I Scream...

You scream, we all scream, for ICE CREAM!!!
There is an ice cream man in our neighborhood now - just in time for the sweltering heat of summer.  The kids even run and chase after it, just like they do at home! Soon enough, I'm gonna have to go inside to eat my ice cream, or risk having it melt down my arm in 3.7 seconds.

My Favorite Place in Dubai

Since the weather is slowly deteriorating here, I thought it would be nice to fit a few activities into some of our few remaining weekends of good weather. This included taking Pete for a visit to my favorite place in Dubai. I went there around this time last year, so I knew it would be HOT, but it was well worth a visit. 

We started with a delicious lunch and refreshing mint lemonade,

then we went exploring around the courtyard (this is Pete, ducking to come out of the tiny bathroom door), 

after lunch we appreciated some of the artwork on display,

including this phone - covered in melted wax, 

then found a shady alleyway to escape from the sun (can you see the bump?), 

and we even saw a really old tree (planted in 1890)! 

Last Minute BBQ

We somehow managed to plan a very impromptu BBQ and birthday celebration at our villa last weekend. It was the week of Saint Patrick's Day, and also our Irish friend Dave's 33rd birthday (and the weather is still just nice enough), so we thought what the heck? Everyone who came brought a side dish, so we were all very well fed in addition to the burgers, sausages, and chicken wings that Pete grilled up.

We had to borrow a few chairs to accommodate everyone! 

Happy Birthday Dave!

Pete getting in some practice with little Reuben :-)

Important Weekend Errands

Pete and I had a couple of important things to do this weekend:

This included trying out the one and only Taco Bell in the UAE (located inside of Dubai Mall). It was kind of a letdown, but I'm glad we tried it anyway. It was a good attempt at getting a little piece of home right here in the Middle East. 

The mall also has a really cool multi-storey fountain, a full-sized ice skating rink, and a huge aquarium (and about a million shops)! 

We also stopped by Rajab, the tailor where Pete is going to get some suits made. With the exception of the local attire, most of the clothes (and shoes) in this country are not made for someone as tall as Pete, so he has a really tough time finding any ready-made items. He had a couple of suits and dress shirts made for him last year and they turned out wonderfully, so we went back for round two. By the time we leave here, Nasser and Pete will probably become very close friends... 

A custom fit!

Springtime Rain

In the middle of the night on Monday this week, Pete and I woke up to some crazy thunder and lightning at about 2:00 am. Having dealt with some leaky windows in our house during a rainstorm a few days before, we decided to get out of bed and check the weather. We were faced with this:

Once we shored up the water that was coming in the windows on one side of the house, we (Pete) had to tackle the odd little cubby hole located in our upstairs hallway. We're not exactly what the original intention of this thing was, but it seems that the little doorway opens up to a tube that runs straight up to a large funnel on the roof. Water was pouring in! 

After the bucket filled up about 4 times in 15 minutes, we moved onto a larger container: 

The rain finally started to slow down and thankfully, this bucket never overflowed.  Here is a close-up of Pete's creative problem-solving:

Also, we finally got that backyard pool we've always wanted: 

February Highlights

The month of February has completely flown by this year! I can't believe it's already been over a month that I've been back in Abu Dhabi. Here are a few pictures from the shortest (and one of the nicest months, here at least) of the year: 

The weather in Abu Dhabi is great for outdoor BBQs right now! We have been enjoying our fair share of grilled delights:

My older brother, Chas, joined facebook, so now I get to hear from Chas and see pics of my niece and nephew way more often than I did before! Miss you guys! :-)

Pete and I stayed home for Valentine's Day this year and I cooked a tasty meal to celebrate - salmon with dill, risotto, and steamed broccoli. Yummmm!

We had another ultrasound and got some pretty amazing pictures of the baby. Boy or girl? What do you think?

I got to meet Benson and Mikayla, my friend Julie's kiddos from Ethiopia. She and her husband Damian were able to bring them home on Christmas morning, but I only just met them. What beautiful babies they are! Congrats guys!

More baby-related celebration was in store as my friend Jane is preparing for the arrival of her first child sometime in March. We had a baby shower at my house to celebrate. I created a fruit pizza (among other things) for the guests.

Here's Jane at the table before the rest of the party showed up. Looking good Jane!

The Rainbow Car Museum

Pete and I took a little drive out to the middle of the desert this weekend to pay a visit to the Emirates National Auto Museum. It is the private collection of H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan. For not really being that into cars, it was still worth the visit! Check out some of the crazy vehicles this guy has! 

This Mercedes greets you at the doorway.

Hello Tasmania!!! :-)

Entry into the 1993 Guinness Book of World Records...

8 bedroom, 8 bathroom, 4 car garage caravan on wheels. I'd love to take this thing out to the desert!

I'm not sure what kind of vehicle you'd need to pull it though.

"The Rainbow Sheikh"

Rainbow Mini

Do you think this truck might be large enough to pull the camper that was outside?

A cop car and a New York City taxi!

I think Lady Gaga would like to take this golfing

Pete's vehicle of choice. Only the 2nd F-350 we've seen in this country. 

Check out the rainbow collection of Mercedes:

In case you were wondering...

Yes, we're having a baby! The due date is June 14th.

Just the other day, I woke up and my stomach was suddenly protruding. Wanna see?

22 weeks

Nesting...

Since I've been back in Abu Dhabi, I've been working on putting some finishing touches on our villa (before we tackle the baby room). My inspiration for the master bedroom is this years HGTV dream home. I'll put some more photos up once the transformation is complete!

Camel Ride

A few photos Pete took on his drive to Al Ain (about an hour away) for work the other day.  

Elvis camel!