Memorial Weekend in Aqaba Cntd.

The entire weekend we were sitting on the beach watching (and hearing) this stage be created for a wedding reception. They had a huge crew of men that started the construction with one small 2X4. It was quite the ordeal that took three days to build, and then it was taken down in a few mere hours after the celebration. We had the pleasure of witnessing the beginning of the party from our lounge chairs. The bride tried to arrive by boat, but the Red Sea was abnormally rough that night so she could not get from the boat to the pier! They finally parked the boat in the marina and she arrived to the party by golf cart. They had a full band escorting her and fireworks going off. It was quite the show!

Room service on the balcony of our room. Does it get any better than this? Best part, the burgers cost about the same as McDonald's!

And Colin topped off his meal with some ice cream at the beach. This boy LOVES ice cream. Well, actually, he loves ALL FOOD!

We went snorkeling at the public beach and ran into our friends the Hoffmans who were scuba diving. As you can see from the background, the best view at the Red Sea is under the water! That is Saudi Arabia behind us.

The below picture is of the locals at the public beach. I got a lot of funny looks that day. I thought it was because we were Westerners. But later I realized they were just watching Gaby and I enter the water in the wrong spot. We had to carefully try to get into the sea without stepping on any of the coral reef. This resulted in me losing my balance and falling on a very large and sharp sea urchin. I am sure the locals thought I was super classy! It was very painful and I had a black speckled bottom afterward. Later at the hotel Alex tried, unsuccessfully, to remove what I thought were black sea urchin particles from my injured area. Word to the wise: I learned on the internet, a few days later, that when you fall on sea urchins they leave black dye in your skin. It may "look" like you have little "splinters" in your skin, but in actuality it is just dye. So, basically Alex was trying to remove nothing! Yes, you may stop laughing now!

Wadi Rum Trip with 5th grade

I have been meaning to write about the field trip I went on with Gaby and the 5th graders. We went to Wadi Rum, the desert area in Southern Jordan. We had a great trip. We rode in a tour bus to get there, then we had to ride in jeeps to get to our camp. The kids had a blast hiking, climbing sand dunes, and sleeping under the stars. We had great weather and a great group. I loved the buffet dinner they served us at the camp, it was quite the spread of yummy Arabic food. We did not get much sleep, but it was a very wonderful trip.

Alex's Meritorious Honor Award

So, let me brag about Alex for a minute. He received a meritorious honor award this week at the embassy. This is the second time he has received this award (he was a recipient in Mexico as well). I think he received a cash reward with it, but he is not telling me too much about that part! Alex does not like to be recognized, but he should be more often. He always excels at everything he does. I have heard from many people here that he has helped them in one way or another. Congrats Al!

Modern Technology

The kids really enjoy talking to friends and relatives on Skype. In this picture Gaby is showing my dad her pet chicken.

Weekend of Site Seeing

My mom and brother (Percy) have been visiting us for the past two weeks. While they have been here they have visited Jerusalem, Sea of Galilee, and Tel Aviv. They have also spent time with us here in Jordan visiting Petra and Jerash.

Yesterday we went to Petra and hiked a total of 10 kilometers. For the most part, the kids did well - we only had to resort to a donkey ride for the steep walk up to the monastery. The rock formations, carving dating back several thousand years, and the views were impressive. All along the route, there were locals offering donkey, camel, and horse rides. Bedouins also were selling jewelry, carvings, and sand bottles. My mom said that it was the perfect combination of hiking and being outdoors while being able to shop at the same time.

Today we visited the ruins at Jerash. There we saw a show where the locals reenact Roman-era battle scenes, chariot rides, and gladiator fights. After the show, we were able to take pictures with the performers.

Mother's Day

In Jordan, our weekend is Friday and Saturday. Even after two years of this schedule, I have not become accustomed to heading into work and starting the week on Sunday. Going into work on Mother's Day also did not seem natural.

When we all returned from school and work on Mother's Day, we had a family dinner and went around the table saying why we love our mother. Answers ranged from: "she makes me food" (Colin) to "she helps me with my handwriting (Andrew) to "she buys me clothes" (Gaby). We also went around the table answering Mommy Trivia.

Pets Arrive at the Hawkes' Nest

All along I have told my kids that we would not be getting pets any time soon. As it is now, Shelley and I have our hands full taking care of three kids.

Earlier this month, the kids came home from school to find two small, perhaps three week old, chicks in our backyard. I imagine that some neighbors bought Easter chicks, had them in their apartment for a few weeks, and then realized they hadn't thought ahead to when these chicks would get bigger and noisier. They then probably threw them over the wall and into our yard.

For a minute I thought of using my Chilean grandfather's time-tested technique of taking a taxi ride with unwanted pets and leaving them in the back seat of the taxi. However, my Chilean grandmother's animal-loving side of me did not allow me to do this. So, we ended up keeping them.

The kids came up with names for their new pets: Toot and Puddle (from a book series). Gaby has impressed me by being very responsible and diligent in feeding the birds, cleaning their cage, and giving them time outside their cage each day.

Since we leave Jordan in a month and a half, I need to find a long-term home for them. If anyone has an idea of how to pawn them off, let me know.