Mom got to come back to Saudi for a week after our trip to Romania. We had a lot of relaxation planned; we wanted Mom to see what daily life was like, and we were all tired from touring the Carpathians.
We touched down at 5 a.m. after a long layover in the Istanbul airport, where we ran into Jesus and Lawanna (who bought us an infant skip-the-line, with a senior discount), some more Yanbu friends returning from their trip to Rome with Ali and Mei. I headed straight into work while everyone else would enjoy the rest of spring break at home.
They spent the day resting at home, making a trip to the compound store for some staples. Nana met Abbas, the storekeeper she heard about many times, then they all laid around playing Elfer Raus and rummy until I came home and laid around with them.
The next day (our 21st wedding anniversary!), the eldest girls headed out on the shopping bus while I was at work. Nana was able to share and see first hand the many Snaps she would see weekly from Drew and Greene on their bus adventures. Greene shared with me that it was special to watch her taking it all in for the first time, looking at labels, seeing things completely different from home, seeing some things just like at home. She was able to meet our favorite coffee shop staff, and the girls favorite “MAC lady.” We finished with a dinner at Shaheen, the best Indian food restaurant in Yanbu.
I was called into work for a while on Friday morning, and afterwards we went for a drive. A sandstorm had blown in and visibility (and breathability) were limited. We drove along the coast for a short while before returning home. Cade went for a haircut, then we pulled out every instrument we have in the house and played some disjointed TOP for Nana. The Garcia family came by for a short visit with baby Bella.
Saturday was spent touring Yanbu al Nakhal and getting off road to spend some time playing in the sand. We visited an old ruined village and the lookout point on top of a rock formation. We drove back to Yanbu al Sinaiyah to visit the refinery and the park which houses the Guinness World Record-holding Yanbu Flower Festival, which had ended a week earlier. Fortunately, the flower carpet designated as the largest in the world was still in decent shape, so we walked into the park and grabbed a few pictures. The vendors and crowds were gone, but it was nice to take the view and smell in without a crowd. We capped the busy day off with learning to waltz at our dance class on the compound, then dyeing eggs for the next day.
Easter morning was like so many American holidays here in Saudi – a normal school and work day. Nana and Greene saw the kids off on the bus and I headed into work. Nana made sure the Easter Bunny stopped with some chocolate, and Easter dinner was the “Chik Fil A of Saudi” – Al Baik. We spent the evening hiding eggs and visited the basketball court for some hoops.
Monday brought a curveball, as a spat between the Royal Commission of Yanbu and YIS had resulted in the school being closed. The students and teachers carried on with virtual school, and Nana got more face time with the grands. Cade’s practice was moved from the school to the compound, so everyone hung out at the park and peeked in when we could. Meteorologists would say that the sandstorms brought rainbows and beautiful sunsets, but we all know Nana brought them with her.
The last full day in Saudi started with a lunch at the compound restaurant with some of the resident ladies. These ladies have been so good to the Ketron’s and making the effort to meet and visit with Mom was no exception. Macy got to celebrate her birthday a few days early so that Nana could take part. Drew made the cake, with that most important ingredient, love (but misspelled it). We made another trip out to the Red Sea under better weather conditions, and dipped toes.
I drove Mom to the airport early the next morning for her flight home, and headed into work. We loved having Mom get to experience our daily life here, and we are most appreciative that she was willing to jump through the necessary hoops to come visit. The memories from that week will last long after we have moved on from here.
From Tennessee To Texas to Saudi Arabia 