any typos :)

Petra

When Jonathan and I moved to Jordan three and a half years ago, we quickly became disenchanted with Amman. Don't get me wrong, there are some great things about this place. However, for two people who love the outdoors and become giddy at the sight of green, Amman can be a rough city to live in. It is a rolling forest of concrete buildings as far as the eye can see. It is full of people, traffic, and noise.

On the positive side, we've got loads of modern conveniences one cannot find in a more primitive environment. There are plenty of American restaurant chains, modern grocery stores, and huge malls. There are even some remarkable Roman ruins smack in the center of town. But the highlights of Jordan are beautiful and numerous when you leave the city limits.

All that to say that we LOVE getting out of town when the opportunity arises. While Lou and Becky were with us we spent several days exploring various parts of Jordan. We made the trek down to Petra, which was voted one of the new seven wonders of the world a few years back. Petra is an ancient city that was built by the Nabataeans around the 6th century B.C. The ruins are remarkably well-preserved, and you may remember seeing them in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. There is plenty of information available about Petra online if you are interested in learning more.

The start of our journey
Walking through the siq

The treasury

Family self-portrait

Guy's favorite part: the dirt

Sunset at our hotel. It overlooked the mountains where Petra is nestled.

View of Petra from above. See the horse enjoying the sunset as well?

Christmas 2009

Maybe January 5th is rather late for a post about last year's Christmas. But better late than never, right? We had a great holiday this year, mostly because we were able to enjoy it with family. Plus, Guy was old enough to feel some of the excitement in the air, and he definitely noticed all the new toys waiting for him Christmas morning.

We mixed things up a bit this year and had our big meal on Christmas Eve. Two of our dear friends, who have an almost-one-year-old son, joined us for dinner and we all ate like kings and queens. We waited until our boys went to bed, enjoyed our meal, and played some fun games afterward.

I think my favorite part of having our big dinner on Christmas Eve was that Christmas day was so much more relaxing. All the cooking and preparations out of the way, we just relaxed and enjoyed one another's company. I had prepped cinnamon rolls and egg casserole the night before, and all I had to do was throw it in the oven for a hot Christmas breakfast.

Guy was pretty enthralled with his gifts, and his grandparents were amazingly generous in what they brought him from the U.S. The big hits were: a ball popper, a puzzle with a magnetic fishing rod attached for getting the pieces out, and a Little Einstein rocket that he can ride and that has dozens of buttons he can press incessantly. Recently he's been playing with these sticks and balls that are also magnetic and you can sort of build things with them. I say sort of, since they tend to fall over and Guy's not yet figured out how to build without immediately destroying.

Christmas Day we hosted an open house. Our main thought was to offer a place for folks to come who may be celebrating alone. Fortunately, most people had a place to celebrate. Unfortunately, since very few people came, we had a ton of leftover cookies that I had been baking the week before Christmas. Hence, why I started a diet on January 1st.

Jonathan set up Guy's toys for Christmas morning. There are a few things for the adults in that pile.

Hmmmm...what to go for first....

The boys

That's Guy's fishing rod in his mouth. I couldn't get him to sit still long enough to take a good picture. There was too much playing to be done.

Sweet Jonathan bought me a Texas shirt so that I would be properly attired for the Bama-Texas game on Thursday night. Need I repeat myself? Hook 'em horns! My brother Drew emailed me and asked if Santa brought us marriage counceling for Christmas. I told him we'd be able to weather the storm.

Happy New Year!

Jonathan's parents rang in the new year on a flight back to the U.S. after a wonderful two week visit here in Jordan. We were sad to see them go, but are so glad we got to spend Christmas with them and explore parts of Jordan together. Yesterday Guy had some major readjusting to do. After two weeks with grandparents, a dad on vacation, and tons of one-on-one attention, he was somewhat miffed that life went back to normal. I spent much of my day getting our house back in order, making dinner, etc., all without the benefit of three amazing babysitters to keep Guy entertained while I worked. It was a rough day.

Jonathan had a smooth return to work at the English Center. He enjoyed going back to work, and his class this term seems to be a good group. I was sick for almost two months before Lou and Becky came, but fortunately I was healthy for their visit. All that to say that it has been a long time since life has been "normal" for me, so I am looking forward to being back in a routine once again.

Here are a few pictures from our final days with Mimi and Popop. I'll post several more of our adventures together in the days ahead.

Jonathan, Lou, and Becky watched Alabama football games almost every afternoon while Guy and I napped. I had to protect Guy's ears from all the Roll Tiding going on in our home the past two weeks. Jonathan and I will be staying up really late this week to watch the National Championship. Our teams face each other at 3:30 a.m. on Friday morning, and the winner gets the morning shift with Guy. Hook 'em horns!

Playing with Guy's new Leap Frog Refrigerator Magnets. Those two are good buddies.

Popop is SOOOOO funny.

Giving kisses. Guy's still working on his aim, but they are so sweet all the same.