Sam Turns 11

This is the first birthday in 3 years that Sam has spent in Utah with cousins and Grandparents. He had a great time. Fortunately, his birthday always falls close to Labor Day weekend and this year it was on the Saturday before. This made it possible for Aunt Joleen to come from Las Vegas, Grandma and Grandpa Cook to come from Orem, Bobbi and Grandpa John from Logan and Cory, Angie and kids from Riverton. We had a fabulous time celebrating both Sam's and Grandma Cook's birthday.

Sam and Grandma blowing out their candles

The Cakes.

Bobbi and Grandpa John stopped in on their way to St. George, spent the night Friday in order to take Sam to breakfast on his birthday. They went to his favorite restaurant: IHOP.

Barbie and Ken???

Otherwise known as Cory and Angie. Cory is Brad's younger brother. In addition to looking like models they are great fun to hang out with. Their kids and ours get along great and everybody has a friend. Thanks for the great weekend guys!

This is why we came home!

Hiking with cousins on Labor Day

We had a fabulous time with Cory and Angie and kids. We were thrilled they would make the trip to spend the weekend with us to celebrate Sam's birthday and to hike and hang out and make up for lost time. We are all ready for more hiking. Especially in the water!

Kolob Canyon

Awesome Lemon Drop Cookies

When life gives you lemons....make...lemon drop cookies...they ROCK!

REVISED (Thanks Jamie)

Derived from Grandma Watts' Sugar Cookie recipe, these lemon drop cookies were just what Jack was looking for in an after-school snack.

Recipe:

2 sticks butter (room temp.)

2 Eggs (forgotten in previous post)

1 C Sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 t. lemon extract

3-4 C Flour

1/2 t. soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 C crushed lemon drops

Mix wet items first then mix in all dry ingredients except candy.

Roll out on flour and cut into fun shapes

Sprinkle with candy chips

Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes

Frosting:

1 brick cream cheese

1 T. melted butter

1 T. fresh lemon juice

Add powdered sugar to make a light fluffy consistency

Frost cool cookies then sprinkle with more candy chips.

F

Mom and Dad in front of our new home. They made a quick (5 hour) trip from Logan on Saturday, returning home on Sunday. While it is a long drive, it's nice to know we live close enough to take advantage of weekend opportunities like this one.

Our New Home

Brad and the kids on a hike up the local canyon.

First day that ALL the kids rode the bus to school...Day 3 of school.

Sunset from the balcony of our new home....Amazing.

With a Mercedes moving truck that has fringe in the windshield, how can anything go wrong?

The boxes slowly found their way out of the house and we started to prioritize as the movers and packers told us that everything wouldn't fit.  We would have to leave a lot behind.

This crate is packed with pressure..They had to use this second truck to force the doors closed to compress the mattress.  When those doors open.....SURPRISE!

3 great women were here cheering the packers on.  We were all crossing our fingers that everything would make the trip.  It was touch and go.  Laughter and tears. 

 Thanks Marilyn, Sharon and Shari

Packing up our giant antique door dining table.

Moving Days....

Slowly our lives here in Abu Dhabi are getting packed up and sealed neatly into containers.  Photos on hard drives (several back-ups), friends in our hearts, furnishings in specially designed corrugated cardboard boxes.  The sound of tape peeling off rolls and around boxes is the background noise to the Filipino moving guy's Bon Jovi music and karaoke singing.  As each piece of our lives is put into a nice protective covering I am slowly peeling myself away from our time here. 

 It has been charmed.

More than we ever would have hoped for we have created memories here that will last a lifetime and beyond.  This is what the B & T Cooks were meant to do.  This is who we are.  Every family has an identity.  Our identity is always closely tied to family and to most recent experiences.  The Abu Dhabi experience will be a mark on the timeline of our lives.  Each of us remembering things that happened before AD and after AD.

For Jack and Charlie, who have now spent 1/2 their lives in AD..Most of their memories, for now, will be of AD.  And summers spent in Utah playing with cousins and Grandparents.  Living the best of both worlds, as we all have.  For Sam and Cairo who have spent a large percentage of their lives here the memories will be a bit stronger.  Impressions a bit deeper.

Hopefully, for all the children, as for B&T we have been changed for the better.  We leave here with a greater love, understanding and compassion for all God's children.  We leave here knowing that most everyone is good and we are all more alike than we are different.  We leave here knowing the differences among individuals are to be valued not feared.  We leave here knowing....We'll be back.

Oh, soaring spires and majestic arches...I will miss you.  

Call to prayer, I will miss you.  (5 times a day)

Crazy Abu Dhabi traffic...hmmmm.  I may even miss you because you allowed me extra time in the car with the kiddos everyday.  Time we spent singing, picking songs from the IPod, and practicing spelling words and math problems.  

Pakistani men, in your traditional clothing, walking to and from mosque, I will miss you.  

Porters at Spinney's (who were so careful with my eggs and bread) and who always remembered to ask about my children, I will miss you. 

Clear blue skies and ocean water, EVERYDAY, I will miss you.  

Camels and jockeys, I will miss you.  

Villa #11 Fortress Compound, Home, I will miss you.

Abu Dhabi, I will miss you.

I may wrap up this blog just as I wrap up all other things Abu Dhabi.  We are on to a new chapter in the B&T family adventure.  Adding different colors to this mosaic we call life.  We pray they continue to be bright and vibrant and exciting...