Our annual tradition (like many expats in the UAE) is to head "home" for a good part of the summer - to visit friends and family as well as get a break from the UAE summer heat. Now that the girls are older, the trip has gotten *so* much easier! It can be hard and a bit flustering to live out of a suitcase for much of the summer, but it's gotten easier as the kids have gotten older. The girls and I flew over on our own while Jake stayed in Abu Dhabi. We saw lots of family members and had a lot of fun Arkasnas adventures. Jake came over to the U.S. for work and met me in San Francisco for a few days. We then went back to Arkansas, fetched the kids from camp, said good-bye and then went East to see his family.
Here are some photos of our time in Arkansas apart from our special extended family gatherings which are in separate posts.
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| Sticker books at the airport. Anna's favorite way to kill time on a plane or in an airport. |
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| Girls *loved* the extra tall escalator to the airport train at the Dallas airport |
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| Jetlag strategy #202? Throw the kids in a pool when they are almost comatose with tiredness at the wrong time - perks them up and helps them stay up a little longer so that they actually sleep at the right time instead of the middle of the day. We're on top of the airport hotel at DFW. We then ate pizza and then crashed at the airport hotel. Jane and I got a terrible night's sleep but the others did pretty well. We then flew on to Little Rock the next morning. |
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| Regan - my little bookworm (just like her mama and her Gammy) |
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| Jane prefers Mindcraft or Roblox on the iTouch to kill time. Meredith bounces between all three activities (stickers, reading, itouch games) |
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| First U.S. lunch?? Chick-Fil-A - take-out at Grandma Bernice's |
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| My girls with my grandmother (their great-grandmother). Grandma is looking A-M-A-Z-I-N-G at 97! |
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| Enjoying a rainbow up at Gammy and Poppy's Petit Jean mountain house over the Arkansas River |
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| In Hot Springs on Lake Hamilton with dear friend and college freshman roommate, Tara, who I haven't seen since I was pregnant with Regan. Our kids had a fabulous time together! |
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| On the lake |
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| Three of my kids (Meredith stayed with Gammy and Poppy) and Tara's three kids - great buddies after a couple of days together |
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| Laura and Tara - felt great to talk... and talk.... and talk... for hours and after too many years. |
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| One last game (Duck Duck Goose) before we drive off |
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| Made it to Cedar Falls at Petit Jean State Park |
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| Cedar Falls hike |
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| We all made it back to the top! |
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| Cedar Falls waterfall on Petit Jean Mountain |
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| My little adventurers |
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| Jane |
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| Regan |
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| Hot dog party! With a view. |
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| A little dance performance after our cook out |
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| Look who lost a tooth on this trip! |
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| Meredith and Gammy - s'mores! |
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| Fresh grilled corn |
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| Bedtime story |
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| At Uncle Tim and Aunt Vanessa's amazing historic home in Little Rock about to take Jack for a walk |
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| Dinosaur exhibit at the Clinton Presidential Library |
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| Laurasia! Huh, who knew?? |
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| Meredith hatching |
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| In the Oval Office replica. We watched the short movie about Bill Clinton's presidency and Regan got a little teary-eyed (and patriotic)! |
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| Historic Central High School near Tim & Vanessa's house - an important civil rights location |
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| Jack and Jane are tight buddies |
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| Look! Thanks to my community minded sister-in-law and brother who are quite the about-town folks, I made the society page only hours after I landed in Arkansas! I was able to attend a great event organized by the Historic Preservation Alliance which is led by Vanessa. I don't *think* I look like I haven't slept in more than 24 hours.... |
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| Museum of Discovery, Little Rock |
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| Petting a hedgehog |
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| The science museum has this wonderful Clue game like challenge. The girls did it once and then had Gammy and me give it a whirl. It was challenging as you can see by my perplexed face! |
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| Meredith lost a tooth at the science museum |
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| Back on Petit Jean Mountain |
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| Dancing on the lawn |
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| Jane taking it all in |
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| Jane getting introduced at camp |
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| Kanakuk camp time! Meredith getting introduced |
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| Meredith and one of her counselors |
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| Meredith's barn |
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| Regan and one of her counselors |
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| While the kids were at camp... Jake and I met in San Francisco. Wonderful time with dear friends. Here we are with Jon, Laney and their two kids |
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| The ladies |
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| All the grown ups |
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| Me with Sandra - who generously hosted a wonderful friend gathering at their new house in Atherton |
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| Mill Valley waterfall hike |
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| I love how we can just stroll out from downtown Mill Valley and get to *this*! |
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| View all the way to the ocean once we got to that point |
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| Anna made a great sign for all of us after she had a few days of Gammy and Poppy all to herself |
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| Jake first trip to Branson! We went to a quintessential Branson country music show and this was the cowboy rope guy |
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| Camp pick up time. The girls of Barn 2 (Meredith's barn) |
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| Meredith getting her award. |
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| She also got a camp-wide "Invisible Hero" award |
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| Jane's Barn 8 girls |
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| Jake's first trip to Kanakuk, too |
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| How great is this picture! Anna with Jake, Poppy and Uncle John. She planned a party when everyone else was gone, mailed invitations to her sisters at camp, bought decorations and planned games. |
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| Minion Anna and Minion Gammy |
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| Minions and balloons |
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| So this is what an Anna-planned minion dance party looks like! And I think I have that striped t-shirt on in about everyone of my photos! |
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| Fish fry with Anna's fish! |
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| Our family plus Grandma |
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| Saying good-bye to Uncle Tim |
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