First Week

Thanksgiving Day- At Hilton Resort Beach

Hello everyone! Well, I've been here a week and so far so good. I am moved into my apartment now, so enjoy the pictures of where I live. I don't have much of a view, nor do I want to post pictures showing my exact location, so you'll just have to trust me on that. Anyway, here is a brief snapshot of my week:

Sunday- Flying

Monday- Still traveling (arrived at 5:50pm local time)

Tuesday- Got day off to recover from jet lag

Wednesday- First day of work, spent all day in-processing

Thursday - No work, since it was Thanksgiving!

Friday- Spent all day in-processing

Saturday- Got paid for 10 hours of Overtime for doing absolutly nothing but waiting- nice!

Sunday- Get the day off and will go to church on post around 5pm

My Bedroom

My Bathroom

Laundry Room and Second Bathroom

Office

Kitchen

Dining Room

Living Room

Living Room- Still havn't figured out how to work the tv!

Well, hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I got to move into my new apartment that day. Once I got here and dropped off my stuff a couple of us then headed to the Hilton Resort for Thanksgiving feast. The Hilton put on a nice spread for the troops here, and since we know the right people, we got in as well. After enjoying a few hours on the beach we then headed to the Avenues which is this enormous shopping center. I needed a hair dryer since mine was going to blow up on me... even with the converter it was sparking and getting really, really hot. Not good! So, I bought pretty much the cheapest one they had and it cost me approximately $24! Things here are really expensive. Seriously, I got a little travel size hair dryer that would have cost no more then $10 in the states. So, shopping is fun, but it will pretty much be window shopping for me! The rest of the day I just spent organizing my apartment. It was a good Thanksgiving, but I definitly missed being with family and enjoying homemade rolls and homemade pie!

Thanksgiving Feast Pictures

Attila and I on Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Feast was held in the tent on the right

At The Hilton Resort Beach

So, here are a few more observations about this country: 1- I have seen absolutly zero bugs other then flies (and flies are pesky and everywhere) 2- Dust is everywhere and everything is coated in a nice layer of dust, so trying to keep things clean is virtually impossible. 3- In public restrooms they only have this paper stuff that feels like toilet paper to dry your hands. 4- So far the weather has been beautiful and in the upper 70's, but becuase of the air conditioning I still wear my jacket! 5- People cross the street where ever and whenever they want... yes, it typically forces you to slam on your brakes so you don't hit them! 6- Driving is crazy- I wish all of you could experience this. Here are a few, very common, things that happen here and I've witnessed all of these things in the short time I've been here: a. A ton of people do not drive with their lights on. b. Reversing on the freeway because they missed an exit. c. If there are two lanes turing left the right lane (or outside lane) will make a u-turn right in front of you even though they are not in the inside lane. d. People ride the line-pick a lane! e. People cut you off constantly- and they just come over without signaling. f. People are impatient and will pass you on the shoulder or the sidewalk... see picture below.

There was a guy walking on the sidewalk. You should have seen his look as he turned to see the truck heading right for him! Also, the little car was scared to death as well. It was pretty funny!

g. Traffic circles (AKA roundabouts) are pure chaos... no lines, no rules- its a fight for your life! Okay, there are two rules for circles - traffic in the circle has the right of way, and the inside lane has the right of way. So, that means if there are three lanes of traffic in this circle the inside lane needing to exit can cut the other two lanes of traffic off in order to make their exit. Nice! h. People drive at ridiculous speeds... if the speed limit is 120K (or about 75MPH) people will fly past you like you are standing still. i. People will stop where ever for any reason.... sometimes to drop their family off, sometimes to look at a map, sometimes just becuase they are waiting for someone, etc. etc. etc j. People will exit a bus anywhere... they don't even come to a complete stop and you'll see people jumping off. I've heard they get on anywhere as well, even while the bus is rolling.

Nice huh? Now can you understand a little bit why I'm so nervous to drive here? It is seriously nuts and extreemly stressful for me to get behind the wheel. Luckily I have been blessed with one of the closest apartments possible, so my commute is only 15 minutes versus and hour like some people have.

My Car! J/K I was given an SUV not a Ferrari!

My work conditions are okay... I was definitly spoiled working at Buckley. I have a tiny cubicle vs an office, the bathrooms are accross the street (yes, it is at least running water), and I am constantly breathing in dust. I will work at least 10hour days, 6 days a week with Sunday's off. So, unless it is a holiday I will not get a chance to "do" anything but work and come home and read, blog, e-mail, etc for a couple hours before heading to bed. I eat at the dining facility (DFAC) and they food is not bad... you get a ton of food for $2.50 for breakfast and about $4 for lunch and $4 for dinner. I know I will get tired really fast of eating there, but the alternative is spending a lot of money to buy groceries. At least at the DFAC I can eat a little more healthy, too since they have fruits and veggies. I'm either going to lose a lot of weight because I will be tired of eating there or I will get fat since there is so much food! Anyway, there are a lot of good people who I work with, so I think I will enjoying being at work. I am looking forward to getting a workload so I feel like I've accomplished something. Yesterday, I sat outside for 10hours waiting to get my badge. I did absolutely nothing all day but I got paid for 10 hours of overtime! Got to love it! Check out my boots... yes, they are a complete fashion statement, but it keeps my shoes from getting destroyed! Have a fabulous week everyone! Love you all!

New Adventure

Well, here I am in Kuwait... I never would have imagined I would be saying that. Aside from simply providing my resume and being offered the position, it definitely has not been easy to get here. I feel that either I am really not supposed to be here, or there is a purpose for me here and someone is fighting really hard to keep me from fulfilling that purpose. I'm hoping it is the second reason. Seriously though, there have been hurdles all along the way- probably to discourage me and to make me second guess my confirmation that this is where I need to be. Some of the battles I've faced include my report date, getting a physical scheduled, immunizations, medical losing my blood, keeping my ID card, rescheduling flight plans and coming straight to Kuwait versus a stay in Germany, flight was delayed and made me almost miss my connecting flight to Kuwait, etc, etc, etc. At any rate, I am here and so far things have gone really smooth.

This past month has flown by as I was trying to get things ready to go. I am very blessed to have great friends who I tried to spend some time with before heading out. Also, I was very spoiled to have family in Denver. My got to spend my final evening in Denver with family. I invited the Showell clan to Jared and Katie's place Saturday evening for a nice dinner. I also asked Jared to give me a blessing - I am so grateful for him and the fact that I got to spend the past 4-1/2 years living with, or near, my bro. Thanks for everything Jared!

Well, Sunday was the big day that I flew out. We were delayed in Denver by 45 minutes and my layover in DC was only one hour. So, I was getting a little nervous about not making my flight. Well, I did make it and even survived the 12 hour flight (actually it was 3 hours from Denver to DC, and then 12 hours from DC to Kuwait). Attila was there to greet me at the airport and we went to the market to pick up a few groceries, to visit, and to enjoy a cinnabon before coming to my temporary housing which has shared common space, but I have my own room. I got all setteled into the posh temporary housing and was told I could be here for up to 5 weeks. Well, after I got all unpacked (of course), I received a phone call saying that my apartment is ready for me to move into. Nice! So, I will get all moved into my new place on Thursday.

I was given the day off today to give me time to adjust to the 10 hour time difference. It really wasn't that difficult for me to adjust... I went to bed at Midnight Kuwait time and slept until 8am. Even though it was like 2pm to my body I was still exhausted from the long trip so I fell right asleep.

Just a few observations so far about Kuwait: it is very westernized and I recognize a lot of eating establishments and name brands in the grocery store (no yoplait though- very sad), things here are expensive ($4 for a small box of Honey Nut Cheerios), it is windy, it gets dark about 5pm, double locks (turn the key twice to get the lock fully extended), I have to use the key to unlock my door and to lock myself in, driving here is insane, and lastly, there are nice people where ever you go in this world!

Well, until next time.... Love you all!

Weekend Festivities

Hope everyone had a very happy Halloween! Jared and Katie rented out the clubhouse and threw an awesome party! They did a great job with the planning, the decorations, and the food! We played Halloween bingo and Halloween pictionary... good times! There was karaoke and Halloween twister, and a lot of cute costumes. Thanks for throwing a great party J & K! Here are some pictures... you can also see some if you visit Jared and Katie's blog.

Saturday morning I went shooting with Uncle Steve and Cassie. I didn't do so great... I think I keep getting worse every time I go! The first round I got 14 and the second time I shot 16 out of 25... I did okay, but not great. Anyway, here are some pictures from that event.

Lastly, wish I could tell Dad happy birthday in person - been thinking of him all day!

Moments That Have Shaped My Life

When I was listening to conference a few weeks ago during the Sunday afternoon session I was reflecting over my life and thought of a few moments that have helped shape me into who I am. I could have come up with many, many more, but these are the few I thought of without having to try hard. I’ve placed them in chronological order where possible. 1. When I first got my contacts (I got contacts before I got glasses) I remember looking out the window and looking at the mountains and thinking to myself how beautiful this world is that we live in. 2. Walking off the field at the last soccer game I played in High School and not having Dad there to greet me. This was the only game he missed because I told him not to come since it was so far away. 3. The kindness of friends who really want to hear the answer to the question “How are you?” 4. The phone call received at 6:00am one February morning. 5. Playing tennis with my brothers and brother-in-law. 6. Ryan and I played doubles in intramural tennis in Logan. There was one day when Ryan and I were walking to the courts and Ryan said, “Jules, it doesn’t matter whether we win or not, I’m just happy to be playing with you!” 7. The notes I received from Ryan as he stopped by the bookstore to say hi (that was the only place he knew he could find me!) I think I still have some of those notes. 8. Attending a retirement ceremony or a funeral where the flag is folded, saluted, and handed to the mother of the retiree or to the widow. The reverence and respect shown makes for a very powerful moment. 9. The night I received my endowment in the Salt Lake Temple. My entire family was there with me and I was so happy that Mom was my escort! 10. Being in the Nauvoo temple and feeling the incredible spirit there and having the knowledge that the Lord loves each of us! When I walked out of the temple it was a gorgeous sunset, my thoughts turned to my Dad and I knew he was close. 11. Walking into my bedroom to find Jared had built me a beautiful bookshelf. 12. The trust friends have in me as they tell me things in confidence. 13. A phone call from Jessica just to tell me that my nieces started crying when they learned that I would not be with them over Christmas to go sledding with them. 14. Sunday phone calls with Momasita! 15. The confidence others place in me as I am told of new leadership opportunities that are given to me: Youth City Council Mayor, PBL Executive Vice President, SABER Lead, Acting Team Lead, PWS Team Lead, etc, etc, etc. 16. Phrases people have said to me: (And yes, I still remember the specific people who said these!) a. “You are like the sister I never had.” b. "You are awful at dancing.” c. “You were a great soccer player.” d. “You are a peon who picks up my gravel.” e. “Just be a sponge.” f. “Your paper was wonderful from beginning to end. Why do you let others overshadow you?” g. “You must be important now, you have a blackberry!” h. “You made her day.” Some are seemingly small things, but typically it is the small things that impact me the most.

Fabulous Week

Well, I just spent a fabulous week in Utah. It seriously was so nice to be home and chill with Momasita, Jessica and her kids. I love being home and being somewhat lazy… well, as lazy as I will let myself be anyway!

I got in at 12:30pm on Saturday, Oct 11th. Jessica picked me up from the airport and we headed out to Mom’s house. Our first order of business was to hook up the computer and internet. Mom begrudgingly agreed to have Qwest add the internet to her monthly service. So, when I arrived on Saturday the modem and service was just waiting for me to hook it all up with the laptop I brought. It is so nice to finally have the internet when I go home! I feel lost without it. Now Mom has the capability to skype and I will be able to talk to her when I’m in Kuwait(23 Nov is the big day by the way)!

That evening was a Stake Fall Festival Celebration. So, we all headed to the church for dinner and then for dancing afterwards. It was a lot of fun to dance with the little ones… Tay is a natural and Rylee and Jayson are just plain cute, so it was a good time. Not very often do you have an opportunity to dance when there are kids around.

One Pumpkin for Each Grandkid! (there really are 6 orange for the girls and 3 green for the boys)

Mom and I got to enjoy a lazy Sunday morning watching the round table discussion, tabernacle choir, and the Joseph Smith Letters before getting ready and heading to church. It was a good three hour meeting block. That evening there was a special meeting regarding the splitting/combining of two wards to make three. Since Mom is in the Stake Relief Society Presidency, she wanted to be there to learn who the new bishopric was. After that we got to go home and play our traditional Sunday Scrabble game! Good times!

Monday through Wednesday Mom had to work. So while she went to work I pretty much took care of things like paying my bills, fighting with my dental insurance, washed dishes, and worked. Yeah, I know, I’m on vacation and shouldn’t be working! However, when you’re the one in charge you kind of feel all responsible and stuff and I have a lot that really should get done by Tuesday! So, it actually was kind of nice to have the peace and quiet I got at home. Monday afternoon I got my haircut- it’s about time! Then Mom and I went shopping and picked up a movie, “Made of Honor” for that evening. Tuesday evening was a combined enrichment meeting. Marie Ricks is a popular educational speaker who came out and did a presentation on “Organize Your Life”. She did an excellent job! I enjoy things like that and I’m amazed that there is always something new to learn even when you hear the same topic over and over. One of her tips was to get rid of ½ of your stuff… a good example is shoes. Do you really need 50 pairs of shoes? A good rule of thumb to go by is if an item is useful and needed you keep it, if it is useful but not needed you share it (give to D.I.), if it is not useful and not needed you discard it. Wednesday Mom made it home by 2:30pm so we made a Wal-Mart run before heading into Kohl’s to meet up with Jessica. I was on a mission to find a cute jacket, an undershirt, and shoes to wear with my dress for Saturday’s wedding. Piece by piece the outfit slowly came together. Over the next few days we spent a lot of time shopping! Anyway, Wednesday evening Sean had the kids, so Mom, Jessica, and I had a good time shopping and then we went to Chili’s for dinner. It was a fun evening just hanging with my Mom and sis. Thursday and Friday Mom didn’t have to work since it was UEA. Mom had her last dentist appointment Thursday morning up in Clearfield, so while she was getting that taken care of I took the car and went on a search for a wedding gift. I tell you I did a lot of shopping throughout the week! Anyway, Mom’s teeth look great and she is so darn little- she is a Hot Momma! After the dentist we spent the day with Jess and her kidlets. I jumped on the tramp, played soccer, danced, listened to Tayler read stories, played games while we were in the car, and enjoyed just being there. Jayson is a cutie, but he was not real sure about me. Oh well, Tayler and Rylee love me, so that made me feel good! Thursday, we made a trip over to the house that Jess and Sean might move into. It is a gorgeous house which will be fun to choose all the decor as it is getting finished. We then did even more shopping- shocker! Mom and I spent the night at Jess’ house so we visited with Jess well into the evening before calling it a day. Friday morning Mom and I headed out to run a few errands before breakfast (in other words, more shopping.) After breakfast we headed out to do even more shopping. The good news is I was able to find everything I needed, which is a good thing because I was running out of time. Once we got back to Jess’ from shopping we had to round up our stuff and head out. It was sad to say goodbye. We went straight from Jessica’s to spend a couple hours with Grandma. We bought her some new clothes and held a fashion show to see if we guessed correctly on sizes. We then sat out in the courtyard to enjoy the beautiful day and sing songs (okay, Mom and Grandma sang… they were all the oldie goldies that I didn’t know!) When we got home Friday night we finished getting my outfit ready (had to alter the dress and the shirt so it fit correctly). Then we played one last scrabble game while munching on turtle check mix…. Got to love it! Oh, it was so nice to be home. Jess is a great sister and I love spending time with her. Thanks Jess for always putting on an amazing meal (whether it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner) and for letting us stay at your house and play with your cute kids! I expect Rylee to be the next American Idol since she is always singing- so cute! Keep dancing and playing soccer Tay, you are very talented little girl who is a cutie and has a big heart! Jayson is a happy little guy, who will hopefully stay that way! Thanks Mom for the fun time hanging with you this week. I love our scrabble games, the lounging and being lazy, the gospel discussions, the fun meals, and good times we share. Thanks for helping me with all my projects. I really am spoiled, you are the best, love ya tons! So, Mom dropped me off at the airport on Saturday (Oct 18th) at 10:30am and that ends my very fun week at home, but not the end of my fabulous week. My flight landed at 1:30pm- right on schedule. A big thanks to Jared and Katie who didn’t really pick me up at the airport, but brought me my car so I could get to this wedding. Thanks guys! I headed straight from the airport to Brighton where the wedding was held. Congrats to my good friends Lisa and David on their marriage! It was a beautiful day and everything was perfect. Thanks for letting me share the day with you- it was a good end to a fabulous week!

Survived Sedation

Well, I survived being heavily sedated! I got my wisdom teeth out on Friday, so I guess I am no longer smart. I opted to be put out and I am glad I did... it was weird to be hooked up to an I.V., have oxygen shoved up my nose, have a blood pressure thing on my arm, and have monitors on my chest and side. Okay, it was a bit different for me I'll admit, but overall it was kind of a cool experience! The surgery went fast and I loved "waking up" under a nice warm blanket and being oh, so relaxed! Big thanks to Katie for dropping me off, picking me up, and going to get my meds. Also, thanks to Lisa who kept me company Friday night. I wasn't able to drive anywhere and I was going in sane watching t.v. Seriously, after three hours of just sitting there staring at the t.v. I thought I was going to lose my mind... so thanks Lisa! Also, thanks to Ashlee for hanging with me Saturday night and taking me to get some Chick-fil-a! It tasted so good! Granted I had to pretty much gum it to death, so an hour later I still didn't finish the 6 piece chicken nugget kids meal, but it was yummy! It is true what they say... you really do get full when you eat slow. Oh, and sorry there are no pictures... I really don't look like a chipmunk (at least that is what people have told me) so that is a good thing. Well, I am still no closer to knowing when I am getting on a plane. I'm thinking it will be either November 9th or November 21st. Time will tell. Well, TTFN!

And The Winner Is…

Okay, so August 30th was the Abs Contest between Carol and I. Well, you will all be shocked (I’m sure) to know that I lost! I know, sad day, but it is true. Okay, here is how it went down, but I’m starting at the beginning of my weekend…

Friday, I had the day off since Monday (my regular day off) was also a Holiday. Well, after a lovely visit to the dentist I got to tend cute little Cayden that day. I got to be with him from about 9:30am until about 3:00pm. We had a good time… he is a cutie! After that I ran a friend to the airport before coming home and prepping for my party that evening. I hosted an all-girl party… it was a lot of fun. We made French bread pizza, played the wii, enjoyed root beer floats, and just had a good time. Saturday was the big abs contest. I woke up at 9:05am (got exactly 8 hours of sleep- Nice!) and went running, did an abs workout, and then jumped in the shower to get ready for company coming at 11:00am. The contest was between my friend Carol and I and the only other people here were the judges, Heather, Cat, and Carrie. We got judged in 4 areas: Poking Test, Definition, Boy Appeal, and Sit Up. I have rock hard abs so I won the Poking Test. The Definition went to Carol, and we were tied when it came to Boy Appeal and Sit Up (or how the stomach looks when you do a sit up). So, we were tied… it came down to an actual sit-up test…. Military style. Well, as soon as I heard that, I knew I had lost because I have not done a sit up (going all the way up to your knees) since High School if not before. So, basically I lost after doing 3 long minutes of sit-ups that kill my back and legs. It was pretty pathetic actually… I did 110 and Carol did 140. Congrats Carol! (Oh, Jenny and Questy, I still have not forgotten about your request, it is just a matter of pulling it from Jared's old hard drive.)

The Judges

Check out that pasty white stomach!

After the abs contest we went swimming and Jared, Katie, and Cayden even joined us. Then that evening a group of us went to Jim N’ Nicks BBQ (love their cheese biscuits) and to see Momma Mia the movie. It was an enjoyable day. I got to sleep in again on Sunday (I woke up 8 hours to the minute of when I went to bed). I was at the church from 11:00am until 4:00pm since I had a meeting and visiting teaching stuff to do before church. My good friends David and Lisa invited me over for dinner and games, so that evening I hung with them. Good times!

I Felt Very Loved!

I got a nice 4-hour nap before waking up at 4:00am so I could go to the Hot Air Balloon Classic in Colorado Springs on Labor Day. It was a lot of fun to be that close to the colorful balloons. The air was a little brisk, but the company was good and the event was fun. I enjoyed the hour-long drive there and the hour back since I got to visit with my good friend Ashlee! Oh, but the fun doesn’t stop there… it was a pretty packed day as you will see. As soon as I got back from the Springs I headed into Denver to meet up with David and Lisa so we could walk around the “Taste of Denver”. There are a lot of booths set up with different restaurants providing sample plates of food. It was free to get in and walk around, but all the food and little shops were expensive. So we went back to Lisa’s place and ordered food and played games. I left Lisa’s house and went straight to the golf course where I hooked up with some friends to play 9 holes. I did awful! Yep, I think I get worse each time I play a round of golf! It is still fun and I enjoy the sunshine! So, I had no sooner pulled into my apartment that I got a phone call from my friend Katie whose plane just landed. I ran my clubs inside and it ended up being perfect timing to pick her up from the airport. So, when I got home around 8:30pm I had enough time to sort my mail, do a few odds and end type stuff, and get ready for bed. I crashed at 10:30pm- pretty good for me, but I was pretty worn out from waking up so early, being in the sun a good part of the day, and from playing all day!

The Group of Early Risers So, there you have it, my crazy, fun, hectic Labor Day Weekend. It was so hard to go back to work today… but the good news is we’ve already made it halfway through the week! Until next time… Good night!