CHRISTMAS 2008

We are making our final preparations for Christmas. Baking and sharing our exotic gingersnaps and fudge with our neighbors. We buy flat bread from a baker from Afghanistan who sits cross-legged next to his pit-like clay oven, extracting perfectly baked chewy rounds with a long metal tong. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he sees I baked for him!

This season is full of a swirl of emotions. We have really loved our time here and all we have learned and become. We will miss so many people and so many things about this place. Our family has really pushed our limits and done things that were uncomfortable and even scary at times…and we are so glad we did. We miss family and will be happy to see a little more of them this coming year. We love America and will be pleased to reacquaint ourselves as we plan to move to Virginia in February for Russian training. Then on to our next adventure. Please send next year’s holiday correspondence to Uzbekistan, where we will be living a year from now.

We are so glad to count you among the people dear to us. You make our lives richer. We are so grateful for the love of our Savior and hope that you feel of His and our love this Christmas.

Most sincerely,
Laura, Matthew, Jameson, Avery and Trey

The Beginning of the End, DECEMBER 2008

DECEMBER
We got all of our shopping done early, for the most part online. We joke that our children will think that Santa is from the Amazon since that’s what all the boxes say! With that taken care of, we set out on our last great adventure here.

We spent almost a week driving across the UAE and Oman, going as far as Muscat, Oman where we stayed two days. There we explored markets, forts and museums. The beautiful mountains were a welcome change from the open flatness where we live. Then we made our way home, stopping in several villages to shop and explore and eat. Our trip was over one of the biggest Islamic holidays of the year. We happened upon a holiday toy market, set up one morning only, for parents to bring their children to buy little toys. Everyone is wearing their holiday best. Although it is stressful to travel with children, it is wonderful to share these experiences with them and there seems to be a common language of parenthood that opens doors for us.

The highlight of our trip was exploring a tiny village later that day where we were invited in to a home to share a meal consisting of the spicy meat they had just sacrificed for the holiday, fruit, paper-thin web-like bread, and a sticky cardamom and pepper dessert. My only regret was that my inability to speak Arabic made it impossible for me to communicate much with the women, who would not come out and speak to my translator (Matt). As soon as he was down the street, they flooded out to meet me and my fat white baby, and I stumbled along with a few lame phrases. Still, certainly a day to remember.

Dinosaur Pie, NOVEMBER 2008

NOVEMBER
We enjoyed Thanksgiving with all the fixings with a group of American friends, many of whom had not really celebrated the holiday since living overseas for many years, others who were away from family for the first time at the holiday season. We truly have so much to be thankful for. It was fun to improvise fall decorations in a place that doesn’t really have autumn. Indian squashes (still don’t know what they are called but they were wrinkly and bumpy and Martha Stewart would have had a great time with them), chestnuts, corn, gourds from Iran. Yes my friends, Thanksgiving just wasn’t complete without produce from an Axis of Evil.
I had a Filipino friend ask if I was going to make pumpkin pie. I told her, “of course!” She shyly wanted to try some. I agreed to make one so she could sample this foreign food. Soon word got around and everyone was buzzing about pumpkin pie. When I started asking about how they knew about pumpkin pie, I found out that everyone had seen it on their children’s Barney videos! Oh Barney, the great cultural ambassador.

Only Treats, OCTOBER 2008

OCTOBER
This is when the project started. I love Halloween. Matt has always considered it a ridiculous holiday and I have never been able to convince him to don a costume. Earlier in the year, thinking there was no way I would comply, he told me that if I made him the costume that Russell Crowe wore in “Master and Commander” he would dress up. My mind began to turn, I scoured the fabric district for appropriate materials, and my machine began to whir. Just in time for the Embassy party and our church’s children’s party, the costumes were completed, with Matt adding the final touch of a specially purchased sword. Matt really got into the role. He was like a Disneyland character with everyone wanting their picture taken with him. We joined him in our homemade costumes, with the boys dressed as pirates, Trey as a parrot, and I was dressed in an 18th Century gown. I think Matt’s a convert to the holiday now.

Falling into Place, SEPTEMBER 2008

SEPTEMBER
This month brought a welcome slow of pace. The boys and I spent many hot days at the neighborhood pool with neighbors and friends as we settled back into our routines here. Trey was the most popular man in town with everyone cooing and wanting to hold him. Jameson was happy to be starting preschool and be back with his friends again. Avery was still trying to find his place with a new baby in the house.

Avery has really transformed this year, growing from toddler to boy. Now three years old, he is passionate about cars, digging in the sand around the landscaping in our neighborhood, and loves to be out riding his tricycle with the older boys. His favorite game is bumper bikes…pedaling at full speed then crashing into other cyclists. He laughs his head off and the older kids seem to have a fun time with it too. He likes to sit in on preschool and does a pretty good job at holding his own. He’s also quite the artist. He can’t get enough of markers, chalk, stickers and Play-doh. It’s great, because he’ll concentrate for hours on a project. Avery is also skilled at charming older women…Matt’s gorgeous 29 yr old co-worker, the 10 yr old girl down the street…he hypnotizes them with his sweet blue eyes and soon has them bending to his every wish. If only he were so charming at home. No one believes the stories of Avery the tyrant that we tell!

Time Flying, AUGUST 2008

AUGUST
After a month with us, Matt flew back to Abu Dhabi. We spent the month on the phone with him and scurrying to do our last bits of shopping and enjoying America while Matt sat alone in Abu Dhabi glued to the Olympics for two weeks. Jameson had been asking to go fishing and my parents obliged with a day of canoeing, then a trip to the fish farm. Jameson was giddy while the whole fish hanging by a hook on the line horrified Avery. Jameson discovered a love for gymnastics (sanctioned running and flipping with lots of chances to perform!) during a month long class with his cousin Michael. We topped off our trip with Michael’s birthday party. For once we were able to attend!

Then back on the plane, this time with three children. Grammy (my mom) agreed to accompany us back. Yeah, I’m crazy, but not crazy enough to do three on my own. I thought we would never get her here, so it was great to be able to show my mom our home and introduce her to the local culture. She also got a trip to the henna parlor where the locals were absolutely covetous of her snow white skin (I know…it doesn’t make sense, but they love it!) and Matt took her out to the dunes and parked her in the middle of a herd of camels to take pictures to her heart’s delight.

Freedom, JULY 2008

JULY
Independence Day! So much fun to be in America to celebrate this day. Matt’s Aunt Laura lives right on the parade route for Kaysville’s annual parade, so we lined up on her front row seats. Parades, waffles and ice cream (Snow family tradition) and fireworks…we wanted our boys to have a real 4th of July. It seems to mean even more after living overseas.

Three days later, the doctor decided it was Trey’s day to come! We were so thrilled to have this healthy and happy little spirit join our family. He has been so easy going, just what we needed considering the already high energy level in our home. This is our first time to be near family when one of our children has been born, so it was a treat to get to share this special time with them. It was a big deal for us to look around the day that he was blessed (similar to christening) and have both sets of grandparents, five great-grandparents, many aunts and uncles, and even some friends from high school in attendance. This was a first in our marriage since we can’t seem to sit still in any place too long.

Matt’s parents as well as his sisters and their children spent a week with us in Utah. More coveted cousin and grandparent time. We crammed our days with zoo trips, swimming, parties and late nights full of laughs. We were all having a “nomad” year with jobs and addresses changing all around, so it was a near miracle that we were all able to come together.

Over the River and Through the Woods, JUNE 2008

JUNE
At 34 weeks pregnant, I gritted my teeth and embarked on a 31-hour journey with Jameson and Avery beginning in Abu Dhabi and ending in Fruit Heights, Utah, landing right in the middle of the final days of preparation for Natalie’s wedding. The wedding was beautiful and we are thrilled to have Uncle Mike in the family. Once the newlyweds were off and the wedding dust settled, we ran around with cousins to swimming lessons, the dinosaur park, a day on the boat tubing at the lake…trying to soak up as much family and America as we could and keeping ourselves from missing Matt too much. By the end of the month, he was able to get away from work and join us in Utah.

Some Like it Hot, MAY 2008

MAY
The weather started to really heat up in Abu Dhabi. Our days were consumed with preparation for my departure to the U.S. to attend my sister Natalie’s wedding and to give birth to our third son. Matt would stay behind (arriving a month later) spending his birthday, our anniversary, and Father’s Day by himself. So we had to do what my family always does and reschedule the holidays. To celebrate, we were able to get a weekend to ourselves, thanks to some great friends who took care of our boys.

Springtime in the Desert, APRIL 2008

APRIL
We made an impromptu road trip to Fujairah one weekend when we were going a little stir crazy. It is known for its beaches and reef ocean life. Even in April, the sand was so hot it blistered my feet! The boys and I built sandcastles and played dump trucks with a German family we met on the beach while Matt swam out to Snoopy Island (too far for an exhausted pregnant woman to swim) for a little snorkeling.

Matt was brave enough to take both boys to our church’s Fathers & Sons campout in the desert. Lots of running, chasing, and rolling on the dunes.

I was asked to serve in the leadership for the children’s program (Primary) in our church. What a whirlwind experience. I hadn’t had any previous experience working in Primary so I was learning as I went. Our Primary has about 35 children from SEVERAL different countries with vastly different cultures. The common language denominator seems to be English with varying degrees of mastery among our children and teachers. Always a new challenge, always a new adventure, but I am starting to really enjoy the Primary.

Walkin' like Egyptians, MARCH 2008

MARCH
We had our first visitor to Abu Dhabi! My sister Annabelle was able to make the trip, so we did our best to show her a good time, dragging her around to camel races, henna parlors, mosques and beaches. Her timing for the trip was spot on. Matt had to go to Cairo on business during her stay here, so we all decided to tag along. She and I explored the city with the boys while he went to meetings. Matt was able make it to the pyramids and a couple of other Egypt highlights with us. Our blond boys are already a spectacle here in Abu Dhabi, with everyone stealing shots with their camera phones, but in Egypt they were seemingly the most interesting thing in the city. Pretty funny.

The J-Man, February 2008

FEBRUARY Jameson turned 4. It’s hard to believe we’ve been parents that long! We celebrated with friends at a dog themed party we held in the common area of our little neighborhood. One of the most popular games was digging in an oversized sandbox, made from a kiddie pool, for prizes. I had come up with the idea, but was still unsure of where to buy sandbox sand, so I started to ask around. I discovered that the only place that sold the sand was a very high end toystore and the cost for the amount I needed would be more than $200. I think my horror snapped some sense into me, because I suddenly realized that we lived in one of the world’s largest sandboxes. Now all I needed was some cheap labor to haul it in from the desert. That’s where Matt came in! He dutifully drove out of town and skulked away onto some back roads where he wouldn’t be noticed shoveling large amounts of sand into shopping bags and loading into the back of his SUV. That’s a dedicated dad!

Jameson loves being a big brother. His top accomplishments for the year: learning to ride a bike, and learning to write his name. He continues to be very outgoing and seems to make friends wherever he goes. I have been impressed this year to learn that he has no apparent fear of performing in front of large groups (he actually seems to thrive on the attention.)
We have joined with some of his friends and their mothers to organize a small co-op preschool. He loves playing outside, books, friends, and most of all, asking questions! I thought it was a phase, but he has yet to let up. Inquiring minds want to know! The latest Jameson-ism: he has a book that tells a story about being a pirate, their lingo, their etiquette (or lack thereof)…so lately when he is hungry he marches into the kitchen and shouts, “Hand over the meat!”

Secrets of the Service, January 2008

For my birthday, we ventured into the desert with a professional driver for some dune bashing. The only way to describe it is to say it is like jetskiing in a Land Cruiser…but on sand of course.

Matt stayed VERY busy with work. The whole Embassy was working day and night for weeks to prepare for the visit of President Bush and Secretary Rice. As part of the visit, they scheduled a Meet & Greet for the Embassy families. Jameson had the closest encounter with the President, but as you can see, he was not bowled over by the experience. Avery just scurried around testing the patience of his parents and the Secret Service.

Matt continues to enjoy his job, still learning new things. His primary duty is the welfare of Americans visiting or working in the UAE. As a result of checking up on distressed Americans, he has become familiar with the ins and outs of hospitals and prisons throughout the region. He also interviews foreign applicants who want visas to visit, work, or immigrate to the U.S. Because of the transient nature of this country he literally talks to people from all over the world. It’s fun to listen to his anecdotes about some of the interesting and crazy people he encounters.

December 2007

Christmas day (2007), I went to the doctor (yes, doctors work on December 25th in Muslim countries) to get our first ultrasound glimpse at tiny little Trey. We were able to break the news to our families as a Christmas surprise.