Things I Miss and Things I Like

We've been here for 4 months already. Man, how time passes you by when life takes you for a ride like this. We have been so busy since we decided to move from Milwaukee to Amman. Since we are finally feeling fairly settled into our place (with the exception of a few 'major' or 'minor' things depending on who you ask), I decided to take inventory on what things I like and what things I miss thus far.

What I Like
-Being a stay at home Mom! Even though I want to pull the covers over my head some days, I am so thankful for this opportunity to be able to spend so much time with my kiddos! I love them so much. They put a smile on my face and make me laugh everyday. They are my reason for everything!

-Our new place. I really like our new apartment. We have yet to buy our own home, but this is as close as it's come. I feel that we have really made this place ours in the short time we have lived here. I always put aside the ideas of purchasing things for our previous rentals, because they were just that-rentals. However, even though we are renting this place, I really needed to have the feelings of home and comfort while living so far away from my home.

-My husband is getting the opportunity to advance his skills. He is learning many new things at work. Things that will be added to his resume. I'm glad he is getting the experiences he is experiencing.

-The weather. Yes, it is still warm and in the 70's around here! No snow in the forecast, unlike the Midwest where I lived before. No doubt, winter is coming, but it won't be like the intense winters that I am accustom to!

Things I Miss
-I miss my family. Not just the fact that they live so far away from me, but from my kids. I miss the missed opportunities. I wish we were closer so that they can watch my son grow as they did my daughter. I wish we were closer so they talk with my little girl who is now talking a million miles a minute...although the words are not all clear, she seems to understand.

-My friends and work. I miss you all! I wish I could just hang out on 3rd floor and CIC (and the rest of the hospital) for a few days just to say hello to you all! Thank you to all that keep in touch with me on my blog, FB and email!

-I miss the convience. Nothing here is set up for conveinance. Nearly everything is difficult, if you ask me. It's difficult because I am comparing. I shouldn't compare, but just live it. But I am still comparing. I miss my Target, Wal-Mart and Dollar Store! Thank goodness, we do have a few grocery stores and nice malls.

-Things that are suppose to work, work! I am still waiting for my clothes dryer and oven to work properly. Currently, I wash my clothes as before and then hang my clothes all over my apartment. It looks terrible, but does the job. I also miss the fresh smell and the 'no need to iron' look you get from the dryer! My oven is not working properly either and it makes it a challenge to cook dinner for four! Oh, I can't forget the vacuum. Every time I go to vacuum my floors, I blow another converter! I just bought this vacuum a few months before we left, I love it and don't want to buy another one....currently, I am sweeping my floors. Not ideal, but it's doing the job for now.

-Water. Hot water and seemingly endless supply of water. I have to wait for the water to warm up before I take a shower and every other day I am pumping water to the apartment. It's not that big of a deal to wait for warm water, except when you are finally able to take a break from the kids, so you quickly jump in the shower, turn on the water and CRAP it's cold! The pumping of water is really no big deal either. I just hit a button for a few hours during the day and presto it's available. It's just the quilt I have when I have to keep pushing the button every other day, like did I really use that much water yesterday?

I'm sure I will add more to these lists as time continues to pass on. But this is where I am at in this moment of time! No matter what the day brings or how much I miss the things I miss, I am thankful. I am thankful everyday for my wonderful family. A wonderful husband and two beautiful kids. I am thankful for a wonderful family who live at home, who are supportive of this move even though they miss us dearly. I am thankful for a wonderful family here who are helping us get settled in. I am thankful for health. I am so thankful that our family is all healthy. I am thankful for this opportunity to learn and to grow. Sometimes I have to remind myself, but I am truly thankful. I know Thanksgiving isn't here yet, but I guess these are the things I am most thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving a bit early!