Celebrations and Farewells

Deric and I have been spending our last months in Dubai doing some celebrating and "farewelling"!  We celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary on June 6.  We somehow managed to pull off 24 hours alone at a new hotel in Dubai called the Zabeel Saray on The Palm.  This is a true Dubai hotel....crazy, over-the-top arab fancy! Deric and I were lucky enough to get to attend the grand opening of this hotel back in January so it was so fun to come back as actual guests!  This hotel just can't be described with words!  Pictures do the talking of this Turkish-themed palace!  Once again, pinch me!!!  If you would have told me 13 years ago that I would one day live in The Middle East...well, I would have laughed all the way down the aisle! And here we are 13 years later in the sand. Thanks to all the people who helped us pull this night off...It is not often that we get time away!

GRAND OPENING ZABEEL SARAY

HEADING TO THE SPA!

DO WE HAVE TO GO?

2 days after our anniversary is Deric's birthday.  Yes this is his last year in the 30's!  Can you believe this amazing cake?  Our amazing Franny...(Elan's brother-n-law) made this cake for Deric.  Completely edible except for the Littlest Pet Shop visor.  Really?  LOVE when people make cakes..homemade cakes are the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As if the amazing cake wasn't enough our buds the Sassos outdid themselves and invited us out on the bay for some birthday fun.  We jumped in the Persian Gulf, (which is crazy-burn-your-throat-SALTY!), rode out to the see the "World Islands"(which kind of look like a Galveston jetty from a boat) and just enjoyed the amazing view of Dubai!  It was a Dubai night to remember ending with me, yes me driving the boat in to dock.  Add that to my hats...ship captain!

DIVING IN TO YEAR 39!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

SHIP CAPTAIN EMILY

Expat life means adventure, excitement, sacrifice, frustration...Farewells!!!! Two of my Texas pals are trading in their residence visas for their cowgirl hats and heading back to the Lone Star State!  I met Sarah and Amy when we first came to visit Dubai at the ASD carnival.  When I met these two I was in shock about moving to the Middle East and they both helped to make me feel welcome.  Of course we had to celebrate their departures!  It was a week of amazing barbecue and FLASH MOBS!

I MADE SARAH AND AMY THESE SIGNS THAT SHARE SPECIAL MEMORIES AND
WORDS ABOUT THEIR TIME IN THE SAND!  THEY HAD THEM PRINTED ONTO LARGE CANVASES!
I WILL SO MISS THESE TWO!

MY GREAT PAL SARAH WHO ALWAYS KEEPS ME LAUGHING...I WILL MISS YOU!
SO GLAD SHE IS HEADING BACK TO H-TOWN!  DON'T WORRY SARAH, AS FAR
AS I KNOW THERE ARE NO SECRET POLICE CAMERAS IN HOUSTON!

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A FLASH MOB?  WELL..WE PULLED ONE OFF AS A
SURPRISE FOR OUR PAL AMY!  WE DANCED, WE SANG AND WE SURPRISED
THE HECK OUT OF HER!  A NIGHT TO REMEMBER!

We celebrated Father's Day with a date night to the movies!  Movies in Dubai= reclining, cushy, super-cozy seats with a blanket and pillow and a butler that serves your popcorn and candy!  Here we are in the swanky lounge waiting to be "seated".  Movies in Dubai also = lots of editing and black bars through the screen.  Note to self: See Hangover 2 again in states!

DERIC HORIZONTAL IN HIS FATHER'S DAY MOVIE SEAT..
ONLY THE BEST FOR OUR DADDY! HAHAHAHA

FATHER'S DAY CELEBRATION AT SCHOOL

And lastly, one more farewell.  A gut-wrenching farewell!  The last day of school we had to say good-bye to our Sassos.  These 5 kids above have been the best of friends for the past year.  Their mama and I have laughed our way through this crazy adventure.  Words just can't express how much I will miss this family!  Oh well, as Dr. Seuss says "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened".  I won't repeat what Elan says about Dr. Suess.

The World is A Rainbow

Have you ever heard that song "The World is a Rainbow"?  Well, last week I did and it had a whole new meaning for me!  Luke's class did a little show and they sang this song.  Can you imagine all these little faces singing:

The world is a rainbow
That's filled with many colors:
Yellow, black, and white, and brown,
You see them all around.

The world is a rainbow
With many kinds of people;
It takes all kinds of people
To make the world go round.

Now you be you
And I'll be me.
That's the way we were meant to be.
But the world is a mixing cup.
Just look what happens when you stir it up!

Needless to say, there was not a dry eye in the house!  This song kind of sums up what I have learned about the world this year.  I came here kind of scared of this new place and all it's new colors.  I was way out of my comfort zone in a serious cultural shock. Today though, I embrace it!  I have been so blessed by this experience and most of all so glad to be giving it to our kids!  I have finally figured out how to embed a video into the blog! Now you can enjoy "The World is a Rainbow!" sung by the pre-K American School of Dubai kids! Luke the Duke Bryant is in the back row, far right.

We thought Lilly B. would enjoy going to the concert but we were wrong.  Lilly is like a clock.  12 comes and she is ready for her sleep.  She slept through the whole thing!  The concert ended in the most adorable way!  This WAKA WAKA song is a favorite in this part of the world! Watch below as the kids boogie off the stage!

Later in the week Blake and Olivia had their "bridging" ceremony.  Blake "bridged"from a Brownie to a Junior and Olivia "bridged" from a Daisy to a Brownie.

OUR SWEET SARAH CAME TO WATCH THE GIRLS BRIDGE AND BROUGHT THEM FLOWERS!

The girls had a little reception afterwards in the High School entry.  This amazing chair was built as an art project by two ASD students!

YEAH!  NO MORE GIRL SCOUT STUFF...SAYS LUKE

Immediately after the Girl Scout ceremony we took the kiddos to a little dance at school that benefited a charity called Room to Read.  This charity raises money to build libraries in poor countries around the world.  The kids got to dress up, dance and drink smoothies all night...Kid Heaven!  We took the Sasso kiddos while their parents enjoyed some alone time in the Maldives!

FAVORITE SHOT OF THE MONTH!

So what have we learned this week?  The world really is a rainbow......And we are soon about to enjoy these colors:

WAYS TO SURVIVE THE HEAT

We are on the countdown to our trip home for the summer!  While most of our Texas pals are out of school, we still have 16 days to go!  June 23rd we will fly out at 2:45 am and 16 hours later will land on US soil!  We get to spend 9 weeks at home and will head back to Dubai August 27th.  The kids and I are so ready to get home and see all our family and friends whom we hope have not forgotten the Bryants!  Until then, we must find ways to survive the INSANE HEAT of the desert and enjoy our last days here.  It is well over a 100 degrees daily here.  What are some ways we Bryants are surviving the heat?

POOL TIME!

PLAYING BEAUTY SHOP

ROUNDS AND ROUNDS OF UNO

MAKE FROZEN FRUIT SALAD...
YUMMMMMM!  RECIPE AT BOTTOM

SWITCH THE LIVING ROOM RUG OUT...

TAKE LOTS OF NAPS!

WATCH SOME SHOWS...ELMO, BARNEY 
AND BLUES CLUES PLAYING 
YET AGAIN IN MY HOUSE!

MORE DRESSING UP 

DO A LITTLE IKEA SHOPPING

ASSEMBLE NEW DESKS FOR GIRL'S ROOMS 

SLURP COLD DRINKS AT OUTBACK
 STEAKHOUSE..YES! THERE IS AN OUTBACK HERE!

TRY ON MORE THAN ONE PAIR OF SISTER'S
UNDERGARMENTS AND TRY TO WALK AROUND IN THEM?(HEAT CAN GET TO YOU) 

ENJOY SOME LIGHT READING

AND MORE DRESSING UP

EATING!  A FAVORITE AROUND HERE!

PLAY ON THE BEACH AND WATCH HOT AIR BALLOONS!

MAKE FUN OF INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTS
WITH FRIEND....WHO NEEDS VELVEETA WHEN
 YOU CAN HAVE VONK?  MAKE UP FUN WORDS WITH VONK AND CONSTANTLY TEXT THEM TO FRIEND.
VONKALICIOUS, VONKULOUS, VONKIN HILARIOUS!.....
(ONCE AGAIN, THE HEAT)

WHO NEEDS SPAM WHEN YOU CAN HAVE ZWAN?  

WHO NEEDS A QUARTER POUNDER WHEN
YOU CAN HAVE A CURRY VEG MCPUFF?

THROW A FEW TANTRUMS.  HEAT CAN DO THAT TO YOU.

OVER-ACCESSORIZE....ONCE AGAIN..THE HEAT

GET HAIRCUTS

EAT YOGURT WITH YOUR HANDS....WHY NOT!? 

THINK OF NEW WAYS TO MAKE YOUR
BABY SISTER TAKE MEDICINE...GO BLAKE!

PUT BABY SISTER TO BED...

WATCH BABY SISTER "PRETEND SLEEP" ON CUE!

RIDE THE METRO ACROSS DUBAI
 ON A FIELD TRIP WITH LUKE...

WIN WORLD'S LARGEST BLUE FISH
 AT MALL ARCADE BECAUSE DAD MAKES 1 BASKET

THE HEAT CAN GET TO YOU....
BUT WE'LL SURVIVE! TEXAS HERE WE COME!

FROZEN FRUIT SALAD!!!  THIS WAS SOOOO GOOD! KID PLEASER AND SO PRETTY FOR A PARTY!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 4 bananas, sliced
• 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed

Directions

1. Dissolve sugar in the water. Add orange juice, lemonade, bananas, crushed pineapple with juice, strawberries and mix well. Pour into 9x13 inch glass pan. Freeze until solid. When ready to serve, let it sit out for about 5 minutes before attempting to cut.