Mom and Dad Briden this post is for you : ) My amazingly sweet, father in law has been compiling my blog and printing it for the past three years now. Thank you Dad Briden, it is a great gift for us all to remember our life and times during these years.


My in laws are two of my biggest followers when it comes to my blog and I so appreciate it! Lately though, they have made several comments for me to blog more frequently. I enjoy blogging, but life in Kuwait has been busier and harder than I expected. I have not had the cross cultural exchange I was hoping for to blog about. I guess I need to at least keep up with our family activities of late on our blog. Before I start though I want to share some of what I am involved in currently, so you will all understand how I spend my time when not asleep.


First, and most excitingly, I am going back to school to get my Bachelors degree in Maternal Child Health: Lactation Consulting. I went into nursing with the dream of becoming a Lactation Consultant, one wonderful husband and five important children came along and life was wonderfully busy. I now have three kids in school full time and hoefully two in pre-school next year, so I was ready to complete what was begun many years ago.

Second, I am so addicted to knitting! It takes up a great deal of my free time. I love making things and sending them to friends and family. Knitting has taken over some of my blogging time. I love the challenge of a new pattern, the feel of new soft yarn in my hands and the satisfaction of completing a project.

Third, life here is much more work then back in the U.S. It takes me longer to shop and find all the things we need and want. There is no Wal-mart super center here. I am one the road much more in Kuwait. I have to pick up our oldest two from after school activities and transport them to sporting events. The other day I was in creeping traffic for forty five minutes!

Fourth, my husband travels very often. When he is traveling I have to be on 100% of the time and can't stop for fear of the children taking over the home, HA! I commonly go from before the sun rises to late in the evening making sure all are reading, read to, have homework completed, have bathed, have eaten, and have been talked to alone by me at one point during the day. I sleep just fine by about 9pm on those nights!

Fifth, I have had the amazing opportunity to take family photos of families who live and work at the Embassy in Kuwait. I am really enjoying photograpy more and more : ) I love capturing moments of people's lives, it is truly an honor! I love editing all the photos and getting an image just how I want it. This has taken up my time as well, but it has become a huge creative outlet for me!


Sixth, I still have Timmy and Hope with me at home all day. Back in the U.S. Timmy and Hope would both go to a little pre-school up the road from our home, but here it is very expensive for them to go even a couple days a week. Ultimately we had to decide, do we want to pay for college or pre-school! The choice is college in the future. I also love being with Timmy and Hope at this time. Before I know it all the kids will be in school and I can tell already I will miss those crazy little buddies : )

So, this is the view of my life currently. I will try to update the blog as often as I can. Kelly may add his thoughts sometimes as well. We are getting very excited for our next big move to Mali and our visit in the U.S. this summer! Mom and Dad Briden, I love you and this post is for you :)

My mother in law, Vera, is truly a "Knitting Queen". She has amazed me since we had our children with beautifully created newborn sweaters, blankets and even a poncho type sweater for me. She is currently working on an afghan for Faith that has "Hello Kitty" knitted into the beautiful squares.

Before she left to come to Kuwait. I asked her to teach me to knit. She said she would even though she had never taught anyone to knit before. She graciously got a knitting kit for beginners, the right yarn and knitting needles for making cotton washcloths.

I am proud to show you my first knitting project! I don't know what it is. Right now it is practice. It may end up to be a baby doll or stuffed animal blanket. I am now dreaming of knitting for my grandchildren. I have to tell my self not to jump ahead, so for now I am finishing my current project. Next up is a washcloth to send to my mom back in Michigan. After that I have a nephew or niece due in September. This is so much fun, I could go on and on and on knitting!!!!! Thanks to Vera, she is the best Mother in Law and a great teacher : ) Love you~

I never could have imagined as a young lady reading Agatha Christie's "Death On The Nile" that I would indeed one day see the land of Egypt. All I can say is it is absolutely amazing!!

Kelly, Kenna(Kelly's older sister) and I left for Egypt last Friday afternoon. We have seen many wonderful things during our time here. I realize it is a blessing to be able to travel and see things that have been standing for many, many centuries. The Egyptian people have been gracious and kind. I am thrilled to be learning more Arabic here, but it is apparently a unique Egyptian dialect. I will go home to Kuwait and try it out on "my people". I hope they will understand me. "Mish Mooshkula" ( is No Problem ,in Egyptian Arabic)

We enjoyed two stops in Egypt, Cairo and Luxor. Luxor has been by far our favorite! The valley of the kings and the temple of Queen Hetchesphut are absolutely breathtaking. I will edit more photos and post them upon our return to Kuwait. Now I am going to enjoy my last hours listening to the incessant horn honking in Luxor, while reading "Death on The Nile" by Dame Christie a second time and sipping Turkish coffee. Life is good!!

This past week was a busy one for our family. As we prepare to go to our new home in Kuwait, we are working on accomplishing all the things that seem to creep up in the last few weeks before a move. Wait a minute, didn't we just move ten weeks ago?

Last Sunday we had a special guest arrive to be with us for the week. Grandma Nettie came to snuggle the bunch. We are so thankful to her for all her help. She washed millions of loads of laundry, YAY!!!! She played kitties with the big girls, dogs with Luke and read to the twins. Needless to say, we will miss her.

I don't like goodbyes, so I pretend we will see each other soon. My prayer is I will be able to convince her to come to Kuwait and stay with us. I am truly so glad we have Skype. What a blessing to at least be able to see family and friends, even if it is blurry or the camera freezes up. What a blessing to at least have a glimpse of those we love from so far away.

Here are some photos from our time with my Mom. We had great weather and fun times! The signers of the Declaration of Independence have a park dedicated to them. We spent the afternoon there with my mom. It was a gorgeous day. Kelly claims to be related to on of the signers, John Hart. I of course am going to ask my in laws if this is true.

We love you Grandma Nettie, see you soon~

As I type this I realize we have less than one week in D.C. First we are off to London for a few days. Wow, the time has both flown by in many respects. We visited everything we could with five young children. They have loved this time. I am amazed at how much they have learned about our nation's history, the Revolutionary War, President Washington, and all our monuments and memorial. I hope Grace, Faith and Luke all have memories of this time. I know Luke's will be limited he is only 4 1/2.

The other side of leaving the "Beltway" is great relief!! How do people live in the BIG city with children? I am excited for a larger home in Kuwait and a small patio on the ground level. I am ready for our youngest, Hope, to be sleeping again in her own room. I am excited to see my Mommy Chair once again. I am ready to make new friends and see a part of God's world I NEVER thought I would travel to. God has built our excitement, now we have work to do this week as we "pack out" yet again.

The picture of Kelly, Hope and I was taken by Luke he loves to take photos on an angle. I love his creativity, so I had to share it with you. Have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving~

Last night somewhere in Arlington, VA were a Princess, a dinosaur, an Army Commando, a tiger kitty and an Abby Cadabby Fairy out for candy and a fun time. Did they find candy? Check! Did they have fun? Check! We even had a special guest with us last night, Uncle Jeff. He hadn't been trick or treating in MANY years, so we had to give him a refresher course. We even made "Uncle Jig" wear the glow stick necklace so he was safe : ) We hope you had a good, safe night as well. Blessings to all~

Hello All! Last night I typed up this sweet tribute to my mother in law, Grandma Briden. I forgot to save it on blogger and lost the whole blog post. UGHHHH!



Here is is in a nutshell. My mother in law turned 74 while with us this past weekend. We go to enjoy her day with her and that was a treat! We went to Arlington National Cemetery. It was a beautiful day that was full of reflection about all those we have loved who have served in our military. Thank you everyone who has served, without you we would not be living freely in this great country of ours!



We got to see the changing of the Guard at the Tomb Of The Unknown Solider. Grandma Briden in all her trips to D.C. had never seen it and I think she really enjoyed it. We also had a celebration dinner topped off with Chocolate Decadence cake, YUM.



Grandma Briden went home to New Mexico on Sunday. She was such a blessing while here. She did load upon load of laundry, washed mounds of dishes and read books aloud for hours to five kids who love to be read to. Thank you, Mom Briden! I missed you like crazy today, but I know I must take it from here. I wish you could have seen the new park we visited today. It was much fun. All five of the kids miss you and Granddad, please come to Kuwait soon!!!!!!



On Sunday we went to Mount Vernon, George Washington's home in Northern Virginia. I loved it! It was a beautiful day and we had a picnic on the banks of the Potomac river. I am in awe at times of the beautiful country God created here. I could have easily retired up the road from Mount Vernon. When I returned home I surfed the net to see how much houses Alexandria cost, YIKES! I have such sticker shock here. How do people live in homes and pay them off that start at 1 million dollars? So, sadly I don't think I will be retiring near General Washington's old homestead, but I have a season pass. That means I can at least visit when I want and sit on the porch over looking the river, hey I can dream!



The kids favorite thing at Mount Vernon? The Blacksmith house. We returned there three or four times. All our children love fire and building things. All in all a good weekend, but we miss GRANDMA!!!!! Blessings to you all~

Hello All! I cannot believe my sweet Faith is six today. Time has gone way to fast. I remember I was pregnant with Faith at the same time as our close friends from Bolivar, Missouri. Jeff and Jacki, and Brian and Christy both had girls in October of 2003 and we loved to watch them grow into toddlers together. I was thrilled to have friends who had babies doing the same things at around the same times. I miss those girls and my friends as well.

Faith, you are a joy! I am so glad God made you!!! What fun we have had in these six years. You are always a fun filled bright spot in my day. You have a zest for life that is unmatched in our family. I am thrilled to say that you know God and you love him with your whole six year old heart. You have a thirst for him and for helping others in difficult situations. Today we went to the National Zoo in Washington D.C., you loved seeing the Cheetahs, Elephants, Orangutans, and Guerrillas. What a great day! We spent it with our whole family, Grandma Briden and Uncle Jeff. We have so enjoyed Grandma Briden being here in D.C. to help us with this major transition. She has enjoyed reading and teaching you. Uncle Jeff also has really enjoyed you all, but it was so sweet to see you snuggle him today. I think snuggling people is truly your gift, Faith! You can warm even the coldest heart!!!

These pictures were taken today, the first of you, my little Fay Mae big six year old. The second is of a beautiful flower at the National Zoo, representing the perfect day we had. Lastly, is a photo of all the Briden Bunch children, Grandma Briden and Uncle Jeff. Good times, good times!!! In closing my letter to you, sweet Faith, know I love you with all my heart and so does your father! We praise God for you and for who he is making you into. God Bless your next year baby~ Mommy

Hello All! Today most of my earthly possessions flew the coop, so to speak





My brother, Rick, and sister in law, Kristin, came over to our home to unload some things we don't want to store while we are going on our big adventure with the State Department. I believe strongly that my possessions are truly not my own, but God's. Today, God gave Rick and Kristin a few things to start their newlywed home. We filled up a 24' Budget truck with all the goodies. They had originally reserved a 17' truck, thank God they cancelled that and drove away with a bit bigger truck. We filled very full!

This was another painful "goodbye". I sobbed like a baby, I am so proud of them both. They are both committed to God and each other. They will do well, while we are away. I will miss them dearly and I am so glad we lived so close for them for this time in our lives. We love you Rick and Kristin, please come and visit us when you can! You are so special to us and we thank God for you!!

Just so you know after the truck pulled away this evening, I went back into the house to check "Mommy Chair". Both Rick and Kristin had threatened to snag my new favorite chair on one of the many trips to the big truck. Much to my relief the "Mommy Chair" is still here and I sit in it now as I type. Phew................ next we need to get the chair moved to our new post. I am off to bed on my new air mattress. Yes, Rick and Kristin even snagged my bed : ) Goodnight~

Hello All! This weekend Rick and Kristin (My baby brother and sweet sister in law) are hosting a going away party for us. I am very excited to get to see a majority of our family before we take off for D.C.

This was the neat invitation that Kristin created for our send off. Great job, Kristin and thanks for thinking of us!!! We love you so much and will miss you all terribly. We appreciate your generosity and thoughtfulness!!

It is still somewhat surreal that we are going to be oceans away from our extended families. I wonder who will come to visit and what will happen here in the U.S. while we are away. I wonder what perspective of the world my children will have. What perspective will they have of the United States? They will most likely be hearing another language most of the time while we are going through our normal days. They will become Third Culture Kids (TCK). I have been reading this book and trying to prepare for the unique challenges TCKs face. TCKs are commonly Missionary kids, children of men and women serving in our Armed forces, Diplomat kids and more commonly now with the world becoming a global marketplace, American children who's parents are working for businesses abroad.

Our family is already "different" from our home cultures perspective. Now we will increase the different quotient. I can hear someone asking Luke someday, "Wait, your sisters are obviously white, you speak Spanish and your parents home is currently in Bangladesh?" That would confuse almost anyone, eh? But I feel like if you are going to be "different" you might as well go all the way, right? People stare at us currently in the U.S., imagine the stares in Kuwait! I am up for the challenge, God has truly prepared and groomed me for this. With His help, I feel I am up for this challenge and lifestyle. Will it be hard, yes! Will it be exciting, yes! Will it be tiring, yes! Will it be FUN, YES! Please remember us in your prayers as we tackle this new lifestyle and a major transition, thanks!

In other exciting news I got my Birthday and 10 year Anniversary present today. Here is a picture of my "Mommy Chair", I love it!!!!!! It is a Devonshire chair from Ethan Allen and it is covered in the fabric "Reef Espresso". I have wanted a "Mommy Chair" for many years. My feet rarely touch the ground in big rocker recliners and I can't stand that! It makes me feel like a child when I sit there my legs hanging in the air. I am not a diamond lady, this is my treat, "The Mommy Chair" : ) I am sitting in it no as I type, it is like a little bit of heaven! Thanks, Kelly for the best gift ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need to go organize and pack for our trip to Kalamazoo. God Bless your weekend~

Hello All!

I am sorry I have been away from the blogosphere for some time. I have had many family guests in our home over the last week. Kelly's brother, sister and many of our nieces and nephews have been visiting us in Michigan. We have been blessed with fun family times eating ice cream and smores : ) AHHHHH......... Summertime! I will be back soon with an update as far as all that is happening in our home as we prepare to make the biggest move of our life. This sweet smile is post smore party. Blessings to you all as you enjoy the last beautiful days of summer~

Hello All! This post is especially for Grandma Briden. She is the founding member of the "washing babies society". The first I had heard of this is when she let Grace wash a plastic baby doll in her kitchen sink. Grace stood there on a kitchen chair with a towel under her feet for probably close to the whole play date with Grandma. Over the years "washing the babies" became a HUGE hit with the "Big Three". They would always request this when arriving at Grandma and Granddad's home for a visit. Grandma even let them apply paint to the baby so it looked dirty like it needing a good scrubbing. I cannot wait for Mom and Dad Briden to arrive in Michigan in August! I am so excited for Grandma to watch her grand babies washing their baby dolls. Here is a little preview, Vera. Needless to say, Hope loved washing the babies. We cannot wait for August and all the fun times soon to come!!!

Ten tiny little fingers that always want to play,That never stop exploring the wonder of today.Ten tiny little fingers that from the very start,Will reach out for tomorrow yet always hold your heart.-- Author Unknown

God Bless your weekend~

Hello All! We hope you had a great Independence Day Holiday. We enjoyed visiting family in Freeland, Midland and Saginaw, Michigan. Here are some shots I snapped over our fun weekend. Thanks to all the family that opened their homes to "The Bunch" and treated us with amazing hospitality and love. God Bless you all and May he continue to lead the good old United States Of America!

How did you celebrate Independence Day? I hope you had a wonderful time reflecting on the great freedoms we enjoy in our country~