Dani and Cairo decided to sell frozen OtterPops at Drew's game. They managed to sell out quickly. I'm certain, based on the stained lips and tongues, that Jack and Charlie were their most frequent customers

After the ballgame, Dani and Cairo wanted to walk home to Jenn's house. We let them out a few streets from the house and they were so cute how they held hands and headed off to the house.

Sammy watching Drew play ball.

Charlie at the ballgame, enjoying his OtterPop and the red stained lips that will remind all of us what he had to eat at the game.

Time with Cook cousins watching Noah play baseball

Braxon is Jack and Charlie's "pardner". The three of them have a great time together. It is so much fun to see how these kids seem to just pick up where they left off.

Avery is another fun Cook cousin. She is Braxon's older sister and a daughter to Cory and Angie. It's crazy how these kids are getting older but I'm not..

Sun Valley was our next destination. We met Bobbi in Tremonton and rode in the same car to see Drew play baseball and to watch his martial arts test. Of course there were a lot of reasons to visit Jenn, Skip and the kiddos but watching Drew in action was a highlight. All the kids are getting just old enough to enjoy each other and to be able to sleep through the night in spite of the new surroundings they experience daily.

Jack at Drew's baseball game..

Upon our arrival in Utah the weather immediately became unseasonably cold. Therefore our fun was moved to indoor venues. The Cook and Merrick cousins had a great time roller skating and playing arcade games at the Logan fun park. This is Cairo and Dani on their skates.


Missing family and the events that go with it is the most difficult part of living in Abu Dhabi. So, when we get home for the summer we do all we can to support our cousins in their activities. We turned out this night to watch Noah play baseball.

My great sisters-in-law, Michelle and Angie. We have so much fun together and the cousins really love the time together. On this beautiful evening we all met at the ballpark to watch Noah play baseball.

This shot was taken in Hailey, Idaho near my sister Jenn's home. When I saw all the great poppies we just had to stop and take some pics with the girls in the flowers.

Cairo and Dani

We're Baaaaack

We're back, we're home. The flight went really well. I'm so proud of the kids. They really were good at entertaining themselves and even though the movies and tv on the Delta flight were all messed up and every time the kids tried to watch anything it was Charlie Wilson's War. That seemed to be the default no matter what the request was. One time they got Spongebop (Charlie's pronunciation) going then they couldn't see the screen which was attached to the headrest in front of them and not adjustable. So I found Jack sitting on a suitcase and two pillows in order to see the high screen.
We were met by a crowd of loving family. Cousins, cousins, cousins! It's been a non-stop party ever since.
The house looks great and is well cared for.
After two nights at home the kids and I seem to be adjusted to the time change and over our jet-lag. Fun times. We just need to get Brad here now!

Check this weather! What's up with this. If you take the temp. in Abu Dhabi and divide it in half...The number is still higher than what we have here. The humidity is probably about the same though. It's 46 degrees today. We don't have any warm clothes that fit the kids.

These are my two sisters, Sarah and Jenn. They had just successfully completed the first of a series of injections for Sarah's IVF treatment. Sarah and JD have already been doing daily injections into Sarah but last night was the beginning of a whole mixture of chemicals to create just the right chemical to create babies!!! We're optimistic!

Final Missive from Abu Dhabi

I know, I know, I should be packing for the 5 of us to catch a plane later tonight. We are one of the first families to depart for the summer holiday. This has been an interesting experience, saying good-bye at the end of another school year. More friends have been made and many will be missed next year upon our return.
It was a tearful good-bye as I said good-bye to Cindy, Barb and Terra this morning. I didn't get to see Trish. We all said good-bye to Liz halfway through the school year. Sad as it is to say farewell, I have come to the conclusion that my tears of sadness seem ungrateful. For to have met these women and to be able to call them friends and to take with me a piece of them now, is much greater than the sadness of having never met them at all. Once again I am reminded that to know true joy requires sorrow. Friends are a blessing, just one of many that have come from this experience of living abroad. I am learning to appreciate the moment I am in, and people I share that moment with. To live in the moment is a skill I needed to develop and still struggle to remember. Saying good-bye to loved ones always conjures up memories of laughter and fun times spent together. Sadness comes from realizing we won't have more of those moments, with those people, for a while. It's twisted how I want more. I have to remind myself that those moments are a blessing in and of themselves. Having met those individuals and shared a space in time with them should bring joy and gratitude rather than a selfish, greedy longing for more. While I struggle with the sadness of saying good-bye to friends I feel great joy in knowing I have loved ones waiting for me back home. Soon enough we will be having that great airport scene, the fun one, of arrival! I will surely be living in that moment and soaking it up like a sponge. In a flash, the sorrow of farewells will strike in August and we will be heading back to other joyful greetings on this end.
Life is just a cycle of joys and sorrows. Fortunately, our family has been blessed with many more joys than sorrows. My wish is that I will be grateful for both because I cannot have one without the other. All these moments must be cherished.
Over and out for now..More later from Utah.

We will surely miss Layla!!

Layla has been a constant friend and companion for Cairo since we moved into the Fortress. They have had the same teachers both years and with Layla just across the compound we have shared many fond memories. Layla's parents have taken Cairo as an adoptive daughter and shown her so many fun activities and served too many meals to count. Now they are off to India for their next assignment. Abu Dhabi memories will always have Layla as part of them. We love you!

Thanks to a group of great teachers!

Mr. F (Fernandez). He really didn't look this tired at all. I just caught him in the middle of a sentence. He is just recovering from a blood clot so we are happy he was here to share the last day of school with us.

Ms. SanMartin. Sam has loved his time in her class. This is her last year at ACS because she and her family are moving back to their native Canada. Their entire family will be missed but we are so grateful we had a year with Sam in her classroom.

Ms. Nigar and Ms. Aneela. We will surely miss the Stepping Stones drop off and pick up with two beautiful women greeting us and sending us off with hugs everyday. Jack and Charlie have a great foundation to start their education at ACS next year. GO VIPERS! (And, I'm now free from 8-3 daily)

Hug-O-Rama

Farewells to friends at Stepping Stones. The boys are moving on to ACS next year. I was the first parent to pick up today so there were a lot of kids there to hug goodbye and it was contagious. Hugs, hugs and more hugs


Jack and Aly's sweet farewell to each other.

Art Imitates Life

Charlie brought this artwork home from school today. I thought it was so cute and, he doesn't even have to become a whale to get to America..We'll be there as humans next week! (BTW: Jenn and Drew might recognize the t-shirt. It was left here after their trip and it's the only shirt Charlie wants to wear. Thanks!)