tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57881431113265740772024-03-13T04:11:08.602-07:00Arabian AndersonsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-60358481736934583012013-06-04T03:19:00.001-07:002013-06-04T03:19:42.363-07:00Musandam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"And when that summer sun starts to beatin' down <br />
And you don't know what to do<br />
Grab your swimming trunks, ice up that old Igloo<br />
And drive until the map turns blue" - Brad Paisley
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In May we got together with a bunch of good friends and headed North to Musandam, Oman for a day cruise. The boat was charming. The kids had fun playing simon-says or trying to stand on one leg with the waves a rocking. The scenery was captivating, the water was perfect, there were lots of snacks, drinks, and munchies... plus, we got to spend an entire day out with good friends. Totally worth it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the Harbor</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headed out to Sea</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How's your balance?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simon Says: "Give me 10 push-ups"</td></tr>
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Jumping off the boat deck</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too much fun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging with cousin Lorie Lee</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen of the World</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy loves the water.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-20762463843902163532013-05-19T02:18:00.000-07:002013-05-19T02:18:12.008-07:00The Emerald City<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"Well, you don't know what we can find <br />
Why don't you come with me little girl <br />
On a magic carpet ride" - Steppenwolf</h3>
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Check out this video of the little city that has been our home the last 3 years.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-71874713854629580972013-05-14T22:24:00.002-07:002013-05-14T22:24:50.112-07:00Sri Lanka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"Welcome to the jungle, We've got fun 'n' games <br />
We got everything you want. Honey, we know the names" - Guns and Roses</h3>
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I meant to share this sooner, but.... well things have been hectic. Anyway, without further ado, here is an overload of the highlights, photos and video of our recent trip to Sri Lanka: (you have been warned, there are A LOT of photos)<br />
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Sri Lanka is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. It reminded us of Hawaii but without the sheer cliff mountains and with a whole a lot more poverty and people. We spent two days in Kandy (The high country) and two days in Bentota/Beruwala near the ocean. There was a lot of driving involved but the scenery was gorgeous and fascinating.<br />
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<b>Driving</b><br />
Yvonne had this to say about the driving: "I thought driving in Dubai could get crazy. I didn't know crazy until we went to Sri Lanka. Not only do they drive on the wrong side of the road but there is an invisible third lane that everyone in both directions uses all the time. The roads are small and curvy and in the high country have steep drop-offs. We had a hired driver the entire time so we could just sit back and relax. The kids loved that there were no seatbelts in the van."<br />
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<b>Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage</b><br />
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We rode elephants, fed elephants, watched them bath in the river, took pictures with them and got totally grossed out by their poop-eating antics.<br />
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<b>Tea Party</b><br />
Even though we are not tea drinkers, we visited a tea plantation and took a tour of a tea factory. It was fascinating. Advise: Watch out for the tea leaf pickers. This photo cost a fortune and they were still begging for more as we walked away. Everyone begs and/or demands money everywhere you go. It's sad but we finally had to start saying no. We started offering food instead but no-one wanted food.<br />
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<b>Wildlife</b><br />
We saw lots of waterfalls, lots of wild monkeys, a python, lizards, a land monitor (They are huge lizard things), baby alligators, so many many wild dogs, cows, tons of water buffalo, crabs, birds, turtles etc.<br />
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<b>Turtles</b><br />
We went to a turtle hatchery and got to hold little baby sea turtles that are waiting to be released back into the ocean. It was surprising how much they let us handle and play with them. Rigdon was not gentle.<br />
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<b>Mangroves</b><br />
We took a river cruise down the Bentota River (It's huge) and saw baby alligators, went through mangroves, saw more monkeys and birds and roasted in the sun.<br />
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<b>Buddha, Beach, and more...</b><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-31260997756537675932013-04-28T06:00:00.000-07:002013-04-28T06:00:09.545-07:00Sri Lanka Sneak Peek<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Oh my my, Oh hey hey <br />
Here it comes, the big parade" - The Lumineers
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One of the benefits of living in the Middle East is that you are literally in the middle of quite a few travel destinations. Places that we would never have considered traveling are now relatively inexpensive and close. Of course, a 4 hour international flight to somewhere unknown is still a little daunting when you contemplate doing it with 4 kids age 5 and under. Sometimes it seems like a challenge just to take all four kids to walk down the aisles of a store for 30 minutes. Is travel with that challenge worth it? Will the kids even remember anything 10 years from now?</div>
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Well, we decided to throw caution to the wind. This year for spring break (and Yvonne's milestone birthday), we loaded up the offspring and headed to Sri Lanka. I'm in the middle of sorting the photos and writing a few details for a blog post... but I figured I might has well give the blog readers a little sneak peek of the experience.</div>
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Stay tuned for more....</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-54838677516870845162013-03-18T05:08:00.001-07:002013-03-18T05:08:22.271-07:00Wadi Showka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Put a little gravel in my travel<br />
Unwind, unravel all night long" - Rodney Atkins</h3>
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We headed up to the mountains a couple weekends ago to get a little escape from the Emerald City. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadi" target="_blank">Wadi</a> Showka was the destination. It was fun to get out with some good friends. The kids loved exploring and climbing all over the rocky mountainside. We sang songs with the ukulele around the campfire. We chased lizards, centipedes, spiders, and other creatures. We watched the moon rise over the mountains in a beautiful star-filled sky. We roasted food over open flames (why does normally mediocre food taste so much better when camping?). We listened to uncontrollable laughter as kids bounced around recklessly without seat-belts in the overstuffed backseat of a Land Rover driving up a rocky dry riverbed. We were invigorated as we jumped off the cliffside into cold, fresh water pools. We had fun.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-53575451798165936232013-02-18T03:48:00.002-08:002013-02-18T03:48:20.357-08:00Roar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"Near the village, the peaceful village,
the lion sleeps tonight." - The Tokens</h3>
<br />
Yesterday Yvonne took the kids on a play-date to a classmate's house not far from where we live. It just so happens that not only did they get to play with friends and their toys, but they also got to play with... A BABY LION!<br />
<br />
Who has a baby lion just roaming around their house?<br />
<br />
As it turns out, the mother of our girls' classmate is friends with the Sheikh of Dubai's veterinarian. Apparently, one of the Sheikh's lions had a cub and the mother lioness wasn't taking good care of it, so the veterinarian asked her friend to lion-sit for a while. You know, cuz that happens all the time.<br />
<br />
Yvonne was able to snap a few pics of the fun.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-71183170044113411142013-02-14T03:32:00.000-08:002013-02-14T03:32:58.759-08:00Endless Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"And love. Oh, love <br />
I'll be a fool, For you..." - Lionel Ritchie</h3>
<br />
For my three sweethearts, <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Happy</span> <span style="color: red;">Valentines</span> <span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Day</span></span></b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-72462678850199219982013-02-03T20:42:00.000-08:002013-02-03T20:42:27.411-08:00Good Morning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"The wise man said just find your place <br />
In the eye of the storm<br />
Seek the roses along the way<br />
Just beware of the thorns" - The Scorpions</h3>
<br />
We recently went camping out in the desert. When we went to take down the tent, we found this:<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-27928308023903199672013-01-31T04:46:00.001-08:002013-01-31T04:46:11.177-08:00Birthday Dreams<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"But my words, like silent raindrops fell<br />
And echoed in the wells... of silence" - Simon & Garfunkel</h3>
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- Imagine a dream where you walk outside and realize that you are the only one left... no people anywhere.<br />
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- Think of a horror movie that takes place in an old amusement park or a crazy carnival.<br />
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OR</div>
- Picture a post-apocalyptic world with all the evidence of a once bustling civilization slowly being overcome by rust and decay.<br />
<br />
That is what we experienced when we took the kids to "Wonderland" for the girls 5th birthday.<br />
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First of all, there isn't much that could possibly more exciting to two 5 year old girls than their birthday. They have been counting down the days since Christmas. There has been lots of planning, excited discussions, dreaming, and smiles during January related to their birthday. It is fun to watch. We decided that instead of just toys, we would take the kids somewhere for their birthday to create some fun memories. "Wonderland" seemed like a perfect place. It has amusement park rides for adults and children, plus it also has a decent sized water park with lots of slides. Double the fun.<br />
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We arrived at the park when it opened at around 10AM. We got the first indication that this would be a different experience when we realized that out of a huge parking lot, we were the only car. We then walked up to a large row of ticket counters to find that only one ticket window was open. We purchased our tickets and entered. <br />
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We stayed for most of the day and.... <b><span style="font-size: large;">we were the only visitors there!</span></b> To be honest, in the afternoon at the water-park we did see one couple sitting near a pool on the other side, but that was it! It was surreal. I mean a huge park with dozens of rides, shops, games, buildings, eateries... and we had it all to ourselves. It was cool, but also kind of creepy. The ride operator(s) would just kind of wait around to see where we walked to next and then walk over and fire that ride up just for us. What made it even more eerie was that none of the rides had any music or sounds! I mean can you even imagine a carnival, fair, or amusement park without the blaring music and sound effects? ...Nothing. Just the whirring sounds of machinery and hydraulics. There was booth after booth of carnival games all set up and ready to play, with no lights and no one there convincing you to 'win it big' or test your skill. No people. No sounds. Yeah, eerie.<br />
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The kids loved it. They got to go on any ride or slide they wanted with no lines. Want to ride again? just let the zombie-like Bangladeshi workers know and they push the button for another round. Did I mention NO LINES? Yvonne and I also enjoyed the grown-up rides we went on. Have you ever ridden a roller coaster where you were the only rider? Some of the rides were a great thrill... but often it was more the scare that the ride might break down rather than the thrill of the ride itself. Without music, you notice a lot more of the bangs and clanking noises... not to mention, these rides were just plain old.<br />
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In the end, the outing was success. The kids had fun. The parents had fun. We all made some great (although slightly creepy) memories. Plus, the kids got to ride a real camel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the Heck?</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-63685472065615720862013-01-07T10:26:00.000-08:002013-01-07T20:47:38.823-08:00A Long December...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"It's been a long December and there's reason to believe<br />
Maybe this year will be better than the last <br />
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself <br />
To hold on to these moments as they pass" - Counting Crows</h3>
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In reality, it seems like every month is short nowadays. If you blink, you might miss 'em. Where did December even go? It flew by... but we did manage to squeeze in a bunch of fun. Hopefully we can hold on to the memories of all the fun moments.<br />
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Here are a few highlights: <span style="font-size: x-small;">(December may not have been long, but this blog post sure is)</span><br />
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<b>UAE National Day</b> - The month started with several celebrations of UAE National Day. Basically it is the Emirati version of the 4th of July. It's extra fun because even though they don't really celebrate Christmas here, two colors of their flag are red and green. So, everything gets decorated in red and green ... what better way to get in the Christmas spirit? Plus, we got to dress up like the locals.<br />
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<b>Camping and Snorkeling </b>- We had a long weekend for the National Day celebrations, so we decided to head to the East Coast with some friends for some camping and snorkeling. It was a <a href="http://fivebravesouls.com/page/3/" target="_blank">crazy, noisy, crowded</a> weekend, but we still had fun. We also saw a LOT of baby jellyfish.<br />
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These are all baby jellyfish washed up on the shore</div>
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<b>Holiday Excitement </b>- The kids get so excited for the holidays they can barely contain it. They loved decorating the tree and counting down the days until Christmas. It sure is fun to see the magic of the holidays from their perspective.<br />
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<b>Performance!</b> - The girls put on a winter performance with songs and dance at their school. They are so shy it was an achievement just to have them stand and mouth some of the words. It was cute to watch... and almost as much fun to watch all the parents in the crowd. Can you say photo/video overload?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abigail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saylor</td></tr>
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<b>Nativity</b> - On Christmas Eve we had some friends over for a yummy Christmas dinner and a re-creation of the Christmas Story. We had a Mary (Saylor) and Joseph, a donkey, sheep, some shepherds and 3 wise-women (Abigail). It was a fun time with good friends.<br />
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<b>Ho Ho Ho</b> - Even in a Muslim country in a house without a chimney, Santa found us.<br />
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<b>White Christmas?</b> - The day after Christmas (otherwise known as my birthday), we took the kids for their first real experience with snow. I may have turned the big FOUR-ZERO, but I felt young as ever sledding and having snowball fights with the kids.<br />
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<b>AND MORE... </b>- We also went bowling, jumped in a huge wind tunnel to do some simulated skydiving, enjoyed a picnic and water fight at Safa Park, ate WAY TOO MUCH candy, and rung in the New Year with a visit from Karen and Brad. It was a great month!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-69056123057222380582012-11-04T10:42:00.001-08:002012-11-04T10:42:32.253-08:00O MAN!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"We may lose and we may win <br />
though we will never be here again<br />
so open up, I'm climbin' in, <br />
so take it easy" - The Eagles </h3>
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Last weekend was the Muslim holiday <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha" target="_blank">Eid al-Adha</a> or Feast of the Sacrifice. This is when they celebrate Ibrahim's (Abraham) obedience to God when he was willing to offer his son Ismail (Ishmael) as a human sacrifice. Then, God showed his mercy by providing a ram for the sacrifice instead. I won't get into the theology of the symbolism of a blood sacrifice in the first place, or the interesting differences between Islam and Christianity with regards to the chosen son... for us, it was a 4 day weekend. We decided it was a good time to head out to the rocky desert wilderness for some camping.... in Oman.<br />
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It is not a little task to consider taking 4 young children (one of them still part-time nursing and unable to converse or be logically reasoned with in the English language) and pack them in a crowded vehicle for a 7-8 hour drive into the middle of nowhere in a foreign country where you have never been. Daunting. But, with two other families in our caravan, we said "what the heck" and threw caution to the wind. Thanks to both families for leading the way and lending an extra hand with our kids.<br />
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We had a great trip. Of course there were moments of crying and some speed bumps along the way, but overall a good time was had by all. I don't have the time or energy to write about all the details. Instead, I'll mention a few brief highlights and share some photos. If you want more in depth coverage, you are in luck. The other members of our traveling party have also posted to their respective blogs for your enjoyment. <br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>You can check out the Palmer's perspective <a href="http://myadventuresintucson.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/oman-20122-old.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://myadventuresintucson.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/oman-20122-new.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</li>
<li>And the first installment of the MacDonald's <a href="http://fivebravesouls.com/2012/10/30/camping-in-oman-part-1/" target="_blank">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>(<i>NOTE:</i> If you are reading this blog because of an interest in the Middle East or specifically life in the UAE, you may also enjoy many of the other posts in both the blogs linked above. There lots of good stuff ;)</b></span><br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Wadi Shab</b></h3>
On the first day, after a long fascinating drive, we ended at Wadi Shab a couple hours south of Muscat. The hike was beautiful. Rugged enough to feel like a good accomplishment, but not too rugged for the kids... as long as a helping hand was nearby. The scenery was impressive and the pools of water were fun and refreshing without being cold. The hike ended at a fantastic swimming hole with a cool crevice leading through the rocks to a cave with a great waterfall inside.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Church/Muscat</h3>
The second day we awoke to the Sabbath on the shores of the Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean. A relatively short drive took us to church in the small branch in Muscat. Our caravan of travelers and several other groups quadrupled the size of the normal congregation. The poor teachers that were used to one or two class members.... The afternoon/evening was spent seeing some of the sights of Muscat.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Jebel Akhdar</h3>
A cool hike through some terraced mountainsides with some amazing views. The kids loved the maps painted on rocks and walls as trail markers.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Camping in the Hajar Mountains</h3>
Keywords for this night of camping: Wild donkeys, Off road Rocks for the fire-pit, and COLD. Did I mention it was cold? We were over 2000 meters up in the mountains.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Sweet Sign</h3>
Just Because.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-71675594320278996632012-10-09T04:56:00.000-07:002012-10-09T04:56:10.823-07:00Sunday... I mean Friday Morning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"Ooh, that's why I'm easy <br />
I'm easy like Sunday morning <br />
That's why I'm easy <br />
I'm easy like Sunday morning" - Lionel Richie</h3>
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So, the Sabbath is on Friday over here. I don't really have anything to say about it. I just thought I'd share a few pics of the kids while we were getting ready for church on a recent Friday.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-32957381899485658172012-09-24T05:47:00.002-07:002012-09-24T05:48:05.162-07:00First Day of School<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"Numbers, letters learn to spell<br />
Nouns and books and show and tell<br />
Play time we will throw the ball<br />
Then back to class through the hall" - Jack Johnson</h3>
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The HUGE excitement at our house the last few weeks has been focused on the start of school. Abigail and Saylor were literally bursting at the seams they were so excited.<br />
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A few little random background tidbits on schools here in the UAE... at least how they apply to us:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Expats are not eligible to attend 'public' schools. </li>
<li>So, expats can only attend private schools</li>
<li>Tuition for our girls is over $8000 for each girl for the year + application fees, medical fees, books, uniforms and bus-fare</li>
<li>Uniforms cost over $300 for each girl. It does include a cap with neck shade (what?)</li>
<li>Fortunately, my employer will cover the cost of the tuition (we get to cover the rest)</li>
<li>The school is about 4 blocks from our house</li>
<li>Bus-fare is about $4000 for the year (ouch! that's $1000 a block) </li>
<li>Walking isn't much of an option because several months of the school year still average a temperature over 100 degrees (at 8am) and the mixture of no sidewalks, no crossing guards, and crazy drivers isn't very safe for 4 year old girls.</li>
<li>There are a large variety of curricula to choose from when it comes to private schools in the UAE (American, Australian, British, Filipino, Canadian, etc)</li>
<li>The school our girls are attending has a British curriculum, but teaches students from 30+ different countries.</li>
<li>All schools are required to teach at least some Arabic</li>
<li>Lots of Bags - The girls had to purchase an official school book bag and gym bag. These should not be confused with the also purchased lunch bag or a general purpose school bag/backpack... which is not allowed to have wheels.</li>
<li>If you are late picking your kids up from school more than 10 minutes, after 3 times, you will be charged extra fees</li>
<li>The school has more security than Ft. Knox. At promptly 7:55am, the doors are closed and locked. If you need to stop at the school for any reason during the day, you must call the office upon arrival and be buzzed in the gate. No cell phone to make the call, no entrance.</li>
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I'm sure we will be sharing more random details as the girls settle in and we learn more about the school system. In the meantime, did I mention that the girls were excited. They had to lay out their clothes the night before just ... well, just because they wanted to.<br />
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I had to laugh that they even included socks and underwear.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The girls practically shot out of bed and Yvonne had to beg, plead and coerce them to eat breakfast. They wanted to skip that and just put on their uniforms. They were sooooo excited to go. The excitement lasted through picture taking, the drive to school, the walk to the building, more picture taking and then turned to complete nervousness as soon as they had to enter the building. Abigail did cry some giant silent tears when it was time to say goodbye but to her credit she didn't hold on to Yvonne, beg her to stay, or try to come with her. When she picked the girls up later that afternoon they were both all smiles and asking if they could go back again tomorrow.</span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A few pics of the first day:</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-46303427619837638452012-08-22T02:40:00.001-07:002012-08-22T22:42:23.895-07:00Istanbul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"So if you've a date in Constantinople <br />She'll be waiting in Istanbul" - They Might Be Giants</h3>
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We recently returned from a fun trip to Istanbul. There is a part of me that thinks it would be a good idea (for family history reasons and because a few of you might enjoy it) to blog about each day of the entire trip. BUT, the truth is that to do it justice would just take too much time and energy.<br />
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Instead, I'm going to share a few of the highlights and let the <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/105900843158334459530/albums/5778314651184600529?banner=pwa" target="_blank">photos</a> do the talking.<br />
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Our original plan was to spend about half the time in Istanbul and the other half in central Turkey. However, the overnight trains (with sleeping berths) out of Istanbul are currently not running due to maintenance and our other option was a 12+ hour bus ride. We decided a bus ride with four little kids was out of the question and opted to stay in Istanbul for the entire time. We do not regret our decision. Istanbul is a great city and we highly recommend a visit.<br />
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One of our goals was to escape the Dubai heat. Well, that didn't really work as planned. Although it was significantly cooler in Istanbul... significantly cooler than 115-120 degrees can still be in the high 90's. Plus, everywhere you go in Dubai is air conditioned and you basically never go outside. In Istanbul we were outside constantly, walking everywhere we needed to go, and there was never any AC. So, while we beat the head, we were still hot and sweaty the entire time. Every picture we took includes shiny faces and sweaty matted hair.<br />
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A few Highlights:</div>
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<li>The Blue Mosque - a most beautiful building inside and outside. Talon especially loved jumping off every raised platform he could find.</li>
<li>The Aya Sofya - I don't think there's too many kids in the world who have played "red light green light" and "mother may I?" inside this ancient and breathtakingly beautiful building.</li>
<li>The Basilica Cistern - The kids were fascinated by the story of Medusa and looking for the two carvings of her head in this underground creepy dark place.</li>
<li>Istanbul Archaeological Museums - All our kids wanted was to see dead bodies and this place delivered. There were lots of carvings of naked men and they wanted to know "Why did people steal all those men's pants?".</li>
<li>The several tombs of Sultans we visited and hearing the girls discuss how we should bury dad here when he dies.</li>
<li>The Prince's Islands - We took a tram and a ferry ride to get there. Talon was thrilled to ride the "train" and they loved the big boat as well. We sat by some fun Turkish teenagers that entertained our kids.</li>
<li>A Cinderella Ride - The best part of the prince's islands was the horse drawn carriage ride around the island (no cars allowed here only bikes, carriages, and feet). Sheer joy radiated from the girl's faces as they pretended they were just like Cinderella. The driver even let each of the kids sit on the horse beforehand (part of his sales tactic I'm sure and it worked on us)</li>
<li>Discovering every park and playground withing reasonable walking distance of our hotel - "reasonable varies depending on if you are an adult or a kid".</li>
<li>The sheer number of people who wanted to touch, hug, kiss, photograph and mug on our kids. No one in the US would touch a stranger's kids the way they do in the Middle East. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Our kids absolute refusal to look at our or any stranger's camera on request - even when the beautiful Turkish bride asked to be photographed with them. (we were lucky to get this)</li>
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<li>The joy the kids got out of watching Turkish cartoons before bed every night (even when they couldn't understand a single word)</li>
<li>Watching Yvonne try to communicate with a group of Deaf teens she met in the park one afternoon</li>
<li>Talon's utter refusal to use a Turkish toilet and holding his pee the ENTIRE day everyday. (you'd think it would've been more a problem for the girls)</li>
<li>Splashing in the fountain in Sultanahmet Park and rinsing off in the German fountain next to the Blue Mosque</li>
<li>The cobblestone streets and beautiful old buildings</li>
<li>Friendly Turkish people</li>
<li>Trying new foods - this experience was pretty limited thanks to kids who were not very daring and felt a lot more safe with the security of McDonalds (not to mention their inexpensive ice cream).</li>
<li>Yvonne's Turkish Bath - She says "Let just say if you have anything against public nudity and being scrubbed down by a Turkish lady clad only in undies in a room full of other mostly naked women, this isn't for you. I thought it was HEAVENLY!"</li>
<li>Lots and lots of TOWERS. The kids were in Rapunzel heaven.</li>
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Well, there's the recap. We had a lot of fun, even though it was hot and sweaty and the kids reminded us often that they do not like walking "so far". If you want photo overload, you can check out a bunch of adventure here: <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/105900843158334459530/albums/5778314651184600529?banner=pwa">https://plus.google.com/photos/105900843158334459530/albums/5778314651184600529?banner=pwa</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-72860372303966518182012-07-31T00:49:00.000-07:002012-07-31T00:49:11.257-07:00Getting Stronger<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Well, I'm on my way <br />
I don't know where I'm going <br />
But I'm on my way <br />
I'm takin my time but I don't know where" - Paul Simon</h3>
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The kids are growing. Abigail and Saylor will start school the beginning of September. Talon thinks he's ready too. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="366" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/46669795?byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="650"></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-8982859617125421682012-07-24T12:35:00.000-07:002012-07-24T12:35:12.882-07:00Independence Day at Dreamland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Helter skelter in a summer swelter<br />
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter" - Don McLean
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We asked the kids what they wanted to do to celebrate the 4th of July. Fortunately, they are still young enough that they aren't expecting fireworks. Those are pretty hard to come by over here. The kids unanimously declared that they wanted to go to a "water playground." You can probably guess what that means... a water slide park. </div>
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Now, in the US, a water park may be one of the last places you want to be on the 4th. Everyone and the dog will be there and you will likely spend more time waiting in line for the slides than actually in the water. We hoped the crowds wouldn't be quite so big. So, we called up some friends and headed to Dreamland Water Adventure Park with a carload of kids excited for some wet and wild times.</div>
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On the way, we got to share the road with something you won't see much in the US on the 4th:</div>
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We arrived at the park about the time that they opened. I think we were the third car in the parking lot. We went in, changed clothes, and made our way to the kid pool area. There may have been 2 other kids. Lets just say, we did NOT have to worry about crowds. In fact, we never had to wait in a single line all day long. We had just about every slide, ride, and pool pretty much to ourselves. We did have to wait a couple times at the top of a slide (notice I didn't say in a line), but just for the workers to start the water running down the slide. Nice.<br />
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What wasn't quite as nice, and may have contributed a little to the low numbers in the park was the heat. When we first arrived, it wasn't too bad.... probably around 100 degrees. The water felt nice. It only took about 1/2 hour before things started heating up. The walkways, sidewalks, stairs... anything that wasn't in the water was too HOT to walk on. We had to wear slippers (flip flops for you non Hawaiians ;) everywhere. Even a couple steps and your feet were literally getting burnt. The rides were great, but a little different because you were holding shoes in your hands the entire way down (apparently it is against safety policy to wear them on your feet in the slides). By mid-day, the temps were around 115 degrees and the water was probably close to 90. The kids were having fun, but that kind of heat takes a lot out of you. Luckily, we found some cave pools where the water was significantly cooler and made that our home base.<br />
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In the end, we made it until sometime between 4-5 o'clock.... pretty much the entire day with the park mostly to ourselves. It was a lot of fun and the kids had a blast. They even went on some of the 'grown-up' slides. A few tears were shed that we couldn't stay longer, but those same eyes were closed and fast asleep practically before we got out of the parking lot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abigail</td></tr>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-87361991928838841312012-07-19T06:03:00.000-07:002012-07-19T06:03:41.588-07:00Talon Learns to Swim<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Never been so happy <br />
Never felt so high <br />
And I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise" - Zac Brown Band</h3>
Talon thinks he's pretty much just as old as the girls are. He thinks he can do anything that they can. So, when they learned how to swim without arm floats, he figured he could do it too. At first I was a little skeptical because when he tried, he would sink like a rock. He is smaller, less coordinated, and a lot denser (less buoyant). Apparently, he didn't realize any of this and about a month ago proved it can be done. He still doesn't have to the come-up-and-take-a-breath thing figured out, but he has the swimming part down pretty well and can make it as far as one huge breath (and lots of gasping when he surfaces) can take him. Luckily, our pool isn't that big so he can swim about anywhere he wants.<br />
<br />
Here is the photo and video evidence. Not bad for a kid who is just a little more than 2 1/2 years old.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="366" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/46023519" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="650"></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-31098702791156303942012-06-28T00:56:00.000-07:002012-06-28T01:16:09.850-07:00Got Milk?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"I love you <br />
I am the milkman of human kindness<br />
I will leave an extra pint" - Billy Bragg</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
Sooner or later I had to write about the milk here in the UAE. Here are a few observations:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>It is sold by the liter instead of the gallon</li>
<li>There is long-life milk in a box and fresh milk in a plastic bottle/carton</li>
<li>Milk prices are somehow subsidized or regulated because fresh milk costs the same everywhere regardless of brand, fat level, or store. The equivalent of a gallon is 17.50 dirhams everywhere. That is just a little less than $5/gallon in US dollars</li>
<li>Milk never goes on 'sale'</li>
<li>You may have noticed above that I said Fat Level. They don't categorize the milk here as whole, 2%, 1%, etc. Instead, it is Full-Fat (or cream), Half Fat/Cream, and Low Cream. </li>
<li>There are a lot of dairy companies... although I haven't really noticed a difference and, as mentioned above, they all cost the same.</li>
</ul>
<div>
The long-life boxed milk costs about 25% less than the fresh milk and you can store it for weeks. Our kids will drink it, but although at one point on my mission I could guzzle it from the box, I strongly prefer 'real' milk. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's a few photos of the milk sections at the local supermarket and the milk we bought last week. Yvonne's not really a milk drinker, so we go for the full-fat variety. It sounds unhealthy, but tastes great. </div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-14909075727461616142012-06-18T12:04:00.000-07:002012-06-18T12:06:57.712-07:00Inspiring or CRAZY?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"Time to move on, time to get going<br />
What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing<br />
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing<br />
It's time to move on, it's time to get going" - Tom Petty</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
I think it is interesting to try and interpret the responses of people we know when we tell them that we moved our family of young children from the US to the Middle East. It is also fun to gauge their reaction when we share that Yvonne had reconstructive surgery on her achilles tendon, a pregnancy and a new baby all on the other side of the world. <br />
<br />
Many say they think it sounds adventurous, but you can almost hear the muttering under their breath as they walk away.... "those guys are nuts!" Others sincerely do seem partially envious, or at least respectfully fascinated by our experience. In reality, I don't really know if we know what we think about the last two years. It is fun trying to figure it out.<br />
<br />
That being said, you gotta respect <a href="http://www.discovershareinspire.com/" target="_blank">this family</a>. They sold everything and are now driving cross-country with their FIVE kids from Alaska to Argentina. <br />
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<a href="http://www.discovershareinspire.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://www.discovershareinspire.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Navajo-Country-07.jpg" width="400" /></a><span id="goog_1248948684"></span><span id="goog_1248948685"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
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Is that inspiring, or are they just crazy?</div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-583889511150551052012-06-04T01:44:00.001-07:002012-06-04T01:44:25.548-07:00Quiz Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"I'm an Alien, I'm a legal Alien" - <a href="http://tinysong.com/HFKl" target="_blank">Sting</a></h3>
<br />
It has been almost two years since we moved from Hawaii and ended up over here in the UAE. Yvonne and I were just discussing how when we first arrived, almost everything seemed very foreign... and it was. Now, although there are plenty of things that are strange, different, or we haven't experienced yet, we no longer notice all of the things that were so foreign when we first got here. The strangeness has become part of our daily lives and is no longer strange.<br />
<br />
For example, we used to get a kick out of signs like this one. It is on every entrance to the mall near where we live. Now, we don't even notice it anymore.<br />
<br />
<b>Quiz time:</b> What on this sign is strange compared to what you might see on a sign outside a mall in the US?<br />
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-85168113219160883232012-05-30T05:48:00.001-07:002012-05-30T05:48:32.353-07:00You Spin Me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"All I know is that to me<br />
You look like you're lots of fun" - Dead or Alive</h3>
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There ain't no denying, this girl has some moves<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-72447479064955628462012-05-23T22:57:00.000-07:002012-05-23T22:57:05.340-07:00No More Cheats<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start <br />
Just because we use cheats doesn't mean we're not smart" - <a href="http://tinysong.com/ienL" target="_blank">The Moldy Peaches</a></h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The last few weeks have been a time of pure excitement and innocent joy for our girls. They have been learning how to swim without arm floaties. Almost every day when I get home from work they BEG to go out and try swimming more "all by themselves"... which really means with Yvonne or me helping them, just not floats on their arms helping them. <br />
<br />
It has been a totally fun experience to see how excited and proud they are of every little success. I smile just thinking about it right now.<br />
<br />
Anyway, here are a couple videos and pics of the girls in action. You may notice Talon still has his arm floaties on. He was eager and excited to learn without them.... but he sinks like a rock. He keeps wanting to try, and every time it ends with a gurgling, coughing, sputtering Talon being dragged up from the bottom of the pool. Funny thing, he thinks he's getting better. Anyway, he needs a bit more practice. <br />
<br />
<br />
This video was taken the first day they tried... after only 5 or 10 minutes of attempts.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Talon</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Saylor</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Abigail</span></div>
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Here are a few more videos their newly developed skills:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/42747870?byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe></div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-25596904317032396412012-05-03T00:08:00.000-07:002012-05-03T00:08:32.054-07:00Getting High<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"I'm learning to fly around the clouds<br />
But what goes up must come down" - <a href="http://tinysong.com/k9BM" target="_blank">Tom Petty</a></h3>
<br />
Normally I write about what is going on with our family. I figure that people reading this blog are here to catch up with us so I usually don't re-post content or links to other sites. If someone wanted to read about what other people are doing, or the latest cool viral stuff on the internet, they would go look there instead of here.<br />
<br />
But, sometimes I see something really neat and just feel like sharing. I saw this video yesterday and thought it was awesome. I noticed these guys are all pretty young... college-age guys. I'm probably old enough now that either:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li> I would be wise enough to think this is a bad idea</li>
<li>My body would complain because it isn't in good enough shape</li>
<li>The thought of my kids being father-less would discourage me</li>
</ul>
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Part of me though, is still young enough to think that I would just say "what the heck!" and jump.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4B36Lr0Unp4" width="640"></iframe>
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<br />
This video made me think of some other ones I've seen recently. If you haven't seen them already, you should.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ShFAeNdiEiA" width="640"></iframe>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-30087528084863132672012-04-29T01:53:00.001-07:002012-04-29T01:53:26.654-07:00Peace in the Middle East<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"Now I've been smiling lately, <br />
thinking about the good things to come<br />
And I believe it could be, something good has begun" - <a href="http://tinysong.com/ja2g" target="_blank">Cat Stevens</a></h3>
So, we live in the Middle East. The focal point of thousands of years of conflict, hate, and war.<br />
<br />
The other night I played some basketball in the park. We had a guy from Lebanon, England, Ireland, Italy, the US, Egypt, the Philippines, Russia, Palestine, and Iraq. It was a fun game a basketball... no tempers, everyone called their own fouls, lots of smiles and good times.<br />
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443975449798232327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788143111326574077.post-68293685204123097972012-04-11T05:28:00.002-07:002012-04-11T05:29:16.623-07:00Blossom like a Rose<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>
"I dream of rain <br />
I dream of gardens in the desert sand" - Sting</h3>
<br />
Well, it looks like our time of good weather is almost over. We have already had several days this year over 100 degrees. It is back to AC indoors or sticky sweat outdoors.<br />
<br />
It gets so hot here in the summer that it is actually quite incredible that they can keep green things growing at all. On the other hand, in the winter, things can turn green and the desert can be made to blossom. We have a friend who has at least a dozen different plants flowering in his yard. It is practically a little garden of Eden... and literally amazing considering we live in one of the biggest deserts/harshest climates/hottest places on earth.<br />
<br />
To do our part in helping the to greenify (is that a word?) the desert, we have a few plants outside of our home. Neither Yvonne or I have a green thumb, and never expected them to blossom... Mostly we just hoped to keep them alive. But, in the last month or so, we have seen some color. It is a treat amidst all the browns and grays of the desert.<br />
<br />
These were taken the other day in front of our house. The hibiscus help remind us of Hawaii and the desert rose currently has about 20 blossoms on it. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(thanks Elisa for helping us add a little spice to our front porch)</span><br />
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