Friends and the Fourth

Sallie and Robert at the pool bar. 

I have decided that the thing I miss the most about not living in the US is celebrating US holidays. Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day and Thanksgiving! So, with Mike already in Doha, and a trip to the US far off, my friend Pattie and I took the kids to a hotel for the day and just relaxed!  Timing was good as Sallie was still recovering from her trip to Nepal(which was terrific) and I was missing our friends and family back in the US. I was afraid to write about the 4th of July as I didn't want to repeat any previous posts. ( Joke's on me. I haven't written about this holiday since we were in the US for it in 2008.)   We lounged by the pool, had dinner outside and then made our way back to the flat. Not very exciting but I think it was much needed and the day did go by quickly.

Robert and Sallie playing chess on the beach.

Mike is working hard to get to know Doha. Today marks one week over there. We talk by skype and text every day.  He has visited the church there, figured out that the taxis don't have any clue where anything is, and found the Doha Souk after much gnashing of teeth. BUT we think we have found a place to live and that is a big relief.

Abu Dhabi is quiet.  Our church attendance is down to about 1/3 of the regular level and the streets are rarely crowded. Makes for nice driving but also very quiet days. I will be glad when we are with Mike again.  We are trying to keep busy by cleaning closets, seeing movies and hanging out with the friends who are still in town.

  Ryan and his friend Austin. You can see Sallie in the back being held by our friend Mattie Pearce.

Happy belated 4th Everyone! Don't take those fireworks and pork rib barbecues for granted. :)

Dallas-Abu Dhabi-Doha

Today. July 1st. Five years ago, Mike got off a plane in Abu Dhabi and was pretty sure he had actually landed on Mars. There was sand blowing across the highway. Black clad women, eyes peering from behind veils.  White clad men, with long snowy scarves trailing down their backs. At least 10 times a day Mike asked himself if we were crazy. What were we doing? Sold our house hold goods, uprooted our three younger kids, left our oldest in Texas and landed in one really hot place, halfway around the world. He called us in Dallas...sure that we were making a huge mistake. But we pressed on, and one month later Robert, Ryan, Sallie and I said goodbye to our dear friends and family in the US. 24 hours later we landed in Abu Dhabi.  These 5 years have been amazing.  Laughter, tears, new friends, old friends, visitors, vacations, challenges, tests,  sadness and joy.  There were many days that it still felt like we had moved to another planet but slowly we adjusted and even learned to appreciate the amazing and sometimes difficult experiences.

AND NOW...

Today Mike began his new job in Doha, Qatar.  Next month, after our 6th Ramadan in Abu Dhabi, we will join him there.  Although we don't know what the future holds. We know Who holds it. And we are trusting in Him.

Details to come!  Hildebrands in Sandyland..Part II. :)    

It Wasn't a Mirage

Seth and Robert prepared for rafting.

Sallie relaxing in the family pool area. 

                                                                                                                                                     

The rafting river. 

The Ropes Course.

 So to get out of Abu Dhabi, and celebrate the end of school,  we went to Al Ain to the new waterpark. Wadi Adventure. It has white water rafting, kayakiing, a ropes course and even a big pool for surfing. Pretty extraordinary to go white water rafting in the desert, although perhaps not quite as surreal as snow skiing in a mall..still it felt pretty strange. Memories of Colorado summers were revisited.  Our friends the Eichorsts joined us.  Other than the extreme temperatures it was a great day!

Some of the rapids were pretty challenging. It was great.

The Eyes of Texas

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No matter how far from Texas we go it is always right here with us. My friend Pattie, who subbed for the art teacher at the American Community School these last several weeks, made sure I saw one of the projects the kids worked on.  Chess pieces.  

Summer is upon us and although we won't be in Texas this summer, and will miss it, we will still be busy! Sallie is in the middle of exams. Soon she will be off to Nepal with her friends for a week of serving with Youth for Christ.  Robert wrapped up school and has been hanging with his friends. Ryan just moved into another restaurant for his internship. Now he is working in Marco Pierre White. Mike and I will be visiting either this week or next. :)  We get a 50 percent discount but it will still be a stretch! 

And we are getting ready to move.  Mike has taken a job in Doha, Qatar.  We didn't see this coming but are trusting that good things are coming. :)  After Ryan finishes his internship we will fly to Doha and start life there. Mike goes ahead of us in July. So, stay tuned for interesting stories on how to leave one country with lots of red tape and move to another with more red tape! Oh boy!!

 I have heard though that there are lots of Texans from both camps living there... Like I said, no matter how far we go..   

Hook 'em.  

 

Celebrating with Sallie

Mike and Ryan hug Sallie after her 11th grade production.

Sallie and her friend Emilia after the play!

One of the bad auditions. 

             Bad Actors and Bad Auditions! Produced and directed by Sallie and Emilia. The cast and crew worked hard on this student production and it was well done! Mike and Ryan both got to come see it which made it special, too. It's been a busy week wrapping up school and celebrating the end of the year! So glad Sallie got to attend AISA this year. It's been great.

Another celebration was graduation at Emirates Palace. Sallie and her friend Nadia attended  It was at Emirates Palace and under high security as several of the royal family were attending.  We thought the girls looked beautiful. Both agreed it was a fun evening with lots of good food after the ceremony. :)

My favorite celebration was my birthday brunch at St. Regis Hotel on Saadyat Island. 

Weekend Getaway

 A couple of weeks ago we took a break and went to Oman.  This was the redo of the failed attempt earlier in the spring when Ryan's passport kept us from crossing the border.  Well, this time all was well and we stayed three days. Oman is a beautiful county with rugged coastlines and miles of beaches. On Friday we took a boat out, watched the dolphins, and snorkeled. Mexican food rounded out the evening, with a great Indian, Omani, Sudanese band playing lots of music from the 70s. Hard to iimagine but fun! It was a great weekend!  

29 for the First Time

Happy 29th Anniversary!  We celebrated by dining at Frankie's where Ryan is working for these next two weeks.  He had flowers for us at the table, free appetizers, champagne, wonderful entree recommendations and a delicious dessert!  It was fun to have him come by and make sure everything was just right. We even met the head chef who also stopped by to congratulate us and make sure that everything was perfect.  It was a terrific evening..  The only thing missing was Russell. I wish he could have joined us, too!!  

The Heat is On.

Ahhhhhh

In the past 3 weeks temperatures have been steadily climbing.  Several days have seen 108 degrees with more to come. Early mornings are still in the 80s though. Something I like to do, while I still can, is go to the coffee shop at the Souk by our apartment and have fresh squeezed orange juice and sparkling water. I sit and read, write, think and prepare myself for the the heat of the day. 

Another thing is getting away. Today we are heading to Oman for a few days to see the Kenneys. It is not much cooler there but the scenery is different and their beaches are better. Ryan has never been and Mike hasn't had a break for a while.  As it heats up, taking time to get away is important. Since we are here for the summer we brainstorming ideas to keep cool... 

You Can't Bake Your Cake and Eat It Too

Robert blows out his Happy Birthday candles. David, Sal, Jack and Sallie watch. 

Can he really be 14?

2  weeks without an oven means no birthday cake for Robert.  It does make for a great story though. If the guy ever shows up to fix it then Robert will get his favorite funfetti birthday cake.  He did get pizza and a new xbox so I don't feel too sorry for him. At 14 he is easy to please.  As for the oven, here is what happened. About 2 weeks ago I am out running around and Robert calls..."Mom, don't freak out." What do moms do when one of their kids says that? Anyway, "The oven just exploded. But I am ok. "  When I got home I found the inside thermal glass in tiny pieces all over the inside of the oven. Apparently the heating element popped or something and shattered the glass. The repairman did come a few days later but as of yet we have heard nothing else.  I wonder what the expiration date is on that cake mix? Oh who am I kidding.... I'll bake it regardless. :)

At the Fairmont

Ryan is about 4 weeks into his internship at the Fairmont.  Already he has met some great people and he is learning a lot everyday.   In fact, an added bonus has been his new Indian coworkers who want to teach him Hindi.   It is fun having him back home with us.  I keep trying to figure out a way to get Russell here, too.  A bonus for us is that I think we get a discount for the restaurants out there.  And they are great restaurants.    

Ryan heading in to the employee entrance.

Rainy Days and Mondays

 Monday was a big day for those of us from our homeschooling crowd who hit the park every Monday. It RAINED!  I think I can remember only 2 other times when we have had rain on a  Monday. Actually, I am pretty sure I can count on my two hands how many times it has rained since we moved here nearly 5 years ago! At least when it has rained in the day time. Some of us dashed to the lighthouse observation tower for cover. Some of us, like Krista and Pattie,  just used a picnic matt to cover up. As it only rained for about 5 minutes they stayed quite dry. Others of us, like the kids, rain around laughiing and playing.  Rain is a big deal. :) Rebecca just covered up with a chair cover.  Melissa had an umbrella...hmmm..how did she manage that??

It only took about 5 minutes for the ground to dry and everything was back to normal.  But it was fun while it lasted.

FYI.  Yes. The car had been washed that day.  

The Forecast

The cloud cover was unusual for us on Saturday morning.  Just plain cloud cover. A bit gray, no sand. A light breeze. We decided to go to Cafe Arabia and have coffee outside. It was  relaxing. Unlike the weather for the last few weeks which has been sandstorm after sandstorm. Ok, not quite as bad as the sandstorm from the newest Mission Impossible movie but still very annoying.  In fact a windstorm blew in last Thursday that nearly knocked me off my feet.  My friend actually saw a Filipina gal hanging onto a stop sign..and her feet were being lifted off the ground. NOT KIDDING. It really felt like a hurricane was blowing in. I looked up as I was fighting to get out of my car and saw a small flying carpet. Really wish I had my camera handy for that one. :) Yesterday I was captivated by the weather again..but this time the weather in Kansas. Tornadoes all over the place. Many of them sighted near our family members who live in Kansas.  Not fun to be watching from clear over here. Really not fun for them!  Thankful that everyone is ok.

Ryan tells me I need to write more often. I had to smile. Sometimes there just isn't anything to say!  He has settled in at the Fairmount for his internship. We all had a laugh last night.  An Arab guest complained about his pancakes being too fluffy.  The Canadian chef questioned how much he could know about pancakes....  It made us smile. Kind of like us complaining about hummous or something. :)  In just a few days he has learned a lot and has met many great coworkers.  I'm sure he will have amazing stories to tell by the end of the summer.

I just saw that most of the storms in the midwest are abating. That's good news for everyone. Guess I can turn off the weather channel now.
Oh, by the way, our forecast is 90s all week.

 Summer's comin'.
   

An Abu Dhabi Spring

 

Sallie and I visited Mary, Kyra and Jeff in Oman.  They moved there in they January. We miss them. 

  

  Along with the arrival of Spring in Abu Dhabi came sandstorms,  a trip to Oman, an almost trip to Oman, visitors, and an internship for Ryan.  Sallie and I went to see the Kenneys in Oman a couple of weeks ago.  Mary and Kyra were invited to an Omani wedding and we tagged along.  It was Sallie's first Arab wedding. The glamour, loud music, and festive dancing had all of us smiling and commenting on how different weddings are in this part of the world. Not to mention the absence of any men. At all.
Our "almost trip to Oman" didn't happen two days after Ryan got here. He arrived on Monday, as did our dear friend Lolo(Sallie's very close friend from forever). Mike took a few days off so we could all relax at the Kenneys, and Ryan and Lolo could see Oman. However, at the border we were stopped. Ryan and Mike spent an hour discussing the problem with the border agents.  Apparently, on Ryan's last exit they did not enter it in the computer, eventhough the passport had the stamp in it. And on his reentry the same thing happened.  So, they told Mike we owed 6000 dirhams because Ryan had not left the country and stayed too long." Umm, nope. There is the stamp. He left. Not our problem." That however, did not mean they would let us go to Oman. So, after being in the car about 3 hours, we ended up back in Al Ain and went to the zoo. :) Lolo didn't get to see Oman but she did get to visit an Emirati zoo.    
Laurel's visit was too fast but so fun. She got to meet all of Sallie's good friends, visit her youth group, and do life with her. It is special when lifelong friends come here and share our lives with us. Helps make connections in our hearts with both of our worlds.   Our very good friends, Gary, Candice and Joel arrived from the States Thurs.
just before Laurel flew home on Sunday.  Again, reconnecting and being with them is a blessing. They lived in Abu Dhabi a year ago, but only for 5 months. In a short time they left deep impressions. Great to have them here for a few days.   They are trying to squeeze in all their favorite haunts and restaurants as well as time with friends.
And today, Ryan started at the Fairmount Bab al Bahr.  We are excited to hear how the first day goes. Thankful he had a few days to recover from jet lag.
 So, spring has spring here in the Arab world.  This weekend we will have our Good Friday/ Easter Sunday church service.
Thankful for His Resurrection and forgiveness. Thankful for His many blessings in our lives, this Springtime and always.

At the Al Ain Zoo 

  

  

Sallie and Lolo at Ski Dubai

   

At Last

It took 15 years. Yes. 15 years.  I finally made it to India.  I remember when my friend Marganne asked me to pray for her on her first trip..and I am pretty sure it was 15 years ago. Maybe even longer!  When she came back she and I dreamed about being able to go together but it never happened.  In that time many of my friends  visited that huge, amazing, vibrant country.  On March 2(what would have been my parents 60th wedding anniversary) I finally got the chance to see and experience some of what they talked about.  Priscilla, Pattie and I  left Abu Dhabi on Friday to visit missionaries that our church has in Tamil Nadu.  We landed in Trivandrum and the next day we headed to the village of Erakuchelum.  People, gods, goddesses, trash, colors, trees, horns, people, animals, temples, cars, tuk tuks, ....people...  You get the picture.  All of this lined our journey to the home of our friends and the school they started 10 years ago.  The trip was quick. Only stayed there from Friday to Wednesday morning.  We played with children. Visited classrooms and a couple of homes. Shared the  good news of Jesus Christ with the Hindu teachers. Tried to stay cool. Watched the chickens and the turkeys in the compound yard. Laughed. Prayed. Encouraged. Learned. Came home.  It was a fun trip. Being with Pattie and Priscilla(our Director of Children's Ministry) made everything just that much better. I liked India. I'm not sure I want to live there ever, but I loved the smiles on those kids faces. It was special. Mike needs to go next. I believe his friends have been bugging him, too. :)
 

It's a Big World

As of  Feb. 18th, our oldest boys are both in Texas.  I found myself truly experiencing the meaning of bitter sweet.  For two years Mike and I have, naturally, worried about Russell living where he lived. Maybe not worried, and not all the time,  but certainly we were concerned many times.  But it was wonderful to see him frequently and to be in the same time zone.  So, needless to say, when he left early last Saturday, our hearts were heavy.  There have been many times when Mike and I wonder at why we moved half way around the world, leaving our home, our families and our dear friends, but never more than when we have to hug our boys and put them on a plane headed across 9 time zones or approximately 8, 060 miles.(Dallas)  So, Russell arrived. He is in Austin.  Ryan arrived a couple of weeks earlier. He is in Lubbock.  And we are here.

Also on the agenda this week is my little girl.  Sallie calls me frantically from school yesterday. "Mom, we are heading into the gym to pick my classes for my senior year..."  Whoa..  I simply cannot get my head around that, and she was frantic cuz she has no idea what she needs to take. Ha ha. So, I am off to school to meet with Sallie and the High School Counselor to make sure she gets what she needs to G R A D U A T E.  What are Mike and Robert and I going to do when she leaves next year???  I really can't go there in my head. That 8000 miles thing is just a bit too much to handle.

Although I will say, that the illusion of control that parents entertain when it comes to their kids is just that...An illusion.   Prayer becomes more and more the means to life and peace. And Mike and I are learning to pray without ceasing.  Yes. yes, we are.
   

There and Back Again

I started out this morning with the comment..Is it really February 1???  I can't believe it.( And then I realized that I sounded like my mom.  OH boy. )   I haven't felt much like writing lately.  Sallie is in the middle of exams.  Ryan finished up his term at SHMS in Caux with finals and projects.  He is in the middle of an intense search for an internship to complete his SHMS diploma.  Before he returns to Texas he is visiting a friend's family in Prague. (This is also on our top ten places we'd like to visit. Don't know if it will happen but we hope so.)  Then, only a few days after Russell solved some visa problems and returned to his office, he showed up back at our door.   It was interesting when Russell came thru the door with one large suitcase and his "grab" back full of his essentials in case he had to leave quickly with only one bag. Not something any mom wants to hear when their son arrives unexpectedly at her door. Mike and I helped arrange places to stay for Russell and some coworkers and that has pretty much been our schedule for the last week.  So Robert is sharing his room again.  Mattress on the floor. Suitcase and back pack in the corner. He is a good sport and always likes it when either of his brothers are around.
Russell is playing the host for lunch time everyday. Making sure his friends eat at all of his and Ryan's favorite places. Mike and I try to join them when we can. A couple of nights ago one of the families who are helping house some of the guys served up great hamburgers for everyone.  Another night we had them all over for Texas Chili.  Although they are here unexpectedly we are enjoying getting to know everyone and thankful we can be here to help out.
Huh. So that is January.  Wonder what February will be like.....
  
 

Happy 2012

A walk in the park.

Our Christmas holidays were filled with friends, family and lots of food. :) Ryan reconnected with many of his high school friends but also had plenty of time with all of us. He and Russell took an entire day to explore the Wadis in Oman with a tour guide and in the process saw most of the UAE. The boys said that most of the time was spent driving thru  the emirates..with stops here and there to get out and see things. Ryan has those pictures so they won't be on the blog.  They had fun together. Another fun event was the New Year's Eve concert the kids all went to...Coldplay.  Crowded and crazy but fun.  In between the big times were meals together, walks in the park, and hanging in the house.  Sallie had her Christmas conference with the Youth for Christ Arabian Gulf. Desert Challenge is held in Dubai every year. This year she was on the worship team helping with the media.  She ran the projector for the speakers and for the songs.  She learned a lot..not just about running the stuff..but about working with people and changing things at the last minute. It tested her endurance..hanging in there with all the cues and never turning her brain off. :)   As she jokingly says, "Kind of funny cuz the theme of the conference this year was ENDURE..." We didn't see a lot of Sallie as she was in and out with her friends. Her big brothers laughed as they were reminded of themselves at 16/17. Robert loved having his brothers home. It's pretty stinky when they leave though, although he does get his bedroom back. That's on the plus side. The maid/storage/junk room gets a bit cramped. But he's a good sport. 

The boys have left now. House is empty of Christmas decorations. The New Year has begun. Thankful for 2011 and looking forward to God's plans for 2012. Thankful for His continued faithfulness in our lives and the blessings of our wonderful family and friends.   

Coldplay bound

One of our favorite places to relax.

Lunch after church on Friday

Tree Sightings

Tree at the Sheraton Hotel

 Look at all the Christmas trees in Abu Dhabi. Seriously, they are everywhere! Way more than when we moved here 5 Christmases ago.  Christmas is tomorrow and we have enjoyed the month leading up to it.    

 There was the International Carol Sing at church, the Kid's Choir at the Millenium Hotel, and new this year: a ladies Christmas Cookie Exchange at Pattie's house as well as a citywide Christmas celebration with several churches in Abu Dhabi.
6 churches from Abu Dhabi came together at the National Theater. St. Andrew's Church, the Arabic Evangelical Church, St. Georges Indian Orthodox Church, Mar Thoma Church and our church the Evangelical Church. Each church prepared something for the celebration..songs, drama, dance. The guest of  honor was HH Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the minister of Education in the UAW. He spoke about tolerance and diversity. It was the first time ever for something like this in AD and I loved having our family be a part of it.    

Nadia, Drew, Sallie, David and  Robert 

 

Small group Christmas party at the Pages

Cantina Laredo's Tree

The Spirit of the Union..40 years Old!!

Mike attacked by Robert, Sallie and friends with cans of silly string.Don't worry, he  got even.

Denise and Steve from the UK. This was their first National Day here.

On December 2nd we had our annual chili party to celebrate 40 years since the UAE's creation. Nearby neighbors came over for chili, cornbread, brownies and cookies. I say nearby neighbors as no one really wants to drive on National Day. Roads are packed with crazy cars and celebrating families! It can take hours to drive what would normally take 15-20 minutes. After our dinner we walked to the Corniche  to take in the festivities. People from all over the world joined in the birthday celebration. I look forward to this holiday every year.... Good times!!!