I feel so disciplined lately

I am not one for self motivation or discipline. It has just never really been my thing. I like to do things with people. I like people to do things with me. Isn't life more fun that way. I know that is how I usually seem to function more effectively. If I have someone cleaning with me, I am more likely to keep on task. If I know someone else is doing the same thing I am doing, then I am more prone to have a little more motivation to do things better and faster. Maybe its healthy competition, maybe its prideful "have to be best" mentality, maybe its many hands make light work...who knows, but what I do know is that I usually appreciate someone holding my hand to make things happen. When I moved to New York someone was right there with me helping me make decisions, save money, be prayerful. Same thing for Dubai. I mean obviously there is a streak of independence in me or I would probably still be living at home, but sometimes I feel like I am one of those codependent people. Latch on and not let go until I am forced out in to the deep waters.

Well I would say that in the last couple of weeks (trying not to be proud of this as to fall off the horse tomorrow) I have been genuinely self motivated out of a heart to seek and honor someone bigger than myself. I have been waking up early to seek Him, and work out too, and be ready for my day. Obviously with my schedule these days it is much more flexible and feasible since I don't have to be ready until 9:30, and even then I can drink coffee and such after that point. So I am not waking up before daylight or anything, but it is still nice to not be lounging in bed til 9am to be sort of pulling myself together to play with kids or clean some house.

Plus it is so amazing how when a few small things in life really make the world of difference in attitude and energy. I am on the up swing right now, and it is nice to be here. It has been too long since I have felt on top of things, and with the right motivation of heart. It is the h.lySp!rit for sure working with in me. Hello I am thankful.

In other news, Petunia still has no buds, and I have been giving her plant food. :( This saddens me.

2% chance of rain

the cute little troopers

The Furs planned a day trip to go on a dhow boat trip up on the tip of Oman. When we got there the company told us that it was too windy and there were no boat trips going out. So we didn't end up going on the boat, but we still got to enjoy this beautiful drive and eat lunch on the beach in cool windy weather. Then we had to pack up our when the 2% chance of rain that Gloria had heard about came to fruition. We made a run for it, and made it out the mountains without torrential down pour. We ended the day with Mexican food, which was a great way to close out the roadtrip.

6 weeks in photos

tourists taking pictures of the Atlantis


obligatory shot inside the Atlantis Hotel


right here in the Dubai


random shopkeeper and textiles


the abras that people use as public transportation to cross the creek everyday


random craziness that went on at the new mall by our house


my friend Kate came to visit us!


the indoor ski slope and winter wonderland


i call this "light pole, mosque, burj"

i filed an extension

I emailed my father to see if he got my taxes in and if he had to forge my name. This was his response.

YEEEEAAAASSZZZZ MIIIZZZZ PATTERSON WE HERE AT HHIIPPTAX SERVICES WERE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR SITUATION WITH OUT SAID OUTSIDE THE LAW ACTIONS AS YOU HAVE SUGGESTED....WE HERE AT HHIIPPTAX SERVICES ACTUALLY COINED THE PHRASE......"WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO KNOW PEOPLE"
AND AS DUSTIN HOFFMAN SAID IN THE GREEAT MOVIE "THE MARATHON MAN" ......."IT'S SAFE"......BUT ACTUALLY HE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.....HE JUST AGREED AND SAID IT WAS SAFE BECAUSE SOME OLD NAZI WAR CRIMINAL WAS DRILLING ON HIS TEETH WITHOUT ANY ANESTHETIC...PRETTY PAINFUL I SUPPOSE.....HOWEVER WE HERE AT HHIIPPTAX SERVICES ACTUALLY KNOW THAT IT IS SAFE....THEREFORE YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT THE PEOPLE WE KNOW WHO ACTUALLY KNOW PEOPLE ASSURED US IMPLICITLY THAT INDEED IT IS SAFE AND THEREFORE WE WILL BE ADDING THE EXTREME COST OF THIS SPECIAL SITUATION TO YOUR LIFELONG "TAB"...WE WILL SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE C-O-L-L-E-C-T......OR...IF THERE IS RESISTANCE IN THIS MATTER WE KNOW OTHER PEOPLE WHO WOULD PUT US IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE WHO COULD AND WOULD DIRECT US TO MORE CLANDESTINE PEOPLE WHO COULD COLLECT SAID "TAB".......

YOURS TRULY
THE PERSON....WHO IS ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE INITIAL....PEOPLE WHO KNOW

I've got friends in dry places, where the sand blows and the sun chases my blues away...i'll be ok

I have been racking my brain lately to think of real life things to blog about. It just came to me something very important that you probably haven't gathered about my life here.

Did you know that I have great friends here? Really. In my short time here I have accumulated some valuable friendships. I know I have told you that I have met people from all over, and that there is some great diversity among the people we know, but did you realize those people are genuinely my friends? (i mean i think they are)

There is this one couple Nigel and Kristen who have gone above and beyond to make Katie and me feel connected and welcomed.


Kristen and Nigel the social instigators, so there is always a plan for people our age to get together socialize, eat, congregate, and enjoy each others company. True community in my opinion. We get quality time with quality people. I enjoy that as you can imagine.

Then there are some great families who we have gotten to spend time with who have been so generous by welcoming us into their homes. We have been swimming in their pools, eaten dinner with their families, been taken out to breakfast, invested in, prayed for, and been given a sense of home by their hospitality. It is so nice to see families living in this city making an impact on the lives around them. I am thankful for that.

Basically I always feel like our social calendar is completely packed. This is such a blessing because I had no idea what to expect in this realm of life. I thought maybe I was going to feel isolated from people my age or single friends. It is great to be around people across the spectrum in this regard. Families young and old and in the middle, young singles, older singles, married couples, married couples with newborns, people from all different cultural back grounds, people with all different job experiences, really just a little bit of everything. And these people are my friends.

I will have to get some more pictures with friends here, so I can show you these fine people. I guess the jist of this is to let you know that life here is fun and full of life. Not mundane, not boring, not solitary. It is enjoyable and we laugh alot. I need that being here away from people who make me laugh a lot and comforts that make me feel loved and appreciated. This too has become a community of people who are a vivid source of those things as well. Ahh exhale in a sigh of relief.

A Rose named Petunia

Aliza gave Katie and me a small potted indoor rose bush. I know it seems impossible, but I have photo proof. So when we received this beauty she was in full bloom happy as a lark or petunia hence the name. So after forgetting to water her the first two-ish days she came to the forefront of room responsibilities. We open our curtains for her every morning, and never forget to water her. However, even with our TLC the blooms have since shriveled, died, and fallen off. We thought that there was no hope for her, but I know for sure she is still growing green leaves just no blooms. I am trying to be patient and let nature take its course, but we don't really have time to be wasting honestly. So I need your help. I have no green thumb. What should I do for sad Petunia. We have been playing her music about roses, but it was a short list. We just want the best for our sweet source of CO2. We are open to suggestions.

oh yaya

Living with a 3 year old will keep you laughing. Aliza, who I pretty much always call Yaya, is a pretty smart cookie. She picks up on a good deal of the adult humor and sarcasm that frequently surfaces in this household. There are 5 adults here all the time and always others roaming in and out as well. We have a good time no doubt.

We are working on getting Norah to say our names and she is walking. Yaya is also picking up on most of the things that we tell Norah all the time. For example "can you say sally?, say sally, sssssally, you say it."

The other morning when I was playing with the girls Yaya said to me, "Miss Sally can you say 'Alishya'?" She is going through a phase where she is starting to not like Yaya as much. She wants to be called Aliza now. I just thought it was so funny that she was testing my language proficiency to rid me of using 'Yaya'.

She also knows how to spell her name, but she always spells it out L-C-A. I say "A-L-I-Z-A" she says, "yes, L-C-A." But in the bathtub one night a few weeks ago, she told Gloria, "Miss Sally says 'A-L-I-Z-A.'" She gets it but not.

Last night Katie and I were out of the house, but Gloria told us this when we got back.

She was feeding Aliza and Norah dinner. When she put the food down in front of Yaya, she out of the norm hit Gloria's hand and said No.
Gloria said, "You don't hit your mommy like that Aliza,"
Yaya said, "that wasn't a hit"
Glo "oh really? was that a love pat?"
Yaya, replies "No it was a sallypat."

Yep that's my name don't wear it out.

She is also a very sweet girl. When I was getting her out of her car seat the other morning at the sunrise service and she was half asleep she said to me, "Miss Sally is gonna cuddle me." So cute. We did cuddle for a while til she was awake and saw fun friends to play with.

She is a funky fresh kid. We have fun.

sandy sunrise celebration