Finally Done for the Year!

When volunteering to be a Girl Scout leader in Dubai, I did not realize what I was signing up for! Neither did my good friend from Australia, Jenny Bell, and together we got through it. We had a celebratory Girl Scout glass of wine once we had fulfilled our commitment.

Classic Dubai Sign

There is a stretch of road along Sheik Zayed Highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi (a neighboring emirate) that is like no other highway you have seen. The drivers are manic and aggressive, as evidenced by this sign.

Our Paris Trip

Our family had a fantastic trip to Paris for Spring Break this year. We found a little boutique hotel two minutes' walk from the Eiffel Tower. Half of the time it rained, and half of the time it was sunny. We had a great time enjoying all the Paris sites, shopping, and wonderful food!

Hanging out on the Palm Jumeirah

That darn Flat Stanley... he tranquilized Jack and taught Tate how to roller blade. However, he could not beat Craig at ping pong (nobody seems able to)!

The Best Way to Camp

We hired a guide, Karim from Arabian Tours (www.arabiantours.com) to guide us into the desert, take us 4x4ing, and to do all of our cooking. It's amazing how much equipment you can forego when you don't have to worry about cooking while camping. The other amazing discovery: Our Toyota Fortuner SUV, although a 7-seater, is not a 4x4. This we learned the hard way by getting stuck in the sugar sand and almost rolling our vehicle! No worries, just part of the adventure, right? Yikes...Oh, and we met lots of camels face-to-face.

An Extraordinary Camping Experience

Our family spent a weekend camping in Liwa, which is located in the Empty Quarter, south of Abu Dhabi and across from Saudi Arabia. We were accompanied by three other families, and had a great time. Who knew the desert could be so beautiful?

A Bit of After Christmas Shopping

The equivalent of shopping at After Christmas Sales in Dubai is to hit the souk (Arabic for "market") with your girlfriends! Here we are pictured at the Blue Souk in Sharjah, a neighboring emirate to Dubai and about a 40 minute drive. The Blue Souk is one of the few souks that is indoors, rather than outside. There are hundreds of vendors and great finds, as well as a bit of junk you have to wade through. We purchased everything from rugs to housewares to antiques to clothing to jewelry. Suffice it to say that haggling is expected. You don't ever pay full price, and just take your bargaining slowly to gauge the vendor's reaction so you don't insult them. Some have very poor English, so you have to be sensitive and not say things like, "What, how much do you want for that piece of .....?" You also take cash only, as most don't take credit cards, and then hide your purchases from your husband and pull them out over time!

Christmas 2009

Although we were supposed to depart Savannah following Frank's services for Dubai on 12/20, a snow storm hit the East Coast in a BIG way. After our flight through Washington, D.C. was cancelled an hour before departure, we tried to reschedule at the United counter. After five minutes of checking flights to no avail and shaking his head, the clerk suggested, "How about departing on 12/26?" Huh? So we spent a few more days with Craig's mom, Pat, which made us all happy. Arriving in Dubai at 9pm after a nightmarish flight on Christmas Eve, preparing for Santa's arrival, we learnt (that IS an acceptable spelling here) that our refrigerator motor died in our absence. Up until 2am, a bit of fitful sleep, then kids awake and ready to discover what Santa had left at 5am. Ugh....The good news is that we spent Christmas Day with dear friends at the base of the Burj Al Arab hotel on the beach having a wonderful brunch. Champagne mid-day, all you can eat lobster with a great brunch, crashing waves and a leisurely afternoon watching the sunset....This is my kind of Christmas celebration! So how many inches of snow in Denver on Christmas again? :)

My Favorite Shot of Frank

By far my favorite shot of my father-in-law, with his son Chris, back in London during his party days.

Shots of Frank

Here are some great shots of Frank. We love and miss you, Pop Pop!

In Honor of Frank D. Martell

Craig's father, Frank D. Martell, passed away on December 7, 2009 in Savannah, Georgia, after a long battle with cancer. He was a man of incredible caring, generosity and love, and will be missed by all of us.

UAE National Day

Today is the celebration of National Day at the kids' school, and here they are dressed for the occasion. It is the 38th year since the founding of the United Arab Emirates. This celebration is somewhat like our 4th of July in America. Jack really doesn't like wearing this dish dash!

Missing Craig...

Craig finally returns from the States today! He has been visiting his parents. Prayers for Frank Martell would be appreciated.

Beautiful Colorado!

How Cold in October?

Did I say I was really missing Denver? Yes, but not so much in winter as in summer. Check out our backyard as of October 28th!

Dubai vs. Denver

Jack and I celebrate our birthdays within a few days (and many, many years) of each other. Whenever I am missing Colorado, going out on our balcony and taking in the beautiful view of our beach, together with the Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and Madinat Jumeirah in the distance, help me to appreciate Dubai.

Ski Dubai Shots

Picture a huge shopping mall, the Mall of the Emirates, with a big tunnel jutting out of the top of it; from inside the mall, envision an area that has wall-to-ceiling glass, almost like a big fishbowl; add a fairly small intermediate run; ice sculptures; an ice bar (of course for only hot chocolate, not hot toddies); and a snow park, and you've got Ski Dubai. Oh, and of course throw in ski instructors from around the world....

Learning to Ski....where?

It feels a bit funny to me when people in Dubai say, "You're from Colorado? Your kids must be GREAT skiiers!" Hmmmm, that would be a big no! So rather than brave I-70 and snowy roads for 90 minutes, lug a bunch of equipment with us, and drive home exhausted, I instead drive the kids ten minutes to the Mall of the Emirates (admittedly fighting for a parking space), and drop them off at Ski Dubai. It will be interesting for Tate and Jack to be able to say they learned to ski indoors in the desert, while outside it is a sweltering 96 degrees.

A View from the Burj

This is a shot I took from the observation deck of the Burj Al Arab, the only seven-star hotel in the world, shaped like a sail. We went there for an unbelievable seven-star brunch (where Jack consumed 15 pieces of sushi, french toast, various beef, lamb, pastries, etc., and then hit the dessert table - what will this cost us when he is 15?) This shot is facing toward the marina, and in the distance you can see downtown Dubai (Bur Dubai area), with the Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world slightly visible. Bur Dubai, Burj Dubai, Burjaman, it is all very confusing!

A 22 Hour Flight, including overnight lay over?

Back in Dubai, and just a bit jet lagged, especially after a 22-hour flight and a 24 hour lay-over in Washington, DC. Jack and I were up in the middle of the night eating soup together at 1am. The great thing is, the kids take a 5-hour flight to Savannah to see their grandparents now and say, "Wow, that was a quick flight!"

A Little Lay Over Diversion

So, missing your connecting flight from Washington, DC to Dubai is really a drag at 11pm, but the up side is when your young kids get to see the Nation's Capitol for the first time!

Back to Dubai

How can it be time to leave Denver again, after such a short summer? Coming back to Dubai was much easier this time than last year. At least we knew what to expect, already had friends (from around the world!), and the kids were settled into a really nice American school. A far cry from getting here on October 21, 2008. We will miss everyone, but the first nine months flew by, right? We also got spoiled with our trip to London on the way to Dubai in 2008. We need to plan some travel time now...can't be living in the Middle East and not see this part of the world!

Like Father, Like Son

Jack has decided he wants to learn to play the guitar like his dad. He is totally in to the little mini-amp we brought back from Colorado. No matter what chords he plays, it sounds good, and its loud!

Ready, Set, Bowl!

How wonderful for the kids to reconnect with their friends after nine months away! Everyone loves bowling, right? Even our granddaughter Addison loved it!