Thursday, January 31, 2019
Kaitlynn's Christmas Program
On the day I returned to Dubai, Kaitlynn's 4th grade music class participated in a Christmas program at the school's big theater. They dressed in their holiday best and performed some musical numbers they had been practicing. I wasn't able to attend due to being completely off schedule from my trip, but I was thankful for the fun photos that Kaitlynn's teacher published for the parents. What a bunch of Christmas cuties!
Monday, January 28, 2019
Impromptu Trip to Houston
On one of the most impromptu trips I've ever taken, I made a quick visit to Houston in late November. Jeff and I had been watching the housing market in Katy for a while and found a home we thought was worth a look. The timing lined up with some holidays here in Dubai, so I left Jeff with a long list of instructions and made the 16-hour flight to Houston. The kids weren't happy when I left but they were in great hands.
We have been so blessed and thankful for one of our great friends, Mary Ann, who had toured and researched so many homes on our behalf. When we saw this one, it was exciting to us and felt like it could be the one. It wasn't an easy process, but after several visits to the home and back-and-forth with the sales office, we are officially under contract on this brand new house!
No doubt I will have SO MANY future posts about the new house, but I wanted to make my visit to the Houston area count by visiting with friends and family. As always, the Aasmyrs were incredibly gracious to let me stay with them during my visit. I was so happy to see their sweet faces, including of course their zoo of animals whom I love dearly!
I always feel right at home with Julie's family and their precious animals, and Connor and Kaitlynn were SO jealous when I was texting them photos. Julie was kind enough to clear her schedule for me and help drive me around to appointments and errands during my stay.
My mom also dropped everything and made a trip to stay with me in Katy during the long weekend. We booked a room at a local hotel and had a proper girls weekend - touring the house, Christmas shopping, enjoying our favorite food spots, and some much overdue catching up. Julie took some photos of us and I'm so thankful she did. Love these memories!
When it was time for my Mom to return home, we met for lunch with Julie and Michelle. After all of these years of Mom hearing about my sweet friends, it was so nice to get to hang out together at one of our favorite lunch spots.
After my Mom hit the road, the girls and I lingered and then set out for a couple days together just to hang out and catch up. Both Michelle and Julie kept their days free so that I could accomplish some errands related to the house and some additional Christmas shopping. They even helped me with flooring and window covering selections, which I was SO thankful for!
It was also incredible luck on my part that both Collin and Kevin happened to be in town during my visit. I took them out for a Mexican lunch and then drove them by the new house so they could take a look. I'm afraid I made Jeff incredibly jealous but it was so nice to see them and hear how their lives are going these days!
My sneaky, quick trip to Houston was a smashing success all around. Even I was impressed with the amount of things I was able to accomplish and the number of my favorite people I was able to visit. I paid a hefty price in the ensuing lack of sleep (for weeks to come) but it was totally worth it!
We have been so blessed and thankful for one of our great friends, Mary Ann, who had toured and researched so many homes on our behalf. When we saw this one, it was exciting to us and felt like it could be the one. It wasn't an easy process, but after several visits to the home and back-and-forth with the sales office, we are officially under contract on this brand new house!
No doubt I will have SO MANY future posts about the new house, but I wanted to make my visit to the Houston area count by visiting with friends and family. As always, the Aasmyrs were incredibly gracious to let me stay with them during my visit. I was so happy to see their sweet faces, including of course their zoo of animals whom I love dearly!
I always feel right at home with Julie's family and their precious animals, and Connor and Kaitlynn were SO jealous when I was texting them photos. Julie was kind enough to clear her schedule for me and help drive me around to appointments and errands during my stay.
My mom also dropped everything and made a trip to stay with me in Katy during the long weekend. We booked a room at a local hotel and had a proper girls weekend - touring the house, Christmas shopping, enjoying our favorite food spots, and some much overdue catching up. Julie took some photos of us and I'm so thankful she did. Love these memories!
When it was time for my Mom to return home, we met for lunch with Julie and Michelle. After all of these years of Mom hearing about my sweet friends, it was so nice to get to hang out together at one of our favorite lunch spots.
After my Mom hit the road, the girls and I lingered and then set out for a couple days together just to hang out and catch up. Both Michelle and Julie kept their days free so that I could accomplish some errands related to the house and some additional Christmas shopping. They even helped me with flooring and window covering selections, which I was SO thankful for!
It was also incredible luck on my part that both Collin and Kevin happened to be in town during my visit. I took them out for a Mexican lunch and then drove them by the new house so they could take a look. I'm afraid I made Jeff incredibly jealous but it was so nice to see them and hear how their lives are going these days!
My sneaky, quick trip to Houston was a smashing success all around. Even I was impressed with the amount of things I was able to accomplish and the number of my favorite people I was able to visit. I paid a hefty price in the ensuing lack of sleep (for weeks to come) but it was totally worth it!
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Thanksgiving in Dubai
Our first Thanksgiving Day in Dubai was very low key. It was a work day for Jeff but the kids were out of school, so we picked up Jeff and went to have lunch in JBR at El Chico's followed by a walk to the kids' favorite candy store, Fuzziwig's. It was a beautiful day to be outside but it sure didn't feel like Thanksgiving to us!
We had basketball and tumbling practice in the afternoon so it really just felt like a regular day, which was admittedly a bit depressing. But the following day, we were invited to a family gathering with around 8 additional families at our friends Matt and Chelsea's gorgeous home in Jumeirah Golf Estates. Matt is also Kaitlynn's softball coach, and he went all out by smoking 2 turkeys and a ham. We all brought our favorite side dishes and desserts, and it turned out to be the most welcoming, heartwarming gathering and a true Thanksgiving dinner. We felt so fortunate for our wonderful friends here in Dubai who helped us to feel right at home when we had been feeling somewhat homesick from missing our families back home.
We had basketball and tumbling practice in the afternoon so it really just felt like a regular day, which was admittedly a bit depressing. But the following day, we were invited to a family gathering with around 8 additional families at our friends Matt and Chelsea's gorgeous home in Jumeirah Golf Estates. Matt is also Kaitlynn's softball coach, and he went all out by smoking 2 turkeys and a ham. We all brought our favorite side dishes and desserts, and it turned out to be the most welcoming, heartwarming gathering and a true Thanksgiving dinner. We felt so fortunate for our wonderful friends here in Dubai who helped us to feel right at home when we had been feeling somewhat homesick from missing our families back home.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
10 Years of Blogging!
I'm taking a break from my regular stories about our family activities to write an extra special blog post. Today, January 20, marks exactly 10 years to the day when I began our Courtright Family blog. My very first post was published on this date in 2009. How crazy is that?!
When I reflect on the reasons I began this blog, I'd say my purpose is exactly the same 10 years in: to document and preserve our family memories and photos. Initially I think I just wanted an easier way to share with family and friends, but over the years the blog for me has definitely evolved into more of an attempt to capture our stories for personal use and preservation. Countless times, I have looked back at old stories on the blog and thought to myself, "Wow, I had forgotten all about that!" How does that happen?!
A few years into blogging, I began downloading the posts and photos into a book format. It's an annual yearbook of sorts, and these mean so much to our family. Over the years there have been many times where I've gotten off track with posting and had to catch up from behind, and it was these books that kept me motivated to keep going.
I feel like the blog and our published memories are a big part of the legacy I hope to leave behind for my children and our family. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to look back and reflect on our abundant blessings in life and love.
When I reflect on the reasons I began this blog, I'd say my purpose is exactly the same 10 years in: to document and preserve our family memories and photos. Initially I think I just wanted an easier way to share with family and friends, but over the years the blog for me has definitely evolved into more of an attempt to capture our stories for personal use and preservation. Countless times, I have looked back at old stories on the blog and thought to myself, "Wow, I had forgotten all about that!" How does that happen?!
A few years into blogging, I began downloading the posts and photos into a book format. It's an annual yearbook of sorts, and these mean so much to our family. Over the years there have been many times where I've gotten off track with posting and had to catch up from behind, and it was these books that kept me motivated to keep going.
I feel like the blog and our published memories are a big part of the legacy I hope to leave behind for my children and our family. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to look back and reflect on our abundant blessings in life and love.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
ASD Junior Falcons
When Connor's ASD middle school basketball games were underway, Jeff and I were so excited to see him in action. We attended some games after school as well as a weekend tournament in December. Funny enough, his very first game was against his former school, Dubai American Academy. It was a bit strange being back on campus, and Connor even saw a few of his DAA friends before and during the games.
Connor is getting a lot of play time for his team and really enjoying the experience. He has a long way to go but he is really progressing with his skills and learning the game. We love being able to see our #90 on the court!
Connor is getting a lot of play time for his team and really enjoying the experience. He has a long way to go but he is really progressing with his skills and learning the game. We love being able to see our #90 on the court!
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