Opportunities!

If I've said it once, I've said it 1,000 times, "Dubai is an such an awesome opportunity for our family!"   While the timing is not the most ideal as far as school is concerned, we've been able to take advantage of this place and all it has to offer for 7 years now.   It's nice to stay together as a family and enjoy this adventure together.   I'm not sure how much longer our journey will carry on, but we will continue to make the best of it for as long as we can!!

Rod truly loves what he does for work!  Godolphin is an incredible opportunity for him, as they are one of the largest owners of racehorses in training in the world!  They currently have horses racing in England, France, Dubai, Australia and America, and it is owned by Sheik Mohammed, the Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE.

Just another night at the races.  Rod is waiting for the horses to go onto the track. 

We've had the opportunity to make friends from all over the world!  Some of our best friends are from Ireland, England, India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Jourdan, Lebanon and even New York (ha!)

My two favorite Irish girls: Aisling & Caroline!

Mason is fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play baseball while we are here.  It just so happens that the little league season is from December through March!  How convenient! He's been able to have private pitching lessons with professional pitchers, attended a winter camp put on by the Washington Nationals and gets to play the game that he loves!  Mason was recently selected to play on an All-Star team, which will play in a tournament in Kuwait one weekend in March!  What an opportunity!

Mason with Washington National pitchers Pat Lehman and Danny Rosenbaum

While Mason attends the American School of Dubai, there are over 60 passports represented at his school.  The twins attend an International preschool, where their teacher is from England, the teacher's aid is from the Philippines and kids in their class are from various countries such as Columbia, Africa, Brazil, Japan and the UK.

Truly a masterpiece created by Jake and Cash! ha!

Mason playing a game of football with his buddies after school

We have all had an opportunity to try new foods.  The kids have especially become more adventurous with their tastings.  They also eat lunch at school; check out their school's menu:

Not your traditional PB&J or Lunchable!  

Rod and I love to go out to dinner with friends and enjoy all the wonderful restaurants within walking distance of our hotel.

This is an insane dessert display from our favorite sushi restaurant, Zuma!

Since the temperatures range from the 70's to 80's here during the "winter" months, the kids have had the opportunity to take weekly swim lessons in one of the hotels heated pools!  Ms Rita is from Hungary and sings songs like "Ring-a, Ring-a Rosey!"  They absolutely love it!!

 "Ring-a, Ring-a, Rosey…And Cash falls down!"

Jake is practicing his dive!  When we arrived in Dubai, he did not want to get his face wet!

Obviously, a lot of these opportunities are available to us because we live in a big city.  We get to enjoy access to shopping, world-class restaurants, organic markets and accessibility to good doctors!  We even have a chance to become the Dubai Mall Millionaire!  For every 300 dirhams you spend, you can enter a drawing to win 1,000,000 dirhams ($270,000)!

I think we can truly appreciate these opportunities because of the lifestyle we have back home and living in a small and quaint town.  We really do get to enjoy the best of both worlds!  What an opportunity!

"Winter" Break

I always wonder how we are going to spend our free time during a winter, summer or spring break. But without fail, we end up staying super busy and by the end of it all I have no idea where the time went.  This so-called winter break was no different!  The first part of our time was occupied by baseball!  Mason was fortunate enough to have private pitching lessons with two Washington National pitchers.  Then he attended a 3-day baseball camp put on by current and former professional players.  What an opportunity!

 Pitching lessons

 Coaches' pep talk

 Camp photo

Mason with National pitchers Pat Lehman and Danny Rosenbaum

It's hard to believe that we spent most of our "winter break" at the pool, but we've been taking full advantage of the heated pool and temperatures in the 70's and 80's!  Cash loves "diving" into the deep end, which starts off like a swan dive but ends up more like a belly flop! ha!  He's a descent swimmer, and I'm sure the fearless kid will be doing backflips off the high-dive before too long ;)  Jake likes to play and splash in the water, and he loves to wear his swim goggles.  He does not necessarily like to put his face under water!  Reminds me of a saying my Papa Nelson used to say, "You can go swimming, but you can't get wet!"

 Swim games with Mason, Jake & Cash

Smiley Jake

Swan Dive by Cash

 Mason playing "monster" with the kids

The Dubai Mall is right across the street from us, so it's a quick walk and has lots to offer!  We can get a bite to eat, watch the water fountain, go to the toy store, grocery store, movies, etc.  There is also a dinosaur skeleton on display that is over 155 million years old!  It's pretty impressive and was discovered in 2008 at the Dana Quarry in Wyoming!  Almost all the bones were found intact at the excavation site and is over 80 feet long!

 Cash, Shyla and Jake on the camel statue

 Jake & Cash are mesmerized by the Dubai Water Fountain

 Just another Rolls Royce parked outside the mall

 A gold plated Ferrari on display

 Main entrance to the mall

 View of our apartment on our walk home from the mall

 Burj Khalifa

A stroll through the mall with Cash, Erin, Jake & Emily 

We managed to fill our other days with outings to the park, an indoor play gym and even the beach!

 Silly boys at the park

 View of the Burj Khalifa with Liam, Marina & Eva

 A day at Kite Beach

 Cash & Erin practicing their back-dive into the ball pit

View of sunrise

Now we are back in full swing with Mason back in school and the twins just finished their first week of preschool!  Baseball games have resumed and the horse racing started up last night!  These next few months are going to fly by!

First day of preschool in Dubai for Liam, Cash & Jake

Side Note - Updated Homepage!

It appears the company I used to design my blog has since got out of business as I have been attempting to contact them for quite some time.  I was hoping to update the photos on my homepage, but looks like that may not happen.  If anyone has any suggestions, please send my way. Also, do not contact "The Cutest Blog on The Block" as they will not reply!  Here are my updated photos!

Mason - 8.5 yrs

 Cash - 3.5 yrs

Jake - 3.5 yrs

Merry & Happy Everything!

Merry & Happy Everything pretty much sums up the holiday season here!  Dubai is a melting pot of cultures and religions with people from all over the world!  Dubai has opened it's arms to everyone and celebrates everything!  It seems like Dubai is always celebrating something: whether it's UAE National Day on December 2nd (The UAE was formed in 1971 and just turned 43!), the Christmas holiday season, Happy Kwanzaa, New Years Eve, and they have even dedicated the entire month of January for the "Dubai Shopping Festival!"  I feel like Dubai gets even more into the Christmas spirit with every year.  Hotels, shops and restaurants are decorated to the nines, Christmas music is played on the radio and throughout the grocery stores, the schools have a "Winter Holiday Concert" with Christmas music and everyone wishes you a Merry Christmas, even if they don't celebrate Christmas.  It's not home, but Dubai is not a bad place to be during the holidays :)

CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES AROUND DUBAI

 Photo with Santa at Hamley's toy shop in the Dubai Mall

 Followed by the dancing Hamley's bear and a marching band playing Christmas carols

 A unique Christmas gift called "A gift from Arabia"

 Cash & Jake snuggled inside a fury stiletto outside the designer shoe section of the Dubai Mall

Christmas carolers attempting their best at Jingle Bells just outside the Louis Vuitton shop ;)

 Mason and his buddy, Rohan, at their school Holiday Concert

 There is always a parent/kid dance after their performance

 I tried my best to get into the Christmas spirit, so I made my MaMa Nelson's infamous sugar cookies and let the kids decorate them! (Erin, Emily, Cash & Jake)

Caroline and I took the kids to a Christmas performance on the ice-skating rink at the Dubai Mall (Cash, Shyla & Jake)

OUR CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY!

 Caroline and Bhupat fixed a fabulous Christmas Eve dinner 

(Jake, Cash, Emily, Erin, Edith & Shyla)

 Nothing like a little iPad time at the end of the night

 Apartment living helps us keep things simple with our little tree and a few presents from Santa!

 Christmas morning: Cash and Mason love to sleep in the same bed and Jake is perfectly content to sleep in his own bed!

 Mason playing Madden on his new Playstation 

 A complete set of Baseball cards

 And football cards, including Johnny Manziel's rookie card

 Dr. Jake with his new medical kit

 The boys are learning to play the Batman game

 Now it's the twins' turn

Aggie Football Guys

 Christmas Lunch at the Meydan hotel (Erin, Emily, Cash & Jake)

 Jake discovered the ice cream!

 Yummy!

 Christmas music sang by the Philippino carolers 

 No Christmas brunch is complete without a bounce house

 Not everyone was thrilled about the photo op in Santa's sled ;)

 Our good friends the Franco's were also there!

Face painting and lollipops!  Now the day is complete!