Mom & Sarah Visit us in Doha!

THE BIGGEST OF BLESSINGS AND THE GREATEST OF TIMES....

THANK YOU, LORD! .....stay tuned for more!

Enrique Iglesias - Live in Concert in Doha!!

AND WE WERE IN THE 2ND ROW!!!

If any one had told me a few years ago that my family & I would be living peacefully somewhere in the Middle East, I would have called them crazy....and, if they had told me that it would be during the time that a live concert in which ENRIQUE IGLESIAS would be close enough to me to touch, I probably would have gone CRAZY -- just as I did a couple of nights ago! Here's a one of a kind video, taken by yours truly, that totally explains why:

Now, you know, living in Doha has brought us many, many suprises that I like to call BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE. This concert and the opportunity to see/experience it the way I did, was one of the best blessings I have ever been given. Thank you to my husband for being so wonderful and taking me, as well as to my friends whom together made this a night in Qatar that I will not soon forget!!

THANK YOU, TOO, ENRIQUE!!!

UN BESITO!!

Girl Scouts of America - Overseas Council

Last weekend, our Brownie Scouts (Troop #16) camped out at Sheikh Faisal Al Thani's Farm near his Museum. It was, to say the least, a UNIQUE experience for this Mother/Daughter combo!

Happy 'Green' Day!! (Going with the trend here...)

Today was just like any other day here in Doha, especially since we all forgot to wear GREEN! So, I thought I'd share with you some pictures of a GREENER St. Patrick's Day, which our family celebrated just two years ago....in Florence! (Funny how we didn't wear green that day either.) MY HOW OUR CHILDREN HAVE GROWN!

"Awesome Adventures in Texas"

As most of you know, Roland and Nick finally returned to Doha a couple of weeks ago, safe and sound. Though their return was delayed two full days due to the severe snow storm London was experiencing at the time, Roland and I were grateful that he and Nick were "stranded" in Texas and not in London, thus giving Roland the opportunity to stock up on even more Texas goodies to bring back with them!! (That's what you do when you live in places like Doha that don't always have available the foods you LOVE to eat.) And boy did MY GUYS deliver!!! I tell you, we have all gained at least five pounds each on all the GOOD FOOD and treats we have eaten...things like: beef fajitas, Roland's Dad's homemade flower tortillas, beef jerky, gold fish, deer sausage, bacon strips, fruit roll ups, pecans, planters peanuts, sunflower seeds (ranch-style flavor), you get the idea. YUMMY!!!!

THANK YOU to our lovely families for getting all these things for us; not to mention, for all of the other fun treats that were sent for the kids, for myself, and for little Layla who, by the way, absolutely loves her new toy phone!!

Oh, and before Nicholas left to "America" (as Grace likes to call it), his nanny (Amazing Grace) asked him if he would do her just one small favor: bring her back a little bit of the snow that she had heard had recently fallen right in our own back yard!! Nick was more than happy to oblige and with the help of his father, brought her back a little Texas souvenir, which she absolutely adored!

There's much to be said for having and keeping a happy home. Thank you guys for all your help with this!

Now, having said all that, there were three very special reasons they even took this trip to begin with: to see Sarah and the rest of our families, to attend a very special 25th Wedding Anniversary (Lucy's sister's), and, of course, to watch the Super Bowl 2009!

So, off they went that mid-January night, and this FATHER AND SON DUO had one of the best of times together, yet. Here's how just SOME of their adventures went:

They arrived on a Thursday afternoon, and with no time for jet lag, they immediately had to do some serious shopping for the formal Wedding scheduled for that following Saturday. Now, these were two lone guys, with the requirements of the wardrobe already laid out for them....they were to wear SILVER! Success was met, as you see in the picture at the very top where they are both OH SO HANDSOMELY dressed! And the wedding, from what I heard and could tell from the pictures, was truly a celebration to remember. Here's a picture of typical lil' Nick feeling all grown up amongst all his "cool cousins" as he now calls them. WAY TO GO GUYS, YOU HAVE MADE THIS AUNTIE VERY PROUD BY THE HANDSOME WAY YOU ARE ALL DRESSED UP!! (Did I mention that great genes just run in our family?)

After recouping from a great day, they moved on to visit even more of our family members. Did I mention that Roland and I have a grand total of 11 siblings between the two of us? That's a lot of family, but a lot of LOVE, too! So, at least one evening had to include the cooking of the very well-known S'MORES! This was Nick's first time to ever do this, and he absolutely enjoyed it. Now, whether or not he ever even ate one of these, I'll never know; but what I do know is that he enjoyed doing it so much that he brought back some boxes of honey graham crackers for us to make some here in Doha!!

While at home, MY GUYS were able to stay in our very own house the entire time of their visit. And believe me, they took full advantage of that empty house, and of their free time there, when they had it. Here you can see them enjoying the beautiful, cool weather as they sit on the front porch of our house. I must say that is my most favorite picture of the two of them. I would have loved to have been a fly on that wall during this private moment. Some things I have learned, though, that I should just enjoy from afar (or through pictures, as in this case!) And yes, that is Nicholas shooting some silly string while INSIDE the house!! Gotta envy their times together! ;)

There were the family gatherings and dinners and such; and before we all knew it, the guys were making plans to pack it all up and return to Doha. Nicholas and Daddy had both experienced a lot of FIRSTS. And although Mommy WAS, at first, having a tough time with that, she quickly realized that is was all going to be OK and that a boy really needs some one on one time with his Daddy, too. Were they changed by all this? I guess you could say that. Nicholas has adjusted very well to life in Doha, and already seemed to be so grown up, but this trip did definitely change him a bit. He now TRULY knows that he can always count on Daddy; and that no matter what, MOMMY would always be there for him, too. Look at him in this picture. Aren't I right? BTW, did I mention that he's only 4 years old!!

Looking back, what I love most NOW are those times when Nicholas and I are sitting in the love seat watching his favorite TV show, and he turns to look at me, hugs me, and says, "I missed you, Mommy!" That's when I know I did the right thing. You know, his Aunts and Grandparents kept telling me over and over how very proud they were of Nick, and what a great job I've done with him. If that isn't a compliment for the books, I don't know what is.

One thing's for sure though, we were all super happy to be together again. And though our lives will never be the same, we realize that it is a good thing. The times we've all had have been and will continue to be, AWESOME! And I thank you for letting me share all about it with you!

January 27th, 2009: Our 2nd Year Anniversary!

As I sat down to write about what the significance of reaching a date like today represents for our family, I wasn't quite sure where or how to begin. It is most certainly a date that we knew would one day arrive, but just didn't expect for it to happen quite as rapidly as it has. As a family, we are VERY grateful for every day we have had here. Here's a little bit on why we CELEBRATE about it -
In the past year, we have, among other things: acquired Gabrielle's pet Layla (a great b-day surprise), had a visit from some special family members (Hi, Sarah and Martha), spent some time touring the amazing Barcelona, "vacationed" in Texas, have met several new and wonderful people, changed housing within Doha (for the better), brought in a live-in Nanny (more info. to come on our "Amazing Grace"), celebrated our first Christmas in Doha, experienced a few days of rain (it is a treat, for the most part), and brought in the New Year with a great party!

As I went back to refresh on the events of the year, as are presented through this blog, I admit that it took everything I had in me to keep me from getting sentimental. WE HAVE DONE A LOT AND HAVE HAD A BLAST DOING IT! Please take the time, if you haven't done so already, and reminisce on our good times, and celebrate them with us! We feel ever so blessed, and are eternally grateful for it all.

To our Family and Friends back in the States:
We have survived and intend to continue to do so. It is, though, only by the Grace of God and with your thoughts and prayers, and continued emails and calls that this has all been possible and do-able for us. We THANK YOU all from the deepest part in our hearts; and are looking forward to catching up with you on our next visit "HOME"!!

(I must apologize for not adding any pictures to this post. As you know, Roland and Nick are not in town with Gabrielle and I right now, and neither is our camera! Stay tuned though, as I'm certain he will be bringing back some great footage of their "Awesome Adventures in Texas!")

WE MISS YOU GUYS! COME BACK SOON. AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

LOVE, MOMMY AND GABRIELLE (AND LAYLA)

Celebrate Good Times - Cool and The Gang

Half of my HEART is gone....

.....or going, that is. Let me explain. As the wife and Mother that I love being, my family is my HEART. As I sit here blogging (yes, finally, I know), one whole half of my family is on an airplane on their way to the great state of Texas for a mini-vacation. Nicholas, now a full 4 years old, and Daddy both are heading back HOME. Home: isn't that, also, what people say, is where the heart is? You get my point, I know!!



And, at this precise moment in time, I am truly OK with all of this. (Ask me later how I'm doing with it....or maybe not!) I am actually proud of myself for holding up better than I thought I would be. This IS the FIRST time Nicholas Lorenzo and I have been apart for the 2 1/2 weeks they plan on being gone; let alone, to be this far apart from one another. It really hit home when those exact words were said to me by little Nick himself. There's nothing like having a little kid tell you EXACTLY how it's going to be!!



But, leave it to my son to be oh so super excited about his trip. Of course he was! As anyone that knows him knows, this is just ONE MORE big adventure for him. And to have his Daddy all to himself is the super sweet icing on the big multi-layered cake.



So, yes, Mommy will terribly miss both he and Daddy; and big sister Gabrielle will anxiously await a phone call or two from them very soon. And, let's not forget that Doha will not be the same for us while they are gone. BUT, Roland and Nick will be having the time of their lives with our family and friends; and knowing that is what will fill my heart where the present gap exists!



Texas, here they come....aren't you LUCKY!!

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HAPPY 25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MARTHA & SERGIO! WE ARE SO HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH! GOD BLESS YOUR UNION AND YOUR PRECIOUS BOYS ALWAYS. WE LOVE & MISS YOU!

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HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!