Merry and Blessed in 2016!

Our Christmas card says it best: Merry and Blessed in 2016!  And while it's hard to be away from family and friends back home during the holidays, we make the best of our time here in Dubai!  Some people are surprised to find out that even though Dubai is in a Muslim country in the Middle East, this place feels very festive throughout the Holiday Season.  Dubai loves a reason to celebrate, and they recognize and honor all holidays from all religions and countries (and nobody gets offended unlike back home in the US...but I digress!) The malls and hotels are decorated to the hilt, Christmas music is played on the radio stations and in the stores and the kids have Christmas concerts and parties at school!  We stayed very busy during our two week break: we went ice skating at the Dubai Mall, the kids rode a camel (real and fake), visited a Christmas Market and Santa Claus at The St. Regis, saw lots of movies and loved Trolls, Sing and Collateral Beauty, caught up on some Christmas movie classics (Home Alone, Home Alone 2 and A Christmas Story), went to the the arcade, boys attended a sports camp and Mason went to a go-cart and laser tag camp, played some baseball and we went to the beach!!  We spent some great time with new friends and old and overall had a awesome Christmas break!! Now we are excited to see what 2017 has in store for us!

ICE SKATING AT THE DUBAI MALL

Jake & Cash's first time ice skating (Mason also went but did not want to pose for a pic!)

Cash wanted to go as fast as possible and then skid out on his skates!

Jake was slow and steady!

Caroline & Shyla came too!

Cheese!

Ice cream after ice skating is a must!

They love the camels!

I needed an extra dose of Soul and Core after all the skating!!

FESTIVE MARKET AT ST. REGIS DUBAI

Christmas Eve dinner with friends - that's 7 boys!!!

CHRISTMAS DAY AT THE BEACH!

Jake was excited to get his remote-controlled robot

Cash loved his new red baseball glove

Mason finally got a pair of Aggie maroon Adidas

Santa train at the Le Royal Meridien

Cheers!

Survival mode!

Eva, Jake, Cash & Liam

Mommy with Cash & Eva

Of course we have to ride a camel while at the beach!

Jake was the first one on and the first to want to get off!!

Santa Camel!

We can't have a day without a game of kick-ball

Perfect Beach Conditions!

Dads are deep in conversation!

Flying their new remote controlled airplane at the ball fields (plane didn't survive the day!)

View from our apartment of boys' swim lessons 

KITE BEACH!

Mason and friends outdoor go-carrting!

Charlie Appleby had 3 winners for Godolphin, and I was the designated trophy recipient!

Jake's winnings at Magic Planet! Now he can buy more junk!

Mason caught up on all the Mission Impossible movies.  Here's a view of our apt in MI3.

NEW YEAR'S EVE FIREWORKS FROM BURJ KHALIFA