Category Archives: Family

mcgough trip (part 2)

I am back with more pics of the mcgough trip! (can you tell I have more energy in 2nd trimester?! I am trying to catch up on the blog while this wonderful energy lasts!)

…more exploring, more memories, and more fun!

Jebel Akhdar “green mountain” visit. We drove up the tallest mountain in Oman and stayed at a hotel up there… enjoyed the sights, food, cooler weather and an early night to bed. On our way up we stopped and were invited for coffee and dates with the guards. They also honored us by giving us “rose water” to rub on our hands and hair, this water is made on the mountain and is used for cooking, medicinally, for celebrations and used to be used as perfume. I have to admit, I am not a fan of the strong smell- it smelled like smoked meat because of the way they make it- which is by distilling and boiling the flowers, read this article if you are curious about the history and making of this Oman tradition. This was a fun cultural experience.

Next stop: Nizwah Souk (“market”)- we have heard that on Friday mornings this place is happening… I hope to visit it one day on a Friday, but it was still nice to shop around even if we were one of the only groups of shoppers.

Next-door to the souk is the Nizwah Fort… we Chase & Cecil (Glenda & I were done in about an hour) spent 2 hours exploring and checking out this historical place. It was really neat and a fun stop.

After exploring the interior cities of our country we came back to our town and rested for a few days before our final trip to Al Ain and Dubai. In Al Ain we got to show them the hospital where our peanut will be born! I think it helped them feel better about us staying here for the birth. I didn’t take many pictures of our “resting” days.

Dubai- the city of man-made beauty, malls and a taste of America with an Arab flair! Oh how I love getting to go on weekend get-a-ways here every once and a while. The first night we took them to the Burj Khalifa for some yummy Italian food (don’t think I mentioned before but all I really wanted to eat while they were here was Italian food- I think I calculated that we ate it 8 times during their 19 days with us! sorry guys… didn’t know you were gonna come to the Middle East for Italian food did you?!) and the water show. It is a must see if you ever travel to Dubai. On a side note, the restaurant we ate at serves gummy bears instead of mints at the cashier counter and has fresh basil plants at every table- love it!

Musandam is about a two 1/2 hour drive from Dubai so we decided to take a day trip there for a Dhow boat cruise, snorkeling, and dolphin watching. It was well worth the drive! Gorgeous views and beautiful weather. And a bonus was that neither Glenda or I got sick on the boat- Praise Jesus cuz we both lean toward getting sick on moving objects.

Our last night in Dubai we did a desert Safari. What a crazy, fun, somewhat scary experience! We trusted our lives (including our child’s life!) with a shabab (“young guy”) driving an SUV across the sand dunes. I thought for sure a few times we were going to flip, but thankfully we never did! We all had a great time…however, Glenda said she thinks it was a one-time thing for her, as she had her eyes closed the whole time worrying about her 8th grandchild while getting sick- poor thing.

After the sand dune ride they brought us to a desert camp where we got to enjoy a short camel ride, a traditional Arab BBQ, and entertainment by a belly dancer and Tanoura (this dance form originated in Turkey) dancer. It was a fun touristy-cultural experience that I hope we get to take anyone who comes to visit us on.

Like I said before we had a wonderful time getting to show Glenda and Cecil around. It was a blessing to get to share this part of our lives with loved ones. Thanks for the great memories!

We can’t wait for our next visitors! Let us know when you are coming 🙂

    Posted in Culture, Family, Travel | 2 Comments

    mcgough trip (part 1)

    as I had mentioned before Chase’s parents came for a visit a few weeks ago (can’t believe it is already April & their trip has come and gone… crazy how time does that) Anyway, I took over 1,200 pictures while they were here, I am pretty sure Cecil took that many as well. I am going to attempt to share with you the highlights of their trip- not sure how many parts there will be, but here is the start!

    First, I want to say what a great time we had with them! It was such a blessing to have them come out and visit us, see our life out here, the country that we have fallen in love with, and see the people that our hearts have been drawn too. We covered a lot of ground while they were here and got to explore many things that Chase and I hadn’t even seen yet. Since I was at the end of my first trimester I tried to keep up…. but man I have never been so tired in my whole life as I was the first 3 months of our sweet-pea’s life!

    Thanks coming to visit us! We love you both and miss you already!

    March 2nd… picked the McGough’s up at the airport and made our way to the mall for some of our favorite pizza at UNO’s pizza (a place we always at together in ft. worth & of course they have it in Dubai!)

    … to keep them awake from jet lag we decided to take them to Global Village- I think it did the trick (at least for an hour) & we got a little shopping in…

    …our first stop in our country was to the capital… we stayed at a gorgeous guest house the first night…

    … a visit to the capital is never complete without a trip to the Muttrah Souk downtown for some yummy Arab food, bargaining, and people watching…

    … breakfast overlooking the ocean & exploring the fishermen boats by the sea…

    … after breakfast we went on a driving tour which included the Sultan’s Palace…

    … our last day in the capital we went to the Oman Dive Center– probably my favorite day… Chase & Cecil went snorkeling while Glenda and I enjoyed a beautiful view, delicious food and great conversation all while getting a slight tan! I think Cecil was a little tired after their outing 🙂

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      give thanks in all circumstances..

      Hope you all had a blessed thanksgiving! Sorry for the delayed post.. I started it right after thanksgiving, but never finished… lots has been going on- desert days coming soon!

      I would have never imagined that I would have been spending thanksgiving this year in the states… even though our hearts have been heavy, the Lord has been good to meet us where we are and we had a great thanksgiving. It is always good to be with my sisters, mom & family. I am so thankful for them and don’t know where I would be without them. Thankful for the time I got to spend with them and look forward to the day we are together again.

      Chase spent thanksgiving in the desert. He was well taken care of and celebrated with our fellow American friends out here with all the traditional turkey-day food, however, I am pretty sure he missed his dad’s famous stuffing- which we will attempt to make one day… I missed being with him on this day, but am thankful for the community we have out here and that he got to celebrate with them.

      aren’t my sisters & mom beautiful? love them!

      “be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is His will for you in JC.” 1 thes. 5:16-18

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        they’re here!

        we have been dreaming, talking, and thinking about living in the desert with our best friends, the Remkes, for about 4 years now and it has finally happened! They finally joined us out here at the end of October. And what a blessing it has been so far. We love having them here and love getting to do life with them again. After being apart for about a year, it seems like time never passed- we picked up right where we left off. I am looking forward to see what this next chapter in our life looks like. Now that they are here we can start working on business planning, visa obtaining ideas, and searching out what city we will live in after language school.

        It has been so great to have the girls here. Soon they will be joining my ballet class. Looking forward to craft nights, holidays, birthdays, and ordinary days with these guys. Since we all live so far away from family it is nice to feel like we have “family” near us now. We have been blessed to get to do life them- the timing of them arriving has already been perfect and just what we needed!

        Welcome back friends! Glad to have you here with us. Look forward to many more memories with you! We love you.

          Posted in Everyday Life, Family | 1 Comment

          made for heaven

          A week ago Friday, November 11th, my family’s lives were changed forever. My sister, Brooke, gave birth to my sweet niece, Blair Nicole’s earthly body at 6:15pm in Midland, TX. Blair Nicole was already in the arms of our Lord and Savior sometime before Thursday, November 10th at 4 pm. She was 5 lbs. 1 oz with perfect little lips, auburn hair, perfect little features…

          This has been the hardest thing that my family has ever gone through. However, we have felt God’s abundant grace, His faithfulness, His provision, and His presence throughout this whole process. We all have our questions and don’t understand and wish this didn’t happen, but we all have peace that Blair is in heaven and being loved more by Christ than anyone of us could here on earth could ever have loved her and we look forward to the day we get to see her again.

          I was in the desert when I found out about all of this and was devastated to say the least. The Lord provided and I was able to skype with my sister before and after she labored. I got to see sweet Blair through the computer, cry and rejoice in Blair’s life with Jesus, with my family as  we said goodbye to her. I had such support from my friends & Chase- not sure if I could have gotten through it all without them. Jord & Chase were God’s abundant grace to me. Oh Sunday morning I woke up feeling like I should be with my family to mourn, hug, cry, & grieve with them… so I prayed about it, talked with Chase about it, prayed some more & right when Chase & I were praying my mom texted and said to get on skype- so we did. At that time mom had an overwhelming feeling that I needed to come home. There was my answer- God was faithful. So about 6 hours later I was on a plane headed back to America to be with my family by Monday night. God’s provision was felt when our community in Lubbock teamed together & purchased my plane ticket to come home… again abundant grace.

          The service was held on Tuesday, November 15th in Big Spring, TX. It was so beautiful, God-glorifying and His presence was felt. I was amazed by Brooke & Clint’s strength & peace. Although, it was the hardest day of their lives, they walked through it with abundant grace, peace, and their love for the Lord and each other was so evident. I was blessed by them that day- their faith is so sure and so steadfast- only a faith that can come from the Lord. I praise Him for His provision in this. God in his provision gave Brooke & Clint the perfect songs to represent their precious daughter’s short, but significant life. If you would like to look up the songs that were played at the service here they are: “How He loves”- David Crowder Band (Clint has had this song on his heart since this all happened), “Held”- Natalie Grant, “Glory Baby”- Watermark.

          I get to stay in the states till after Thanksgiving (the 27th). I know that this thanksgiving will be marked with tears, sorrow, pain, and heartache, but there will also be a sense of thanksgiving, rejoicing, praising, and peace that only comes from the Lord. Each day we are one day closer to hold miss Blair Nicole and meeting our Savior face to face. This is going to be a long road, but I am thankful we aren’t walking it alone.  “Don’t be afraid for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.Isaiah 41:10

          One thing I know for sure is that Blair Nicole Scheulke was made for heaven and that is where she is resting in Christ’s arms.

          “I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.” Jeremiah 31:13

          “The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.Habakkuk 3:19

          “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

            Posted in Family | 3 Comments

            summer parties… (part 1)

            Since I can’t  haven’t made room for new pictures, I have decided to catch up on some posts from this summer.

            Besides driving about 5000 miles (and we didn’t even leave Texas or New Mexico), visiting friends & family, and eating lots of yummy food this summer, I threw a few parties. The first one was a bachelorette party for Aubrey! Brooke & I had a great time planning & baking for this party.

            Decor:

            – bras hung from the mantel

            – Black & Red napkins, plates, & silverware (Aub’s isn’t a pink girl so we decided to got with black & red)

            – Black & Red tissue balls hung from the celling

            -Red Roses

            Food:

            –      Delicious Slushy Strawberry punch: (thanks for the recipe Liz!) (I will put recipe at the bottom- a must try)

            – Heart shaped cookies, made into lingerie cookies! Brooke found this idea- so cute! (my favorite part of the party)

            – Cupcakes with cream-cheese frosting

            – Strawberries & apples with chocolate and carmel sauce

            We went to Savoy Bar & Grill for drinks and appetizers before returning to the house for dessert and lingerie! She got a ton of great stuff and we all had a great time! Still can’t believe my baby sister is married…

            Slushy Punch Recipe 

            2 ½ cups white sugar

            6 cups of water

            2 (3 oz) packages strawberry flavored gelatin mix

            1 (46 fl. Oz) can pineapple juice

            2/3 cups lemon juice

            1 quart orange juice

            2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage (sprite works too)

             

            In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water & gelatin. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in pineapple juice, lemon juice, & orange juice. Divide mixture in half, and freeze in 2 separate containers. When ready to serve, place the frozen contents of one container in a punch bowl & stir in 1 bottle of lime-lime soda until slushy. 

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              my little bug…

              Hello blog friends… so sorry I have not been on here in almost a month! We made it home safely have have been enjoying our time here in the states so far. It has been super busy with weddings, birthdays, babies, friends, family & traveling.  I wanted to do a post for all our activities, but I am just not sure I can keep up with it all, but I will try.

              I am starting out of order, but I wanted to share with you all about something I am very excited about. Remember when I told you that I am going to be an Aunt this winter?! Well, Chase and I had the opportunity to go to the ultrasound appointment to find out the sex of the baby. Wow! What a neat experience. For those of you that have not been part of an ultrasound I will tell you that it is about one of the coolest things I have ever seen. To be able to see a miracle growing inside of my sister, moving, stretching, yawning…. only a blessing that comes from the Lord! I cried (I know this is not surprising), Chase was even wiping tears from his cheeks (he will try to deny it). It was such a beautiful experience- I am so thankful that we got to be part of it! Now for the results!!!

              I am going to have a….

              Niece! Yey for girls!

              Meet Blair Nicole!

              “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s whom. I praise you, for i am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:13

              We celebrated at Olive Garden for lunch! I am thrilled to death to be an auntie- and super excited to meet Blair.

                Posted in Family | 4 Comments

                Exciting stuff…

                This post is dedicated to my two beautiful sisters…

                First off my little sister, Aubrey (whom I call, “little one”) graduated from nursing school last weekend!! I am so excited for her and proud beyond belief. She has worked so hard the last two years to finish strong and with honors! She hopes to be a labor and delivery nurse (would love it if she could be my nurse one day..). She takes the biggest test of her life, the Nclux- which is the test you have to pass to be a “real” nurse, on Wednesday. I know that she would appreciate your prayers. She is also the reason we get to  come home this summer because she is getting married! What an exciting summer for her! I couldn’t be happier for her and am so thankful for the guy God brought into her life. Can’t wait to celebrate with you in a few weeks Aubs- congrats!

                Isn’t she gorgeous?!

                The other exciting stuff I have to share is that I am going to be an

                AUNTIE!!

                I found out this week that Brooke, my older sister, is prego! I cannot tell you how excited I am about this! I already have 9 nieces & nephews (3 girls & 6 boys) who I love dearly, but I think it will be different to experience it with my sister. And her baby could potentially look like me! 🙂 (maybe…ha) My sister is going to be such a wonderful mom. She has a huge heart, passion for Jesus, loves children (I have a feeling she is going to love having just one 4 year old running around one day instead of 20! she is a pre-K teacher), she is fun, she is compassionate, and the best big sis anyone could ask for. She certainly mothered me and Aubs well over the years 🙂 I can’t wait to see the mother she will become and the father Clint will be. S0. Exciting. Congrats sister!

                It is also a little bittersweet because I live on the other side of the world… I knew that the day would come when Brooke would get pregnant while I am living over here, but until it became a reality it was hard to see how hard it really is going to be to be so far away. Luckily she will be getting internet and we have skype. I am so thankful for technology. I am sitting here with tears in my eyes as I write this… but I am also thankful because I do feel like this is where we are supposed to be and am confident that the one who knows all will comfort and sustain me. I am reminded of His grace & provision in my life.

                This is the most recent picture I have of the parents to be! Couldn’t be happier for you guys!

                  Posted in Family | 4 Comments

                  BAM #2

                  Two and a half years ago Chase’s brother & sister-in-law adopted this adorable little boy (Bennett Adai McGough) from Uganda…

                  And yesterday this precious little boy was born and adopted into their family! Welcome to the McGough family Beckhum Asher- you will love being a McGough– no family could ever love you more! We love you already- Aunt Britt & Uncle Chase can’t wait to hold you this summer!

                  6 lbs. 12 oz 19 inches long!

                  Congrats Scott & Sher! We wish we were there. Love and miss you guys!

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                    welcome to the world!

                    Some of our best friends just had their third baby girl! We are beyond excited for them! Everyone is doing great and looking beautiful.

                    My heart is happy and yet sad that we were not there to help with their other two girls, there to hold sweet Evie when she got here, and there to bring Jord Chilis’! Yesterday was the first day where I felt like I was no where- I wasn’t here and I wasn’t there… I wanted to be there, but couldn’t…. I think I was attached to my computer all day (hate to admit that!).  I am doing better today- just joyful that Evie is healthy and praising the Lord for His goodness. We love you Drew & Jord and are so happy for you! You are going to be a perfect family of three precious girls! Can’t wait to do life with you guys again! Enjoy your time as a family of 5!

                    Evelyn Kate Remke was born on January 31st! She is 6 lbs 5 oz 18 inches- such a tiny bundle of cuteness!

                    Congrats friends! Oh also, love that it is starting to snow on her birthday! What a perfect way to end the day…

                    *pictures were taken by Brittany Strebeck– she is such a talented photographer! Thanks for sharing Britt!

                    we are off to Dubai to find a car and go to Global Village- we will let you know how it goes!

                      Posted in Family | 3 Comments