Fall Happenings

With the new school year underway, we were enjoying the fall routine and all that the kids' school had to offer. We were all still adjusting to the new campus, and I was spending a lot of time there with the new parent orientation meetings. I snapped a few pictures to remember some of the areas like the elementary Friendship Bench and the newly installed fountain and plaque.








Even in early September, we were still dealing with the crazy hot Dubai weather as we made our way around town for school and activities. Sometimes the temperature gauge in my car would shock me from how high the readings were. Even though this summer was relatively mild by Dubai standards, I always found myself snapping photos to prove how hot it truly was here.







During the worst of the heat, it's always fun to cool off with friends in the water. We always feel lucky to have time with our new friends here in Dubai, even when we're sweating through our clothes.


Despite the ridiculously hot weather, Jeff and Connor were attending multiple weekly baseball practices with some of their fellow players and coaches in our Dubai Little League. Connor was also excited to participate in a training session so that he could umpire some of the baseball and softball games throughout the upcoming season.





And I couldn't resist adding this last photo of Kaitlynn before church one Friday morning, just because she's cute! :-)




First Day of 7th and 4th Grades

It was finally back-to-school time and the first day of 7th and 4th grade for these kiddos! Such an exciting time in our house, as the kids managed their new school uniforms (no more ties, yay!), schedules, and teachers for the first time at American School of Dubai (ASD).

ASD does an incredible job of acclimating the new families with 2 full weeks of meetings and orientations for the parents. It was like I was going back to school myself. I drove the kids to school and we all unloaded for the first day. There were a few jitters but mostly smiles for the day ahead.

Connor took off toward the middle school campus while Kaitlynn and I stuck around to meet her teacher at the designated time. Soon enough she was joined by her classmates and some familiar faces. When her teacher arrived, we snapped one more photo and then she was off for her first day.

The end-of-day report from both kids was exactly what we had hoped... "Awesome!" Both kids settled in and began connecting with both new and old friends immediately. We were all excited for the new year ahead at ASD and thankful to have been given this opportunity for a fresh start.

Celebrating our EPIC Summer

Looking back, we had the most EPIC summer in Texas and Singapore! It's hard to believe everything we packed into those weeks...so many amazing memories! But all good things must come to an end, because the new school year was here. Before the first day arrived, Jeff and I were excited to treat the kids to some end-of-summer treats to cap off our amazing summer.

First up was a dining experience we've been telling the kids about for a while, AB's or Absolute Barbecues. It's an Indian restaurant Jeff first visited with his co-workers and we've been back several times. Of course, our kids aren't big on Indian cuisine, but we thought they would really enjoy the unique and fun dining experience.

First, you're seated at your table and served with multiple skewers of meat that are grilled directly on your table to enjoy. Then, you are able to enjoy an extensive buffet of Indian dishes or cook-to-order options. The kids enjoyed seeing the variety but ended up loving the chicken skewers and buttered Naan bread the most. The favorite part for Jeff and me are the table pass-arounds, such as spicy potatoes and fried corn. So yummy!

Of course, it was no surprise that everyone's favorite part of the meal was the extensive dessert buffet. There are many different individually sized desserts to enjoy along with a chocolate fountain for dipping fruits and brownies. But the HIT of the desserts (and the entire meal) is the ice cream bar with Cold Stone ice cream and mixings that are made to order. We all enjoyed multiple trips to the dessert bar and left overly stuffed and miserable!

Apparently ice cream is a love language for our family, because we found ourselves celebrating the end of summer on another occasion at the recently opened Mooyah store near our villa. Funny, we never at there before even though they have multiple Houston-area locations, but we sure enjoyed the Texas burgers and fries here in Dubai. Their milkshakes are now the kids' favorite ice cream treat and the perfect way to end summer on a high note.

Back to School Orientation

We only had a couple of days after our Singapore vacation when the back to school activities began. The kids were changing schools for the new school year and would be attending the American School of Dubai (ASD). Many of the kids' friends also attend the school, so were feeling excited and optimistic for the new year ahead. To kick off the school year, ASD hosted a full day of parent and student orientations to welcome new families. The students were welcomed by fellow ambassadors with campus tours and various activities like games and pizza, while the parents participated in multiple meetings, sessions, and "coffee mornings" as they are known here. The kids were so excited about the new school and all it offered, as well as seeing their friends after the summer.

During the orientation day, we visited the gym for multiple things like PE uniform sizing, school supplies, and even snacks with free ice cream by a visiting vendor. We also had some lunch on campus at the Subway restaurant - how cool is that! - which would be the first of MANY Subway sandwiches for the school year, ha!

As Connor was off on his own with the middle school sessions, Kaitlynn and I walked to the elementary campus for the long-awaited meet and greet with her new 4th grade teacher, Ms. Wiltgen. Kaitlynn was SO excited to meet her in person, and she was welcomed into her classroom with some activities and invitation to find her locker. What excitement for the year ahead!

Exploring Singapore Day 6: Universal Studios

By the 6th full day of our vacation, we were just so exhausted! We still had several activities remaining on our Hippo Passes, so we decided to start the day with a trip to Universal Studios. This was a somewhat reluctant stop on our visit simply because of the August heat and crowds. For the first 1-2 hours, we had a great time and rode some fun rides without too much of a wait. But by 11:30 a.m., the lines were unbearable and up to 2 hours long. Who waits in lines that long?? We enjoyed our brief stay but it was time to go.

Because the exhaustion had set in, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing at our hotel. We enjoyed some time by the big pool and then the kids goofed off in the children's pool.

Overall, our last day was fun and relaxing followed by one final dinner at Hard Rock Café before our returning flight to Dubai the following morning. Our Singapore vacation had turned out to be an awesome week of family time and fun exploration. Between the Hippo Passes and our Fraser Suites hotel apartment, we loved our visit in Singapore and considered it a perfect summer getaway.

Exploring Singapore Day 5: Sentosa Waterpark, Aquarium, and Trick Eye Museum



Our Singapore vacation was going so well that we were all pooped almost as soon as we woke up each morning, ha! By Day 5 of our trip, we were losing steam but still had many attractions available to visit on our Hippo Passes. We decided to start the day at the Singapore Adventure Cove water park on Sentosa Island. We rode several rides and stayed for half the day before we decided to move on. I only managed a couple of photos but we had a nice time.

Next, we walked over to the nearby Chili's restaurant and scarfed some yummy lunch. Appetites are always big after so much fun in the sun! After lunch, we walked to the Sentosa aquarium for our next adventure. It was a nice air-conditioned activity for us, and the kids enjoyed the shark and hands-on exhibits the most.

After the aquarium, we continued walking around the main Sentosa area to explore. We found a candy store and of course had to venture inside. We didn't end up buying anything and instead opted to enjoy some Krispy Kreme donuts next door. Yum!

For our last stop of the afternoon, we walked to the Trick Eye Museum. It's a fun spot with various stages and exhibits meant to be photographed/videoed which are not as they appear. The kids had fun with this and we took a ton of photos. My favorite was the scene where the kids appear to be bigger than Jeff.