Flying February

After our return from Russell and Talitha's wedding and Tom and Bonnie's departure,  the fog rolled into Doha.. It  much reflected what I was feeling. The wedding week was so much fun. Having  friends here for a couple of extra days afterwards,  was icing on the cake. They left, the fog rolled in, and I walked around like Winnie the Pooh's buddy Eeyore.

That's me, on the right. 

We are back into our routine now. School-Robert, Work-Mike,  teaching English-Me, which by the way, I am really enjoying. I have had some wonderful Qatari students this year and a fun lady from Spain. Yes, sometimes we slip into Spanish. :)  .

The days are flying by. Summer plans to be made. Flights, dates, locations. I can't believe it is already February.  In March we are taking a quick trip to Bahrain with Jeff and Mary Kenney to visit a friend there. Last time I was there with Mary was during their Arab Spring Uprising. Mike hasn't been so it will be fun to go together. Robert is preparing for the Youth Group's spring break trip to Nepal. Sallie gave him tips over Christmas... :) I'm excited he gets to go.

Off to teach!
Happy Valentine's Day!



   

This region can really get into decorating.

New Beginnings and Great Memories

A Magical Day

Two weeks ago Sallie, Katie, and I flew to Abu Dhabi to begin Russell and Talitha's wedding week. I wanted to get there before everyone else's flights started to arrive.  This way we could help with the craziness of arrivals, and housing and any thing that needed to be done. Also, and more importantly, Lindsey, my niece was coming in the same night and Katie didn' t know it! Katie and Lindsey are sisters, and with Katie living in England right now, it was a big surprise! (She wrote in her newsletter..."I can now add crying in an airport in front of 50 Pakistani men to my list of unique cultural experiences.") Russell took Katie to the airport and he loved seeing the shock on her face. A great start to an amazing week.

Speaking of unique cultural experiences, there were many. And blessings, too. Russell and Talitha did a good job making sure the out of town guests had plenty to do but not so much that they were stressed about it all. Tuesday we went on a desert safari.  Our visitors from Texas and South Africa  got to ride camels, dune bash, climb sand dunes, get henna if they wanted it, star gaze and enjoy the belly dancer( which is not from this culture AT ALL but they had one anyway. ) Mike and Robert flew in on Tuesday and managed to link up with us in the desert. ( That in itself is quite a story which involved hitchiking and an unwilling taxi driver, but in the end they made it.) Ryan wasn't there for the desert as he had no tickets when he got to the airport in Austin. He arrived a day late but still in time for most of the fun. My friend Mary and I managed to retrieve his girlfriend, Annie, from the airport and she fit right in with the rest of the craziness. She has traveled a lot and took everything in stride, including spending the day with strangers halfway around the world! By the second day we were pretty sure we all had known her her whole life. :)  

Cousins!

Ryan arrived Tuesday evening. Wednesday the rest of the Texas crew made it. I think in total there were 16 Texans who flew over for the week. This included Ryan and Sallie, and Corey and Haley who live and teach in Moscow. Every time I hugged one of the them I felt like crying. Ok, I did cry. To come all this way, to jump right in, it was such fun for all of us. Wednesday a group went kayaking in the mangroves, then dinner at one of Russell's favorite local places at the port. Sallie and I had dinner with Talitha, her family and the bridesmaids at the British Club. (It was so nice to spend time and get to know her sisters and her bridesmaids. A beautiful evening on the water.) Thursday was the Grand Mosque Tour, where I finally got to see Corey and meet his sweet wife. Russell and Corey have been friends since 2nd grade and I hadn't seen him in seven years.( Yes. I cried.)

Visiting the Grand Mosque

Mike and I hosted the Rehearsal Dinner Thursday evening at the Officers Club in Abu Dhabi. This is not a tradition in South Africa but Elmarie and Corbus both told us how much they enjoyed the evening. Katie had put together a slide show that played in the back with childhood pictures of Russell and Talitha as well as shots of the whole wedding week. All in all, it was a wonderful evening and provided time for our families to get to know each other.

And the wedding. There was laughter. Friends from Texas,Kansas,Russia, England, Abu Dhabi,  Oman, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. . Muslims and Christians. Old friends and new. Promises made. Flowers thrown.Music and dancing and food and toasts. And lots of love to go around. Mike and I could not stop smiling. I loved every single minute of it.

Ryan toasting his brother.

The smiles on Russell and Talitha's faces said it all.  Mike and I prayed for our kids' future spouses from the time they were young.  We thank God for bringing Russell and Talitha together from worlds apart and for the sweet, wonderful celebration that began their new, united  life!



     

Fun Before 2015!

Christmas Dinner...Crowns are from Christmas Crackers brought to us by Talitha. A new family tradition? 

Lunch at Dubai Mall with the Jacobsons. 

Christmas Decorations at Mall of the Emirates. So pretty!

2014 in Doha ended with friends and family visiting us and celebrating together with us. Sallie and her friend Morgan, from Dallas, arrived on December 18.  Russell and Talitha arrived early on Christmas Eve.  All of us enjoyed our Christmas Day together along with guests Andy, Colleen and their friend who wanted to see an American Christmas. :)  Dubai was a must see while Morgan was here. The Jacobsons, friends from Abu Dhabi, drove to Dubai to join us for the day. Sallie and Morgan went up to the top of the Burj Khalifa while the rest of us chatted and caught up on life. Russell and Talitha are finalizing the details for their big day.  (Only 11 days left...)  We kept things pretty low key in preparation for the fun, crazy about to happen. All of us are excited to be in Abu Dhabi starting next week to greet the Texas and South African visitors on their way into town for the wedding. Our niece , Katie, arrives here in Doha on the 7th. Ryan arrives a week from today in Abu Dhabi. Needless to say, it's going to be a great reunion!  When we take a minute and think on Russell and Talitha and the blessing of them finding each other..we never in a million years would have thought that our boy would find his bride in Abu Dhabi and that they would be marrying in a place we called home for 5 years... It boggles our minds and we are very thankful!

Robert, Russell and Talitha as we wait to see the Dubai Fountains dance.

New Year's Eve Masquerade. Welcoming 2015!. 

We are Thankful

My last post was more of a venting for me! But here I am, alive to blog again.  That's not to say that there aren't more close calls to report from here, but been there, and I will wait for awhile before going back to that topic. Just assume we need prayer everyday when we drive over here. :)

Thanksgiving was wonderful.  We had our dear friends from Abu Dhabi come and stay with us. The Kenneys who moved to Oman a year before we came to Doha, and the Gardebleds who are in the process of moving to Saudi. It has been ages since we were all together. There were many years when we celebrated every Thanksgiving together and other holidays, too!
 Barry moved to Saudi several months ago and they have been working to get Pattie's residence permit to enable her to join him there. They were especially thankful this holiday as her permit has come thru and she will be joining him on Dec. 15!  We are all excited for them. I'm sure they will have fun stories to share and I hear the driving is worse over there. Enough said. :)  (Barry was with us for Thanksgiving but I only had one picture and it wasn't a good one, so I am not putting it here. Sorry, Barry. )

After Thanksgiving I turned around and flew to Abu Dhabi for a kitchen shower for my soon to be daughter in law,Talitha.   It was a very quick trip but so worth it.  In the short 36 hours I was there I had great time with Russell, great time with Talitha's family, and saw very special friends...ON top of  a great shower hosted by Pattie. (She is my hero.  That woman is the energizer bunny..artist extraordinaire, , preparing for a major move ...and hosting a great shower!)

Thankful for these friends and many others all over the world who have blessed and continue to be such a blessing in our lives.

 Everyone was very generous at the Shower and Russell and Talitha received wonderful gifts.  Something that touched me deeply was her excitement over the Calvary Baptist Church cookbook I included with our gift. I love how she values family, and history and that part of Russell that she has yet to really meet.  This summer they hope to get to Kansas to hang out with the Kansas Gang.  I remember my first summer there.  I'm very excited they are planning a visit.

We just hit one year since Mom Hildebrand passed away.  I wish Talitha could have met her. I know Mom would have loved her.  But still, we have so much to be thankful for... and we are so happy for Russell.  Lots going on between now                                                                                       and Jan. 16!

Road Kill

Robert and I nearly died today.  I'm still seething over the near miss.  It's common here but this time it was THAT close.  We see a lot on our morning commute on the roads here,  from camels, goats and sheep to silver rolls royces and red ferraris.  And sometimes we see our lives pass before us.  It was heavy traffic and we had just come off one of our 5 roundabouts... cars stretching before us and beside us.  This guy squeezes in between the lanes, cuts off my front bumper, and to make his point he slows down in front of me. I lay on my horn, clinch my teeth, and brake .sure that someone will slam into us.  The crazy guy weaves in and out and races on down the road.  Only to be one car in front of us at the next roundabout.

Recently my friend Alisa and I educated a new friend on the ins and outs of surviving the driving here.  You scream, you cringe, you get mad..then you find a friend and laugh.  After a couple of years you learn which flashing head lights you can ignore(toyota trucks and vans) and which you can't(white land cruisers and silver rolls').  Not sure where I'd put gray suburbans in that list but I almost used rude hand gestures (which can get you arrested around here...)

On the brighter side..we have fun drives to school, too.  Like when we saw a cute, black, floppy- eared goat  or a grinning camel.  The fancy ferraris and rolls royces are nice.    And my favorite..the travelling outhouses.  

You just never know.  Today, Robert and I are just happy to be alive after our morning drive...

Outside the police station in our neighborhood.  To deter bad driving? maybe. Successful? huh..  

  
   

Reconnecting!

Celebrating Jen's Birthday last weekend. She's in pink.  

About 4 or 5 years ago we met this lovely lady in Abu Dhabi. An American teaching in Abu Dhabi, not her first international living experience but her first in the Middle East. We got together weekly, to  share and encourage each other.  She moved to China to teach and we moved to Doha at the same time.  But lo and behold! She moved to Doha about two months ago! So just like no time has passed..we are meeting for coffee every week, or trying to!  It's always fun to spend time with Jen, but my favorite part is usually hearing about her day as a teacher. The stories she shares usually bring us to tears with laughter... which is one of the many ways we all cope over here. :)  

Last week she had some fun ones.  Like how her first graders were doing work with alphabet cards and she had removed the P card...because the illustration was..you guessed it a pig. Wanting to be careful not to offend any of her many diverse students she removed it.  Well, apparently her advanced group would not let it go, "Miss, Miss, we are missing a card. Where is the P??" "Oh maybe it was misplaced..."  "No Miss!  this was just opened! where could it be?? we need to find it!" "No, no, its ok. Just keep working. " "No, Miss! where could it be????" Finally, in a soft whisper she says to the group..It was a pig. And I put it away. OHHHHH . Big eyes everywhere. OK!  And the game continued. Poor, Jen. She was sweating that one.

And the grammar lesson she taught the other day on run on sentences....  And my mom took me to the indoor amusement park and we rode the rollercoaster and we ate lots of food and my mom yelled at me for fighting with my sister and being too loud..."but Miss! why ??? why would my mother be upset with me?? why if I'm too loud? " At the point she lost the whole class. Being loud here is a way of life. I had one friend say that he had yet to be in a restaurant over here where at least one or two kids weren't screaming and running around the tables. Yep. at that point, her lesson was over. She quickly changed her sentence but it was too late. 

She has a boat load of stories. I enjoy every one.  What a blessing for our lives to circle back around together.  Love the stories. Love the laughter!   

Gift Giving

Last weekend my friend Kathi and I hosted a small Gift sale here at the villa. We met this lady a couple of weeks ago at the Doha Mums Bazaar, where she had a table with beautiful hand made crafts and items displayed.  After striking up a conversation with her, we found out that she was discouraged as many of the Holiday bazaars this year have been cancelled in Doha and she will not have many opportunities to sell her things.  She and her husband are distributors for many families in Palestine who make these items and sell them in other places to... well....survive. She is a beautiful lady with a compassionate heart and limitless energy!  Kathi and I were happy to help with a home sale and we were excited to have at least 30 ladies pop in to shop!  It's always fun to have my neighbors come over.  For some of them it was their first time in my home.

Kathi and Jeni playing Vanna White 

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Sejal and Sandra. My new friend Suha is on the left in the back.

Checking out the Arabic calendars and handmade educational toys.

   

Sarah and Jen, done shopping ..time to chat!

On the subject of gifts, we received a very special one last week. Our terrific driver Sadiq had his cousin bring us something from Bangladesh. He brought us pickles and limes. We tried them. Our mouths caught on fire. Wednesday night I very carefully explained to Sadiq that we could not eat them. He laughed and laughed." Madam. To us they have no spicy. " Sadiq, "to us ...they were like fire". He loved it. I gave them back and said to enjoy them but we were very honored that he thought of us. He smiled and said ok. :) The limes, by the way, are tasty.

Those Rolling Hills

It's time for our favorite part of the year. While our friends are getting colder and temperatures are dropping in the US, we have moved onto the patio with mint tea and butter cookies. Plans for Thanksgiving are taking shape.Good friends, Jeff and Mary, are coming to visit from Oman.  Even though homesickness also gets us, like missing fall colors, missing Sallie and Ryan, our families, and great friends,we appreciate what we have here, too!   I will say that keeping a sense of humor makes it better here when things get hard.  And for that, we have Robert.

A few Fridays ago, while driving to church, which is not a very pretty drive, Robert had us laughing out loud.    Our route to church takes us right thru a construction materials sight.  Robert, under his breath,  "Ah the Rolling Hills of Doha...."  We miss green trees and green grass. We miss fall colors and Thanksgiving decorations...but we do like laughing. And we love our middle of the winter temperatures! :)

Happy Days!

 

 
October was crazy busy! October 3 was the start of our 10 day Eid vacation.  Russell came to visit us from Doha with his then girlfriend, Talitha.  I say then..because she is now his fiancee! We knew this was coming as we had all been talking about it. We just didn't know when he was going to pop the question.  As part of their visit we took them to Sheikh Faisal's museum for pictures.  This is my favorite museum in Qatar.  The Sheikh is a major collector of just about everything. His museum is constantly expanding with items he finds from all over the world. It is a fun place to visit and you never see it all. He has 100s of cars inside,  dhow boats, and even houses he brought from Syria that he rebuilt inside the museum.  Our friend Maureen came to take pictures and it was a fun morning.  The actual question was asked a week later as Russell and Talitha were at the park in Abu Dhabi. Mike and I are very happy she said yes! And so is Russell. :)

The date is set for January in Abu Dhabi.  Kind of funny to be at this next stage for us.  Never in a million years did we think we would be here in the Middle East planning our eldest son's wedding to a beautiful young lady from South Africa. God works in wonderful ways.  It's going to be a busy fall!

Changes in September

My neighbor and I hardly contained our smiles the other day as we chatted about the heat finally starting to break.  Last night several ladies sat outside next door and caught up with each other. Heat breaking, sitting outside...It's time for our favorite season in Qatar_ Not Summer.  This week Mike and Robert and I ate our first dinner on the back patio. This morning Mike and I drank the " first" coffee out there.

First day of 11th Grade??? Not so fast !!

Every day I drive thru 5 roundabouts to get Robert to school. 

  September is also the first month when traffic is back in full swing in Doha. In the summer months Mike leaves the house and in less than 15 minutes he is at work. Starting in September it takes about 40 minutes. The other day my school run for Robert took 50 minutes, just getting him there. In early August it takes 12 minutes. The round trip was a record breaker..Walked out the door and 90 minutes later walked back in. I was numb.

My friend Alisa and I turned a corner while running errands the other day and audibly gasped when we saw the street lined with Cement trucks on both sides. Would we ever get through???

On the other hand, and more importantly,  by September the best part of  Doha is also back in full swing. Friends have returned from far flung places and once again we are together.

Lunch at Fuddruckers for Clint's Birthday!

 I must add that although we are thankful for cooler weather and fun reunions, many of us living here are concerned about the horrible events in our region and the escalation of violence around us. It is not our safety that concerns us but the safety of people... the women, children and men who are facing such terrible things. Please pray for them.  

Home to Home

Sallie was baptized this summer.  A special time. 

A couple of days ago I decided it was time to clear off my floral,  summer table cloth( a lovely birthday gift from a dear friend here in Doha) and replace it with something more fallish.  It is still getting up to 110 or so here on some days but we know change is right around the corner. So I took off my flower centerpiece and pulled out my browns and oranges. A couple of pumpkin candles and I'm ready for a change!

I thought about my summer as I put the table stuff away.  It was a great summer.  Full of time with friends. Time to catch up with their lives and catch them up with mine. Time  to laugh and cry over the various good things going on and the hard things that  happened as well. Hugging Sallie's neck as we talked on her couch in the new place she and her roommates will be in for the next year.  Just having time with her that was relaxed and easy.  We loved the movie Hundred Foot Journey. Both of us laughing over the cultural clashes between India and France. We loved finding cute things for the house and setting things up. Mike and Robert set up the big speakers for a stereo for the girls... Oh boy!  It was so good to see Ryan in Austin.  I feel more connected having been in his house and having met his roommate. My heart was full as he cooked us a meal in his kitchen. My stomach was full, too. He really is a great cook. And to be with my sister and her hubby, Adrian and my niece , Tiffyn made the week in Austin perfect.  Ok, not perfect because it went by WAY too fast but wonderful, nevertheless.

My terrific sister and amazing niece. 

It's a strange thing this  "Expat Living",    Being torn between two worlds and connected deeply to both of them can kind of make a person feel schizophrenic at times. As my friend here in Doha said to me when we hugged after not seeing each other for nearly 3 months, "Mattie, it's kind of like having that second child. You can't imagine loving another baby as much as you love that first one. But then ..you do!  I love my US life and all so much and yet I find life here is wonderful, too. And to be blessed with a whole extra set of amazing friends!" She's right. Both of my lives are rich, and meaningful, and challenging, and full. Both are very, very different. But both are exraordinary. I'm so thankful. So blessed.

One of the very special things I  missed by being in Doha.. Pat became a grandmother. ( And so did Susan, and Anita, and...)  

As Robert and I stood in the DFW security line I noticed he seemed pensive. "Are you ok?" "I guess so, I just feel sad." "I know, me too. This is the hardest part, isn't it. It's like we know when we go thru that gate we have said goodbye. No turning back..and yet, we're so ready to be home with Dad and back to our lives..." "Yeah. This is the hardest time. When you still have a choice..." And once we were on the plane? We were fine. Ready to be home in Doha. Missing our home in Dallas. Yep. schizophrenic. :)

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Robert, Sallie and Lolo enjoying the puppies at Debi's house.  

Good friends moving Sallie's couch to her the new place.   

Chef Extraordinaire...Austin, Texas

Our time was short but oh so sweet. 

Ramadan Kareem Pie

Today, all over the world, Muslims begin their month long daylight fast-Ramadan.  People will greet each other with Ramadan Kareem..meaning Generous Ramadan. It is a time for generosity to others. Robert and I will only be here for 3 days of it as our flight to Dallas is Wednesday.   Even so, we felt the anticipation all around us, as well as the looming dread for many.  Traffic gets better and worse. As the day starts later for many, the drive into work for Mike today took less than 20 minutes-versus the usual 50 or so. The rush on the grocery stores surpasses the US equal at Thanksgiving or even, dare I say it, Black Friday.  Cars patrolling the parking gatages and parked along the walls, food sold out on the shelves, and so on. No eating or drinking during daylight hours, which for the Gulf Region is about 14 or so.  But after evening prayer time...families and friends gather all over the city to break the fast together.

Last night I went out to the pool for one last chat with my friends who are out there every evening smoking Shisha.(I call them the Shisha Ladies.)  I had a Key Lime Pie to share with them. (The pie,lest you think I have transformed in someway to a pie baker... was a gift from our friends Andy and Colleen.).The group has shrunk as many have left for summer.  But three of us sat and chatted. It was a sweet time. I asked my friends what Ramadan meant to them personally. Is it just a tradition like many think of Christmas.. a holiday of family and friends but one which has lost its spiritual significance? Or do they see it as a special time to seek God ? Both shared how for them it is truly a time of spiritual renewal and they get frustrated with the many who don't keep a right attitude of reverence.  We talked for quite awhile, enjoying the pie and sharing our religious perspectives with each other.  I was happy to leave the pie with them as I returned to the house. I love Andy's pies..but oh my gosh, the calories!!! :) It was a nice evening.

I came back to the villa to find Mike and Russell visiting on the back patio. Russell was on a visa run from Abu Dhabi and we gladly spent a few days with him. Robert and I were thinking the week would drag by until we leave for Dallas..So Russell came and spiced things up.  While here, Russell received the news that he has a job in Dubai! Great news. It is nice having him over in this part of the world. If only we didn't miss Sallie and Ryan so much. Splintered might describe how we feel many days. But also, we know we are blessed. We have great kids and enjoy them whenever we can be together!

Enjoying early morning visit on the patio. Fan going full blast but still breathable. 

Last lunch in public . Mr. Taco is a favorite for the Hildebrands.

Others like Mr. Taco as well. The mall was hopping!

 

Overwhelmed

Cousins Catching Up 

As the first day of summer rolled to an end yesterday, I told myself I needed to blog!  But here it is, the next morning, and I am just sitting down.  Normally, I would be upstairs waking Robert..BUT Thursday was his last day of school! Finally!   His buddies have all been out for at least a week, some of them for two weeks. We plodded along though and now we are finished. I intentionally said "we" here as I think I may be more excited than Robert. :)  A break from the drive to and from and to and from will be nice.

Although school just finished we actually started our summer holidays a couple of weeks ago ourselves.  We went to Abu Dhabi one more time to say good bye to good friends-the Heaths, the Eichhorsts,and the Pages.  We decided missing one school day so close to the end was not too major. (As it turned out, there was no school that Thursday.) The weekend was filled with lots of hellos and goodbyes... Good byes to two of our favorite Canadian families still there, and the Joe and Jean Page who are returning to the US after umpteen years serving faithfully and whole heartedly in the Middle East.  Hellos to Russell, who just returned from his trip to Texas, and to Martin, my nephew!!! He is in Dubai until sometime this fall.  It was great to see him. I'm ashamed to say it had been 5 years!  (and longer since I've seen my niece...but this summer I will take care of that!)  

Good bye luncheion for the Heaths. Lots of old friends reunited. We flew in from Doha. The Kenneys flew in from Oman and the Pages were back from Arizona to say good bye to Abu Dhabi. 

Because I have been writing this for many years..going on seven, to be exact, I know sometimes I repeat myself.( The years combined with my age, probably)  But, anyway, this expat life is rewarding and challenging.  The challenges involve living so far from family, especially when the kids return to the home country, operating under different rules and customs, the details of the here and the there, and so on...and over it all, the challenge of saying goodbye after goodbye. As I looked around that luncheon group in Abu Dhabi, I was overwhelmed with the feelings of  what those people came to mean to us in the 5 years we were there. This was the group who was there for my dad's death so soon after our arrival. My mom's death, 3 months later, Mike's trials at work and job searches and finds, Russell's sudden exit from Afghanistan... and so much more.  There were some folks absent but be sure they were talked about and missed.  It was a sweet time of laughter, memories and tears. 

As we begin our third summer in Doha.  We see the friendships developing, the shared experiences, both good and bad, being carried and celebrated with our newer friends here.  We feel the support so needed when you are accosted by the challenges and the tough times, and the differences. We are reminded again that wherever we go He is here.  Bringing His family together to support each other and then moving them on to what is next for them. For us. Yes, it is rich. 

And reading these words,  I am overwhelmed again.  To be blessed like we were in Abu Dhabi. To find that again right here in Doha...  and to know, that in less than two weeks we will be in the US with the same thing all around us.  Family and friends who help carry the burdens, celebrate the joys, and share the journey.

Rewarding and challenging. Life. 

Here's to summertime! 

    

  

 

Last day as a high school Sophomore!