tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71281191783792557312024-03-13T09:46:45.252-07:00Spoon Full of SugarWife and Mom. Sister, daughter, and friend. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-85461176923654565912015-06-21T22:49:00.003-07:002015-06-21T22:49:44.999-07:00Summer in the States '14, Utah and Michigan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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UTAH! Good 'ol Utah! It's always so good to be back! We had lots of fun with cousins this summer. Hiking in Zions was a definate highlight. The National Parks are fantastic!<br />
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Childhood unplugged, unhealthy, and unclothed! We must be at Grandma B's!<br />
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Sand toys--OR cast-offs. You know your grandpa is a surgeon when.....<br />
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Ah--the Michigan trip. Jake and I had a really nice time, despite the fact that we were there for eye surgery. Previously, we went to the Pediatric Opthalomogist in Doha and he said that Jake probably needed some eye correction. Right after that, we decided to add on North America to our health insurance plan and go back to Michigan to Dr. Archer who would tell us if he needed surgery or not. Jake and I headed out there and it was fun to just be the two of us. We landed late on Wednesday night and stayed with Marsha!!! Our dear friend from Saline. I have missed her. Thursday morning, we went straight to our appointment for Jake. Turns out--YES-- he does need some eye correction and the surgery was scheduled for Monday morning. We met with friends, went out to eat, to church, and water parks. It was fun seeing so many people, places and familiar Michigan things. Monday, the surgery went well. Jake was a champ. Tuesday was his check up and Tuesday night we flew back to Vegas and Matt picked us up. Whew. I'm so happy there are competent, kind doctors that could fix my little boy's eye. <br />
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U of M hospital, my old stompin' ground.<br />
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A sorority house near campus. <br />
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Our old dentist's office. We stopped in to say hello and check if they had an appointment for a cleaning, but they were full. Bummer!<br />
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Marsha was such a sweetheart. She was so welcoming and happy to host us. Even with other guests that she had, her brother and his wife and son, she still made time and energy for us. Bless her. She even ran the lionel train!!<br />
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Go Blue! The old familiar stadium. We used to live right by here! <br />
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Met up with Candice and Lisa and Seidi. It was like we picked up right where we left off.<br />
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Farmer's Market sights and sounds and smells. An old favorite. <br />
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Asian-American fusion food. <br />
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Mill Pond park, Jake trying to catch minnows. It's times like these that I really miss Michigan outdoor weather and things to do. The greenery is something I will always love and miss. It's the most beautiful state!<br />
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Jake pre and post surgery. He was a trooper and did really well. Feeling incredibly grateful. <br />
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Marsha selfie!! And Jake airplane watching and missing James. He said so himself. "Mom, I miss Jamsey." I did, too. <br />
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We were happy to be reunited with everyone in St. George. Here we are at the Air Museum. <br />
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Backyard camping at Grandma B's. The night they were going to do it, there was a thunder storm followed by rain so it didn't end up happening. The weather this summer was unusually fair. Not the super high temperatures and constant heat of southern Utah summers that I was used to. It was great!!<br />
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James and Grandma B and Max. </div>
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cutie James<br />
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Blue Angles St. George, Utah!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-70535736277796051122015-05-25T10:47:00.002-07:002015-05-26T03:39:14.209-07:00In the past 3 months...It's been kind of crazy over here as far as Qatar Airways goes. In the past 3 months or so here is what they have offered to us employees:<br />
-increased housing allowance to QR 13000/month for FO and 15000/month for CA from 10000/12000. <br />
-gave us 15 buddy passes per year! anyone we want, 4 sectors each!<br />
-completely remodeled my kitchen. counters, cabinets, appliances. AND now I have a dishwasher! And an even better clothes washer. <br />
-announced that passenger flights will start on Jan. 1, 2016 in and out of LAX!! You have no idea how much better this will be for our family. I cannot even wait!<br />
-announced a retirement package, 401K type of deal. Before they offered nothing.<br />
-Matt finished the course to be an instructor and has started classes. This is something he has been wanting to do for awhile now, so I'm happy for him. <br />
-recently they also increased schooling allowance.<br />
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Overall, we have been so happy! Especially me, since these things directly impact our quality of life over here! It's been nice that they have given us some perks and I'm hoping they keep them coming! Fingers crossed for even higher schooling allowance so that we can afford ASD:)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-18564473288325019132015-05-13T23:41:00.004-07:002015-05-21T11:38:22.287-07:00Milan, Italy (EATily)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VV9rHDxP7dM/VVQ9A-fzt7I/AAAAAAAADrI/RGm8OfbYAWU/s1600/Aug.%2B2014%2B-%2BApril%2B2015%2B056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VV9rHDxP7dM/VVQ9A-fzt7I/AAAAAAAADrI/RGm8OfbYAWU/s1600/Aug.%2B2014%2B-%2BApril%2B2015%2B056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a>The family in front of the Duomo.<img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VV9rHDxP7dM/VVQ9A-fzt7I/AAAAAAAADrI/RGm8OfbYAWU/s400/Aug.%2B2014%2B-%2BApril%2B2015%2B056.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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Oh Italy, how we ALL love you! We went to Milan in October 2014 and it's May 2015 when I'm finally writing about it. Oh well. What a happy trip. When I think about Italy, I only have happy memories. The boys were loving Italy, which made for really happy parents. First of all, THE BIRDS! They were obsessed with all the piegons. They would chase them around whenever we saw any, particularly in front of the Duomo, the gorgeous white washed cathedral in the heart of Milan. I kept thinking, "Look UP! And see that beautiful building!" But no, the birds were cooler. Second of all, THE FOOD! Eli ate his first cannoli, we dined on gelato daily, and had the most delicious food at Princi, our favorite corner Italian spot. We brought back bacon, cheese, proiscuitto, and Italian cookies and pretended like we were still in Italy for several days after we returned home. Third, it was a walking city and stroller-friendly. They boys were exhausted by the time we got home after a full day out. It was a fabulous, fast trip, we were only there for 3 days. We decided on Monday night that we wanted to go, so Tuesday we were on a flight. I love our life right now. Spontaneous. Crazy. Shameless. Fun. Memorable. <br />
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These guys right there are pretty much the best ever!!!!<br />
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Jakey at one of the Duomo's front doors. I can't exactly remember which part you are supposed to rub to show respect, but I think it was Christ's feet. Once you get right up to it, it's obvious because it's all shiny from the constant rubbing. I have just forgotten which part. <br />
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Pure joy on this boy's face!<br />
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This was the highlight of the trip, for myself and Matt. This building contains the Last Supper painting! We were able to go in and admire it. It's fantastic and takes up an entire wall. The fact that the roof was bombed off of this building during WWII and the mural is still there--is remarkable. I'll never forget it. Truly amazing.<br />
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Eli's little curls while he flies like a bird.<br />
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twins:)<br />
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This was our first morning in Italy. We arrived late the previous night and awoke to Italian skies!<br />
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Breakfast. Croissants, delicious cheese and meats, and an amazing fruit tart. Hot chocolate. Nutella. Yes and yes. <br />
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Playing in the leaves around the hotel. It's fun to experience 'fall' weather again. We have missed it!<br />
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Above is one of my favorite pics ever. And below, the boys did a pretty good job at taking a pic:)<br />
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Linds outside of the fortress. <br />
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The fortress grounds. <br />
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James knows just what to do. Always does, always will. Love this kiddo. <br />
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Autumn is in the air and we just couldn't get enough! The boys ran and played in the leaves and picked up "spikey boms" and breathed in fresh, dust-free air. <br />
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And fed ducks. <br />
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Guess what? "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire......" it's a real thing. We bought some! They tasted a bit mealy but I bet they grow on you after awhile.<br />
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The streets of Milan. <br />
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Princi. Un. Believable. So delicious. Must. go. back. (check out those latticed fruit tarts! That's what I'm talkin' about!)<br />
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Eli's first cannoli!<br />
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Dessert mid-day. every day.<br />
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We walked up the spiral staircase and came to the top of the Duomo. It had incredible views and fantastic architecture. And guess who we ran into at the top? The Mormon missionaries.<br />
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Naturally, the boys just thought it was another playground. <br />
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the missionaries took this pic:)<br />
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this one's for you, grandma!<br />
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Another part of the front doors. <br />
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LONG LIVE GELATO!!<br />
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Such a great photo!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aLI-_QrGgpI/VINRv30zPaI/AAAAAAAADDI/FiAqZIkzhm4/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aLI-_QrGgpI/VINRv30zPaI/AAAAAAAADDI/FiAqZIkzhm4/s320/image.jpg" width="240" /></a>Animals have always love him.</div>
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We were told that we had to try the panzarotti in Milan at this place in particular. It's a fried calzone. 'twas good. (and by the way, by this point my pants are hardly buttoning anymore. but it was worth it!)</div>
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In Milan, we stayed in a little flat I found on Airbnb. This was the view from our window. <br />
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Thanks Matt for another great adventure with you! He had been to Milan before so he was able to show us around and take us back to Princi. He's the best person ever to travel with. Love you! xxxAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-372297010404460992015-03-12T11:28:00.000-07:002015-03-12T11:28:08.271-07:00World Book Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What happens when you leave World Book Day until the last minute? This. We turned their Qatar Airways jersey's inside-out, pinned on a handmade 'thing 1 & 2' label, and fortunately, ran into a neighbor at the Park 'N Shop (actual name) who had blue hair spray paint at home! Score! The blue hair looked great on Jakey since he's blonde, but on James it didn't show up much. Overall, my procrastination turned out successful! The best part was going to the compound pool after school and getting a head start on washing out their hair:)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-18760457053495933712015-03-12T11:20:00.000-07:002015-03-12T11:20:07.644-07:00Googie turned 2!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This picture captures how we feel about the lil squish! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! We mug on him all the time. I am certain that he knows just how much we love him and how special we think he is. He is the sweetest little guy and I thank Heavenly Father every day that He sent him to us. <br />
On his birthday, we went to Ray's Reef, an indoor play place with lots of different activities for kids. We invited our friends the Arnold's to come along since our boys were the best of friends. <br />
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Eli and Caleb, riding in the blue fishy.<br />
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Masterpiece!<br />
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The crew! (minus Jake?)<br />
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We love you Eli.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-10506743840366290572015-03-12T11:14:00.000-07:002015-03-12T11:32:14.241-07:00My 4 loves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I remain the Queen of this household and these 4 have my heart! I think Matt is sooooo handsome (because he is) and the boys adore him. They each look like him in some way and for that I am grateful! I think these boys couldn't be any better looking!<br />
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They are such little cheezers, too! <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-31368895476363933522015-03-12T11:01:00.001-07:002015-03-12T11:03:19.260-07:00Easter 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Celebrating a Christian holiday in a Muslim country is interesting. There is no Easter Bunny, peeps, Easter baskets, egg-hunts, or (gasp) egg shaped Reeses! But, it's still a great day, celebrating the Spirit of the holiday by worshipping at church. We always think about WahWah this time of year and how fun it would be to be all together with the cousins again. Maybe in a few more years that will happen. A few days before Easter, we had Sunna, Chi-wan, Chi-sun, and Chi-jun over to dye Eggs. They are from Korea and had never done it before. We used brown eggs, which turned out even better than white eggs because the colors looked rad! On Easter Friday the boys looked dapper for church. Including Matt;)<br />
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Jake's goofy face! I love it!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-60526619538787606902015-01-18T10:41:00.005-08:002015-01-18T10:54:26.751-08:00Phuket, Thailand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
First of all, let me say this: I STILL cannot believe that I went to THAILAND!!!! It has been #1 on my bucket list for so long now that it's strange to think I actually visited it! It was just what I thought it would be...and MORE!! I am in LOVE with Thailand. </div>
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We left Doha at 1am on Friday morning, March 21st, 2014. Flew to Kalula Lumpur, then on to Phuket, Thailand! I was kind of freaking out that we were flying through Kalula Lumpur because just 2 weeks ago the Malaysia Airlines flight 370 left from that airport and has not been seen or heard from since! A total mystery that is yet to be solved. I've been obsessively following the story and it was a bit scary to fly through here! The boys did great on the flight, as usual:) Thailand is beautiful with purple orchids growing everywhere. Palm trees are all over the place and if you look up the mountainside all you can see is green jungle. I want to live here. It's warm and slightly humid, but not bad. Mosquitos are the only down side to being here. The evening we arrived, we headed to the beach and enjoyed the sunset and resort pools. We are staying at the Katathani Resort on Kata Noi beach. It's family-friendly and quiet and affordable and beautiful. Seriously-I'm in LOVE!! </div>
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The next day, Saturday, we woke up at 10 am (4 hour time zone change) and hurried to the buffet breakfast which ended at 10:30! Eat up kids! Their selection of local fruits are my favorite part. Also, I had pad Thai and bacon for breakfast, just because I can! Most things around here are all indoor/outdoor type open places so you get fresh air and breezy gusts. It's fabulous!! Then we headed to the beach and resort pools all day on Sat and Sun. James has conquered his fear of swimming. With his floaters on, he goes all over the pool and sticks his head under water to hold his breath. He also goes down the kids slide hundreds of times per day. He is one happy little fish. Jake likes to swim as well but doesn't like getting his hair wet or putting his head under water. Eli is chubby and happy. The Indian Ocean is warm and the white sandy beaches are nice to walk on because they are soft. The water is a pretty blue but not clear blue. It is not too shallow for too long so the boys have to wear floaters when they get in, just in case. Their favorite part is the swimming pool. We get the drinks on the beach every day: fresh pineapple and orange smoothies or lemon or watermelon, or Pina Coladas. Eli takes a nap in the afternoon but the older boys stay up and play:) for dinner we went to a little Thai restaurant just up the street from our hotel on both evenings. We ordered pork satay, papaya salad, stir fried veggies and spring rolls, and a pastrami sandwich with fries for the boys; everything was tasty! Both nights we also got fresh local fruit. Eli loves the watermelon--good to know! For dessert we have had fried pineapple which was excellent!! Also mango flambay, which was ok. Both evenings we watched the sun set on the beach together. I had a Thai massage for 1hour and it cost $9 and a pedicure at the pool for $6. Worth every penny! My boys are happy here so that means mom and dad are, too! James said "I love the Indian Ocean! It doesn't sting my skin like the Dead Sea did." What 3 year old says that!? I hope they remember some of this cool stuff!! </div>
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On Monday we went to Old Town Phuket. We got a driver and went to Buddhist Temples (where we met a Monk), saw the Big Buddah, and fed Monkeys bananas. It was hot, but we survived with an umbrella. At the Chalet Wong, or main temple, they get 'points' or something for doing certain things. Buying lotus flowers for the Buddah and setting off fireworks in the outdoor oven are some of the merits they redeem. It's interesting to see another global religion. </div>
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On Tuesday we did the Elephant Safari. It was even better than I thought it was going to be!! Turns out elephants are kind of cute!! The boys had a good time, too. They showed us baby elephants that you got to stand next to and touch and get pics with. They had trained elephants to play a harmonica and hula on its trunk. We took some great pics of it. That afternoon we swam. Having the boys enjoy the water is a total game changer!! Jake and James go down the slide, jump in and put heir heads under water, and swim around with their floaters! It's really enjoyable! They have done a 180 degree turn since coming here as far as their swimming abilities and apprehension. I think it's going to be a fun summer of swimming! </div>
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Wednesday we got babysitters and Matt and I went snorkeling. The surf was too large to see much, so we ended up just playing in the ocean. </div>
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Thursday was another beach/pool day. It was a great trip! </div>
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One funny thing that happened while in Thailand was when we were trying to get the boys to lie down for a nap, an alarm kept going on and off in the hallway. The boys freak out when there is a fire alarm--I mean freak out! (We kind of taught them to do that!) we kept saying to them "Don't worry, it's just a test. Go to sleep, there is no real fire. It will stop ringing soon." The boys did not believe me at all. Finally, I was getting upset and said sternly "go to sleep. It is not going to ring again!!" And just then, it started ringing!! It was hilarious! We all started laughing and everyone got up-we skipped naps that day:)</div>
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Poolside at our Resort</div>
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Our room, the shower was a great big walk-in, my fav!</div>
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One day we went up to see the BIG BUDDAH, perched on top of the mountain. You can see it from everywhere--it's enormous. <br />
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Jakey pining for some good luck. <br />
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Monks<br />
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Elephant rides! At first, James and I rode together, and Matt and Jake and Eli rode together. It was mid-day and quite hot, but they only had 1 umbrella. So, James hopped into the other elephant and rode with that crew. <br />
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Matt actually got to 'drive' the elephant. Made him feel like a real man. <br />
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Elephants doing their tricks.<br />
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Riding 'shotgun' on my elephant!<br />
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Golden Buddah's<br />
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We love that Jamsey!</div>
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Feeding the monkeys bananas. It was so hot that day, but had to stop and see the monkeys anyway.<br />
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The 'wat' or temples were fun to walk around and see all the Buddah's. <br />
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These are probably some of my favorite pics from the whole trip! Once again, Eli is the main attraction. These school girls kept asking for pictures of him and to be next to him for 'selfies'. It always cracks me up! He's such a cutie!<br />
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Checking out the fresh fish!<br />
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INDIAN OCEAN!<br />
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Local food at the market.<br />
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Sunbathing<br />
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Our family had on more clothes than the rest of the beach combined! For reals! You see some interesting people in Thailand and luckily the boys were not old enough to 'understand' why people walked around nude. We were on a family beach, but even still, you get the 'confident' ones every once in awhile. sigh.<br />
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Food, glorious food! I think this was banana in coconut milk. I wanted to try some mango and coconut sticky rice, but come to find out, that is not really sold in Thailand! Whaaa?! I guess it's so 'common' that it would be rude or embarassing to serve something so plain and basic. Whatever.<br />
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ELEPHANT SAFARI=HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP<br />
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This Monk we met was so nice to let us ask him questions and snap a few pics.<br />
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Everyone was not quite sure what to do so close to elephants.....<br />
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Jakey gives really good hugs xx<br />
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Quite possibly my favorite pic of the whole trip. James, 'flexing'.<br />
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My man, my love!<br />
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Poolside Pedis, yes please!<br />
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Tuk-Tuk rides! No carseats--oh yeah! <br />
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Part of the breakfast buffet.....the mango and pineapple were especially delish!<br />
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Pappaya salad, OMG good!<br />
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Fresh Coconut. <br />
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Prawn Pad Thai was my go-to meal. It was about $3-4/ plate and it was fresh and amazing! We didn't think the boys would like it, so we ordered them nuggets or pizza or something else. On the last day, we give the boys some pad thai and come to find out, THEY LOVE IT!! I have made it several times since we have been back and they gobble it right up! <br />
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Our cute waitress.<br />
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Front desk check-in. I loved the traditional dress the women and men wore.<br />
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Going hiking. Kata Noi viewpoint. Worth the hike.<br />
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Eli guzzling fresh juice.<br />
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These pics are kind of out of order, but this was our airport selfie or 'groupie' at midnight, waiting for our flight. All in all, it was 10/10 trip. I can't wait to get back to THAILAND!!<br />
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IF WE GO AGAIN: April was quite hot. Maybe try Feb or March? We had planned for mosquitos, but we didn't get bit, luckily. Another month may be another story, though. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-69393118504069619352014-12-28T11:15:00.003-08:002015-01-17T21:32:17.217-08:00BulgariaI was reading the boys a bedtime story a few months ago and the boys, I realized, didn't know what snow was.....because they have never experienced it! Well, not since they were babies, and Eli, not at all. We gotta give them a taste of their roots--they were born in Michigan after all! So, Matt and I decided right then and there that we were going to take a winter vacation someplace over Christmas break when they were out of school. Matt has 6 weeks of leave per year. 3 in winter and 3 in summer. He has to take them--there is no 'cashing in' or opting to work instead. Bummer:) he got one week off right before Christmas this year and we decided to head to Bulgaria and experience the snow and skiing. Why Bulgaria? Well, it's close and cheap. Two winners when toting around with a young family of five. As far as snow clothing goes, we had most of it, believe it or not! Michelle and Larry let us borrow some adult jackets and pants and then we were set to go. We bought snow gloves for everyone once we got there. 3 pairs for $8. Not bad.<br />
We arrived at the airport, checked our luggage, and were given tickets--yay, always happy travelers when standby works out! We were going through customs when the Qatari guy says "No, go back. This is expired" pointing to Matt's passport. It turns out that his Multi-Exit Visa had expired and they won't let you leave the country without renewing it. Matt made some phone calls, I went on towards the gate with the boys, and we both hoped and prayed that he would be able to come with us! Minutes before they finalized boarding, Matt comes running up to the gate, and we all hop onto the bus that took us out to the plane. whew. close one. <br />
Once we landed in Sofia, Bulgaria, we hopped into our rental and drove about 1 hour to the resort town of Borovets. <br />
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This was our hotel, the Festa Winter Palace and our view towards the slopes from our balcony. We were the only guests there for the majority of the trip! It had a great and free 'English Breakfast' each morning which we all gobbled up. We stayed in a suite, on the second floor on the right. You can see our balcony from this picture. The slopes are right down this road, not far to walk. We ran into another family on the slopes with 3 children and chatted with them for a bit. Turns out they are from Palestine. We didn't mention that we live in Qatar....</div>
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The boys first time in the SNOW! They kept saying "this is the best day ever" and "thanks so much mom and dad!" James knew just what to do--snow angels!<br />
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Whacking sticks into branches with snow is fun for all ages.<br />
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I spy 4 boys.<br />
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Sooooo, it turns out that 'ski season' totally depends upon the weather! crazy! They officially opened 'ski season' on the 13th of December based on weather forecasts. And when us desert rats got there we thought, 'looks like plenty of snow to us!' But apparently, really the best time to ski is Jan-Feb. So, we mostly sledded and stayed on the bunny hills. Jake and James and Matt and I all got skiing instruction, but walking back up the hill in skis is quite a bit of work! The bunny hill lift was not operating, so up and down we went all day long. This was the first time I had ever been sledding, and it was so fun! You get going so fast, it's almost a little bit scary! <br />
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Playing inside of the ice fort.<br />
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James wanted to pack his Santa hat and he totally wore it, I loved it!<br />
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Jamsey up on ski's for the first time!<br />
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Go James, GO!<br />
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Matt's first time on skis! <br />
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This spiderman sled was a huge hit. We also had another one that we nicknamed the 'green bullet'. <br />
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Fighting. Sigh. James and Jake couldn't agree on how to build the snowman, so we had to separate them for a time. Oh well, that's real life.<br />
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Merry Christmas!<br />
We took a rickety 24 minute Gondola ride to the top of the mountain. You could ski all the way back down but since we are all beginners, we decided to play around at the top, get some hot cocoa, and ride back down. The boys thought the lift was pretty cool; but I was scared to pieces!<br />
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Panoramic iPhone camera photo.<br />
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Ah, the food. Bulgaria is an interesting mix of cultures. It has Greek influence (feta, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes). Turkish influence (flat bread, shwarma, lamb). And Eastern European influence (hearty stews, shnitzel, root veggies). So the menus varied with all of these things for a party in your mouth! One of their signature dishes was called Sach. It was enough food to feed our whole family, but of course Matt only ordered it for himself. It was basically 'everything but the kitchen sink' kind of a dish. Too random for me, but Matt was in culinary heaven. They even threw in 3 toothpick umbrellas for good measure. Go ahead, eat your heart out, honey!<br />
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How cool is that wooden menu?<br />
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This was another authentic restaurant --right in the heart of Sofia. They brought out this sampler salad platter and hung it from the ceiling! It was delish! Matt ordered the kavarma, which is basically a meat and veggie tomato based stew served warm in an earthenware pot. So, so yummy. Plus, we ordered pork whenever we could--extra good since we are deprived in Doha. <br />
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And, after. Ate it all right up!<br />
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We went to a few markets and at one the boys insisted we take their picture near this statue. "It's a statue, take our picture!" Then I hear James directing the others, "Ok, let's play. I'm the king of the jungle, the Lion. Jake-you're Scarr. And, um, Eli, you're the mouse." As in, the mouse that Scarr eats up for lunch. It was hilarious. Eli was all for it, too. Such a good little third wheel! <br />
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On the way to the Rila Monastary. We took one day and visited a working Monastary waaaay up in the mountains about 2 hours from our hotel. They call it "Bulgaria's Jerusalem". It was an interesting place. The Monks have such a different philosophy on life. They deprive themselves of everything; marriage, internet, career, family life, and live a life devoted to God, kind of shut away up in the mountains. But, how does that do much good? You have a Godly person that is able to do much good, but doesn't because he's in his room worshipping all the time and removed from the world. I don't quite understand it, but respect it nonetheless. <br />
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Whaaaa?! These signs are in Bulgarian!? j/k</div>
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The frescos on the walls were impressive. <br />
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We saw Monks and drank spring water. Good times. <br />
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We had more hot cocoa on this trip than I have had in the past 5 years combined!</div>
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Jake asked as we were driving back to our hotel "Is this Utah?" Haha, honestly, it could have been, looked very similar!</div>
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Peeing on the side of the road. It's easy being a boy.<br />
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On Sunday, we went to church in Sofia. There was a branch meeting close to our hotel. It was all in Bulgarian, but we had a translator and a headset. It's amazing to me that almost anywhere we travel to, we can meet with members of our faith. I love it!<br />
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Some sights of Sofia on a really, really chilly day!<br />
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The Lion and her Cubs. Uncanny resemblance, I know.<br />
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Random Snail House, check. I think someone actually lives there. The boys thought it was so cool. <br />
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Statues and posers:)<br />
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Fun times on the slides at the park. We always stop sight-seeing for a bit and just give the boys time to play and run around. They would gather up leaves at the bottom and slide right down into them. Then repeat. <br />
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All in all, it was a good trip. The boys keep asking to go back and play in the snow. Today in Doha James asked if we could go to the pool and swim and I said that I thought it was too cold since it's winter time. He said "It's not winter here!" Touche. Now they know:) <br />
Getting back to Doha was tricky since all the flights were so full. We could get into Bucharest, Romania, but then we'd be stuck there since all the non-rev's were coming back to Doha from there. So, we went on Turkish Airlines red-eye flight through Istanbul and arrived back in Doha on the morning of the 23rd of December. Just in time to have Christmas at home. Until next time Bulgaria!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-13750416929216021932014-12-06T09:57:00.002-08:002014-12-06T10:04:12.071-08:00Mom and Dad came for a visit!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm backtracking here a bit--my apologies. But, it HAS to be done! My Mom and Dad came to Doha! January 31st, 2014 (my 28th birthday:) they arrived! To say I was excited is just a small understatement. Matt was on leave for most of it and it was so nice to be all together. It's safe to say that we all had a good time. They came with a boat load of gifts, orders, and random things collected from the States. It was like Christmas! </div>
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I had the fridge stocked with 'light' coke. No such thing as 'diet' coke here. For reals. <br />
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Story time with grandma and grandpa. <br />
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Eli and Grandma, enjoying a moment post church. </div>
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The singing sand dunes. This is a favorite spot of ours. As you side down the sand dune, it 'sings'! It's more like a rhythmic humming, but at any rate, it's awesome. The thing is, you have to climb to the top of the dune, first:) It is WAY harder than it looks! When we got to the top, my mom started dry heaving. In between heaves, she said, "I'm ok, it's just exercise-induced nausea." true story. Just another reason why I love my Mother!</div>
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We all made it, such troopers. <br />
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This is what the desert of Doha looks like. Sand for DAYS!!!<br />
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Probably my favorite picture of all time. Just sayin'.<br />
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We also toured the Grand Mosque. It's an insanely beautiful building. As long as you are dressed appropriately, you are allowed into the mosque. We brought scarves to cover up and it was just fine. <br />
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At the fish market. Right around the corner from where we live.<br />
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Wholesale Market is a really fun place to go, too. Mom found boxes and boxes full of okra:)<br />
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Another one of my very favorite pictures ever! We went to the camel market to see the camels. I told mom and dad to stand there and pose and right then, a camel licked my mom's head and she started screaming (naturally). It was the best!<br />
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Shopping around a bazaar on the lawn of the Museum of Islamic Art. Another really pretty building. <br />
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Exploring in the souq was fun, too. <br />
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Food, glorious food. My Dad's favorite restaurant (and ours, too) was Turkey Central. He loved the sesame flat bread and mezza platter. It is such delish food and we go there often!<br />
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Of course, we couldn't let them leave without going Persian rug shopping! Ramiez is our favorite place to get rugs. I think technically they are made in Istanbul, but whatever! I sent one home for Brooke and one for Erin. <br />
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My Dad needed a hair cut while he was here, so we ran to a little Saloon, or gents haircutting place. James was so sweet. He thought grandpa was scared, so he went over and held his hand the whole time he got his hair cut. James is such a sweet, perceptive, aware, and sensitive kid. I love him!<br />
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Of course, we took lots of walks around the compound!<br />
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Exploring the animal souq.<br />
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Eek! Toy AK-47's. Matt bought one for Phil. My mom bought AK-47 key chains for my brothers.<br />
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And, the camel races were the highlight of the trip. There are camel races on most Saturdays during winter. We didn't actually see the races, but we did see them training. There were probably THOUSANDS of camels--no joke. It was unbelievable. <br />
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My fearless mother went up to an Arab guy and asked if he knew where we could ride a camel at? He looked at her for a moment, then said, 'Wait here, and I'll get mine." Sure enough, 20 minutes later he comes back with food for our boys and leads us over to his personal camel stall. He wouldn't accept any compensation and insisted that we ride his camels. It was soooooo cool. He was so generous. And I'm so glad my mom asked him:)<br />
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Another favorite picture ever. My dad was skeptical about riding a camel. He kept saying, "I'm too fat" and making excuses. Once we finally convinced him to do it, he had a good time. I love this picture of him up there! Ya Dad!</div>
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I can't wait until they visit again! </div>
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p.s. if you find my dad's jacket, cell phone, and my mom's camera, can you please send it our way? It was a big bummer that it was lost:(</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-57462187881125056672014-12-06T08:36:00.000-08:002014-12-06T10:05:21.467-08:00ThanksgivingOne doesn't realize what an American holiday Thanksgiving is until you move out of America. That has certainly been the case in Qatar. This is our 3rd Thanksgiving in this country, and each one has been so-so. I sound so Debbie-Downer, but I guess my point is that you just can't beat a home cooked turkey & fixins' around a table filled with loved ones. As expats, that is part of the price you pay by living half a world away. So, we improvise, and it works.<br />
Year One: We had been here for 3 weeks. Didn't really 'know' anybody. Some of Matt's co-workers invited us to a Thanksgiving dinner buffet at the Intercontinental. It was amazing, amazing food. We were the only ones there with kids. 3 kids, aged 2 1/2 and 5 months. We stuffed our faces then left before bedtime.<br />
Year 2: Ate dinner with the Arnold's in their home.<br />
Year 3: Matt worked on Thanksgiving day, J2 went to school, and I went to The Sound of Music play that evening with girlfriends. Friday we had a potluck dinner and program at the Shumway's after church. No turkey; soups and salads, mostly. I made my standard: a 'turkey' veggie tray and pumpkin spice bundt cake with cream cheese frosting. The pumpkin was from home-made roasted pumpkin! First time doing that--and it turned out fab! Geraldine and Scott, our New Zealand friends, made delicious pavlova and we tried that for the first time. Afterwards, Maryan played Uno with 7 little kids while the parents talked outside, uninterrupted, for a full 25 minutes. It was heavenly. Bless her!!<br />
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You see? Not really traditional, but we make the most of it. Life is full of blessings and I'm Thankful for all this life has to offer us. Especially when we turn towards The Lord, He blesses us beyond measure. I am Thankful.<br />
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We also enjoyed Face Timing with these faces!! </div>
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Can you tell my sisters are freaks?! I fit right in!!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-52273349973112422382014-11-24T22:38:00.004-08:002015-05-21T12:45:25.010-07:00Doha Sights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hbT3dg3y6BE/VHQUZkloTEI/AAAAAAAACyk/ckGoeNRjZG8/s1600/2014-05-02%2B10.37.46.nef" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hbT3dg3y6BE/VHQUZkloTEI/AAAAAAAACyk/ckGoeNRjZG8/s1600/2014-05-02%2B10.37.46.nef" width="320" /></a></div>
Thobe Crossing<br />
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Just as you are walking into the grocery store.</div>
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Nutella jars bigger than your head (and heavier, too)<br />
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Endless jokes: the heat of Doha<br />
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Pink Rolls Royce<br />
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Know your thobe! So handy!<br />
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The Happy Khaleeji Family. Nanny not included. <br />
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And my personal favorite: Overspeed leads to Perdition!!</div>
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There is nothing boutique about Isis. <br />
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Lamb carcass?<br />
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Pigeons! <br />
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"window" shopping. who buys this stuff? (not the greatest pic of the vase, sorry)<br />
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Pet falcons. Matt once told me that on his flight, an Emirati guy was coming to Doha for the falcon festival. He bought 6 first class tickets for his birds and the falconeers. As in, the falconeers were to hold all 6 birds on their fingers up in first class during the flight. Unfortunately, he didn't read the fine print. No pets are allowed in first class, so they had to all sit in economy. No Godiva chocolate back there. Boo. (But still kinda funny.)<br />
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The nurse in me thinks that this chart is incredibly helpful and accurate! It was in the bathroom stall. I keep thinking of our EFY chant "It's getting hotter! So drink mo' water!"</div>
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I included this picture so that I always remember that most retail things here in Doha are at least double what you would pay for them back home. Just like this fitbit. <br />
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It's 100+ degrees outside and those are legs of lamb. yum.<br />
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The 'saloon' or men's salon where we get the boys hair cuts at. They always wear these masks and I always think it's so funny!<br />
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Try the DOugh HA concrete next time you are in Shake Shack! It's delicious! And, only available in Qatar:)<br />
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Camping in the middle East. Below that blue horizon are the waters of the Persian Gulf. Just beyond that is Bahrain. Sometimes I forget that we are actually living here, so far away from home.<br />
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<span id="goog_391280738"></span><span id="goog_391280739">I love my lamp that I got in the Souq. It's handmade in Egypt. The shadows it leaves on my walls are amazing and I love the geometric design. </span><br />
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I included these pictures because A) Matt is so handsome! and B) Qatar Airways has obviously been a big part of our lives since we moved here. I'm only mildly irritated when gourmet food pics show up in my photo stream while Matt's at work. I'm usually eating PB&J so the contrast makes me just laugh. <br />
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This is why I stopped using the postal services here. It arrived mangled, 11 months after my mother had posted it. Nice.<br />
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Matt waiting to taxi and takeoff because the Secretary of State was going first. This was in Amman, Jordan. <br />
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Doesn't he just look like a million bucks?! Makes you want to go donate blood, right??<br />
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Sand, sand, and more sand. The dunes are really impressive. It's quite the climb to the top. These dunes in particular are supposed to 'sing' when you go down them. It's like a reverberating hum as the sand falls away around you. Pretty cool. <br />
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An afternoon in Aspire Zone park.<br />
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One of my favorite mosques, it's just so beautiful!<br />
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I was trying to capture Eli's curly hairs and this guy totally photo bombed us!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-6445381661525813082014-11-24T04:12:00.001-08:002014-11-24T21:22:05.716-08:00Dhow Boat FestivalThe Dhow Boat Festival at Katara was one of the best cultural events I have attended here in Qatar. I have never seen so many locals in one spot! We walked onto the Dhow's, watched them weave fishing nets and weld anchors, ate dates, and listened to a chant-off among the fishermen in opposing dhows. It was free to the public and we had such a good time. On a whim, I tried the 'spiral potato' and it turns out the boys LOVED them and gobbled it right up. The weather is finally nice enough to get outside, so we are enjoying it!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-15858718362865653892014-11-23T09:54:00.002-08:002014-11-23T10:38:52.862-08:00Afternoon in the park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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High<br />
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Higher</div>
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Highest!<br />
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I love these crazy boys. It was a beautiful fall November day here in Doha and we spent the afternoon at the compound park. Lucky for us, Dad was home and came, too. The boys all wanted to be pushed on the swings, so up, up, up they went. (James can swing himself but Jake prefers us to do it for him. Personality difference #1) They are always making ordinary things magical by using their creative imaginations. James and Eli would sit right under the swing and look up at Jake and get as close as they could without getting smacked in the face. It went on and on, even when James was the one in the swing. Kids are so fun. I'm so happy that they are mine.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-76480526822224840992014-11-17T09:41:00.001-08:002014-11-23T09:57:15.450-08:004 year old Poet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While driving home Jakey says "the sun looks like hot lava spilling out onto the horizon." Quite poetic for a four year old little boy! I love how observant they are, pointing out things to me that I seem to under appreciate and not pick up on. Oh, how I love being their Mother!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-79712680122998207782014-10-28T11:42:00.002-07:002014-11-02T09:55:18.554-08:00Germany<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Germany, Fall 2013 was a really, really great trip. Matt had a few days off in a row, so we went for it! We wanted to see Uncle Freddy and Aunt Kathy before they moved back to the States. It was chilly European fall weather outside and such a nice change from the endless summer heat of Doha. We flew right into Frankfurt, on the red-eye flight and arrived surprisingly well rested! The picture above is us at the market, getting some 'hot dogs on a stick--with spicy mustard'. The pork is heavenly after such a long absence!<br />
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Next, we explored the area around the market and the City Center. This is probably my favorite picture of the whole trip!! Eli is such a cutie-pie and he catches attention like no other! These Asian tourists were especially drawn to him and kept asking to take his picture. It was so funny! He was cute and smilied a lot for them, as he does.<br />
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Isn't it just so picturesque?! I love Germany!<br />
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Hi Jakey!</div>
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Running around in the Square.<br />
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Family Picture!</div>
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Locks of Love. I think it's a cool tradition. You throw the key into the river so you will always be bound together. <br />
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Happy Eli-O<br />
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Wheeeeeee, says James and Jakey!!<br />
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Me and my boys. I'm the lucky one.<br />
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We met up with Kathy and Fred and they showed us some of their favorite little towns on the way to Rotenburg. This is us in Oxenfurt, a quiant and sleepy little town that was adorable in every way. <br />
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Freddy and Kathy were good to entertain the boys and bring snacks and toys for them. They have probably been to this town 100 times with other guests, but they acted like it was no problem at all to be back again. They were such gracious tour guides.<br />
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Above is another one of my very favorites. Dad of the Year goes to Matt.</div>
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Cute Aunt Kathy and Uncle Freddy.<br />
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This is Rotenburg. It was an old city that was not destroyed by the war. It is completely walled in and charming, charming, charming. <br />
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I just love the second story windows with planters hanging out of them. Always full of flowers or greenery, so lovely.<br />
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These are Schneeballen, or Snowballs. They look delicious, but really they are not that sweet and taste kind of chalky. Typical characteristics of a German dessert. They were fun to look at, though!<br />
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Rotenburg was a fun day spent walking the city and grabbing street food and stopping by in small shops. One time we wanted some ice cream for the boys, a kinder cone, and went into a restaurant and sat down and ordered. The boys were not being crazy, but they were a little loud, I guess. She brought us our cones and said that we had to take them to-go. We were not allowed to stay in her restaurant and eat. We were so tired of walking, all we really wanted was to sit down. I almost started crying, but instead we paid her and left. It was upsetting, but I just realized that culturally, children are to be seen and not heard. They don't have large families and generally like dogs and cats more than children. In other words: We were not in Doha anymore. Oh well. <br />
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Wurzburg, Germany. We stayed in this little town and loved walking the bridge, up to the fortress, and again, eating the food. Germany is sooooo pretty! Have I said that already? Also, this is the second time Matt and I have been here......5 years ago we came with Phil, Elisha, and Laura to this exact city. I'm sure we snapped pictures in the same spots, even. I would have never thought I would be back so soon.....with 3 kids in tow. Life is full of surprises!<br />
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Bike-friendly!<br />
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Hiking up to the fortress. It was quite the walk, which was good because the boys needed to burn some energy! Along the way we found some nuts, which we collected and later learned that they were chestnuts. I don't think I had ever seen one before this trip.<br />
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Oh yeah. Googie's eye. In Rotenburg, Eli tripped on a cobblestone (he is just over one year old, as you know) and fell right onto the curb and smacked his eyebrow. It was so, so, so sad. Poor kiddo. It looked terrible! I mean AWFUL!!! So swollen and bloodshot. Once we returned to Doha we took him right into the Pediatric Opthalomogist, and fortunately, it was only cosmetic. No problems with his vision. No long-term damage. Poor kid. Damn cobblestones!<br />
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At the fortress looking out back over the city of Wurzburg. Great view. Unforgettable.<br />
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Saying our goodbyes to Freddy and Kathy. They were so, so wonderful to us and we so appreciated it. I can see why they stayed and lived in Germany for so long. It was hard to leave! <br />
There are castles, castle ruins, and fortresses ALL over Germany. About every mile, you see a sign for one up ahead. Kathy said there are something in the number of 23,000 in Germany alone! This one is still privately owned and lived in, but you can still get close enough to snap a picture. Can you even imagine? Living in a real-life CASTLE?! This one even has a draw bridge!<br />
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The only other mishap I need to mention is that Matt lost his eye glasses. Can't find them anywhere! So, now some lucky Germans have a wedding ring and a pair of frameless spectacles. You're welcome. Sheesh!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-35549318144255805532014-10-24T10:03:00.002-07:002014-10-28T00:42:11.818-07:00Muscat, Oman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We went to Muscat, Oman in August 2013 for a short 3 day trip. </div>
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We had gotten back from our visit Stateside and Doha was still sweltering hot. Humid. Miserable. We wanted to go someplace close by and get away for a few days. Oman is about an hour flight away, if that. (Oman is also part of our Stake.) Believe it or not, it was about 20 degrees cooler there! It's still on the Arabian Peninsula and has a very Middle Eastern feel, but has a different ecosystem there that allows for much more greenery and much cooler temperatures. Just what we wanted. We got a Qatar Airways staff discount on the Shangri La hotel, plus a discount for it being off season and staying mid-week. Even still, we could only afford 2 nights. Oman is EXPENSIVE!!!! Apparantly, all the rich Arabs vacation here regularly. Visas were expensive, the rental car was expensive, and the hotel and food were a small fortune. It was such a swanky hotel, that they figure if you stay there you have got some cash in the bank. So, it's mandatory that you donate money to a charity upon checkout. Like a sizeable, undisclosed amount. I actually think that's a good idea, but I was surprised by the 'mandatory' part. </div>
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So, what did we do in Oman? Swam and swam some more. The lazy river, pool, splash pad, and ocean kept us entertained. Mid-day we would go to our room and take a nap. The last day there we drove around Muscat and saw a few mosques and fortresses. Oman has an interesting history because it is one of the few countries in the region that has remained independent and not changed as much since the discovery of oil. There is more history you are able to see in Oman than in Qatar. It was fun to see another country in the Middle East. </div>
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Duty Free in the Doha airport sells these enormous Nutella jars bigger than Matt's head. Food Storage. One must have chocolate to survive. Qatar knows what's up.</div>
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Our accomodations: the Shangri La. It was incredible. Fanciest place I have ever stayed. There was a lazy river with tubes and splash place for kids. Staff gave out cold bottles of water to guests, which was so nice because it was still really hot, even though it was cooler than Doha!<br />
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This is what the Arabian Sea looks like. Notice the trees and greenery!<br />
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Mom and her crew.<br />
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My 3 squishies.<br />
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Hotel living is the best. And so is Dad!<br />
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The hotel was so pretty on the inside, we kept taking pictures of it. I love the Middle Eastern flare to the decor. Tear drop shaped arches, patterned rugs, coiffered ceilings, marbled staircases, and my favorite--the bronze lamps for indoor/outdoor lighting. It was so, so beautiful. <br />
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Looking back towards our room. It was a huge resort. We are at the far end where the splash pad was located. <br />
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Our tired 1 year old. <br />
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Eating local Omani food. We were put in this room with carpeted walls, and sat on those red floor cushions. The boys loved it! They would take a bite, then run around. Take a bite, then run around. We had some soup-y dish with chicken in it, rice, flat bread and hummos. Not my favorite, but it was edible if you were hungry.<br />
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The Grand Mosque was really fantastic. Touring the regional Mosque is a must when you visit Middle Eastern countries. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-82625941507782142032014-10-18T04:54:00.001-07:002014-11-02T11:13:09.379-08:00It's December....26th! (2013)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I really need to do this blog justice and sit down to catch up. But for now, I'll have to just start from where we are at, currently.<br />
I am writing this on my iPad from our hotel room on the Dead Sea in Jordan!!!!! I know, awesome, right!? We are staying at the Holiday Inn and the boys are down at the playground getting their last wiggles out before bed. Matt gave me a few minutes to myself so I thought I'd try to use it wisely:)<br />
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Jordan has been a great trip! I had underestimated it quite a bit, but now that we are here-wow-so much biblical history, that I (surprisingly) find quite interesting! We flew into the capital Amman via Qatar Airways using our confirmed tickets! Yay! The next day we drove down to Petra, about 2.5 hours away. That afternoon we hiked to the Treasury! And just beyond. The sik reminded Matt and I of Zion's with the red mountain rocks, gorges, and the way the sun leaves shadows. It gets pretty chilly after the sun sets, so we headed back to our hotel and got a good night's sleep. The next day was about 8 miles round trip; we went all the way to the Monastary! Jake and James basically ran from where we parked our car all the way to the Treasury. Then, we rented a donkey, or an air-conditioned Ferrari, as they like to advertise. Once we got to the steps going up the mountain to get to the Monastary, the boys wanted off that donkey! They freaked out- I think it was just too unstable feeling when going up. So, we told them they had to walk! It is 1,000 steps to the top and guess what-- they did it all! And guess what else!? They walked all the way back down! We all slept great that night!<br />
Tuesday the 24th, we drove to the Dead Sea. The south shores of the a Dead Sea have the picturesque salt rocks built up along the shores. We stopped at the Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth and also when up to Lott's tomb. The drive from Petra to the a Dead Sea was eventful to say the very least! A kid came out of a bus stop as we were driving by and started waving a really big knife at us. He did jabbing motions towards our car and came really near us! I was screaming and freaking out when finally Matt decided to speed off. It was frightening!! And I'll never let him live down his hesitation, although he still tries to deny it! Also, along our drive we saw many families in UNESCO tents camped along the road. We were told they were the Syrian Refugees that had fled from their country. It was quite humbling. Once we arrived at the Dead Sea, we enjoyed the playground at the resort, then went in to Face Time with family and celebrate Christmas Eve. Christmas Day was spent playing with toys, chatting with family, and a nap. That afternoon we went to Jesus's baptism site on the River Jordan. We watched a Greek Orthodox Christian believer get baptized. Pretty cool. Got in the Dead Sea and I must say- floating was pretty cool. Also- they say the mud is medicinal!! Now, today we drove to Jerash, an ancient Roman ruins site, and walked around. Bought some flutes made out of bamboo for the kids in pre-school with Jake and James. We leave for Doha tomorrow evening. A very Merry Christmas for our little family, even though it was spent a half a world away from loved ones.<br />
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Jakey smiling in the Sik. <br />
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Run boys, RUN!<br />
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Mom holding Eli-O. We walked through the sik on two different days. I think the coolest part about it was that it looks different depending upon what time of day you hike through. Depending upon the sun, the shadows are different, accentuating and highlighting something different each time. Pretty unique.<br />
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The way the light shone on the red rock was beautiful. It looks different depending upon what time of day you are there. This was the afternoon sunlight.<br />
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And then all of the sudden the Sik opens up to.....The Treasury! <br />
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Family Pic in front of the Treasury. Think 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusades'....<br />
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The boys just played in the rocks and wrestled and stepped on each other. Of course.</div>
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Donkey Kong. We rented him in front of the Treasury to take him up the canyon a bit more. If I remember correctly, he cost more than our rental car!<br />
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One of the many caves.<br />
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Amazing caves!<br />
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Ridin'</div>
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More caves and cliffs and rocks and dirt. <br />
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Looking back towards the city where our hotel was. And below--let's just say we slept well after that long hike!<br />
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This is day 2 of hiking, we are going all the way up to the Monastary this time. About 8 miles round trip. The boys were champs.<br />
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The Monastary. This whole thing was cut out of the mountainside. Just for the purpose of a tomb. Amazing. <br />
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Inside the cavern of the Monastary.<br />
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The kids playing in the cavern of the Monastary.<br />
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Checking out their new Christmas Eve Story.</div>
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Christmas Eve Jammies and Jitters!<br />
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Me: Where are you from? Him: I Bedouin. I live in cave in Petra. <br />
Wow.<br />
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More of the Monastary.<br />
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Returning our 'rental' to the Bedouins.<br />
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James at the lowest point on Earth!<br />
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Below is Lot's Tomb.<br />
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Christmas Eve we stopped in the Lowest Point on Earth Museum along the Dead Sea. They were nice enough to let the boys 'scrub broken pieces of pottery' to keep busy. <br />
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Decorated camels.<br />
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Musa Wadi. Where Moses supposedly struck the rock and water came out. <br />
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The Jordan River on Christmas Day. The site where Jesus Christ was baptised, so they claim.<br />
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The font.<br />
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Jordan River! Christmas Day.<br />
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It was the funniest thing ever. Here we are on Christmas Day in a Muslim Country. Visiting the possible site of Jesus's baptism. We are walking back to the tour bus and distinctly hear "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" coming from this store. We walk in and this life sized Santa is 'rockin' to the song. It was so funny! The boys just stared. It totally made my day! It was Christmas after all. <br />
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Naturally, the boys are finding sticks. <br />
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Sitting outside of the little chapel where you can buy Holy Water. Christmas Day.</div>
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We are on the Jordanian Side and looking over across the river is the Israeli side.<br />
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Believers getting baptized on Christmas Day.<br />
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That large pot is the holy water.<br />
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Looking across to the Israeli side.<br />
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Face Timing on Christmas Day with some of our favorite people! Thank goodness for technology!<br />
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I love this one. Matt floating in the Dead Sea, while reading his Lonely Planet Guide Book about Jordan. It was so salty the boys didn't like getting in the water. We put the medicinal mud all over, which is suposed to help eliminate some of the sting of the salt, but they did not like that, either. There were tears. Our friends, the Duerdens, who lived in Jordan for a time, gave us some good advice about the Dead Sea. They told us to stay in a resort that had access to the sea, rather than just go to a public beach and hop in. It was good advice. The resort's showers and towels were really good for being able get off the mud and salt. </div>
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One of the maps we found helpful.</div>
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One day we took a road trip to the city of Jerash. It was ruled by the Romans at one point and is really well preserved. It was pretty chilly, but we bundled up and walked fast. Our boys are such good little travelers!<br />
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Most of the time Eli was in the baby backpack. Stuck in there just hanging out. He is such a good baby and happy all the time. He did really well on this trip where most of the time he was right on Dad's back!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-82138256053238411572014-10-18T03:45:00.000-07:002014-10-18T03:46:22.274-07:00I took a year's vacation from this blog....but now I'm back!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I decided to get back into blogging. <br />
I'm motivated. <br />
I'm ready. <br />
<br />
I've got a lot of fun pictures to share, and, more importantly, don't want to forget about. <br />
This is a good life and I've been so blessed. This is just one way I want to show my gratitude--by documenting it all for my posterity.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned....</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-80835173700803514912013-09-04T05:10:00.002-07:002013-09-04T05:10:43.409-07:00the leg, the ceramic pot, and the ER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
While in St. George this summer I wanted to try out a restaurant I had heard about out in Santa Clara called Breakfast at Tiffany's. It was an adorable little French Cafe and we sat outside in the garden area enjoying brunch of creeps, bruschetta, eclairs, and cream puffs. Just as we were about to leave, I hear James start to scream. He had been walking around in the little garden near our table. I thought he had stubbed his toe or gotten bit by a bee. I wish. His leg was spewing blood and had no intention of stopping any time soon. He had sliced it on the side of the strawberry planter ceramic pot. I think the shock of it caused him to flinch his leg up, in which case he sliced it again.<br />
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Before the leg trauma....<br />
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The leg trauma!!!<br />
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Lucky for us, we had a handy dandy surgical rag on hand, thanks to Surgeon Papa Wintch! We headed to the ER where they stitched him up. Internal, dissolvable stitches because the one on the bottom was so deep and 17 stitches on the outside. James was super tough. We never gave him pain meds for it afterwards, either. He was running and jumping that afternoon. Anyway, now the stitches are taken out and it is Healing nicely. I am hoping to reduce that scarring by applying lavender and Frankensense essential oils on it. We shall see. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-58133324731671683202013-08-22T07:15:00.002-07:002013-08-22T07:56:34.794-07:00Summer Travelogue 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This summer has flown by!! We just returned from a 2 month vacation in the US and I just have to document everything about it. We had a really wonderful time visiting with friends and family and doing and going everywhere! No wonder it went by so quickly.<br />
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Part 1:<br />
We left June 20th and flew Qatar Airways from Doha to Dubai, then Emirates Airlines from Dubai to LAX. The second leg of the journey was 17 hours in the air. Kind of rough, but still worth it. Our first flight left around midnight and the boys were so excited they did not sleep at all that night until we were in the Dubai airport waiting for our 6am flight to LAX. Then they crashed. Future note: Zip up jams are kind of hard to navigate in small airplane bathrooms. Next time, I would do a long sleeve 2 piece PJ set and socks and shoes.<br />
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We rented a car in LAX and stayed that first night with Brooke and Ryan in Valencia. Everyone was up by 3am-ish, so we headed to the beach to watch the sun rise and have a picnic breakfast. We were back by 8am or so when Brooke, Ryan, and Amber woke up. My dad was driving through so he met up with us for dinner and then we carpooled back to Bakersfield.<br />
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The next week was spent going to Wal-Mart getting goods not found in Doha, eating Smith's doughnuts, going to Murray Family Farms and adjusting to the 10 hour time zone change. Matt left at the end of that week to get back for work. As always, we missed him.<br />
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^BEST trampoline EV-AH</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The Jolley Family Reunion at Ventura beach was the following week and it happened to fall over the 4th of July. Fireworks on the beach are my new favorite. It was so sweet! They were coming from</span></div>
every direction and the entire sky was lighting up. My boys were a little tired, scared, and cold-- but licorice, hot chocolate, and a snuggle under the blanket made it alright. We had a great week spending time shopping at the Camarillo outlets ($5 skinny jeans from Cotton On!), going to the pier, digging in the sand, playing in the giant pirate ship, having family dinner and FHE every night, and just relaxing. Grandpa Oates was with us and Shelly and a few of her kids came by and so did the Fink family. Dallas and Matt were missed. I can't wait for next year's reunion! Below is one of my all time fav pics of Jakey. Love the aviator sunglasses!<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">The next 2 weeks or so my boys and I spent in Bakersfield. We went to Story Time at the library and learned about the summer reading program. If I read 10 books to the boys, we got a prize. Easy. We turned in our reading log a few days later and they hooked it up!! Free passes to LegoLand, free sandwiches and ice cream, free admission to professional hockey games, free books, and more! Jackpot! And we got all of that-FOR EACH KID! I was amazed!</span></div>
We swam in my parent's backyard pool, went to a music class, picked berries, went to see The Lorax, and caught up with friends. The time went too fast.<br />
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We met up with Dhalquist and Smith families, old friends from Michigan, at Pretend City in Irvine on my last day in Cali. 7 little boys aged 3 and under between us. Good times. We stopped by Cafe Rio near the airport for a quick bite of lunch and James decided to drop his drawers and pee on the tree right out front, facing the street. We still need to work on a few things regarding potty training.<br />
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Matt was supposed to meet me in LAX and then we would all fly to SLC together. Well. He didn't make his flight. That means I fly solo. No big deal, right?! We boarded, other passengers giving me their sympathies with 'that look'. (You know the one.) Then, like ducks, we sat. And sat some more for and extra hour and a half. The boys were going crazy and I just about lost it with a full on tearful breakdown. But- I pulled myself together, barley, and we landed in SLC to find Laura there ready to take us to our hotel in the borrowed Suburban. Once again, she saved he day!! That girl is THERE WHEN YOU NEED HER! She helped unload the car and we laid the boys down for bed. I love Laura. SO MUCH! Matt arrived in the wee morning hours, with our rental car, and the smell of airports on him. Poor guy had been stuck trying to come see us for hours. Reunited, we all slept great in each other's arms. I love when we are together.<br />
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The crazy kids waiting to board. </div>
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Part 2:<br />
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The next day, Laura met up with us at the hotel for the free breakfast. Girlfriend deserved it. We headed right down to Manti for the WINTCH family reunion! It was all of Richard's siblings and their cousins, and whichever of their children could make it. In other words, tons of people were there. We swam at the Manti pool, had a BBQ, and caught up on each other's lives. The next day was family pictures and then we headed up to 'The Mountain' (you know the one) for food and fun and horses---all in matching shirts of course! Nothing, NOTHING says 'family reunion' quite like matching shirts. Next day baby Andrew was blessed, Aunt Mary spoke in church, and then we all dispersed. It was over too soon!<br />
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Matt headed back to SLC to go fishing for a week up in Nootka with my dad, Ryan, Grandpa Oates, and a whole bunch of other 'in-laws' and 'friends-of-friends'. They had a good time and the salmon they brought back was tasty and FRESH!<br />
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Me and the kiddos headed back down to St. George for the next 3 weeks and played with Ethan and Evelyn at Grandma B's house. There were several squabbles between the 5 of those kids, and at many points I thought I was going to loose my mind, but in the end they would hug it out or just forget about it. 5 kids 3 and under in one house is a handful! We enjoyed Costco, the jump house, St. George temple, saw the new movie 'Planes', made an ER trip for James's leg, dinner with friends, downtown splash pad and carousel, and Grandma B's backyard: water, sandbox, and a camp out. We also went up to Sandy for the annual Michigan Friends Reunion. I don't have a picture from that but it was so great to catch up with the women whom I admired from our days in MI. Love those ladies!<br />
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Matt, Grandpa, and Phil at Nioche property. Guys day out. </div>
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The day we were supposed to fly out, there was a travel advisory towards Americans in the Middle East and Africa. They shut down 22 Embassies for about a week during the end of Ramadan. We didn't feel comfortable going over there right then, so Matt went back for work and we stayed an extra week. I flew with the boys to Washington DC where Matt met up with us and we all flew back to Doha together. Now we're here safe and sound.....and HOT and HUMID!<br />
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It was a magical summer. Until next year America!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-18656557070446216652013-06-04T13:59:00.001-07:002013-06-05T13:37:27.358-07:00Then and Now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sleep has not taken me over yet, so I thought I'd write a few things that were on my mind.<br />
<br />
Three years ago I was a brand new mother to adorable twin boys. I was a diligent, patient, tired mom. I gave it 110% of my heart and physical body. Days were exhausting; Matt would be at work from Tuesday-Friday on a trip and I longed for his return. I felt home bound since leaving our little apartment was such a chore. I found sanity in our double stroller and going on walks, over to Busch's grocery store, the pet store, and Great Harvest all of which were right across our parking lot in the strip mall and a do-able distance away with infants. Dad was so, so sick and gave us a huge scare being in the ICU and septic. He pulled through, miraculously, and the details of that summer are kind of a blurr, but the feelings were vivid. I felt joy with my new little family and oh-so-tired at the same time.<br />
<br />
Two years ago those newborns turned one! We had just bought our first house in Saline, Michigan and could not wait to nestle in there. We spent hours outside in our new backyard on the swing set and running around in the grass. I was taking an intense summer school class and trying to finish up my BSN online program. I made a big effort to get my body back in shape and work out regularly. We took an awesome vacation to Hilton Head and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Life was settling in for us and I was enjoying it. We talked about our future and what we saw ahead. What we didn't see was another pregnancy....<br />
<br />
One year ago Eli joined our family! He has been a blessing every day since. We adore him. Jake and James were starting to talk and we loved hearing the catchy 'mo' meat, back seat' from Jake. It felt like I had 3 babies (ok, so we did) and I was so stressed at times. Eli lived in the baby bjorn for the first 4 months of his life and didn't make a peep about it! Too many needs, not enough hands. We knew leaving the country was coming up soon but I had my hands so full at home that I didn't do much about<br />
it. It would just happen when it happened. And so it did. We were all heart broken to leave our utopian<br />
home and life in Saline. The Middle East was calling and we were up for the adventure and hoped it would live up to our expectations.<br />
<br />
Today we dropped Matt off at the airport, ate dates, applied sunscreen (twice), and played at the indoor compound jungle gym. Doha has been good to us. It was a hard move to make but Matt and I both feel confident that we made the right decision. Eli is one year old and absolutely perfect! Runs everywhere and gets into drawers and cupboards all day long. Jake and James are 3 and potty training is nearly complete. They are happy, friendly, smart, affectionate little boys. I love to just be around them, observe, and play along. I have enjoyed finding new things to go see and do in the region and<br />
beyond. Travel makes me giddy. Matt is happy professionally and flies to exotic places and comes back with funny stories and awesome pictures. My patience and temper is tried often with<br />
disciplining Jake and James, but always with undertones of love. I worry about the crazy driving, quality of the water, acceptance into private schools, and pool safety. One of these days I will sleep through the night again.<br />
<br />
Until then, I'm trying to appreciate my ordinary, blessed, happy, healthy life that I call mine.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-238945332612368012013-05-01T00:05:00.002-07:002013-05-01T00:10:19.139-07:00Family Pics-Qatari Style<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We took family pictures a few weeks ago at the Souq. We thought they would have with a fun Middle-Eastern flare. It is tricky to photograph there because you can't do it in 'open' areas, so we tried to find fun back alleys and courtyards. It was a hot and humid day and I am just happy that the pictures turned out! It started raining just as we were going to relocate and take some pics elsewhere. So, we met up with Tony, our photographer on another day at the Corniche. It has a cool view of the West Bay, the downtown area of Doha. That open water is the Persian Gulf. All in all, I am happy with the pictures and the boys were good to smile!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-84921191465095378412013-04-30T11:06:00.001-07:002013-04-30T11:06:19.020-07:0032 Never Looked so GOOD!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today Matt turned 32! YAY! And he had the day off-bonus! We woke up and I let him sleep in while I made waffles. In the morning we went to a museum that neither of us can pronounce or spell. It is owned by part of the royal family as his hobby and he collects things from around the world and puts them in there for our viewing pleasure. J + J were scared of the manequins. (Rightfully so.) That afternoon we got back our family pictures that we had taken a few weeks ago. Then, Matt wanted Turkey Central, a local restaurant, for dinner. He ordered enough food to feed us for 4 days. Per his request, I made a lemon cheesecake. We invited Minnika, or adopted auntie, over for dinner and dessert and our neighbor Sophia came over as well. It was a low-key fun day spent together. </div>
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Pretty good lookin' 32 year old, wouldn't you say?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128119178379255731.post-86934580357410029912013-04-02T13:15:00.000-07:002013-04-02T13:19:36.663-07:00Favorite Children's Books<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Disclaimer: I promise to post about Doha soon. There are tons of cool things to do and see here and we live in such a unique part of the world. We are just soaking it all up right now. Pics to prove it...coming soon:)<br />
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My very favorite thing to do with J+J is read to them. It happens daily and I'm proud to say it. I feel like I drop the ball so often but this has been a constant source of happiness in our lives since they were tiny-weeny, like 9 months old-ish. We moved every single children's story we owned out here and I am so glad we did. There is no free public library here. And, even if there was, I'm sure it would be in Arabic. We started downloading a few children's stories onto our iPad but it's just not the same as turning real pages. At any rate, we are getting good use out of the ones we have!<br />
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We have some favorites that I want to share with you. What are your favorite children's stories? Do tell!!<br />
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Bored, Nothing to Do by Peter Spier</div>
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Sondra Soderborg gave us this book when the boys were born. It is my favorite. It is about twin boys who decide to build an airplane. Obviously a perfect fit for this household! Not too many words, great pictures, and kind of vintage. Love. </div>
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'M' is for Mitten, A Michigan Alphabet</div>
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Every child needs this book about the state where they were born, right? This one is pretty cute and has some good ideas regarding things to do around Michigan. A great baby shower gift. I know they have made this book about several other states, too.</div>
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I can still remember the first time I read this story to the boys. They thought the whistle was so fun and wanted me to make the noise over and over again. It is a good going-to-bed story because at the end the little boy and train go night-night. We have read it so many times the pages are torn and we've taped it up. A good sign.</div>
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Good night, Good night Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker</div>
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This story is what little boy dreams are made of. Grandma B sent this one and it has been a big hitter ever since. Love the ryhmes, the facial expressions of the trucks, and again, it's a great going-to-bed story. Bonus: This book was dedicated to a brown eyed boy and a blue eyed boy....hummm....I know two of those!</div>
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Eli by Bill Pete</div>
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The name alone sold us on this one. Additionally, it's a cute story about how we need to be nice to everyone. The vultures saved Eli the lion's life in the end. Another Bill Pete story we like is Katy the Caboose. Thanks again, Grandma B!</div>
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Ok, so I'm a sucker for "mommy loves you" type of stories. Just want to be sure and get the point across, especially on days when there was a lot of discipline. I got this book for the boy's first Valentine's Day. I also like it because it's a thick, chunky smaller book that fits into a diaper bag and makes a good chew toy for an infant. </div>
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Little Blue Truck is probably my favorite rhyming book ever. It's adorable. Perfect story about being nice and helping our friends. Beep, Beep, Beep!</div>
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<i><b>You may have tangible wealth untold;</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Richer than I you never can be-</b></i></div>
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<i><b>I had a mother who read to me.</b></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08732950411984247382noreply@blogger.com2