ASD Junior Falcons - Closing out the Season

Once we were back in the swing of things with school in January, Connor's basketball season with his middle school team was quickly coming to a close. I was subbing at the school one day and happened upon his locker. I couldn't resist taking a photo; so cool to see his locker decorated with his name plaque.

When it was time for the Junior Falcons' final tournament, Connor's teammates voted to elect a captain for their team. The coaches emphasized the qualities of a leader - dependability, respect, sportsmanship, among others. Connor was excited and honored to be elected the 7th grade captain of his team. We felt so proud of him!

For their last tournament, the ASD Junior Falcons competed against 3 other American schools from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The tournament was hosted by Dunecrest American School here in Dubai. Connor's team managed to pull off a win in the first game against their "rivals" - the Dubai American Academy Leopards (incidentally, Connor's former school!), which is the only team that ever beat our Falcons the entire season.

The ASD Junior Falcons played a total of 3 games before going undefeated into the championship game. Their opponent was a team from Abu Dhabi, and the boys on that team looked so much older and taller than Connor's team. Jeff and Connor joked about 2 of the tallest kids, calling them the Twin Towers, ha! Connor was one of the starters for all of the games and played hard the entire time. He felt defeated a time or two when one of the Towers would so easily block a shot or make a steal, but Connor persevered throughout every game.

The championship game was a close one, with the yellow team keeping the lead for much of the game. Connor's team came back towards the end, and then one of the strong opponent players fouled out of the game. That sealed the deal, as our Falcons took the lead and never lost it again. It was a nail-biting finish, super nerve-wracking, but such an amazing way to end the season for the ASD Junior Falcons. 1st place champs!!

ASD honors its student athletes with a ceremony and dinner for each season. We were happy to watch Connor grace the stage and congratulate their team for a great season. It was such a great experience for Connor, who was almost completely new to the sport. He learned a ton, had a blast with his teammates, and definitely caught the basketball fever!

A Spectacular Night in Dubai

In early February, Jeff and I were invited to spend an evening celebrating the 40th birthday of our friend Chelsea here in Dubai. Chelsea's husband Matt is Kaitlynn's head softball coach and our families have become great friends. We were excited to join a big group for a special night on the town in Dubai. Chelsea and Matt rented a yacht and hosted several couples for food and fun as we toured some of the most famous Dubai sights from the water. It was a spectacular and unforgettable night with some amazing friends!

It has been funny to see how small our world is here in Dubai. We all run in the same circles and our friend groups are very close. Matt and Chelsea have hosted us on several occasions and it was great to see the gang of couples together again. We made sure to get lots of photos of Chelsea's "family" here in Dubai.

The yacht was quite large and plenty of room for our group. We had a nice cabin stocked with dinner and drinks, but Jeff and I stayed up on the top for most of the cruise to enjoy the sea breeze and incredible views.

My favorite part of the yacht experience was of course enjoying the view of some famous Dubai sights up close from the water. The Dubai Eye, Dubai Marina, Atlantis, and Burj Al Arab have never looked more beautiful!

While we were on the boat, our group enjoyed some crazy karaoke and dancing as well. We all learned some new lyrics and relived a little bit of our youth, ha!

It was a gorgeous and chilly night, perfect for our yacht adventure to celebrate Chelsea's milestone birthday. We had the most amazing time with wonderful friends while enjoying this incredible city we are lucky enough to call home (for now). It was an unforgettable experience and one of my favorite nights yet!

Dubai Little League Family Fun Night

With weekly practices and games for 2 baseball teams and 1 softball team, we spend almost every single weekend, both full days, at the Dubai Little League ballpark. It's our home away from home (away from home, haha) and although it gets tiresome, we probably wouldn't want it any other way. In addition to our regular practice and game schedule, the league organizes several Family Fun Nights for the players and their families throughout the season. With food trucks, bake sales, raffled prizes, player contests, and games under the lights, the Family Fun Nights are always a great way to spend an evening.

New Year

We enjoyed the slower pace of the winter break in the new year. Sleeping in, lazy mornings in our PJs, and play dates with friends were all on the agenda. It was a nice change of pace from the hectic month of December. One morning I looked up to find the kids both enjoying their books while eating breakfast. I admit I was both surprised and proud, so I couldn't resist taking a quick pic.

Kaitlynn enjoyed a play date with her sweet friend Mia while Connor had his buddy Noah over one afternoon. There is nothing the kids enjoy more than quality time with friends.

In early January, our good friends Clint and Kelly from church welcomed their new baby and first son, Caleb Gray. I was honored to meet him in the hospital for some baby snuggles. They are such a sweet and precious family, and getting those newborn cuddles just made my week!

Back in November, Jeff left me a sweet anniversary note on Kaitlynn's white board in the upstairs landing area in our villa. It quickly turned into a note-writing competition of sorts between Jeff and Kaitlynn as they began leaving the sweetest messages for each other day after day. The board began to get quite full in the new year as the message-writing continues. Love their sweet relationship!

When it was time for the kids to return to school, we quickly resumed our busy daily schedule with activities. Most days, Kaitlynn was staying after school to participate in various after school activities such as basketball, dance, and ping pong. On the days that Connor didn't have practice as well, he could be found hanging out with his buddies on their laptops in the cafeteria. I happened to catch them one afternoon.

Kaitlynn had an art assignment to draw a self-portrait, and she completed her picture with enthusiasm and a little extra flair -- her Sooners softball jersey.