Cozumel

We went on an awesome Disney cruise out of Galveston with the girls to Cozumel. The best part, was Gma & Gpa joining us! Those pics will come, but for now just felt the need for a small artistic outlet tonight.

Most of this you don't really need. I did add to my dias de los muertos collection and restocked my vanilla supply though :)

Yep, I'm still here

Back in 2009, when we began this crazy amazing Foreign Service adventure, Chris left home for training... for a long time (5 months). The separation and coping with daily life apart, for both of us, was agonizing. Again, we find ourselves in that boat, on the tail end of 5 weeks apart. This time, ridiculously, feels harder.  I'm not sure really why, but again we find ourselves in the "he's gone" funk. I think one might call it true love. Sigh.

We have MANY friends who are presently experiencing a much more elevated degree of the same (love u people!). For non-FS families or military families, it may be near impossible to imagine life existing as ours do. To be separated from loving spouses is a regular way of life for us. It is part of the looney recipe that makes the deliciousness that is our life what it is. And not to sound like a martyr, but it is what helps keep America what it is, by sacrificing for what NEEDS to be done. Though an absolute hardship, we all understand what a necessary evil it is in our lives... and we deal with it. I say deal, because we far from excel or enjoy it, but we understand the beast that is this job. That being said, we also understand the amazingness that the lifestyle, the closeness of family, the thrill of the move, the exoticness of the locations and ok... a wee bit of the "my husband is so hot in his gear and his moves" that just makes it an addiction. Impossible to walk away.

I've been "away" from my blog pretty much entirely since our reAmericanization in October. I told myself when Chris left in February, I'd take time for myself to start writing again...  In the last 4 months, I have had several friends encourage me to rekindle my blog affair. Yesterday, over coffee, again a "you should start blogging again" from a good friend, also in this lifestyle. Today, my MIL sent me the daily photos from 2012 online... it almost brought me to tears. It made me think of my post that first year that reset my mind with inspiration. It made me really want to write.

I miss my husband. I miss our extended family and friends throughout the world. I miss my camera in front of my face. And every day I miss Bangladesh...
BUT...
Chris will be home this weekend! Our friendships are always with us, just far removed physically for periods of time. We are making new friends here in TX. We get to see gma & gpa (and Mickey Mouse) in a couple weeks. And my camera just may need to be invited for a field trip this weekend. And a tear or two never hurt anyone ;)

So I'm hoping to come back more often. I've missed you friends out there... and I've missed this "me" too. And I've lots of pictures, just never took the time to write it down. I'll try to make up for a bit of lost time!

Vamonos!

Ug, we've been back in the States for 3 months and if someone offered us to go abroad again, we'd chomp at the offer. We are stagnant already; the thrill of conveniences has already waned. All of us are longing for the return of holidays/vacations every 3 months, like when we were in Dhaka. On the plus side, we did plan 2 upcoming holidays over the weekend... and booked them. Bam! We're off on a  short Disney cruise this spring (with gma & gpa!!), after Chris returns from a lengthy training away. And this summer, we'll be vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (with my sister's family!!) for a week, using our timeshare that we've not taken advantage of much over the past 2 years.

Already, we graze over possible prospects for the next bid list, researching and daydreaming at where our next "home" will be. Is it crazy that stability and comfort in our family actually entails inconsistency and change? Variety is the spice of life, no?

The majority of our friendships are actually cyber... we have yet to make any "let's grab a pizza and have the kids play this weekend" friends here. Sigh. As it's been discussed in the FS circle many times, the domestic moves don't have the support systems that overseas moves. There is no welcome party, sponsor family or "tea" waiting for you when arriving stateside. Overseas, the camaraderie feels so much deeper, as you all sink or swim together. Yes, it's a fishbowl, but it's also great to have others feeling your pain or joy.

While we'll keep trying to enjoy the days at hand, the bid season and hopeful possibility to head "out" again is the light at the end of our tunnel :)

Welcome 2013 !

We celebrated our farewell to 2012 with a day at the Houston Aquarium (post to follow). While Avocet napped, Chris, Ceiba and I ventured to REI to use up our dividend (nothing like waiting until the day it expired) and then hit the grocery store (sheer mayhem) for some luxuries to send out 2012! Nothing says farewell like a gawdy store bought cake, complete with fat neon roses! Yum :)

The grocery store had a crawfish and shrimp boil all weekend, score! So we grabbed a few pounds, some lobster tails, made dirty rice, "kid beer" (sparkling grape juice), party favors and made an evening of it. Apparently fireworks are a huge deal in Houston (felt like China!), as we heard them until a downpour of rain curbed the festivities. 

We bid adieu to 2012:

• 9 months in our missed Bangladesh 
• 3 months in beloved America
• Ceiba turning 5, Avocet turning 1 and our 17th wedding anniversary
• most of the year with Papa at home
• trips within Bangladesh, to Bali, Nepal, India, Singapore, Thailand & Turkey (our new favorite)
• a new home and chapter of life in Texas (and change of residency- Yeah, no state tax!)
• the good fortune of great friends and family (though the tragic loss of a dear friend)
• a family of good health and happiness 

Our most sincere wishes to you all for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!!!

Condiment?

Catsup... ketchup...catch up.

Since the images are in my "smart" phone that I still am not up to speed on and haven't taken the time to  upload to my computer, we'll just jump to where we are now.

We are 2+ months into return to life in America, and the vast endeavor that is re-Americanizing ourselves. Finally, we are in our own house, which in the 2 weeks we've lived here, we have made quite homey. Chris was out of town for work the same week as closing and 2 HHE shipments. Ceiba is in school and adjusting well. Avocet is her larkish self, already casted and today freed from a green broken arm, courtesy of a pair if Disneyland slippers a couple sizes too large. I am enjoying things, but still trying to find my place in daily life.

The plan when coming back was from me to spend the rest of the year settling everyone into Texas and  then going back to work. The job seemed a done deal from across the sea, only to return to a "we're on a hiring freeze, but we'll call you when it's lifted"... change of plans. But now with Chris's busy work schedule and the never ending loom of TDYs pulling him away or trainings here and there (mostly there), maybe it's good that work isn't tugging too. Right? Right. Right?

We have spent days exploring the zoo and museums, which we love. But we are spoiled by our St. Louis life of free, quality things to do with the girls. We bought memberships to the Natural History Museum and the Zoo, so that we just go when we choose, don't think about the money and spend either an hour or a day without keeping track of the cost. We hit the Fossil Show and the Renaissance Festival, Chuck E Cheese and the movies. And sometimes, we just enjoy the couch...  The ducks in the subdivision know us and our bread of choice by name. Our bellies beg for fast food, while our clothes scream in agony as we drive-thru.

Though Chris and I both watch the NOW lists and dream of going abroad every day, we tell ourselves to put the thoughts out of our heads for a while. He'll do his America time, tick the box, and we'll enjoy ourselves while we're here. We need lots of "squirrel" moments to keep us from lingering on a map for too long though.

Fallen

Sleep. It eludes me.
Seconds. How quickly lives changes in seconds.
Friends. How many we recognize and grieve with in moments of great loss.

Our close friend was killed today. He was an Illinois State Trooper who died in the line of duty. He and Chris worked at the Madison County Sheriff's Department together. We used to dance in our living rooms on cold winter nights, sharing dinner first each week with them and other friends. Ceiba and Kaylee would play while we all attempted to learn a new salsa step each week. We've spent time together whenever we've been back "home'. They are a family we quickly became great friends with, the guys talking shop and we ladies sharing upbringing stories, meeting at playgrounds with the kids or hunting mushrooms. We've shared birthday parties and new babies, always staying connected through the years, always planning to enjoy trips together or have them visit us abroad when the kids were just a tad bigger. 

He was an exceptional officer. He was a dear friend. He was a beloved son, brother, cousin, an outstanding and caring father. He was a husband cherished and loved by his wife more than most I have ever known. He was doing the job he loved, being safe and cautious like he was trained.

It pains me that his life is gone in seconds, because a semi driver lost sight for moment. That someone in a car got pulled over on a Monday morning on their way probably to work and changed the course of so many peoples' lives. I, and many, can replay events in my head and think of so many little things that could have changed seconds in history. But nothing can change the outcome.

My heart completely hurts for his family, for his wife... our great friend, now a widow in her 30s. Their children are four years old and 10 months old, a daughter and son. Already his daughter has said she knows he's an angel in heaven. I cry that someone had to explain that to her. That she can say those words, but has no way to realize how her life has changed. That their children will be told beautiful stories of what an amazing man their father was, but won't be able to remember well and get a chance to know him longer. That they won't get to enjoy the fatherhood he so enjoyed.

I am sad for them. I am especially sad for Sarah. We all, as spouses of law enforcement officers, worry about our officer every... single... day. We worry about the hazards of their job, the situations they'll encounter that will affect them. We all have thought of a day that a uniformed coworker will appear at our door instead of them. Today was the worst day she will hopefully ever experience. Her life and the lives of their children is forever altered. While she will have support and love and a mountain of respect shown, it is she who will feel the depth of his absence. I wish we could all take an ounce of her pain, there are lots of us who would gladly suffer so to give her a moment of peace or rest, but it is not possible.

This week, he will have full honors. Thousands will come to offer their sympathies and respects. The law enforcement community, a small town in Illinois, an outpouring of friends and family will grieve. Flags within the state will fly at half staff. Officers will wear black across their badges. We will all miss him, this week and always.

Boo!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

I must say, it's my favorite holiday, but with all the move-back-to-America hub bub, we haven't decorated or celebrated as much as we'd like. We took the girls to Kingwood trunk and treat last week on a chilly night. They had a ball, and we enjoyed the safe and lit environment for little ones. This is a great way to take your under 6-8 year olds out to hit the candy rounds and have a quick night sans meltdown opportunity.

 YMCA trunk or treat, moved indoors due to chilliness.

And our attempt at a family photo from Mrs. Mukta. Gotta work on her photography :)

 Tonight, we went to the local college's trunk or treat after a flyer was sent out from school. We haven't met anyone here yet, so this was a fun outing close to home. Not sure how we actually arrived on time, as our car, which just arrived in Houston last week and was at the dealership for a full overhaul until this morning, decided to potentially wreak havoc on our evening.

We ran some errands in our so-happy-to-have-you-back SUV tonight. While in McDonald's drive-thru, on our way to our new subdivision's park to have a Halloween picnic before trick or treating, it decided to warm up the a/c. Between the "We'll have a...." and "Here you go", smoke proceeded to pour from under the hood. Nice.

 Enjoying face painting and candy collections.

Avocet Ooo-ing at Gumby, obsene hand gestures (not on purpose) and being a ham!

We pulled into the parking lot, calmly Chris took the girls inside to intercept our meals, while I called the dealership. Sewell Infiniti was awesome, immediately responding to our SOS. The manager Aaron had the tow enroute and arrived himself in the parking lot within an hour (and it was a far drive) with our loaner car. He took the baton, as we went along on our merry Halloweening way, while he waited for the tow truck.

Let's hope the outcome later this week goes as smoothly!

And on we went to trunk or treating the night away!

Nothing to do with Halloween, but our awesome wake up from our bedroom at the rental house. Spoiled.

TexRen Fest

This weekend, we attempted our first outing since arriving in Texas. Most of our days have been filled with house hunting, so it was nice to spend a full day seeing a bit of the countryside and enjoying outdoor activities. While sports (namely football), are a gigantic pastime here, we opted for a more eclectic option. The Renaissance Festival!!

Many moons ago, we enjoyed the renaissance festivals in Atlanta and rural Florida, while we moved around with Chris in the service. We always loved watching the people, costumes and just the fun of feeling like we walked onto a movie set. It's a fun place to soak in some history and be in an unassuming environment where people can relax and be different. We heard lots of hokey accents, but loved that everyone shared the freedom to be with other like-minded people. It's also important to us for our girls to be in this kind of imaginative, fun and open environment.

There was a great crowd for this weekend's Pirate Days at the festival. The festival park is a permanent site with several weekends of themed events, which you can check out more about here. Buildings for shops, theaters and games line the park with intermingled areas for jousting, music events, parades and more.

(must read the above left sign + see Chris's feeling of kid rides... we're old)

Ceiba can't pass a face painting stand without begging. She and Avocet also spent time on rides, ponies and learning how to fly an arrow. Ceiba got a bow to go with her Halloween costume. 

She already had a second lesson in the backyard tonight. May be a new hobby! 

Chris got to brush up on his Camp Ondessonk badges. 

We all enjoyed some music, bluegrass and bag pipes. 

No one in this family can hold still around a good beat!

The nice shell lady adorned the girls with beads. 

 Be sure to check it out of you're in the Houston area this fall!