Giving Thanks

When you are an expat, being away from your family, friends, and church is always hard.  No matter how hard you try, you can't help but miss out on family celebrations; you hear about exciting news after everyone else, and you feel a bit of jealousy when you see pictures of our loved ones actually having fun without us.

Now that is not to say that us expats are sitting in a corner, pining away and wiping our tears.  We make it work. We look for the positives in our new situation.  (Sometimes the positive is difficult to find, but we always do!)  But most importantly, we make new friends and they make up our expat family.  Our expat family is pretty big.  The people who are a part of that family come from all over the world.   Having this new family is pretty much what sustains us so far from 'home'.   

This year our Thanksgiving was spent with 65 expats.  There were people everywhere!  There were four turkeys, one ham (yes, ham!), five huge bowls of stuffing, four massive bowls of potatoes, rolls, squash, green beans, cranberries....oh...so much!  I am full again just thinking about it!!    Our dinnertime stories shared were of  the places we have lived, the vacations we have taken, and the tales of our real families so far away.   It was a wonderful cool evening (around 80) spent dining in a beautiful yard.  We are so thankful to have this family.

The day after Thanksgiving is typically when Sarah and I would head out at 3AM for black Friday shopping.  There were several years where this adventure was shared with Jim's sister, Janet.  We loved this day.  This year as black Friday approached Sarah and I did lots of reminiscing and dreaming of the day we'll get to do it again!  Then we were invited to another Thanksgiving dinner.  We have now found a better way to spend the day after Thanksgiving.


The USS Whidbey was coming into port on the day after Thanksgiving.  The school was contacted and asked if any ASD (American School of Dubai) parents would consider having around 20 marines and sailors over for dinner.  A wonderful friend of mine, Stephanie Buck, didn't hesitate to offer up her house.  She then contacted a few other friends, and dinner number two was created.  We went through the usual planning as the expat dinner.  Stephanie coordinated who would bring the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, etc., etc.   My mind pictured another Thanksgiving dinner.

Around 2 PM a small bus pulled in front of Stephanine's house and a group of young men and women unloaded.  Aside from looking very young (which is really just a reflection of my age), they just looked so happy.  Here were these kids in their early 20's who were just thrilled to be, as one young man put it, "on solid ground for a while".   They went out Stephanie's back door onto the beach.  Some quickly picked up the volleyball, some jumped into the water, and others sat on her wonderful deck and just enjoyed the breeze.  When the food was ready to be served we all shared in Grace.  The Chaplains words made my heart full.   When the guests stepped into the kitchen and saw the remarkable buffet, there were little shouts of "yes!!    Smiles everywhere.

As the day continued we watched these dedicated young people enjoying their downtime.  We talked about their families and their home towns.  He learned they had been on the Whidbey for seven months already and still had another four to go.   When the Dubai hour grew late enough, Stephanie informed everyone that the US was now waking up.  Time to Skype!   Each taking their turn, these young men and women had a chance to call home.  What a valuable gift. 

Towards the end of the evening the Chaplain presented Stephanie and her husband, Mike, with a plaque.  They thanked the Bucks and everyone else who provided food.  Then he asked the guests if they had anything to say.  As I think about it my eyes still fill with tears.  These young kids were so thankful to be welcomed into a home.  They were so thankful for their Thanksgiving dinner, and they were thankful to be apart of our expat family, if only for a few hours.

Today they are gone.  They are out somewhere in their "grey box" floating around.  They are a presence in the waters.   They are there for us.  They are there to keep us safe.    They are giving us something for which we are sincerely thankful.   Sarah and I still do miss the chance to wake up at 3AM and go shopping, but the gift we are receiving from these dedicated men and women is something more valuable than anything we'd find in any store.

HGTV

Being an expat has given us some amazing experiences.  Over the past three years the kids have learned how to ski in the Alps, floated in the Dead Sea in Jordan, and rode segways through the streets of Prague.  They have visited 16+ countries (the number varies because of school and sport trips).  It has all been just amazing.  But I now have another adventure to add to the list.  We are all going to be on TV!

HGTV has begun filming for a new show, Living Abroad.  It is a show that features American expats living in many different parts of the world.  One show will feature Amsterdam, another Paris, yet another Australia.  There are 11 cities in all.  And...Dubai is one of them.

In August, shortly after we returned from our summer vacation, the school newsletter had a short note announcing that HGTV was looking for expat families for their new show.  I filled out the brief application and sent it out along with a few pictures of the kids and the villa.  Towards the end of September I received a note from the HGTV casting director asking me to complete a questionnaire.  It was 8 pages long!!  I e-mailed that back in (all to Colorado) .  A week later on a Thursday night (10 PM), I received an e-mail telling me they wanted to "pitch my family to the network - tomorrow".  They asked for a short video introducing the family.   Because of the time, we were all sitting around in our PJ's watching TV.  I told everyone to get dressed - quick!  We had to make a movie.   Kevin took out his video camera and away we went!  By 11PM we were done, Kevin had sent off the video, and we were back in our PJ's!   The following week we received notice that we had been selected to be on the show!!

So, time to prepare!  Jim and I took some of our pictures we had purchased on our travels to be framed,  I went shopping for a few arab decorations and, of course, a new outfit!  Jim arrived home the day before the shoot and we hung pictures, dusted high places, and tried on clothes.  We were ready!

The HGTV crew along with High Noon Productions and a local crew arrived at our house on Friday, Octobober 25.  They arrived at 8 AM in two vans filled (FILLED) with cameras, lights, sound stuff, make-up, absolutely the works!   We began by showing them around the house.  Every room was shown and talked about.  Then the two producers sat down alone and made the decisions on where and what to film inside of the house.  (editorial:  I don't know if I would have made the same choices, but, hey....I'm not the star yet!)

The took Sarah and I into Brian's room, which by now had been converted into the make-up room.  We both were completely made up and hair done.  For me having eye shadow and liner is a major deal!  I felt like I had on 3" of make-up!   The boys just received a little powder to get rid of their shine!

Next they put the mics on Jim and I.  At this point, we were the only two "wired up".  We then all were asked to be seated on the couch in the TV room and just be casual.  The show host would come in and join us as if just stopping in.  She came in, sat down, and we talked about living in Dubai.  She asked us some very direct questions and then gave the prompt of "let's see the rest of the house!"  We all stood up.  Then we sat down and did it again.  Then we sat down and did it again!  Each time they director would say "looked great, let's do it again!"  They wanted us all in the same places so they could be consistent with the shot while editing.

After the living room scene, they told me they wanted to film my closet and bathroom.  So here is the part where I was pretty surprised.  Having shown them around the whole house, I would not have picked the closet and bathroom as highlights.  The reason they picked the closet was to give me an opportunity to talk about the "red card" I received while shopping in the Dubai Mall last year.  It was a card reminding me to dress conservatively.  The reason they picked the bathroom was to highlight the fact that there are no outlets in the bathroom and that I have an extension cord running from the bedroom, down the hall, and into the bathroom.   (editorial:  they told me to refer to the bathroom as a man's room because of the lack of outlets.  I think this is to add humor to the portion.  In hindsight, I would have preferred just referring to the area as being designed by a man...lack of storage and outlets.  Again....not my show!)

We then went down to the kitchen where they discussed my lack of cooking but my expertise in ordering in!  I had referred to this in my application when I talked about the food delivery options here and how they will deliver one "happy meal" to your house...on a scooter!  This segment was a bit scripted too, but no editorial from me this time!

Now came the hard part (for me).  They sat Jim and I down in the living room on our kitchen stools.  The producer asked us interview questions, told us to look at the camera while answering, and to answer the question with  the question.   I was SO NERVOUS!   The lights, the microphone, the camera, and the people watching just made the butterflies in my stomach go wild!   I kept saying over and over in my head...."sit up, keep your shoulders back, smile, don't giggle, answer nicely,stay positive, keep smiling".   OMG AND OMG!  AND keep your hands in your lap so that you don't touch the microphone tucked down in your shirt!    I so wish I had a do-over for that part.  I don't think my friends and family will be impressed at all with my interview skills!   I am not sure at all what I did say, but have been dwelling on what I did not say.  OK, I'll get over it!

After our interview, we all headed to Ski Dubai.  They wanted to film the kids skiing.  That was a long 2 1/2 hours of standing in the cold and snow for Jim and I, but it was so fun to watch the kids and watch the people watching our kids!  The camera man went down the slopes backwards filming the kids.  Sarah was skiing and the boys snow boarding.  They missed Sarah a few times because she came down so fast.  By the time we spotted her, her run was done!  The boys were not as quick, so they filmed them plenty.  They also filmed them going up in the ski lift.  The camera man sat on the lift in front of the kids and the hostess.  Then they filmed they tubing.   It was SO fun.

From Ski Dubai we headed to a small local grocery store.  None of the grocery stores here would let them take pictures inside except some little market.  I was the only one interviewed inside and was giving the hostess a tour of the Dubai favorites and odds and ends.  We took several shots in there too, all the time smiling and trying to cover it all.

After the grocery store shoot, the hostess and make-up artist left and the rest of us headed back to the house.  The asked Sarah to change into soccer gear and filmed her doing a brief training session with Jim   You will notice she is wearing her Friendswood Mustangs shirt in this segment!  Kind of a plug for our home town and, hopefully, her try-out for the FHS soccer team all in one shot!

They then told us that our kids are the only teenagers filmed in the entire show. I mean from every city.  They then did an interview with the kids like the one that Jim and I had earlier.  They asked them questions and told them to answer the question with the question.  "What food do you miss the most, Kevin?"  Kevin answers "The food I miss the most from the US is baby back ribs.".  See....how clever!  

The filming wrapped up around 6 PM.  It was wild.  It was crazy.  It was so fun!  The show will begin airing in the US in March.  They don't know when the Dubai episode will air, but have told us they'll send us a DVD of the show.

One more editorial:  While the experience was absolutely amazing and I am so glad we did it, there were so many things about living in Dubai that were not covered.   I would have loved to talk about and introduce Maris, our maid.  Tell how much she does, how inexpensive it is for live-in help, and how EVERYONE has a housekeeper.  I would love to talk about driving on Sheik Zayed Road, our 12 lane highway.  How driving here has made me such an aggressive driver.  I would love to talk about what I do at the school .    I am hoping that I was not asked about these things because another family will cover it.  There were 4 families filmed in Dubai. 

We love HGTV.  I now know that they do script many of the comments from people.  I do know they don't always film what you would want, and I do know that they have an amazing group of people working for them.   I can't wait for this to air.  I am so hopeful that everyone will gain a true understanding of life here.  The good, the bad, and the dusty! 

It was such a fun day!  I told the kids it was the best experience EVER!  They asked me if it was "better than the experience of being an expat?"    Another experience I would not change.

 

Dubai Driving

I actually started writing this blog several days ago. Then I hit delete. You see, the message was a little bit negative, and I don't want to write negative things. I want to have fun, be happy, and only see the positive in every experience. That is really hard when you are driving in Dubai!

While I don't like to generalize, it really safe to do so when it comes to driving here. Dubai drivers are pretty horrible. The UAE has one of the highest motor vehicle fatality rates in the world. As a rule, the Emiratis do not wear seat belts nor do they put their children in car seats. Combine this with the fact that they drive incredibly fast, well that spells disaster.

I have seen more crazy things on the roads in Dubai than anywhere else.  I am becoming a bit more obsessed with the driving habits here as Kevin will be starting drivers education by the end of the month.   I now give Kevin commentary as I drive him to and from school daily.  I point out the people that cut me off in traffic.  I am sure to add that I have to know what vehicles are around me at all times in order to know whether to brake, to swerve, or to just pray!    

You probably think this is just a nervous mom talking.  Well, I know that is part of it, but it is also a mom who has seen people back up on the highway whenever they miss their exits; people just stop on the side - even if there is no shoulder - to let workers out or pick people up.  I have seen men run across the highway trying to get across even though the cars are speeding by at 120 kph! And I won't even get started on the "optional" turn signals!

I have seen two major safe driving campaigns here in Dubai over the past year.  The one last spring on posters read "Speeding is a Sin.  Speeders are Sinners."   So, I didn't notice any difference in driving during that campaign.  This fall the campaign is "Save our Sons".  They want people to slow down when going past the all-male schools I guess!  Poor girls!

So, Kevin driving?  I know he'll go through the 5 week training.  I am certain he'll pass the test.  I know Jim and I will take him on early Friday morning driving sessions.  (The roads are completely empty on Friday mornings).   But the real dilemma will be on where I can buy enough bubble wrap to surround him and my vehicle when he actually hits the road.
  

The Storage Locker

Our home in Texas is big, just like every other Texas home. We have lots of storage space, like every other Texas home. Our house has attic space above the 2nd floor, a walk-in attic just off of one of the bedrooms, and several walk-in closets. Along with that, we have a three car garage which allowed for, you guessed it, more storage.

When we moved to Holland we didn't bring any Christmas decorations, Halloween decorations, Easter; well, you get the point. I had so many boxes of holiday decorations in the attic spaces, I decided to not go through them and just put them all in the Nalco provided storage facility. By the way, I have no idea where they are physically being stored, but I am assured it is a nice, temperature controlled space.

In addition to our huge Nalco storage locker, we also rented a space of our own. This space was used for our photo albums, important paperwork, and anything we just might need access to while we were on our adventure abroad. We have visited our 'stuff' each year when we go home. This year we all sat on the very clean floor of our storage locker and looked through photo albums. We need pictures for Kevin's year book.

Our house in Holland had lots of storage too. There was a basement, a walk-in attic space, a garage, and a storage shed. Lots of space to stash all of the new holiday decorations we purchased along with the many items we brought overseas which we did not need.

So, let's jump into the desert. Our house here is a very nice size. While my housekeeper says it is small, it is approximately 4,200 square foot. Just a shack! The problem with the homes here are their lack of storage space. There are no basements, no attics, no linen closets, no under the stair storage, no place to hide our treasures. When we finished unpacking last year we set out to find a nice climate controlled storage locker. Well, we found it! If you have been to a storage locker in Texas, picture it now. OK, now picture the 100% complete opposite! That is my Dubai storage locker.

Our locker is in an industrial area that is just on the edge of nowhere. To access the building you have to go down a narrow sand alleyway. The buildings on either side of the alley appear to be occupied by workers that probably have no where else to go. On Friday, the day off here for all workers, there is laundry hanging in the alley and men just sitting around on overturned paint buckets. It actually looks pretty scary, but that is true of lots of places here.

The locker itself is nothing more than an area that is fenced off from the locker next door. There are no solid walls, not private metal doors, and actually, no real floor! The floor is a metal grate. If you happened to drop something through the floor, it would land in the storage locker below yours! There are big black rat traps all over the place and an elevator that is designed for moving person belongings only - NO PEOPLE. This weekend when we went to the locker, the elevator was hanging by its cable with an "out of order" sign. No kidding!!

So after paying $200 a month for this lovely facility, we decided to bring our stuff home. It took four car loads and lots of sweat, but we now have all of our stuff here. Jim is now parking his car outside and we have some very happy geckos as they now have new places to explore!

I described the locker to Kevin and when he came with me to clean out the unit, he commented that is was much worse than he had imagined. It really isn't that bad....it is just Dubai.

Best First Week of School....EVER!!

Last week the kids started school here. They had a shortened week, but we'll still count it! On Thursday night (our week is Sunday-Thursday) Kevin said that this was the best first week of school ever! Coming from someone who has had first weeks at 6 different schools, that is pretty high praise!

When you attend school in the States, there is nothing really special about the first week. You pretty much see all the same faces, know all the teachers, and really know your way around the place. When you attend a school Internationally, your week is very different. You will see many new faces and many new teachers. The turnover of the student body is typically 10-20% per year.

When we first moved abroad, the kids went to The American School of the Hague (ASH). It was a wonderful school. The week before they started school, ASH had 3 days of orientations, testing, and ice breakers for the new students. They had a wonderful Student Ambassador program that would match a new student up with a returning student. Your first day of classes, you were guaranteed to see a familiar face.

Last year we moved to the American School of Dubai (ASD). This was a very different year for ASD as they moved to a new campus. This move created many challenges for the school. First, the move enabled the school to expand its student population by 400 kids. The returning students felt like their little school had now gotten SO BIG. It was hard to get acquainted with people, spirits were down, and the entire experience just was not very positive.

There also was the challenge of the new campus itself. If this building was in the US, it would never have been opened. Not only were the walls bare, but there were areas of the school blocked off by plywood doors because of the construction and there were construction workers everywhere. It was a mess.

This year we have had a completely different experience. The construction is almost done; yes, we are still waiting on a middle school playground, more artwork, signs that identify where to go, and the completion of a new parking lot and entry gate. BUT...a man named Daniel Mendes decided to make a change. Daniel is the Middle School IT teacher. Last year he and his wife (who just happens to be the Vice Principal of the HS) joined ASD from a school in Moscow.
Daniel witnessed and experienced the frustration of the students and new faculty last year. He decided to try and organize an Orientation Program for ASD. What a difference he has made.

First, on the Sunday before school started all of the new families were invited to the school. They received a wonderful, informative Welcome Packet (put together by the Welcome Committee which I co-chair). They received a tour of the school and an opportunity to buy school supplies and uniforms. It was a great day, but just the tip of the iceberg.

On Monday the school had an all-school assembly. Everyone from our 4 year old K1's to the graduating class of 2012 were there. The assembly began with the Seniors walking the 1st graders into the Field House. Then began the flag procession. ASD has over 60 nationalities represented. The flag from each country was paraded into the building. It was really moving.

The rest of the week was filled with ice breakers and get-to-know-you activities. The grande finale of the week though was the Field Day event on Thursday. In the morning the field house was filled with the High School kids. They had grade level cheer competitions, spirit competitions, and team building (read fun) games. The afternoon was the Field Day event for the Middle School.
Just before the end of the day, but still during the Middle School Field Day, the High School kids walked into the Field House (gym). They appeared to just be wandering around, but suddenly the music changed. Some girls started dancing... then...the entire High School began their Flash Mob! It was awesome! The Middle School kids quickly gathered around them and watched and cheered. They played the music a second time and the High School kids were pulling the Middle School kids into the routine. It was fun, it was crazy, and it was 700 kids dancing and laughing. It just doesn't get any better than this!

I can honestly say that I have never witnessed such a fun event. The kids all left the field house laughing and even dancing. So thank you to ASD...thank you to Daniel Mendes. This was a wonderful way to end our week and start our year. Best first week of school...EVER!

Last First or First Last?

Yesterday the kids started school. After a long summer of travel, which included visits with family, friends, colleges, Spain, and a total of 11 airports, they were ready to be back into their routine.

It was a first last for me, or wait...was it a last first? I have heard the phrase "last first" for a few years now. I remember a soccer player at ASH being emotionally moved over her last first game of the season. Later she was again emotional about her last - last game! Now that I was faced with a last first, I'm a little confused! Yesterday was the last time I would drop the kids off for their first day of school together. With Kevin being a Senior, next year Brian and Sarah will head off to their first day of school without big brother in tow.

I really thought I would feel some wave of emotion as I saw them walk off together. I had mentally prepared myself for this overwhelming sadness that would occur. Kevin asked if I was going to cry. At the end of the day all three quizzed me on what I did during the day. I think there was an expectation of my coming home, sitting on the floor and weeping over baby pictures. Instead I had a nice workout and lunch with my wonderful friends.

So my first last first was very pleasant! I will admit that my mind did flash back to several other firsts. Like a snapshot in my mind I can see Kevin standing at the bottom of the steps of that great big yellow school bus getting ready for his first day of school. I have a wonderful vision of Kevin and Sarah walking into their new Oswego school together for their first day. We were new to the school. As they got out of the car they took a few steps, stopped and looked at each other, grabbed hands and walked in. They never looked back. The Chew crew had arrived!

My mind gives me snapshots of so many events in my childrens' lives. They all bring me happiness. Ok, I will admit some do bring me tears, but they are all wonderful memories.

So I survived my last- first. I know there are many, many more to come this year. I hope that each and every one of them are met with happiness, smiles, and warm memories of my first-first with Kevin.

Good luck Seniors. Class of 2012. And good luck to all the moms who are having their last firsts. May they only bring you wonderful memories and smiles.

Happy Feet - Honking Horns....we're home!

We are "home". I have had to put that word in quotations because our definition of home is different. Brian says that his home is in Texas, that we live in a house in Dubai. Sarah says this is home, but Texas is too. I always say home is where the heart is. OK, not original and you've heard that before, but it raises a question. Does that mean it is physically where your heart is? Of course our hearts are physically here, but my heart aches for Texas and all people and the life there. But sometimes calling this place "home", just doesn't have the right ring.

While on vacation in Barcelona last week, several people asked where we were from. I thought it was so interesting to hear the answer. Sometimes the kids would say "Texas". Sometimes they would answer "Dubai". Jim, in his politically correct way, would answer "we're Americans, but we live in Dubai".

I knew I was back to my Dubai home yesterday when I drove up to the school. I was out of the driveway about 3 minutes...not even on the expressway and I was almost in an accident. I had to honk my horn and hit the brakes. Yep...I'm back "home". After I mumbled a few choice words to myself, I had to laugh. In June, before we headed back to the States for our two month visit, Jim told me I'd have a hard time driving in the US again. He said I had become a very aggressive driver. I completely disagreed and said I drive just fine and am very safety conscious. The first full day in Texas, we all had dentist appointments. I was driving through our little Friendswood and Pearland on the way to the dentist and I started to feel my chest tighten, my breath quicken, and my foot tapping. It was almost like an anxiety attack. The cause for this reaction? Well, people were going 35 mph, the posted speed limit and there were frequent stop lights. No 12 lane highway with people passing in their Ferrari's and Maserati's. A road of law abiding citizens driving Fords, Chevy's, and just taking their time. Took me almost a week to adapt to the new normal!

Today Sarah and I visited our favorite nail salon - Tips and Toes. We had our pedicures and manicures and are now ready for school. The lady who did my toes was from the Philippines. As we tried to have a conversation (language challenge), she told me of her four children. She had one son and three daughters. The oldest son is 20, the youngest girl is 10. She saw them for a month in June and will see them again in two years. While this is common here, it always makes my heart ache. As I watched and listened to her, I wonder if there was any doubt in her mind where "home" was.

Well, for now, this is "home". Still using those quotation marks I see! Oh well.....

Adios Barcelona...

Today was our last day in Barcelona. After a long, lazy morning in the apartment, we took a ride to the Telefericos de Barcelona. This is the gondola ride that goes over the waterway. It was kind of scary, but a truly beautiful view. Brian and I are a bit afraid of heights, but I wanted to ride this gondola as there are very few left in Europe. When we reached the end of the ride, we had lunch at the top of the hill overlooking Barcelona. There was a cool breeze and it was a wonderful way to end our time here.

Tonight Jim and Kevin attended a bullfight. Sarah, Brian, and I decided to skip this event and headed back to the apartment to pack and just relax. Effective January 1, 2012, bullfighting will no longer be allowed in Barcelona. They still allow it in other areas of Spain, but no longer here. As Jim and Kevin described the fight to Brian and I (Sarah left the room), I am SO glad we did not attend. It sounds so cruel. I will not share any description of this event and must say I am glad that Barcelona will no longer support this - although their reasons for not supporting bullfighting has nothing to do with cruelty to animals.

We are all ready to be home. It has been a wonderful summer. We've spent time with family, friends, and each other. My reasons for coming to Barcelona were not only to see Spain, but give my family time to reunite and have some fun together. Mission accomplished.

Beach & Burn

Today we decided to spend another day at the beach. Kind of odd that we are enjoying it so much since we live 10 minutes from a really nice warm beach at home and NEVER go! Guess that is why this is called a vacation. We vacation from our real life and do different, fun things.

The waves were really high today and the boys and I had such fun diving in them, body surfing (kind of), and just splashing around. Since I never burn, I am the only one who didn't apply suntan lotion. I didn't apply any the other day either, and was just fine. Guess something was different today and I have obtained a little burn. Not bad, but just enough to make me hot and really feeling tired. It is Saturday night at 10:00 and Sarah, Brian, and I are all tucked into the hide-a-bed ready to watch some 1970's detective show....that is all they show here. Jim and Kevin headed out to a local theater to see what movies are around. Jim said that 10PM on a Saturday night is just to early to call it a night. Hmm..this is obviously vacation Jim!

I also have to add a note about how much I am enjoying watching Jim and Kevin together. I mean, Jim and all the kids are great, but seeing my almost 18 year old boy having such a good time with his dad is awesome. My brother is 10 years older than me, so I don't remember seeing he and my dad having such silly times. Jim and Kevin laugh together, share stories, wrestle in the water and just really enjoy each others' company. I am so blessed. I don't know how or why I was given such great kids, but I do know it is a blessing from above.

Tomorrow is our last day here. Not sure what we'll do. We've seen all the sights of Barcelona. The boys want another beach day, but not sure I'm up to that again. Maybe Sarah and I will hit the shops. We would like to ride the gondola, but the winds have been so strong, it is just too scary for a few of us (no names mentioned).

So, off to bed. Still just loving my vacation and the time with the kids and my sweetie. Such a rare gift.

Fish and Boats

Today we visited the Barcelona aquarium. It was not very big, but we certainly did have fun. We then walked around looking for a Subway for lunch. I knew I had seen one, but I did not remember where. We ended up at Burger King, which was an OK substitute for all of us, except Sarah (she won't eat Burger King). On our way back to the waterfront, we found, guess what...the Subway! We stopped in for Sarah to have a sandwich. We then kept walking down to the water and took a nice sight seeing boat ride. It was fun until it started to rain. Odd thing about this summer, wherever we have been, it has rained. I kind of expected it in Holland, but not in Texas, Chicago, or Rhode Island. We have had rain in each spot. Sarah stood on the front of the boat and let herself really get wet. She loves the rain and is something she really misses in Dubai. We went back to our apartment for a few hours and then walked to a nearby Italian restaurant for dinner.

It has just been one of the laziest vacations we've ever had. We are really enjoying the slow mornings and having time to lay around and talk and dream together (and surf the internet and make some postings on Facebook). Tomorrow will be another beach day. We (Jim) have mastered the metro, so we'll take the ride to the beach, rent a few chairs and umbrellas and hope for sunshine all day long. We only have two days left of our vacation and then real life begins again.

Thank You

Every night my prayers begin with a thank you. I thank the Lord for the day. I am not really sure when I started thanking Him for each day, but I do know for sure that since we moved, I have not missed the opportunity to say thank you.

In February 2008 Jim called me from a soccer game in which he was a referee. He said he had spoken with his boss and had been offered the opportunity to move to Leiden, The Netherlands, for a new assignment. He asked what I thought. As we spoke, it all sounded pretty exciting to me, so I told Jim I would talk with the kids. I took the kids to Jakes, a favorite local spot for dinner. While we sat at dinner, I asked the kids what they would think about living in Europe for a few years while daddy took a new position. Kevin and Sarah immediately said "yes!". Kevin said "How can we pass up an opportunity like this?" Sarah also thought it would be great fun to discover Europe. Brian, well, he was the one hold out. Brian said that he just didn't want to move again. Moving to The Netherlands would be Brian's 5th move (Sarah's 6th and Kevin's 7th). We talked about it for a while and decided we would go for it! In August we packed up and headed to Holland.

Holland was a wonderful place. Of course, it is easy to say that 3 years later! The town we lived in is Wassenaar. It is an absolutely beautiful place. Huge trees that hang over the roads, brick streets and sidewalks, the most quaint little town you can imagine. The main shopping area of Wassenaar is called the Laangstraat. Translation: Long Street! It is filled with small shops selling cheese, chocolates (best EVER), wine, clothing, stationary, and housewares. Picture Mayberry...that is our Wassenaar. The shops all close at 5 PM every day and nothing is open on Sunday. And when I say things close at 5 PM, that means key turned and shop owner walking down the sidewalk closed! While that was a bit frustrating at first, we certainly learned to love that relaxed, slow atmosphere.

Sunday's in Holland are certainly family days. It is when families spend time together biking, walking, going to the dunes (beach), exploring, or just spending the day at home together. You are forced into family time and it is something that certainly pays off. I give Holland a lot of credit to the closeness of my family. Gone were the days of leaving at 6 am and returning at 4 PM for soccer games. Gone were the days of Jim taking Sarah to one soccer field, me taking Brian to another, and us leaving Kevin alone in the dust. There were no long 4 nights of soccer practice. There we no longer early morning band practices. Our hectic, but typical, American schedule came to a skreetching halt. My family learned to actually spend time together telling stories, watching movies, playing games and....here it is...talking.

I now have 3 teenagers in my house. Kevin will turn 18 next month; Sarah will be 16 next month, and Brian has just turned 14. Last night the 5 of us sat in our TV room here in Dubai and told stories about school, friends, and (sorry) the kids teachers. We laughed until we cried. Jim and I had planned to sit in the TV room and stare at the box. As we were all laughing, Jim said..."who needs TV?!" How true.

So last night I again said thank you. I have three amazing teenagers who still want to be in the room with their parents and siblings. They talk, help each other with homework, compare notes of their day, and laugh together. Wow. How blessed I am.

Park Guell

What a lazy day we had today. I've started waking the kids up early in preparation for our official back to school routine starting in 10 days. Of course, early on vacation means 10 AM; not really early, but at least it is before noon. We took a walk to a local market for groceries and then a leisurely train ride to Park Guell. It was a wonderful day spent together just walking and talking. I can not even express how much I appreciate this time with my kids.

While we are enjoying Barcelona, it certainly is not being ranked as one of our top vacation spots. Our rankings still are Kenya, Rome, and Jordan. As I write that I can't help but think about how lucky we are to have been able to take such wonderful vacations over these past three years. I'll save that comment and my thoughts about that for another day though.

Back to Barcelona.....It is an interesting city. We wonder if it would be a big vacation spot had it not been for Gaudi. Seems everything is tied to his works. We've wandered along the streets of the city freely and without worry. Our tour books advise to really watch for pick pockets, so Jim actually bought a fanny pack! I didn't think we'd be buying one of those until we retired and traveled alone, but since we don't have much to carry, we decided now was time enough. I am using a small but useful purse that I received from my friend Barbara for my birthday. It is perfect for my small items that I want to keep close.

After another dinner at Hard Rock tonight, we headed back to the apartment to watch the one show on the single English channel.....you guessed it ....Columbo AGAIN! It is hard for me to just relax and spend time sitting around the apartment, but I'm also spending some time preparing for our schools' wonderful Orientation Day. There is a teacher at the school who has organized this day for all new students. He was new from a school in Russia last year and found that this type of program was missing. I am so excited to be helping him with this event. It has taken lots of time, but I love this kind of "stuff"!

So, it is 11:00 and we are all ready for bed. Another get ready for school exercise. Time for my prayers which always start with a Thank You for this wonderful day.

Barcelona Babes!

Today was spent at the beach in Barcelona. I have to say that Barcelona is certainly a dream come true for any 18 year old! Kevin was able to order a Pina Colada and then sit on the beach, or float in the water and watch the many, MANY, topless swimmers and bathers. Being the true Americans that we are, these sights are still able to make us a bit uncomfortable and, I'll admit, make us share the occasional giggle. There truly are some people that should just not be allowed to go topless! ANYWAY, the beach was wonderful. The water was warmer than that in Rhode Island, but definitely not as warm as our own Arabian waters. We were diligent to put on suntan lotion all over our white bodies, but seemed to forget our bright, smiling faces. We are all red faced tonight and most definitely look like tourists!

We shared a meal at KFC since we had promised Brian fried chicken and then took in a movie. We saw Super 8, which was shown in it's original version (english). We have found that in all the European cities we've visited, the movies are always shown in their original english version with the native language posting the subtitles. I wonder how people here (and in Holland and Switzerland, etc., etc.) feel having to watch movies with subtitles. I avoid subtitled movies as it seems that I am reading and not watching the film. Also, it still amazes me that wherever we go, most everyone knows english. It really makes it easy for us American travelers, but also makes me feel inadequate that I haven't mastered a second language.

I also did laundry today with the typical european washing machine. They are tiny and only wash...no dryers here. Right now all of our shirts, shorts, and delicates are hanging on the balcony to dry. This is certainly a sight I never get used to!

We rode the Metro (underground) to the beach today. The trains here are very clean and we saw security personnel on every train and at every stop. What a wonderful system. The directions were so clearly posted that even I could navigate my way around. This is something else we are lacking in the good ole USA.

As soon as we came in from our movie all 4 computers were fired up along with one blackberry. Even on vacation, we still need our technology. Good thing we have this though as our TV has one english speaking station and today the only choice of shows was Columbo! Oh Apple TV, we miss you too!

THIS EXPAT LIFE OF MINE!

OK, so one year ago I decided to start a blog.  I am now ready for my second post!  I never got into the habit of blogging because I wanted it to look really fun and interesting, like my friend's blog.  Well, forget that!  The most important thing for right now is that I want to blog my entire last year as an expat.  If I have time to add pics and fun stuff, then it will happen.

Secondly, I am stealing the title from a friend of Sarah's.  I always see on Facebook Nicole writes "This Life of Mine" and puts comments; her favorite things and happenings.  Well, now I will use her example and write about This Expat Life of Mine.  I will write about daily happenings, if it is an interesting day.  If not, I'll recap something about our past year.  I will hopefully have a nice diary for our final year of adventure. 

First official post of my final year!  I am writing from Barcelona.  We have just finished our final summer visiting "home".  The kids and I left Dubai at the end of June, spent four days in Holland, then four weeks in Houston, two weeks in Chicago, and 10 days in Rhode Island.  We had a wonderful time.  Jim was able to join us for one week in Houston and for one week in Rhode Island.  Because our summer visits home are crazy with shopping, eating, and catching up with friends and family, we decided to add Barcelona as the final leg of our trip.  While we are all ready to be back in Dubai, this final week of holiday gives us a chance to regroup as a family.  We have such a good time sharing stories over dinner, sightseeing, playing games, and just plain old hanging out.  It is really what we needed.  

Leaving the States this year was harder than the past 3 summers.  I think that us knowing we'd be moving back in just a year made us want it even more.  Last year we had the anticipation of our move to Dubai, had my friend, Trish, meeting us in Holland for one last hurrah (her 40th birthday was the real occasion),  that leaving the States was relatively easy.  Oh yes, there are ALWAYS tears, but we knew we had a new adventure on the horizon and we were actually a little excited.    This year, it is like seeing the presents under the Christmas tree and then being told you can not open them!  We are so ready to be back home.  The tears were abundant.  We are all OK now and ready to start school again and get back into the swing of our crazy life.

So, enough for Day 1!  I am really dedicated this year to doing this.  No, not like a New Years' resolution dedicated, but for me, myself, and I, dedicated.  I want to write down some of these feelings, thoughts, and events so that I don't forget them!