That being said- we have had a great couple weeks of guests and it lined up perfect with the girls spring break!
We started off with Easter- Â We spent it with some good friends in a nearby town. Sunday is the middle of the week here and we definitely had some onlookers and strange glances as we did our Easter lesson and egg hunt in the middle of a park. haha.
I also made these super simple crepe paper flowers and a grass table runner. :) Welcome “spring!”
After Easter we had a really special visit! Alissa and Maggie Rose came to see us! It was super last minute but we were so thankful to see them. We had already planned a trip down the coast and they just jumped right in and did that with us! Â Did I say I have been horrible at taking pictures lately? I have. And I didn’t take a single picture of our friends that flew halfway around the world to see us. Â I did, however take a couple pictures of our trip down the coast. We have been looking at some business opportunities and took a trip down the coast of Oman stopping in a bunch of towns doing some market research (more on this soon). I just love the coastal towns of Oman. The bright blue sea, the buildings,the forts and rocks and white washed buildings feels like a different place in time.
We didn’t have a ton of time to do the “usual” tourist things with Alissa, but we did make a quick stop at the souq so that Alissa could see it. The souq with kids is always quite interesting, as it is crowded, not very “stroller friendly” and requires a lot of time bargaining to get a good price for items. Even so, it is one of my favorite places in Oman and I am happy Alissa got to see it.
We arrived back at home just in time to welcome 6 other friends from Lubbock (including Andy, Alissa’s husband) and had a few short days with them as well.
We mostly hung out around home with them…but got to go to Hashel’s farm, one of our favorite things to do with visitors.
And here is the one and only picture I got with our friends (just the girls)
I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends that come visit and make the ocean not seem so big.
And hopefully soon we will have some exciting news about business and life here, so I may even blog twice in one month. Just maybe. :)
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As much fun as it is to see family and friends, 2 months of being with loved ones nonstop left us pretty “peopled” out. We got home to the most amazing weather our country has to offer and were dying to unplug and have some time as just us. So, we took a few days to get over jet lag (MUCH harder with a two year old who thinks 2:00am is a perfectly acceptable wake up time) then we packed up and headed to the beach for a three day weekend. It was just what our souls needed; quality time together in a kid friendly and adult fabulous location. Oh, and we were the only ones on our beach. Perfect.
a view of camp from the water:
a view down the beach from the tent:
We also spent one evening watching the tide roll in and the waves crash over the rocks. It was really amazing and loud and beautiful. ivermectin for chickens
While the tide was out the girls played (and played and played) on the moss covered rocks and in the little pools while we watched them from the shade (I know my sisters are so disappointed in me for not bronzing myself in the sun…but I have just given up the fight and accepted that it is too much work for something that isn’t gonna happen)
On our last day we packed up early and drove through a part of the country we haven’t seen before- it was fabulous! We saw little villages and beautiful scenery… ivermectin 200 mcg
And some animals too
We also saw about 10 whales right off of the coast! It was so so cool, but I didn’t get any pictures because they were too far off the coast to show up. But we watched them splash around and blow water out of their spouts for 15-ish minutes. It was truly incredible.
Like I said, perfect time to be together and make fun family memories. over dose ivermectin So thankful for the “winter” weather in Oman and how much there is to explore and enjoy!
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::4th of July was a blast. We had a ridiculous amount of people come to our house (we invited every American we know- to give you an idea…) to celebrate. It was so much fun! At the time we had some girls living with us while they studied at a summer Arabic program and they were a huge help in getting all the decor together. Britt and Traci helped a ton too, of course. (Have I mentioned that Traci moved here? She did, and it’s SO fun having her around!)
::One of the bonuses of living so close to Dubai is that we get to see people as they pass through en route to their final destinations! This summer we got to see my cousin and some friends from Texas and this fall two more sets of friends will be stopping through that we get to see.
p.s. I love Sayla in this picture…
:: The date harvest happened. Dates are a pretty big deal in this area of the world, and the date harvest is fun to see. We went back to the oasis that we went to while granny was here and walked around to see how it’s done. Â Fresh dates are sold here as a delicacy and are super expensive, but most of the dates are dried on roofs (like raisins). Personally, I prefer the dried dates. The fresh dates are kind of like a green banana, they feel a bit fuzzy on your teeth and aren’t very flavorful.
 
:: This summer has been a slower time than usual (it’s stinkin’ hot!) so we have taken the opportunity to do a little “photo bootcamp”. Â I set up a blog and have been collecting useful photo articles for us all to read. It has been wonderful and I feel like I have learned a lot as well!
So there you have it! Most of the summer in a nutshell. Â I also got to take a most wonderful trip for my 30th birthday, but that deserves its own post. We have really had a fabulously mundane summer, but are ready for the schedule, busyness and cooler weather that will come with fall!
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In Dubai, there is a “creek”. I don’t know why it is called a creek because when I think of creek I think of a little stream in the middle of the country. This is not a stream and it is certainly not in the country. Â :)
It is a saltwater inlet that runs right through Dubai and its history is actually quite interesting. We love heading down to the creek to watch the boats with the kids. There are a lot of party boats and floating restaurant boats that trull the creek at night. اسرار ماكينة القمار Plus  there are crazy multi million dollar yatchs to remind you that you are in Dubai, which is fun. كيف تلعب القمار Usually you can find a party boat that didn’t get booked for the night and in an interest to make a couple extra bucks, they will take you on a little cruise up and down the creek. When we have a big enough group to split the cost, it is always a fun treat.
I know I mentioned that Kirst’s family was in town, but did I mention that we had some Lubbock friends here too? موقع رهان كرة القدم Four friends from the LBK decided to visit us on their summer break. Good friends plus lots of extra hands to help with the kids? Yes, please.
It was a really fun way to spend an evening and if you are ever in Dubai I think it is a fun way to see some of the sights. (It’s not really that expensive…under 50 bucks- but much much cheaper if you are splitting it 13 ways.) Oh, and just to warn you (you know, in case you’re planning a trip to Dubai…) it is crazy humid and hot…unless you go in the winter months. That would be glorious!
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We told him before hand to just meet us at the farm so that he didn’t feel obligated to serve us food, coffee, tea, dates, fruit etc. (There were 19 of us, after all) He said ok, but then as we were on our way out there he called and said to just come to his house.
After eating some amazing food and getting a true cultural experience (The only difference being that this is the only house I have ever been hosted in the same room as Drew. The women of the house never join us as we are in mixed company) We headed out to see the farm. By the time we got out there the light was quickly fading, so I only got pictures of the camels. but oh what fun camels they were.
]]>coffee in a thermos and espresso cups- check
dates- check
a bowl of water to wash hands and cups- check
tea in a thermos and tea cups- check
whole fruit and knife- check
cookies- check
trays to carry everything to the living room- check
Oh, and their brother is coming to visit Drew as well, so I need two of everything…
It’s kind of overwhelming! Then they get here and I try to gracefully welcome them to my home. “Thank you for coming, How are you, How’s your health, How’s your family, May God give you life…Please, please, make yourself comfortable” Lots of kisses, lots of greetings. “Sit, sit!”…Oh man, I forgot to give them the place of honor, farthest from the door.
We all sit and my head is spinning- what’s first? Am I doing this right? Open dates, pour coffee…who am I suppose to serve first again? Is it clockwise? Is it oldest first? Am I serving with the correct hand? When they give me back the coffee cups, do I serve them again? Did they indicate they were done by shaking the cup? I didn’t pay attention! All this is running through my head while I try to carry on a conversation in Arabic, juggle kids, and look like I know what I’m doing.
Next, the fruit. I hate trying to cut fruit just holding it in my hand. para k sirve ivermectina Don’t they know how much easier it is to do this on a cutting board? A comment about how rough my apple slices look. Oh well. Pushing them forward I say “Please, eat! eat!” Everyone politely takes a piece of something. Keadryn and Sayla both grab a ton of fruit. Am I suppose to correct them and say it is for our guests? Or is it ok because they are young?
Still trying to look natural and be interested in conversation. price of ivermectin tablets in south africa But what’s next? Do I serve dessert now, or wait until the fruit is gone? Should I serve the tea with the fruit or dessert? Am I pushing things along too fast? I decide to serve the tea. Everyone takes a cup after asking what kind of tea. Thyme tea is well accepted, but I let it steep too long, points out one of the girls. As they’re finishing tea and handing back cups, I offer dessert. “No thank you”, “We’re full”, “Maybe in a minute”. Oh…I’m going too fast. Should I let everything sit here? Offer more tea? Clear everything? Will that make them feel like it is time to leave? Maybe I’ll just clear the coffee and dates…Try to start clearing and spill the water bowl. Lots of giggles.
We talk a bit more, laugh a lot,and I remember how much I love these girls and it makes me relax a little. I offer cookies again and they accept. We laugh more, talk more and listen to some music. All the food is cleared and soon after they announce it’s time to go. “Thank you so much for coming, Go with peace, May the year bring goodness, May God bless you…” As they walk away I hope it was successful. I hope I honored them. I hope they feel welcome in my home.
As I shut the door, I fall down on the couch. My mind is spent from speaking Arabic and trying to be hostess-with-the-mostess in a culture that, even after 2 1/2 years, I barely understand. As you can see, visiting here is a HUGE deal. Hosting people isn’t about showing off. It is, at the core, about honoring the person who is visiting. By offering them your food, your home, your service, you show them that they are more important than you. powder ivermectin The first time you visit they even douse you in perfume when you leave!
I feel the pressure when they come to my home because everything in new and different, but when I visit them they perform the whole sequence with effortless grace. They have been observing and participating in this since they were Keadryn’s age. It is second nature to them. Thankfully, they offer much grace when I don’t do everything perfectly. And, even though it is a bit stressful, I do love this tradition and what it communicates at the heart level. I am so thankful to have friends that always make me feel welcome and honored.
From my last lunch visit:
Don’t you just love this picture? ivermectin dosage systemic infection I didn’t take it, Drew did. Way to go, Drew!
Hoping the dust settles soon.
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