Sunday, December 30, 2007
Sam's Christmas
Could this expression make Santa any happier or more satisfied?!
Sam presenting his gift to Brad. A mosque that he made out of paper.
Jack's Christmas
Charlie and Jack were as excited about each other's gifts as they were their own.
Jack loved organizing the cars and trucks that Sargon gave to both him and Charlie.
Jack loved organizing the cars and trucks that Sargon gave to both him and Charlie.
Cairo's Christmas
She lost a tooth on Christmas Eve so the tooth fairy and Santa ran into each other...Then a mosquito ran into Cairo's eye in the night while she slept so she could only see her presents through one eye! She was thrilled with everything just the same.
The whole family loved getting Guitar Hero for the PlayStation. Grandma and Grandpa Cook gave us money for Christmas and we used it to buy a game the whole family could enjoy.
Poor Cairo woke up on Christmas morning with a mosquito bite on her eyelid! She still had a great day along with the rest of us but her Christmas pictures make it look like she met up with Mike Tyson on Christmas Eve.
Poor Cairo woke up on Christmas morning with a mosquito bite on her eyelid! She still had a great day along with the rest of us but her Christmas pictures make it look like she met up with Mike Tyson on Christmas Eve.
Brad's parents with Brad and Sargon in the garden.
T, Marilyn, Brad's Mom Jerry, and Cairo on Christmas Eve
Nick and the Cook kids on Christmas Eve
It's exciting to find new ways to light up the house for Christmas Eve. I loved using arab clay pots with candles under them. We had them out on the front porch as well as center pieces on the tables.
Christmas Eve is such a great night. Growing up, my parents always made it a special night. We had several traditions but no matter what we did there was a feeling of magic in the air. I'm sure anticipation is a huge part of it. The big build up, the decorations, the lights etc..Mostly, it comes down to tradition and sharing the time with those we love. Unfortunately, the past two years we've been away from most of our family but we have done our best to create traditions of our own. The Abu Dhabi Christmas' will always hold a special place in my heart. Christmas Eve feels magical here too. Being geographically closer to the historical birthplace of Christ is fun..spending time in the desert and seeing camels and watching our little family create memories we will always cherish has been wonderful. In this part of the world, where there is so much conflict and seeming lack of peace on earth, it felt peaceful in our world. Our muslim friends and neighbors were wishing us a Merry Christmas while, in turn, we wished them Eid Mubarak. The shopping malls and grocery stores played Christmas music and were decorated just as they would have been at home. While sharing time with all of our family members will always be my preference, I cannot complain about the experiences we are having here. This is a beautiful place and Christmas was a great time full of fun and memories.
On Christmas Eve we had a traditional american turkey dinner. We visited and listened to Sargon's great tales of his travels. Then we read one of my favorite Christmas stories, The Last Straw. It is a book about a grumpy camel who is called upon to carry gifts to a newborn King. He doesn't want the burden. The younger camels who admire him encourage him through their confidence in him and he ends up having to carry more and more gifts as many people approach him as he travels closer to the star. By the time he arrives he is loaded with all kinds of gifts for the new King. In the end he stumbles into the manger and weighed down by his load, falls to his knees. The wise men, who are also there, follow his lead and also kneel. Hoshmokaka, the camel, regrets his complaints and realizes he was blessed to carry such a special load. I recently found my version of Hoshmakaka here in a store. I had to buy it. You will see him sitting next to the pots as part of our Christmas dinner centerpiece.
Sargon was able to stay here right until midnight. Then we all hurried to bed so Santa could come.
T, Marilyn, Brad's Mom Jerry, and Cairo on Christmas Eve
Nick and the Cook kids on Christmas Eve
It's exciting to find new ways to light up the house for Christmas Eve. I loved using arab clay pots with candles under them. We had them out on the front porch as well as center pieces on the tables.
Christmas Eve is such a great night. Growing up, my parents always made it a special night. We had several traditions but no matter what we did there was a feeling of magic in the air. I'm sure anticipation is a huge part of it. The big build up, the decorations, the lights etc..Mostly, it comes down to tradition and sharing the time with those we love. Unfortunately, the past two years we've been away from most of our family but we have done our best to create traditions of our own. The Abu Dhabi Christmas' will always hold a special place in my heart. Christmas Eve feels magical here too. Being geographically closer to the historical birthplace of Christ is fun..spending time in the desert and seeing camels and watching our little family create memories we will always cherish has been wonderful. In this part of the world, where there is so much conflict and seeming lack of peace on earth, it felt peaceful in our world. Our muslim friends and neighbors were wishing us a Merry Christmas while, in turn, we wished them Eid Mubarak. The shopping malls and grocery stores played Christmas music and were decorated just as they would have been at home. While sharing time with all of our family members will always be my preference, I cannot complain about the experiences we are having here. This is a beautiful place and Christmas was a great time full of fun and memories.
On Christmas Eve we had a traditional american turkey dinner. We visited and listened to Sargon's great tales of his travels. Then we read one of my favorite Christmas stories, The Last Straw. It is a book about a grumpy camel who is called upon to carry gifts to a newborn King. He doesn't want the burden. The younger camels who admire him encourage him through their confidence in him and he ends up having to carry more and more gifts as many people approach him as he travels closer to the star. By the time he arrives he is loaded with all kinds of gifts for the new King. In the end he stumbles into the manger and weighed down by his load, falls to his knees. The wise men, who are also there, follow his lead and also kneel. Hoshmokaka, the camel, regrets his complaints and realizes he was blessed to carry such a special load. I recently found my version of Hoshmakaka here in a store. I had to buy it. You will see him sitting next to the pots as part of our Christmas dinner centerpiece.
Sargon was able to stay here right until midnight. Then we all hurried to bed so Santa could come.
Eva, Sargon, Pop Cook, and Brad...Carving the "bird". How many American's does it take to carve a turkey???
We were fortunate enough to have Sargon join us for Christmas Eve this year. This was such a blessing especially considering he was in a prison in Afghanistan two years ago. Anytime we get to see "Uncle Sargon" fun is had by all.
Others we were excited to have with us were: The Herbert family, long time friends from Logan, Utah who now live in Abu Dhabi, Eva and Nick Bernfeld, Grandma and Grandpa Cook and of course another member of our adopted family, Marilyn!
Not many times in our lives do we anticipate eating Christmas Eve dinner outside in the garden. It was another beautiful evening.
Surely Marilyn was missing her own two boys but Charlie did his best to make up for it. We all love having Marilyn around.
We were fortunate enough to have Sargon join us for Christmas Eve this year. This was such a blessing especially considering he was in a prison in Afghanistan two years ago. Anytime we get to see "Uncle Sargon" fun is had by all.
Others we were excited to have with us were: The Herbert family, long time friends from Logan, Utah who now live in Abu Dhabi, Eva and Nick Bernfeld, Grandma and Grandpa Cook and of course another member of our adopted family, Marilyn!
Not many times in our lives do we anticipate eating Christmas Eve dinner outside in the garden. It was another beautiful evening.
Surely Marilyn was missing her own two boys but Charlie did his best to make up for it. We all love having Marilyn around.
Shopping at the Camel Souk
We finally figured out where to get the beautiful blankets we see on the camels at the racetrack. Now the souk is always a stop when we go out to the racetrack.
These two gentlemen are who we buy our blankets from. They are much friendlier and happier than they appear in the photo. In fact, I have been bringing so much business to the owner, he lights up when he sees me coming now!
These two gentlemen are who we buy our blankets from. They are much friendlier and happier than they appear in the photo. In fact, I have been bringing so much business to the owner, he lights up when he sees me coming now!
Another Day at the Racetrack
I've been a regular at the camel racetrack lately. This morning I went out there with some friends who had company in town and had never been there themselves. I was happy to go along and managed to get a moment on a camel, right on the racetrack! I was holding up a paper doll that is making it's way around the world from an elementary school back in the states.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Jack's Nativity
Jack loves to play with his little people. We have a nativity set that is always being moved around the house. One night we found some of the major players set up on the head board of Jack's bed.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Charlie's latest quote:
Grandpa Cook and Brad took the kids to get ice cream yesterday. Brad asked Charlie for a bite...Charlie said "No". Brad said, "What about sharing?" Charlie said, "Yea, have a bite of Sam's."
Christmas Carolers
Some of the Filipino community from our ward came caroling tonight. The songs were beautiful. Their music and voices sounded like they had practiced all year. I really wish everyone could have heard them. What a cool group of people they are!Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Camping in the desert with our friends and family...
After spending a night in the desert in the Arabian Gulf, what could be better than waking up to a camel caravan traveling through..It was spectacular! Experiences like this just can't be described and really couldn't be better if we had planned them.
After a good night's sleep the kids woke up and found their own breakfast..Breakfast always tastes better when you're camping, doesn't it? Sam found his book and enjoyed the morning fire and the sunrise. The kids have become so easy going and adaptable to any situation. Especially this camping trip. It was harder on the adults than the kids.
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