Finally Sleeping Through the Night

Well, almost.  If it wasn't for this pregnancy ailed bladder of mine, I'd probably be sleeping really soundly.  But, thankfully, I've been able to fall back asleep and wake up with my alarm.  Hallelujah!

I had my first prenatal visit with my new doctor.  She has absolutely no personality!  She cut right to the chase with our visit, no pleasantries or introduction.  Her first question to me was, "So you're pregnant?"  Um, yea, I think so.  Isn't that obvious!!!  I'm waiting 3 weeks more to go see her again.  At that point I'll be full term and just a couple weeks away from delivery.  They have a midwife group at the hospital, but in this country, mid-level practitioners aren't allowed to practice as completely as they are in the US.  I miss my midwife!  The whole reason I chose this particular hospital is because they do have midwives that I met before making the appointment.  They can't take care of me until I'm in actual labor.  So I  have to be patient through the prenatal visits, then I'll be able to work with the ladies that will take better care of me.  The midwives were really sweet and look forward to having me come through their labor and delivery unit.  

We have been furniture and appliance shopping like crazy.  We should be able to start moving things into our villa this coming weekend, so we're trying to make sure we at least have beds, stove and refrigerator.  Read Drew's post about his adventure with JR to go pick up a couple beds for the girls.  And, as a friend said, who landed in UAE from Utah the same day as me, "Didn't I just get rid of all this!?"  Yes, it feels so crazy to have just gotten rid of all this furniture, then turn around and buy it all over again!  

I promised myself that I would journal about how this move came to be.  I'm not great at keeping a personal journal, so I'm hoping to remember as much as I can about the experiences leading up to this change we're in.  When we were contemplating the move from within the Highland ward and looking for a rambler, Drew was approached with the opportunity of taking this job and moving the family to Abu Dhabi to work for Cleveland Clinic.  Right off the bat, we both felt it was something that our family would learn so much from and wanted to make it happen if it really was an opportunity that could be worked out.  (Back up a few years.)  Drew and I picked up my brother from his mission in the Dominican Republic.  We spent a short time visiting the church offices there and met some American families that were there working for the church.  It stirred some feelings within both of us and we both felt if our family was ever presented with an opportunity to have that kind of a cultural experience, we would most likely take it.  (Fast forward to two years ago.)  So here we are presented with the opportunity and yes, we both felt strongly that we were being guided to something special.  As we spent the next couple months looking for ramblers, we also started the application process for the hospital administrator position.  We dragged our feet a little with the actual move until we knew whether the job change was a viable option or not.  After a couple months of house searching and job applying, they offered the job to another person and we made our move.  It was so hard for me!!!  But apparently the right thing for our family.  With us making the move to a new home, in the 7th ward, I never dreamt that we would be approached with the opportunity again.  Why in the world would we be asked to move twice?!  Right?  Well, the answer I received was such a special witness to me that there is a plan laid out for all of us.  It was whispered to me that I was asked to move one year earlier to get me used to a little change.  That move was to prepare me for something even bigger.  What I thought was a big change, didn't compare to what I'd be asked to do within the next year.  After a year of being in the 7th ward rambler, Drew was approached again with the opportunity of applying for the administrator position.  We're at the summer of 2014 now and Drew started the process, yet again,  of applying for the job.  We found out that he had been put on the back burner the first time around because people thought there was no way we'd be able to afford having 6 kids in the UAE and could actually make it work for our family.  This time, however, they gave us the benefit of the doubt and offered Drew the job.  This didn't happen until April, 9 months later!  Through these 9 months, I felt like we were in total limbo and it was driving me crazy.  I couldn't make simple decisions like what to get my kids for Christmas because it all depended on whether we were moving to a desert or not.  I couldn't decide to buy myself a really cute sweater because would I just be giving it away in a couple months, knowing I wouldn't need it in 100+ degree weather?  There were several times through those 9  months that I would fall to my knees and plead for answers.  In miraculous ways, Heavenly Father answered those prayers.  One experience I remember specifically was crying one morning and begging Heavenly Father for some direction.  We hadn't heard anything for 4-5 weeks, to know whether things were moving forward or not.  That very day, Drew received email notification that he needed to take the next step in the application process.  This type of thing happened more than once and it confirmed to me that we would be making the move but just needed to be patient for it all to play out.  Finally in April the offer was made and he made the trip in May for a site visit.  After his return we went to the temple and had some R&R time with the spirit.  I had a distinct impression during my time in the temple and wanted to look up a word that I had never really given much thought to before.  I don't know why, but I honestly didn't realize at the time that this was the beginning of the answer Drew and I were searching for.  It seemed more like my curiosity than anything.  When our temple session was done, I sat down and looked up this word.  Listed with it were about 5 scriptures.  One of these five really stuck out and I looked it up.  James 4:4.  It says that "friend of the world is the enemy of God."  At first if didn't make sense, so I read the whole chapter and in verses 13-15 this is written, "go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:...Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that."  Holy cow, did that hit me like a ton of bricks.  It all made so much sense in that moment.  If I chose to not follow this guided path, I was choosing to be a friend to the world and I was being told that this move absolutely was the right thing for our family.  This life is so short and when we're presented with these opportunities, we'd better take them.  So we did!  And here we are.  I feel like I can do anything as long as I'm with Drew and my family.  As long as we're together, we'll be fine.

I cannot say that this transition has gone without some bumps already.  There has been a lot of stress and I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm very pregnant and hormonal.  No comment from the peanut gallery!  My emotions have been high and I take it out on those I love most.  Fortunately for me, I have a mostly understanding husband and he helped bring my emotions down so we could finally work through some of my frustrations.  It took all day long for this to happen, but we did, eventually come to some understanding about each others' needs.  Today is a much better day!  If you've stuck around this long, you know, that I know, that we're meant to be here.  I don't know why, but we are and we'll make it work.  I hope I can do some good along the way.  I hope that my family will learn some invaluable life lessons that we could not teach any other way.  One, being that you can always depend on your family coming through for you and that together you can do anything.  Another, that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and we just need to stay tuned to the whisperings of the spirit.  We need to heed those tuggings of the heart.  I am excited for the next phase of our lives together to unfold.  Blessings beyond my comprehension are sure to come.  Opportunities to serve will be amazing!  I can't wait!