How lucky am I?

After 11 years of marriage (we met in 1992, so add 6 years to that), I am so happy to be married to my best friend.  What a great year it has been, and for the first time in many years Mike and I were able to celebrate our anniversary on our anniversary, May 23!!  No Memorial Day Weekend here, which, in the states, meant Mike worked at a jammed,packed, theme park and came home late at night, tired, sweaty and smelling like roller coaster greese!  

No, this year, he came home just returning from a whirlwind trip across Europe, visiting cities from Munich to Milan all by train..for work!!  What a job!  He had a glow about him, retelling stories of his sight visits, of which included a Ferrari Factory Tour in which he learned more about the car he has loved for years!!  

We went out for dinner, leaving the kids in the safe and knowing hands of Anusha, our newest family member, our live-in housemaid and nanny!  After dinner we had drinks outside looking out at the the second largest mosque in the world (see below).  Two local men came out and offered their best wishes, they even had champagne and a dessert sent to us!  Why they approached us, we don't know, this never happens, as locals usual a) are never at bars and b) never talk to westerners if they are...my opinion is, they wanted to talk to us because we looked so happy they just had to know why!!

Jake Turns 7 and Ice Skates in the Desert!!

Jake decided long ago that he wanted an ice skating party for his 7th birthday!  Then he and his buddy Logan figured out they have birthdays on the same day and decided to have a joint party! It was a huge success and since the temperatures are starting to rise in Abu Dhabi everyone enjoyed a cool afternoon in the ice rink!  We did have to pull out the long sleeves and pants!!

Jake with friends on the rink..The girl he is about to hold hands with is Jette (pronounced yetta), she is our German teenager neighbor that babysits for us (yes, Jake has a crush on her)!!!


Jake with friends, leading the pack!!  In Jake fashion (highly coordinated and agile), he picked up ice skating quickly, other boys stuck to the walkers!!

Including little Jett, he made it about 15 minutes and then got upset that he could not keep his skates straight!!
Time fore the cake!  I actually found a place here that could do a Batman cake, I was shocked!! It was the richest chocolate cake I have ever had, filled with cream!!!
Happy with hot chocolate and friends!!  Matius is right of Jake, he is the little boy that is in Jakes's class that also lives in our new neighborhood!!  Logan (the other birthday boy) is on the left.

Phew, birthday season is over for me!  Here comes May and another move!!

Our New Villa!!

We move in on Thursday!  Villa C19 in Al Qurm Compound.  About half the compound is American Embassy staff (at least we know we are protected!!)

We can't wait to move in.  They are painting and cleaning the inside, so more pictures to come!!

The street outside...

Upstairs the clubhouse has a pool table and ping pong!!
The pool and tennis courts in the background...

The store!!  The boys will probably live here!  

A Busy Weekend

This Friday evening was the big dinner/dance social gala for Jake's school, ACS.  

My friend Nicole and I (pictured below) have been working hard on the Gala Committee over the last two months.   We offered to coordinate "Art Projects" which seemed like an easy enough task!!  Little did we know how much work went into getting all of the Elementary classes to choose and make an art project that would be auctioned off at this event!!  We also didn't realize how much work it would be, as Homeroom moms, to make the projects for our own children's classes!!  But, with all that said, every class did a marvelous job and we were very proud of our own classes work as well!

Nicole and I "working" check in.
Nicole, myself and Elizabeth.  By the way, I met Nicole on the first day of school, her daughter Isabelle just started Grade 1 at ACS as well.  We hit it off right away, as we had an instant connection..her brother lives in the same city and neighborhood as my sister in Tustin, California..CRAZY!
Jake's class art project.  A toy box with Camel hand-prints from all the children.  Thankfully someone wanted it and bought it!!!
The Red Bull Air Races took place this weekend as well, Mike took the boys while I recovered from a late night!  The races took place along the water on the gulf.  The boys watch from the water.

Ahhh Paris!!

Our plans for Spring Break had been set all year..Mike’s Mom, Dad and sister were coming to visit Abu Dhabi while the kids were off school.  Well, that all changed when we got the sad, sad news that Mike’s Mom fell and broke her hip while teaching.  We were all so disappointed and upset to not have the Oswald’s visiting.  What to do..Mike had already planned to take the week off work??  We started looking into going somewhere..maybe just a short trip to Oman, but then, like a news flash, a website for Emirates airline..kids fly free to Paris..our looming question was answered!

We also finally sold our house, which we felt was cause enough to celebrate!!

So, while Mike’s Mom recovered and my Mom and Dad packed up and moved everything out of our home in Ross Bridge we gallivanted around Paris.  This trip was a sure test of our family traveling abilities!!  We don’t speak the language, we only rode on public transportation, we all stayed together in small hotel rooms, and we went..all day, every day!!  It was at times, tense..the subways have never ending hallways that seem to lead you to nowhere but urine smelling corners, there was an attempted pick pocketing as soon as we arose from the subway tunnels on our first day there, there was no A/C in the room, the boys lost me at Versailles…BUT, after all that said, we had a great family holiday, seeing sights we had only dreamed of before moving to Abu Dhabi.  Paris offered great food, wonderful places for the boys to run and play and historic sights of all kinds, and contrary to popular belief, most people were quite friendly and helpful!!

First, Disneyland..our hotel, the Dreamcastle sat on a lake with a great view of the Paris countryside...

The blooming Dogwood reminded us of Alabama!






After two days Jett was already wiped out..on the train towards the city of Paris...
The Louve..The boys had more fun chasing the pigeons than viewing the sights!!



Ratatoutite (sp?)

Water bus on the Sienne...

Atop the Eiffel Tower


Going down...

The Arch of Triumph
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the background, this sits below the arch...don't the boys looked thrilled!!!
Walking up to Versailles...
Jett thinks he is Vana White wherever we go...
The "garden"...

Me, Jake and Mona Lisa...(back at the louvre)
Mike, Jett and Venus...


An old lady enjoying the sun...yes, that is a bra!
Boys, wiped out!


Boys..excited to have found a playground!

Jake, Jett and 10 French children swinging them around..all of the kids were so nice to the boys...

Jett in front of Notre Dame...
Our last night, the boys played in the playground at the foot of the Eiffel Tower while Mike and I drank wine (in public, woo hew!!)

The entire trip Jake's front tooth was just hanging on, it finally made major progress on the airplane...

And its out...what a memory..he lost his first front tooth over Iraq of all places!!!

Again, a great trip.  While unpacking today and putting the suitcases away I am thrilled with excitement, as I know the next time I take them out..only eight weeks away.. it will be for the long flight home, we are SO EXCITED to see our friends and family, we can't wait for summer!!