Babies Abroad

Oh my poor little neglected blog...

2009-03-25T21:59:00.002-04:00

I'm such a bad blogger! Between the pregnancy, organizing our American ladies group and just the care of a 3yr old well, I just don't seem to manage to get on here like I used to! Things are going really well with the pregnancy! It's a girl and we are so excited. We have decided to name her Genevieve and we will call her Gigi for short! I just can't wait to meet her and to hold her! I'm so ready to have an infant again, I think ... lol. I'm not so sure about the lack of sleep because I'm still tryin to recover from the last time ... 3yrs later ... lol. I told Audrey today that she is going to be a big sister and she is over the moon! She's so cute and sweet about "her baby, Gigi". It's like a dream come true, I'm going to have two little princesses to fawn over and spoil rotten!

On another note, someone somewhere decided my hubby needed a blackberry! That thing is awful! We can't do any activities without him picking the darn thing up every little bit to check his mail ... I think this is going down in my books as one of the most ill thought out inventions of our time... (ok ok maybe a little extreme ... but honestly ... when you are trying to take a scenic drive as a family around the beauty of Cyprus and your husband picks up his phone 5 times in 45 minutes .... well you get the picture)

Ok, maybe I'll actually get my act together and start blogging on a regular basis again! For all of you expats out there look for my experiences coming to you on having a baby outside of the U.S. I'm going from having Audrey at one of the top baby hospitals in the country to a very small private clinic in a not so well developed country... needless to say ... I'm a little apprehensive... But at the end of the God is in control, and I know he loves me and my family and will take care of us!

Hugs!

Shoes... Can you blame her.

2008-12-16T22:55:00.002-05:00

So, it was about 10:30 tonight and something just felt off, so I peeked in on Audrey and shockingly, she was not in her bed. All of a sudden this little head pops up on the far side of her bed. She was on the floor and I asked "what are you doing, why are you not in bed", stearnly. She then says" nothing mommy, nothing". She quickly flew back into the bed. I noticed as she franticly tried to stuff her feet under the covers that she was wearing her new shoes we had just bought. Now how can I be mad, that my daughter has snuck out of bed to try on her new shoes? I mean seriously, I would have been doing the same thing :D

Wordless Wednesday #19

2008-12-16T22:52:00.003-05:00

Wordless Wednesday #18

2008-11-19T12:29:00.002-05:00

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY BLISTER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holiday Traditions

2008-11-13T08:36:00.005-05:00

Blog party day 2!

Today at http://www.momdot.com/ they are asking us to share our favorite family traditions and maybe some we would like to begin! Today's question is sponsored by LaPlates and Lets Go Strolling and Natitys Design.

Well, our family is different. My husband is born and bred German and I'm born and bred American. Living overseas I only get to celebrate with my family every other year because we are obligated to visit his family on the off years... one of the very few downfalls of marriage is having to share holidays. My husband's family are not believers and that makes Christmas there really difficult for me because I feel like the meaning of Christmas is being ignored and forgotten! Not to mention theydon't even put up a Christmas tree, it's a Christmas bush so to speak... So, I will just talk about my side of the family,otherwise I'll get depressed and I'll depress y'all which doesn't make for much of a party ... hahaha. Have you guessed whose year it is for Christmas yet .... lol. So, here's what I'll be missing this year. Actually, I'm going home next week so I will at least get turkey day with my folks :D On Thanksgiving, it is tradition that we watch the macy's thanksgiving day parade (my favorite is always the rockets, and whatever broadway show's they are showcasing), as soon as the parade is finished, Turkey is served . After Turkey begins the Christmas movie marathon! Then midnight madness at the outlets (this will be a new tradition for us this year :D), and Friday morning isreservedfor best buy. Friday AFternoon we get the tree, decorate and this year we'll celebrate Christmas. When I'm with my side of the family for Christmas there are lots of traditions and I love them all! Beginning with Thanksgiving we watch a Christmas movie everynight until New year's day! We decorate really big, you'll notice the gigantic Christmas tree (complete with train, mini village and fake snow blanket) and huge nutcracker in the photo from my day 1 party post. We also always sing with our Church choir at Epcot's candlelight processional! It is an amazing experience, and if you are going to the parks this year I definitely recommend this concert/reading of the Christmas story for getting in the Christmas spirit. On Christmas Eve we attend the fantastic musical Christmas eve service at our church, we all sing in the choir, then go home bake cookies and watch the musical version of scrooge with Albert Finney. It's my dad's favorite. At the end of the movie, my dad gets up sings one more verse of "thank you very much" while jigging and clicking his heels like scrooge and we set out the cookies and milk for Santa complete with carrot for Rudolph. My parents always told me that as long as I "believed" in Santa there would be presents from Santa. So I'm a 26 year old believer in Santa Clause :D hehe. Then Christmas morning we all get up have a pancake breakast made by daddy, and the present opening marathon begins. We take turns unwrapping because we all really like to see each other's reactions to our gifts, especially when we've put a lot of thought into it. If Christmas falls on a Sunday then we have pancakes, then church, and then present unwrapping. Mom makes an awesome roast for Christmas dinner which we eat at lunch. The rest of Christmas day is spent hanging with the family watching Christmas movies and playing with Christmas presents! Oh and we are big on Carols. My family is very musical and we randomly burst into song at anytime during the holiday season with our favorite Christmas carols. Everyone has their own part and everything! Sometimes we even go caroling to the neighbors houses! So that's it, that's what my family does traditionally for the holidays!

Christmas and my family!

2008-11-12T04:32:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone! I can't tell you how excited I am about the momdot.com Christmas blog party! I've never participated in a blog party before so I'm really looking forward to this! So, today I'm supposed to tell you and show you about my family. This is a photo of us last Christmas at mom and dad's!

From Left to right: (me, audrey, timothy, mom, dad, and my blister "aka" Victoria)

Today's blog party question is sponsored by: La belle Toile http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6259021 and This and That by Randi http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6083668

Wordless Wednesday #17

2008-11-12T04:13:00.001-05:00

I wanna win!

2008-11-09T15:25:00.003-05:00

Ok, so the lovely ladies at momdot.com are offering up a fantastic play mat from onestepahead.com and I really want it. To enter you have to post a picture of the child you are entering for. So here is my photo that I was going to save for Wordless Wednesday but now I'm having to put it up for this contest! Enjoy and please pick me!

Wordless Wednesday #16

2008-11-05T09:26:00.003-05:00

For more wordless wednesday go to www.momdot.com and www.5minutesformom.com

2008-11-04T00:02:00.003-05:00

My sister as Sarah Palin on Halloween...

halloween 2008

2008-11-03T08:36:00.003-05:00

So, Halloween totally rocked! I planned a trunk or treat at Audrey's school as a fundraiser and it was a success! Cyprus doesn't celebrate Halloween so the expat community was very happy to have a halloween event for the kids! I know next year's event will be even better! Here are a few photos of my little princess as tinkerbell. When we put on the wings she was really excited because she thought she was going to be able to fly ... lol. And, she's still wearing the shoes. She refuses to wear anything else. We all had a great time and for 2 hours I felt at home :D

Help me choose a baby carrier!

2008-11-02T06:50:00.003-05:00

So, I'm preggers again! In case you missed my earlier announcement ... lol! And, this time around we are not as financially challenged, thank the good LORD! He's been amazing to us. So, there are products out there that I want to have this time because we just couldn't afford them last time. I definitely want to try the baby wearing thing. I'm turning to the mommy blogging community for help, because I just don't know what is the best product to get. Last time we had that cheap little $29 evenflo front carrier. My husband who is 6'5" was never able to wear it comfortably and Audrey being such a large child out grew it very quickly. I'm really interested in the slings that I've been seeing in the online mommy boutiques but I have lots of questions! I like that they look pretty and they seem to grow with baby from infancy to toddler. But, are they really safe? I mean it just seems like only a ring is holding the thing together. Also, will it be a good fit for me and my husband? he's huge and I'm only 5'4". Are the slings comfortable to wear? Is the baby comfortable in it? How difficult are they to tie all the different ways? Should we opt for something else? Are the slings really worth what seems to me to be an outrageous price tag for some cloth and a metal ring? Should we just go with the baby bjorn? Should I get one carrier for my husband and one for me? What do you, my trusty bloggy moms recommend?

Momdot Christmas of Dreams

2008-10-29T01:49:00.002-04:00

The lovely ladies at momdot are have a fabulous Christmas blog party culminating in the end draw for the Christmas of Dreams. For more info go here http://www.momdot.com/big-massive-blog-partyinformation/ and here http://www.momdot.com/christmas-of-dreams-blog-partyinfo/ They are giving away some amazing prizes and are still looking for VIP sponsors. Go check it out, you'll be sorry if you don't.

Wordless Wednesday #15

2008-10-29T01:25:00.003-04:00

Last Weekend!!!!!

For More wordless wednesday checkout momdot.com and 5minutesformom.com

Oh my poor neglected blog!

2008-10-26T17:38:00.002-04:00

My poor blog, so neglected and lonely! It has been one insane month! I've become very involved at Audrey's school, in the fundraising department... I've had visitors and still have visitors, timothy has been traveling like a mad man and on top of it all, I'm PREGNANT!!! I'm so nauseas and exhausted! And, not just in the morning, it's around the clock!!!! So, please forgive me bloggy buddies for having left you so alone ... for so long, hopefully it will not happen again! But, Yay, I'm Pregnant!!!!

Wordless Wednesday #14

2008-09-24T07:15:00.002-04:00

What do you think?

2008-09-23T11:57:00.003-04:00

What do you think of my makeover? Shannon over at eightcrazy designs did an amazing job! I'm so excited and I just love it! Thanks Momdot and Shannon for pimping my blog! You have no idea how over the moon I am about this :D

carving out your place!

2008-09-22T13:25:00.005-04:00

I'm really excited because Thursday will bring the startup of my American ladies meetings again! It's so nice to have a place where I can talk with women that come from the same place as me, with most of the same traditions and have the same accent as me and want to have the same conversations! I miss those meetings over the summer breaks! However, with the meetings always brings a stark contrast between the two types of women that live here. I am so dreading having to listen to those few of our group whine about how much they hate it here, and turning every positive into a negative. Moving abroad away from your country, culture, and family is not easy! These ladies knew that before they came here and I just don't understand how they can be so miserable and ridiculous. If you hate it that much, go home, otherwise put your big girl panties on and enjoy your unique experiences. It's your life and you still have control. You can't move to a new country and expect people to find you! You must be realistic and rational about what you are getting into. You have to go meet the people! I made friends in Cyprus before I even got here! I used my brain (what's left of it after pregnancy) and my internet. I googled my interests online and found groups here on the island that would foster those interests. If you moved to a new state you wouldn't just sit at home waiting for the community to find you, you have to introduce yourself to the community. Well moving abroad is no different it's just more complicated. You have to consider the new culture and what is acceptable to them. Guess what? They are going to be different, and you have to embrace that! Moving abroad will grow you as an individual and make you a better person. You have to open your mind and your heart (not so far that your brains fall out like my grandma would say) but still be true to yourself. Survival of the fittest they say, well nothing will make you survive like being thrown into a completely different pond where you are different little fish with no school of your own. The same things that make you happy now will be those same things that make you happy anywhere in the world. Moving abroad should be embraced and enjoyed, not feared and hated. My husband loves me and my daughter is amazing! These two people are an integral part of my happiness, but it can't be dependent on them, that's not fair and it's too insular. They have their bad days too! I'm not just a wife and mother, I'm Rebekah. Part of being Rebekah is being a wife and mother but that's not all there is to me, I love to sing, I love to perform, I will die without shopping, I need to laugh at things only other women will understand no matter how metrosexual my husband tries to be for me. I have to be near the water, I love going to the beach, I have to be able to see the water. I love tanning and playing in the sea! My life is not perfect, no one's is! But, my life is happy and I can live day to day enjoying the blessings that have been so mercifully and undeservedly bestowed upon me. Almost all of the things that make me happy(and the previous was just a short list) can be found anywhere in the world. So, why be miserable? What really makes you happy, what can't you live without? Make a list, I'll bet you can find those things almost anywhere! Enjoy your life to the fullest by enjoying yourself and loving yourself to the fullest! You and your family will fleurish for it

Martha Stewart blogs

2008-09-22T13:21:00.003-04:00

Seriously, what doesn't Martha do? I wish there was a Martha boot camp, I'd so beg for a scholarship to that one :D Anyway, I digress, Martha cares about bloggers and wants to help a few bloggers out with their traffic. So, ifyou want your blog featured on Martha's blog go check her out here http://www.themarthablog.com/2008/09/how-to-create-your-own-blog-let-us-show-you.html#comment-20980 Also, feel free to give a shout out to me, (if you feel my blog is significant enough ...lol) or momdot.com like I did to let Martha know that you want her to feature these fantastic mommy blogs :D Oh, and Martha if you did in fact stop by my blog, please leave me a comment so I'll know and feel really really special :D

Papa Papa, where are you ....

2008-09-20T20:40:00.003-04:00

It's 3:40 a.m. here and I've just gotten Audrey back to sleep. She's fighting a sinus infection and tonight is the 3rd night in a row she has woken up crying and in hysterics. It's also the 3rd time she's been screaming for papa and I just don't know what to do. I was very tempted to call my hubby and have him talk to her but she was more in a half awake half sleep state and calmed down fairly quickly. I feel terrible that she misses her papa so much. What are we to do? Travel is part of his job and we miss him like crazy. I know he feels bad being away so much so I don't want to make him feel worse butI think he needs to know how it is affecting his daughter .... I know as she gets older she'll understand but right now, right this minute, which is all that counts in toddlerville is that she wants her papa more than anything in the world... and I can't blame her, I miss him too... What would you do? Is there anything that can be done?

I'm behind!

2008-09-20T12:54:00.003-04:00

Boy am I ever behind on my blog! Audrey started school, ballet and restarted her swim lessons all in the same week. We also had the desert winds from Egypt bring over all their extra dust particles which have made us all sick! There was so much dirt blowing around it was "foggy" outside but no precipitation! And, on top of all that I've just been made head organizer of our American group here and Timothy is out of town. I planned two baby showers, and our first club meeting in the last two weeks too! So, my poor blog has suffered! Audrey has been doing fairly well with starting school. Actually, she loves everything about it except the part where I leave! she didn'treally seem to care at first and the she realized this was a permanet situation and all heck broke loose. She's such a little actress and sometimes just too smart for her own good. She pitches an all out screaming violent fit until about 30 seconds after I leave, then I peek in and she's laughing and painting. On her third full day this week on the way to school she pulled off her button on her uniform, she actually thought I'd take her home to fix it. Seriously, what kid does that? Devious little booger, isn't she? Here are some photos of our first day at school! Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday #13

2008-09-17T11:24:00.000-04:00

Update on my sister!

2008-09-05T09:57:00.002-04:00

Thank you all so much for your kind wishes and prayers. My sister's elbow is in three pieces but still aligned. The specialist has casted it for 10 days and will then take the cast of re-xray and if the pieces have not moved cast it again. If the pieces do move outof alignment then she will require surgery with pins. He told her this kind of break that develops arthritis and she may never get back her full range of motion. At this point, we are praying that the pieces won't move so that she won't require surgery. She's in a lot of pain and very emotionally upset because of all the things she's having to back out of due to the lack of use of her arm. My sister is in her senior year of music and education. She has had to cancel two jobs now because she will not be able to play the piano for her students. Which as many of you know, college is expensive and losing income while you are trying to pay for school, is difficult at best.

On a brighter note, I finally won a contest!!!!!! I won a blog makeover at Momdot.com from eightcrazy designs! Keep checking back and let me know how you like my new look!

Hugs,
Rebekah

Wordless Wednesday #12

2008-09-03T09:04:00.004-04:00

Today's edition is not so wordless. for those of you that Pray I'm asking for prayer for my sister! She was in a freak accident last night and has badly, really really badly broken her Right Elbow. Please pray that she won't require surgery. For those of you that have read my blog in the past you know my sister and I are super close and that she has had a very tough year. First we Lost our Grandmother, then my sister was almost killed one week later as her dorm at union University collapsed on her during the horrible tornados that swept through Tennessee in February. There have been other not so great events as well, but I won't go into that here. Anyway, please pray for her, as she sees the bone specialist in a few hours. Please pray that she won't require surgery, suffer nerve damage, or even loss of her arm. I hope you won't find this an inappropriate plea for prayer, but this is all I can do because I'm so far away. I have to feel like I can do something. In Christ, Rebekah

PURSES

2008-09-01T13:09:00.002-04:00

I love purses! As far as materialistic things that really get me excited, purses and stillettos are top of the list! The lovely ladies of momdot.com understand my infatuation ... or addiction! They are giving away a beautiful Elliott Lucca clutch! Me Likey and Me Want! When I was a broke high school and college student, my handbags were nothing so fantastic, whatever pretty little tote I could fish out of the clearance bin at the department store. Well, then I got married and my husband, beautiful fashion conscious European that he is, understands and feeds my passion! The first bag he ever bought me was my Louis Vuitton marakame speedy! I love that purse, and I love the way other women turn green with envy when I carry it! Then when I became pregnant I discovered the most beautiful, most wonderful diaper bag ever fashioned, the Juicy couture Heaven on Earth Diaper bag! I love it! I have carried it everyday for two and a half years and it still looks fabulous and I still get compliments when I carry it! I have several guess bags for everyday and for my birthday I got a beautiful new Juicy bag! I just went on a fantastic shopping spree in the states while I was home and grabbed all kinds of fantastic bags on sale. I mostly carry Juicy couture, BeBe and guess bags because I really like the styles that these particular brands fashion! The lines, the leather, and the shape get me every time, they truly are an everyday work of art! I love handbags and love how great I feel carrying them! So, I in no way need this purse, but I would definitely enjoy it and give it a wonderful home. If you are as addicted as I am go here http://www.momdot.com/?p=1091#comment-31668 and enter for your chance to win the beautiful raspberry clutch on display over at momdot!

Wordless Wednesday #11

2008-08-27T02:54:00.002-04:00

MGM 2008

Birthday party help! Please!

2008-08-26T07:43:00.002-04:00

Ok, so planning a childs birthday is not the easiest task at hand, well, you should try doing it over seas! There are 3 venues to hold a childs party total in my town, two of them are disgusting and out of the question and the third is booked by every kid in town, ridiculously expensive, and just boring after the 10th time you've been there for a party. There is no walmart, target, party city, etc ... So, even though my child's party isn't until February, I have to start planning now. First, I need to find a venue that is not already booked! Second, I need to know exactly what I've got to buy while I'm in the states over Christmas to bring back with me! So, my tentative theme is a pirate/princess party. I chose a double theme if you will because Audrey's school requires that if you invite one child in the class you invite them all, meaning no all girl parties! I think it's a stupid rule, but what can I do? Plus most of my friends have boys for some reason, we only have one other little girl in our playgroup, the rest are boys! So I'm looking at about 30-40 kids total plus both parents (in cyprus you don't just invite the kid you invite the whole family including brothers and sisters)! I was thinking about having the kids come dressed as princesses and pirates but I don't want people to not come because they don't have a costume, so maybe i'll just make princess crowns, and find some pirate hats while i'm in the states for the kids to wear instaed of the traditional birthday cone hat. What do you think? I was also trying to think about what to put inside a pinata? I don't want any candy or anything bad for the kids, so I thought about stickers/tattoos, crayons but what else could I put in there? I was also trying to come up with games and entertainment. So far I've got a treasure hunt, where they can find their "goodie bags" and the pinata (I'm thinking a pull string since they are so young). I think I need at least one other game if not two. Or I could get a facepainter and clown/magician ...The age range will be mostly between 3 and 4. What you y'all think? What should I do? Should I pick a different theme?

I got a web award!

2008-08-25T15:39:00.002-04:00

This is unbelievable, I actually got a web award and she called me delightful!!!! I'm so grateful to Michelle http://eatsleepcreate-michelle.blogspot.com/2008/08/2-blog-awards-what-honor.html You made my day and made me feel so special! Thanks so much.

She gave me this award:

And now I'm supposed to pass it on to seven other people.
I'm really new to blogging but these are the 7 blogs I read the most!

Kelly @ http://busymamas.com/

Kim @ http://accidentalmommies.com/

Jessie @ http://mutheringheights.blogspot.com/

sara @ http://saralifeinwords.blogspot.com/

Renee @ http://babystam.blogspot.com/

Lisa @ http://crazyadventuresinparenting.blogspot.com/

Tiff @ http://www.three-peas.com/

Travel, Travel, Travel!

2008-08-21T17:19:00.007-04:00

Well, the summer is almost over for us here and I was thinking back to all the travel we did this season! We started in Hamburg, Germany then on to Copenhagen Denmark, back to Hamburg and then on to the states! There were many highlights this summer, but I'll just give you a few of the quick highlights dealing with kids! If you are in Hamburg, Germany you absolutely must take your children to the Hagenbeck Tierpark, AKA the Hamburg zoo. This was an amazing experience! A must see is the ringtail lemur exhibit, because you will be part of the scenery! That's right you open this sliding warehouse type door and bam there are lemurs bouncing off thewalls, you, and your bags! It was awesome! Audrey thought that it was hysterical! The botanical gardens with their hugemongous childrens play area is also a must for the children!

She also loved feeding the elephants and the giraffes!
In Copenhagen, Audrey and I did the walking tour (me, by myself with a map walking and pushing the stroller) while Timothy was in conference. It was awesome! We were able to see all the "main" sites including the palaces with changing of the guard, the little mermaid statue, and the King's gardens. And, Audrey had a great time helping mommy read the map.

Finally, we made it stateside for two weeks with my parents at Sanibel Island, one of the most awesome family beach vacation spots in the U.S. It's secluded so the beaches are quiet and uncrowded! We went fishing, bike riding and shelling. After the break with my parents we drove to Atlanta to see my grandparents, where Audrey enjoyed a private tour of the aquarium. We then headed up to Tennessee to watch my sister compete for over 12k in Scholarship monies! She didn't win but she looked beauiful,performed awesome, and came home with $2700 for school! Then back to Florida for another 4 weeks of hanging with my mom and my sister, where we took Audrey for a special girls day only at MGM! She totally flipped for the new playhouse disney area!

For travel with a young child, this is my must have list ...

Ask for the baby cot on the plane if your child is under 12kilos. This is an arm saver even if the baby doesn't sleep! You still have a place to lay/sit the baby down for 2 seconds and give you two free hands to do whatever!

If you have to buy a seat for your 2+ child take an FAA approved carseat! This was awesome! Audrey was able to sleep comfortably and for a longer period of time than she had previously when she outgrew the cot and wasn't old enough for a seat.

Portable DVD player - This will keep the little one entertained for whatever part of the trip they are not sleeping!

A pacifier, - if your child does not use a pacifier than have some juice, water, a bottle, or succer or whatever handy for when the plane is taking off, landing, or experiencing turbulence. Audrey has never ever had a problem with her ears on a plane because I have always been ready with her pacifier or bottle. If this fails, remember that yawning is contagious, make sure your child is looking dead at you and give a nice big convincing fake yawn, this works I have used it several times!

A blanket, -the planes get cold and nothing is more comforting to your child than a familier "blankie" from home.

Rely on the cabin crew. You paid to be on the flight and for their services, many of them are mothers and will understand or empathisize with your situation. If you really really need to use the toilet and the baby is asleep, more than likely, they will sit in your seat while you relieve yourself and watch your child. Don't be afraid to ask for help, Don't be afraid to take your tray to the cabin crew when you are immediately finished eating. A few bad news stories still mean that 90+% of the cabin crew are friendly and willing to help!

Enjoy your trips and travel!

Stop the muffin madness

2008-08-21T12:37:00.000-04:00

The crazy mommy bloggers over at MomDot blog, is hosting a contest to make the world a better place and to fight muffintop. Please come over and enter to win an amazing giveaway from Blush, where you can keep or pass along an awesome topless undershirt. They need 200 entries to get more shirts to give away, so come enter this worthwhile fashion cause. And while you are there, dont forget about the other awesome giveaways and new chat room.

Wordless Wednesday #10

2008-08-20T00:00:00.004-04:00

What we did this weekend!

More Giveaways!

2008-08-13T03:52:00.002-04:00

http://www.momdot.com/ and http://www.blooming-babies.com/ are giving a way a personalized stamp!

They are very nice and professional looking! Best of luck!

Wordless Wednesday #9

2008-08-13T02:34:00.002-04:00

Ugly Jewelry

2008-08-10T11:46:00.003-04:00

http://www.momdot.com/ is giving away some littlewindows jewelry to the person with the ugliest jewelry. So here is my entry. There's nothing like left over pageant jewelry! My goodness these earrings are big! So hear I am with my Miss America wave and my beautiful pageant earrings from my skinny days :D

And, of course, Audrey wanted in on fun ;D

Win a stroller ...

2008-08-10T05:20:00.001-04:00

http://www.momdot.com/?p=466#comment-11174 Another great stroller giveaway. This time by momdot.com and strollermama! Check it out ladies!

2008-08-09T06:00:00.003-04:00

Chic Shopper Chick is giving away a microlite stroller! I suggest you get on over there and try to win it! This looks like an awesome stroller, our combi is starting to show a little wear from all the planes, trains and Automobiles that it's been on. When we decide to have baby#2 I think this would be a great stroller to have. And,since we spent so much on the graco and the combi I don't see Darling hubby letting me buy another, so winning one is the only option :D

http://www.chicshopperchick.com/2008/08/micralite-fastfold-stroller-giveaway.html

Pet Allergies?!!?

2008-08-08T02:30:00.007-04:00

A few days ago I posted about what I would do with the 3 puppies being offered for adoption by the wonderfuly ladies over at 5 minutes for Mom. Well, naturally I've been checking out the competition on all the comments and the Mr. Linky. I cannot tell you how my heart breaks for all the kids who are either allergic or have someone in their family who is allergic to pets! Well, I came from a family that always had pets, many pets and a house without a pet would just seem empty to me! So, today I am here to tell you all about my hypoallergenic cat, Barnie! Yes, you read right, Barnie is an allergen free cat! He is a purebred Russian Siberian and this breed of cat does not produce the allergen causing hormone. He's awesome, not only is he allergen free but this particular breed of cat are very large (small dog size), very fluffy and extremely cuddly! My husband's mother would never let him have a pet for I have no idea what reason. So 6 months before we got married I bought him his first kitten for Christmas. Well, a very long sad story later we had to put the kitten to sleep for health reasons. So, I was due to have our Audrey in 3 months time and I knew that having such a horrible experience with his first pet (My husband took it really really, extremely, tragically hard) that we had to get him a new kitten and fast. (The whole if you fall off the horse get right back on thing). So, this time rather than adopting a shelter cat I was going to a breeder for a full on health guarantee etc... Well, in all my reasearch I stumbled across an article on the russian siberian cats and it mentioned how they did not produce the allergenic dander and I thought to myself, what if our little girl who is due to arrive in 3 months happens to have allergies? So I did some more research, found a breeder and off we went to meet Barnie! I have to say his father Ivan sealed the deal. Ivan was the biggest bundle of love and fur I had ever seen. Not only was he easily the size of a small bulldog, he was not intimidated by the fact that there was only about an inch and a half of lap for him with my huge baby carrying belly. He popped right up in my lap and startedto purr and cuddle and I wanted to take him home right that instant, unfortunately Ivan was not available. So, then we were brought his son, soon to be Barnie. Now Barnie was fixed and not used for breeding so he is about half the size of his father Ivan but he is amazing. He is also an excellent "mouser". We don't have mice but anything that moves or crawls doesnt last long in our house. If i see a spider I don't get a shoe, I get Barnie. He can leap 4 ft into the air and catch a fly! So, I say if your kids want a bundle of fur to love, find a breeder and go do a test run, let your allergy stricken family member nuzzle one and see what happens. I have 3 close friends who visit often all with cat allergies, they have never had a problem cuddling Barnie.

The Great Unknown ... School

2008-08-06T05:18:00.004-04:00

So my little Audrey is 2 and 6 months old this month. Come September 8th she will start school. When she was born I never thought I would send her to preschool until she was 3 almost 4. However, Audrey is VERY extroverted. She loves people and has no fear. She is always on average or above average when it comes to her develpmental skills especially language. I think that is mostly because she is getting two languages at home and because I have the luxury of being a fulltime mom. Anyway, my pediatrician has recommended that we put her in school. He says she needs it, and I'm inclined to agree. While my daughter is so excited about going to school I have fear, anxiety and trepidation with the impending start of a new chapter in her life. Here on the island we only had two choices. We can send her to one of the local village schools where they only speak greek and the facilities are government regulated or we could send her to the very pricey private schools that are available. Well, since my husband's company will pay for her schooling when she starts kindergarten we decided to front the costs for the private preschool til then. This is going to be one of my biggest challenges since moving abroad. She'll be learning on the English school system, which is "Greek" (hahaha) to me. As the "headmaster" was trying to explain the way it works to me I couldn't help but feel like a charlie brown character and he was the teacher .... It made absolutely no sense to me. Also, my daughter is required to wear a uniform. I'm adamently opposed to uniforms on any level of education except for inner city schools. However all schools on the island wear a uniform so the only way around that was to move or not go to school, neither of which were an option. I'm also worried that most of her classmates will be British or Russian and she is most likely to be the only American/German in class. I want my daughter to speak American English not the "Queen's" English. Not because I don't like the English (I could listen to Hugh Grant for hours :D) but because being so far from home it is a small partof her American heritage that I can pass on to her. I also don't want her self esteem effected negatively because she talks different. And, then of course I have all the other fears of what school will bring. Is she going to be Sick all the time? Can I manage without her for that long each day? What the heck do you pack in a preschooler's lunchbox? What should she have in her backpack? Is she going to be as happy as we think she will be? Is it the right choice to send her off to school so young? Is it worth the money? Will she get enough attention? Will she be bored? Will the teachers take good enough care of her, since I won't be there to see? Did I hem her skirt too short? Did I get her the right shoes for playing on the playground? Am I already "THAT" parent who causes the teachers/staff to run and hide when they see me coming? I know I must sound silly, but I know that is part of being a mommy too, right?

Wordless Wednesday #8

2008-08-06T01:35:00.003-04:00

Puppies!

2008-08-06T01:19:00.002-04:00

The lovely ladies at www.5minutesformom.com are having give aways all over the place! Today there are 3 lifesize puppies up for adoption from their store http://www.a-rocking-horse-to-love.com I would love to adopt these cute little guys! Audrey says she wants the german short hair and agree I think he is just adorable. I have several options for the other two dogs. I think I would either give one each to my sister and her roommate as guard dogs. They live on the Union university Campus that was destroyed by the tornados in TN this year and I can see that these two beautiful dogs would make them feel much better, and safer, especially since they aren't allowed to have pets on Campus. My sister still has nightmares about the buildings crashing down on them. The other option I have for the other two dogs is to take them to the rehab/nursing facility that my grandmother spent the last two years of her life in until she passed away in January. My mother spent every day there with her and really got to know the residents and staff very well. They were so kind to our family. My sister and I would perform concerts for them off and on and of course visit my grandmother everday when we were home. I can see these dogs bringing lots of joy as a sort of mascot for them! So anyway, I can assure these adorable little puppies very good homes if you choose us. Thanks again ladies for all the great giveaways! If you would like to adopt the puppies then follow the links above!

Summer fun photo contest

2008-08-01T04:48:00.002-04:00

http://www.5minutesformom.com/ and The skinny cow (http://www.skinnycow.com/) are giving away $500 in their summer fun photo contest. I had a really hard time deciding which photo to use but I chose this one. It's from the fourth of July while my sister and I are trying to keep audrey entertained until the fireworks start. I love this photo for several reasons. Now that we are grown and not living under the same roof anymore I cherish the memories I make with my sister that much more. She is and always will be my best girl friend! I also love watching my sister and Audrey interact because I can see the same admiration for her in Audrey's eyes that I have in my heart. And, in the name of summer fun how many people have their most awesome magical summer memories from trying to pass the time until the fireworks started?

Spoiled or spoiled rotten?

2008-07-31T01:52:00.005-04:00

I have to admit it ... my daughter is a little princess and spoiled as such. I have come to the conclusion that there are two kinds of spoiled. One is just simply spoiled and the other is spoiled rotten. My daughter for the moment is only spoiled and I intend to keep it that way. As long as she shows gratitude and appreciation for what she has then I feel she is properly spoiled. The minute she turns into one of those mtv brats on that show sweet16 or the latest installment of the real OC demanding the moon because they can and in some twisted way feel they are owed it simply for being born, well that's when the spoilage has gone too far! WAY TOO FAR!

There are many spoiled rotten children here in Cyprus and some of them are older than me. There are women here in their late 20's early 30's still living at home with their parents paying all the bills. Instead of saving their money they will spend their entire month's salary on the latest Louis Vuitton, Gucci, or Prada bag. The latest cell phone and nicest cars are a must have. The young secretaries at my husband's company drive BMW's and Mercedes! Most of the executives do not drive these cars. You should see the looks I get from some of the women here when I admit to doing my own house work. You can get a livein philipino maid here for about 250 euros a month. I'm sorry but that's just slavery to me. The wage is too small and I could never take advantage of another person that way. I do admit to taking advantage of the babysitting services though! (I can have my daughter watch all night long until the morning for 25 euros! I was at my daughter's soon to be school and I couldn't help but notice all the cute little book bags and lunchboxes lined up along the hall. I saw two versace book bags, and one Ed Hardy for a class of 3 and 4 year olds! What 3 year old knows what Ed hardy is? I mean honestly ... I spoiled Audrey when we were home this summer and bought her a minnie mouse back pack with matching lunchbox from the disney store personalized with her name for a whopping 20 bucks! Incidently, you can order them online at www.disneystore.com on sale now for $13.

We were in the store Monday and they had a bike, my daughter flipped for it and I told her she had to wait and ask her papa. Well, about 6 hours later when we picked papa up from work the first words out of her mouth were "Papa! Ich Liebe Dich ( i love you in german) I Need bike"! (Being a daddy's girl myself I couldn't help but giggle a little at how naturally this came for her.) Well, it is now thursday and she has not forgotten about this bike, and she is asking several times a day for a bike. However, it has now become a cinderella bike! Quite frankly I'm really proud that my husband and I have lasted so long on having yet to buy the bike. We have of course resolved to take our little princess bike shopping early Saturday morning. I have of course done the mommy thing, and searched thoroughly on the internet to find the best ratings and reviews of exactly what kind of bike our little Audrey should have with all the specifications of training wheels, and cinderella graphics that she'll need. They even have bikes that fold, this is especially interesting to me since we could feasibly stick it in our luggage when we travel to the states to grandma and grandpa's house and also when we go to visit Omi in Germany. Now all that is left to be done is to actually find such a specific item on a very tiny island with only 3 halfway decent toy stores to choose from. Now all my friends back home would simply go to wal-mart or toys r us and pick up a bike for their little darling. I however must go to the "toy stores" (or dollar junk stores would probably be a better description of what we have here) and sift through the plastic toys that fall apart in a week or so and find a decent bike probably for double the price in the states. Check back on Saturday and see if we don't decide to import from Germany or the good ole USA via Amazon or some other such entity. Anyway, all this to say my daughter is admittedly spoiled, but she's not spoiled rotten!

Wordless Wednesday #7

2008-07-30T01:36:00.003-04:00

ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!

The Mirror

2008-07-29T05:41:00.002-04:00

I know you've read it over and over again. I know I have read it over and over again. But, sometimes it's just never so clear as when I see it right in front of my face! Our kids are little mimics especially at the age of two it would seem! My daughter is constantly holding a mirror up to me about what kind of mother I am. What I say, what I do, what I want... she repeats it all! On the one hand it's great to have such honest accountability, and sometimes I'm even proud of what I've taught her. But, other times, I'm so ashamed of how much negativity I've displayed for her in such a short time. She's two and she is absolutely as hard headed, stubborn and obstinant as both her father and I. I feel like I'm constantly saying "No", "Stop that", "Don't touch", "behave yourself", etc ... It just broke my heart the other day when I heard her put her little lovey in the corner and tell her to behave and not behave like a naughty girl. I know little Audrey needs discipline, but right now I feel like that's all I do is deal with negative behavior. The other day I was hurrying Audrey to get moving and she looks at me and says "be patient mommy". In some ways it's funny but in others it does make me take a step back and look at the mirror, am I harming her psychologically and emotionally? Or is this all normal? Is it normal that when I pull up to certain stores my daughter immediately says "don't touch", "be a good girl". These are questions I find myself pondering several times throughout the week. I mean how normal is it that my child takes my credit card and swipes it through the crevice in the exercise machine only to look at me and say "I get some money mommy"? Or that she is absolutely as excited about shoes as I am, and she's already my best shopping buddy. My daughter will walk into a clothing store, pull something off the rack and tell me " look mommy, it's cute" or "cool"! My absolute favorite thing to do in this world is shopping and it would seem that I have already passed this onto my daughter. On the upside, she loves to say the blessing at meals, and say her prayers before bed time. She has excellent manners when it comes to saying please and thank you! She even says them in three languages! She loves to give hugs and kisses, even to very new acquaintances. At the end of the day I'm so blessed to have her and I'm so thankful for that mirror. I absolutely want my daughter to know that I love her more than words could describe and I adamantly refuse to let her develop my temper. I guess all mommies are works in progress just like our children. If we are going to mold our children we have to be reflecting and growing as an artist too?

Wordless Wednesday #6

2008-07-02T00:13:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday To My Best Friend! The most amazing husband and the world's great dad, Timothy!

Wordless Wednesday #5

2008-06-25T00:45:00.001-04:00

My proposal story!

2008-06-24T23:58:00.003-04:00

Hey all! The folks over at 5minutesformom.com are having a dvd giveaway contest. They are looking for the best proposal story to win a romantic dvd prize package in honor of the new release Definitely, maybe. You can also checkout http://www.definitelymaybemovie.com/ for a $5 off coupon!

My husband and I met randomly through the aol member search directory in the summer of 1999. My husband is German and was not doing so hot in his English class, so he went in search of a pen pal to help him. I was 17 and he was 19. We talked for 9 months over the internet and on the phone. We thought it would be lots of fun to finally meet just as friends, so he flew in to Atlanta to take me to my senior prom! As soon as he stepped out of customs we were gone on each other. He scooped me up and twirled me around in his big german arms and called me his princess, in that super sexy accent. I melted! We fell for each other that weekend and decided to give the long distance relationship a chance. Two and a half years later we were both deep into our college studies and struggling through seeing each other only every 6 months or so but talking daily! He wanted me to feel secure in our relationship even though we were so far apart. So he wanted us to get engaged even though we wouldn't actually marry until we graduated. There was a huge obstacle in our way, the engagement ring! Engagement rings are more or less an American thing and Timothy didn't have much money, actually he had no money. Don't get me wrong I didn't expect anything huge but I knew I wanted some semblence of a ring, I mean doesn't every girl? Well, desperate Timothy wrote to a german tv show called love stories telling them that I was to visit that Christmas and that he desperately wanted to propose to me but that alas, he could not afford any kind of ring, and could they please help him. Well, unbeknownst to him they called me. They told me that Timothy had entered a contest for people with a great love story. The prize was the fullfillment of his secret wish and that we had won! They offered to fly me there and to surprise him with my presence and the fullfillment of his wish. They led me to believe that we were going on some great date to a fancy restaurant and show. They also told me that since I was under 21 I needed a video of my parents giving me permission to be on german tv. I thought that was odd since the drinking age was 14, and the driving age 18. But hey, they were offering to fly me for free to see my boyfriend so I didn't ask a lot of questions. They took their tv cameras to his University and pulled him out of class in front of all his peers and took him to the studio. I was unable to see what was going on during the show and was told that we were the last couple. Meanwhile at the beginning of the show they brought Timothy on and read his letter, they also read a letter of another girl who wanted a plane ticket to see her boyfriend who lived in the UK. Well, the two of them would have to compete to see who got what they wanted and only one could win. They brought out a huge plastic cow and had the two of them milk it. Whoever got the most milk won their specific prize (the plane ticket, or the ring). Well, they rigged it by putting a sponge in her side and Timothy won by a landslide. So he went to sit back down in his seat in the audience thinking he was done. At the end of the show, the host came back to Timothy and asked him now that you have the ring what will you do? Timothy replied that he would have to call my parents and ask them for permission to marry thier daughter, as is the American custom. Well, then the video I brought of my parents giving permission for me to be on tv played, it was actually their permission for us to get married. Timothy began to cry as my father told him welcome to the family! So the host then said "well, you have the ring and the permission, now what?" So timothy told them that I was to come at Christmas and he would propose to me then. The host then told Timothy that something had come early for Christmas, the stage doors opened and out I popped! Timothy dropped to his knee imediately, and gave the most beautiful unrehearsed suprise proposal ever! I shakily got out a yes, and he scooped me up once more twirled me around and we gave each other a great big kiss for all of Germany to see! We both graduated in December 2004 and were married May 2005. We just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary and are as much in love as ever!

Wordless Wednesday #4

2008-06-11T01:19:00.001-04:00

Communication is key ... my pet peeve!

2008-06-07T01:44:00.000-04:00

The more I'm around other couples the more I learn about communication as a key in any relationship! My husband and I met on the internet over 8 years ago! we did nothing but talk to each other for 9 months before we ever met in person! Needless to say communication is not a problem for us. I'm completely comfortable telling my husband exactly what I'm thinking just about all the time and vice versa! I can't count the number of times I have had friends confide in me their problems with their men and the whole time I'm thinking did you tell him what you are telling me now? I mean honestly if it drives you absolutely nuts that he can't seem to put a new garbage bag in the can after taking out the trash then just tell him! Or, if you really really want diamond earrings for your birthday and you get new pajamas or a vaccuum cleaner that means you are not being clear, it is not all his fault! It is my experience that women understand subtleness and hints, in general men do not! If you want to be happy then you have to spell it out in no uncertain terms what it is that you want. Instead of wasting your breath complaining to your best girlfriend that your beau just won't give you a night off from diaper duty, feedings, and bathtime try telling him! I love that movie with Mel Gibson "what women want"! Well you know what men really want, a woman that will just tell them what's going on instead of speaking in code all the time! I see it with my own mom, she'll be complaining and saying I can't believe your father just did that, or forgot this or whatever, and I'm just thinking to myself the whole time well did you tell him ....
I keep seeing these articles about sexless marriages and how couples aren't intimate after they have children and I promise you it's not the kids fault ... it's a lack of communication! If you are in the mood TELL THE POOR GUY! If you are not in the mood, TELL HIM, do not fake anything because you just make him feel unattractive and inadequate! It is perfectly normal that after a long day of running after kids and being pounced on that you do not feel like being pounced on again and all you really want is a back rub and your pillow! Now, you can't always just want a back rub and your pillow and you'll find that as you open yourselves up to more communication that you will want more intimacy more frequently! I believe just about anything and everything can be fixed by communication and education! Just by being open, honest and communicating with your man you will also be educating him on how to love you and be the kind of husband that you want and vice versa.

Disclaimer: You cannot be too open about your mother in law, and there is a difference between communicating and nagging!

Wordless Wednesday #3

2008-06-04T23:51:00.001-04:00

I know this is supposed to be wordless but I have to use this opportunity to plug my little sis 'aka' the best aunt in the world! She's competing for 10k in scholarships in a couple weeks and for the title of Miss Tennessee to go onto the Miss America pageant ... She's a great gal and a hard worker. If y'all would just take a moment to stop by this link http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=MSTENNVOTE and cast a vote for the last girl, Miss Fall Fest, Victoria in the people's choice poll I would really appreciate it! You can also check out her website www.myaims.info to learn more about her community service, education, and competition info!

4 countries in 4 weeks!

2008-06-04T23:45:00.000-04:00

Wow am I tired. My little princess and I have done 4 countries in the last 4 weeks. I have to tell you, now that she's two and I can use the car seat on the plane boy is travel easier! I think the hardest time to travel by plane with a child is once they can walk until they turn two! When Audrey was itty bitty she'd sleep the whole flight in the little baby cot that attaches to the bulk head on the mother and child row. But once she could sit up and then stand up I couldn't sleep anymore because I had to worry about her waking up and getting out of the darn thing! And it only got harder when she out grew the baby cot and wasn't quite two. Audrey is a great little traveler, I guess because we are so seasoned at it but I gotta tell you being able to strap her in to her trusty car seat with no worries was the easiest least stressful travel we've ever had! I definitely recommend that if your child is not yet two and you can afford to purchase the other seat .... DO IT! It's worth every penny! We're still traveling so I'm lagging on the blogging but I'll get better next week when things slow down! Thanks for reading!

Wordless Wednesday #2

2008-05-28T07:45:00.001-04:00

The kid in you contest!

2008-05-19T17:44:00.001-04:00

The folks over at 5minutesformom.com are having another photo contest! This time they are giving away a Wii! The challenge is to show the kid in you. Well, this is my 21 year old sister and my 25 year old self pretending to lick the gigantic Ice cream sundae (made of ice) last Christmas at the Ice exhibition in Orlando. I don't think it gets much more childish than that, although if I was allowed to enter a 2nd photo I do have one of us pretending to be offended by Santa's BO. I guess I'll save that one for the next contest. I hope you get a giggle out of this one.

Why the big move?

2008-05-17T01:49:00.000-04:00

There are lots of reasons to go abroad and I thought I would share mine at the request of a reader. In truth, I went kicking and screaming. My whole life I always thought I would end up in the little house with the white picket fence not too far from my parents :D Well, the backstory is that my husband and I graduated university in December were married in May and preggers by July! He had an awesome job in Atlanta and so we moved from Tampa to Atlanta, no big deal. Well, two months after our little princess arrived my husband was let go due to cutbacks. A big blow for newlyweds and new parents who were starting from scratch! My husband frantically began searching for a new job and we were blessed that through a contact at one of his internships in college he flew to Germany for an interview with his present company. He landed the job and I was less than thrilled, but the offer just couldn't be turned down. I kept trying to figure out God's will for us and to seek guidance for what we should do. We had no other offers and our only options were to go live with my parents until we found something, take a huge pay cut for a less prestigous job (an unacceptable consequence to the male ego), or to take this opportunity abroad. So we went much to the despair of my mother. We are very fortunate in that my husband works for an awesome company. The benefits are out of this world and he makes almost 3 times what he was making in the states! The main reason we made the leap was because the money would allow me to stay home with our daughter, and that was one of our top priorities. If you are a young couple just starting out and your hubby is not a doctor or a lawyer you can forget about staying home! My heart just breaks for the mom's that have to leave the children behind to work when they would choose to stay home if they could. When they put my daughter in my arms I just couldn't imagine being parted from her or trusting her care to anyone but me. The longer we are here the benefits just keep coming! They will pay for our children's schooling including the priciest private school on the island, they pay for us to go home once a year, the salary and bonuses are phenominal, and the company is extremely family oriented! They even throw a Christmas party every year just for the employee's children complete with dinner buffet , Santa Clause, and a present for each child suited to their age. On top of that we live in a very safe environment ... People don't lock their doors or their cars, I can go for a walk around my neighborhood at night, I can go shopping and the store clerks will watch my daughter while I shop !!!! I don't have to worry about pedophiles, thieves, rapists, etc... I think they had 1 murder in the entire country last year and it was nowhere near our town! Going abroad is not easy, and should be well thought out and researched. A lot depends on the country that you are going to and the reason for going there. I definitely wouldn't have made the leap if it hadn't been for all the benefits that the company threw at us! My husband and I talked to many people, we even went for "counseling" to help us discuss better his reasons for going and my reasons for staying! At the end of the day I knew that if I denied him this opportunity for the job of a lifetime our entire family would end up paying for it. I also knew that I wanted to stay home with our daughter and this was the only way. In a nutshell, the reasons for going abroad were the same reasons anyone moves anywhere: better education, more money, safe environment, and overall quality of better living, the tradeoff instead of living in the little house with the white picket fence not too far from my family and friends, I live in a little house with a pool 4 km from the mediterranean sea and a very long plane ride away from my family and friends.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-05-14T16:12:00.000-04:00

mommy moments

2008-05-04T04:54:00.000-04:00

The folks over at 5minutesformom.com are having many mother's day contests and this is my entry for the flash drive. I suggest you pop over there and check it out. I have so many great mommy moments especially since Audrey and I travel so much together.
Last Spring we spent four months in Singapore. Singapore is one of those cities where you either walk everywhere or take a taxi. One day, I walked out of our apartment building with Audrey in tow in her stroller threw up my hand like I had everyday for the last month and hollored TAXI! Then I heard this little voice say Taxi and looked down to see Audrey sitting up as far as she could with her hand way up over her head! To this day, a year later, anytime we are near a street and a car goes whizzing by she sticks her hand up and yells ... TAXI! As soon as she does that I'm transported back to that moment and I can't help but smile!

Living Abroad

2008-04-28T02:27:00.001-04:00

The decision to live abroad is not an easy one, especially if you already have children. In all my travels and the places that we have lived I've noticed there are two types of women abroad. There is the woman who embraces the decision she has made with her family to move to a new country. She accepts the challenge of setting up a home all alone, without her parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles nearby. She looks forward to making new acquaintances and to find new friends not only for herself but for her children and possibly her husband too. Then there is the woman who is miserable and makes everyone around her miserable too. She has never accepted the move to a new country even though she came willingly. She is constantly laying guilt on her husband, complaining to everyone she meets about how much she hates being where she is and most importantly she cheats her children out of the opportunity to explore a new country and culture with an open mind. The first woman will be happy where she is and her family will be happy, she will always miss her family and most likely always cling to the hope of returning home someday. The second woman will be miserable no matter where she is because she is unhappy with the person that she is. Her marriage will most likely fail or at the least be scarred permanently and her family will in turn fall apart. Which woman are you? The internet has been an amazing source of help to me in finding new friends, groups, and clubs to become a part of and to start my life anew in a foreign country. My advice to any woman going abroad is to remember that you made the decision to go so now instead of focusing on what you have left behind focus on what you have yet to find. Identify your interests and find these elements in your new environment. You can't make friends sitting at home waiting for them to find you.