A Magical Weekend!

We started our magical weekend by going to "the most magical place on earth"--HK Disneyland. We figured a weekday was the best day to go to beat the crowds, and we didn't have school on Friday, so there we went! Ever since Judah graduated from a stroller to walking, he's been "training for Disneyland!" He definitely built up his endurance and made it throughout the long, full day without a single complaint!

What was Judah's favorite ride? "Space Mtn. was my last favorite cuz it was toooo scary!" He loved the Winnie the Pooh ride best. Small World wasn't thrilling enough, because we were "just floating in a boat," while on the Pooh ride, our little hunny pot rocked and jogged and wiggled every which way throughout the story. Avery was delighted with all of it (she probably wouldn't have enjoyed Space Mtn. either, though), except when during the parade, some colorful, smiley, larger-than-life, fairy tale creatures tried to "connect" with her (see video).

Seeing all these experiences through the eyes of a child? Priceless. After the parade, and right when a huge storm was blowing in, we left to meet up with a good friend, Rose Tyvand, and her girls, Talin and Alma (Judah and Avery's buds), on Lamma Island (Hong Kong). It's my favorite local place to get-away, for sure. The hotel where we stay has a balcony overlooking the bay with the ferry dock and dragon boats. We ate at some local, organic restaurants--pizza, Indian, yummy sandwiches, lots of fruit. Rose and I even got to do yoga with a live instructor (vs. on DVD, as we usu. do) while Robb offered to watch all four kids! (That scored points!) The beach is a 20-minute, lovely walk through to the other side of the island, down the main alleys and past some cool shops and more yummy restaurants. We took full advantage of the beautiful, beach-perfect weather and let the kids play, play, play in the sand and water all morning. There was even a shaded picnic area with the best 4-yr-old climbing tree!

Truly a magical weekend, and one we're hoping to re-live at least once before we leave this neck of the world!! (minus Disneyland)

Toot-Toots

about Avery and what she's up to these days...

she's strong-she can make her big brother cry in a wrestling match, lively-nonstop movin n' singin n' runnin' n' jumpin' n' dancin' (hence the fresh scar on her eyelid), she's loud, goofy-see photo to left, she's hungry-watch your food or she'll snatch it, playful-let's make faces and tickle each other, thrill-seeking-on the constant look-out for steep ramps to ride her baby scooter down, social-ALWAYS up for a playdate, she's verbal-stringin up to 4 words together in both english and chinese, she's busy-busy-busy, she's demanding-MOM! no response? MAWEA!, she's repentant (read eg. below)....there's never a dull moment with our little toot-toots around!

she's 19 mos. old now, has been calling me "marea" since 16 mos. (just when i'm not paying attention or out of sight), LOVES her nuks (binky) and LOVES her big brother.

she's been getting "time-outs" for screeching to express anger or frustration, so she sits in the chair with a grumpy look on her face for about 15-30 seconds, then gets down, runs to the offended and says, "saw-y, saw-y!"

we looove (SO MUCH) our sweet, little avery may!

Deep Thoughts, by Judah James....

It's time we started writing some of these down...

JJ: Lydia and I are friends now. We've been friends two times.
Mar: That's nice. You know, she won't be in China much longer. They're moving back to Wisconsin soon. That's where they make cheese!
JJ: Really? I love cheese!
Mar: I know! You should tell her that. And, ask her if she likes cheese.
JJ: I don't think that would be appropriate.


and later....
JJ: Lydia has a dog.
Mar: You should ask her what she does to take care of the dog.
JJ: I already know--feed it and drink it.
Mar: What else?
JJ: I don't know. That's it.
Mar: No, you have to take them outside to poop and pee, then clean it up!
JJ: Gross! I'm not gonna clean it up, you are!
Mar: No, I'm not! You can't have a dog 'til you're ready to scoop the poop!
JJ: Why don't we just leave it on the ground?

JJ: Mom, what do girls in England speak?

Mar: English, why?

JJ: I want to marry a girl from England, then.

Mar: Why not a girl from China?

JJ: Cuz I don't.

Mar: Why?

JJ: I don't understand Chinese.

random questions and comments:
"You stink."
"Who's the oldest--you or dad?"
"What if I was God?"
"When will I get to play with Jack and Vera again???"
"How old is Beppa again?"
"She's the funniest baby I never met!" (about Avery)
"I love you to the moon and back 100 million, trillion, 80 thousand times!"
"I can't WAIT to go to Sally Arania!"

A happy 37th bday and Valentine's!

I was recently reminded that I married a thoughtful, romantic man. (Yes, this is Marea typing.) Here's why:
2 weekends before my birthday, he took me on a "mystery date," as a "pre-birthday celebration." We had 5 hours+ of pampering with hairwashes, body massages and (met friends for) footrubs, then went with some friends to a tapenyaki (sp?) place for dinner. Sweet.

On Valentine's Day, other clueless wives/friends showed up with their husbands at our place at 3pm. We were given the first "clue" (a typed note rolled up and tied with red ribbon), which told us to sit on the deck and enjoy our chocolates, cheeses and crackers, and bottle of wine. Next, we were sent off to enjoy a footrub. The receptionist had the next clue, which sent us to the hairwash (we cannot get enough of the cheap massages, in case you didn't notice). We actually deviated from the plan, though, because 2 of us "just washed my hair!" and went to the local Irish pub for a brew instead. As dinnertime rolled around, here come our dashing, romantic husbands, each carrying a red rose for his wife. We ended the night laughing and eating and toasting each other with our spouses and good friends. Memorable.

If you aren't disgusted/envious enough already, for my BIRTHDAY, we went to Hong Kong to visit our friends, Sarah and Justin Walker, and their new baby girl, Taelyn Mackay, who had just been born in the hospital (she was only 1 hour old when we got there!). Then, Robb told me I had a set amount to spend at the jade market!! I got 7 new necklaces, 3 bracelets, and 2 chopstick sets, and had enough left over for dinner at my favorite restaurant--Ebeneezer's. Generous. So, this 38th year of my life is off to a great start, and I thank God for the many blessings He has given me.

Movin' on...

We have had an amazing time teaching the last 3 years in Shekou, China! While we've really enjoyed working at QSI Shekou, we have come to a conclusion that it is the right time for us to move on. The last few months have been crazy busy as we have been preparing for the ISS Bangkok Job Fair for overseas educators. This last week, Marea and I have were in Bangkok conducting intense interviews with directors of other schools from around the world. At the end of the job fair, we found ourselves with three offers: Caracas, Venezuela; Tianjin, China; and RasTanura, Saudi Arabia.

So... Where did the Boumas decide to go? SAUDI ARABIA! Yes, it sounds crazy, but it made the most sense for our family as Marea will not have to work immediately for the school and stay at home with Avery. She will be a teacher for the company that they can use later when needed.



Q: Where will we live?
A: Ras Tanura on the Persian Gulf in a camp on the beach. This is a very large camp with a golf course, bowling alley, dive club, yacht club, swimming pools, and a beautiful sandy beach to play on.

Q: Can we leave the camp?
A: Absolutely - we will leave several times during the week to go to local towns/villages and eat/shop/interact with locals.

Q: Does Marea have to dress up and wear anything?
A: Marea is able to dress normally when leaving the camp, although she will probably wear long pants and long sleeves. She does not have to cover her beautiful blond hair.

Q: Are there any restrictions for Marea?
A: They only restrict her from driving. When we drive to Dubai/Bahrain/Qatar/Red Sea, I will have to do all the driving --- ugh :)

While we knew the school in Saudi had one of the best reputations for schools in the world, we had a lot of these questions that needed to be answered before we even considered it as an option. The director eased our minds by saying that out of the 75 teachers in his school, he is only interviewing for 2 positions and that teachers stay because they love it. This spoke volumes to us.

So... we know Saudi Arabia is not a destination for most people (we've had several people visit us in China). Who wants to meet us in Europe? Egypt? Thailand (yes, it's still a reasonable flight)?

We're both looking forward to what God has in store for this next chapter of our lives. We prayed for an open door, and feel that he provided this for us. We are anticipating the amazing travel opportunities at the crossroads of the world: Egypt, Jordan, back to the mission base in Kenya, Maldives, Nepal, Bosnia (where several of our friends are teaching), Italy, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Holland, etc! It will also be interesting to compare middle eastern culture with China and SE Asia.

We will keep updating our blog from time to time. Bookmark our page and you'll be able to follow our travels!

It's December! Countdown to Christmas....

10 more days 'til we're on the plane home for the holidays and we CAN'T WAIT!! In the meantime, we'll be wrapping things up with students to end the 2nd quintile, meeting Santa at Judah's campus (hopefully Judah and Avery have been nice...), leaving the kiddies at home with Aling overnite for the first time while we go to Macau for Robb's first 1/2 marathon and Cirque du Soleil show, and finishing some Christmas shopping on this side of the world.

Check out some current album links--July, Sept., Oct. 2008! How time flies, uh? We had a smooth transition back to China for our third year, though Judah did not get into the school groove for a few weeks. Now, he's swimming, reading (level AA, but still!), and says school is "perfect!" Avery is speaking a lot of words both in Chinese and English, running!, dancing (just started incorporating hand motions), and still shrieking for no apparent reason. I'm enjoying teaching 10-year-olds again this year 1/2 days and afternoons with the kids, and Robb thrives as secondary principal. It's been good. We're so blessed.

Oct. holiday on Bintan Island in Indonesia, an hour ferry ride from Singapore was outstanding!(I'm loving the resort set-up: bountiful breakfast buffets, fine, sandy beach (Judah's first snorkel), enormous kiddie pool shallow enough for Avery, interesting people from all over the world, kids' club, and more!) We did a mangrove boat tour, which was a lot of fun--saw yellow-ringed mambas, a python (sleeping, fortunately), and a couple monitor lizards (see link). Singapore was, indeed, very clean and urban. We went to the zoo, which was outstanding--the best! We went on a boat tour around the city, checked out the international school, ate amazing Indian food, and found a ridiculously heavy merry-go-round at the park (that was a heckuva workout!). Our hosts, Patrick and Becky Green, were sooo gracious, generous and hospitable--thanks again!!
DongChong: We had a three-day weekend in Nov. following parent-teacher conferences. A perfect amount of time and a great time of year to go camping with twenty-some friends! We packed our tents, sleeping bags, and other camping gear, excited to sleep on the beach for a couple nights with the kids, though everyone else in the group was staying in the villas (way to rough it!). We ended up staying in a villa, too. (: Only a 2-hour drive to this picturesque, clean beach and fresh air--what a difference from where we live! Fun was had by all!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to your family from ours!

Summer 2008--WA, MI and OR Fun

Indeed, our summer holiday flew by entirely too swiftly. Fortunately, between mid-June and Aug. 1, we did a lot and re-connected with many. Here are some highlights:

Washington highlights:

...for Robb and Marea...fresh air, NW scenery, BBQ parties with family and friends, good eats!!, Gpa and Gma's mobile home in Birch Bay (temporary, ideal housing and location--thanks!!), TIME WITH LOVED ONES!

...for Judah....blueberry pancakes with Beppa, ALL of Auntie Sally's (and Darryl's) foods, cookies with Grammie, turning 4 years old!, playing with Alex and Emma, riding bikes around park, Brooke!, TV cartoons in the mornings, the bunkhouse, fresh strawberries, time with loved ones!!

...for Avery....learning to walk more proficiently, turning 1!, learning how to go to sleep at night without screaming her head off for 20+ minutes first, and of course, bonding with loved ones!

Michigan highlights:

...reconnecting with cousin, Meribeth, and her family, Moose Tracks ice cream, Marea's brother, Jason, and family--wife, Lynn, and two kids, MaryHelen and Noah. crashing the scooter (Marea), a night out in GR--the BOB, and I don't know the other places, but Robb crashed an open mike, staying at an incredible home on Lake MI: zip-line, small sailboat, playroom, firepit, S'mores, venison, squeaky sand, etc! And...TIME WITH LOVED ONES!

Oregon highlights:

...for Robb and Marea....hanging out with the Tyvands, Stalkers, and Woods, good eats and drinks, China charades (K204!), cleaning off filthy, dusty children, outdoor concert, TIME WITH LOVED ONES!

....for Judah and Avery....hand fishing at the lake, outdoor concert, creating dust storms, good eats, time with JACK and Vera, Talin and Alma, and Miss Molly, etc!

Soooo good to go home for an extended period of time during the best time of the year. And we're glad we'll be coming home for Christmas in a couple weeks this year, too!!

See more pictures by clicking on the links at the top!