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!
]]>Our second day in The Czech Republic we took Georgia’s advice and got out of the city. I am SO glad we did. We took a train to a little town about 30 minutes away. I love trains. As far as travel goes, I am pretty sure trains are my favorite way to get around. You see so much of the landscape and it is just so relaxed (Unless, of course, you accidentally put your luggage in the wrong area and security is sure it is an explosive device and tries to stop the train, confiscate and implode your bag…but that’s a story for another time).
Oh, and I should mention that Drew had the camera most of this day. He is really wanting to learn more about photography so I loosened my death grip on “child #4” Â and let him do most of the shooting for the day. It was fun (and extremely hard) to just take in the sites and not worry about the photos. And it is nice to be in some pictures on a vactaion for once. :)
When we arrived in Karlstejn (Karl-stein) We stopped at a fun little inn for some coffee. Apparently a classic car club decided to stop for coffee too, and it was fun to see all the cars! مصارعة محترفة
And the little town was just adorable.
The road winded up to a castle built by King Charles IV of Bohemia. We hiked up the hill to the castle and even did the tour. I usually don’t like guided tours, but it was the only way to see inside the castle and it was actually really interesting; one of the best I have bee on! Of course, no photography allowed on the tour, but here it is from the outside:
On our way down the hill, we stopped again for a little roadside lunch. Can I just say, I love Czech food. Lots of brats and cheese and rye and kolaches. I definitely felt in touch with my Ludwig roots! تاريخ ارسنال
It is usually rainy in the summer in Prague, but we went during a drought and heatwave so there was no rain in the forecast. Most people see this as a bonus, but I was super bummed. But then, the afternoon clouds rolled in and we got a wonderful little shower and cloud cover. So good for my heart.
Then we hopped the train back to town…
And finished the evening and the trip at the Cafe Louvre (another tip from Georgia). It was the perfect ending to a wonderful birthday celebration. And I am still dreaming about the hot cocoa.
So that’s that. Next up is a summer recap. I have a goal to have the blog *gasp* updated in the next two weeks. :)
]]>Here is some of what we crammed into the 24 hours:
Little cafes with delicious food were a top priority. (Please tell me you also plan vacations around meal times and trying new foods…)
Thousands of people breaking the Ramadan fast at the Hippodrome in front of the Blue Mosque was quite the sight. And so tasty.
The Grand Bazaar:
And lots of walking the streets, taking in the sights and sounds and smells:
Beautiful, right? I loved every minute (and actually turned 30 there!) and was so thankful for the extra bonus of getting to spend a day in this city! Now don’t you want to go back with me?
]]>I think the kids all enjoyed themselves. Here are some things to do with 5 kids that will be appreciated everytime:
1. Go to the beach:
It was seriously hot while the Gentry’s were here so we had to wait for sunset to brave the sand, but the kids loved every minute!
2. Maybe not the most cultural experience, but this little kids play area in the mall was quite the hit!
3. They also loved being in malls for three days straight. Ok, not really…but Dubai is really only one giant mall (especially in the summer). Luckily for us, there are all sorts of fun things for kids to do in the malls:
Like watching ice skating:
And cool fountains:
and Aquariums (Burke was keeping the girls safe from the sharks):
Really though, the days we sat at home and did nothing were the most special for the kids. They were so relaxed and just enjoyed each other. I miss piper toddling into the living room with the baby stroller, and hearing the big kids giggling and playing together. ivermectina hepatite fulminante
Yes, it was diffferent, so so different, but it was also a lot of fun!
Oh and one last tip- If the kids aren’t in the mood- don’t ask for a cousin picture:
wait until they are all happy and then snap a picture:
Much better results (although I am sure we will all giggle at the first one in years to come)!
We went with friends and they are camping experts and have tons of gear.  They have quite the setup with a table, shades, a multi-room tent, they even have a camping porta-potty. We looked like such rookies! We had two tents (we borrowed one from Chase and Britt). Keadryn and Sayla shared a tent and me, Evie and Drew shared the other one. It worked out pretty good.  I was a bit nervous about how Evie would do in a tent, but she did great! She did wake up right at first light (which was about 5:30…) but she also went to sleep right at dark (about 7:15). The waves worked as perfect white noise.
Evie was also covered in sand the entire weekend…and I mean covered. It was in her hair, on her face, in her diaper, in every tiny fold of skin and all over her face. Covered. It made re-applying sunscreen a challenge, but my choices were to strap her into her car seat and let her scream, or let her be covered in sand. :) I chose sand.
The older girls also had a blast. They are such water babies and turning into beach bums. :) I think Keadryn was in the water 90% of the time. Sayla had a run-in with a big wave and was a bit leery of the ocean for a bit, but by the end of the trip she was right there with Keadryn again loving every minute in the water.
Drew got to steal away and go snorkeling for a bit and said it was beautiful. We just ordered an underwater camera, so hopefully next time there will be some pics of that!
Speaking of cameras, I was super stressed out about getting sand in my camera, so I only took it out of the car a few times. Â There aren’t many “action shots” of the weekend…but I did have a very relaxing photo walk one evening.
I loved all the moss on the rocks at low tide…there were also a ton of crabs peaking out from the moss, but they were pretty skittish and I didn’t get a decent picture.
All in all it was a great (free!) getaway and we will definitely be doing it again!