More of our FIRST CHRISTMAS IN DOHA pictures...

Merry Christmas, From our Family to Yours!!!

This song by the Chipmunks was both of the kids absolute favorite one this year!!!

Stay tuned for more of our Wonderful Christmas pictures.....

LOVE, THE GARCIAS IN THE DESERT!

NICHOLAS CELEBRATES HIS BIG 0-4!!!

Our little Mr. Independent is growing up quickly. Today, he has reached the BIG 0-4!! We want to wish him a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Little guy, you bring us pride and joy with every new thing you do. As you now sleep in your little bed, we wish you sweet dreams as you remember your special day today: a trip to the toy store to pick out your toy of choice, lunch with Mommy, Daddy and Sissy, a fancy little hair cut, playtime with Sheikah Layla, your favorite meal for dinner, and the 8-plus phone calls you had from family back in Texas via vonage, singing to you the special birthday song.

Sleep, big boy, sleep! Tomorrow is a new day!!! He had a few friends over for a party. That was VERY special. During the blowing out of the candle on his cake, he made a wish, but didn't tell us what he wished for. If we had to guess, though, it was probably that EVERY BIRTHDAY BE AS SPECIAL AS TODAY'S WAS, AND THAT EVERY DAY WOULD BE HIS BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we reflect on the true meaning of today, The Garcias in the Desert would like to express our gratitude to God for all the WONDERFUL blessings He has continued to bestow upon our family. To our family and friends back in the States, we will think of you even more often today, and will miss you like crazy. And, as we prepare for our Thanksgiving Day meal here in Doha, we anxiously await the arrival of 12 of Doha's servicemen and servicewomen who will be gracing us with their presence at our compound this evening. Hence, we thought we would share the website below with you, as a show of gratitude and as a small reminder of what today is truly all about! ENJOY - And pull out those tissues!! ;) HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERY ONE! AND GO, COWBOYS!!!!! http://www.cpmsglife.org/tg/td1.html

BAYTOWN RSS - C/O '82

No, it's not their 20th reunion or even their 30th, yet! But it was a special type of reunion very few EVER get to have! Read on.....

One very special night, while visiting with some of our favorite friends at their home, us ladies decided to take a walk down the road to visit with yet some other friends. Roland and our host had decided they would stay back and join us a bit later. While mingling with the other families there, I met the wife of one guy in particular whom was just interesting enough to me to get me on the phone with my husband almost immediately!!!

The telephone conversation between my HUSBAND and I went like this:

"Hi, honey! How's it going?"

GREAT!

"Guess what?"

WHAT'S UP?

"There's a guy down here that I just met who says he graduated from Baytown Sterling."

HUH...REALLY?

"Yeah! And, get this, he says he's 44 years old, so I'm thinking you might even know who he is."

WELL, WHAT'S HIS NAME?

"Oh, I don't know if I should tell you. Why don't you just come on down here and see for yourself. You MIGHT not even know him."

WHO IS IT? TELL ME!

-click-

I did know, but was not about to give up the name as I was just beside myself with curiosity as to just what might happen next. Well, not even a minute later, Roland comes walking down the road with his friend (reinforcement, I'm sure). He lands right in front of this new guy.

The conversation between the two of them went like this:

"Hi, James (last name)."

ROLAND GARCIA.

-pause-

"Do I know you?"

YOU MEAN YOU DON'T REMEMBER ME?

(Obviously Roland had already recognized him and awaiting his reply.)

- a longer pause and a deeper glance...and, then -

"Spit??!!"

YES!!! (Spit was Roland's nickname in high school.)

Then came a great big hug and the biggest grins you have ever seen on two grown men who were transforming back into two fun-loving high school kids. Turns out, these two were "running buddies" back in the day. Roland remembers James' mom cooking for them sometimes when Roland would be over to visit. They, also, had more than a few wild nights cruisin' the streets of Texas Avenue and Highway 146!! Today, they are each married to a younger woman (lucky dogs), each have a daughter attending ASD, and both work for a company in the petrochemical field, all in DOHA * freaking * QATAR!

UNBELIEVABLE?!?! YES, to say the least!!

To this day, we still can hardly believe this happened. It's stuff you see only in movies or read about in books. Nonetheless, it happened to them, and a new friendship in Doha has emerged. "THANK YOU GOD FOR THE MIRACLES IN LIFE THAT MAKE IT SWEETER."

This was them, then:

...... And, this is them, now!

(...Here's a song from "back in the day"!)

Happy Halloween, Vatos Locos!

OK, let me explain the title of this post. Halloween for us has always been about the KIDS having a good time, dressing up as their favorite superhero or idol. Well, they weren't the only ones dressing up and having a good time this year, baby! This was OUR year to cut loose and enjoy, as well.

The Doha Players hosted an adult Halloween costume party at Doha's InterContinental Hotel. Back in June, our friends emailed us from Doha asking if we wanted to join them at this BALL. The theme was Gangsters and Molls, which sounded totally interesting to us so we told them to sign us up!! Originally, we thought about dressing up in zoot suits and flapper dresses with the big feather, fishnet stockings, and fancy boas. But our host became very persuasive about the idea that we should dress up a little different, and stand out from the crowd. And, oh my, our mission was DEFINITELY ACCOMPLISHED.

She suggested we dress up instead as Vatos Locos and Cholas. Now, yes, Rolando and I are both from Southeast Texas and, just like any other South Texan out there, we have seen our share of Vatos Locos and Cholas to last us a lifetime. And even though the thought of children growing up exposed to this type of violent lifestyle is a nightmare for us, we did as our friend requested and complied. This is where it gets good. As the three of us couples walked in and made our way through the crowded lobby area, we quickly realized 2 things: 1. not a single person was dressed the way we were (YAY!), and 2. ALL eyes were on us!! It could have been the worst thing ever, but as the minutes passed, the glances turned into smiles, followed by head nodding; and eventually, a lot of them even became "brave enough" to approach us and ask if we, in fact, were from South Texas!! Too funny! The night just got better from that point as we began to steadily win over the crowd and even the hearts of some teachers that opened up and confessed to us that we reminded them so much of students they used to have in their classes whom they were afraid of. That was hilarious!! They told us about how they used to worry so much about them; and how they would later be so proud to hear that most of them succeeded in life, after all. This was sort of like us, as we totally could have bombed with our choice of costume, but ended up having a great time and even having our picture flashed up on the big screen slide show!! I must give credit where credit is due, though. If it had been up to me, we would have worn the boring suit and dress. So we say, "Thank you, Patricia and Brian, for being the inspiration behind it all!!! It was a night we will not soon forget!!!!! The tattoos are proof of it all!" And to Meagan and Kevin 'Ferderline', "You guys were sooo BAD!"

"LET'S PLAY BALL!!!"

Yes, the All-American Sport has finally hit Doha! Well, our family here in Doha, anyway. It has been here for past years, but this year, our family will have its own little star-player named NICHOLAS LORENZO!!!







Daddy, Mommy, and Sissy were all up-and-at-it early this morning, to show our support of our lil' t-ball player. Armed with his glove, bat and ball, Nick was off to the skills assessment event at the American School of Doha. All 11 of the boys and girls that signed up to play ball this season were, as expected, simply adorable! The morning consisted of a rotation through 4 stations: running the bases, catching, pitching, and finally Nick's favorite, BATTING!! He did so well at all of them, running only 3/10 of a second slower than the top runner (a six year old)!!! He didn't catch any balls, but fell over himself just trying to stop them from getting by him; and he hit 3 out of the 4 balls attempted. Overall, he did amizingly well; already being called a little "firecracker" by some of the other parents, whom I should add, kept coming up to us asking if he was OUR son!! "SURE IS; AND WE ARE SOOOO PROUD OF HIM!!"

See you all at the games!!! You know we'll all be there, cheering on our lil' guy!! "GO, NICK!"

EID MUBARAK, AMIGOS!

I figure it's alright to mix Arabic and Spanish, after all, we are Latinos living in Muslim country. LOL!! I wanted to post about the start of EID because it brought with it a very interesting night for us last night. As everyone was waiting around for the ultimate call about Ramadan being over or not, meaning if Tuesday would be a holidy from school and work; the biggest challenge for us was whether or not to put the kids to bed on time! Then, the calls and text messages rolled in one after the other - THEY SAW THE MOON...and the fun began for the four of us: we pulled out favorite movies, snacks, and games; just about anything the kids and us wanted to do....and did that until we literally passed out about 1:30 AM. Not so bad given the fact that the kids really should have and could have been in bed 5 hours earlier!!

Also, I wanted to share a post that our friend Gina put on her own blog about her and her hubby's experience about last night....She added a wonderful song (in English) that I absolutely had to share. Ramadan is over, let the fun begin!!! http://ginaandmichael.blogspot.com/2008/09/eid-mubarak.html

Ike...The latest for Baytown.

For the majority of our home town, the recovery process has been quicker than expected. "Thank you, Lord!!" Power has been restored for most residents, streets have been cleaned up, and even the schools are preparing to re-open as soon as tomorrow. Their local newspaper published two great articles, speaking of the wonderful people that live there, and how they have been stepping up to help. Click on the following links to view: http://baytownsun.com/story.lasso?ewcd=1b0f430bf0509eaf and http://baytownsun.com/story.lasso?ewcd=c6fb8bb4204efd37. Knowing all this makes us feel a bit more at ease. This is one of my favorite songs; so I would now like to dedicate it to my family and friends back in Baytown who have survived Ike; as well as to those of us who truly understand what it means to survive Doha - well, it's traffic mainly! Keep on keeping on - You all are awesome!!!

Also, I received an email from our friend, regarding lessons that were learned by those that had the misfortune to go through the hurricane. "Thank you, Michelle!!" It made me laugh so hard about something that I thought I would not be able to, that I decided to share it with those of you neat enough to read our blog. Ya gotta love #16!!!

Hurricane Education: What I learned during our last hurricane . . .

1. Coffee and frozen pizzas can be made on a BBQ grill.
2. No matter how many times you flick the switch, lights don't work without electricity.
3. My car gets 23.21675 miles per gallon, EXACTLY (you can ask the people in line who helped me push it).
4. Kids can survive 4 days or longer without a video game controller in their hand.
5. Cats are even more irritating without power.
6. He who has the biggest generator wins.
7. Women can actually survive without doing their hair - you just wish they weren't around you.
8. A new method of non-lethal torture - showers without hot water.
9. There are a lot more stars in the sky than most people thought.
10. T.V. is an addiction and the withdrawal symptoms are painful.
11. A 7 lb. bag of ice will chill 6-12 oz Budweiser's to a drinkable
temperature in 11 minutes, and still keep a 14 lb. turkey frozen for 8
more hours.
12. There are a lot of dang trees around here.
13. Flood plane drawings on some mortgage documents were seriously wrong.
14. Aluminum siding, while aesthetically pleasing, is definitely not
required.
15. Crickets can increase their volume to overcome the sound of 14
generators.
16. People will get into a line that has already formed without having
any idea what the line is for.
17. When required, a Lincoln Continental will float, doesn't steer well
but floats just the same.
18. Tele-marketers function no matter what the weather is doing.
19. Cell phones work when land lines are down, but only as long as the battery remains charged.
20. 27 of your neighbors are fed from a different transformer than you, and they are quick to point that out!
21. Hampers were not made to contain such a volume.
22. If my store sold only ice, chainsaws, gas and generators... I'd be
rich.
23. Price of a can of soup rises 200% in a storm.
24. Your water front property can quickly become someone else's fishing hole.
25. Tree service companies are under appreciated.
26. I learned what happens when you make fun of another states'
blackout.
27. MATH 101: 30 days in month, minus 6 days without power equals 30% higher electric bill ?????
28. Drywall is a compound word, take away the "dry" part and it's worthless.
29. I can walk a lot farther than I thought.

Our Hearts Will Go On and On....

After the phone calls I made to my family back home in Texas tonight, I could not go to bed and have good dreams, before I put my personal thoughts into writing on my website which I created specifically for them.......Thank you ahead of time for taking the time to read my personal feelings of the rath and aftermath of Hurrican Ike, with everything you are all going through.

We've all heard about Hurrican Ike, whether you live on that side of the world, or on this one, so I don't have to explain why I'm writing about it. I sat down last night here to try to write about it, but was at a loss as to how I should start it. Since the day I started this blog, I have never been at a loss for words, nor have I found myself having to re-write and, ultimately, delete a post. Needless to say, this event, and the current aftermath of this storm have hit too close to home, for too many.


HOME......I know, you're probably wondering why worry, I live in Doha right now? But what you probably don't know about is that I, also, have a home in Mont Belivieu, TX; but much more importantly, I have both my parents, six sisters and their families, a brother-in-law and family, a father-in-law, and three sister-in-laws and their families, among countless of other relatives and friends, that were directly hit by this monster.

All day long last Saturday, Roland and I sat by the internet, watching the live streaming of abc13.com's coverage on Ike. Thankful for both internet access and vonage service, we stayed in constant communications back home with all of my sisters and with Roland's family. Once most of them lost power, those same phone calls became their only lifelines; and for us, being able to hear their voices on the other end, became what most calmed our nerves and warmed our hearts.

Then came the info. that the bottom part of the storm which was yet to hit was going to be even worse than the top; and all you could hear over and over were the instructions for everyone to be sure to "Bucke Down". Some of Roland's family members stayed at our home for us in hopes that it would provide better shelter, so almost the instant we lost our wooden fence, we knew it had happened. It was Roland's family members who had mostly helped out putting that same fence up a couple of years ago; and Rolando and a then four 1/4 year old Gabrielle who painted it! Gone was all that hard work.

The night was long and a bit scary for them, some of them confessed. Fortunately, some of my own family had evacuated to Dallas. Those that stayed behind, were great enough to stay together. Both of my sisters that each had their baby over the summer were on our minds constantly. All this seemed hard for us as adults to understand...how could anyone expect a child or an infant to understand, as well.

If it hadn't been for the huge time difference, this all might have been a bit harder for me only because I would have been going through it with them as they were. This way, I could atleast sleep through it til the moring and hope and pray that by the time I woke up, things would be much better. And then they were. Ike became a lesser category storm that what was anticipated...and the light at the end of the tunnel was very visible.

Or so we thought.....

I digress. After speaking to two of my sisters and my own father tonight, I began to get a clear picture of what life is really like for them, after Ike. They have no electricity, thus not sleeping very well, they have to eat what food they have avalible to them, they worried about the infants being able to make it through this, getting the toddlers to understand why they aren't at home, and the younger kids must find a way to keep occupied. I have older nephews that must use their muscle to help with the clean up effort, which has proven to be very unsanitary. The oldest of which actually stayed with his mother, my sister, at St. Lukes hostpital for two days, helping out anywhere he could, until he was asked to leave because they have no more room available for him. His mom will come home when things slow down a bit more for the hospital. Both of them had been worried to death with false reports that Baytown was no longer the town it used to be.

I remember my siter-in-law, Gloria, tellig me that all she really wanted, at one point in time, was a simple cup of coffee. The simple things, that seemed so unreachable. Kinda puts into perspective when we here complain about the few goodies we bring back from the states starting to deterioriate.....But we have food, water, and even light!!! How I wished I could have granted her that wish.

Today, I hear that my family is safe. All of our family and friends appear to have physically survived the storm well; and for that I am very grateful. Three of my siters arrived back into Baytown last night afrer a long trip from Dallas. One of the infants was in that group. They all went home last night to access the damage to their homes and found it more than a bit overwhelming. Another one of my siters, that has three boys all under the age of three, had to leave her home after losing power, even though they had weathered the storm at their home well the night of the storm. My sister who is a nurse, has not been able to make it home yet and see for herself that everyone is truly doing ok. And then there's another who luckily had a generator and was able to Bar-B-Q for some of the family, so as to have yet another great meal, while they are still able.

Roland's brother and his wife and family live in a part of town that we thought would certianly not be recognizable (very near the Baytown, LaPorte bridge); and fortunately their home sustained minimal damage and they have had their power on since Sunday. His sister in Dayton and her family had a bit of a scare with a tree branch that pierced their roof, but it luckily was not too big.

Our own home had very little damage. We know that we were all very blessed, given the big picture. We have seen how others have not faired as lucky; and our hearts go out to them. But this is where I come in with the hard and emotional part for me.

My dad sounds in good spirits. He has to be being the head this family and all. But after speaking to him and speaking with my sisters, not to mention, that I have been glued to the TV ever since the hurricane passed, I am sad because of the tough part they are NOW having to go through. Seeing their home and their town, which we have all grown up in, become such a mess has to be tough no matter what.

I'd like to break down and cry sometimes myself for them, just because it CAN be overwhelming. This helps me. Who can help them? It was tough enough leaving them after our visit this time around, just over three weeks ago. But now this, and to know we were not there to be able to help them out more somehow......

Well, that is whay I had to write:
Gloria and Jena, I wish I could have brought you guys a super warm cup of coffee.
Pete, Thanks for taking caring of our home and your family.
Ida, You and your boys were on the thoughts and prayers of both of our kids.
Eric, Thanks for the pictures.
Lupe, Don't worry about your shed, that is just materail stuff.
Anita, I wish I could be there to help out with those precious babies and give your back a rest.
Vero, I am so grateful for the poop. (You know what I mean!)
Matha & Jr., I'm proud that you guys stepped up the way you did.
Mary and Earl, Thanks for alwyas being so willing to help us out with our home.
Mary and boys, Sorry to hear about your home and other properties.
Each of my nephews and nieces, The kids send you hugs and kisses.

Sarah, Mija, Thanks for calling your Daddy as often as you did to let him know you were alright.
Mom and Dad, Thanks you for the powerful prayers I know you prayed which saved each one of your family members.


Someone asked me about how my kids were doing with all of this, and all I could say is that life in Doha has continued for them as status quo. This event is something that I myself still can't completely wrap my head around, so I am partially grateful that they don't have too much knowledge of what is gong on back HOME. They innocently wonder and ask why there had to be a hurricane and why they called it Ike? And if Schlitterbahn would still be there? Two very good questions. And two that I couldn't answer. (To their satisfaction, anyway.)

We will continue to check in on you guys daily, hoping that each of your situation's get better. Thanks for staying so strong, everyone. We must all go on! I could hear my mom's laughter in the background as I spoke to my Daddy today. What more could I ask for? And with that, I must end this post....before the waterworks come again. For someone who didn't quite know how to start this post or knew what to write about, I can only say that I feel so much better after telling my story.....until I see the news tomorrow, that is.

Good night, to each of my family members. May you rest well tonight, and dream the sweetest of dreams - like a better tomorrow. We love you more than we can say.

You are in our hearts and in our prayers,

Lucy and Family

Back in DOHA, again!!

The three of us finally returned to Doha exactly one week ago tonight. Fortunately, the flight was pretty uneventful, and we were in Doha before we even knew it. Gabrielle was right on track with her sleeping pattern right after the very first night, with virtually no jet lag. Nick and Mommy were another story though. Both Daddy and Layla were very excited to see us....one of them even went peepee all over our floors. We'll let you guess which one that was!! Yes, it was Sheikah Layla. The reunion between those three was absolutely adorable. She jumped all over them, literally knocking them to the ground, and was licked them all over. We all underestimated just how much she would grow over the summer. But then again, she was probably thinking the same thing about the kids!!!! So, now, an entire week has passed and pretty much everything is feeling back to normal. Although, I kind of wonder why we even bother getting over the jet lag with Ramadan just around the corner; and the days and nights here are about to be reversed. Those of you who have been in the Middle East and have experienced this, know what I'm talking about. The restuarants and other businesses which us expats have come to depend on, literally close their doors for most of the day, and reopen all night....for the ENTIRE month of September. Those of you who have not been here to experience this, can consider themselves lucky. But, life for us must go on. Nicholas will be starting his music class on Wednesday, and Gabrielle will be in school on the following Sunday. No worries though; the liquor run has been made, and with all the goodies we brought back with us from Texas, we COULD just hibernate the entire month of September!!! The days are hot, the nights are hot, it's always just so hot. But as one of our good friends back in Texas put it, we will all just have to make the best of it and "suck it up!" FRIENDS: We miss you!! FAMILY: We love you. Thanks for a great time!!! TEXAS: Till we see you again!!!

Personal Message to Daddy - From Your Kids in Texas

Hi, Daddy! It has been just over one month since you've left Texas to go back to work in Doha; and although time has gone by fast, we wanted to let you know that we have thought of you and have missed you EVERY single day. This is true, even IF our telephone conversations have been fairly short, and have been interrupted with the million things that we have been up to here. And also true, even though it seems that every time we talk to you all we ask about is how Sheikah Layla is doing. Mommy and us have been busy doing all the fun things we like to do. And she explained to us about the big sacrifice you are doing by working so that we are able to do all these things. So, for that reason and because we love and miss you so much, we decided to make this special post in our blog, just for you to enjoy!! We hope you do.





P.S. The countdown is on: 10 days til we see you, Daddy!!!!!! God Bless You Always, Daddy!!!!

Love,

Your kids in Texas

IT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, AMERICA!!!

This was absolutely the BEST way to celebrate.

JUNE - Our fun time in DOHA!!!

For those of you who have been monitoring our website looking for an update since our sisters' arrival, we extend our apologies for our prolonged absence from our website. But, we whole-heartedly know that once you have viewed the following posts, you will sooo understand WHY! Without further adue, here are the pics:

THEIR ARRIVAL - They brought goodies and more, but could not even make it passed the front door!!!

When Sarah and Martha arrived at the front door of our villa in Doha, I don't know who was more excited - them or us, or should I say, the kids. We all knew it was going to be very special to see our family again, but we were all also a bit anxious to receive the suitcase of American goodies that Lucy's sister was wonderful enough to haul. The biggest hits were the beautiful charm bracelet and the pint size wallet that each of the kids received as gifts from Aunt Martha. Needless to say, bringing Sarah safe and sound to all of us from Texas was the biggest gift of all!! Thank you, MARTHA!!! And having you here,too, was just the cherry on top!!!

So after a short night's rest, we were all off and running the very next morning!!!

No time for JET LAG!!!
The girls were both such troopers during their visit. Lucy had a schedule of events that just had to be met.....and the girls were just more than happy to comply. The very next morning, and with both kids in tow (Gabrielle missed a day of school after waiting up for sissy the night before!), we all attended a Cultural Event hosted by the SSLG at Alfardan I. They got a good education on local culture, tried some of the local food, and were exposed to some of the local dress and other items that make this culture so unique. Then were were off to Cafe Ceramique to have each of us create our own little masterpiece! Nick's choice was of course the soccer ball, Gabrielle chose the flower picture frame, Sarah was the peace sign Volkswagen, and Lucy helped her sister Martha with a traditional teapot which was a big project all it's own!!

The next couple of days consisted of a trip to the Gold and Jewelry Souq to place an order for our necklaces with the charm of our names in Arabic, which are must haves for anyone visiting the middle east!!! That's a picture of Nader with our children. He is our nice and helpful friend at the Gold Souq whom proposed marriage to our oldest daughter, Sarah. The $3,000 US necklace she's wearing was just a loaner for the picture, once the proposal was turned down, of course.

A visit to ASD, Gabrielle's school, was a great event. Big sister Sarah was able to spend the afternoon with little sister's entire 1st grade class!

After school that day, we ended the busy day's activities with visit to one of the infamous juice stalls of Doha, to enjoy a delicious fruit smoothie, in a variety of flavors. That night, Auntie and Big sister were in for an early and relaxing evening, while Rolando and Lucy had other plans for that evening!!

Along with the U.S. Embassy of Doha, we celebrated Independence Day on June 4th at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel! During the playing of the National Anthem, I don't believe there was a dry eye in the entire room. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!! AND HAPPY 4TH TO YOU ALL!!!

The souq required a second visit due to the great time that was had the last time we were all there. This visit brought on more great souvenir finds, and great eating treats such as BABY CAMEL!! Yes, that's right. CAMEL!!! The best way to sum up the experience is by Sarah's words, "It tastes just like a roast!" We TRULY enjoyed the meal more than we thought we would.

And since time was of the essence, the best and most memorable of times was during our weekend's trip with both Dad and Gabrielle to the dunes with our excellent tour guide, Mr. Ibraham! (Thanks for the recommendation, Sybil!)

He was absolutely the best thing ever! We had him as our personal tour guide of the desert, from the deflating of tires ritual, to the very skilled driving on the dunes, a trip to the Saudi border, and a quick stop at the camel farm for some camel riding, drinking of the camel's milk (with or without the Arabic tea), and the very cleverly planned trip back home, just as the beautiful sunset was blessing the Doha skies. All in all, a perfect day!!!

After that, the days passed even more quickly. I guess time flies when you're having fun, no matter what side of the world you are on. We continued with shopping at the great local malls, had a very peaceful trip on a dhow, and enjoyed another of Nick's music 4 me classes with auntie and sister.

We visited the Souq at night and watched as Nick enjoyed yet another ride on the donkey's back. The rest of us opted for the very traditional henna and the smoking of the, also very traditional, shisha pipe (Apple was our flavor of choice.) Also, one day, the girls and I were fortunate enough to be coming home at the perfect time to visit an empty mosque, between prayer times. But it did not compare to the very emotional and peaceful visit to Doha's own Catholic Church. That was without a doubt the most emotional event for all of us to be witness to. And before leaving Doha, we were also fortunate enough to get acquainted with the country's bird, the Female Falcon. WOW!! How beautiful she was!

Their 10 day visit was a very short one....we are sooo looking forward to next year's visit! As for what was next for us, it was time to pack our suitcases with all the souvenirs, cooler-weather clothes and all the fun trinckets the kids needed for yet another adventure, as we were off to our next stop - BARCELONA!!!!! Until we see you again, Doha....I think this sticker says it all!!!