Given Jake's crazy travel schedule and not unlimited vacation days, we decided it was best if we went East for the Christmas break. Very east and south. Back to Abu Dhabi which got us all excited to see old friends and our old stomping grounds.
Except for me being sick for the first part of the trip, we had a really nice time. Warm weather, familiar sights, new sights and old friends.
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| Forget sleighs - Santa's flying coach this year! |
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| Preparing for the long flight - I sent the kids off to Five Guys Burgers while I relaxed getting a pedicure and some time in the massage chair. |
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| First stop in the UAE? New island resort we had never been to called Zaya Nurai. Wonderful place to jus relax while we get over the jet lag and get to spend quiet time as a family |
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| Jake sweetly sent me to the spa - my view as I wait for my treatment |
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| My treatment room - not a bad place for a massage! |
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| Regan giving this adventurous thing a try. She kept popping off the back until she got the hang of leaning forward |
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| Bloop - there she goes off the top |
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| Now she's got it! |
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| Lunch view out our beach tee pee |
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| Jane herding fish |
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| Our lovely commute by bicycle |
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| Playground and zip line, too! |
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| Monkey bars |
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| Reading nook |
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| I really loved cycling around the island |
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| Pizza from the Smoking Pineapple (their pizza oven was a giant pineapple taller than Jake) |
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| Mere and I hop on the jet ski |
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| Off we go with Mere giving me the death grip (she was a bit nervous at first) |
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| Revving the engine |
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| Jake and Regan on theirs |
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| Now it's Jane's turn - everyone took a turn but Anna. She had no interest! |
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| The water was a bit cold to get out to the swings but much fun was had once they made it out there. Brave Anna was the first one to swim to the swings! |
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| My perch for watching all the fun (kids were in the water but I was cold!). To be fair to me, this was when I had a fever and chills... |
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| Looks like Anna enjoyed her stay - she wanted the hotel to know |
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| Stopping at a friend of Jane's - they're a musical family and we sang a few Christmas carols to get us in the Christmas spirit on that warm, desert day |
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| Elif and Jane |
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| Someone knows Anna pretty well! Gift from Meredith! |
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| Christmas morning surprises at our old Abu Dhabi house! |
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| Our little writer |
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| So-ooo, I left our passports at the hotel and it took me more than three hours on Christmas Eve to get them back. Those were the three hours I planned to go to the grocery store... So our Christmas Eve dinner was Indian take-out! Good thing the kids think that is a big, big treat! |
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| Meredith with two of her best buddies - her friend on the right moved away from Abu Dhabi two years ago and also came back for a visit! |
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| Best buddies |
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| Jane gathered at Laser Tag with many of her buddies |
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| Visiting friends with a new dog |
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| Kisses for Anna (*I* got doggy kissed, too!) |
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| New baby Dillon! |
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| Old friends getting together! |
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| Time for the annual tennis tournament. Front row tickets again in a small venue - fun event. |
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| Off to the brand new Louver |
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| One of Anna's favorite items - a small, blue hippo used in ancient Egyptian funerals |
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| Anna with her buddy! |
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| Time for a fun New Year's Eve celebration. |
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| Anna's new unicorn blanket - a big hit! |
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