Favorite Things

Amidst all the negative Middle East headlines recently, I am trying to focus on the positive things.

I've listed below a few of my favorite things I've discovered while living in Abu Dhabi.

1. Amazingly delicious strawberries imported from EGYPT! Nothing is sweeter! (especially since the price was equivalent to about 9 USD a package back in September and is now down to approx. 1.5 USD)

2. Mim's heat and roll waxing kit! Seriously takes all of 8 minutes from microwave to smooth legs! My suitcase home will be loaded with these!

3. Our backyard swimming pool. Life is not fair! To those who think we are spoiled by the pool - we are. I consider it one of the trade-offs for living here.

4. The beach-we can be at the beach in less than 25 minutes. That is from our driveway to sitting on the sand. We took out Q's stand up paddle board on Saturday and had "too much fun". Audrey was amazing!

5. Winter. Well, the UAE version of winter. A local told me that it usually starts to get hot here about the end of February. So this month of March I am just chalking up as a gift from God. I think this has been my favorite month of all. Warm days - bordering on hot but not quite and cool nights. Still wearing a sweater at night ["the sweater", the only one I brought]. Actually looks like it might rain today. Our yard has been transformed into an little oasis- coming in from the construction and all the noise of the city, once you shut the gate you can hear birds and watch them nest - we have 4 nests. We love the smell of our orange trees....we also planted strawberries and peppers. I love our yard! So I guess number 6 is our yard. Here's to hoping we don't move this fall.

6. Our Yard.

7. ADFCA- Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority - keeping tabs and stopping contaminated food from eaching our grocery shelves. They just stopped a shipment of spinach, water, milk and a few other items from Japan. Apparently some radiation leaked into some crops. I have been stressing recently about what the heck is in our food. Pesticides and fertilization methods are not the same as USA standards.

9. Sullivan has been accepted into Raha International School for Fall 2011! He will be enrolled in KG2! So excited for him!!

10. Family and Friends - although it's last on this list- it really and truly is #1. We miss you all so much. Thankfully our kids are doing amazingly well. That's not to say we don't still have our episodes: yesterday Audrey had a bit of an emotional meltdown in the car and said "I want to go home!" Sully, as we pulled into the driveway said "Look, Audrey, we are home!". Glad they are getting settled in. And so thankful for angelic friends here who have helped tons to make life in the UAE normal. We are so anxious for Quin's parents to get here today! So excited to see them and to surprise the kids! We haven't told them they're coming.